EO IMPORTADO ISSUE V

24 NOVEMBER 2008

In this issue:

Yo ya no pertenezco a ningn ismo

The ANC from Liberator to ruling party El verde del dlar oscurece el verde de la naturaleza The Grumpy Canadian Golden Oppurtunity

IMPORTANT MESSAGE Democracy = No king? Un solo Mxico, pero con dos presidentes Painful Political Obstacles and Solutions Into Africa

Note from the Editors

The theme this issue is Political Ideology: what is your Political Ideology? How does it affect you? How do the Political Ideologies (or lack thereof) of the people in charge of you affect you? How have your Political Ideologies evolved in your time here? Have you even formed a Political Ideology yet? The response has been varied from explanations of current political situations to arguments about theories, to reasons for not pertaining to any particular ideology. We are hoping that these articles will provoke thought and reflection, hopefully to the extent that there will be some replies for a Letters To The Editor Page in the next edition. We leave you to the philosophiess of your fellow community members. UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF COSTA RICA PAGE 1

EOR IMPORTADO ISSUE V

24 NOVEMBER 2008

Yo ya no pertenezco a ningn ismo

ismo
Hace pocos das, Tom me llam comunista durante una charla de cafetera. Yo me desat del trmino porque ms all de la simpata que encuentre con muchas ideas rojas, no considero que mi conviccin sea lo suficientemente fuerte para hacer justicia al trmino. Tom me pregunt entonces que qu era yo, socialista? capitalista? anarquista? Al quedarme sin habla, me puse a pensar Por qu es importante tener una ideologa poltica definida? La ideologa poltica es muchas veces vista como evidencia de la preocupacin de un individuo por las problemticas de su entorno, como el punto de cosmovisin del mismo, como demostracin concreta de los valores de la persona.

limitaciones en la puesta en prctica, que paradjicamente se producen por las ilimitadas variables que puede haber de las mismas teoras. Muchas interpretaciones de ideologas polticas fueron y son sumamente criticadas por la distancia que conservan con la idea original. La URSS, el ejemplo ms evidente para cualquier estudiante de Historia, se asocia directamente con el Socialismo Real, siendo que el modelo de gobierno all implementado se alej profundamente de las bases tericas y los ideales del Socialismo. Entonces, si las ideologas no necesariamente guan de forma fiel el curso de un Estado o sector de la sociedad, Qu rol cumplen dentro de los individuos particularmente y dentro de la sociedad como un todo? Pues no pretendo dar una respuesta completa a tan amplia pregunta, pero s expresar mi opinin al respecto. Las ideologas adoptadas suelen cumplir en el individuo las funciones de orientacin y de gua para conformar y consolidar nociones bsicas como las del bien o el mal. Esto puede considerarse como positivo a nivel individual, pues se supera la angustia propia de la desorientacin moral y poltica. Adems, el individuo adquiere soporte poltico para llevar a cabo acciones que no slo le conciernen a l sino a una mayor porcin de la sociedad, con la conviccin de que las mismas son positivas. Sin embargo, una moral fuertemente arraigada a una ideologa se contrapone por

definicin a aquello que la exceda, y esto no est lejos de tratarse de una dependencia o, en ciertos casos, adoctrinamiento. El individuo consigue una direccin poltica, pero atarse a ella puede resultar en la parcialidad nociva que condicione su visin de la realidad. Por eso no considero que la falta de ideologa poltica pueda ser traducida automticamente en la falta de inters por problemticas sociales. No pertenecer a ningn ismo no significa no tener ideologa, o no tener inters en las mismas. Personalmente, pienso que es ms fcil para un individuo analizar fenmenos y situaciones sociales cuando no se tienen preconceptos que condicionen directamente las conclusiones al respecto. S creo que las ideologas ya existentes deben ser analizadas, evaluadas y consideradas, pero conservar la capacidad de crtica es fundamental para crear una visin personal que refleje un anlisis original y autntico sobre algo tan debatible como las tramas sociales. Es cierto que las ideologas polticas brindan un sentido de pertenencia que no siente aquel individuo que se desliga de las mismas. Sin embargo, la mera desorientacin no parece una razn vlida para ligarse a una ideologa fija. Yo ya no pertenezco a ningn ismo y eso desorienta, aunque prefiero ver que tambin abre un puado de oportunidades para la interpretacin personal de la realidad social. Y quizs eso sea lo que necesitamos, menos teora y ms prctica, menos adoctrinamiento y ms conviccin, menos ideologas fijas y escritas, PAGE 2 para abrir paso a ms creatividad, anlisis y acciones.

Yo no concuerdo con esto.

Las ideologas polticas marcan, indefectiblemente, una lnea de pensamiento que el individuo elige adoptar. Sin embargo, ah se oculta una caracterstica inherente a las mismas: son tericas. Tomando esto en cuenta, se desatan una serie de dificultades y

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EOR IMPORTADO ISSUE V

24 NOVEMBER 2008

THE ANC- FROM LIBERATOR TO RULING PARTY

broader alliance. Despite it capturing the majority of votes, the ANC faces many challenges ahead of next years general elections. The ANC government has failed to deal with certain issues, such as improving service delivery and eradicating poverty. High unemployment rates, crime and Formed in 1912 as the South Af- HIV/AIDS are also pressing issues that still have to be properly rican National Native Congress dealt with. I am also of the belief (SANNC) with the intention of representing the rights and needs that the ANC government could of the black population, the ANC have done more regarding ending Mugabes reign and the accomplayed a major role in resisting panying suffering of Zimbabwethe Apartheid regimes suppression of South Africas black ma- ans. 5.5 million of the populajority. This article aims to discuss tion3 is said to be living with the present-day situation in South HIV/AIDS and 18.17% of adults between the ages of 15 to 49 are Africa and the impact the ANC infected with the disease.4 The has had on South Africas postformer president of South Africa Apartheid history. Negotiations to end Apartheid began in Febru- and the ANC, Thabo Mbeki, once ary 1990 and culminated in South stated that the main cause of HIV was poverty. During his presiAfricas first democratic and dency, the government was permulti-racial elections in April ceived as an AIDS denialist. 1994. The ANC won 62.65% of The then Health Minister, Mantovotes in 1994, followed by Tshabala Msimang, advocated a 66,35% in 1999 and 69,69% in 1 diet of garlic, olive oil and lemon the 2004 general election. The in an attempt to fight off the disANC holds enough seats (more ease. Even though Dr.Msimang than 66%) in Parliament to unihas been replaced as the Health laterally alter the Constitution. The ANC defines itself as a dis- Minister, ARVs are still not prociplined force of the left2, with a vided to those who need it. HIV/AIDS has had an extremely socialist and Pan-African ideolnegative impact on South African ogy. Due to its participation in the Triapartheid Alliance, which society, as many children have been left orphaned and there has consists of the South African been a rapid increase in childCommunist Party (SACP) and headed households, especially in the Congress of South African rural areas. The available Trade Unions (COSATU), the ANC comprises of many factions workforce has also decreased, affecting South Africas ecoand has suffered due to deep dinomic prospects negatively. visions within the party and the Along with HIV/AIDS, crime is a major factor contributing to the discontent of South Africans. Even though official statistics attest to a decrease in crime, the public feel less safe than ever before. In September 2007, the murder rate stood at 18.7%, indecent assault at 8.9% and rape at a staggering 47.8%.5 It is clear that something drastic must be done to act as a deterrent against criminals. Criminals are not dealt with decisively, as the judicial system is overloaded with pending cases. The South African Police Service is under-staffed, not enough funds are allocated for adequate training and the remuneration packages for police officers are not sufficient to attract or retain officers. Linked to poverty and crime is the unemployment rate. According to official estimates, 24.3% of South Africans are unemployed and 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. Despite robust economic growth since the demise of Apartheid, South Africa (Africas largest and strongest economy) has one of the most unequal income distributions in the world. In 2000, Statistics South Africa reported that on average, a white household earned six times more than a black household did. Even though the GDP (PPP) has increased to $ 101876, the gap between rich and poor is becoming more evident. Statistics bear proof to this- the richest 20% receive 22 times more income than the poor. The poor receive only 2.9% of the national income.7 Income inequality has lead to various social problems, such as crime and the increased spread of

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IMPORTADO ISSUE V
disease. Poor people simply cannot afford basic health care, which is sometimes not adequately provided by state hospitals. Many resort to crime as a means to provide food for their families. Crime has become the easy way out for the destituteits an almost effortless means of earning an income and the chances of being prosecuted are slim. In an attempt to re-distribute income more equitably, the ANC introduced legislation known as Black Economic Empowerment, which aims to make the economy more representative of the countrys demographics. Due to Apartheid and its economic policies, the control of public and private businesses is largely still in the hands of white individuals. BEE applies to Blacks, Coloureds (mixed-race), Indians and Chinese, all of who were excluded from widespread economic participation (e.g. ownership of companies) during Apartheid. Companies are scored according to ownership; management practices, employment equity, skills development etc and thus quotas are set for black ownership of firms. Depending on the companys turnover and the sector within it operates, certain BEE goals have to be met. These goals must be met to allow firms to tender for lucrative government contracts. In my opinion, the idea behind BEE (redistributing wealth across all racial lines) is needed, as the majority of those who are poor and cannot afford basic services are black. Yet, the manner in which BEE has been implemented and the effects thereof are what I do not agree with. Many say that BEE has caused the exodus of skilled white-professionals to countries like Australia, the US and the UK. Thus, many important positions are filled by incompetent individuals, who are employed simply because they are black. South Africa is reeling from a skills-shortage. Examples include teaching and health-care. Each year, thousands of teachers leave the profession, but less than half of that figure is translated into those entering the profession. Hospitals are severely understaffed in certain regions of the country. Nurses are highly sought after abroad and by private hospitals and government simply cannot compete with the wages and working conditions offered. BEE deals have created a clique of extremely rich black individuals, such as Patrice Motsepe, Africas only black billionaire8, Cyril Ramaphosa and Tokyo Sexwale. A major criticism is that in general, most of those who have benefited from BEE also have ties to the ANC. However, the average black man on the street does not benefit from these transactions, as he has no money to participate in BEE share deals nor does he have the expertise to work at an executive level within a large firm. Instead of focusing on transforming the

24 NOVEMBER 2008
existing workforce, the ANC government should have placed much more emphasis on education and training. Improving the standards of education, the availability and distribution of educational resources and higher salaries for teachers are all examples of how this issue could have been addressed. It should however be noted that the ANC government inherited a very unequal educational system from the Apartheid government, whereby most blacks received an inferior education, which has contributed to the present-day skills shortage. In December 2007, Mbeki was succeeded as president of the ANC by Jacob Zuma. Zuma is widely tipped to become the next president of South Africa, yet he has been tried in court for rape, corruption, racketeering, money laundering and fraud charges. Zuma was fired from his position as Deputy President of South Africa in March 2005 after his financial advisor, Schabir Shaik, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on fraud charges. He was acquitted on the rape charge on 8 May 2006, as the judge believed the accuser was lying to the court due to the fact that she had accused other men before Zuma of rape. On 12 September 2008, the

WE WANT YOUR VOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Any responses that members of the community have for articles or issues raised in this first edition should be sent to importado@uwccr.com because we plan to establish a Letters to The Editor section in the next publication (if we get any responses this time). UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF COSTA RICA PAGE 4

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to resign. This division in the ANC and the subsequent breakaway faction has also created an opportunity for the Democratic Alliance to increase their voter base, as more and more people have become fed-up with the ANC and its antics. Nelson Mandela, the father of a democratic and free South Africa once said: We must use time wisely and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right. I hope all South Africans use their democratic right and exercise their power to vote. One vote has never had so much power! YOUR X, YOUR FUTURE! My only regret isI am too young to exercise mine! Chad Sonn

charges against Zuma were declared unlawful, as Zuma was not given a chance to make representations before he was charged. A possible presidential candidate so tainted by the media creates a PR problem for South Africa internationally. Yet in South Africa, Zuma is seen as a man of the people; one who respects and upholds his Zulu culture. During in rape trial, his supporters held many night vigils for him and chanted pro-Zuma sayings outside court day after day. Furthermore, at the ANCs National Conference of December 2007, new members were elected to its National Executive Committee. 16% of the new NEC are either post-apartheid convicted criminals or suspects in criminal investigations, many on counts of fraud.9 This article has painted a grim outlook of South Africa. Yet, I feel there is no better time to be alive in South Africa. This can be seen by comparing the life I have led so far to that of my parents. I could go to any school I want to, provided that there were no financial constraints. I have freedom of speech, religion and may belong to any political party I want to. Provided that I was 18, I could even form my own party and stand for elections. These are all things my parents could not do under Apartheid. The opportunities available to me are endless- all my parents could become were teachers or nurses! The ANC will always be seen as the organization that had the greatest share in bringing down the Apartheid regime and its racist policies. Millions of South Africans (including myself) will

always be grateful to the ANC and freedom fighters from various other movements, such as the UDF and PAC, for what they have done. 1994 hailed the beginning of a multicultural and multiracial democratic South Africa.

I feel the ANC government could have done much more in their 14 years in government.
Their policies have been shortsighted and corruption has prevented public development. Millions of South Africans (especially black) continue to live in poverty, while politicians become richer and are more frequently linked to fraudulent business activities. Wealth has not been properly re-distributed and the government has failed to tackle urgent social issues. The elections of 2009 will be a defining moment in South Africas post-Apartheid history. Many blacks simply voted for the ANC, as it is seen as a black party. The official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, who received 12% of the vote in the last elections, is still seen as too white. However, on the 1st of November 2008, a new black alternative party was formed, known as Congress of the People (COPE). COPE comprises of exANC members, unhappy with the present ANC leader Jacob Zuma, his links to corruption allegations and the manner in which Thabo Mbeki was forced

VOTER TURNOUT: 1994: 19533498; 1999: 15977142; 2004: 15612671, according to the IEC
2

www.anc.org.za (Declaration at the 51st National Conference- Stellenbosch 2002)

3

Total population estimate: 47.9 million

4 5

UNAIDS official statistics

INCIDENCE PER 100,000 PEOPLE. Statistics according to www.nationmaster.com and http://www.info.gov.za/issues/crime/c rime_aprsept_ppt.pdf (April to September 01-07)
6 7

2008 estimate- IMF

www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908770. html
8

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7 281637.stm
9

Mail and Guardian: ANCs rogue gallery- 17 January 2008 (www.mg.co.za)

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IMPORTADO ISSUE V

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El verde del dlar oscurece el verde de la naturaleza1

Esta tercera interpretacin refiere a desarrollo como crecimiento econmico. Es la economa dominante que obedece la frrea lgica de la maximizacin de los beneficios, la minimalizacin de los costes y la reduccin del tiempo empleado. En funcin de ellos se agilizan todas las fuerzas productivas para extraer de la Tierra todo lo que es consumible y apropiarse de ello. Existen por lo menos tres interpretaciones de la crisis ambiental2: a) La tecnocentrista, que identifica la causa de la crisis con tecnologas y procesos depredadores, pero cree que es posible cambiar hacia tecnologas limpias y energas sustentables. Esta posicin no modifica la tendencia a expoliar el suelo ms all de sus posibilidades de recuperacin mientras rinda ganancia econmica; b) La ecocentrista, que identifica a la sociedad como consumidora de productos, usufructuando espacios naturales. No confa tanto en la tecnologa como solucin sino en el convencimiento individual y en el cambio de actitudes como instrumentos para transformar la sociedad. Es ingenua y voluntarista al privilegiar la actitud individual por sobre las relaciones econmicas materiales que conducen al comportamiento depredador y contaminante; c) La humanista, que considera que el comportamiento de la sociedad con la naturaleza depende del tipo de relaciones que se establecen al interior de la sociedad. A diferencia de las anteriores, sta entiende que la sociedad est dividida en grupos y clases con intereses encontrados; y que son esas contradicciones las que explican el comportamiento con la naturaleza. Adjudican responsabilidades diferentes a las distintas clases. Los dueos de los principales medios de produccin, por ejemplo, en su afn de crecer econmicamente, disponen la forma en que se produce, el tipo de energa y los recursos que se utilizan; sobre ellos recae, la mayor responsabilidad de los problemas ambientales. Los trabajadores no pueden ser responsables de la tecnologa que se usa ni del desperdicio producido. Cunta responsabilidad tienen las economas centrales en el dao ambiental comparado con las economas perifricas? Estados Unidos con el 5% de la poblacin mundial, consume el 25% de la produccin. Ellos mismo han calculado que un nio estadounidense representa un dao ambiental igual a 2 nios suecos, 13 brasileos, 35 indios y 280 chadianos (sobran los comentarios). La asimetra entre sociedades centrales y sociedades perifricas no es slo de poder sino tambin de destructividad y derroche. Lo que est en crisis es el modelo econmico capitalista, que sostiene que los recursos son infinitos3. Pero la conciencia de crisis reconoce que los recursos tienen lmites ya que no todos son renovables (es mejor no producir residuos que resolver qu hacer con ellos). Este modelo no puede universalizarse. Por ejemplo si China, con el 21.6% (1.200.000 millones de habitantes) consumieran como los norteamericanos, el planeta se acabara en una semana. Razn tuvo Gandhi cuando despus que India consigui su independencia le preguntaron: Ahora, qu ambiciones tiene usted para la India? Sin duda desear que la India adquiera el mismo nivel de vida que Gran Bretaa? Y Gandhi contest: Le tom a Gran Bretaa utilizar la mitad de todos los recursos de la tierra para llegar a ser lo que es en este momento. Cuntas planetas necesitar India para llegar al mismo nivel?4. (Otra dimensin de la paz). Una ltima observacin. Hoy la humanidad moderna opulenta (empastillada, destructiva, despilfarradora y desesperanzada), se apodera del 40% de lo que los eclogos llaman Produccin Prima-

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ria Global Neta. Solo una especie, se apodera del 40% de la energa disponible para todos los seres vivos. La economista norteamericana Joy Bartholomew dice que, de mantenerse esta tendencia, hacia el 2050 podran haber desaparecido la mitad de las especies5. (Y nosotros tan buenos, preocupndonos de salvar las lapas, de organizar la basura y de reciclar). Desde la sostenibilidad de la vida sobre la Tierra, este modelo es inviable; la industrializacin de China e India (por citar pases con gran poblacin), no debera imitar el modelo de los pases centrales. Pero esos pases centrales deberan, asimismo, introducir reformas radicales a su modelo de existencia. (No piensen que no quiero que chinos e indios tengan sus VMW). Los entendidos dicen que apostar por el desarrollo sostenible es una contradiccin; desarrollo (como vimos), significa degradacin y dilapidacin de los recursos naturales; sostenible, representa la tendencia de los ecosistemas al equilibrio dinmico, la cooperacin y la coevolucin. Son dos lgicas que se auto-niegan: una privilegia al individuo; la otra, a la colectividad. Una subraya la competitividad; la otra la cooperacin. Este modelo depredador no es eficiente. Cmo puede ser eficiente un modelo econmico desenfrenado que destruye las fuentes de la riqueza? Acierta Hinkelammert al decir que La eficiencia se transforma en una competencia de individuos que cortan la rama sobre la cual estn sentados, se incitan mutuamente, y que celebran finalmente como el ms eficiente a aqul que primero llega al final, y cae6. Hay que dudar de la eficien-

cia de la produccin de riqueza, si ella destruye las mismas fuentes de esa riqueza producida. A esto Max Weber llama la irracionalidad de lo racionalizado. Una produccin es eficiente, slo si reproduce las fuentes de la riqueza producida; el modelo econmico actual no lo reproduce. Pero lo que no tiene lmites es la tozudez; hace pocos das el G-20 reunido en Washington plante la defensa del actual sistema como cuestin de fe. Visto as, seguir imperando el verde del dlar sobre el verde de la naturaleza. Abner

Debo esta imagen a Franz Hinkelammert. La idea de este artculo es generar discusin sobre interpretaciones de la crisis ambiental. A falta de espacio ser breve, dejando algunas ideas sin desarrollar.
2

Cf. las ideas del antroplogo y economista Guillermo Foladori: El pensamiento ambientalista
3

Vase lo sealado por el filsofo Helio Gallardo en: Capitalismo y desarrollo sostenible.
4

Citado por el telogo Leonardo Boff en: Florecer en el Yermo.

5

Vase Desarrollo sostenible y polticas econmicas en Amrica Latina

6

Franz Hinkelammert, economista y filsofo alemn en: Capitalismo sin alternativas? Sobre la sociedad que sostiene que no hay alternativa para ella.

El tema de la siguiente publicacin de importado ser la religin. Interpreta el tema como desees, sea como discusin de una religin en particular, un artculo sobre la religin como concepto o una anticipacin de las festividades que se aproximan. Los artculos debern entregarse antes de la ltima semana del semestre. UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF COSTA RICA PAGE 7

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The Grumpy Canadian

Sympathy and trust abounding No more falsehoods or derisions Golden living dreams of visions Mystic crystal revelation And the mind's true liberation Aquarius! Aquarius!
Aquarius, Aquarius we cried, my sisters and I. Truthfully, I simply cried, I was two years old and suffering the tyranny of three hostile older sisters, undiagnosed asthma, eczema and acute allergies to all of fur- and feather-bearing creation. Or maybe I was channeling the pathos of my generationto-be? The sixties had been, in the jargon of the day, A bummer, man, what with the Russians beating the Americans to orbiting a satellite about the earth and manned space travel, the Cuban Missile Crisis and such a grim string of assassinations that you really need to remind yourself that all these men died within five years of one another: John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. And then, just as it seemed that North American civilization could deteriorate no further, Richard Nixon was elected president twice defeating such Demorcratic luminaries as Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern. Those were dark times. It wasnt until July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong put the first footprint on either the moon or a Holly-

When I was a boy, my parents would listen to the Fifth Dimension on our Califone, portable LP stereo player (LP standing for long playing vinyl disc). They were a groovy five-piece, freeloving, hippy group, the Fifth Dimension that is, that hit big in 1969 with Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In. On the other hand, my parents were recent immigrants to the utopic bliss of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were only a couple and, for the record, neither groovy nor freeloving. My parents were responsible, hard-working folk, who instilled in me a deep sense of distrust for the coming liberal mindedness that Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In prophesied.

Harmony and understanding

wood soundstage that there was a little something to bring us cheer. We didnt care if it the lunar landing was a ruse, we were so primed for a feel-good story, we would have believed that the man in the moon had WMDs and Neil and Buzz had gone up there to bring some six-gun justice to the cosmos. Besides, back then, without the internet or the world wide web to inform us, conspiracy theories propagated with the speed of plate tectonics. Sure, the NASA moon project budget could have financed the ends of hunger, illiteracy and inadequate healthcare, world-wide, built wind turbines and solar collectors to re-introduce the ice-age to Scottsdale, Arizona. But back in those days our neighbor to the south was still fighting wars against people, namely Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, and homegrown, democracy/activist movements in the form of unarmed, hippie college students at Kent State. It wasnt until the new millennium that battles would be waged against nouns. So, as I had been saying earlier, finally, we had an historical event we could celebrate instead of mourn, and we had the soundtrack for the happy days ahead. We could at last bid a very fond farewell to that horrible Age of Pisces and usher in the promise of a new Orb of Influence: Aquarius. Just say it; Aquarius. For starters, it was inclusive, welcoming. Say it again, but this time savor the last syllable. Us, us, us. It felt good in the mouth. On the other hand, stand in front of a mirror and repeat Pisces. Your face winds up in a sneer, or at least you end up with an expression worthy of Santa Ana bus driver. We were finally going to get our act to-

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gether in the seventies, just as soon as Nixon was put behind bars, and Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In affirmed our convictions through constant AM radio rotation. Sure, the United States of America threw a crook out of the Presidency and replaced him with a boob (President Gerald Ford), who actually stated in a live, televised TV debate with then Governor of Georgia/Trilateral Commission candidate, Jimmy Carter, that the Breshnev-led USSR held no sway over Poland in 1976!!! Give me a second to compose myself after that fit of laughter So why does an avuncular nincompoop matter to American political history? Dear President Ford, an avowed Eagle Scout, introduced two powerful neo-con sociopaths to the Oval office in the personages of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Senate majority leader Dick Cheney, back before they were called neo-cons and the public was cynical enough to psychologically profile its leaders. For his efforts, for holding the office of the Presidency for fewer years than any other President who lived to exit office, for denying the Soviets held an iron grip over the Warsaw Pact states, for pardoning Richard Nixons crimes and for chairing the Warren Commission (that concluded that J.F.K. was murdered by a lone crack-pot patsy who miraculously was able to fire bullets in Daly Square from two different locations, simultaneously) this same man was given a state funeral, the only President to gain office via the 25th Constitu-

tional Amendment. Like the dogmatist who can cite verse and line, few fanatical democrats have actually read or can name the most venerated of republican tomes. So, lets stop to breathe and take stock of what we have covered so far: we were in the late sixties, the Age of Aquarius was supposed to be dawning, ushering in a time or harmony and understanding. Lets stick with that lyric as it sounds the least un-American. In a blink of an eye, hope was gutted from our horizon and reactionaries stormed the Whitehouse. Mind you, democracy was still functioning: the checks and balances put in place by the founding fathers kicked in, and irresponsible Republican thuggery was replaced by responsible Republican demagoguery, with a brief respite of southern Democratic backlash. Im referring to Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter, not Reagan/Bush the elder, Clinton and Bush the younger. Im referring to Watergate, not the Iran-Contra Affair, nor the first Gulf War or the Occupation of Iraq. Forgive yourself for getting confused, the puppets have changed, but the puppet masters have not. If the sixties were a bummer man then the seventies were more of the same bad trip, which rapidly devolved into a thirty-year psychotic episode. The past 40 years have been filled neither with harmony nor understanding, but instead with dissonance and ignorance. Finally, a question: why should we

study history? Let me quote the editors introduction from my ragged, Penguin edition, paperback copy of Aristotles The Politics, a book I purchased last summer because a Marxist, El Salvadoran journalist told me I should, so I did:

The society that loses its grip on the past is in danger, for it produces men who know nothing but the present, and who are not aware that life has been, and could be, different from what it is. Such men bear tyranny easily
We live in a time of ignorance; a dystopic Age of dissonance, antipathy and Noble Lies in which the past is irrelevant and unworthy of scrutiny. And through the crackling and popping, The Age of Aquarius still beckons. Ken Hoffman AKA fomer chemistry/tok/current affairs/music teacher/cynic and sage on life.

Queremos or tu voz!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cualquier respuesta o comentario para los artculos de la primera edicin debern de ser enviados al correo importado@uwccr.com porque planeamos establecer una seccin de Cartas al editor en la siguiente publicacin. UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF COSTA RICA PAGE 9

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Growth and Opportunities Act(AGOA), during his first term as president. AGOA has opened doors for millions of Africans: employment opportunities through the emergency of sponsored smallscale industries that promote the exportation of African crafts, and other consumer goods made in Africa. Will Senator Obama continue this campaign? Or is the on-going financial and economic crisis in the USA a harbinger that Africa is to be fnally subjected to reduced funds? This could kickstart an urgency for the continent to initiate independent and creative ways to improve our desperate situation-the African way. But, is there an African way that doesnt include begging for capital, then siphoning money into a tank solely for the development of the persons whose surnames have a connection to the leaders of the country? I often wonder whether some or most African leaders, are probably assuming that a Black man as Commander-in-Chief of the United States, automatically means more leniency with foreign loans and subsequently, more bailouts or pardons on these foreign allowances. However, these leaders that claim to honestly guide the African continent, mustn't forget that Mr. Obamas administration is going to be run on a cutthroat preciseness in helping the United States recover from the prevailing credit crunch. Yes, there will be aid, but aid that will require regular follow-ups to ensure its being utilized in the right ventures, not the wrong stomachs. Maybe Mr. Obama and his team can instead provide for the ailing and needy African states that require AntiRetro Viral (ARV) drugs for HIV/AIDS, advanced equipment essential for the clean and efficient manufacture of drugs. This way, there is no way funds will be redirected to another pressing project, for example; buying new Mercedes Benz cars for State ministers. Hooray! Corruption definitely will not go undetected. I think. Even though Obama does promise to increase aid to the progression of African countries, it will not be by a large margin for the US has its own fires to put out. What the people of Africa can genuinely learn from Sen. Obamas victory, is inspiration. For me, inspiration targeted for the youth. To realize that indeed: Yes, we can throw out (not physically), those incompetent, ruthless, greedy, amoral and corrupt sons and daughters of the motherland we call our Presidents, Prime Ministers, Overseers or even Generals. We are going to cry some more, and lose a few more lives in this fight for true independence. Not from a colonial/foreigner master, but from fellow citizens who feel they have the right to be super-glued to the seats with ultimate power. In retrospect, many have professed that throughout this 20+ months election period, that it took a bad president: Mr. G.W. Bush, for the emergence of individuals like Mr. Obama: the hopefully good president, for change to finally come. Optimistically, the millions of Africans exasperated with their countrys government, can, and should borrow a leaf. Yes, anything is possible. Yes, we can do it. Nicole Magabo

Golden P What I think Opportunity

What I think PresidentElectObamas victory mean for Africa
Africans, in and out of the disapora--whether they had left 300 years or 2 days earlier, stood tall on the 4th of November 2008, when the Cable News Network declared Senator Barack Obama, the projected winner of the US Presidential Elections. I believe every Black man that was rooting for Mr. Obamas victory would have loved to savour their immediate feelings, tears, shrieks of joy, into a glass bottle and place it up onto their pedestals. This would serve as a daily reminder that a once oppressed (definitely not the only) race, would forever be elevated from the hierarchical ranks of the Race Tier. Having said that, this Race Tier has been self-destructed, because the fundamentals on which it was constructed upon, have been proven wrong. Even though this election is not the only incident that has managed this, it is the final push of a joint effort of not just one race, but all. As Senator Obama said: Its been a long time coming. The United States has been a steadfast aide when it comes to financing the numerous health, education, housing and economic developmental projects that sustain the needs of the African people. One of President George W. Bushs positive impacts on the global community and specifically the African continent, is the establishment of the African

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campus,yetitistoshowhowour campuscanbecomparedtoagov ernmentthatcouldexistintodays world.Insteadofaheadofstate wehaveaheadmaster,insteadof governmentagencieswehavepil lars,insteadofacongressorpar liamentwehaveastudentcouncil andstaffmeetingsandsoonandso forth.Nowbeforewegoontrying toanalyzethepoliticalnatureof ourcollegewemustdefinepolitics: Theartorscienceofgov ernmentorgoverning,es peciallythegoverningofa politicalentity,suchasa nation,andtheadministra tionandcontrolofitsin ternalandexternalaf fairs.1 Usingthisdefinitionwemust evaluatewhetherweareapolitical entity.Wecanlikenourselvestoa nationorstate:wehaveborders, wehavebothinternalandexternal affairs,wehavemembersofthe community(otherwisereferredto ascitizensorresidentsinnations), andwehaverules(otherwisere ferredtoaslawsinnations).As sumingthatweareapoliticalentity thenwhatpoliticsdowefollow,or, asisthethemeofthisissue,what politicalideologydowefollow? Beforeansweringwemustdefine ideology: Thebodyofdoctrine, myth,belief,etc.,that guidesanindividual,social movement,institution, class,orlargegroup."2 Usingthesedefinitionswecancre ateasimpledefinitionofthepoliti calideology: Thebeliefsthatguidethe wayagroupofpeopleisgoverned. Wemustexaminethewaywhich wearegovernedasanentitybefore goingontolookintothebeliefsour communityhaswhichsupportthat typeofgovernment.Soletusexam inethestructureswehaveinour communityandlikenthemtodiffer entgovernmentsinordertothen questiontheideologybehindit. Firstletusdefineourbor ders:ThemajorityofUWCCRs communitylieswithinthefences andgatecreatingourborderwith theoutsideworldandneighboring communities;thosetravelinginto andoutofUWCCRmustdoso throughourguardedgatefollowing standardimmigrationprotocol (guardmustconfirmyouarea memberofUWCCRorhavepermis siontoenter,thenmustinspectyour bagsand/orcartrunk).Itisthrough thisgatethatallmaylegallytravel. Havingdefinedourbordersandim migrationpoliciesletusexamine howthepeopleinsidetheseborders aregoverned: Hierarchy:Therearethree typesofcommunitymembers:ad ministrators,staffandstudents.We canrefertoallcommunitymembers ascitizens.Foreachtypeofcitizen differentlaws(rules)apply,butall arecreatedbytheadministrators consideringtheyarethenational officials.Underneaththemthelaws forstaffareboundbyacontractand thecountry(UWCCR)isobligatedto paythemsincetheyarethework force.Lastlythelawsforthestu dentsareplacedbyadministration butboththeadministrationand staffarepartofthejudicialsystem (disciplinarycommittee).Fromthis pointofviewwecanconsider UWCCRanoligarchy: aformofgovernmentin whichthesupremepoweris placedinthehandsofafew persons;also,thosewho formtherulingfew.3 Republic:Studentsarerep resentedbytheStudentCouncil,a nationalcouncilof3rdtypecitizens (students)electedby3rdtypeciti zens.Thiscouncilplaysavitalrolein theprocessofthenation,forthey discussandvoteonvariousissuesto

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:

Messagefromtheheadofthe state: Dearmembersofour community, Asyouallmaybeaware, therehavebeenaseriesofevents thathavegeneratedwidespread concernamongstusand thatshouldleadusintoadeepre flection. Thisisoutsideofthenormalweekly addresstothecommunity;many communitymemberscontinueread ingoutofcuriosityfortheabnormal procedures.Astheycontinueread inganotherpassagestrikesthem: Inordertomakethere flectionprocessmoreeffectivewe wouldliketoasktherespective Tutor Groupstomeetthisweek (Friday,thelatest)todiscussand thinkaboutthissituation.Onthe meantime,alongwiththe PeacepillarandtheStudentCouncil Mediators,weareorganizinga reflectionprocessfor whichwewillsendyouaseriesof guidequestionstobeaddressedin the TutorGroupsaccordingly. Thistrulyisanemergencymatter forallnormalproceduresarebeing brokenandanewseriesofprotocol takingplace.Communitymembers notethechangeintheirschedule andthosepartsofthebodiesof government(PeacePillar,student council,mediationteam)named wonderwhentheywillbegintoad dressthisissueconsideringtheir currentlyfilledcalendars. Wemustobservethis situation,amongstothers,carefully totrulyfindthepoliticalnatureof ourcollege.Theabovepassageis anexaggeration(orevenanad justedpointofview)ofaneventon

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bringuptothenationaladministra tion.Thenationaladministrationis madeupofthe1sttypecitizens, andtheyhavebeengiventhisposi tionbecause2ndand3rdtypeciti zenshaveallowedthemtobysim plybecomingpartofthenation. Staffcitizensalsohaveelected groupsthatmanagedifferentparts ofthenationwhichgivesthemrep resentation.Alldecisionsmadeby thenationaladministrationgo throughthedifferentcouncilsand thosecouncilsareallowedmodify andhelpwiththesedecisions.Con sideringthecouncilsmentioned andtheamountofpowerthatlies withinthesecouncilswecancon siderUWCCRarepublic: Astateinwhichthesu premepowerrestsinthe bodyofcitizensentitledto voteandisexercisedby representativeschosendi rectlyorindirectlyby them.4 Authoritarian State: The nation of UWCCR is run by the 1st type citizens (administrators). Despite all the councils created to represent the different types of citizens that national administrators make the final decision on all laws. If the national administrators feel that a citizen is not following the law and has committed a serious crime then they will deport and extradite the citizen. Administrators have created laws creating curfews, enforcing activities and limiting travel in and out of the country. Because administrators are not bound by the laws they create and thus cannot be judged on any laws they create, they have total control. In this way the nation of UWCCR can be considered to follow authoritarianism: of or pertaining to a governmental or political system, principle, or practice in which individual freedom is held as completely subordinate to the power or authority of the state, centered either in one person or a small group that is not constitutionally

accountable to the people.5 Religious Fundamentalist State: Above all things and citizens the nation of UWCCR are at the will of their religion. They strictly follow the code of United World College and strive to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. This code has been created by a God of two parts, first a God whose name cannot be spoken who is believed to live on an island in the middle of the Great Ocean, and second is the God called IB, a spawn of the first part. This God is supported by a the Holy Trinity of Peace, Environmentalism, and Multiculturalism. Each part of the Trinity has a high priest: High Priest Yaya of Peace, High Priest Beatriz of Multiculturalism and High Priest Tim of Environmentalism. The moral code and laws have been created under the religion of UWC. All citizens gather weekly in the Hall of Paz for the ceremony of community. If a citizen goes against the morals of UWC they are thrown out of the nation and subject to the Gods. Through this we can consider UWCCR a Religious Fundamentalist State. Anarchy: All citizens have in fact become citizens of UWCCR by will and thus are subject to their own decisions. All laws created truly have no meaning considering they are broken daily and any citizen can argue it was their decision to come to UWCCR and thus can leave when they would like. In doing so each citizen creates his or her own moral code and follows them. Considering the rate at which new citizens enter and other citizens denounce citizenship we can see there is no power controlling them. Thus we can consider the nation of UWCCR under anarchy: Absence of any form of political authority.6 Afterobservingdifferenttypesof governmentsandourowncommu nitywecanbegintocompareand contrast.IrealizethatUWCCRin factisnotanationbutaninstitu tionbutbylikeningittoanationwe

cantrytodeterminethepolitical poweronthiscampus.Inowask younottoconcentrateonhowwe governourcommunity,butthe ideologiesbehindthewaywehave createdourvaluesasacommunity. Aretherulesandcodesweliveby trulytheoneswewishtofollow? Dowereallyhaveacommunity whereallmembersareequaland takenintoconsideration?Iaskyou toreallystopandthinkaboutour ideology. Whattrulyguidesourcommunity? JackFrost
1 "politics." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 18 Nov. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ politics>. 2 "ideology." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 18 Nov. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ide ology>.

"oligarchy." Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. MICRA, Inc. 19 Nov. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/brows e/oligarchy>. 4 "republic." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 19 Nov. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/bro wse/republic>. 5 "authoritarianism." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 19 Nov. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/bro wse/authoritarianism>. 6 "anarchy." The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 19 Nov. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/bro wse/anarchy>.

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Democracy = No king?

What the hell?! That is the reaction I normally receive when I tell people about my king, Mswati III, and how he has thirteen wives and twenty three children. You should see the looks on their faces when I proceed to tell them that his father, King Sobhuza II, had seventy wives and over a thousand children. Its simply priceless. Anyway, if you know your geography or history or whatever, you have probably guessed that I am talking about the king of Swaziland. Yep, Swaziland is my motherland, a landlocked country almost completely surrounded by South Africa with Mozambique bordering the north eastern part and home to 1.1 million people. Besides the Kings many wives: there are a number of things that make my country peculiar besides the kings many wives, the stupefying amounts of HIV/AIDS, the mind boggling levels of poverty and unemployment, which unfortunately are the only facts that

most people know about my country . Another is that Swaziland is the only remaining absolute monarchy in Africa. Absolute monarchy simply means that the King and/or Queen have absolute power over everything including the army, the police force, the judicial system and the legislature. It is then surprising to learn that when Swaziland gained independence from being a British protectorate in 1968, it was a constitutional monarchy. However the king then, Sobhuza II, soon suspended the constitution and in 1973, banned all forms of political parties- effectively disenabling the forces of opposition against the monarchy that were gaining momentum at the time. This was an act of defiance towards the Westminster style of governance which had been imposed on him before the country gained independence, which he believed was not suited for his country. Traditionalism also aided in the abolishment of political parties because of the belief that they were tearing the country apart and were deviating from the values and standards set by the ancestors. The king plays a central role in the Swazi culture and part of that role is having absolute power, which is what Sobhuza II achieved in 1973. So, we have a situation where power is being centralized in the

hands of the king and the ordinary people have less of a say in who governs them. What happens next? Well, Sobhuza II, even though a traditionalist, still wanted democracy in his country, or at least some form of it. So, in 1978 he established a bicameral Parliament and the Tinkhundla system of governance, which were designed to combine western democracy with the countrys already existing traditional structures. Members of Parliament could be elected by the Tinkhundla (yes, yes, I know its difficult to pronounce but it means meeting place/rural centers of administration/constituencies, take your pick), or more accurately, could be suggested by the Tinkhundla because the king had to then approve or reflect those nominated. It is clear that the Parliament or more specifically, the people, had very little power during Sobhuzas reign but in spite of this, he was and still is one of the most respected and revered figures in Swaziland. He is one of the reasons why Swaziland can be proud of the preservation of its culture in a sub-Saharan Africa that is progressively losing its traditions. The present king, Mswati III, made an effort to move away from the much criticized absolute monarchy which he inherited from his father Sobhuza. In

The theme for the next publication of Importado will be Religion. Interpret the title how you wish, be it a discussion about a particular religion or an article about religion as a concept, or something in anticipation of the coming festivities, to be

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1992, he changed the electoral processes and made the system a little bit more democratic in the sense that the Tinkhundla had more influence on who would represent them in Parliament. But despite this, there was still very little democracy and some human rights were being suppressed, especially for women.

them by the previous king has not been lifted by the new Constitution and recent statements by Mswati III show that he has no intention of ever allowing them to enjoy the privilege of running for seats in the House of Assembly. Some of the Political parties that have come into existence in Swaziland have suggested reducing the king to a symbolic figure and creating a democratic system of governance for the people. They argue that the current system is a dictatorship and that the king and the royal family live lavish lifestyles while the rest of the country is stewing in poverty. They believe that for the country to develop the people should have their freedom, and that includes the freedom to elect who they want to be governed by. But on the flip side, traditionalists argue that Swaziland is a peaceful country because of the monarchy, which unifies all people and all clans. They believe that the monarchy is the pivotal point of the Swazi culture, and stripping the kings power from him effectively turning him into a puppet - I mean lets face it,a symbolic king is nothing but a puppet, a shadow of what once was - would essentially be losing the cultural identity that makes Swazis what they are. Ok, after this very brief run

I support the monarchy

Recently in 2005, the king reinstituted a Constitution which gave more power to the Parliament. It has ceased to be a symbolic Parliament with no power and can now make amendments to the Constitution. But still, the king seems to have a lot of power, and I mean a lot. He can dissolve Parliament if and when he decides to, he has full control of all the security forces and any bills that the House of Assembly wishes to pass have to be approved by him. This does not go well with people who want democracy in this largely traditional country, especially those in favor of political parties. The new Constitution allows political parties to exist but does not allow them to participate in the election processes. Only individual candidates can be involved in elections, not political parties. The ban that was imposed on

through of the political scenario in my country, maybe you would like to know what I think about all of this. I will be honest about this one. I support the monarchy. The monarchy is one of the things that make my country so unique. I believe that it is the reason why Swaziland is very peaceful and I would not like to see the king turned into a shadow or a puppet. However, I realize that there is a need for a more democratic system and a fairer distribution of wealth. I believe that the monarchy can be fashioned in such a way that will not suppress the rights of the people and will allow the development of the country without any hindrances and without stripping the king of his position. Some people associate democracy with letting go of all cultural systems and ways of governance but I strongly disagree with that view. Having a powerless king or a president is not the only way democracy can be achieved. As for the king and his many wives, well, one explanation is that the king has to marry a woman from every clan to strengthen relations with all parts of the country. But then you have to wonder why Sobhuza had seventy wives because there are not even half as many clans in Swaziland. Collin Tatenda Chideme

Los editores quisieran agradecer a todos los participantes de este numero de Importado e enviar a cualquier miembro de la comunidad inspirado por el tema de la siguiente edicin a que nos enven sus artculos, anlisis o poesa para publicar antes del Lunes 17 de Noviembre. Quisiramos agradecer a nuestras traductoras de esta edicin, Eva y Regina.

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Un solo Mxico, pero con dos presidentes.

Y es que desde que se dice un solo Mxico ya se miente. En realidad no existe un solo Mxico cuando tienes 65 lenguas indgenas adems del espaol como idiomas con la misma validez dentro del mismo territorio nacional, alrededor de 50 comidas tpicas diferentes y casi 70 trajes representativos del pas; como puede ser el caso de cualquier otro pas de Latinoamrica. Sin embargo, cuando la poblacin del pas es de algo as como de 106 millones de personas, segn el ltimo censo del pas, es difcil conseguir una opinin poltica que realmente satisfaga a una mayora, por no decir que a todos sus habitantes. En el ao del 2006, despus de una dictadura democrtica poltica que dur 70 aos por el partido de centro, Mxico corri sus ms discutidas elecciones por la presidencia donde el partido de derecha, Partido Accin Nacional (PAN), propuso a Felipe Caldern Hinojosa mientras que en la otra esquina de la contienda la izquierda, el Partido de la Revolucin Democrtica (PRD), lanzaba desde la tercer cuerda a Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador, tambin conocido como el Peje. Durante el verano del 2006, la propaganda, escndalos polticos, manifestaciones, fanatismos polticos casi religiosos y una atmsfera de incertidumbre, dominaron a la ciudad de Mxico, la cual el 2 de julio fue testigo del proceso electoral ms participativo de la historia del pas. Se dice que personas que mantenan una firme posicin de pasividad electiva salieron de sus casas con la esperanza de cambiar la situacin del pas apoyando a su candidato favorito. La contienda se centr entre Caldern y Lpez Obrador, mientras que, tanto el candidato de centro, Madrazo, como otros tres fueron completamente obviados del espectro poltico. A las 2300 horas del mismo da, el Instituto Federal Electoral (IFE) anunciaba los resultados del Conteo Rpido por cadena nacional en los cuales la victoria perteneca a Caldern la cual fue ratificada el 5 de julio, da en el que termin el Conteo Computarizado Interrumpido de los votos mexicanos. 35.89% de los votos haban sido para el PAN y la asombrosa cantidad de 35.31% para el PRD1 La reaccin de Lpez Obrador, para quien las especulaciones favorecan, no se hizo esperar. La plaza de la constitucin de la Ciudad de Mxico se llen de militantes y, ms que nada, acarreados del PRD quienes apoyaron inmediatamente la propuesta de desconocer a Caldern como presidente de Mxico, por ser un espurio para la nacin, adems de haber sido causante del fraude electoral mas grande de la historia democrtica mexicana. As pues con el apoyo de la denominada Convencin Democrtica Nacional, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador rindi protesta como presidente legtimo el da 20 de noviembre de 2006 (da del aniversario de la Revolucin Mexicana). Por otra parte el presidente electo Felipe Caldern, o Felipillo en el mundo de la crtica, esper hasta el 1 de diciembre del mismo ao para hacer su protesta como presidente de Mxico en la Cmara de Diputados y Senadores, la cual haba sido tomara por los diputados y senados perredistas para impedir el acto. Tres das de

revuelta, insultos y hasta golpes dentro de la Cmara entre los perredistas y los otros (ya por no decir solamente panistas) culminaron en una toma de protesta en la cual mientras Caldern la lea, los aplausos, chiflidos y gritos no cesaban por ninguno de ambos bandos.1 Ya casi han pasado dos aos a partir de la primer protesta y hasta hace poco fue declarado oficialmente que la presidencia de Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador es un acto ilegal y en contra de la Patria por lo que los medios de comunicacin lo han dejado de llamar Presidente Legtimo y ahora lo denominan como uno ms de los excandidatos a la presidencia de la Repblica. Si se evalan las posiciones polticas de Mxico, se puede empezar a plantear una

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seria divisin de derecha e izquierda, cada vez es menor la posicin del centro. Qu tan bueno puede ser Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador? Sera una pregunta para los cientos de personas que por una torta, un refresco y 50 pesos (5 dlares) hacen campamentos en las principales arterias de la Ciudad de Mxico para apoyarle y declarar cuando se les pregunta, que estn ah por que esa es una forma ms fcil de ganar dinero que trabajando. Por otro lado, qu tan bueno ha sido Caldern para el pas? es un hecho en tela de juicio cuando, por ejemplo, se dice que el petrleo del pas se ha puesto nuevamente en manos extranjeras con las ltimas reformas energticas aprobadas por l. Mi posicin poltica? Algunos dicen que de izquierda por apoyar el aborto y la eutanasia, haber estudiado en la UNAM y declararme a favor a los grupos indgenas de mi pas; otros me tachan de derechista por creer que la competencia econmica es parte de la solucin para Mxico y estar convencida de que la pensin mensual a las personas de la tercera edad no debera existir por que ese dinero podra invertirse en el sistema de salud o en el de proteccin civil. Pero en realidad, creo que soy parte de ese gran sector de la poblacin mexicana que no apoya al mejor candidato, sino, al menos peor. Elba Gutirrez Castillo

Painful

I come back from a trip, thinking how much fun it was, how I still have to do some work for school. All these thoughts disappeared from one second to another when someone came to my room and told me that the infamous Jrg Haider of my country had just died. A politician that, as many news articles write, has been the most xenophobic politician Austria has had since Nazi- Austria. Absolutely terrible and in no way acceptable for me were his radical ideas about many political issues like immigration policies in Austria. Many of my friends and my family associated the devil with him, and so did I, maybe particularly due to the fact that my own father was an illegal immigrant twenty years ago and because I have grown up as a Jewish girl in a country like Austria with its history. If you wanted to see a Nazi in him, it wasn't difficult. I remember about two weeks before his death when the two most rightist parties- including his extremist party- gained 27% of the votes in the elections. I was shocked and spoke very badly about his politics. And I still think that way. But his death made me sad. I had to cry although I know very well that, for the country this is proba-

bly the best thing that could have happened after the elections the other day. But why does his death even touch me? He died in a car accident because he was speeding with too much alcohol in his blood. Wasnt it his own fault due to his irresponsible behavior of driving drunk? Wasnt it better, after the elections and his terrifying policies and opinions? Why do I try to convince myself that in the end he wasnt that bad and that he just stood for what 30% of the country wanted? Why do I feel sympathy to hear that he died? Why do I read the many articles on the Internet on different pages of the Austrian newspapers and why does it touch me in such a way? Why does it touch me at all? Why does it make me completely uneasy and queasy when I see the online videos of my country mourning and hearing their reactions? Why? Why does it touch me to hear the hymn of praise on his political career even though I know everything is so exaggerated? I came to the conclusion that I dont need to be rational about my emotions in this case. Everyone has his or her reasons for doing certain things and maybe there were things about him that were good. Maybe he was a really nice and caring husband or a lovely son. I perceived him as a bad politician who had ideas that I totally oppose. But in the end it comes down to simple facts that make his death difficult. A sister has just lost her brother, a wife her husband, and a son his father. A human being has died and thats sad, no matter what. Shany

Instituto Federal Electoral http://www.ife.org.mx/document os/Estadisticas2006/presidente/g ra_nac.html

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PoliticalObstaclesandSolutions
next presidential election. Thanks to a number of free trade agreements, this is not a purely American phenomenon, but can happen in almost any country. Barack Obama or any other politician can be the greatest and most moral person on the planet, but capital interest is at the moment, more powerful than public interest. Another issue which prevents change is the fact that the reigning economic ideology in Western political discourse, the free market, is based on false premises. The free market proponents seek to eradicate any form of government intervention in market affairs and to privatize key public services such as education, health care, elderly treatment, prisons and even police, as they believe this is fairer and freer than government control. What they fail to realize is that the free market economic model assumes that everyone starts out from the same spot: that everyone is equal both economically and socially; that Warren Buffet2 and Jan Hogewoning are equal in money and power; that Uganda can compare fiscal muscles with the USA. A simple graph detailing the huge, and increasing, income disparity within both individual nations and the global community connotes the contrary3. Hence, because this laissez faire system treats everyone as equal, those who are already ahead on the track of economic power ultimately beat and acquire everyone else, as is seen by the increasingly powerful transnational corporations such as (but not limited to) Dole, Chiquita, Nestle, Exxon and Shell4. Not only are they the new superpowers of the world; these corporations also consolidate and expand their power by buying more and more property and by patenting everything they can get their hands on, including human genome5. This inequality of wealth and political power and the insatiable accumulation of the planets resources into the hands of a few has adverse effects on our society. The people with money can get almost anything done: hiring psychologists to research ways to imprint values and needs onto children and adults6; deployment of these sublime tactics in public, and finally the recruitment of professional communicators to distract and distort in case of dissent. The mainstream popular culture with cars, drinks, pools and half-naked women; the beauty magazines and cosmetic products; the models in the windows and on television in short the extreme focus on material happiness and outer beauty, is an example of this targeted advertisement. When someone voices their opinion, tentatively suggesting a regulation, the public relations agents argue that the freedom of consumerists to choose what they want should not be impeded. In addition, these modern and phantom superpowers hire professional lobbyist to convince our elected representatives of their viewpoints and fund the campaigns of political candidates that protect and uphold their interests. Not only do these companies implant consumerism in us, they also determine the political agenda effectively using Socialist diction, numbing us to subservience and an endless spiral of consumption. Traditionally, socialists might not be justified in accusing political systems of numbing their fol-

The world must change. In 2001, 3.6 billion people lived on less than $2 a day1. Conversely, elites of men and women accumulate an increasing amount of money and capital power, power which they are not discouraged from using to increase their wealth to even greater extents. Simultaneously, we have a food distribution crisis, clean water and arable land will not be able to sustain the world in the future, and labor rights and civil liberties around the world are constantly under attack by corporate interests and governments. The world needs change, whats to stop us? First off, there are certain economic mechanisms which prevent radical(less conservative) change. Regardless of what Barack Obama wants to do as President, his real options are limited. He cannot adamantly tax big corporations or oil interests and he may not be able to leave Iraq: If Obama taxes Big Oil sufficiently; Big Oil will move its production to another country. If Obama leaves Iraq, companies which benefit from an unstable Middle East (arms dealers, among the many) will threaten to do the same. As a result, American jobs will be lost and so will vital working- and middle-class votes come

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lowers. Granted, the tyranny of the Soviet Union under Stalin and subsequent dictators; the Statist hell in the DDR under Erich Honecker and the mass suggestion tactics employed under almost any communist state are undoubtedly proof that State Socialism (some would argue State Capitalism) is a dangerous ideology. And they are correct. The ideas of Karl Marx and Lenin imply a dictatorship of the proletariat and a cadre party; concepts which usually lead to a totalitarian state. This shows just how dangerous any form of authority can be. An alternative is Libertarian Socialism7 anti-authoritarian socialism, a society where the economic decisions (what to be produced, how much and for whom) are taken by local councils consisting of all inhabitants in that area. There will be higher orders of councils (regional and national for example) but the representatives sent to these councils may be called back at any time. Additionally, working hours are formally limited to a few hours a day allowing each individual to pursue his or her interest during his sparetime, for example to read upon a subject or topic which he or she has a particular interest in; work for an NGO or in a daycare center, or just relax at home with family and friends. Education is free of charge, teachers are dedicated and all colloquial activities such as corporations and companies are undertaken freely and without any other incentive than for the better of society8: From each according to his ability, to each according his need theory of comparative advantage revised. As for us at the bottom of Santa Ana, it is almost impossible to say how our community would look like with this ideology im-

plemented, mainly because a central aspect of Libertarian Socialism is the belief in evolution through co-operation, not dogmatism. With that said, our community (with all its issues) manifests the socialist belief in cooperation and how education can act as a force to unite people into a more tolerant world. However (I should be careful here so as not to break a disciplinary rule) in a libertarian socialist society students would possess much more freedom over the administration, as Libertarian Socialism opposes what is deemed as coercive and illegitimate authorities where cooperation is not really undertaken freely. The object of Libertarian Socialism is therefore not to impart a utopia unto society, but to empower society to figure out what is best for them and to find that utopia. We are here to learn and we know, with an educated guess at least, what is best for our learning process. On a global scale, such a society, or any other society, is possible if we are willing to work for it. If corporate interests can with dedication and resources turn us into fully fledged consumerists, society can with a concentrated effort change itself into a society based on solidarity or any other abstraction we would like. If we can make people from entirely different parts of the world work together and live together at age 17, so can society as a whole. The key to any such effort is education. With education we can pass on values of co-operation, tolerance, collectivism and a goal of inner happiness and development. We can train our children to be critical thinkers whom question any form of illegitimate authority including our own. We can have a society where individuals take an ac-

tive part in their own lives, their local community, and the future of the planet. So, whats to stop us? yvindJartoEge

TheWorldBank,2007,Understand ingPoverty
2

Ill tell you why I like the cigarette business. It costs a penny to make. Sell it for a dollar. Its addictive. And theres fantastic brand loyalty. Warren Buffet 1987 3 http://www.treasury.gov.au/docum ents/580/Images/Poverty_Inequality 19.gif 4 SeethedocumentaryTheCorpora tionformoreinfo.Youmightalso wanttoreadupontheBananaWars ofCentralAmerica. 5 King,David.TheHumanGenome GoldRush. http://www.hgalert.org/topics/lifePat ents/patent.htm(November9th). AlsorefertoTheCorporation. 6 CBCNews.Adsaimedatkids. http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/mark et/files/money/kidsads/(November 9) 7 Wikipedia.LibertarianSocialism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertari an_socialism(November9)andUn known.LibertarianSocialism. http://flag.blackened.net/liberty/libs oc.html(November9) 8 NoamChomsky:Cooperation withoutrestraint http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p OK0KYnzWxU

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Into Africa
We voted we perished was the famous quote in Kenya during that turbulent time, the period immediately after the controversial 2007 General Elections. December 27 had been the big day when every individual voted for the one he thought best for the government offices. People had risen early to make their wishes come true not knowing what lay ahead. What followed will always remain to be told to future generations, in an attempt to create a better society; a society that respects democracy, one that fulfils the needs of the majority without necessarily eliminating the minority. Present and future Kenyans will always use this as reference when faced with such a problem. I hope that from this, we learnt the hard facts of clashes, the pain of living an insecure life in your own country. Everyone had scampered away from their homes and made for the nearest police stations, where security lay in numbers. In fact they were the safest

places you could find then. Churches, where people had taken refuge before, had been discarded as safe zones following the live burning of 30 people in a church. Such was the situation; brother against brother, son against neighbours, me against you. Reason and cause? Leadership. This was the deadly bug that bit Kenyans so hard that they attacked each other with no maternal emotions and brotherly love curtailing it. The country was in two parts: those who claimed elections had rigged and accused their rivals of election malpractices, and those whose party had been announced winners of the general elections and appealed to their counterparts to accept defeat and live on. The campaigns had been intense, with the characteristic dirty politics taking centre stage, all in the name of wooing electorates. Temperatures had been rising and this was the point when the thermometer couldnt hold any more. It burst and sent its deadly hot contents far and wide, across Africas haven of wildlife, the worlds top tea producer. Deep seated emotions and revenge were all camouflaged in the cry of a stolen victory and many took this opportunity to level the playing field; the brutal way. Kenyans were sinking deeper into this man hole of violence without realizing it. Be it eco-

nomically, socially or psychologically, it was all too much to take and not many had anticipated such an ending to an election that had been tagged the peoples decision making time. Was this the peoples decision? The decision to strike, plunder and kill, kill innocent children, women and men for that matter? No, motherland, accept that your children missed a step in the human crisis-solving process and crashed to the floor with a bang. Accept that greed and opportunism had raided your people and that power had gone to their heads. Accept that we took this too far. For many, it was unbelievable. The peace broker in Somalia needed a mediator herself. The peace facilitator in Sudan terribly needed to facilitate peace for her people. For the better part of two months, the leaders did not see any sense in asking their supporters to stem the violence; they instead called for mass action, where police blasted bullets into their bodies. The political leaders used unemployed and uneducated young men to intimidate their opponents, used them for demonstrations, yet the organizers and financiers of all this significantly missed from front of the demonstrations. If they were so sure that injustice had been done, why didnt they proceed to the law courts to question the victory? Had we degenerated into animals where

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differences are solved physically? Did we still have humanity in us? All hope was not lost, however. The arrival of Koffi Annan and his mediation group was evidence enough that the international community cared. Just like before, our politicians placed greed and self interest first, intentionally unconscious of the millions of lives at stake. Cat and mouse games became the order of the meetings and Kenyans waited with anticipation, anxiety and hope. Just when it seemed that everything was not right, President Kibaki and opposition leader cum prime minister designate Raila Odinga appeared in the news, vigorously shaking hands, smiling. Do not be fooled. Kenyans did not stop fighting as soon as the two shook hands. It was not as easy as that. However, Kenyas wounds had started the healing process. To say life went back to normal would be a massive understatement. The story of the displaced people has been untold, the plight of the evicted people from their rightful land on basis of ethnicity unmentioned. The country entered a phase of problem solving, reflection and as president Kibaki put it, a period of reconciliation. The

blemished jewel was hungry and eager to regain its shine, desperate to correct its mistakes. Despite the on-going power sharing meetings between the two parties, Kenyans paid more attention to their jobs(most of which had been destroyed), farms and enterprises. Eight months down the line, life is almost back to normal. Kenya is safe. I admire the ability of Annan; an icon whose name is firmly engraved on Kenyas history. The mist is clearing; we look at the future with sober minds, having learnt a lesson the hard way. However, this is easier written than done. Many will live with the terrible nightmares of losing their beloved ones, the psychological pain of seeing your relatives perish. I long for the day when democracy will be respected, when I will not be beaten up for voting for a different person. I long for the day when politicians accept defeat and choose to work with their rivals for the betterment of the country. The day when the aggrieved shall not mobilise the masses and ask for them to protest but instead use the correct judicial system shall be a new day for me. It will be a great

day when my friends are not evicted because of ethnic differences. I long for the day of change. It is not far, though. The sun is about to set on physical politics and rise to expose a new beginning. For now, beautiful Kenya lies gracefully to the south of Ethiopia, relieved that the nightmare is gone. She is now what she has always been known for: tranquility, beauty and hope. God bless Kenya.

Numbersfrom Kihonge M. Harry thisissue . Swaziland gained independence from being a British protectorate in 1968 . The ANC holds enough
seats (more than 66%) in Parliament to unilaterally alter the Constitution.

. Si China, con el 21.6%

(1.200.000 millones de habitantes) consumieran como los norteamericanos, el planeta se acabara en una semana

any member of the community inspired by the theme of the next issue to send us their articles, analysis or poetry for publication, before the end of the semester. We would also like to thank UNITED WORLD COLLEGE OF COSTA RICA PAGE 20 our translators for this issue, Eva and Regina.

The editors would like to thank all of the contributors to this issue of Importado, and encourage