THIS MONTH LAST YEAR - 3

MARCO, foi mesmo ‘Marco Mulher’ por aqui, no ano passado. Para alem da poesia, musica e artigos alusivos, houve tambem um slideshow digno de nota (mas a era dos slideshows neste blog esta’ um tanto ultrapassada, pelo menos por agora).

De efemerides, foi tambem notado o 15 de Marco em Angola e o 50mo. aniversario da independencia do Ghana – a primeira das independencias Africanas, com um artigo sobre Kwame Nkrumah.

Sobre o Zimbabwe, dois posts, talvez de particular interesse a luz dos resultados das eleicoes deste fim de semana.

Sobre a sociedade Angolana actual, dois artigos de destaque, um sobre a indigencia a que sao votados os Mais Velhos em Luanda e outro sobre as falhas do Ministerio da Cultura em relacao a criadores e artistas, com destaque para os Kiezos. Sobre a economia, um post sobre um artigo meu ja’ aqui anteriormente referido, a que recentemente acrescentei um 'podcast' da ex-Ministra das Financas da Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a quem faco referencia naquele artigo. Destaque tambem para um artigo sobre a Historia de Angola.

Livros em destaque: “Desenvolvimento e Resiliciencia Social em Africa”, de Joao Milando; “Coracao dos Bosques”, de Jose’ Eduardo Agualusa; “Sona, Desenhos na Areia”, de Unni Skogen e Sonja Skaug, e “Sabores, Odores & Sonho”, de Yours Truly.

Highlights? O inicio das series “Outblogging @ AfricanPath” e “Sunday Posts”.

Et voila! Mais coisa, menos coisa, assim foi Marco do ano passado aqui neste kubiko.

MARCO, foi mesmo ‘Marco Mulher’ por aqui, no ano passado. Para alem da poesia, musica e artigos alusivos, houve tambem um slideshow digno de nota (mas a era dos slideshows neste blog esta’ um tanto ultrapassada, pelo menos por agora).

De efemerides, foi tambem notado o 15 de Marco em Angola e o 50mo. aniversario da independencia do Ghana – a primeira das independencias Africanas, com um artigo sobre Kwame Nkrumah.

Sobre o Zimbabwe, dois posts, talvez de particular interesse a luz dos resultados das eleicoes deste fim de semana.

Sobre a sociedade Angolana actual, dois artigos de destaque, um sobre a indigencia a que sao votados os Mais Velhos em Luanda e outro sobre as falhas do Ministerio da Cultura em relacao a criadores e artistas, com destaque para os Kiezos. Sobre a economia, um post sobre um artigo meu ja’ aqui anteriormente referido, a que recentemente acrescentei um 'podcast' da ex-Ministra das Financas da Nigeria, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a quem faco referencia naquele artigo. Destaque tambem para um artigo sobre a Historia de Angola.

Livros em destaque: “Desenvolvimento e Resiliciencia Social em Africa”, de Joao Milando; “Coracao dos Bosques”, de Jose’ Eduardo Agualusa; “Sona, Desenhos na Areia”, de Unni Skogen e Sonja Skaug, e “Sabores, Odores & Sonho”, de Yours Truly.

Highlights? O inicio das series “Outblogging @ AfricanPath” e “Sunday Posts”.

Et voila! Mais coisa, menos coisa, assim foi Marco do ano passado aqui neste kubiko.

ABOUT THE "BLACK & AFRICAN HISTORY MONTH" 2008

As the month draws to a close, I owe a word to all of you who might have read this post about the "Black History Month (Europe) 2008".
As the group coordinator, our good friend Bill, explains here, the group is well, alive and kicking and working hard on the source materials. These were of such extent that there was a decision to extend the timeframe beyond this month.
Unfortunately, due to other pressing commitments, I couldn’t accommodate this extension within my schedule. So, my belonging to the group ends here, but I certainly remain available for any collaboration with them whenever relevant, and wish all the best success to Bill and the BAHM Europe workgroup.

As the month draws to a close, I owe a word to all of you who might have read this post about the "Black History Month (Europe) 2008".
As the group coordinator, our good friend Bill, explains here, the group is well, alive and kicking and working hard on the source materials. These were of such extent that there was a decision to extend the timeframe beyond this month.
Unfortunately, due to other pressing commitments, I couldn’t accommodate this extension within my schedule. So, my belonging to the group ends here, but I certainly remain available for any collaboration with them whenever relevant, and wish all the best success to Bill and the BAHM Europe workgroup.

DESASTRE EM LUANDA

(...)

Ontem ruiu o edificio da DNIC. Com cerca de 200 pessoas lá dentro. O piquete da policia que eram 14, safaram-se todos porque vieram para a rua assistir na primeira fila.
Os presos, como a própria palavra indica, não sairam e vieram até ao chão dentro do edificio. Dos escombros, já resgataram alguns vivos, alguns mortos e as familias aguardam ansiosas que apareçam os restantes.

(Mensagem de JLA recebida de Luanda)

Luanda - Na madrugada de 29 de Março por volta das 4 horas da manhã, o edificio sede da Direcção de Investigação Criminal, DNIC, de sete andares, foi abaixo depois de dois pilares racharem provocando a quebra de vidros. Os primeiros a aperceberem-se do facto, foram os homens do piquete, que de imediato fugiram para a estrada a solicitar ajuda. Na ocasião, o director provincial de Luanda, Vita Vemba, providenciou a montagem de um posto ambulatorio para prestação de primeiros socorros.

Até ao momento foram resgatadas 82 pessoas do local dos escombros, mas o número de vitimas ainda é incerto. Alguns presos foram transferidos para a Comarca de Viana. Os feridos para o Hospital Militar de Luanda. De recordar que a menos de seis meses a Comarca de Luanda teve uma rebelião. Uma das figuras de destaque que estava no edificio era o antigo jogador de futebol, Tony Estraga.

Levantam-se agora várias hipoteses para o acontecimento, tais como a possibilidade de atentado ou falta de manutenção do edificio.

(Mensagem de KB recebida de Luanda)

MAIS FOTOS AQUI

(...)

Ontem ruiu o edificio da DNIC. Com cerca de 200 pessoas lá dentro. O piquete da policia que eram 14, safaram-se todos porque vieram para a rua assistir na primeira fila.
Os presos, como a própria palavra indica, não sairam e vieram até ao chão dentro do edificio. Dos escombros, já resgataram alguns vivos, alguns mortos e as familias aguardam ansiosas que apareçam os restantes.

(Mensagem de JLA recebida de Luanda)

Luanda - Na madrugada de 29 de Março por volta das 4 horas da manhã, o edificio sede da Direcção de Investigação Criminal, DNIC, de sete andares, foi abaixo depois de dois pilares racharem provocando a quebra de vidros. Os primeiros a aperceberem-se do facto, foram os homens do piquete, que de imediato fugiram para a estrada a solicitar ajuda. Na ocasião, o director provincial de Luanda, Vita Vemba, providenciou a montagem de um posto ambulatorio para prestação de primeiros socorros.

Até ao momento foram resgatadas 82 pessoas do local dos escombros, mas o número de vitimas ainda é incerto. Alguns presos foram transferidos para a Comarca de Viana. Os feridos para o Hospital Militar de Luanda. De recordar que a menos de seis meses a Comarca de Luanda teve uma rebelião. Uma das figuras de destaque que estava no edificio era o antigo jogador de futebol, Tony Estraga.

Levantam-se agora várias hipoteses para o acontecimento, tais como a possibilidade de atentado ou falta de manutenção do edificio.

(Mensagem de KB recebida de Luanda)

MAIS FOTOS AQUI

LOCAL VOICES OFFLINE (11)

Things someone, somewhere in the world, was talking about but you probably weren’t listening…

Chopper for the Vice President


[Obs: President Mogae is expected to officially step down tomorrow in favour of Vice-President Ian Khama. Read more HERE]

Things someone, somewhere in the world, was talking about but you probably weren’t listening…

Chopper for the Vice President


[Obs: President Mogae is expected to officially step down tomorrow in favour of Vice-President Ian Khama. Read more HERE]

FIELD DAY

WHAT IS THE 'AFRICAN DIASPORA'?

I guess it's high time Africans start seriously thinking and discussing about it.
Suggested places to start:

1.

2.

3.

I guess it's high time Africans start seriously thinking and discussing about it.
Suggested places to start:

1.

2.

3.

REAL 'AFFIRMATIVE ACTION'...

RACISM...

AND CENSORSHIP...

AT WORK!

RACISM...

AND CENSORSHIP...

AT WORK!

COBRANCAS!

{Clique na imagem para a ampliar}

Nisto de deitar contas a vida… confesso que as vezes me apetece mandar cartas destas a alguns familiares e amigos… a quem efectivamente ate’ nem devo nada e… bem feitas as contas, muito provavelmente devem-me mais a mim do que eu a eles!

Anyway, tomo esta oportunidade para deixar esta mensagem ‘to whom it may concern’: Aqui.

{Clique na imagem para a ampliar}

Nisto de deitar contas a vida… confesso que as vezes me apetece mandar cartas destas a alguns familiares e amigos… a quem efectivamente ate’ nem devo nada e… bem feitas as contas, muito provavelmente devem-me mais a mim do que eu a eles!

Anyway, tomo esta oportunidade para deixar esta mensagem ‘to whom it may concern’: Aqui.

OUTBLOGGING @ AFRICANPATH (IX)

THE RACE DEBATE IN AMERICA: WHAT LESSONS FOR AFRICA?

The current U.S. Presidential contest was marked, during the first few months, by its African-American protagonist’s repeated (re)assurances to the American electorate that his run was all but about race. And, it has to be recognised, for the most part the said protagonist, Barack Obama, has been hugely successful at it. However, developments in the last few weeks, culminating with his memorable speech “A More Perfect Union”, put the race and identity debate firmly back on the agenda and (re)assured us all, in and outside America, that this presidential campaign is as much about race as it is about gender, or about war and peace, or about economic prosperity or decline. In his own words: “(…) race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America - to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality. (…) But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.”

[Keep Reading Here or Here]

THE RACE DEBATE IN AMERICA: WHAT LESSONS FOR AFRICA?

The current U.S. Presidential contest was marked, during the first few months, by its African-American protagonist’s repeated (re)assurances to the American electorate that his run was all but about race. And, it has to be recognised, for the most part the said protagonist, Barack Obama, has been hugely successful at it. However, developments in the last few weeks, culminating with his memorable speech “A More Perfect Union”, put the race and identity debate firmly back on the agenda and (re)assured us all, in and outside America, that this presidential campaign is as much about race as it is about gender, or about war and peace, or about economic prosperity or decline. In his own words: “(…) race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America - to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality. (…) But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races.”

[Keep Reading Here or Here]

A PEACE SYMBOL 50 YEARS OLD

[READ MORE HERE]

[READ MORE HERE]

A COMMENT WORTH NOTING

Three months after its publication, my article at Atlantic Community, "The EU-Africa Trade Relations and The Future of Africa", finally got its first comment...

Duly noted and may others follow!

Three months after its publication, my article at Atlantic Community, "The EU-Africa Trade Relations and The Future of Africa", finally got its first comment...

Duly noted and may others follow!

THE NO.1 LADIES' DETECTIVE AGENCY

… Over and done with. Watched the movie yesterday on TV, liked it, but it didn’t make me relieve the mystery and excitement of reading the book while living around the places where Mma Ramotswe unveiled the cases that came to her.
Well, Anthony Minghella himself said something to the effect that “a good book always survives its adaptation, however good the latter may be”…
But, by all means, do watch it if it comes your way and make your own judgment. The late film director and the all set of actors surely deserve it.

… Over and done with. Watched the movie yesterday on TV, liked it, but it didn’t make me relieve the mystery and excitement of reading the book while living around the places where Mma Ramotswe unveiled the cases that came to her.
Well, Anthony Minghella himself said something to the effect that “a good book always survives its adaptation, however good the latter may be”…
But, by all means, do watch it if it comes your way and make your own judgment. The late film director and the all set of actors surely deserve it.

NAVEGANDO COM OS SABORES...

Neste Domingo de Pascoa, queiram deliciar-se com este diversificado buffet...

Ou, se e' apenas um funge de domingo que vos apetece, queiram servir-se deste prato...

Mas se querem um verdadeiro banquete, entao sigam as receitas de kitutes angolanos apresentadas aqui e agradecam (ou culpem) (a)o Helder de Sousa.

Neste Domingo de Pascoa, queiram deliciar-se com este diversificado buffet...

Ou, se e' apenas um funge de domingo que vos apetece, queiram servir-se deste prato...

Mas se querem um verdadeiro banquete, entao sigam as receitas de kitutes angolanos apresentadas aqui e agradecam (ou culpem) (a)o Helder de Sousa.

FELIZ PASCOA!

ECOS DA IMPRENSA ANGOLANA (2)

“Pergunto ao vento que passa
notícias do meu país
e o vento cala a desgraça
o vento nada me diz.

Mas há sempre uma candeia
dentro da própria desgraça
há sempre alguém que semeia
canções no vento que passa.”

Manuel Alegre

in Jornal de Angola, 20/03/08
[Clique na imagem para a ampliar]


OUTRAS REACCOES:

'O Comerciante Desalmado'

Agostinho Neto guiou o seu povo pelo caminho das estrelas. Que outro poeta na História Universal libertou a sua pátria com poemas e fuzis? A grandeza da obra literária de Agostinho Neto foi reconhecida em todo o mundo por académicos, professores, críticos literários e confrades.

Artur Queiroz, in Jornal de Angola, 18/03/08 (aqui)

'O Marketing Tem Dessas'

Escrevi e repito, que Agostinho Neto foi um extraordinário Poeta. Volto a dizê-lo. O Poeta da Libertação, o fundador com alguns de nós, da UEA, que dele não diz. Sou portanto, inapelavelmente, um total e irrecuperável ignorante de poesia...

Ndunduma, in Jornal de Angola, 21/03/08 (aqui)

'Em Defesa do José Eduardo Agualusa'

Um tal jornalista de nome Artur Queiroz atacou o Agualusa no Jornal de Angola de uma forma tão grosseira que reduz o que deveria ser um debate serio sobre a nossa herança cultural Angolana á uma briga entre bêbados num botequim. Eu admiro bastante o José Eduardo Agualusa que, sem duvida, deve ser o escritor mais serio da nossa geração; a sua capacidade de trabalho e determinação em sobreviver como escritor é impressionante. Lamento é o facto de ele não ter ido recentemente a nossa cidade natal do Huambo aonde tem havido muitas mudanças.
Sousa Jamba, in Semanario Angolense, 22/03/08 (aqui)

'Resposta de Artur Queiroz a Sousa Jamba'

Sousa Jamba quer que eu discuta a herança cultural dos angolanos com quem não tem nada a ver com a cultura ou as culturas de Angola. E Agualusa não tem.
Falta-lhe lastro e memória. Vivência. Estudo. Sentimento. Afinal falta-lhe tudo. É muito grave não é? Os colonialistas usaram sempre a arma da memória para imporem os seus valores e apagarem os nossos. Agualusa aprendeu a lição. Para ele, a Literatura Angolana começou no dia em que foi publicado o seu primeiro livro. Quando muito, o primeiro livro de Sousa Jamba. É uma táctica que os nazis adoptaram e dela abusaram. A Alemanha começou no dia em Hitler subiu ao Poder. O salazarismo fez o mesmo. Angola sem os portugueses nunca existiu.

Artur Queiroz, ao Semanario Angolense, 22/03/08 (aqui)

“Pergunto ao vento que passa
notícias do meu país
e o vento cala a desgraça
o vento nada me diz.

Mas há sempre uma candeia
dentro da própria desgraça
há sempre alguém que semeia
canções no vento que passa.”

Manuel Alegre

in Jornal de Angola, 20/03/08
[Clique na imagem para a ampliar]


OUTRAS REACCOES:

'O Comerciante Desalmado'

Agostinho Neto guiou o seu povo pelo caminho das estrelas. Que outro poeta na História Universal libertou a sua pátria com poemas e fuzis? A grandeza da obra literária de Agostinho Neto foi reconhecida em todo o mundo por académicos, professores, críticos literários e confrades.

Artur Queiroz, in Jornal de Angola, 18/03/08 (aqui)

'O Marketing Tem Dessas'

Escrevi e repito, que Agostinho Neto foi um extraordinário Poeta. Volto a dizê-lo. O Poeta da Libertação, o fundador com alguns de nós, da UEA, que dele não diz. Sou portanto, inapelavelmente, um total e irrecuperável ignorante de poesia...

Ndunduma, in Jornal de Angola, 21/03/08 (aqui)

'Em Defesa do José Eduardo Agualusa'

Um tal jornalista de nome Artur Queiroz atacou o Agualusa no Jornal de Angola de uma forma tão grosseira que reduz o que deveria ser um debate serio sobre a nossa herança cultural Angolana á uma briga entre bêbados num botequim. Eu admiro bastante o José Eduardo Agualusa que, sem duvida, deve ser o escritor mais serio da nossa geração; a sua capacidade de trabalho e determinação em sobreviver como escritor é impressionante. Lamento é o facto de ele não ter ido recentemente a nossa cidade natal do Huambo aonde tem havido muitas mudanças.
Sousa Jamba, in Semanario Angolense, 22/03/08 (aqui)

'Resposta de Artur Queiroz a Sousa Jamba'

Sousa Jamba quer que eu discuta a herança cultural dos angolanos com quem não tem nada a ver com a cultura ou as culturas de Angola. E Agualusa não tem.
Falta-lhe lastro e memória. Vivência. Estudo. Sentimento. Afinal falta-lhe tudo. É muito grave não é? Os colonialistas usaram sempre a arma da memória para imporem os seus valores e apagarem os nossos. Agualusa aprendeu a lição. Para ele, a Literatura Angolana começou no dia em que foi publicado o seu primeiro livro. Quando muito, o primeiro livro de Sousa Jamba. É uma táctica que os nazis adoptaram e dela abusaram. A Alemanha começou no dia em Hitler subiu ao Poder. O salazarismo fez o mesmo. Angola sem os portugueses nunca existiu.

Artur Queiroz, ao Semanario Angolense, 22/03/08 (aqui)

ON OBAMA'S FAMILY

"So there I was, a couple of weeks back, sitting under a mango tree in western Kenya, when Senator Barack Obama’s half-sister Auma says to me:
'My daughter’s father is British. My mom’s brother is married to a Russian. I have a brother in China engaged to a Chinese woman.'
My understanding is that this half brother living in China is Mark. He’s the son of Obama’s father and an American woman named Ruth, whom Obama Sr. met while at Harvard in the 1960s and brought back to Kenya.
That was after his marriage with Obama’s mother in Hawaii ended. Another son from the union with Ruth, called David, was killed in a motorcycle accident. In all, Obama Sr. fathered eight children by four women.
I’ve been thinking about this because not enough has been written about Obama’s family. As Auma suggested, it’s unusual in the extent of its continent-crossing, religion-melding, color-fusing richness. But the Benetton-ad family is less unusual than it may seem. This is the age of globalized, far-flung families. Remittances make the world go round.
More needs to be written because if Obama gets the Democratic nomination, you know the Republican attack machine, through innuendo and otherwise, will go after his identity, just as it went after Senator John Kerry’s in 2004."

{Keep reading here}

"So there I was, a couple of weeks back, sitting under a mango tree in western Kenya, when Senator Barack Obama’s half-sister Auma says to me:
'My daughter’s father is British. My mom’s brother is married to a Russian. I have a brother in China engaged to a Chinese woman.'
My understanding is that this half brother living in China is Mark. He’s the son of Obama’s father and an American woman named Ruth, whom Obama Sr. met while at Harvard in the 1960s and brought back to Kenya.
That was after his marriage with Obama’s mother in Hawaii ended. Another son from the union with Ruth, called David, was killed in a motorcycle accident. In all, Obama Sr. fathered eight children by four women.
I’ve been thinking about this because not enough has been written about Obama’s family. As Auma suggested, it’s unusual in the extent of its continent-crossing, religion-melding, color-fusing richness. But the Benetton-ad family is less unusual than it may seem. This is the age of globalized, far-flung families. Remittances make the world go round.
More needs to be written because if Obama gets the Democratic nomination, you know the Republican attack machine, through innuendo and otherwise, will go after his identity, just as it went after Senator John Kerry’s in 2004."

{Keep reading here}

PHILIP JONES GRIFFITHS (R.I.P.)

[Photo of Philip Jones Griffiths by John Giannini]

In a week when the world marked the 40th anniversary of the My Lai massacre, the most prominent photojournalist of the Vietnam War, Philip Jones Griffiths, passed away today.
In a statement the current president of Magnum Photos, of which Griffiths was a distinguished member, said: "Philip enriched all our lives with his courage, his empathy, his passion, his wit and his wisdom; and for many he gave to photojournalism its moral soul."

[Read and see more about Griffiths work here, here, and here]

[Photo of Philip Jones Griffiths by John Giannini]

In a week when the world marked the 40th anniversary of the My Lai massacre, the most prominent photojournalist of the Vietnam War, Philip Jones Griffiths, passed away today.
In a statement the current president of Magnum Photos, of which Griffiths was a distinguished member, said: "Philip enriched all our lives with his courage, his empathy, his passion, his wit and his wisdom; and for many he gave to photojournalism its moral soul."

[Read and see more about Griffiths work here, here, and here]

THE WAR ON IRAQ 5 YEARS ON

Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:13:44 -0400
To: "Ana Santana"
From: "Barack Obama"
Subject: Five years later

Dear Ana,

Five years ago today, President George W. Bush launched a war that should never have been authorized based on faulty premises and bad intelligence.
This war has now lasted longer than World War I, World War II, or the Civil War.
Nearly four thousand Americans have given their lives. Thousands more have been wounded. Even under the best-case scenarios, this war will cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars.
And where are we for all of this sacrifice?
We are less safe and less able to shape events abroad. We are divided at home, and our alliances around the world have been strained. The threats of a new century have roiled the waters of peace and stability, and yet America remains anchored in Iraq.
I am running for President because it's time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe.
That's what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And that's what I'll do as President of the United States.
Please take a few minutes to read my strategy for ending the war in Iraq and making America safer.
Senator Clinton says that she and Senator McCain have passed a "Commander-in-Chief test" -- not because of the judgments they've made, but because of the years they've spent in Washington.
She made a similar argument when she said her vote for war was based on her experience at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
But here is the stark reality: there is a security gap in this country -- a gap between the rhetoric of those who claim to be tough on national security, and the reality of growing insecurity caused by their decisions.
It is time to have a debate with Senator McCain about the future of our national security. And the way to win that debate and keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast -- a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past.
Nowhere is that break more badly needed than in Iraq.
The judgment that matters most on Iraq -- and on any decision to deploy military force -- is the judgment made first.
If you believe we are fighting the right war, then the problems we face are purely tactical in nature. That is what Senator McCain wants to discuss -- tactics. What he and the Administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future.
That's why this Administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Senator John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Senator McCain can argue -- as he did last year -- that we couldn't leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can't leave Iraq because violence is down.
When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success.
Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.
When I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden -- as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.

Here are the core elements of my strategy to address our critical national security challenges in the 21st century:

• End the war in Iraq, removing our troops at a pace of 1 to 2 combat brigades per month;
• Finally finish the fight against the Taliban, root out al Qaeda and invest in the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, while making aid to the Pakistani government conditional;
• Act aggressively to stop nuclear proliferation and to secure all loose nuclear materials around the world;
• Double our foreign assistance to cut extreme poverty in half;
• Invest in a clean energy future to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil and to lead the world against the threat of global climate change;
• Rebuild our military capability by increasing the number of soldiers, marines, and special forces troops, and insist on adequate training and time off between deployments;
• Renew American diplomacy by talking to our adversaries as well as our friends; increasing the size of the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps; and creating an America's Voice Corps.

Please take a minute to show your support for this plan:
http://my.barackobama.com/fiveyearslater

We are at a defining moment in our history.
This must be the election when America comes together behind a common purpose on behalf of our security and our values.
That is what we do as Americans. It's how we founded a republic based on freedom, and faced down fascism. It's how we defended democracy through a Cold War, and shined a light of hope bright enough to be seen in the darkest corners of the world.
When America leads with principle and pragmatism, hope can triumph over fear. It is time, once again, for America to lead.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:13:44 -0400
To: "Ana Santana"
From: "Barack Obama"
Subject: Five years later

Dear Ana,

Five years ago today, President George W. Bush launched a war that should never have been authorized based on faulty premises and bad intelligence.
This war has now lasted longer than World War I, World War II, or the Civil War.
Nearly four thousand Americans have given their lives. Thousands more have been wounded. Even under the best-case scenarios, this war will cost American taxpayers well over a trillion dollars.
And where are we for all of this sacrifice?
We are less safe and less able to shape events abroad. We are divided at home, and our alliances around the world have been strained. The threats of a new century have roiled the waters of peace and stability, and yet America remains anchored in Iraq.
I am running for President because it's time to turn the page on a failed ideology and a fundamentally flawed political strategy, so that we can make pragmatic judgments to keep our country safe.
That's what I did when I stood up and opposed this war from the start and said that we needed to finish the fight against al Qaeda. And that's what I'll do as President of the United States.
Please take a few minutes to read my strategy for ending the war in Iraq and making America safer.
Senator Clinton says that she and Senator McCain have passed a "Commander-in-Chief test" -- not because of the judgments they've made, but because of the years they've spent in Washington.
She made a similar argument when she said her vote for war was based on her experience at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.
But here is the stark reality: there is a security gap in this country -- a gap between the rhetoric of those who claim to be tough on national security, and the reality of growing insecurity caused by their decisions.
It is time to have a debate with Senator McCain about the future of our national security. And the way to win that debate and keep America safe is to offer a clear contrast -- a clean break from the failed policies and politics of the past.
Nowhere is that break more badly needed than in Iraq.
The judgment that matters most on Iraq -- and on any decision to deploy military force -- is the judgment made first.
If you believe we are fighting the right war, then the problems we face are purely tactical in nature. That is what Senator McCain wants to discuss -- tactics. What he and the Administration have failed to present is an overarching strategy: how the war in Iraq enhances our long-term security, or will in the future.
That's why this Administration cannot answer the simple question posed by Senator John Warner in hearings last year: Are we safer because of this war? And that is why Senator McCain can argue -- as he did last year -- that we couldn't leave Iraq because violence was up, and then argue this year that we can't leave Iraq because violence is down.
When you have no overarching strategy, there is no clear definition of success.
Success comes to be defined as the ability to maintain a flawed policy indefinitely. Here is the truth: fighting a war without end will not force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future. And fighting in a war without end will not make the American people safer.
When I am Commander-in-Chief, I will set a new goal on Day One: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden -- as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.

Here are the core elements of my strategy to address our critical national security challenges in the 21st century:

• End the war in Iraq, removing our troops at a pace of 1 to 2 combat brigades per month;
• Finally finish the fight against the Taliban, root out al Qaeda and invest in the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, while making aid to the Pakistani government conditional;
• Act aggressively to stop nuclear proliferation and to secure all loose nuclear materials around the world;
• Double our foreign assistance to cut extreme poverty in half;
• Invest in a clean energy future to wean the U.S. off of foreign oil and to lead the world against the threat of global climate change;
• Rebuild our military capability by increasing the number of soldiers, marines, and special forces troops, and insist on adequate training and time off between deployments;
• Renew American diplomacy by talking to our adversaries as well as our friends; increasing the size of the Foreign Service and the Peace Corps; and creating an America's Voice Corps.

Please take a minute to show your support for this plan:
http://my.barackobama.com/fiveyearslater

We are at a defining moment in our history.
This must be the election when America comes together behind a common purpose on behalf of our security and our values.
That is what we do as Americans. It's how we founded a republic based on freedom, and faced down fascism. It's how we defended democracy through a Cold War, and shined a light of hope bright enough to be seen in the darkest corners of the world.
When America leads with principle and pragmatism, hope can triumph over fear. It is time, once again, for America to lead.

Thank you,
Barack Obama

"A MORE PERFECT UNION": BARACK OBAMA ON RACE IN AMERICA

ANTHONY MINGHELLA (R.I.P.)

A mere couple of days ago, I reported here how I was gobsmacked by finding out all about "The Nr 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency" being put on screen by Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella.

That included seeing him that day on TV, in an interview recorded while he was still filming in Botswana, defending his movie and Alexander McCall Smith's book and explaining why in his view it should not be considered "patronising".

Today, the first news I got was that he died, aged only 54, in the aftermath of a surgical procedure he underwent a few days ago.

Just like that.

Now his film about Mma Ramotswe will go down in history as his last oeuvre. And I suspect I will always think of it as spooky.

A mere couple of days ago, I reported here how I was gobsmacked by finding out all about "The Nr 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency" being put on screen by Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella.

That included seeing him that day on TV, in an interview recorded while he was still filming in Botswana, defending his movie and Alexander McCall Smith's book and explaining why in his view it should not be considered "patronising".

Today, the first news I got was that he died, aged only 54, in the aftermath of a surgical procedure he underwent a few days ago.

Just like that.

Now his film about Mma Ramotswe will go down in history as his last oeuvre. And I suspect I will always think of it as spooky.