Month: March 2012

Hitler Who? by Fayemarie Anderson (yes, that one) Carter

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Look again. These are bodies.

What are you looking at?

Lately, as political debates reach ever higher summits of the ridiculous and maniacal, a common name hurled at people we don’t like is “Hitler“.  Now, we can all understand getting passionate about issues. The strength of our convictions and raging adrenaline gives us overwhelming courage to raise our voices and pump our fists. But to call your nemesis “Hitler” just because you don’t like him/her or don’t agree with his/her ideology is very immature, reactionary and truly tasteless.

It is very concerning to see OUR leaders act in such an  irresponsible and inflammatory manner. It almost always plays out the same way no matter if it happens in lee Belize or the big ole United States. Some high profile politico calls an opponent “Hitler”; it causes fierce controversy; the aggressor backs down but by then, the damage is done. That name, that image is forever linked in the voters’ minds.

Even people who are shocked and aghast at such vitriol, like the Germans in the 1930’s, we tell ourselves, “Oh, he didn’t mean that. It won’t turn into anything. After all, I know him. He is my cousin. He is a nice guy.” But that is the frog boiling. You know the metaphor: A frog, dropped into boiling water, will frantically try to escape. But if you place that same frog in a pot of tepid water and gradually raise the temperature, he will languish in stupor and smile his way to death. Is that what is going on here? I think so.

People with malintent and less than stellar ethics, are trying to colour our vernacular with the blood of millions of people who were murdered under the directive of a  lone, evil %$#&@!$*!@^#. Do you understand that when you use the name “Hitler” in vain, you insult the victims and the survivors of the most monstrous acts committed against humanity, EVER?  When we call others “Hitler” we minimize the horrors the whole world had to fight to overcome.

Imagine YOUR family portrait. Do you see your mother; your grandmothers; your father; your grandfathers; your aunts and uncles; your cousins; your baby brothers; your four year old sister. Do you see your mischievous 10 year old cousin pulling his sister’s hair? She is the one with her mouth formed in an “O” in surprise and pain. And then there is your tomboy of a 12 year old sister making googly  eyes at the camera.  Are you smiling? Now imagine putting an “X” on each and every face and telling your grandchild, “Hitler killed him”; “Hitler killed her”; “Hitler”; “Hitler”.

Lemme ask you something: Has any one of our leaders ever told millions of people they had to identify themselves by wearing a distinctive symbol signifying that they are the scourge of their nation? Have you ever had to watch your children being taken from you and put on a train to a concentration camp, your son is 4 and your daughter is a screaming 2 year old? Did you have to watch as soldiers lined up hundreds of the old and sick, each one being riddled with bullets in the blink of an eye? Did you have to watch your mother shrivel up from hunger and die slowly from the simple flu because she has no medicine or the strength to fight? Did you have your gold teeth ripped out of your mouth so some bastard can take the gold and melt it down? How about skinning your neighbour so a General can have a lamp shade made of his skin? Did you have to watch your daughters/sisters rounded up and sent to labs where there insides were mutilated and injected with poisons in “experiments”? Were you made to give up all your clothes and warm shoes then left to shiver in negative 30 degree Fahrenheit bitter cold winters?  And you better not stop working because you will be butted in the head by a gun.

No. You haven’t. And you won’t.

And before you dismiss my plea because you are telling yourself that it will never get to this point so why bother discussing it? It didn’t start with the gassing and the shooting. It started with toxic rhetoric. Beware words like: dictator, imperialist, unilateral, uncaring, supremacist, socialist,  or phrases like “threat to our freedom”; “if you are not with us, you are against us”; “it’s us versus them”; “take back our country”. And whenever you are not allowed to criticise a political proponent’s ideology and in turn are accused of being a “traitor” or identified as being partisan and blind, that is a huge signal that true democracy is NOT that proponent’s intent. Then, there is the actual poster with our Prime Minister dressed as Hitler himself. I’m not showing that picture here. That would give it more press and I refuse to be a part of that. Go look for it yourself.

It is a shame that politicos with self serving agendas are playing on people’s fears and emotions. Hitler took advantage of a depressed Germany to push his hate filled objectives. At first, the Germans didn’t even like him. He was unsuccessful at his early attempts. As the environment became more desperate and people sought a leader, he became their saviour, their knight in shining armour. None of them realized what they were heading for. Is this what we want for our people? More hate? More violence? More devastation? Check yourself. Check your motives. Check your tactics because it might turn out that “Hitler” is YOU.

Daily Dingleberry 03-22-12 We Are One

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In every society, there will be poor people for various reasons.  In every rich family, there will be poor of spirit and weak constitutions.   In every Church, there will be bigots and the self serving. In every school, there will be ignorant teachers with authoritarian attitudes. In every corporation, there will be greed and embezzlement. In every court, there will be bribery and injustice. In every government, there will be inefficiencies and bureaucratic obstacles. My point? Every institution has rules, protocol, ideologies BUT every institution is only as good as the people who work within them. Just because we face challenges, does that mean we should holler and scream insults? Spread accusations? Hurl slander? Overthrow everything? Incite division?

Oi….it is painful to watch all the fighting going on, because all that energy is being wasted. It is one thing to criticise. What is the purpose though? Is it toward betterment? More success? OR are we just saboteurs and greifers? Observations are crucial for development. We have to know what is wrong in order to fix it, right? But what I’m seeing out here is just counterproductive to everything we all claim to want for our beautiful Belize.

If you have an issue with something our leaders are doing, why call them names and wreak havoc? Can’t we act civilly and towards a productive end? If there is corruption, then gather the evidence and do your civic duty by reporting crime or participating in some sort of advocacy group. If there is crime that is reaching your homes and neighbourhoods, report your child, your husband, your friend. If you worry about your children’s future, work with your church, your PTA, your city council to make sure schools have what they need. If you worry about health issues, get educated. Find out what you need to know, what you can do and how to prevent everything you can.

Do you hear what I am telling you? You are the only one who knows what you need. You are the only one who can do the best for you. You have to work with what you have and then reach for more. But all that yelling and hollering….will soon fall on deaf ears and you will still not have what you want and need. You have to work for it. So start at home with your kids. Teach them to be fair and honest. Confront wrongdoing and prejudiced thinking. Ask of yourself all the things you ask of others.

GET INVOLVED. LET’S REBUILD BELIZE TOGETHER

Andre Alamina on his way!

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Lady Kim Barrow, Andre Alamina, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Alvaro Alamina

Andre Alamina, Winner of twocanview.com essay contest,  got an opportunity to be a guest at the ceremonial opening of Parliament today.  I am very proud of Andre…Keep up the good work and reach for the stars!

Kay Alamina, Lady Kim Barrow, Andre Alamina, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Alvaro Alamina

Lady Kim Barrow, Andre Alamina, Alvaro Alamina, Kay Alamina

Daily Dingleberry 03-21-12 I Told You So Part II

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AYAYAI!!!!! I had a sneaking suspicion ALLLLLLLL along that someone is using the Maya to create discontent and bad press. I kept asking who wrote the infamous letter circulating all over the internet, displaying the letterhead of the MLA but bearing no signature. Then here is the transcript from interviews conducted with Mayas from Toledo. I want you to please notice how shallow their grasp is on their own situation. Here we are on the outside trying to protect the damn Rosewood from being exploited and right there in the their very words, you shall see that they don’t have that intent for themselves! They put conservation and creating a sustainable economy second to the immediate selling, no matter the repercussions, of the Rosewood for pocket change if you ask me. MIRA! LEA!

http://7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=22022

I guess they didn’t learn from their own fackin’ history nuh?

http://www.physorg.com/news174152911.html

Daily Dingleberry 03-21-12 I Told You So

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Ok I really didn’t think that this was gonna be this fast….Remember when I said that if the MLA kept making an issue out of nothing the backlash wouldn’t be nice? According to a statement made yesterday, it would seem the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples is already dropped. Kaput. Gone.

The following is a direct quote from: http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=22017

And while we are still on the subject, we have one more bit of news. We note that the announcement on the Moratorium came from the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development. What’s odd about that? Well, there’s no Indigenous People in it! That title appears to have been excised – only days after it was announced.

And it’s not a typo. We checked with senior government sources who indicated Government is rethinking its position of creating such a title after the Mayan Leaders Alliance slammed them last week for doing so without prior consultation. So, the plan now is to first consult, and then proceed – not quite butter for fat, or fish, but apparently a concession by government that it is too early in its term to start quarrelling.

And now there is even more backlash: http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/68274 where it is being reported that a busload of Maya, on the way to a protest, was turned back for NOT having a charter permit. Of course, no matter that they broke a rule, the incident will no doubt be billed as further proof that the GOB is being disrespectful to the Maya.

So, a ministry that COULD have brought attention and funding to a previously under served sector of our population seems to have been effectively eliminated and now you done gone pissed off the powers that be so they are not gonna let anything you do slide. Classic case of shooting yourself in the foot, cutting your nose off to spite your face, throwing out the baby with the bath water…..

O well…whoever was advising the MLA needs to rethink his/her tactics caz they SUCKED the big one and accomplished nothing but more grief. Yeah for big ass egos!

 

 

 

 

Are you Sheep? by: Aria Lightfoot

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What is Propaganda?

Propaganda is literally translated into the “dissemination of information” and is the deliberate spreading of rumors to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution,  nation etc. to influence a person or community toward a certain position.  The information is many times geared towards telling the audience what to think about the issue or many times innuendos are used in a strategic way to get the audience to come to their desired conclusion.  Many times the propagandist appeals to your sense of emotions rather than intellect.

Where does the term come from?

The term originates from a committee of cardinals established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, having supervision over foreign ministries and the training of priests for these missions. After Pope Gregory XV passed away, he was succeeded by Pope Urban VII who established a school for the education of priest for foreign missions called the College of Propaganda.  Pope Urban VII waged war and propaganda to spread the “good news” …today, the Catholic Religion is still the most powerful religion in the world.

What are the tactics?

  1. Repeating information several times in different mediums until it is accepted as a fact without actually producing facts.
  2. Using catch words such as “reliable information”  or unconfirmed reports or “someone very close to me says” are telltale signs of the propagandist.
  3. Being vague, suggestive and illusive
  4. No evidence is offered
  5. The tone is accusatory
  6. Questions are rhetorical

How to overcome propaganda?

Remember, the propagandist may be your parents, who have held on to age old belief systems;  or your political parties, whose agenda is to win elections; or your priest or pastor, who interpret the Bible for you;  or your spouse that tell you how to think;  or some trouble maker gossiper.  Propaganda fails when the audience demands accountability and facts.  Simply by asking questions instead of tacitly accepting information one can undo the propagandist. If you ask too many questions the propagandist may become unraveled and unleash negative comments your way because they may not even know they are repeating unsubstantiated information.   When we begin as a society to demand sources and evidence we will begin to appreciate real integrity in communication.   When we accept propaganda, we diminish our capacity to think critically.  So my questions are…Do you accept everything you hear?  Do you ask for proof? Or are you sheep?

Daily Dingleberry 03-19-12 Wot’s Yer Pernt?

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Creeper

You evah get di feelin dat eyes are followin you and shadows creep in the dark? It’s ok darlins. You can relax. No matter how you look…you will be disappointed. Is it really that hard to believe that people could just be what they say they are? That is so sad for you that you haven’t had the chance to be around people who are sincere and full of compassion for their fellow citizens. Let me once again reassure you so that perhaps I can garner your support in my efforts. I just want to bring light to things that are impeding our progress as a society. I want old people to live with dignity; children to be excited by life and parents to energized by hope. What a wonderful world that would be. In the future, Aria and I would like to lend our support to Cancer/Diabetes Awareness; involving our youth in the democratic process; form a non-profit org or two with the aim of providing school supplies/lunches/clothing to our students; educate anyone, who wants to be, in the finer points of political issues so they make the choices which benefits them and their communities and just soooo much more.

While you attempt to corrupt our good intentions, slander our reputations and decry our actions, I simply ask you to direct your attention to what really matters: Belizeans. Feel me? Join me? That’s the spirit!

Daily Dingleberry 03-18-12 Two Wrongs Nuh Mek a Right

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I want to shine the light on some allegations surrounding the elections. Some accuse PUP of getting last minute financial backing from a prominent person based on the results of bogus polls which determined a win. Some accuse UDP standard bearers paying varying amounts from $400 to as little as $12.50 a vote. Some accuse BOTH of soliciting potential supporters by aiding in procuring  residency/citizenship papers for non-citizens from Guatemala, San Salvador, Honduras etc. The only people crying foul however, has been the PUP proponents. While I champion any attempt to ensure the sanctity of our democracy, it irks the crap out of me that that same ardor isn’t demonstrated among the Opposition. If you want to demand justice for wrong doing, you have to be above reproach.

Aye! So, who is telling the truth? Was Mr. Ashcroft‘s yacht really moored somewhere along our coast during the elections? Did Belize City contenders really buy their way into government? And where is the proof in this digital age? You mean, not one cell phone captured an offensive, “hand caught in the cookie jar” moment?????

I am begging the leaders of both parties to do internal investigations so as to address corruption within their ranks. It does not do for either of you to engage in such worthless behaviour. If you know of such wrong doing, it is your duty to us, as the people you serve to correct it. We don’t need bloody revolution. We have laws. Follow them and restore some dignity to our government because frankly, neither party is a model of what one could consider ethical and upstanding.

GET TO WORK BITCHES! Kick those weak links out, put them in jail and protect our interests. Without us, you are nothing and don’t you EVER forget that.