Bhutan Election Roundup!

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is holding parliamentary elections today for the first time in history, and the results are trickling in. Some races appear to have a definitive winner, but others are too close to call. In Chhukha, Tshewang Lhamo of Bjachho is easily defeating rival Sonam Dorji Wangchuk of Bongo. In Pemagatshel, Jigme Rinzin trounced Sangay Tenpa of Dechhenling Gewog, and in Tsirang Dzongkhag, Justin Gurung is well on his way to beating Pema Drukpa for the contested seat.

Other Dzongkhags may be facing a runoff, however, where no clear majority exists as of press time. In Mongar, Saling native Naichu may be facing a runoff challenge against Choki Drakpa of Silambi gewog. In Samdrup Jongkhar, Jigme Wangchuk is in a tight race versus Kinga Dorji, with dark horse Sangay Lhendup of Orong gewog taking about 15% of the vote. Trashigang's Sonam Kinga maintains a razor-thin lead over Tashi Tshering of Bidung Gewog. In one of the more confusing races, Ugyen Tshering of Lamgong appears to be the loser in a four-way race versus Phub Dorji of Wangchang, Jambay Dorji of Lungnyi, and frontrunner Ugyen Tshering (no relation) of Dop Shari for the council seat of the scenic Paro Dzongkhag.

For continuing updates, please see the Election Commission of Bhutan.

Blog Reactions to Benazir Bhutto's Assassination

Global Voices Online has an interesting roundup of the discussions on the Pakistani blogosphere following the assassination of former PM Benazir Bhutto, allegedly by al-Qa'ida operatives, though perhaps with the help of disappearing police officers. Among the selections are online condolences, updates on the aftermath, condemnations of the attack from Muslims, and reminders of the Cold War origins of Islamic extremism. I found one comment on Muslim Matters with a very interesting perspective:

I grew up in Pakistan. I grew up hating Benazir Bhutto because of what she (and her political rival —Nawaz Sharif) did to the country…and perhaps this is the sentiment of majority of middle class citizens of Pakistan who don’t meddle in politics.

However, her assassination upsets me. As a Muslim, I have to be fair-minded. I had always appreciated her political charisma. She could stand up boldly, defend her, and wasn’t a fearful woman. Considering her background and secular lifestyle, it was great of her to stand up with a scarf on her head, although she didn’t need to. She was an icon of diplomacy and politcal smartness.

If those who killed thought they were doing a favor to the country, then this is a gross error. It will only accelerate the violence in the country, as we all can predict. And as mentioned before, to kill an armless woman is sheer cowardice.

Lakotah Sioux Secede from United States

This is slightly old news, but I was on vacation when this happened. Last week, the Lakota Freedom Delegation announced the unilateral withdrawal of the Lakotah from all agreements and treaties with the United States with this statement:

We as the freedom loving Lakotah People are the predecessor sovereign of Dakota Territory as evidenced by the Treaties with the United States Government, including, but not limited to, the Treaty of 1851 and the Treaty of 1868 at Fort Laramie.

Lakotah, formally and unilaterally withdraws from all agreements and treaties imposed by the United States Government on the Lakotah People.

Lakotah, and the population therein, have waited for at least 155 years for the United States of America to adhere to the provisions of the above referenced treaties. The continuing violations of these treaties’ terms have resulted in the
near annihilation of our people physically, spiritually, and culturally.

The legal basis for their argument is compelling. Under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, indigenous peoples have the rights to life, health and security; must be protected from forced assimilation, and have the right to improvement of their social and economic conditions. The Lakotah liken their social and economic conditions to colonial apartheid. A few examples:

• Lakota men have a life expectancy of less than 44 years, lowest of any country in the World (excluding AIDS) including Haiti.
• Indian children incarceration rate 40% higher than whites.
• The rate of diabetes is 800% higher than the U.S national average.
• Federal Commodity Food Program provides high sugar foods that kill Native people through diabetes and heart disease.
• 97% of our Lakota people live below the poverty line.
• Unemployment rates on our reservations is 85% or higher.
• Only 14% of the Lakota population can speak Lakota language.

Santa Arrested During Anti-Apartheid Protest

From Democracy Now:

In the West Bank, Palestinian demonstrators scuffled with Israeli soldiers on Friday during a demonstration against the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank. Protest organizer Sami Talhami was one of several activists dressed like Santa.

Sami Talhami: “From Bethlehem, from where Jesus was born, from where the apartheid wall is being built around our villages and cities we say yes there is hope. There is hope for peace and there is a chance for peace. It needs the world to move, it needs the world to realize that there is injustice happening here and for the world to say we will work for peace in the holy land.”

Happy Holidays from Toasterhead

We at Toasterhead's Jihadosphere wish you and yours a very happy, healthy, and prosperous holiday - whichever one you choose to celebrate. If nothing else, celebrate all the good things that managed to creep through the insane cacophony that was 2007.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Eid Said, Merry New Year, yadda yadda.

Most-Ignored Humanitarian Crises of 2007

Doctors Without Borders has released a report on the top ten most-underreported humanitarian stories of the past year. In an interview with executive director Nicolas de Torrente on Democracy Now host Amy Goodman cited that these stories combined accounted for a full 18 minutes of coverage on the three major US news networks.

These stories are:

1. Displaced fleeing war in Somalia face humanitarian crisis
2. Political and economic turmoil sparks health-care crisis in Zimbabwe
3. Drug-resistant tuberculosis spreads as new drugs go untested
4. Expanded use of nutrient dense ready-to-use foods crucial for reducing childhood malnutrition
5. Civilians increasingly under fire in Sri Lankan conflict
6. Conditions worsen in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
7. Living precariously in Colombia's conflict zones
8. Humanitarian aid restricted in Myanmar
9. Civilians caught between armed groups in Central African Republic
10. As Chechen conflict ebbs, critical humanitarian needs still remain

Although the stories were not ranked in any particular order, de Torrente described the situation in Somalia as the most dire:

Somalia is really very much on the top right now. I mean, our teams are struggling to get in. We have now teams in Mogadishu. We have international staff on the ground. And we’re seeing a lot more now about what’s going on, and we’re having a better access to the population in terms of assistance. And the situation is very, very dire, in terms of the violence against civilians, you know, heavy, heavy fighting in highly populated areas, with, as we see it, quite a, you know, reckless disregard for civilians in Mogadishu. And hundreds of thousands of people have fled, and they’re fleeing to the outskirts of the city, but also as far away as—we have teams in Galcaio in the north, in Boosaaso, which is close to the Red Sea, and all the way into Yemen. We had a team just pick up—you know, try to provide assistance to survivors who were fleeing into Yemen, and there were fifty people had died in this particular ship. Fifty people were able to be rescued. So it’s really quite dramatic. People are very desperate, in terms of trying to flee what is happening in Somalia.

Famine Possible in Northern Uganda

1.5 million people in 11 districts of northern Uganda face food insecurity or famine in the coming months. Flooding this year, an expected drought next year, privatization of food-storage infrastructure, and ongoing instability are among the contributing factors. According to the Famine Early Warning System, hardest-hit will be the internally-displaced:

In northern Uganda, continued peace is enabling more of the estimated 1.2 million IDPs to move to transit locations outside of camps, and some are returning home. Without a definite agreement between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and cessation of hostilities, though, many displaced households remain uncertain of the future and maintain living quarters in the camps as fall-back positions should civil insecurity erupt again. There has not been a significant improvement in services, and many IDPs, in camps or in transit, lack adequate access to health, shelter, water and sanitation facilities, resulting in poor humanitarian conditions in the region. Although access to land and production is gradually increasing, many IDPs are still far from their full potential to produce sufficient amounts of food for their own consumption. Most IDPs continue to experience widespread high food insecurity, and the World Food Programme (WFP) caters for the bulk of their food needs.

2007 Deadliest Year for Journalists in More Than a Decade

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 64 journalists have died so far in 2007, the second-highest total since the committee began compiling statistics in 1981. The final total may be higher if any of the 22 deaths currently under investigation by the CPJ are found to be work-related. The leading cause of death for journalists is murder, and CPJ estimates that 90% of these cases go unsolved.

Iraq was the deadliest country for journalists this year, with 31 journalists and 12 media support workers killed this year:

“Working as a journalist in Iraq remains one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “Members of the press are being hunted down and murdered with alarming regularity. They are abducted at gunpoint and found dead later or shot dead on the spot. Those who die are nearly always Iraqi and many work for international news agencies. These journalists gave their lives so that all of us could be informed about what is happening in Iraq.”

Twelve media support workers, such as bodyguards and drivers, also died in Iraq. Since the beginning of the war in March 2003, 124 journalists and 49 media workers have been killed, making it the deadliest conflict for the press in recent history. More than one-third worked for international news organizations.

A Very Special DYFFTICT

This Week!
This week's Dance, You Fools! For This Is Club Toasterhead! is dedicated to a very special reader. She's a talented singer, a beautiful person, and a source of constant inspiration for me. She's also just crazy enough to be marrying me next week, which is pretty sweet. This is a collection of some of her favorite songs (and a few of mine). Honey, this update is for you!

• Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder – Soukora
• Sufjan Stevens – The Transfiguration
• Laura Pausini – Cuando Se Ama
• Nethers – Migratory Birds
• Gavin DeGraw – More Than Anyone
• Natacha Atlas – Mon Amie La Rose
• Cyndi Lauper – All Through The Night
• Celia Cruz – Mambo Del Amor
• Louis Jordan – Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?
• Toumani Diabate – Jarabi
• Keane – Bedshaped
• Seu Jorge – When I Live My Dream
• Buena Vista Social Club – Dos Gardenias
• Jack Johnson – Cupid
• The Mail Order Band – The Brain Song (Outta my Head)
• Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah
• Tinariwen – Bismillah

P.S. This blog will be on vacation for the next week or so, if that wasn't already implied. Please take good care of the Internet for me until I return. Thank you!

Mmmmm... Million-Dollar Beer

Michael Clemens of the Center for Global Development breaks down the insanity of Zimbabwe's financial crisis into terms we can all understand. A single beer now costs more than 1 million Zimbabwe dollars ($33 US at the official exchange rate). And the problem is getting worse.

The reason Zimbabwe has the highest inflation on earth is that the regime of President Robert Mugabe is recklessly printing money to finance its expenditures. High inflation has been shown to markedly increase poverty because nominal wages never quite seem to keep up with galloping prices. But why should mass poverty concern Mr. Mugabe, whose chauffeur whisks him around in a Rolls Royce convertible? Daniel Makina of the University of South Africa estimates that about one million Zimbabweans have fled this sinking ship - to South Africa alone.

Urban Heat Islands and Local Climate Change

"Skeptical environmentalist" Bjørn Lomborg has an interesting proposal for combating the local climate change effects of urban heat islands: Urban heat islands are a well-documented phenomenon, a favorite talking point of the science deniers, and a growing problem around the world as urbanization accellerates:

Today, the fastest-growing cities are in Asia. Beijing is roughly 10°C hotter than the nearby countryside in the daytime and 5.5°C warmer at night. There are even more dramatic increases in Tokyo. In August, temperatures there climbed 12.5°C above the surrounding countryside, reaching 40°C—a scorching heat that affected not only the downtown area, but also covered some 8,000 square kilometers.

Looking at a fast-growing city like Houston, Texas, we can see the real effect of the urban heat island. Over the last 12 years, Houston grew by 20 percent, or 300,000 inhabitants. During that time, the night time temperature increased about 0.8°C. Over a hundred-year period, that would translate to a whopping 7°C increase.

The proposed solution: plant a tree and change the color scheme. Lomborg estimates that a city such as Los Angeles could lower temperatures by 3ºC by creating green spaces, re-roofing homes in lighter colors, and painting asphalt roads white - an eventual cost savings in air conditioning and smog-reduction of $500 annually.

Though Lomborg's constant criticisms of "celebrity activists" focusing on CO₂ can be a bit grating, he makes some interesting points about some local actions that could help fight the global climate change problem.

Palast on Hugophobia

Greg Palast has penned a fascinating piece on the recently-defeated Venezuelan referendum that would have expanded social security, empowered local community funding councils, enhanced the ability of the government to expropriate and redistribute farmland, cut the workday to six hours, and removed presidential term limits, among others. The referendum was, of course, spun by U.S. media and pundits as a socialist power grab seeking to install Chavez as dictator for life, and accusations of CIA interference were flying in Caracas last week amid opposition demonstrations against the referendum.

Palast explores the roots of U.S. Hugophobia, and suggests that it just might have something to do with those 1.36 trillion trillion barrels of crude oil Venezuela is sitting on, and Chavez' recent efforts to ensure that the people of Venezuela benefit from their natural resource wealth:

Big Oil has better ideas for Venezuela, best expressed in several Wall Street Journal articles attacking Chavez for spending his nation’s oil wealth on “social programs” rather than on more drilling platforms to better fill the SUVs of Texas.

Chavez has committed other crimes in Washington’s eyes. Not only has this uppity brown man spent Venezuela’s oil wealth in Venezuela, he withdrew $20 billion from the US Federal Reserve. Weirdly, Venezuela’s previous leaders, though the nation was dirt poor, lent billions to the US Treasury on crap terms. Chavez has said, Basta! to this game, and has called for keeping South America’s capital in … South America! Oh, no!

Now, is Chavez the nicest guy? Of course not. And he's a pretty bad singer, too. But as Palast points out, he's not a dictator, despite what the corporate media would like you to believe.

Science Deniers To Be Very Disappointed in Bali

As reported in OneWorld, attendees at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali, Indonesia will not be rehashing the same hackneyed arguments about the existence of anthropogenic climate change. Well, most of them, anyway.

But without the political grandstanding over the existence of scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, whatever shall conference attendees do? Officials have a few ideas:

• decisions be taken on promoting practical action to help countries adapt to climate change, including the establishment of a new global fund;
  
  
• an agreement be reached to continue the work of an expert group on the transfer of useful technologies to poorer nations;
  
  
• a plan is made to launch a pilot program to curb deforestation worldwide: "Deforestation accounts for up to 20 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by humans, so we have to come to grips with it," said de Boer;
  
  
• the Clean Development Mechanism, a fund to encourage wealthier countries to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in poorer countries, be adjusted to provide more money for poor developing countries, particularly in Africa.

For more on the Bali conference and the politics of global climate change, listen to Diane Rehm today (12/4) at 10:00am EST

They Did It Their Way

This Week!

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On this week's edition of Dance, You Fools! For This Is Club Toasterhead!, we explore the various and sundry covers of the French classic Comme d'habitude, which was adapted by Paul Anka into the song My Way. This somber tale of a man nearing death has been adapted and re-adapted with performances in multiple languages, many genres, and varying degrees of sanity. A bright shiny gold happyface goes to anyone who can listen to the entire playlist. Enjoy!

• Frank Sinatra – My Way
• Rey Ruiz – A Mi Manera
• Nina Simone – My Way
• Rachid Taha, Khaled & Faudel – Comme D'habitude (Live)
• Sex Pistols – My Way
• The Bollock Brothers – My Way (Live Version)
• Robin Williams – My Way (A Mi Manera) (Album Version)
• Gipsy Kings – A Mi Manera
• Elvis Presley – My Way
• Mary Roos – So leb' Dein Leben (My Way)
• Siempre Asi – A mi manera
• Sid Vicious – My Way
• Vicente Fernández – A Mi Manera
• Major Harris – My Way (LP Version)
• Harald Juhnke – My way
• The Orobians – A Mi Manera
• Los Piratas – My Way
• Paul Anka – My Way
• Joan Baez – A Mi Manera
• Stan Tracey – Comme D'Habitude
• Anthony Ventura – Comme D ' Habitude