Right Truth

Democracy in Africa

Do you know who won the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership this year?  Nobody.  Why is that news?  Because it's a sad day when because of recent setbacks the committee could not select a winner.  Ken Herman writes an excellent article in the Statesman, "Africa:  Time for front-burner attention is now":

The prize goes to a democratically elected African head of state who left office within the previous three years. There is perhaps no other continent so desperately in need of democratically elected leaders worth honoring.  John Kufuor of Ghana was a contender, as were ex-Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Olusegon Obasanjo of Nigeria...

Unfortunately, "setbacks" are not news in Africa. It remains a deeply-troubled continent, a situation made more precarious by China's growing influence and investment in it.

Disease, human rights, violence, economic, you name a problem and Africa struggles with it. In our lifetimes, the names of African nations have become synonymous with strife: Biafra, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Burundi, Sudan, etc.

Last year, in a rift still not healed, Kenya was rocked by post-election violence that killed 1,300 and forced 300,000 from their homes.

In Guinea, ruled by a military junta, the United Nations is looking into last month's incident in which troops went into a soccer stadium and gunned down 150 opposition demonstrations.

In Zimbabwe, the inflation rate — fueled by government printing presses trying to keep up with an unsustainable budget deficit — was 11.2 million percent last year. According to the CIA's World Factbook in 2003 a Zimbabwean dollar was worth one U.S. dollar. By September 2007, one U.S. dollar was equal to 30,000 Zimbabwean dollars.

There are plenty more African countries with plenty more problems. But somehow there always seems to be something more pressing with which to deal.

The prize was established in 2007 by Mo Ibrahim, a billionaire who made his money through his African telecommunications company. Winners are picked by a committee led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari of Finland, former President Mary Robinson of Ireland and Mohamed El Baradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and others.

Mr. Herman shares an old joke, "What would the Middle East be without oil? .......  Africa."  Well the jokes on us because  "According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Africa has 9 percent of the world's proven oil reserves and there could be additional "significant undiscovered reserves." ...  "And that's why China (which gets about one-third of its oil imports from Africa) is so interested and involved in the continent."

China strikes again.

Sharia being implemented in Iraq

For the past ten days, no one has been able to drink or buy alcoholic beverages in Najaf because of a bylaw adopted by local authorities. The decision comes as the latest in a series, suggesting that Sharia is being slowly implemented in Iraq, and that it also applies to non-Muslims.  --Layla Yousif Rahema at AINA

The threat of sharia in Iraq isn't new.  There were reports of sharia in 2004,  2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and early 2009. 

In 2004 Daniel Pipes warned, "this topic should be the subject of a soul-searching debate in America and all the other countries whose forces are occupying Iraq, for how it is answered will likely influence Iraq's future in profound ways."  Pipes reported that  at about 4:20 a.m. on March 1, 2004, when the Iraqi Governing Council, in the presence of top coalition administrators, agreed on the wording of an interim constitution -- sharia would be "a source" for Iraq's laws, rather than "the source", making the interim constitution a signal victory for militant Islam.

In 2005 the supreme leader of Iraq's Shia, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani endorsed calls for sharia law in Iraq.  As US Vice-President Dick Cheney said, "Iraqis will decide their own future."  Apparently they decided sharia should be an option.  

In 2008 Rola Phoenicia said, "American lawyers helped build Sharia Law into the Iraqi constitution, which all but opens the door for a future Shi'ite Theocracy of Muslim Fundamentalism. ... that means the Iraqi nation, government and laws are now subject to the laws of sharia."

As Layla Yousif Rahema reports,  "The problem lies with constitution itself."

When the new charter was adopted, religious minorities, especially Christians, had pointed out its ambiguities.

"It guarantees respect for religious freedoms, but at the same time in Article 6 establishes that no law can be adopted that is contrary to the Muslim religion," Mgr Sako said. "It was clear from the start that this would create serious problems for minorities."For historical reasons, the sale of alcoholic beverages is in the hands of the Christian community and represents an important source of income for Christians.

However, terrorism and attacks by Muslim fundamentalists against stores selling alcoholic products have forced many businesses to close. Now, many of those who still sell such products expect the new bylaw to hit their already half-empty pockets even harder.

According to Mgr Sako, Iraq needs leaders who are "more realistic, open and truly willing to help people mature." The constitution, for example, "does not envisage in any concrete way how to guarantee equality between men and women, regulate polygamy or the right to convert, something which is banned by Islam but which pertains to the realm of freedom of conscience."

For the prelate, there is a risk that "Iraq will fall back a few centuries, when Sharia was imposed on the entire population."

There isn't much we can do about this now as the Obama administration is completely on board with getting our troops out as planned.  We can only hope and pray that sane minds in leadership positions will guide Iraq on the right path away from sharia and toward freedom.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki visited with the President at the White House today, promising to have all American combat troops out of Iraq by August 2010 and all troops leave Iraq by the end of 2011.  Today 51% of Americans disagree with Obamas policies.

Mona Charen writes an excellent article that summarizes the failures of Obama, "Obama's Moral Leadership Balloon Crashes" in places like Iran, Honduras, Sudan, and on and on.  We cannot expect anything different from Obama when it comes to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Obama, he's only a human

I'm sorry, but I cannot drink the Barack Hussein Obama kool-aide.  I'm sick of hearing so-called Conservative Republicans drooling over Obama, hoping that he succeeds.  If someone wanted to do you harm, would you wish them well, would you hope he succeeds?  If someone wanted to place you in harms way or destroy what you have worked hard for, would you wish him success?  That's crazy. 

In the name of something historic, a first Black president, people have lost their minds.  Heaven forbid people take a stand against the policies Obama wants to bring the US, wouldn't want to seem racist!  On the day after Martin Luther King Day, Barack Hussein Obama becomes President of the United States.  I have no problem with any person becoming President, -- man, woman, white, black, yellow, Catholic, Protestant, Jew, et al (other than Muslim).  Just not this man.  I do not wish any harm to Obama or to his family, I just want his far-Left, socialist policies to fail.

I'm wondering how happy Martin Luther King would be today.  Michael Zak writes "Martin Luther King's struggle was against Democrats".

The police chief of Birmingham, Alabama during the civil rights era was a Democrat.  A member of the Ku Klux Klan, Eugene "Bull" Connor had been a Democrat state legislator and a delegate to the 1948 Democratic National Convention.

In 1963, police under Connor's command attacked several thousand African-American schoolchildren who were demonstrating peacefully for their civil rights.  At the time, it should be noted, he was the Democratic National Committeeman for Alabama.  Connor's men used high-pressure hoses, clubs and dogs in their assault, and then jailed nearly a thousand children.  A year after attacking the children, Connor was elected, as a Democrat, to statewide office.  [snip]

And, as Republicans celebrate Martin Luther King Day, they should remember that his struggle was against Democrats.  (continue reading)

Obama and the Democrats should be ashamed at the money spent on the inauguration festivities.  I thought the Democrats were the party that cared so much for the little people, for the people in need.  Think of all the food, clothing, shelter that could have been provided with just a portion of this money.  Yet the crowd rushes toward Obama as if he were their god.

The Democrats packaged and presented Obama as a savior.  The voters lapped up that lie as if they were dying of thirst.  The image grew and Obama became the the image, he took on the roll of savior and god.  But as four street preachers shout through their bullhorns at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17th Street, "Obama, he's only a human," said one of the preachers. "Don't make a human being your lord and master. Your messiah. It's very simple. You return to the Bible or you return to the jungle.  ...  "You get excited over Obama! You never get excited over Jesus Christ!"

Throughout history there have been leaders who thought they were gods and who the people treated as gods.  We all know how they ended.  Americans are worried about Obama.

Americans are worried about his lack of experience, two years in the US senate and now leader of the free world?  

People are worried about his huge ego, about the fact that he wants Americans to sacrifice while he and the Democrats spend money we don't have.

People are concerned about the narcissistic ego trip at a cost of $150.000.000 plus to Americans.

People are already seeing national leaders turn against Obama.  His citizen of the world speech didn't hold their attention very long.

People are worried about the economy, about their jobs, about their retirement savings disappearing -- and the blame is squarely on the shoulders of the Democrats, who are now supposed to save us all under the leadership of the messiah Obama. Some of the TARP money went to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow  Push organization.  Didn't know that did you?  Opposition to the spending in Washington is growing.  See those who voted against releasing the remainder of the TARP money.  Send them a letter of appreciation.

 Bird brains tinkering with the economy:

ALG Editor’s Note: William’s award-winning cartoons published at GetLiberty.org are a free service of ALG News Bureau. They may be reused and redistributed free of charge.

The immaculate perception :

 ...  unlike the immaculate conception, which took place quietly and without fanfare, the immaculate perception is being heralded far and wide as the Greatest Event of the 21st Century. And while Christ was, during his life on earth, a simple man with a simple message that never changed, Obama’s message has been obscured by teleprompters and flip-flopping such as: “I don't take a dime of their [lobbyist] money, and when I am president, they won't find a job in my White House,” which was followed up after the election by his appointing a lobbyist to the number two position at the Defense Department.  [snip]

Obama’s socialistic views have been the subject of much discussion and rightful concern, but equally important is how he plans to keep America safe from the growing threat of Islamic extremism. Al Qaeda’s number two was less than impressed with Obama, calling him a “house Negro” and saying that despite his election, America’s heart is “full of hate, mind drowning in greed and spirit which spreads evil, murder, repression and despotism continue to be the same as always.”  (continue reading)

What will I be doing to celebrate this historic inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama?

I'll be PRAYING for this country and her future.

So America continues the transition from a citizenry to a people, that waits for government handouts and the comforts of a monarchy as spectacle, broadcast simultaneously on all channels. While Obama preps a cabinet slate, half of whom belong in jail, the media continues applauding loudly to drown out any criticism. And the public watches with glazed eyes.  --Sultan Knish  (The Bread and Circuses Presidency)

Other important reading:

“There Is No Such Thing as ‘Moderate’ Islam.” Continued Conversations with Nonie Darwish., Dr. Phyllis Chesler

The Doomsday Memo - Administration Prepares For Worst-Case Terror Scenarios, CBS

Exclusive: Timothy Geithner’s vs. Bernard Kerik’s ‘Hiccup’ – Whose is Worse?,

Zimbabwe: Mugabe accuses the Whites of trying to Foment unrest - Campaign to Intimidate & arrest the last few Whites, AfricanCrisis