Old and new dictatorships

How many dictators will we still have to see, haranguing from the balconies of power, the dull masses of the Naziolists, before a true universal government forever prevents them from exercising a power that offends the soul of the world?

 How many Hitlers, how many Mussolins, how many Erdogan, will we still have to endure, without being able to prevent them from imprisoning dissenting politicians and the lawyers who defend them? 

 The latest, in order of time, seems to be the elected president of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, one who has imprisoned dozens of lawyers, guilty in his eyes of having defended dissenting politicians in court. The bully of Instambul now took it out on Mario Draghi, who had the courage (and perhaps also the unconsciousness, being a non-political in a strictly sense) to remove from him the mask of democratic fiction behind which he disguised himself since long time and that other politicians pretend not to see, in the name of diplomacy, business and politics.

 The diatribe between Mario Draghi and the Turkish president starts from the recent "sofagate", the diplomatic incident involving the Turkish ceremonial, which saw Ursula Von der Layen, president of the EU Commission, deprived of the diplomatic chair that was due to her (perhaps more as a woman than as chief of the executive of the European Union) and on which the president of the European Council

Charles Michel, has instead slammed! 

 But that's just the finger! The moon, or rather the real question that lies behind this apparently trivial motivation, is the exit from the Istanbul Convention, already signed by Turkey in 2011, from which Erdogan wanted to call himself out, worried that international norms they could force him to respect those human rights that he refuses to acknowledge even to men; and even less to  women, mercilessly imprisoned, even if they perform defense functions in court as lawyers! 

 And here it  comes to the focal point of this post. 

The only way to stop these dictators of whom we've really had enough,  would be to set up a world government that abolishes by law all naziolisms, discrimination and the thirst for power that are the common denominators of every and each  dictator, since  the existing world! 

 I know it won't be easy! 

But must we wait for an alien's invasion in order to unite in an international coalition that recognizes the right to exist for all peoples? Or should we wait for the ongoing third world war to finish destroying the earth?

You may also say I'm a dreamer, again; but dreams and words are the only arms I have to make my thought spread!

Profilcracy:the power of the people vs the power of datacollecters

We all know that the word democracy comes form ancient Greek language and means power of the people.
But after discovering what kind of manipulation has done Cambridge Analityca in order to influence the vote of the Brexit and the election of american president Trump in 2016 I'm really doubting of the real meaning of the word democracy.
What does really remain of the the original meaning of the word in our times?
May be it would be  better  to talk about profilcracy!
Yes, it would be! Since the primary techonologic social firms own a lot of our data and they use them to profile us, in the best case just to sell our profiles to the web operating firms.
But in the worst we may become just target for untrustful politicians who just believe in power: the power of the pofilmakers; not the power of the people.

Free Nasrin Sotoudeh

Though Mohammad Moqiseh, a judge at a revolutionary court in Tehran, said on Monday that Nasrin Sotoudeh had been sentenced only to five years (and not to decades of prison and to be lashed in a public place) for assembling against national security and two years for insulting the country’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, we are all very worried about the human rights in Iran.
The concerns are increased by the circumstances that Nasrin Sotoudeh is a lawyer and as such she has spent her professional efforts to defend several  Iranian  people from the invadence of the religious dictatorship.
As a western citizen I found inacceptable that a regimen of a no democrat state  inhibits lawyers and writers to criticise the vertices and the powermen of the apparatus.
Please don't think and don't tell me this is a domestic jurisdiction affair.
The globalisation has mad the entire world a unique, great comunity.
How long do we have to wait until all the men and women in the world can freely speech even against the power?
It's a shame that in the third millennium we must assist to convictions for opinion crimes.
We want freedom of speech for everyone in the world.
We want the men of state and power stop preventing lawyers, journalist and simple citizens to express their opinions.
We can't tolerate anymore a censorship of the free speech and the free human thought.
Enough it's enough!

London for ever - 34

 I try to totally concentrate on the discussion.

I say that I no longer I’m expecting  anything good from Italian politicians, after just over a century of mismanagement, since  political unity, which has not followed any social unity. Touching obviously dear themes to Giampiero.

“Italy is a bad mosaic of peoples with too many problems to be treated with the same medicine” – he replies to me – “ Only  the worker’s movement can succeed uniting  these different people, giving them a strong  identity to  join together like the fingers of a hand!! "- he concludes closing his right hand in a tight fist.

I tell him that I do not  longer believe in the workers' movement;  neither I  longer believe in the model of state organization inherited by the French Revolution, with tired rites of indirect representative democracy ...

- "You're wrong to take the French Revolution as a point of reference. The real, unique revolution from which the talk is, is the revolution ......... "

-" Revolution? On Saturday night all the serious speeches are banned, "- Michelle says cheerfully -" “Look at what Marcus gave me! "- she says  showing  us a black ball she holds between her  index and the thumb. "" Do you want to roll it? "She turns to me.

- "No, I think I’ll do it" - offers Giampiero promptly. - By the way, who was that guy? "He continues with indifferent air, while already manages  with some cigarette’s  papers  beneath the table in order to arm a joint for the Michelle’s smoke.

- "He's a good customer of mines," replies Michelle, with a strange  air. "He comes from Rotterdam, but he is living from  many years here in London. I met him at Camden Lock where he handles an "stall" of second hand clothing with some of his English members. He’s a bit crazy or at least an original one: he's always stoned as hell, morning to night, because, he says, he believes in smoking, as a flag of peace and brotherhood among young people! "

- "Bullshit," said Giampiero in a caustic tone, "I've met smokers who were total assholes, and I'm not even okay with all the big business that's made of smoke ..."

- "Well, as long as it remains illegal, trade is lucrative; Especially for big dealers who do not even pay taxes on it; It would be enough to legalize it. It almost seems that politicians are afraid of the spread of smoke ...... "- I say to dampen the tone of the discussion between the two.

- "But they do not seem to have the same approach to heroine," Giampiero says, remembering perhaps the lost friends on that street. - " Do you know Michelle what Pino writes from Italy? When the social tension grows, in Italy smoke disappears from the streets and only heroin is found, do you know? But nobody seems to get  to point out that with the heroine they just want to destroy us? Do you light it up? "He asks me in a more relaxed tone, asking me to light the  joint up.

- "It's up to Michelle, really," I say, passing by, after burning its  tip with the lighter.

Martine in the meantime asks Michelle if she understands the topic of the discussion and, after explaining it, says that many rock motion representatives have been mysteriously torn from heroin and thrown down the names of Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison.

she also adds that she is concerned about the apparently very close relationship between rock movement, music, artists, fans and drugs, all the drugs, from the lightest to the heaviest and most dangerous ones.

Meanwhile the "joint" goes turning around. The dense buzz in the room is interrupted by laughs and laughter, while a thick smoke hood comes from the floor below to the ceiling, becoming more and more condensed.

While the concert had resumed its rhythm, with some skillful voice variation of the solo voice, I  suddenly realized that my throat is dry and my mouth mingled to the point that almost I cannot speak, while at the same time I notice that our beers were still intact on the table in front of us.

I drink directly from the bottle a long haul of Carlsberg Special Brew. I feel that cool liquid in my mouth, coming down my throat, I mentally follow its way  to the stomach and from there spreading with heat; I think of small rivers when they enter the streams and lakes; from  the great rivers that are slow but inesorable in the seas and seas all connected to the oceans, as a single large stream of energy, wrapped in impenetrable cosmic synergies;  even the conductors of our blood, from the smallest vessels to the largest arteries, converge into a single center; and if our bodies have been pulsating in the air for millennia, interacting through immaterial life-force contacts, sometimes conflicting and opposed but always guided in one direction; if our brain contains our present together with the past, and who knows, perhaps even in the future, then where is the center of the universe? The pulsating heart of humanity? The center of Everything Buddha was looking for in the tortuous paths of the mind?

Was this what my brothers were looking for, fleeing the materialties of the West, on the uncertain paths of the East? But why look for it with the deception of acids, with the illusion of opium? Why with the heroine? And if the East, for millennia has absorbed the devastating blow of opium, the most inexperienced and weak civilization of the West, will survive the shots of its most hallucinating and deadly essences?

Take me away, friends, but guide me, do not miss me, love me, as a father loves his prodding son, because I want a dream of sweet awakening, a hope that leads to truth, a journey that has its return to the origin of life .

34...to be continued...

London for ever - 8

I've read a lot about the terrorist attack, last wednesday, on Westminsterbridge.

When I was in  London, a few decades ago, I felt like living a city full of humanity, full of respect.

Since then, London is still in my heart. A wound made to London it's therefore an offence to my heart.

London has been mother and father at the same time, and all the londoners (I mean all the people who live in London) are my friends.

I used to work and study in London. 

Like anywherealso in the world there are good people and peolple living over there.

I mostly met good people: mannered persons, gentle women, nice friends.

And soon after, every place has got its own genius loci.

The geniuses living in London are all good ones.

As far as London keeps on welcomeing all the good people searching a better life, granting them a new chance of life, those geniuses won't go away from its streets, from its banks, from his parks, from its public houses.

The Evil may be will try again to drive them away, but it won't succeed.

You are a pride for the world my London.

And please,  be what you are for ever.

Thank you Lords

It  invites us to a serious reflection the amendment the Lords have inserted in  the Brexit bill in order to protect three millions of EU citizens, working and living in UK, after Artcle 50 is triggered.

What I expected  was to be done by the  House of Commons It has been done instead by the House of Lords.

It is a widespread belief, even abroad, that  Lords are  people of privileges,  living in the past,  insensitive and rich enough to snub all the rest of the world, indifferent to anybody'else problems.

I don't know if that's true.

What I know for sure it's that yesterday 358 (against 256) of them vote an amendment to secure the acquired rights of 3 millions of EU citizens living in UK.

But why such a vote is surprising?

I'll try to answer this question.

In my opinion as the Commoners were afraid  to lose the political consent by the voters, they voted, on both fronts (tories and labs) giving carte blanche to Government on Brexit bill.

The sad truth is that inspite we rant about democracy, a forum of no elected people (The Lords, as matter of fact) remember the world, with their amendment,  the real basis of morality and principles of human rights.

And in times of trumps, lepens and various despots, pushed by blind populism, it's not really a poor thing.

And anyway, I told you  various times that London is forever. 

Politicians

So graceful looks the political man

when appears on television and when

needs an election support!

And when the seat eventually  he has got

is back a tough politician again!

How to Stop Siblings From Fighting

Sibling fighting, while inevitable, can turn your household into what feels like a war zone. Your children bickering, teasing, poking, and all around annoying each other can seem like an endless stress cycle. There are, however, some ways that you can lessen sibling fighting and create a more peaceful, cooperative environment.
Set strong, clear boundaries for acceptable behavior and stick to them. Sibling fighting is one of those challenging behaviors that can quickly wear you down, so it’s hard to stick to your guns about what behavior is okay and what is not. But when it comes to getting to better behavior, consistency is the key.
A family meeting is the perfect opportunity to get everyone together and set the ground rules for how family members should treat each other. Everyone, both children and adults, should have a say in the rules. When your children are part of creating the rules they’re much more likely to follow them. Talk about what respectful language looks like, what type of touching is welcomed (e.g. hugging, tickling) and what type is not allowed (e.g. hitting, poking), and how they’re going to solve disputes. When the rules have been agreed on by everyone, outline what will happen if those rules aren’t followed. Then write them down and include visual cues to help kids remember.
Teach your children problem solving skills. Giving your kids the tools they need to solve their own problems will really pay off in the home environment. Children fight most often when they don’t feel they have better options. They get angry, frustrated, impatient, or hurt and they lash out. When you give your children the tools to talk about how they feel, to think about how others think and feel about a situation, and to come up with solutions that work for everyone involved, you’re giving them the power to stop fighting and start cooperating.
Help your children understand the different perspectives of their siblings. Children think everyone sees things the same way they do. They need help understanding that others often see and feel things very differently. What’s funny to one child may feel like hurtful bullying to his brother. What’s no big deal to one child may be a huge deal to his sister. What seems like a logical solution to one child may seem completely unfair to her sister. Help children express how they feel to their siblings in respectful language (e.g. “It hurts my feelings when you say I’m a klutz”, “I don’t want to share my new game with you because it’s my favorite toy and I’m afraid you’ll break it”). Help children process what’s been shared with them and encourage them to try and see things from the other perspective (e.g. “Can you think of a time when someone called you a name and, instead of it being funny, it hurt your feelings?”, “Can you imagine how hard it would be for you to share your favorite game if you were afraid it would get broken and you wouldn’t be able to play with it anymore?”). Seeing things through another person’s eyes builds empathy and increases sensitivity to what others feel and need. That’s a great way to help siblings stop fighting and start supporting each other.
Don’t take sides. Finding ways to solve the problem, not assigning blame, is the best way to move past an issue. When you try and figure out who did what and who did it first you get stuck in the past. When you start from where you are and work on ways to move forward, you take charge of the future. You rarely have all of the information to know who’s really at fault anyway. You may see your middle child push your older child as they walk into the room but it may be in response to something the older child did in the other room. Only they know the full story and they each see it through their own eyes.
Focus on what you want them to do instead of what you don’t want them to do. It’s easy to talk about what you don’t want: don’t hit, don’t push, don’t hog the TV, don’t grab his toys, don’t tease. It’s harder, but so much more productive, to talk about what you do want: use your words instead of your hands, decide together on a TV program, ask when you want a turn with a toy, talk respectfully. Not only does positive language change the overall tone of a situation, it teaches children to focus on what they’re doing right instead of what they’re doing wrong. Kids who feel good about themselves are much more likely to follow rules and treat others kindly and fairly.
Sibling fighting is typical and can’t be avoided completely. However you can get to a place where your children get along more often than they fight, and where they truly enjoy being around each other.

P. .S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Anne Laurie . I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission.

 http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2012/08/15/how-to-stop-siblings-from-fighting/

Just a virtual Vietnam

Somebody as defined the Assange's story a sort of "New Vietnam" for U.S.A. meaning that the still strongest country in the world has been in some way defeated by the events which showed the public opinion the frailty of the north american eletronic security system. They say, in other words, that U.S.A., would  being facing,
from all the other countries,  a disapproving behaviour  whose they we'll be soon ashamed of.
I don't agree with such opinionists.
First of all, in the Withe House there is Mr Obama now; while in those days a certain Mr Nixon was occupying that high seat;
 Secondly we must notice that in the Assange's story U.S.A. are the victims not the aggressors, as they looked at the eyes of the international public opinion in the sixties;
Thirdly (and I stop here, though there would be much more to say on the differences between the two cases) nowdays there is not any socialist appeal against U.S.A.. I want to say that at hte times of the Vietnam's affairs the world was confident that there might be another way of ruling the world and the criticist looked to the leftwing countries (like URSS, China and Cuba) to search a new hope and a new way of ruling the international affairs. But today noone still believes there is a better way than the american and european democracies.
Unless we want to speak about a virtual democracy: the web's democracy, where all people seem to have the same power, or at least the power is not the power that Stalin wanted information of about the Vatican, asking his advicers: "How many divisions has got the Pope?"
Of course U.S.A. must be clever: in my opinion they need to make their information web stronger and capable to resist to any hacker's intrusion or spy's system and leave Julian Assange to his destiny.
Prosecuting the australian boss of Wikyleaks USA risk to look, in front of the international public opinion, the arrogant giant stalking the poor freedom's seller. And people, between David and Golia alaways choose the first. And furthermore, in that case, U.S.A. really cooul risk a new, virtual Vietnam.

How lucky we are

When I read such news, as this one showed below, from today's Guardian, by Ian Black, I think that we are really lucky on living in a western country, where all human rights are fully respected. Of course we will ask for more, in order to improve our democratic standard of life, but please, let us not forget unhappy brothers all over the world. Thanks to Amnesty International for highlighting such brutal reality in Iran.

Abuse and show trials – Amnesty reports on Iran
Human rights group criticises increase in political repression in six months since reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ian Black
The Guardian, Thursday 10 December 2009
Article history

Convicted men publicly hanged in Mashhad, north-west Iran, in 2007. The situation today is no better than 20 years ago, says Amnesty. Photograph: Halabisaz/AP
Human rights abuses in Iran are now as bad as at any time in the past 20 years, Amnesty International reports tomorrow in a survey marking six months since June's disputed presidential election.
Amnesty documents "patterns of abuse" by the Basij militia and revolutionary guards involving beatings, rape, death threats, forced confessions, intimidation and official cover-ups. Many detainees have been subjected to show trials and five have been sentenced to death.
"The authorities have resorted to exceptionally high levels of violence and arbitrary measures to stifle protest and dissent," says the 80-page report. "The courts have not been an instrument of justice to hold police, security forces and other state officials to account … or to protect the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association and religion."
According to official figures, 36 people died in violence after the election, but the opposition puts the figure at more than 70. At least 4,000 people were arrested after the poll on 12 June and some 200 remain in jail. This week, 200 people were arrested during protests around university campuses on national students day.
Protests began when the sitting president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, claimed victory over the leading opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, amid claims that the result had been rigged.
Amnesty quotes an unnamed former detainee who was held with 75 others for more than eight weeks in a container at the notorious Kahrizak detention centre in Tehran. He was told his son would be raped if he did not "confess" and was beaten unconscious with a baton .
Last month, Ramin Pourandarjani, a young doctor who had treated inmates at Kahrizak and had reportedly been forced to certify the death of at least one torture victim as resulting from meningitis, died in suspicious circumstances.
Ebrahim Mehtari, a 26-year-old student, described being held in a tiny cell, interrogated while blindfolded and accused of "working with Facebook networks" and tortured into making a confession. He said: "They frequently beat me on the face; I was burned with cigarettes under my eyes, on the neck, head. I was beaten all over … They threatened to execute me and they humiliated me."
An independent medical examination substantiated his claims. But all the relevant documents disappeared, the authorities refused to investigate and his family were warned not to talk about the case.
Amnesty says Iran refused to co-operate with its investigation and has denied the organisation entry into the country since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Many of the cases have been documented previously, but the cumulative effect of the data underlines what Amnesty calls "a clear pattern of systematic gross human rights violations by Iranian security forces condoned or even encouraged by powerful political and religious figures in Iran."
The report says government officials "have done their utmost to ensure that accounts of rape are discredited and not circulated further".
Amnesty has harsh words for the show trials of leading opposition figures. "The trials, broadcast to the nation, featured coerced 'confessions', 'apologies' and incrimination of others. Rather than bringing people to justice, the purpose was to validate the authorities' account of the post-election unrest and to make clear the severe consequences of opposing the authorities."