MOVE ON PEOPLE, NOTHING TO BE SEEN HERE!...

...it's just a demo, you know.



"...I find religious behaviour endlessly fascinating in its multi-faceted cultural manifestations..." - Professor Ron Geaves, University of Chester


Hey, I didn't say it was a demo, it was Prof Geaves! Don't believe me? Said the prof during a University lecture, the first week of April:

"I have included, rather controversially, the events in London as primarily an extreme form of demonstration and assess what these events actually mean in terms of their significance in the Muslim community. The word terrorism is a political word which always seems to be used to demonise people."

UK Blogger Scott Burgess just recently had a post on the good man, and was himself encouraged to save Mr. Geaves from anonymity by another blogger, Oliver Kamm. After all, while the icCheshireOnline apparently attracts Daily Kos types, as yet it does not attract Daily Kos numbers - although that may change soon. Professor Geaves, working at Chester University since 2001, teaches Study of Religion including Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Sociology as well as Anthropology of Religion. The academic's bio states that he "concentrates on field work, and enjoys meeting religions in the flesh and the embodied spirit rather than in texts". Too bad then the prof didn't happen to be on board of that 7/7 bus on Tavistock Square because he would have had the research opportunity of his lifetime. Now, about that lecture he gave: it was titled "Twenty years of fieldwork: reflections on "reflexivity" in the study of British Muslims". It was attended by a.o. local dignitaries and representatives from muslim organizations from England's north-west. According to Mr. Geaves, "The title refers to the personal transformation that has taken place over the last two decades in which I have moved from a position of academic neutrality to one of active engagement with the Muslim community in Britain."

Leaving academic neutrality huh? Yes indeed, Mr. Geaves thinks that one way in which demonstrations such as the 7/7 one should absolutely not be described is as "terrorist acts", because, according to Prof Geaves, "The word terrorism is a political word which always seems to be used to demonise people." In the words of the Honourable Airhead, Shehzad Tanweer & Co. were simply carrying out "an extreme form of demonstration". And the attacks that killed 52 people and threw the country into shock last July were simply "part of a long history of demonstrations sparked by British Muslims." I suppose 9/11 was just an airborne demonstration, then.

Btw, Prof Geaves is also pioneering the UK's first ever Muslim Youth Work degree programme. From 2007, Muslim students can gain professional youth work credentials at the only course of its kind. I bet twenty years of field work has taught the Prof that it's ECONOMIC MISERY that inspires young muslims to demonstrate. See, he goes on: "Youth work has a part to play in terms of making sure youths don't become despondent, particularly in areas of low unemployment and bad housing."

Well, I am just a nutty Beljun and not an enlightened Prof on some Cheddar Cheese University, nor did I do twenty years of field work on Islamic communities, but I did pick up somewhere that Shehzad Tanweer was the son of a local businessman, had a Sports Science Degree, lived in a fancy villa and drove around in a shiny Red Mercedes. Possibly Professor Geaves during his research stumbled over some caliph's rusty sword, landed face down in a stinky pool and had too much kaka in his eyes to notice articles like that.


OK, maybe you think Geaves is just one lonely nutter. One drooling idiot among the legions of respectable academics populating Europes fine centuries-old universities and scientific institutions.

NOT! How about this? In The Netherlands, there's an outfit called the WRR, I guess that's an acronym for Wetenschappelijke Raad voor Regeringsadvies, somewhat loosely translated as Scientific Council for Government Policy. It's meant as an independent think tank studying socio-economic developments, the labour market, infrastructure, climate policy, the future of the welfare state etc etc. Its task is to thereupon advise the government on its policy in these matters.

Dutch blogger in Canada Peaktalk points to the latest WRR-issued report, "Dynamiek in Islamitisch Activisme" (Dynamics in Islamic Activism), which came out on Wednesday April 12th of this year. If you click on this link, there's a summary, plus at the bottom another link to a pdf-file with the report.

One of the key authors, a certain fella by the name of drs. Jan Schoonenboom, was kind enough to talk to the press just before the report's release. Mind you, Schoonenboom is not just a humble staff member. He's one of the 8 Council Members in the WRR's executive committee. Below are some key excerpts:

"...we should not be so spastic about the Sharia...We must support the moderate Islamic powers much more, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Hezbollah in Lebanon..." - drs. Jan Schoonenboom, WRR

"An unjustified fear of and aversion to Islam exists in the Netherlands. Instead of continuing to drag the name of that faith through the mud, there should be far more criticism of friendly countries such as the US, Israel and Russia, the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) concludes."

...

(according to Schoonenboom) "we should not be so spastic about the Sharia." It may be that the system leads to corporal punishment in countries like Saudi Arabia and Sudan, "but under the Sharia in Morocco, family law has been reformed, very much to the advantage of women's rights." The Sharia for Muslims is comparable to the Ten Commandments for Christians, in the researcher's view. "It is God's plan for human nature."

The WRR researcher accuses Islam critics such as MPs Hirsi Ali, Wilders and Verhagen, law philosopher Afshin Ellian and Rotterdam politician Marco Pastors, of playing "on gut feelings in the debate. On fear of Islam and of Muslims. You also see that in the debate on the accession of Turkey to the EU, this country is made out to be much more Islamic than it is, and Europe much more Christian that it really is."

So, according to the good doctorandus there exists "an unjustified fear of and aversion to Islam in The Netherlands". Funny, I just had a glimpse of an article about a hell of a fight between some 30 native Dutchmen and Moroccans last Friday in a MacDonald's restaurant in Tilburg, south Holland (hat tip: Dutch Disease Report). And, a tipsy more south, in my own beloved Belgium's Brussels Central Station, 17-year old Joe Van Holsbeeck was stabbed to death by a Moroccan teenager because he did not want to give the young fuckface his mp3-player. Hold your fire, you may ask what Moroccan nationality has to do with Islam. Well, I suppose the teenage killer is not (yet) whacking his forehead five times a day in the direction of Mecca. But what I am certain of is that utter disrespect of filthy kafirs - like the native Dutchies in the Tilburg McDonalds, and like poor Joe Van Holsbeeck - is one of the basic tenets of what passes for Islamic "Culture". Furthermore, Dutch MP Geert Wilders , to name but one, is living round the clock under police protection and travelling around in an armoured car since receiving gazilions of death threats. S'ppose Wilders too is having "unjustified fears of Islam".

But I digress. Mr. Van Schoonenboom would say I'm playing on people's guts here. Possibly. Meanwhile, Moroccan 15-year old creeps are stabbing in people's guts. Or slitting throats. Whatever.

OK, on to the following revelation from Dynamics in Islamic Activism. More precisely, drs. Van Schoonenboom has some sound advice for Dutch foreign policy. In the words of Peaktalk, hold on to your jaws for this one:

Schoonenboom advises "an adventurous foreign policy" for the Dutch government. "We must support the moderate Islamic powers much more, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and Hezbollah in Lebanon, instead of secular movements without prospects in Muslim countries. We must talk to the Palestinian regime of Hamas. Dare the adventure! They are democratically elected. It is a terrorist movement, but so was Arafat's PLO. And the IRA in Ireland."

AFAIK it was Sinn Fein which was talked to. And the least one can say about the west's talks with the PLO is that they at least yielded fascinating results. I don't know on what planet Jan lives, but judging from his labeling the Muslim Brotherhood and Hezbollah "moderate Islamic powers" I don't think it's one in this solar system. Schoonenboom is translated literally as "Beautifultree" in English. From the onset I knew it was a tree hugger.


MFBB.

THE STORY OF THE CRICKET AND THE ANT

A.) THE FACTS.

That was then:



June 1940. France is beaten in six weeks by the Nazis. German soldiers march on the Champs Elysées. The French government, headed by PM Paul Reynaud, surrenders.

This is now:



April 2006. France is beaten in six weeks by spoiled schoolkids, dumbass "students" and communist unions. Hordes of nitwit lazybones march on the Champs Elysées. The French government, headed by PM Dominique de Villepin, surrenders.


Mind you, the CPE Bill had already passed through parliament and was by the laws and mores of democratic countires an established fact. If you ever wondered how deep De Villepin and Chirac could sink, here's another low. From The Brussels Journal:

France is beyond remedy. The country is heading for collapse, and its fate will be well deserved. As expected the French trade unions and the rioting leftwing vandals (aka “students”) in the streets won the fight for political supremacy over parliament and the government. Yesterday the French president Jack Chirac withdrew the French youth labour bill (CPE), approved earlier by a parliamentary majority, while the man he stabbed in the back by doing so, Chirac’s former dauphin and France’s Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, announced that he will not stand for the presidential elections next year.

B.) SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS.

a.) Classical Version - by Jean de La Fontaine.

The ant works all summer long, building his house and stocking food for winter. The cricket thinks the ant is stupid, and laughs and plays all through summer. Once winter arrives, the ant is safely in the warmth and well fed. The cricket is shivering in the cold without food and shelter, and dies.


b.) Modern Approach - by Bruno Julliard.

The ant works all summer long, building his house and stocking food for winter. The cricket thinks the ant is stupid, and laughs and plays all through summer. Once winter arrives, the ant is safely in the warmth and well fed. The cricket is shivering in the cold without food and shelter, and organizes a press conference demanding why the ant has the right to be safely in the warmth and well fed, while others, less lucky, are cold and hungry. French TV broadcasts live coverage of the cricket, teeth chattering, as well as video footage of the ant safely in its comfy warm house sitting at a rich table. The French are shocked that in a country that rich one leaves the poor cricket suffer while others live in abundance. NGO's against poverty are demonstrating in front of the ant's house. Journalists organize interviews where it is debated how the ant could grow so rich on the back of the cricket and ask the government to raise the ant's taxes so that it will finally pay "its just part". Following the TV broadcasts, government drafts a law on economic inequality and another (retroactive to the past summer) on anti-discrimination. The ant's taxes are raised and it is also fined because it has not hired the cricket as an aide. The ant's house is confiscated by the government because it hasn't sufficiennt money to pay the fine and the new taxes. The ant leaves France and installs itself successfully in Switzerland. French TV makes a documentary about the cricket, now obese even though spring is still far away. The old ant's house, which has become a social dwelling for the cricket, is fast deteriorating because the cricket does nothing to maintain it. Reproaches are directed to the government for lack of maintenance funds. A commission costing 10 million euros is installed with the goal to investigate the lack of funds. The cricket dies of an overdose of crack. The newspapers Libération et l'Humanité publish columns discussing the governments' failure to tackle the problem of social inequalities. The house is broken down by a gang of immigrant spiders and the government congratulates itself on it successful policy of multicultural diversity. The spiders organize a marijuana traffic and terrorize the neighbourhood.


C.) CONCLUSION.

Trash the left wherever you can. (P.S.: advice for North American citizens only, Europe being one big snafu already).


MFBB.

PISS ON SOCIALISM.

Lots to talk about. Italian parliamentary elections developing in a neck-to-neck race between Prodi and Berlusconi. The French government surrendering to spoiled brats and overripe union commies. Germany inviting Mahmoud "Israel must be wiped off the map" Ahmadinejad to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. But the one item that finally made me open the DowneastBlog Dashboard is the following.

You can't make this up. You can't make this up. The Flemish Socialist Party SP.a has a youth chapter which recently renamed itself "animo", from "anemia" (note by MFBB). Animo has illustrious members such as Laurent Winnock, the bloke who during his "working" hours on a socialist cabinet produced Bush Piss Stickers, which, to mark the visit of the Prez to Belgium early last year, were distributed by the thousands to Belgian cafes to be placed in urinals.


Last week I picked up some news about Animo retards sending Bush Piss Stickers to Venezuela's Chavez, and so I thought I'd take a peek at their site. I did find a related item, all right. But I also found the foin poster to the right. It's accompanying a contest among the young morally superior fuckwads to elect the "First May Man/Woman 2006". If you click on the item's permalink, you'll find the newsflash ends with "Beide winnaars worden op echte Maoistische wijze meegezeuld in de 1 mei optochten." Transation: "Both Winners will be paraded around in the May 1st demonstrations in true Maoist Fashion".


Time for some MFBB Reality Check. Much like Stalin was the USSR's Red Czar, Mao Zedong was Communist China's Red Emperor. Unlike Stalin's Russia however, Mao's realm had no significant industrial history nor capacity, and this fact caused him serious concerns after emerging victoriously from the civil war with the Guomindang and somewhat less victoriously from the Korean War. In the late fifties, he thought up an insane plan supposedly along the lines of the Soviet Five Year Plans, only much more radical, to bring China in one gigantic step on a par with the great industrial powers of the time, the USA in particular. Mao thought that a massively enhanced steel production was the key to achieving that goal. The "plan", heralded in 1958, came to be known as the Great Leap Forward, and it provided for a massive steel turnout by forcing tens of millions of dirt poor farmers to abandon their crops and produce steel in tiny furnaces in their backyards. Millions and millions of families had to provide pots, cans, tablewear, bicycles, you name it, in order to have it molten and "transformed" in raw steel. Needless to say, what came out was "pig iron" at best and not worth a nail to scratch your ass with, as we say over here. The Great Leap Forward was the Industrial Mother of Disasters from the output POV. Worse still, the millions that had vainly tried to outperform modern steel facilities in the US and the UK had been forced to neglect their lands. And uncounted hectares of woodland had been destroyed to provide wood for the furnaces.

The result was a famine as never seen.

From 1958 to 1961, an estimated 30 million Chinese died of famine.

Probably the best book to get acquainted with the subject is Jasper Becker's Hungry Ghosts: Mao's secret famine. Some excerpts:

All the time, the peasants were in fact starving — in the millions. In their dreadful state, the peasants sank to the lowest form of human survival — they resorted to cannibalism. They dug up the bodies of the recently dead. They hid the fact that family members had died: first, to continue to obtain an extra food ration from the party distributors; and second, to hide the fact that the deceased had been eaten. Then, finally, at the lowest level of an instinct for survival, adults began to kill and eat their own children, usually trading their living child for that of a neighbor's, so they would not have to literally murder and eat their own son or daughter. Children would beg their parents not to let them be eaten.

.....

While one brutal disaster after another was imposed on the Chinese people in the name of socialism, Mao remained secluded most of the time in his private residence in Beijing. He would lie in bed all day. His teeth were green from never being brushed. He refused to bathe, so instead orderlies-in-waiting would sponge-wash his corpulent structure. Young virgin peasant girls would be brought to him from the countryside for his carnal pleasures, often for group encounters. He gave no thought to his having long been diagnosed with a venereal disease.

As you can see, Mao Zedong surely was a nice chap. So nice that in 2006 the fancy dashing boyz & girlz of Animo promise the May 1st Man/Woman 2006 will be put in the spotlights and paraded around in True Maoist Fashion.

And I'm not even talking about the Cultural Revolution.

Where was I? Oh yes, Bush Piss Stickers sent to Hugo Chavez. Well, it seems His Venezuelan Nutiness did not deem the Animorons worthy of a written response. However, his ambassador in Brussels did them the honour of inviting them to coffee. Their website is bragging so anyway:

Op donderdag 23 maart werd animo uitgenodigd op de koffie bij de ambassasdeur van Venezuela. De aanleiding was het artikel in het laatste nieuws van een dag eerder, waarin we Hugo Chavez - bij wijze van suggestie in zijn strijd tegen Dubya Bush - onze anti-bush-sticker aanraadden. Vorig jaar verspreidde animo meer dan 15.000 urinoir stickers, naar aanleiding van het bezoek van Bush aan ons land.

In short, on Thursday, March 23 an Animo delegation was invited for a coffee drink by the Venezuelan ambassador. Judging by the board behind the good man, I think both parties agreed on the core issues.

Just think about it. Mao = Good. Bush = Bad. Me = Feeling Lonely Among Nutters.


MFBB.