In a volatile area, trapped between the two occupation hammers and the regressive regime anvil, is it acceptable to ask: “if the life we are living is not the life we have asked for, then what the hell are we holding on to?”
According to the United Nations General Assembly the world currently features (192) sovereign states. Many of them do not possess any basic characteristics of a state beyond a colorful flag and a sleep-inducing national anthem. There has to be something done to end to this chaos and uncontrollable expansion: (it has officially got to a point where every five people who speak with a slightly different accent and share the same great grandfather want to extract 5 squared kilometers, crown a king, and exchange diplomatic relations). Not only partitions of current states should be banned, but also current so-called states should be reevaluated: A simple re-qualification process to separate true countries who contributes to humanity from farms that does not deserve such a designation.
Aside from the Marxist definition of the State, (The state being an instrument for the exploitation of the oppressed masses who will only be liberated through violent revolution and the destruction of the state power apparatus built by the ruling class. (say what!), but that’s a story for a different day), we are at a point where many of these “countries” have been “independent” for a while now (up to sixty years in some cases), and there should be very basic criteria installed which they have to meet to maintain such a status. Otherwise your state-recognition benefits are revoked, and whether you decide to merge, unite, integrate, join a federal or confederal union, get occupied, get under a mandate, get under a protection treaty, fold and go home, or practice your power trip on your own people without any international recognition (a different variation of your current status really) …it is all your choice until you get rehabilitated.
As usual this criteria is better left to a committee of experts at the highest international level, but a few guidelines can be expected: You may lose your state status: If your total area is less than 50% of that of the smallest American state. If your GDP is not at least 5 times that of the smallest American state. If you do not produce (manufacture) anything that benefits humanity besides pedestrian services (and oil). If you cannot provide a steady supply of water, wheat, and fuel to the population. If your judicial system treats crimes such as homicide, corruption and pedophilia lightly. If your definition of democracy is a ballot box (especially if it is intermittent). If the sole decision-making autocratic ruler has been in power for more than 30 years. If your definition of power transfer is heredity…[For more hints and suggestions the committee can just pick up a local daily newspaper. They are usually loaded with signs: “okay…here is another indication that they do not qualify”.]
Well, those who managed to read thus far may have guessed that Abu Shreek is subtly referring to his homeland. (In an attempt to cater to the below average readers, notice this serious attempt Abu Shreek is making to make his nonsense less ambiguous. As for the readers suffering from ADD and reading-disabilities, we offer our sincere apologie).
Honestly, scratch all the above. After all, size does not matter (some may disagree). GDP is overrated anyway (It is still relatively surprising that according to this 2005 list, Jordan trails economic superpowers like Kenya, Yemen and Trinidad and Tobago. Countries like Sri Lanka and Syria almost generate twice as much as we do in produced goods and services!). Bread is also overrated according to both Jesus Christ and Marie Antoinette. Water and oil can be “borrowed” from neighbors and enemies even if it involves contamination and humiliation. The political and judicial reforms are on the way (Just kidding). Even the national anthem tune can be easily replaced by a more energetic explosive version along the lines of “I have been working on the railroad all the long live day” (However, the lyrics have to stay)… There is one thing that matters: A country should be able to CATER to its people to the point that it will give them a sense of belonging and dedication that they would be willing to stand by it through the tough times. This sense of devotion and attachment does not come from the occasional gifts, giveaways or the precious royal visits, it comes from the feelings of dignity and security that would be impossible to find anywhere else away from home.
Let us put it in this simple way: Abu Shreek can confidently say that seven out of the top ten students from his high school and his college class are currently permanent residents of other countries. The other three are just like a very high percentage of the population (from all roots and origins) who are desperately seeking such a chance and “dreaming of the day when they leave forever”. They are willing to choose the retardation and arrogance of the gulf, the bigotry and the estrangement of the west, or a life anywhere from Kazakhstan to Alaska over living around their parents, around their childhood friends, and around the streets they roamed as kids!! At this point the statement (الانسان أغلى ما نملك:Human beings are our main resources) is so meaningless, it makes (نحو أردن أخضر عام 2000 :Towards a green Jordan in 2000) look realistic by comparison.
You want a state, start with a citizen. A citizen that can afford to live a basic life, without having to kiss ass, without being subjected to unending injustice, and without the fear of a short stupid idiot with a thick mustache in a trench coat, watching him through a newspaper (for security purposes) [One wonders if he looks at the computer screen through the same newspaper, simply out of habit]. A citizen living under the law “will go to war” with his county during hardship and tough times, because tough “periods” are much different than systematic enslavement. A country going through some “turbulent” circumstances have its appreciated/appreciating people rallying around it until they emerge out of it together. A (...-entity) in a continuous aimless downspin looks for a replacement population with a better purchasing power.
3 comments:
(clap clap)...bravo bravo in a teta way i want to tell you are right..i swear you think like me or i think like you it doesnt matter, what pisses me off is the fact that every tribe brought by the british/americans on a well of oil draw them a border and viola they have a country which has a nice chair and flag in the U.N. and if a country tries to reverse this historical disaster it is destroyed, sanctioned and later invaded. I know you talked about Jordan because its your country, but dont forget the rest of the counties in arabia, come on Kuwait, Qatar Bahrain how the hell are these real countries. But its really hard to reverse this with all the crappy (nation states) and the fake patriotism every citzen has for his country. Abdel Nasser tried to change Churchils map after 30 years from it being drawn its going to be much harder to change it 90 years after people have tatooed their British designed flags on their shoulders and have memorized all the (we love our leader and the 5km^2 we live on) songs. We are 300 million just as america is we speak the same language except the morocans who are weird, we have similar culture and how the hell are we not one country im not a pan-arabist in the old fashioned way. But i bet every arab can agree that we are worse than dogs in this world, and the only way to acheive something is to have an alliance an arab union whatever. Lithuanians and french are more united than two oil wells in Arabia.
Well Abu Shreek, you may think that our governments do not understand what you said, but in fact they do.
-Establishing the slogan "Jordan First", which is rather a weak attempt, directed at Palestinians STILL living in refugee camps and as also highly condensed areas in East Amman. The slogan was to tell Palestinians, "forget about Palestine, and forget about everything you think you belong to. You live in Jordan, therefore, you are Jordanian". I have no objections against it, but I think we all agree, that uplifting the living conditions of these Palestinians in these camps is a much better option.
-Building an economy, mainly revolving around services.
Which is basically the Lebanese game. Why do the Lebanese adore their country? Because they geniunely believe that just because they have the precious Downtown (Solidiere) and an over-abundance of night clubs, makes them more European, and less Arab. This is what's happening in Jordan. Ok, so we're going have to a pretty Abdali, and a pretty Abdoun, and an even prettier Zarka. But in these mega-construction sites, we will merely become waiters and room-cleaners for foreigners and our fellow Gulfies (who actually own these investments, and partner up with some money-laundering Jordanian, you know, just so that he could bribe off every high official in order to secure the paperwork). This solution pleases everybody, the poor East Ammani-waiter earning probably JD150 more than his previous salary is really happy, and is quite content with living in Jordan, and no longer wants to flee the country. It's like collecting all the poor, and giving them jobs, simply to let them live, rather than truly empowering them. And the ultra-rich West Ammani Jordanians, coming from big families are even happier. Finally they have a decent place where they can sip lattes, while having a break from "running their errands", which basically entails an intensive 5-hour shopping session. No need to fly over to London and Paris in order to buy a Bulgari watch.
It's basically taking all of the poor, and the people working in the public sector, and throwing them in service-oriented jobs. Why else would the government want to starve us to death? So that we will become willing to do absolutely anything for money. Similar to what happened in Sri Lanka, India and China years ago.
What I'm trying to say Abu Shreek, is that Jordan is really developing. That part is true. But it's developing in the wrong direction. We are doing the same mistake as Latin America and South East Asia did. We are opening our country to foreigners, and we are signing off free trade agreements with America. Just so that we become loyal markets to American and European products. And not only that, but we are also getting our paychecks from them, and from Gulf investors, simply by servicing them. Do you understand the gravity of this sad situation? We get our money, by servicing the people, who we are eventually going to buy their products. It's an empty cycle. They give us money, then we spend it in their restaurants and bookshops and companies.
Instead of trying to empower the poor, and giving them the necessary tools in order to start up their own businesses, we want to just give them a decent pay, for a crappy job. Instead of trying to develop our own products, and directing investments towards manfucturing, and actually producing something. We are becoming a country that only aspires to greet tourists, and service them. We still do not get that service-oriented economies simply do not work in the long run.
Abu shreek: wainak? I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms, don't leave me hanging man...POST SOMEHING...
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