Taking a break

I wouldn't normally do it, but the graphics used in the quiz were strangely seductive. The buttons practically purred when I clicked them.

Read more!

Nollywood noogie

I have learnt two things today.

1. "Nollywood". Refers to the growing film industry in Nigeria.

2. Someone finally microwaved a baby.

In reference to an earlier post about China and Africa, I found a link to a discussion on whether China is colonising Africa. I hearts the BBC.

Read more!

China and Africa | someone's getting screwed

Everytime someone talks about how China is our motherland and we should do business in China because a)it's a booming market b)we share the same culture, I just want to sigh. Or cry.

We don't share the same culture as China. And even if we did, so what? China's a nation now, and it thinks along national lines. Don't get sentimental about China. China'll bend you over the Great wall and fuck you blind.

The reason I mention this - another news report about how China's screwing over poor African nations through dumping practices.

China's ambitions in Africa

China has stepped up its business presence in Africa, but is being criticised for not pushing for improvements in human rights and governance in some countries.

...
All but a few varieties of Africa's flip flops now come from China and local companies cannot compete.

Mr Ghaddar claims end of line stock from Chinese factories is "dumped" here, sold for less than the cost of materials, dodging customs and import duties.

...

Some Tanzanians object that Chinese imports are shipped to the Chinese embassy in diplomatic containers from Beijing - but no-one can prove it.


Former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere visited Beijing 13 times

Outside, Chinese digger trucks are at work in the street - a Chinese company has won a government tender to renovate the sewage system.

And foundations have been laid for the new Julius Nyerere National Stadium, named after Tanzania's founding president.

The raw materials, machines, the pipe work and the scaffolding, come from Beijing.

Then there's the other way to colonise a country - through immigration. The part about language is the one that troubles.

Mr Yang is the 31st member of his family to settle in East Africa.

His uncle opened the first of their seven shops in Nairobi, a decade ago.

But after three years here, Mr Yang - who wears a sweatshirt with a picture of an American footballer and the logo "Top Class" - has learned neither English nor Swahili.

His showroom is draped with silks, curtains and upholstery fabrics and is crammed with furniture such as dining suites, reclining chairs and an emperor-sized bed with adjustable headrest.

Mr Yang, his wife and his teenage son sit at the back of the shop munching snacks - Chinese snacks - from a jumbo-sized packet on his desk.

Yes, Mr Yang admits, through his translator, he has heard about local businesses swamped by Chinese imports.

Then he shrugs and says: "Africans love my shop."

It's not that unusual for a first - or even second generation immigrant to fail to pick up the lingua franca of a country. But it doesn't bode well either.

And of course, China's disregard for international copyright law is strangling another African nation that is barely managing to climb out of the morass of international aid debt.

China's going to be the next superpower, just like the United States. And rather like the US, China knows damn well that it can do what it damn well wants.

Read more!

Malaysian "Communists" | honesty

ABRAHAM'S "THE FINEST HOUR" GIVES MORE INSIGHT ABOUT MALAYSIAN HISTORY
322 words
4 November 2006Bernama Daily Malaysian News
English
(c)
2006 Bernama - Malaysian National News Agency
The newly published book "The Finest Hour": The Malaysian-MCP Peace Accord In Perspective" will enable Malaysians to gain a greater insight into Malaysia's history, including the communist party's influence during the post-war period.

In the 245-page book, the author, renowned Malaysian sociologist Dr Collin Abraham, takes a balanced approach in explaining Malaysia's pre- and post independence history, covering its road to nationhood to the Haadyai Agreement of 1989 with the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), which finally ended the protracted armed struggle between it and the Malaysian government.

"My research orginated from scratch and it took me 15 months to this book, my third (book)," he told Bernama after the soft launch of the book at the Royal Selangor Club here today.

The book touches on a gamut of exciting as well as polemic subjects ranging from the Malay Left, the Kelantan Resistance of 1915, the Baling Talks and the Haadyai peace agreement between the government and MCP leader Chin Peng.

"The foundation for a Malaysian Malaysia was laid during the country's struggle for independence and peace. Now we need to move on towards (Vision) 2020," said Abraham, 75, who had spent more than 30 years in academia.

Former Malaysian prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who wrote one of the four forwards in the book, described it as "a bold and extraordinary" piece. He is expected to offically launch the book on Dec 2 at the Royal Selangor Club.

Dr Mahathir in his forward said: "More Malaysians should do research on the MCP and the Emergency because so far most of the books written about it are by the British. Quite naturally their writings have been biased."

The book costing RM40 and published by the Strategic Information and Research Development Centre will be available in local book stores next week

Malaysia is notorious for producing extremely slanted histories. It's not uncommon for a historian to include an endorsement by a leading political figure in his book, which should tell you something about the book. And Malaysia censors are alive and well - Gabra, Prince of Egypt, Zoolander The Last Communist being examples of religious and state censorship. Plus of course, they have a very different version of Seperation - Mohammad Sopiee's account, while biased and inaccurate in parts, makes the point that Singaporean accounts don't make - that the UMNO politicans frankly found LKY downright kurang ajar.

However, I'm interested to see what they do with this book. If it's all that it promises, it means that Malaysia is prepared to take a long hard honest look at the Emergency. And the "mistakes" that were made in the heat of battle, where opponents were labelled communist, for convenient internal security disposal.

And if Malaysia is willing to take the step - what's Singapore waiting for?

Read more!