Oleuanna - Latest Comments

Re: Rosebell Kagumire response to Invisible Children KONY 2012

Joyce — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:07:53 -0000

I am a northern Ugandan, the area worst affected by the Kony/Museveni war but beg to differ from Rosebell’s opinion. I think the majority of northern Ugandans are very grateful to Invisible Children for bringing their plight to a wider audience. With the spotlight on Kony’s CAPTURE, perhaps justice will be done after all, and both Kony’s and President Museveni’s brutal armies will face justice for crimes against humanity and human rights violations committed by both sides during the long conflict.

For those who complain that the war is long over in northern Uganda and therefore stopping Kony is now irrelevant I ask, is it OK for Kony to continue killing and abducting children in Congo, S. Sudan and Central African Republic? Is it OK for northern Ugandans to be plagued with worry that Kony could one day return to restart where he left off? Wouldn’t capturing and putting Kony on trial bring at least half-closure for the victims and help in the healing process, even if other perpetrators (government) still go free?

Those like Rosebell and other Ugandan government apologists criticizing the Kony2012 campaign are just being defensive and would rather see the Kony problem hidden under the carpet. Or perhaps they are too embarrassed by the 20-year unwillingness and/or failure of the Ugandan government to bring an end to northern Ugandans’ suffering under Kony. Tell me, how could Kony’s rag-tag foot army of a few thousand composed mostly forced recruits elude a powerful Ugandan government army of over 50,000 with sophisticated weapons, and years of financial and military aid from the US?

The only logical conclusion one can make is that the whole Ugandan-driven project been a complete FAILURE and demonstrates the UNWILLINGNESS of the Ugandan regime to see an end to Kony. And any clever attempts at whitewashing this fact will not disguise it. The Ugandan government is either uncomfortable at this exposure and wants to hide it under the carpet, or else it is complicit in Kony’s atrocities and does not want him apprehended for fear of the entire truth being exposed. Why else would anyone oppose an attempt to STOP such a war crime fugitive who has committed untold atrocities over a 25-year period? Does that make sense to anyone? One would think it should be in Uganda’s interest to have Kony apprehended!

One of the tools Ugandan government apologists use is the “colonialist”, “neo-colonialist”, “western greed for oil” or “western savior” card to sidetrack viewers from the real issue which is the documented UNWILLINGNESS and FAILURE by the Ugandan government to STOP Kony all these 25 years! Should we continue advocating for the same Ugandan-driven remedies again after it has failed again and again? Reminds me of the famous Einstein quote about insanity, “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

Over the 26 years of President Museveni’s rule so much distrust (justifiably too) has been built between northern Ugandans and the Museveni regime that it should not be surprising to hear that the only hope for true justice and intervention is from external “saviour figures”. Over the years the Ugandan Amnesty Commission set up to address justice for victims has continued to “forgive and exonerate” ex-combatants of Kony’s army who surrender. The government then gives the most notorious high ranking ones like Banya and Brig. Kolo big cash payoffs and government perks, yet totally neglects victims. Efforts on peace talks and other initiatives from within have also been repeatedly frustrated and struck down (1994 peace talks is a glaring example; local elders trying to negotiate release of abducted children were attacked and some killed by government forces etc.). Because of such a pattern of duplicity, utter marginalization, open discrimination and suppression against northern Ugandan efforts from Museveni’s regime, groups like Invisible Children and other NGOs, however flawed, became the only real honest brokers in the situation, offering the lifeline and support in a hopeless situation.

Re: The Theory of Evolution in 2 Minutes

Richard Wiseman — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 12:01:47 -0000

Evolution stands as an explanation of how life emerged on this planet, that much is rationally clear to anyone. If we were, however, to put aside the dead dogma and doctrine of organised religions and consider that instead of the 'God created in the image of man' that narrow minded churches are peddling and instead consider that there is an intelligent designer or guiding mind at the origin of the 'known universe', a different concept and ideology emerges. Consider that the universe began with a small ball of matter appearing in a void and exploding to form the bubble of the known universe. Consider that after millions of years a planet orbiting a sun at the right range, with a single moon to assist the planet's progress and with the perfect conditions for evolution to take place existing on that planet, is formed and begins to grow as an organism. Life emerges on that planet and following DNA replication patterns, which are very neat and precise, human beings emerge and evolve. The chances of this planet forming and sustaining life in a universe this size are as next to 1 as makes no difference; this planet and life on it was bound to happen somewhere in this universe at least once. Now consider that big bang theorists have started to look at pre big bang theory as they well know that something does not come from nothing. There must be a pre existent space into which this 'known universe' is expanding and there had to be matter in it to form the tiny ball of exploding matter from which the known universe came. What I'm suggesting is that the exact and near perfect biological, physical and chemical laws governing the universe suggest 'intelligent design'. Consider if you will a being outside of time in a pre existent dimensional space 'firing' a 'higgs boson' or some other such particle into a tiny ball of matter and waiting for the predicable result. God is a mathematician & a scientist, evolution and DNA are the ordered and perfect means of producing intelligent life forms and modern scientists are discovering how it all works. Leibniz suggested that particles called Monads permeated the universe and that these particles were somewhat akin to 'sensors' which Leibniz suggested God could use to affect the universe, but that the universe could not affect these 'monads'. If such an intelligent designer exists I suggest that this being connects with the 'known universe' through such a system and is able to communicate with humans through these particles, if not to alter the physical universe, through these particles, at His or Her will. (Note that God is likely to be both male and female in nature). Think logically that it is unlikely that anyone lives beyond mortality and that religious texts are the 'near miss' interpretations of prophets who 'saw through a glass darkly' the incomprehensible process of the being we call God's work. Consider also that far from being a 'warm fuzzy' being that the being called God is a much harsher and more dictatorial entity than human beings have been led to believe by organised religions. This explains the 'cruelty' of the universe and ultimately if this being seems ethically harsh to us, we might consider that a being of such knowledge and power need not justify him/herself to a bunch of 'mud people'. I finally suggest that a study of all religious texts reveals 'puzzle pieces' of a much more different and more comprehensible picture of this being we call God. It then remains to say that it is not how the universe and life came about that is the important question, but why?

Re: Guantanamo ~ Obama promised to close it within a year of office……LIAR!

Jason Parker — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:35:13 -0000

We shouldn't even be occupying the land that the prison is on. It's wrong on a few levels.

http://selfdeprecate.com

Re: Why do the interesting ones die so young? Oh yeah… because they drink, drug, smoke or catch untreatable syphilis usually ;o/

Steve — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:34:25 -0000

Thanks for posting this - I'm off to find out more about Hitchens and Nietzsche - I guess I'm allowed to keep the blinds open and look at the sun once more ;)

Re: Why do the interesting ones die so young? Oh yeah… because they drink, drug, smoke or catch untreatable syphilis usually ;o/

Steve — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:18:22 -0000

I'm halfway through the documentary and just wanted to say - at this point Hitchens is articulating my thoughts on religion and theology to a tee - very much enjoying this documentary :)

Re: Russia: a bill to silence millions

Oleuanna — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:18:49 -0000

I have just posted an update...it would seem the pressure we applied is working, they can't oppress us indefinitely....freedom shall prevail !

Re: The Theory of Evolution in 2 Minutes

Ritchierichuk1 — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 01:26:28 -0000

Ye gods I actually understood all that perchance I'm evolving into a more intelligent human bean Now pass the tommy sauce I'm gonna have fries with this 😄

Re: Russia: a bill to silence millions

Eric — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:27:15 -0000

Communism, totalitarianism, nazi-ism all over again. Thank you for sharing this. It is truly unbelievable how individuals are constantly forced to defend themselves from oppression whether it's because of the color of their skin, religion, ethnicity, or sexual preference. This continues to be a sad world that we live in.

Re: Your Race card has expired…

Jim - ozace — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:17:48 -0000

What a refreshing post - honest, unpopular in some quarters but resonates with me

Jim

Re: Misogynistic iPhone Thesaurus App

Oleuanna — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:23:11 -0000

I'm not phased honey....just bored of the continual battle and alas I can't help but want more obvious power, time will tell.

Re: Misogynistic iPhone Thesaurus App

devon — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 17:37:57 -0000

Don't let it get to you! Men are so scared of us, they like to hide behind their words. Let them play their game while we sit back holding all the power that matters.

Re: The Bad Ass Good Shopping Guide

Oleuanna — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:19:22 -0000

@Mr Civil Libertarian -

Yaaaaaay!

Re: The Bad Ass Good Shopping Guide

Mr Civil Libertarian — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:15:18 -0000

W00t

Re: The Renewable Roadmap

erneuerbare Energien Studium — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:58:19 -0000

Thanks for the report as PDF!

Re: Your Race card has expired…

Oleuanna — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 20:33:12 -0000

You have a fair point. The reason the riots started is because a well known loving cuddly gangser got shot after shooting at the police. I have a feeling the police didn't go in hard, for fear the same could occur again. London has gone up it's own backside with politcal correctness and being over sensitive to colour and religion. People should have the freedom to be what they want but not damn well act as they want, they have to share that place. Could be the reason why people picked up arms and chased the looters away, they realised they were stupid little spoilt kids that needed a slapped arse.....also there was no reason to riot, it was just an excuse to let off their melancholy.....

Re: Your Race card has expired…

Connor Rickett — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 02:35:34 -0000

Always interesting to read about this sort of thing from someone with some actual experience in the location and the life. I have little patience for watching the elite analyze difficulties they don't understand. The strangest thing from my American perspective was the lack of police response, closely followed by the lack of non-rioters keeping the order. I'm not making a value judgment, but it was a surprisingly alien response considering the rather deep similarities between our cultures.

Re: Your Race card has expired…

eldelbo — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 06:00:15 -0000

Thanks for this wonderfully well argued and lucidly presented piece. Thought provoking!

Re: Your Race card has expired…

Oleuanna — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 02:02:51 -0000

Thank you.. ;o)

Re: Your Race card has expired…

marvin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:04:52 -0000

Really good piece overall, far better and "real" than anything I've seen on the Guardian about this.

Re: My apologies

cheap Sennheiser — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 20:29:23 -0000

Fascinating subject for just about any weblog. i experienced been just surfing the internet for enjoyment when I found your internet site. Fabulous post.

Re: Noam Chomsky > Quotes

Oleuanna — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:16:51 -0000

Good point....but I prefer

I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life # Mahatma Gandhi

I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent # Mahatma Gandhi

Violence isn't the only way

Re: Noam Chomsky > Quotes

Rosa Manueal — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 05:51:46 -0000

Terrorism has many faces It is just depending on which side U stand At the same moment U could be a Freedom Fighter #Mandela

Re: For all those who are new to life……..and an old refresher for the rest

Oleuanna — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 18:50:12 -0000

Well the old ones are the best......

Re: For all those who are new to life……..and an old refresher for the rest

David J Harvey — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:57:36 -0000

Lovely stuff my dear xo

Re: The Renewable Roadmap

Oleuanna — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:49:26 -0000

I'm going to have to say what an odd question anyway? The weird power of the tag eh? Good luck in your search..