Extra! Extra! Don’t Read All About It!

What is it with us and the news? We feel the need to be on top of things as one can’t be a woman of the world if one doesn’t know what goes on in the world. News does not only inform, it also entertains. News gives us a hardcore soap opera from the real world we wouldn’t believe if it were just fiction. I choose my daily news diet just as much as the news is chosen for me. What I don’t hear or read about doesn’t happen.

As a true consumer I savoured the news bombshell that was dropped at the Levenson enquiry by the deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police. She informed Lord Leveson and the rest of the world that the Sun newspaper has been making use of an extensive network of informers, including public officials, across all sectors of public life. These informers were paid thousands and tens of thousands of pounds in exchange for confidential information. O yeah, and Charlotte Church settled with News International for a record amount of £600,000 on the same day. It’s big, it’s scandalous, it’s horrendous, it’s delicious. How deep does this go? How far does it reach? Who knows what? Doesn’t it prove that corruption is everywhere? How can UK journalism have sunk this low?

And as dirty as some factions within the industry seem to be, where the end of selling the story seem to justify all means, the schizophrenic state of the profession is displayed in the main course that follows. On the other side of planet journalism one puts oneself at risk to report on the world’s injustice and inconvenient truths. After my starter of the News International bombshell, came a heavy main course in the form of a report about Syria’s civil conflict. A report about the ugly features of human existence, about dirty politics, state violence, anger and above all people’s determination. I aim to digest, but it doesn’t go down that well. There is no room left for pudding.

For the people in Homs and across Syria, I’ve been made witness of your horrendous ordeal. And I wonder: Is your pain lessened because I have knowledge of it? What would be worse: Not knowing the pain that is inflicted upon you or knowing and not acting? The world condemns, looks on and does little. Despite being abandoned by the world your spirit remains strong and that is all that seems left to you. If only we, the world, had your courage and strength to get you out of that tragic mess. In the mean time we keep consuming your and other people’s misery.

top image: ynaija.com

image right: mideastposts.com

The Culture and Policy of Symptom Control

While a second bailout package to whip the liability called Greece into shape to prevent a further deterioration of the eurozone crisis is being finalised, Prime Minister Cameron has conjured up a plan to address another pressing matter that lies on a more national level. As the second bail-out package is to save the euro in its current state, Cameron’s plan is to save the nation’s liver by tackling Britain’s binge drinking culture. However, more money and austerity for Greece and less cheap booze for the Brits seem more like symptom control rather than a solution to the actual problem.

Many a foreigner is intrigued, amused and/or disgusted by the Brits’ attitude towards the consumption of alcohol. Even if you have never set foot on the British Isles, a visit to one of those sunny, inexpensive holiday destinations that are scattered along the the Mediterranean coast popular with the 16-to-25-year-old of all nationalities forces one to concluded that: A) the Brits drink too much B) the Brits can’t hold their drink C) the Brits don’t care about holding themselves when they have a drink or 10 D) all of the above. Although I have adapted considerably to my second home land, do allow me to give you a Continental insight into British drinking culture.

In a murky past when I was waiting tables, while still not able to pay my rent, I once waited on a large table of people in their mid-twenties celebrating someone’s birthday. All had dressed up and were in the mood for some food and drinks and a general good time. To voice this general mood someone shouted; ‘what are we gonna do?’ To which the crowd replied: ‘We’re gonna get shit-faced!’ ‘What are we gonna do?’ ‘We’re gonna get shit-faced! ‘What! Are! We! Gonna! Do!’ ‘We’re gonna get shit-faaaaaced!’ They might as well have shouted they were going to grab any dog they could find in the street and throw it through a neighbour’s window, such was my bemusement. Alcohol being a mind-altering substance that removes inhibitions seems to be the ideal social lubricant. Consuming alcohol may attribute to general jolliness and/or engaging conversation. By making drunkenness the objective rather than the by-product of a social engagement one tends to miss out on the process. Drunkenness as an objective makes a comatose-like state of inebriation less of an embarrassment and even something of an achievement.

Those, Cameron included, who believe that binge drinking is an issue of class or maturity should think again. The middle classes and the more mature might neither voice the purpose of their overindulgence nor be sick in public. They are, however not drinking any less, yet still step into their cars to drive themselves god-knows-where-but-you-assume-it’s-home.

Cameron’s suggestions of mobile casualty units and so-called ‘drunk tanks’, small cells for those who had too much to sober up, will by no means influence the Brits’ attitude towards booze. More bailout money is not addressing the challenges related to a common currency without a common fiscal policy. Both British drinking culture as well as the fiscal policies of the eurozone can be changed. However, it requires an awful lot more balls and innovation than is currently displayed by those we did and didn’t vote into power to lead us to the promised land.

top image left: ehealthlines.com, top image right: ipolitics360.com

Didn’t She Almost Have It All

On the day I was attempting to recover from my flatmate’s rather eventful birthday do, I found out another music legend had passed over; Whitney Houston. I was never a fan as her music seemed too tame and too polished for my liking. Yet, being an 80s kid her rise was a big part of my childhood in which music played a large part and her death seems to be the wrong ending to her fabulous talent and career. Her music might lack that raw edge and her sound was criticised by some from the Soul and R&B scene for being too bland, it was Houston’s broad appeal that made her a global superstar. As a young black woman in the music industry of the 20^th century when music in the States seldom crossed race barriers and MTV, with a few exceptions, only played white artists, her rise and record sales were a tremendous achievement. After releasing three albums in the 1980 resulting in seemingly unlimited chart success and winning sacks full of awards, the pop princess with the squeaky clean image surprised friend and foe by marrying bad boy Bobbi Brown in the early 1990s. She started to appear in films like the Bodyguard in 1992, Waiting to exhale in 1995 and the Preacher’s Wife in 1996 and didn’t make a record for eight years. By the late 90s and early noughties her troubled marriage to Brown started to take its toll on her. The pop diva with the American-Sweetheart image seemed to have issues with drugs and she started to display some flaky behaviour by turning up late for rehearsals, interviews and performances and the like or cancelling them all together. After having released only one album in the 1990s she released another three in the decade that followed, yet the antics of her private life overshadowed her artistic performance. In 2007 Houston divorced Brown, who is widely held responsible for Houston’s drug abuse. Two years later Houston released an album which was to be followed by a world tour in 2010. As it was her first world tour in ten years and since she had recently left a troubled marriage that had affected her career, it was regarded as her great come back tour. However, her performance received negative reviews and fans and critics alike were disappointed as her voice and showwomanship seemed to have lost its magic from the heydays.

And then she died in a bathtub of a Beverly Hills’ hotel. She was born in musical royalty with her mum being a singer, Dionne Warwick being her aunt and Aretha Franklin her godmother. She sang backing vocals for the likes of Chaka Khan at the age of 15. She released a critically acclaimed and best-selling debut album at the age of 21. After that the hits, the record sales and the money kept on coming.

Even the rich, famous, beautiful and übertalented are just human. They make mistakes and might squander the talents that have been bestowed upon them. Falling down in life is not really the issue. It’s how you get up again. The tragedy is not that one of the best-selling and most-awarded artists on the planet was a prisoner to her own (former?) drug abuse. The tragedy is that she- or life or who ever- didn’t give her(self) time to recover and reclaim full ownership of her star status. Whitney Houston, you dazzled people and you gave them joy. You lead the way and influenced many female artists like Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey. As Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father was saying when accepting a Grammy on his late-daughter’s behalf at last night’s Grammy Awards: Long live Whitney Houston, Long live Etta James, Long live Amy Winehouse. There is quite some girl band jamming in the Summer Land. Ms Houston, may you rest and jam in peace.

top image: mirror.co.uk

And MaSr Is Still Simmering

While clashes continue between protesters and the army in front of the Interior Ministry the conspiracy mill concerning last week’s tragedy in Port Said has been churning overtime. The Egyptian authorities would like us to believe that the death of 74 el-Ahly supporters during the aftermath of a football match between archrivals el-Ahly from Cairo and el-Masry playing a home game in Port Said, was ‘just’ a terrible form of hooliganism. Respected media and analysts aim for the middle ground by arguing that the tragedy was a perfect storm between hooliganism, police incompetence and  political orchestration. I wonder in this case if Egypt and its Revolution is served by such a balanced analysis of events.

As I have reported extensively during my days at the Med being a woman in Egypt often feels like being a chased animal during hunting season. Yet,despite that and since I never really feared for my life nor possessions, I’ve always experienced Egypt as a relatively safe country. Hardcore crime like burglaries, armed robberies or murders were pretty much unheard of. I always assumed that was a combination of the non-violent, in essence kind-hearted nature of the Egyptian people and a very ‘efficient’ security system. A year ago the Egyptian people staged a virtually non-violent revolution, that only turned ugly when then-still-President Mubarak let his thuggish mob loose to intimidate peaceful protesters.

During the Revolution the police force deteriorated and in the post-Mubarak era it is still rather confused concerning its role. Crime levels have risen since Mubarak’s resignation and a sense of insecurity is felt by Egyptians and foreigners alike. However, last week’s tragedy has less to do with police incompetence and the more with the conscious attempt to undermine the achievements of the Revolution. Let Dark Fairy explain.

Firstly, hardcore Ahly supporters have a history of confrontations with the police and they played a front line role during last year’s Revolution. It is very imaginable that when Ahly supporters were attacked the police were by no means keen to intervene and the massacre could even be explained as a punishment for the Ultras’ – hardcore Ahly fans- involvement in the Revolution. Considering the size of the country’s army and police force and the efficiency demonstrated by these forces when it comes to the protection of foreign tourists in the light of terrorist threats and the fact that Egypt is still operating under martial law, should be prove that the Egyptian state is more than capable of providing security at a high-risk football match. Secondly, I wasn’t on the scene, but several Masry supporters have stated they have seen so-called Masry fans armed with knives, swords and clubs arrive by bus loads. Locals claim they’d never seen these people before and suspect these people were deliberately brought in from elsewhere to cause trouble. Thirdly, it has been mentioned that all gates between the pitch and the stands, normally locked, were open so supporters could easily flood the pitch. Fourthly, the exit gate for Ahly supporters was miraculously sealed so fans could not easily escape. Lastly, to add some ominous symbolism, the tragedy in Port Said took place exactly one year after the so-called camel chase in Cairo, when Mubarak’s thugs attacked peaceful protesters.

Mubarak has warned that if he is no longer in control there will be chaos. The army doesn’t seem horrible keen to hand over power to a civilian government as it fears there will be chaos. If the post-Mubarak era is not going to result in the chaos the old rulers predicted then they will create that chaos themselves to prove their case. The army has proved for several decades it is capable of ruling with an iron fist. The army is still in control now. There is absolutely no valid reason why the army wouldn’t be able to provide basic security to the Egyptian people. With the the events in Port Said, the army has shown its true colours and has demonstrated that it doesn’t care for the country and its people. It doesn’t want Egypt to be a prosperous nation where there is a place for every citizen. I sincerely hope that the Egyptian people are able to reclaim their revolution and show the army what true patriotism really is. Bee huub masr, for the love of Egypt.

Don’t Do Us the Honours

What a week for banking it was. After a period of speculations and public anger building up -would he-should he- RBS CEO Stephen Hester bowed to public pressure and waived his annual bonus. The deep fall from grace for Hester’s predecessor Fred Goodwin came to some sort of conclusion in the form of stripping the former Sir of his knighthood. Cameron and Osborne have disproved yet again that we are not ‘all in it together’. Both the Prime Minister as well as the Chancellor were more or less in favour of Hester receiving his bonus. As in their opinion he did a good job by making thousands of people redundant as part of a restructuring programme to bring the ailing almost-state bank back to financial health and private ownership.Then the Prime Minister was in favour of dishonouring Goodwin. I believe the man is a true disgrace. Not only to banking, but as well to the legal system with his super injunction to cover up his philandering activities. Yet, stripping the man of his knighthood is an empty token. It is supposed to give us the idea that something is being done about bankers excess, while Goodwin is still enjoying a very generous pension and has not been sent to jail. I’m sure people have been locked up for far lesser felonies.

After Lloyds’ CEO waived his annual bonus and mounting public pressure while RBS is still in dire straits, it would have been rather arrogant and very much out of touch for Hester to have excepted his. I fail to understand the argument of ‘in order to attract and retain the best we have to offer highly attractive pay package’. This was the policy prior 2008 yet these ‘very best’ still failed miserably. People using this argument fail the understand that ‘the market’ is not a device that has appeared out of thin air. The market was created by people, is- or at least should be- regulated by people and can therefore be changed by people. Also, a bonus should be a reward for success. Hester might be doing a good job cleaning up the mess Goodwin and company left behind, yet the patient has by no means recovered. Doesn’t the surgeon get paid after she conducted the operation successfully?

 No bonus for Hester and Goodwin has to return his piece of royal bling and guess what; the general public is by no means less angry about bankers’ excess because of it. The damage has been done. Whatever a banker does they’re damned if they do, they’re damned if they don’t. So the bashing continues.

top image: the Guardian