Pierre Bourdieu the French sociologist wrote that the lower or working class tend to reproduce - or at least try to- the same behaviour or eat the same kind of food of the upper class. For example because rich people celebrate an event by drinking champagne, the poor are going to try to do the same but with a product of much lower quality for example they will drink some sparkling wine because it looks like champagne and it is cheap.
The McCanns represent the upper class, and Shannon Matthews's parents the working class. I do think that because the way the media have reported on the Maddi case, it might have inspired them to have their 15 minutes of fame. They may have wanted some money from the media. Of course I don't know the truth here, and Shannon's mother is going to have a fair trial and who knows at the end will be discharged of any wrongdoing.
But if she is guilty of "perverting the course of justice and child neglect", I am pretty sure that the media and all the McCanns story have something to do with it.
Thursday, 10 April 2008
Friday, 4 April 2008
Hail to the Chief!
At the NATO's summit in Bucharest yesterday, cameras witnessed the very weird way Kevin Rudd the Australian prime minister saluted G.W Bush (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsdAMEZMric)
John Pilger wrote an article on the News Statesman(6/03/2008), called "Australia's hidden empire".From my experience of backpacking around Australia for a year and half, I found the article very interesting with hard truths about Aboriginal Australia but also very severe towards Australia itself and its new Prime Minister.
Kevin Rudd the labour prime minister has been a fierce critic of the Iraq war.When Howard said that Al Qaida would be happy if the Democrats won the presidential election, Rudd gave a brilliant speech at Canberra' parliament.
Thanks to him Australia has just ratified Kyoto's agreements. He apologized to the stolen generation with a knee on the floor. He has a very different approach on foreign policy than Howard, does not bash the EU and acknowledges the importance of the security council:
"Whether it was the debate over the Iraq war, whether it's the consideration of particular actions against the Government of Iran, whether it's other matters, this is the critical decision-making body of the United Nations."( Sydney Morning Herald,April 5th 2008)
John Howard was called or was "appointed" by W the "Sheriff of Asia". ( By the way he called Sarkozy his"little friend" and said that he was the "latest incarnation of Elvis (Presley of course!), I also do not forget the Yo Blair! of W at the G-8 summit in St Petersburg last year).
I am going to plagiarise a bit John; the way Rudd has saluted George W., well the new sheriff of Asia has just pledged allegiance to the Chief!
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
End of an era?
The Sunday times(30/03/08) run an article about India and Britain" The reverse Raj" or how Indian businesses are buying out British Businesses.
And on Monday, Roger Cohen the NY times columnist wrote " It’s the end of the era of the white man" referring
Actually the last week I was at a workshop with a classmate and he did not like the idea that "the Indians are buying everything in England". We were just reading the news that Tata the Indian conglomerate bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. Obviously he did not care when the American Ford bought the British brands but was annoyed by the fact that an Indian-based company bought former British owned brands from the Americans.
Fortunately the Sunday time's article and the New York Times' column are not racist. They celebrate the success of India and Asia. And anyway it is just how history works. Rome or Athens used to be capitals of "the world" now Italy and Greece are just small countries within the European Union. In Naples one of the biggest and most beautiful city of Italy, rubbish and waste are not collecting.
But the wheel of history is one more time just changing. Cohen writes:
"In the 17th century, China and India accounted for more than half the world’s economic output. After a modest interlude, the pendulum is swinging back to them at a speed the West has not grasped."
For a former Indian diplomat, quoted on the Sunday's Time:"Indians take pride that the relationship is now one of equality, that India is an emerging power and Britain is a former power.”
I just hope that the economic growth of some will not be at the expense of the others.
And on Monday, Roger Cohen the NY times columnist wrote " It’s the end of the era of the white man" referring
Actually the last week I was at a workshop with a classmate and he did not like the idea that "the Indians are buying everything in England". We were just reading the news that Tata the Indian conglomerate bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. Obviously he did not care when the American Ford bought the British brands but was annoyed by the fact that an Indian-based company bought former British owned brands from the Americans.
Fortunately the Sunday time's article and the New York Times' column are not racist. They celebrate the success of India and Asia. And anyway it is just how history works. Rome or Athens used to be capitals of "the world" now Italy and Greece are just small countries within the European Union. In Naples one of the biggest and most beautiful city of Italy, rubbish and waste are not collecting.
But the wheel of history is one more time just changing. Cohen writes:
"In the 17th century, China and India accounted for more than half the world’s economic output. After a modest interlude, the pendulum is swinging back to them at a speed the West has not grasped."
For a former Indian diplomat, quoted on the Sunday's Time:"Indians take pride that the relationship is now one of equality, that India is an emerging power and Britain is a former power.”
I just hope that the economic growth of some will not be at the expense of the others.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
The women I like
I would like to write about the admiration and respect I have for the the Democratic Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the German Chancellor,Nancy Pelosi and Angela Markela. There are 2 strong women with principles which is something seldom in politics. Just think about the last Clinton Bosnian-tale.
I admired the fact that Angela Merkel was not shy with the former Russian President Vladimir Putin and did not hesitate to tell him her thoughts about human rights in Russia .She also did not call to congratulate him or his successor because of the way the election was held. And last but not the least, she is the first western leader to decide not to attend opening on Beijing Olympics.
I also like Nancy Pelosi who have met the Dalai-Lama in India and in an interview with ABC is urging the US President to boycott the opening ceremony.
I admired the fact that Angela Merkel was not shy with the former Russian President Vladimir Putin and did not hesitate to tell him her thoughts about human rights in Russia .She also did not call to congratulate him or his successor because of the way the election was held. And last but not the least, she is the first western leader to decide not to attend opening on Beijing Olympics.
I also like Nancy Pelosi who have met the Dalai-Lama in India and in an interview with ABC is urging the US President to boycott the opening ceremony.
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