In the last two days, I have been lucky enough to be able tuck away my conscience and watch 2 movies (I should be working and not watching movies), back to back, that triggered a bout of some (rare) thinking. They were Mel Gibson’s Braveheart and The Patriot. Of course I had watched them before, but on realizing that no one had filched them yet from my collection all this time, I figured it was time for a refresher.

One thing that was staringly obvious immediately I watched them was that at the period they depict, something was obviously sickly wrong with the British. Of course I would like to be politically correct and use more acceptable language, but pardon me for now and let’s carry on, you’ll understand the semantics as you read on.

Braveheart was about Scots fighting for their birth right – their land, that little tip of the United Kingdom that they had long fought keep despite the level of corruption, plunder and murder from His Majesty’s kingdom. Taking into account that all movies are recreations of events, some totally fictional, but some based on recreated fact, it was interesting to see how the British ruled the Scots.

They used the very same tactics that they would use to divide and conquer Africa many centuries later. In fact, at one point, the British Monarchy was so under-handed; they decreed that at any wedding, the Scottish Nobles had the right to sleep with the new bride on her wedding night as the husband stood by. Of course the Scottish Nobles fell for it; haven’t we all?

They thought that since they were men of privilege, it was only another piece thrown into the pot. What the British were actually doing was to ensure that the Nobles would dilute their own blood by getting bastard children everywhere, and eventually Scottish nobility would be nothing but a battle ground when all these bastards realized that they had entitlement. The Brits and silly nobles were eventually beaten though – William Wallace taught them that you could conquer a man, but never his spirit.

Fast forward to The Patriot and we are at it with the British again. This time, it’s a bunch of immigrants, (many of them British running from their own feudal, repressive systems) vs. the King and Country.

Anyone who didn’t swear allegiance was a traitor. And traitors deserved to die in the most painful way possible – kill their women and children, burn entire villages in churches, slaughter innocents, all so that the King could get some glory and rule. Of course this bunch of ingenious immigrants who had arrived in America with nothing but the clothes on their backs put up a fight with all they had – it was knives and home made guns vs. British trained troops who had rifles and shotguns. The British were beaten – another ideal time for them to learn that you can never conquer a man’s spirit no matter how hard you try.

Fast forward again, and this time we are in Africa, and the cake is there for whoever has a fork, a plate, and the appetite for it. Of course the rest of Europe followed the British (what little brother doesn’t want to be like Big Brother), and they sliced and diced, they raped and ruled but before long it was time for them to be taught once again that supremacy against fellow man could never last.

The whole thing took me back to an idle conversation I had at an airport once with an Egyptian man. I can’t quite remember what led to these particular comments, but I remember starkly that he said “Look at every place the British have set foot. There has never been peace. Even America itself is under delusion – they think that to be powerful is to mind everyone else’s business and police that world. There is no greater delusion to peace than that”. I never got to know his name or who he was, just a traveler like me. But I remember exploring the topic a little and he gave numerous examples and I couldn’t help but agree that he was spot on.

Look at Kashmir and Pakistan. The British went in, in the name of King and Country and drew a border straight through homes where brothers, sons and fathers, daughters and mothers lived. The border would determine social status, religion and you had to get permission from the very Brits to go and see your brother across the other side of a barbed wire. If something went wrong on your side of the border, it was the people from the other side who had done it? My own brother, sister, mother? Perplexing.

Look at the Nile – it’s a tale beyond telling. Land’s not enough folks, lets go after the rivers now, and lets slice them up in the same ratio we cut the cake at tea time.

Look at Kenya, look at Nigeria, look at the Middle East – there might be a remote possibility that if Britain had not sought supremacy in the issue of Jewish resettlement and pushed a UN vote, it might be a different world altogether today.

Eventually of course, King and Country must have studied history and seen that no one had conquered the world, sought supremacy and held on for long. Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, the Romans, all those civilizations that tried to quash the freedom of another man mean simply because they had better means, better weapons and better way to travel were eventually brought back to where they belonged – with the rest of us. The British started to cede supremacy somewhere in the middle of the last century, and today, they are almost reluctant participants in world politics.

Hitler tried it – the world did not give him more than 20 years to try out supremacy before it taught him a harsh lesson that left Germans marked forever. They too, are simply rich, but today, they show no desire to conquer or be superior to anyone. We now love them mostly for soccer and we are fine with that.

Of course nature abhors a vacuum, so in comes the Americans, that very bunch of immigrants who beat the British because they tried to conquer them. By the time they gather a little strength, a little military power, they are trudging the same route that all those to-be conquers did. Without of course seeing that it has never worked, will never work and is not supposed to work that way.

All men are built equal, if not in riches and wisdom, but in strength of will to be free. To enter another man’s spirit and tell him he is less is to challenge him to the core of his belief. To enter his house and rape his wife and kill his children is to rouse a demon in him that will never die until you die. And the worst thing about that kind of power and anger is that no matter what kind of weapons you have, so long as one amongst us walks with it in their heart, the conqueror must always be afraid.

Through trying to own the Middle East, America has brought chaos to the whole world. When you try to conquer men who have lived for centuries on that dry, rugged earth and you tell them that they are terrorists because they blew 2000 of your people to death, but only after you have been killing their children, their women, their brothers and sisters for years, they react only out of anger, pure, silky hatred that comes as a result of supremacy at any cost.

Until we as mankind realize that we cannot dominate each other in terms of freedom, that we cannot rule another’s free will, we shall repeat history, maybe more promptly and more often than in the past.

Mutuo Mbilla

Article by Mutuo Mbilla - www.goodarticlewriter.com Mutuo is a professional article writer and IMer who likes to occasionally emerge from her work and catch up with the rest of the world. Her articles here are mainly from what she sees when she sticks her neck out :-).

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“In the grand discovery of modern times, the system of representation, the solution of all the difficulties, both speculative and practical, will perhaps be found. If it cannot, we seem to be forced upon the extraordinary conclusion, that good Government is impossible.” – Utilitarian Philosopher James Mill (1).

In his ‘Essay On Government‘, the Utilitarian philosopher James Mill, salutes representation as ‘the grand discovery of modern times’. Andrew Heywood (2) states that representative democracy is a ‘limited and indirect form of democracy that is based on the selection of those who will rule on behalf of the people’. The defining characteristics of limited and indirect clearly shows the nature of representative democracy that recognizes the impossibility of all citizens being involved in every decision making process, and the necessity of the election of representatives of the people to government. Thus, representation can be seen as a necessity of modern politics.

If so, how is it possible to prevent the representatives from themselves following their interest at the expense of the interests of the community? Do considerations of scale, expertise and knowledge of political matters make representation inevitable in any large-scale political community and does this then open up the danger of a gap between representatives and represented? Would representative democracy give way to oligarchy and elitism? Can a representative system realize freedom as it promises? In fact, representation is one of the most problematic concepts in the interpretations of democratic theory. This raises the question of whether the concept of representation is a living political idea.

On Representation

In his book of ‘The Prince‘, the Italian political philosopher, Machiavelli argues in favour of a strong leader to govern a nation according to his own decisions and observations by using the example of a disease in society stating as “(…) by recognising from afar the diseases that are spreading in the state (which is a gift given only to a prudent ruler), they can be cured quickly; but when they are not recognized and are left to grow to the extent that everyone recognizes them, there is no longer any cure.” (3)

For Machiavelli, ‘necessity’ is the most concept for him and he uses it to determine military might in foreign policy as well as strong leaders in governments. In his book of the Discourses, Machiavelli states the twofold role virtuous individuals play in political culture. The first function of virtuous men is to inspire and beget virtue in others, and citizen virtue as well as military virtue is vital in protecting the republic from internal as well as external dangers, thus individual leadership is necessary in some particular affairs. The second function of virtuous men is to prevent corruption. All peoples tend to become corrupt in time due to the gradual loss of fear and respect for the law, thus a founding father figure is needed to perform “excessive and notable” executions to refresh people’s memories. (4)

Similarly, in his writings of The Utility of the union as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection, American Philosopher, James Madison argues in favour of the role of leaders. He states that public views could be refined and enlarged through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations. (5) He also believes that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves. For Madison, the representative government could overcome the excesses of pure democracy because elected few are likely to be competent and have a capability for the interests of the people and the government ought to be led by the best men.

To the contrary, in his book of ‘The Social Contract and Discourses‘, Jean-Jacques Rousseau argues that representation and sovereignty are mutually incompatible because sovereignty cannot be delegated and represented. In his view, sovereignty lies essentially in the general will, and will does not admit of representation, then the deputies of the people are not and cannot be its representatives (6). On his line of thought, the election of representatives puts an end to the liberty of the people.

Alternatively, the eighteenth-century philosopher and politician Edmund Burke rejects the idea of representative as a delegate, that constrained to keep strictly to the views of those whom they represent and advocates the opposite idea of the role of the parliamentary representative. In his classical speech to the electors of Bristol, Burke strongly opposed the idea that representatives are bound by instructions or a mandate from their constituents. In his view, authoritative instructions, which the Member is bound blindly and implicitly to obey, to vote, and to argue for, though the contrary to to the clearest conviction of his judgement and conscience; are things unknown to the laws of the land and which arise from a fundamental Mistake of the whole order and tenour of the Constitution.(7) Therefore, he advocates that parliamentary representatives must decide on issues in accordance with their own judgements, after hearing the debates in the representative arena.

For James Mill, representation was the grand discovery of modern times and a necessity of modern politics. However, he observes the problems that could give rise from the idea of representation and the possible conflicts of interests if representatives themselves follow their private interests at the expense of community interests. Mill, thus, highlight the solution that lay in the institution of checks and controls over the representatives that allow them to hold office only for limited periods. In his ‘Essay on Government ‘ (8), he clearly stakes out the principles of accountability of representatives to be represented and the need for institutions to put this principles into practice.

In Considerations on Representative Government (9) , John Stuart Mill also argues in favour of the concept of ‘representation’ by highlighting the weaknesses of the ancient Greek idea of the polis. According to Mill, there are obvious geographical and physical limits to the place and time of open meeting as well as the problems posed by coordination and regulation in a densely populated country. Therefore, the notion of self-government of government by open meeting and any form of classical or direct democracy could not be sustained in modern society. He then recommends a representative democratic system along with freedom of speech, the press and assembly, that has distinct advantages of providing the mechanism whereby central powers can be watched and controlled as well as establishing a forum (parliament) to act as a watchdog of liberty and centre of reason and debate through electoral competition, leadership qualities with intellect for the maximum benefit at all.

For John Mill, the ‘ideally best polity’ in modern conditions comprises a representative democratic system in which ‘people exercise through deputies periodically elected by themselves the ultimate controlling power (10). He believes that representative democracy could combine accountability with professionalism and expertise and both democracy and skilled governments are the conditions that complement each other. He argues in favour of skilled governments and political leadership. However, in his book of Liberty, he also argues in favour of the use of a utilitarianist doctrine in a democracy in which a political leader’s action is right only insofar as it is useful or directly benefits the majority. (11)

The debates on representation involves not only the above antithesis between direct democracy and indirect democracy, the gaps between representatives and represented, the roles of representatives and the principles of accountability of representatives to be represented; but also the problems of what is to represent and the problems of inclusion and exclusion. In her book of ‘The Concept of Representation’, the American Philosopher Hannah Pitkin argues that a representative government must not merely be in control, not merely promote public interest, but must also be responsive to the people. (12) On her lines of thought, the people must not be passive objects of manipulation, nor would it be enough for a government to be responsive to public opinion only on occasions when it is possible. Instead, there must be a constant condition of responsiveness, of potential readiness to respond and some forms of institutional arrangements for government responsiveness. She also argues that the notion of representative government seems to incorporate both a very general, abstract, metaphorical idea (13) -that the people of a nation are present in the action of its government in complex ways- and some fairly concrete, practical, and historically traditional institutions intended to secure such an outcome.

However, Pitkin also asserts that there could be some tensions between the practice of representation and the democratic principles of accountability and control that were similarly highlighted by elite theorists like Robert Michels. In his ‘iron law of oligarchy’, Michels points out that popular sovereignty could never be achieved, and the masses, elevated by democratic theory to the highest role, in reality could only give way to oligarchy. On his lines of thought, social revolution would not affect any real modification of the internal structure of the mass, as the majority of human beings, in a condition of eternal tutelage, are predestined by tragic necessity to submit to the dominion of a small minority, and must be content to constitute the pedestal of an oligarchy (14). These views raise the debates about what it is to represent in terms of the democratic theory.

The contemporary debates on representation also involves the problem of inclusion and exclusion. In his book of In Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition, Robert Dahl distinguished political regimes by two axes – the degree of political competition and the degree of political participation. For Dahl, the axis of political competition was rooted from monopolistic regimes in which power is concentrated in the hands of a narrow elite to pluralist regimes in which power is dispersed among groups and institutions while the axis of political participation was referred by the proportion of the population that is entitled to participate in a more or less equal plane (15). The higher the proportion of the population that plays a part in decision making the more inclusion of the regime type and the lower that proportion, the more exclusionary the regime type.

In contrast, Anne Phillips argues that the defining characteristics of representative democracy, as Robert Dahl has clarified, are grounded in the heterogeneity of the societies that gave it birth and it was the diversity of citizenry that made the earlier practices of Athenian democracy so inappropriate to the modern world (16). She, then, suggests the need for a ‘politics of presence’ which could give voice to a number of groups excluded or oppressed or marginalized by the individualist representation of liberal democracy. In her views, demands for political presence have often arisen out of the politics of social movements, which reflect differences in social class such as the ‘representation of labour’ and inequalities such as the civil rights movement, women’s movements and autonomous organizations that speak for oppressed or disadvantaged groups. By putting the role of social movements on the agenda, she challenged the traditional modes and ideas of representation in liberal democracy that might not be adequate to ensure reflections of different groups, identities and minorities. By drawing on the historical accounts of how the conceptions of ‘representation’ has developed over time, the idea of ‘representation’ could be said to be a living political idea. It, then, raised the question of the livingness of ‘representation’ in politics.

Interpretations of living political ideas on the development of representation

Kenneth Shepsle regards ideas as purely interest-oriented vehicles or instruments used by politicians to further their own ideas . In his view, political actors only recur to ideas to justify things which have been decided on interest grounds long before Institutions and incentives are the really decisive explanatory variables . He makes clear in summarizing his position: “My own view on the force of ideas is to see them as one of the hooks on which politicians hang their objectives and by which they further their interests.” (17) Similarly, Stephen Krasner put forwards ideas as the servants of the interests that play a purely subordinate and instrumental role. In his views, ideas have not made possible alternatives that did not previously exist (18) and they have been one among several instruments that actors have invoked to promote their own, usually mundane, interests.

Alternatively, Tompson, Huysmans and Reokhovnik do not view ideas as purely interest-oriented instruments used by politicians. In their views, ideas are political when they are used to mobilize people behind some sort of political action; when used in political debates, when they have consequences for a wider society; when they are about the nature and limits of politics as well as part of a general vision of how the world should be organized. (19) However, not all ideas are politically alive.

Ideas live in politics only when they inspired and informed different world views that could mobilize people politically. Moreover, they must keep being drawn on, i.e., recycled in political arguments over time, whether being changed, adapted or re-appropriated in Politics. Furthermore, ideas could rarely be dead once institutionalized in political institutions like parliaments and less obvious political institutions like the family, the Church, the law, the prisons and even in medicine and public health matters. However, living political ideas could have significant political implications and possible socio-economic consequences as sometimes people live ideas to their perils or to their limits. Nevertheless, as Raia Proljovnik (20) states, ideas circulate in both political theory and in practice. These different interpretations of the livingness of political ideas might be applied to the development of representation.

Machiavelli’s ideas on representation in favour of strong leaders in governments are kept alive because they have been used to justify power politics with a focus on pragmatic evaluation of what will keep politicians in power. Machiavelli has become famous as a sinister and ruthless politician because of the philosophy he expressed in The Prince since then. On the other hand, Machiavelli’s concepts formed the basis of nineteenth-century liberalism, a political philosophy that advocates change for the good of the state and its citizens. His ideas on representation regarding the preference for republican than monarchical governments have a profound influence on the political developments in Europe during the 19th century. His ideas not only circulate in political theory, but also in practice.

Similarly, Madison’s ideas on representation are recycled in political debates on representative governments, principles of popular sovereignty, common goods, constitutional matters and so on. His ideas are always implicitly or explicitly played out in political debates and institutional practices. He is taken to stand for the ideas of separations of power and controlling majority’s faction effects and the controversies they generate. His ideas were also criticized by anti-federalists and modern philosophers. In his book of ‘Explaining America‘, Garry Wills asserts the role of minorities by criticizing Madison: “Minorities can make use of dispersed and staggered governmental machinery to clog, delay, slow down, hamper, and obstruct the majority. But these weapons for delay are given to the minority irrespective of its factious or non-factious character; and they can be used against the majority irrespective of its factious or non-factious character. What Madison prevents is not faction, but action. What he protects is not the common good but delay as such.” (21) Thus, it is obvious that Madison’s political ideas are alive as inspirations and have consequences for the society as a whole.

On the other hand, Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s remarks on the frictions between the government and the people still represents as living political ideas. The demand that all citizens should participate in popular assemblies is unique to Rousseau in the modern world. His critics on representation are still alive in both political theory and political practice and his alternative concepts of liberty, equality and fraternity have inspired different views that mobilized people politically. In fact, “Liberty, equality, fraternity” was to be the motto of the ‘French Revolution’, which drew a great deal of inspiration from his ideas. Likewise, James Mill’s ideas on representation regarding the principles of accountability and institutional requirements were taken seriously in debates in good governance and being institutionalized in political institutions and international organizations.

In a modern era, John Stuart Mill’s ideas on proportional representation, in which “the champions of unpopular doctrines would not put forth their arguments merely in books and periodicals, read only by their own side; instead the opposing ranks would meet face to face to hand with proportional representation, and there would be a fair comparison of their intellectual strength, in the presence of the country” (22) , are still alive and being interpreted, adapted, and re-appropriated in politics. They have been firmly institutionalized into constitutions and governance structures in modern politics as well as being alive in political debates. Some scholars like Burns and Ryan (23) argue that Mill’s consistent viewpoints throughout his political writings were not strictly democratic. Others like Robson and Bobbio (24) believe that he was. On their lines of arguments, it is clear that Mill’s ideas have been adapted in current debates on electoral reforms, democratic forms of governance as well as contemporary social and political thoughts.

The ideas on representation inspired by Hanna Pitkin have also helped shaping the next generations of empirical research into the practice of American Democracy. Hanna Pitkin made the radical move of de-centering political representation from the intentions and acts of individual subjects and, so, breaking with the assumption that a political representative, like a lawyer, delegate or trustee, stands in a “one-to-one, person-to-person relationship” to a principal. As Lisa Disch points out, her argument have had the paradoxical effect of encouraging empirical and normative researchers to persist in thinking about political representation in the very terms that Pitkin set out to revise: as a one-on-one relationship between a representative and a constituency (25) . Obviously, her ideas live in politics as people rework them to revise the concept of ‘political representation’ and have consequences that go well beyond the defined responsibilities of the governments.

On the other hand, the ideas examined by Anne Phillips on the problems of representation of the poor such as the integration of the issues of class into a presence of politics, have inspired politicians and political theorists to articulate how this integration of class and a politics of presence is to be done. Her ideas inspired some political theorists to argue for the necessity descriptive representatives to be selected based on their relationship to citizens who have been unjustly excluded and marginalized by democratic politics (26) , whereas, some to emphasize empirical research on the benefits of having descriptive representatives.

Conclusion

Due to the paradoxical nature of conceptions, political ideas contain different and conflicting views as well as multiple and competing dimensions. Not all political ideas are alive. Ideas live in politics only when they inspired and keep being recycled in political arguments over time, whether being changed, adapted or re-appropriated in Politics. Ideas could also rarely be dead once institutionalized in both political institutions and non-political institutions. Moreover, living political ideas could have significant political implications and possible socio-economic consequences as people sometimes live ideas to their perils or to their limits. Furthermore, ideas are alive when they circulate in both political theory and in practice. In terms of these interpretations of living political ideas to the development of the concept of ‘representation’, representation can be said to be a living political idea indeed.

End Notes

1. Mill, J. (2004) ‘Essay on Government’ in Blaug, R. & Schwarzmantel, J. (eds.) Democracy: A Reader, Edinburgh,Edinburgh University Press, p. 154, Originally written 1819-1823
2. Heywood, A. (2002) Politics, 2nd edition, New York, Palgrave Macmillan
3. Machiavelli, N. (1987[1532]) ‘The Prince’ in Bondanella, J. & Musa, M. (eds) The Italian Renaissance Reader, New York, Penguin Books
4. Machiavelli, N.(1983) The Discourses, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books
5. Madison, J. (1987[1788]) ‘The utility of the union as a safeguard against domestic faction and insurrection’, The Federalist Papers, No. 10, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, p. 126
6. Rousseau, J. (1968) The Social Contract and Discourses, Everyman’s Library, Dent, London, Book III, Chaoter XV, pp. 78, Originally written 1762
7. Burke, E. (1996) ‘Speech at the Conclusion of the Poll, 3 November 1774′, in Elofson, W. and Woods, J. (eds), The Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke, Vol. III: Party, Parliament and the American War (1774-80), Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp. 68-70
8. Mill, J. (1992) ‘Essay on Government’, in Ball, T. (ed.) Political Writings, sections VI-VII, pp. 21-24, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Originally written in 1819-1823
9. Mill, J.S. (1951) ‘Considerations on Representative Government’ in Acton, H. (ed.) Utilitarianism, Liberty and Representative Government, Dent, London, p. 175- 195, Originally written in 1861
10. Mill (1951) p. 228
11. Mill, J.S. (1982) On Liberty, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books
12. Pitkin, H. (1967) ‘The Concept of Representation’, University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, pp. 232
13. Pitkin (1967) pp.236
14. Michels, R. (1962) ‘Political Parties: A sociological study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy, trans. Eden and Cedar Paul, Free Press, London, pp. 356
15. Dahl, R. (1971) Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press
16. Phillips, A. (1995) The Politics of Presence, Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp. 5
17. Shepsle, K. (1985) ‘Comment on Derthick and Quirk’, in Noll, R. (ed.) Regulatory Policy and the Social Science, Berkeley, University of California Press, pp. 235
18. Krasner, S. (1993) ‘Westphalia and All That’, in Goldstein, J. and Koehane, R. (eds.) Ideas and Foreign Policy: Beliefs, Institutions and Political Change, Ithaca, Cornell University Press
19. Thompson, G.; Huysmans, J. & Rrokhovnik, R. (2008) ‘What makes ideas political?’, audio transcripts, courses on Living Political Ideas, Open University
20. Thompson, G.; Huysmans, J. & Rrokhovnik, R. (2008) ‘How do political ideas live?’, audio transcripts, courses on Living Political Ideas, Open University
21. Wills, G. (1982) Explaining America, New York, Penguin Books, pp. 195
22. Mill, J.S. (1951) “Of True and False Democracy; Representation of All, and Representation of the Majority Only.” in Acton, H. (ed.) Utilitarianism, Liberty and Representative Government, Dent, London, p. 175- 195, Originally written in 1861
23. Burns, J. (1968) “J.S. Mill and Democracy, 1829-61” in Schneewind (ed) Mill: A collection of Cirtical Essays, pp.328, Ryan (2007) ‘Bureaucracy, Democracy, Liberty: Some Unanswered Questions in Mill’s Politics’, in Urbinati and Zakaris (eds.) J.S. Mill’s Political Thought: A Bicentennial Reassessment, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp.158
24. Robson (1968) The Improvement of Mankind: The Social and Political Thought of John Stuart Mill, London, Routledge, pp. 224, Bobbio, N. (2005) Liberalism and Democracy, London, Verso, pp.57
25. Disch, L. (2007) ‘Representation “Do’s and Don’ts”: Hanna Pitkin’s The Concept of Representation’, Online, http://www.univ-paris8.fr/scpo/lisadisch.pdf (assessed on 8/6/2010)
26. Dovi, Suzanne. 2002. “Preferable Descriptive Representatives: Or Will Just Any Woman, Black, or Latino Do?” American Political Science Review 96: 745-754.

Bibliography

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Khin Ma Ma Myo

Khin Ma Ma Myo spent most of her years on Burmese Democratic Movement as a Director of Democratic Federation of Burma, an elected Joint-General Secretary (1) of Free Burma Federation and Director of Strategy and Policy of the National Council of the Union of Myanmar. She has written numerous articles for Burma Digest Journal, Renaissance Journal, Burma Today Journal, Women Rights Journal, Journal of Burmese Studies and various political journals. She works as a Chief-Editor for Freedom Journal of Burma and co-author of 'Handbook of People Power Movement', 'Fighting for Freedom' and 'Anti-Dictatorship Struggles'. Khin Ma Ma Myo holds degrees and professional qualifications from Thames Business School, University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, University of Aberdeen and Chartered Institute of Security and Investment (UK). She is currently pursuing LLB degree from University of London International Programmes and Ph.D. in Political Studies from University of Aberdeen . She has a variety of experiences as a security officer, financial analyst, Visiting Lecturer on Government and Politics and researcher on National Security and Counter-Terrorism.

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It was only 17 days following the initial disaster that contact was made with those trapped in the Chilean mine. Visual and audio confirmation of their survival came via an emotional series of video messages in which the miners expressed equal measures of gratitude for their prospective rescuers, and a desire to reassure their families and friends of their safety.

Over the past month or so, the miners have devised and implemented social, cultural, and occupational systems. Responsibilities have been delegated amongst the men, with all reporting to Luis Urzua, the shift foreman at the time of collapse. Environmental assistants, medical officers, and even a poet have been appointed in a campaign to create a stable and normative temporary community.

Jonny Barrios, whose advanced first aid training has led to his new role as the primary medical officer in the collapsed mine, has already been able to vaccinate all 33 men against diphtheria, tetanus, and pneumonia. However, with the recent rise in health problems faced by the makeshift mining community, Barrios has employed the help of Daniel Herrera in the role of assistant paramedic to assist in the everyday medical duties.

Guidance for Barrios comes from above, in an hour-long consultant call each afternoon with the Chilean government’s medical team. As well as medical advice, the miners receive food, medical supplies, letters, and other equipment via small holes bored through the 2,300 feet of rock to reach their underground shelter. Due to the distance the items have to travel, it can take up to an hour for parcels to arrive.

The rescue programme requires the men to fit through a 26 inch bore hole which will take them above ground. As such, it is the responsibility of the men to remain vigilant of their size whilst trapped. In order to weigh themselves, a set of scales is to be sent down to the mine, however, engineers are still working on a design small enough to fit through the small tubes through which other parcels reach the miners. This exercise in oversized parcel delivery is just one of a variety of problematic issues facing the rescue team.

Work began on the drilling of the rescue shaft on the 30th August, and was expected to be completed in no less than 16 weeks. As such, the miners have began to see daylight weeks earlier than expected today, Wednesday, 13th October 2010, as family members and the world’s media waited for them 700 metres up.

Chilean Miners Celebration

To hugs, cheers and tears, rescuers using a missile-like escape capsule began pulling 33 men one by one to fresh air and freedom at last, 69 days after they were trapped in a collapsed mine a half-mile underground.

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Jack Dee

I've been an IT consultant for over 15 years. Strange to get paid for doing what you love. May be in danger of being called a geek... but who cares? I actually enjoy every opportunity to drive through the concepts, design, and creative framework on even personal web-based projects. My other passion is travel: 72 cities in 35 countries at the last count.

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Columbus Day is a day we should question. The seemingly few lines that describes  the initial  landing of Columbus with the two Pinzon brothers in history books fails to chart how much of history was changed. It was their actions that set the tone for what happened to what is now called the  Caribbean, and North and South America. Watching this video made me want to show it to my neighbours and friends and ask them what they think, as we live in Madrid, and 12th October is a public holiday, too.

Living in Madrid, the idea that Columbus was a catalyst in the genocide, murder, slavery and pillage of natural resources of the Native Americans will never make it on the headline of a the most liberal Spanish newspaper, or debate on Spanish CNN. The reality is that Spain has not yet addressed the actions of Columbus and I am yet to find a sign, a plaque, a place in the Museum where his true actions have been collated, and set as historical truth.

If you come to Madrid, you will probably head to the famous Plaza Mayor that is popular with tourists, street performers, and everyday Madrilenos.. the reality is that in the past it was a bustling slave market. Fast forward to 2010 and a new form of slavery can be seen on the side streets of Plaza Mayor.. the many young African and Eastern European girls whose dreams of a better life have led them to be coerced into prostitution , and Spain is its first port of call.
 
So as the film says, question the celebration of Columbus day.. because by doing it, the true history of Native Americans reveals a history of ethnic cleansing, social exclusion, and loss of traditions and history.

October 12th is a public holiday in Spain, Fiesta de Hispanidad, which is celebrated by parading the Armed Forces. It is also the day Spain celebrates Columbus’s ‘endeavours’. There has been much controversy in the past about this national holiday, that honours the Armed Forces and celebrates Spain’s position in the global world. But, I fear it also creates a feeling of resentment  from the large South American communities in Madrid and beyond.  Interestingly, 12th of October was also the date on which Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968, a Spanish colony for 190 years. In 1979 President Francisco Macias Nguema took power and is currently Africa’s second longest running leader. Controversy surrounds his presidency as he has executed and imprisoned many people who oppose him and his dictatorial government.

As tomorrow comes, I will make it a day to remember the oppressed that have been forgotten in history, and to question history and ask who writes it, to examine the viewpoint from which it comes, and to highlight inequalities of the past and present.

So, Columbus Day leaves me with reservations about what to say to my Spanish co-workers, and neighbours when they say to me, because I am a foreigner of colour:

“Do you know it’s Columbus Day?”

And I’ll reply, “Why, yes..but do you know what he did? Do you know what a reservation is?”

Until the Red man is free, nobody is free.
www.reconsidercolumbusday.org

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adatheraider

A Kenyan mother and a Scottish father, a childhood spent in Eastern , Western and Southern Africa, made my way to Europe in my twenties, lived in South London ( like a second home) discovered my Carribean brothers and sisters, grime and drumnbass, and found love in Edinburgh in the shape of a Sevillano prince, like the alchemist..mixed race and married in Madrid.. the journey continues..

“It’s weird…you know the end of something great is coming, but you want to hold on, just for one more second…just so it can hurt a little more.” – Jan Denise

I met the following dawn with a sombre feeling. This was it, the end of Defcon 18. I spent the day relaxing, resting from the tiresome but fun affair that was the con. After getting up late, I browsed the casino floor at the Rivera and played slots. I approached the machine nervously, but I kept my cool as I sat down in the chair. I relaxed and spun the dial. Watching the lights and sounds flash in rhythm, doing an eternal melody that meant that eventually the casino would in fact be getting a new Amazingly, I won ten dollars and decided to quit while I was ahead. While I was exchanging the worthless slip of paper in my hands for cash that I heard a high pitched electronic buzzing sound. My initial thoughts were that someone must have broken a slot machine somewhere, but no…I was wrong.

As I rounded the corner back to my room, the buzzing got louder. I heard a comical ‘beep-beep’ from behind me, coming from the penny slot machines. I turned around and saw a column of people riding mopeds each of them coiffed up with an Elvis jumpsuit and sunglasses to boot. I was caught between the riders, a section of wall and a slot machine. Due to the sheer surreality of the scene, I failed to take in what was really happening. The riders bore down on me faster. I could see the headline now ‘Press-man crushed underneath half horsepower wheels, Defcon unavailable to comment.’ Nowhere else to go, I pressed myself up against the machine and watched as they buzzed passed, nicking the tips of my sneakers. I couldn’t help but admire their insane behaviour.

Before mid-day, Defcon attendees starting leaving the hotel in droves. Even then, there must have been at least five thousand of us crammed into four different rooms for closing ceremonies. For those not in the room where everyone was gathered, a live video hookup was displayed on a massive projector. As the closing ceremonies wore on, goons tossed swag into the seated attendees. At some point, someone inflated several beach balls in our room, and we smacked them back and forth amongst one another, a few being caught unaware when they bounded down, hitting a few attendees in the head. As the last awards were given, last notices read, last speeches given, we were shown our target next year, the luxurious Rio hotel. With that final slide, Defcon was over. I found two books nearby, part of the swag that the goons had been throwing out. I looked over the covers, one was about living in a Nudist colony, and the other was another John Sundman book, ‘The Pains’. I didn’t see any owners around, so I pocketed the Sundman novel. I gave the nudist colony book to a fellow con-goer. “Free literature for those who feel the need to keep informed.” I said, handing the book over. Before he had time to look at the title, I sank back into the crowd again.

The Riveria glinted like a blemish jewel in the Vegas heat. To quote Hunter Thompson I was in my right place. ‘…just another freak, in the freak kingdom.’ I would miss my time here, but even more I’d look forward to the next Defcon.

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Evan Arnold

I slept soundly as I adjusted to the peculiarities of Nevadastan. When I woke the next morning, I had twenty minutes to get ready for my first panel. Before I came to Defcon, I had picked out a schedule full of panels that I thought would carry the interest of any possible readers. Dressed in a much more reasonable vintage Hawaiian t-shirt and shorts, I bounded out the door, said goodbye to Dougan and Sean who were currently trying to decode the badge and headed downstairs. The talks at Defcon are as varied as the convention goers. Titles ranged from ‘How Hackers Survived the Zombie Apocalypse’ to ‘Weaponizing Lady Gaga’, a However, a good portion of your time is spent waiting in line as you are filed into the panel with the speaker, sometimes as much as just the talk itself. Initially I waited in line just like everyone else did, going to as many talks as possible, still unsure of how to cover Defcon.

DefCon 18: Nights like days; days that seemed more like nights.

The ‘real’ press was out in full force, as men burdened with camcorders loomed in hallways, giving panoramas of the event. I couldn’t help but feel a bit minuscule with only my notebook and pocket camera. Congestion too and from panels was terrible. The aging Riveria was taxed by the sheer number of convention goers, as shoulder to shoulder traffic stretched from wall to wall, this quickly heated the confined spaces that we were trapped in to that of a sauna.  Among the most common topics for panels of discussion included the assaults on internet privacy by both corporations and government, and the nature of cyber-crime/terrorism. The emphasis on these topics is no doubt fueled in part by the internet kill-switch bill, and the attacks on net neutrality. Near the end of the second day, I had a revelation concerning the talks. The lectures there-in were already provided on the cd given to me along with my badge at registration. This would then be shortly leaked to the internet as free information. It was only after exhausting myself by moving from room to room for the duration of the day had I realized this. Instead, I decided to salvage the notes I had made by using the points therein as ‘diving boards’ to future articles. When the evening came, I decided to tour my first Vegas casino.

No clocks. No windows. Only the unending series of lights above me, the dull and aesthetically displeasing carpet beneath me, and the endless stretches of one armed bandits, and same colored walls before me. Being on the casino ground floor was like being in a dream, nothing felt very real. I suspect that I wasn’t the only inhabitant of the Riveria to feel that way, from the rate people were pouring money into the casino. The elevators to my room were through the very center of this no man’s land, and it wasn’t well until the next day that I’d learn the layout of the place. In the mean time I had to stick to the walls, which would ultimately lead me to the proper set of elevators. It might have been slower, but it was preferable to being lost. Although ultimately I knew that it wasn’t getting lost that bothered me; I too heard the siren calls of the slots like so many others, and preferred to avoid the temptation to ‘win it big’ and save some of my money. For the time being at least.

In lieu of throwing down money to pay for a second Faberge Egg for the hotel, I attended my first Defcon contest with Sean, called Hacker Jeopardy. Hacker Jeopardy played out much like you’d expect Jeopardy too, except that Alex Trebeck (whom I always thought looked like a crooked Methodist minister) was absent, being replaced by a Lewis Black-as-a-game show host impersonator. Oh, and whenever a daily double got answered right, the card-girl dubbed ‘Vinyl Vana’ would remove a piece of clothing. Get an answer wrong, and you are at the mercy of her and her cat-o’nine-tails. The added bonuses being that you get points added to your score as you drink beers, which are expected of contestants in order to support their team. It wasn’t exactly Sean’s show, as he averted his eyes every time ‘Vinyl’ discarded another layer of clothing. Should you be a lucky audience member and get an answer right, you got some Defcon 18 swag to show for your efforts.

After it was over, Sean headed back to the room. But I wasn’t quite finished with the evening yet. There was a meet for people from the forums that I intended to go to. Despite the fact that I hadn’t actually signed up for the forums, it seemed like a good opportunity to do some ground work. The party was being held in a skybox that was above the room that held Hacker Jeopardy. While loud techno music blared, lights strobed in rhythm with the beats. Club-Mate was a common drink for those who had had enough alcohol. Being a caffeine injected mate based extract, the slogan ‘One gets used to it’ was more than appropriate. I looked around me, as people clumped together into little groups. I still stood rather awkwardly by myself. I had never been good with just meeting people. I downed the drink I had and thought about taking off and calling it a night. I looked down at my shoes; I was a failure as a newsman. Did I really think I could get a better scoop than the pros? ‘Excuse me,’ a female voice said. I looked up and saw a red-head woman, somewhat shorter than I was. She smiled. ‘It seems you’re just as lost as we are.’ She said, indicating towards a man wearing a black kilt with frazzled brown hair that would do Carrot-top proud. It was then that I met ‘Mystique’ and ‘Quality’.

Those of course weren’t their real names but handles, a protective bubble that most people never consider having around them. While Defcon attendees might have differed on many issues, privacy was something they could all agree on. In a world with shrinking anonymity, they felt pressed to exercise what shreds of secrecy they could hold on too. After giving them my real name and identifying myself as press, we talked. Mystique and Quality were students from Oklahoma State, and were both computer science majors. Bemoaning the lack of things to do in Tulsa, they were astounded by what Vegas had to offer as I was. They came to the con as so many others did, for fun, but also to pick up a few tricks along the way. A man wearing a Hawaiian t-shirt and bearing a backpack with a bottle of Grey Goose happened by. He asked to join us and we obliged. He identified himself as Jarett. Jarret is a Director of Datacenter Operations by trade; a photographer by hobby. And what a photographer he is. When pressed to see some of his work, he pulled out his ipad and displayed his photographs. You can see his work here. Someone bumped into the volume knob and turned it up. I suddenly couldn’t hear our group anymore. Unwilling to leave my new acquaintances, I regulated myself to the old standby – the smiling and nodding role, downing drinks to remain sociable when able.

As the meet wound down, we decided to hit the chill-out room. The chill-out room was open at all times of day and night. Loud electronica blasted from the speakers as a projector displayed psychedelic images. A massive paper-mache dragon hung from the ceiling, and occasionally the projector would produce gout of pastel Colours aimed towards the dragon’s open mouth so it looked as if it produced flame. We got on the  miniature dance floor, the tiny piece of ten by ten laminated wood standing against the otherwise carpet floor. It is no secret that I am a terrible dancer. My methods of strutting my stuff aren’t improved much either when I’ve had a few drinks. Electronica is different though.

With Electronica there are no rules, even the moves that would get you laughed out of many a club such as the old man two step, the sprinkler, and even the worm are accepted. You move like how you want to move. The embrace of individualism seen in ravers and people who let the music move them is a quality held by the ‘hacker fringe’ in high esteem. I bobbed my head at first, letting myself feel the beat as I closed my eyes, avoiding some of the more painful strobe patterns as I adjusted to the dark. Soon I found myself moving with everyone else on the floor, my body going where the music guided me, perhaps not as gracefully as some, but moving me all the same. Tipsy, sweaty and tired, I bid adieu to my new friends and went back to the room.

Third Day:

“Looks like there was quite a party on the roof.” Dugan said. “Hmm?” I asked, reaching for my press badge. There was quite a scene beneath us. On the roof below, it was apparent that someone found a roof access. A laptop, smashed to smithereens lay below, along with several bottles of alcohol, some chairs, and a table. As we watched we took relish in finding new things on the roof that shouldn’t be there. It was just about this time that who I can only assume were hotel security took in the scene just moments after we arrived at the window. We watched as he used his shoulder mounted radio to call in for back up, and soon there were three of them standing there on the roof, shaking their heads. The things that great recession workers have to put up with, no?

I was tired of panels. I treated myself to sleeping in that morning. I decided I’d take a serious tour of the lock pick village, and the vendor room. I had peaked in before, but I hadn’t bothered to buy anything yet, believing the prices would drop substantially by the third day. I realized that I hadn’t done any events personally yet.  I had my eye on the Gringo Warrior competition when I initially saw it, in my wilder and woollier days I had an interest in physical security which ran rather deep. Furthermore, I doubted that journalists covering the event would be attempting any challenges at the con. Ready to seize the day, I headed downstairs. Finding the lock picking room disappointingly closed, (holding a baby shower instead of the lock pick village) I turned to the Vendors room. From CB radios to electronics, lock picks to livery, the Vendor room had it all. Even if the items in the Vendors were a bit pricier. As soon as I came upon the frame with the locks on it, I made a bee line for the stand. I waited eagerly to try out the tumblers, curious to see how secure they were. The table that the frame stood upon had various picks and tension tools on it, begging to be used. After picking out one of the shorter tension wrenches and a reasonably undamaged full hook pick, I went to work.

My efforts were fruitless however, and frustrated I put the tools back, walking over to the front of the stand where a vendor explained that the locks were nearly pick-proof; a locksmith replacing the normal cylinder pins with spindle and mushroom type pins making it very difficult to tell which pins had been picked. The locks were also tension resistant, requiring just the amount of effort to turn a key to open. Any more or less and the cylinder would freeze. I started to head out of the room, a little disappointed that I was unable to open the locks when the stand near the door caught my eyes.

Stacks of books entitled ‘Acts of the Apostles’ with a medieval tapestry motif on the cover caught my ever roving eye. That was how I met John Sundman; a recipient of the Society of Technical Communication’s Award of Distinguished Technical Communication and Brazil’s Rei do Lixo medal, self published author and a rather interesting individual.

‘That’s a rather unusual cover for a book at a security convention.’ I said, indicating to a nearby copy of ‘Acts…’ “Ah, I find it works well to attract attention.” John responded. We held a short conversation over the nature of Defcon, publishing, and the world of words we enveloped each other. Before we parted ways I slammed a ten on the table, he passed me a copy of ‘Acts’ and autographed it. Just as I was taking it, he gave me his business card, asking me to tell me what I thought about it, even if it was rubbish. I grinned telling him that ‘if nothing else, it would make a very effective coaster’ before heading over to register for Gringo Warrior.

Putting my name down on the list, I waited my turn to take to the stage a bit nervously. It was in between my time of watching people clear the course that they all had their own tools. I, by contrast, had none. I watched as a contestant with spiked blue hair who called himself ‘Konrad’ used a set of picks very similar to mine that I have at home. He passed the course, but didn’t do good enough to get into the finals. Letting himself into the crowd, I approached him and explained my pick-less situation. Without as much as a second thought he loaned me the set. I thanked him and picked out my favorite tools from the set, handing him back the rest. My moniker was called. I took to the stage. I had around sixty sets of eyes upon me, one pair of handcuffs, one guard to subdue, two doors to get through and five minutes to do all of it in. The clock started, and I was off.

I struggled against the handcuffs, looking down at the dull green pair of ‘easy’ cuffs. I took my tension wrench and immediately began to probe around them, testing them this way and the other. It was to no avail however, and at the 2:30 mark I required someone to undo the cuffs for me. I had no time to fool around with any medium locks. I dived right into the easy door lock, working quickly to make up for lost time. I opened the door and with a ‘Judo Chop!’ I stopped the guard dead in his tracks. I approached the next lock another easy and within a few seconds that too was open. Grabbing the guards disguise and pulling him back to where I started, I made a go for my passport when I started to run out of time. With five seconds left on the clock, I dashed across the stage at the last second, my victory met with applause.

My score was tallied up, and while I fell considerably short of any contestants who placed in the top five, I still managed to at least break 50 points. After getting thanked for playing and being encouraged to get my hair chopped in a show of support for the EFF that would add bonus points to my score, I returned to tools to Konrad, thanked him and decided to find out more about the EFF. Certainly if it could explain so many hawked up people running about, it may very well be worth checking out. As I approached the room for the EFF (or Electronic Frontier Foundation) I heard the sounds of a police trainer. I watched as a Defcon attendee assumed a firing position with a mocked up M1911. Having a little experience with handguns before, I decided to give the game a try. After forking over twenty dollars, I played a round. When I was thanked for donating to the EFF, I resolved to learn more about the organization.

The EFF is a non-profit organization based around digital rights advocacy for the user and to stop infringements on these rights. To these ends, it provides funds for legal defence in court, challenges legislation that threatens digital rights advocacy, defends individuals and new technologies in court, and sponsors new emerging technologies that preserve personal freedom. I learned that they had won the court-case to make jail-breaking your smart phone of choice perfectly legal. It occurred to me that in such times where privacy was dwindling rapidly and user rights were being infringed upon by corporations that nothing would be more important that an organization such as this. I joined straight away, and walked out of the EFF room wearing one of their T-shirts.

Leaving the EFF room, I fought my way back against the horde of people lying up for the next row of panels. As I finally got out of the bottlenecked section of the crowd, I saw a man emerge five or six feet away from me. A Caucasian with flattop style hair, he wore a black suit and tie against a white shirt. His dress shoes, also black, were spit shined. I couldn’t help but giggle. Was this a joke of some sort? Why would a federal agent wear something so obvious? So cliché? I got close enough to him to verify that this wasn’t some bizarre Wight brought on by the desert heat or my lack of sleep. I muttered ‘Fed’ underneath my breath in a teasing tone. I watched as he turned and scowled at me with such ferocity that I decided I should walk at a somewhat faster clip to my room.

That evening, was the officially held Defcon party. It was just my luck however, that the event was only for 21 and overs. Despite my best efforts at sneaking in, it was to no avail. There were at least six people checking ID’s at the front. While I waited though I met a man named ‘Chuck_B’ a participant at FAWM.org, we discussed the recording business, both agreeing that it was biased against ‘corporate artists’, compared our tastes in older country music, and a desire to see copyright laws be shredded. Finally as we approached the entrance, I said I’d meet him inside and that I had left my ID in the room. With a ‘nice to meet you’ and a ding of an elevator, I said goodbye to Chuck_B.

It was then that I realized that I had nothing to do for the rest of the evening. I had nothing planned out, getting into that exclusive party was really my only goal. I went back up to the room to meditate over what to do and grab the cigar I bought before I left. The victory cig was a Rocky Patel Connecticut, and was quite a few levels above the swishers I used to smoke back in my freshman college days. I headed outside to the pool area where people who weren’t in a party upstairs were congregating. After lighting up I took the scene in. Aside from the music, you could hardly tell any festivities were in place. People drank and talked calmly, no one was dancing although there were a few who were floating about in the pool. It was then that I wandered over to a group of fellow smokers.

‘Hey man, mind if I give that cigar a try?’ One of them asked me.  ‘Nawh, go right ahead.’ I said, and offered him the Patel. In turn he gave me a drag off of his black, which had an interesting flavor that I didn’t like too much either way. ‘Man, that thing is smooth.’ He said. I nodded, giving him the black back. One of them asked if I was upstairs, and I replied that I couldn’t get in, security was too tight. The lot of us shared a laugh about that then. Defcon people like defiant types pushing against the man, even in little ways. It’s part of who they are. I saw my entry for an impromptu interview and took it; after introducing myself as press. The lot of them were college students off on a school sponsored trip to Defcon, all were pursuing computing or technology degrees in the M.A. or higher levels. They all enjoyed the ‘con thoroughly, all were first timers. ‘Hey teach’ said one of them casually as a bespectacled man with a buzz cut and muted, toned muscles strode over.

He introduced himself as ‘Griffin’. He was a regular, having attended the convention for the last seven years, this being his first as a civilian. I asked him how things had changed during the history of the convention. He said that the convention had gone more mainstream, and that this Defcon was immeasurably tamer than those before it, some people even bringing their children now. Those original people that started the con were basically ‘ageing hippies’ and make up the core of the convention. There was a wide age gap and philosophy gap between the older con goers and the newcomers as far as Defcon went. He told me to be on the look out for people dressed in Elvis jumpsuits riding mopeds throughout the hotel. I said that I would, taking him only half seriously. He further said that the rumor that the satellite TV dish that was taken apart and had the scavenger hunt item hidden inside it was absolutely true. He pointed to a line of large antiquated satellite dishes, claiming that one of them had the scavenger hunt item recovered. The guts of the satellite scooped out and put on an endless loop of sending and receiving data, so it looked like it was functioning, even though it wasn’t.

I then endeavoured to ask him what branch of service he was involved with. He replied with Army with a history of counter-terrorism. When pressed with what why he would take a job in technology at a university over counter-terrorism, he revealed that colon cancer rendered him unable to do his job as an interrogation specialist. So, he went civilian and as he always did, attended Defcon. After making a joke that ‘it’s easy to spot the spooks, they wear crew cuts and shorts’ he took a call and was off. I finished my cigar, and that was when I ran into Jarett again. I apologized for the smiling and nodding routine that I pulled on him and explained my lack of hearing due to experimentation with firecrackers as a child. We spent the evening talking about several subjects from the nature of humanity, to religion, to the supernatural, quickly followed dissertations in mental illness and people watching. I would happily write about the conversation we shared, but the very personal nature of our talks forces me to self-censor our dialogue.

Suffice to say, I went back to the room with many things on my mind, a sunnier outlook on life, and feeling the subtle changes from our conversation. So if you are reading this, thank you Jarett.

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Evan Arnold

When I first heard of Def-con, I must admit, I was not terribly interested. A security tech-convention held in the wastes of Las Vegas did not sound like much of a good time. Aside from some fiddling I did with Python in my younger years, I didn’t have much experience with computers on that level. However, the deeper I delved into Defcon, the more interesting it became. Upon viewing the footage from Defcon 15 where a press agent was ousted in spectacular fashion for recording the con illegally and not wearing a press-badge, I had an epiphany.

Defcon 18 - July 30 - August 1, 2010 at the Riviera Hotel & Casino (Las Vagas)

Technology background or no, I would fit into this crowd just fine. So with that, I booked my ticket eager in anticipation. On the morning of July 29^th, we took off to parts unknown. Attending with me were two friends of mine, Sean, who had initially introduced me to the convention, and Dugan, who we coerced into coming with us. I had dubbed Sean the ‘Puritan Hacker’ for a very simple reason. He certainly had the knowledge to lay waste to an open computer, but ethics and morals kept him from doing so. Meeting up with us in the sinful city was Dugan, our mutual friend. Dugan was too smart for the community college racket; too smart for south Texas. As a  high strung genius with a penchant for adventure,  it only took a little cajoling from both Sean and I to get him to come with us.

The drive to the airport had been short and harrowing, I had woken up a little too late and it was with a rush that I put on the formal wear I’d laid out for the night before. We reached the airport just as they were closing the gates, and I had yet to either get my ticket or reach security. Needless to say I was awash with a mix of panic and excitement. The bright fluorescent lights of the airport rattled my brain, groggily driving sleep from it.  Sean had arrived ahead of me. He held in his hand that magic slip of paper that would take him to parts untravelled, giving me my own. With a hasty goodbye we booked it for the airline gates. We had five minutes to go through security.

A hurried security check later (if you dress nice, they don’t give you very much trouble) we were almost home free. At the far end of the gate I could see the airline employee locking the door. I hadn’t retied my dress shoes yet, time was the precious commodity I was running out of. I had to act quickly. I carefully picked my feet up in a half-hopping motion. I moved one after the other as fast as I dared, going at such a speed that threatened to spill my bags all over the airport corridor. Sweating I made it without incident. Sean not trailing far behind as we made a mad dash towards the counter. ‘Wait! We’re here!’ I said, the calm and official ‘Final boarding call for….’ rang from the PA system in my ears. With a moment’s reluctance, she unlocked the door. Before I could breathe a sigh of relief we were on our way. We settled in the cramped plane (no doubt partly due to the size of the turboprop, and partly due to Corpus being America’s fattest city) and I went off to an uneasy sleep. Sean, refusing to take the Benadryl I told him would put him out stayed awake, gripping the cheap plastic armrests with white-tipped fingers as we took off. He remained bolted to the floor until we landed in Houston. Our Red-eye flight out of Corpus gave us plenty of time before Defcon began to meet up with Dugan and check in at the El Cortez Hotel and Casino ahead of him.

I had just enough time to grab a coffee and feed Sean a few facts to calm him down about flying before we boarded our next plane. The 737 which carried us out of Houston was a much nicer flight than the cramped and stuffy turbo-prop which had taken us out of Corpus. We settled in, as I realized how out of place I looked; bedecked in my 30’s era suit, carrying my appropriately ageing Samsonite, and wearing spectators shoes.  Each seat came equipped with a miniature DirectTV implanted into the front. I poked around the channels and saw that Manhattan Melodrama was just starting. Clark Gable was giving his best John Dillinger; which for John Dillinger for was the last film he enjoyed before being shot. I secretly mourned that not more criminals had the same sense of panache and flair of Dillinger or actors as Gable. I floated between Manhattan Melodrama and a History Channel expose of Sodom and Gomorrah, nudging Sean and telling him ‘look, that’s where we’re headed!’ He shook his head, giving a snort of amusement. Upon take off the DIRECTV became available at the low, low price of $9.95 for the duration of the flight, and I decided along with most of the passengers that not even Clark Gable in this day and age was worth$ 9.95.

When we touched down in Las Vegas, it was like we stepped off another planet. Already in the airport, the ringing of slot machines could be heard. The heat, while excessive, had no humidity, and was extremely tolerable. The surreality of the scene crept upon me like E. Coli on room temperature beef. This was Nevadastan. This was a place separate of the greater American experience, my own little Sodom and Gomorrah. Not knowing better, we took a taxi to the El Cortez hotel and casino.

The El Cortez had seen better days. It was off the strip in the shabbier part of Vegas. It was part of the decaying core behind the glitz and glamour that was the gilded strip, part of the rotting heart of Vegas. Buildings lay in disrepair, construction workers are absent from their sites, decrepit hulks lurch skywards. Women, hock themselves for profit as shady figures lurk in alley-ways and the pitifully old hunch over beeping machines, hoping for that lucky break. Our room was tiny, had no air conditioning, and was less than comfortable after a day of travel; needless to say it looked and was nothing as advertised. Coupled with the fact they wanted to charge me a hundred dollar security overhead which they notified me only after we arrived and the room for every night after our original stay was close to two hundred bucks made me feel rather duped and irate. I planned on calling Dugan only to find that my phone battery was missing. After tracking one down across town at the tune of 39 dollars, we ate in a café across the street. I had noticed that with my choice of dress several woman in various stages of undress were giving me quite a bit of attention. “Good morning sir!” one of them cried. I fumbled for an answer, saying “errr…Hello.” rather quietly. They laughed and moved on down their way.

After a quick meal at the  greasy spoon, we spent the rest of that morning baking in the Nevada sun. (Me, especially baking with my poor fashion choice) and looking at different hotels nearby, whose prospects for our stay were also slim. We passed by the infamous 14 dollar a night Western which I pointed out to Sean. It was nearly one in the afternoon.  Defcon would be starting soon. For the third time that day, we took a taxi. For the third time that day I cursed under my breath as I paid $3.00 for the first twelfth of a mile and .20 cents for every twelfth out of that. I hadn’t even gambled yet and I was already losing money like a sieve.

There was a tangible sense of excitement in the air, the line for registration stretched down the length of the main hallway, and well into the foyer before stopping. I felt uncomfortable, unsure, and full of unease. At the same time, excitement sprung up in me like a well. How would I report on this event and make it accurate? My unease wasn’t helped by being the only person that I could see in a suit. I thought of the uniqueness of my position given my age, and pride tinged in to mix with all those other feelings. I took in the crowd, studying them as we slowly shuffled along in line.

Defcon attracted a wide swath of people as far as attendee demographic was concerned. Punkers and Polo-shirts were shoulder to shoulder, as young and old, women and men formed an orderly mob to get their badges. I realized then, that I was among them. All the hackers, crackers, computer aficionados, techies, and feds I could handle were jammed as Defcon assistants and staffers known as ‘Goons’ tried to keep some semblance of order. Half an hour later, I finally made it to the head of the line. Asking where press-registered got me sent down the hall-way where I was previously. The double-breasted wool suit irradiating me from the body heat of hundreds of attendees baked in the Las Vegas sun.

Sweltering in the heat, I found the press room, and signed myself in. It wasn’t without some measure of pride that I put a circuit board with a lanyard around my neck. The ‘P’ stamped in the corner ostensibly standing for press. I fiddled with the badge, pressing the buttons and watching what happens on the LED screen. Shortly thereafter, Dugan arrived; Sean and I explain the situation with the room at the El Cortez. Dugan upon hearing of the palace that awaits him in the Cortez, he opts out. Renting a room in the Riviera for the duration of the con, in doing this however, he is late to receive a badge. In lieu of the circuit-board badges, he receives a paper one. Sean and I board a taxi for the third time that day. We cancel our stay at the El Cortez, pack up, and speed back to the Riviera. By the end of the day, over 150 dollars has gone to taxis.

Later that evening, Dugan is hard at work putting a phallus icon on my badge after learning he can make his own icons for the circuit-board badge. I tell him it’s indicative of my personality, and he laughs before going back to work.

This is Defcon. Are you ready? Was I?

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Evan Arnold

With Friends like Mia Farrow, who needs a murdering dictator as enemy?

The media, coupled with Naomi Campbell’s obvious bad temper, has made her the ‘hated one’ in the trial of alleged war criminal, Charles Taylor, the former Liberian leader. But is Naomi Campbell really at fault? Or is she being targeted for past misdemeanours with lazy journalism?

I, for one, actually understand Campbell’s anger in the instances I’ve heard of… after all, two of my greatest pet peeves is stealing and lying. If someone needs something from me, ask for it. Regardless of how many millions I may have, that does not give anyone the right to take my things… my grandmother could’ve given it to me… and those things may seem frivolous to others, but to me they are sacred.

All of the stories I’ve heard of Ms. Campbell’s staff stealing from her, and her going off the edge, were unfortunate; but I actually sympathized with her, because I’ve been there myself; no I don’t lash out, spit or throw things at people, but it is very angering when someone you trust betrays that trust by stealing or lying.

Contrary to media assumptions, it is not unheard of for someone of Naomi Campbell’s fame to receive gifts from admirers. And her fame does not automatically make her a great connoisseur of world history, but simply highlights her shortcomings and unfortunate ignorance to the suffering of people in a region she has visited. But none of that warrants her being subpoenaed and dragged into court for a gift she received from an admirer. She’s not the criminal in this case. It begs the question: if Naomi Campbell was a corporate entity or the daughter of some King or Queen, would she still have been “ordered” to court? Nothing she ‘testified to’ on that stand, couldn’t have been done in a lawyer’s office with a court reporter; essentially they took advantage of her celebrity.

President of Liberia between 1994 and 2003, Taylor is alleged to have taken diamonds in exchange for arming the rebel Revolutionary United Front in Sierra Leone. So, what was he doing at Mandela's party?

And, at the risk of ruffling a few feathers, it may have been an absolute inconvenience for her… I can’t judge her on that. She’s obviously very good at what she does. The millions she is still paid to this day… regardless of temper tantrums and whatever other opinions people may have… is obvious evidence to the integrity of her commitment to her profession and all that comes with it.

The atrocities in Liberia are not her doing. And why was Charles Taylor invited to a dinner party at Nelson Mandela’s house, anyway? I have learned in my years on this earth, that we [as individuals] cannot take on every fight… it can consume and derail you. We can all help when and where possible, but one’s life shouldn’t always have to come to a halt to appease what other people feel you should and shouldn’t do.

I am not for one minute excusing Naomi Campbell’s bad behaviour, but I do know she’s done great charity work on both sides of the Atlantic, in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, and have heard of possible contributions to Oprah Winfrey’s projects. Miss Campbell does have a temper and obviously needs to check herself… especially given her public persona. I hope she is getting the help she needs in that regard.

Mia Farrow contradicts aspects of Naomi Campbell's testimony, but cannot remember crucial details about the event at Nelson Mandela's house, or who was there 13-years ago.

As for Madam Farrow… I certainly wouldn’t want a friend like that. According to recent reports on the Guardian website, ‘Farrow said she and Campbell “became friendly” and that they had discussed organising a party with supermodels, including Kate Moss and Christy Turlington, to raise money for Mandela’s charity. Farrow said her children “adore” Campbell. She was “very maternal” with the children and lent a dress to her daughter Malone. “She was just great,” Farrow said.’ So, there you have it.

Mia Farrow’s activism is well-documented and she should be [and has been] commended for her efforts. However, friendship is a very dear thing and should not be taken lightly. If a ‘friend’ speaks to you in the course of conversation about a gift which turns out to be from a person of ill-repute; knowing full-well that your friend meant no harm or intentionally broke any laws, would you make a statement to the media implicating your friend, knowing fully the consequences of making that information public?

Even Farrow says she didn’t know who Taylor was 13-years ago, and “shamefully” she didn’t know about the war in Sierra Leone, either. That’s my major problem with Mia Farrow. She’s been in these regions for much too long to not know the horrific consequences of sharing private information about a gift her ‘friend’ received from a man who was harmless enough to be invited to dinner at Mister Mandela’s house. That’s like Linda Tripp taping Monica Lewinsky and then producing the tapes as evidence. Makes one cognizant of the fact that one letter changes a ‘friend’ to a ‘fiend.’

I have few close friends, but cherish the ones I have because they’ve proven their unconditional friendship. Such friendships are a big part of one’s happiness and contentment with life in general. I can’t imagine how lonely someone like Naomi Campbell must sometimes feel when you have friends like Mia Farrow.

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Jasmine Brathwaite

Naomi Campbell gives evidence at the Hague war crimes trial of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor, telling the court she was given a pouch containing small ‘dirty-looking pebbles,’ which were in fact uncut diamonds, in 1997 during a visit to South Africa.

Ms Campbell was placed in the awkward, and potentially dangerous, situation of having to give evidence against a war criminal when it was revealed by actress Mia Farrow that the supermodel had once received diamonds given to her by the former Liberian ruler accused of being responsible for the callous murder of thousands of people. With friends like Mia Farrow, who needs enemies?

Supermodel Naomi Campbell reluctantly testifies at a war crimes trial.

Dressed in an understated cream outfit with bee-hived hair, Ms Campbell looked the business for yet another day in court for her. The publicity will not have done her profile any harm at all and will have effectively brought the campaign against ‘blood diamonds’ to the attention of a much wider audience.

Now, if the powers that be could just get some proper evidence to lock up that murdering despot for life, all’s well that ends well. We’ll see!

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Howie

My name is Howard, I'm a solicitor and I live in London. I've always enjoyed writing in my spare-time and Colorful Times gives me the opportunity to muse on about most of my heroes.

When I got the text about the Channel 4 documentary, Britain’s Witch Children, I knew before watching what was to come; a shameful indictment on African culture that would humiliate us in front of our non-African friends and relatives. It would make African Christianity seem primitive and fraudulent, and the belief in the ancient practice of witchcraft also irrational and naïve.

Juliana Oladipo goes undercover in Britain's Witch Children

So far as to say, it delivered in every aspect. Pastors claiming that they were a divine vehicle of the lord Jesus Christ, that they can rid evil spells from people, make the crippled walk. And above all, guard the congregation against the wicked spell of witches. For any African, it was cringe worthy viewing. It would not help strengthen the identities of Africans in the UK, and I hope it didn’t make me lose the argument to take my wife back to Ghana. Though, it would’ve been worse had I been a Christian. It was sad seeing small girls accused of being practitioners of witchcraft, families desperate to cure their child of an invisible spell. This wide-spread fear, makes easy work for self-ordained pastors to line their pockets. In fact, before the advent of Christianity, false traditional healers would adorn themselves with the attire of chiefs and say they could also guard people against evil powers. Herein lies the critical point, whether the chief priest or pastor is real or fake, both practitioners get frequent work in this industry. So in the minds of the congregation, there is something real to guard against. So the real question I ask is not about the practice, but how real is this threat of witchcraft?

REAL OR FAKE

Is it a real threat, or just a perceived one? Is there something to be afraid of, or is it a reflection of the backwardness of Africa? One more primitive battle we need to cure? Though it should be said, not everyone even in Africa believes in Witchcraft. I remember discussing the subject with an elder Uncle (on my father’s side) in Ghana. He didn’t believe in witchcraft. But at the same time, my great grandfather (on my mother’s side) was known for having special powers. My uncle experienced it, and even though he didn’t believe in it, he settled for the fact that my Great-grandfather had a gift. But what do we call this gift?

Whenever I visit Africa, I am explicitly aware of the belief of many of my relatives have in the existence of witchcraft. Back home, I don’t really delve into it too deeply, neither do I take the subject seriously. I know what human beings can and can’t do, cast spells and possess people are not among them. However, the stigma of being a witch is as potent as that of a paedophile in the West. The label has been put on people close to me, and I really did not appreciate the psychological impact that the accusation has on family members, and the community at large, until after the programme.

When I finished watching, I was incensed. I called my cousin, knowing she would attend similar types of churches and asked her to be careful of these charlatans that are breaking up families. She said, although she didn’t see the programme, she was aware of fraudulent practitioners. Though what surprised me thereafter was her whole hearted and unshakeable belief in the existence of witchcraft–the potential for people to become possessed, and equally, the power the pastor has to cure people of such ills. We argued back and forth until the battery on my phone died. I tried as hard as I could to get her to see the world from my point of view. She equally bombarded me with her evidence, and I tried rationalising from the point-of-view of my upbringing: Which essentially says, (a) the ability for someone to do supernatural things is a nonsense, and (b) the ability for someone else to cast a spell on another human being is equally bogus. Although, while in conversation, something told me to be quiet and listen. This feeling lingered a little longer. My frustration wanted me to solicit other people’s views on Facebook. And the feedback I got were more from people who had experienced a reality similar to my own and who felt somewhat embarrassed about how we were represented.

DISCUSSION

Some people focused on current media explosion concerning the negative depiction of Africa. True. Others pointed out that the media perception in Europe always focuses on the negative, which is equally true. Though it was also pointed out that this is a real subject, a real topic for discussion. Someone else also referred to this as part of a backward mentality that is crippling us. It was also mentioned how ludicrous it is that grown, educated, people believe in such practices. I know this from experience, and I really wanted to open the forum to contributions from people living in Africa as well as those who had lived in Africa. No one was forthcoming, though I got a couple of private messages from people saying that the understanding of this in Africa was completely different to that in the West. My cousin told me that because of my upbringing she doesn’t discuss these things with me. I could only imagine how intimidating it might have been to contribute to a discussion when we are so antagonistic to the opposing reality. Defending their position would have had us thinking that they are strange or crazy, or just embarrassed in much the same way as those of us born here who were thinking, “I hope my colleague Suzy won’t be watching this.” Essentially, I wanted a frank and honest exchange. As a result, I was inspired to write this article. Not a condemnation, but an honest commentary that tries to evaluate all sides of the argument. No answers, just an inter-locking of perspectives.

In Europe and America, we live in a physical world whereby everything has a clear and physical explanation. We feel pain because we have been hit, we have a sickness because of germs, infections, and so on, and almost everything can be explained by the medical profession. Almost. We acknowledge, even in the West, that certain things are beyond a doctor’s understanding or comprehension. I have met people who have been rendered paralysed or brain dead who have learned to walk and speak again. Just this week, I met a woman who said at 4-years old she was rendered brain-dead after a car accident and only after a group of SriLankan pastors prayed for her for 24-hours, did she begin to talk and walk again.

UNSEEN LAWS

Recently, with the popularity of The Secret and The Law of Attraction there has been a bigger interest and investigation to the understanding of the unseen laws that also govern the world, which are as real as electricity is to us, so how
deep do these laws really go and how does it tie in with witchcraft?

PERSPECTIVE

Firstly, witchcraft is not just an African phenomena. Many old societies, have some sort of belief in the relationship between the seen and the unseen world. It is seen in Chinese films, as well as Aboriginal and Asian culture, too.

One thing, however, that the programme, Britain’s Witch Children, didn’t do is to put into historical perspective how Africans practice Christianity, something that another of the contributors to my Facebook thread did. Though I can’t lie, I shuddered when it was said that “Christianity was passed on originally by Europeans to Africans with grace and integrity to offer spiritual enlightenment, the true path to a eternal relationship with God.”

HISTORY

European governments and societies organised hunts for alleged witches during the 15th to 18th centuries: accusing, torturing, and executing thousands of people.

Although European countries are not as old as other countries of the world, there is one reason and one reason only why Europeans do not have the same phenomena of witchcraft as Africans now do. And it isn’t because they discovered a higher way of living, it was actually their explicit belief in this other world why a widespread belief in it no longer exist in Europe. They went to war with the practice witchcraft precisely because they believed in its power and believed that it should be eradicated from society. So from the fifteenth to the eighteenth the centuries, in a chapter of history called The Witch-Hunts, taking place just prior to slavery and colonialism, and literally exterminating any and all people who had even the slightest predilection toward the practice or those suspected of being witches; meaning men, women, children, old, young, crippled. In a bloody chapter, all across Europe, witchcraft was wiped from the social reality through murder, exorcisms, and torture. This stopped the generational continuation of this practice to the point that we can look back today and say it was simply based on paranoia.

These same people, a few years later, went to Africa with the same prejudices and the aided belief that black was of evil and their evil practices were of the devil and the only way for these Africans to be saved was to accept white people, white culture and for white people to be their lord God and personal saviour, and only through this method, could a black man be accepted before God. So white Christians, when they had a foothold in the country, made traditional practices illegal. Anyone found practising traditional beliefs were sent to the local missionaries for exorcism and integration into the white Euro-Christian view of the world. What we saw on channel 4 were the things we had been taught, and these therefore had a massive impact on us psychologically. They completely turned a culture against itself. For example, Yoruba and many other traditional systems have a very sophisticated and complicated belief system, however, traditional African culture automatically means belief in the evil, and the practice of witchcraft. The missionaries didn’t have our best interest at heart–they had theirs. A conqueror never works on behalf of the conquered.

EFFECT ON THE PSYCHE

Unlike the rest of the conquered world, the effect of invasion has had a higher impact on Africa than anywhere else. When Europeans invaded Indian, for example, they found Sikhs and Hindus and left a seed of Christianity, but generally, indigenous practices still thrived. In Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Middle East, they found Muslims and left a seed of Christianity, but Islam still thrived. In Africa, they found Ashantis, Ewes, Yurobas, Nubians, Baganda, Zulus, and others, all of whom operated from their own cultural practices, but the invaders left them with Christianity–and an uneasy relationship with their own African cultural practices–seeing the world now through the conflicted eyes of their conquered selves.

So what do we do? Do we have a witch-hunts like the Europeans did not too long ago, and violate every human rights law in the book? Do we just cast the practice aside and say the ability to manipulate the unseen world is impossible, and leave it at that? The reality is that the power of belief is the biggest power there is. And believing it is possible, makes it real. People I know who are accountants, lawyers, doctors, nurses, directors, all with a high degree of education, will swear blind that this practice is real. So the question I ask is, whether the belief in this practice is sound or not?

HUMAN POTENTIAL

They say human beings use less than 10% of their brain’s capacity. Would it be strange to see what human beings could do if they learn to use 12%? Would that account for genius? What if these fuller-brained humans began to do things we just couldn’t fathom. What if they began to use 20 percent of the brain’s capacity? When I see the likes of Darren Brown or David Blaine operate, I realise their abilities have gone beyond illusionary activity. In Africa, these people would undoubtedly be seen as practitioner of witchcraft. Are they genetic remnants of the witch-hunt era, or have they managed to develop other faculties of the mind?

CAST-A-SPELL

One aspect of this practice I have struggled with is the belief that a person can cast a spell on another individual. My argument is this: If Africans hold such power there is no way we would have lost so many wars to invading armies. No way we would have remained in bondage for so long. How could we be defeated in any football match against non-African teams? I don’t understand. If the power of witchcraft is true, why does it seems to only work against poor struggling families? Why are only poor people condemned to poverty and doom? Where was this power when Mobutu was ruling Congo? Where was the power when the Belgians were mutilating people in Africa? Or when Mandela was in prison for 28 years, where was the power then?

POWER OF BELIEF

The power of belief, the power of culture and the power of a paradigm are extremely important. We who are born in the West usually do not believe in any of this ‘nonsense.’ We have grown-up in a society that has no remnants of its superstitious past prevailing in any arena of society, except perhaps in entertainment, on television, or at the circus. If we are fortune, our African parents have raised us without engaging with us in this practice. However, I would bet, even us born there, if we were to ask our parents with all their degrees. Would swear blind that its existence is true.

Herein lies the problem I had when communicating with my cousin. She, in her mind, had conclusive proof of witchcraft. She had admissions from practitioners, and victims, she claimed. She knew of people who went to hospitals only for the doctor to have no idea what was wrong with them, but for the local healer to identify the problem, cure them, and name the person responsible. What could I say in the face of such ‘evidence’? No amount of books can confront this real experience.

Furthermore, if pastors and priests are believed to have the power to battle against this, there is no way that you will go against them. These are the openings that fake pastors and charlatans can use to exploit the vulnerable searching for answers. Parents that go to pastors are actually trying to help their children not harm them. Which means the pastors can say, it’s your mother-in-law, your wife, your grandmother, or your mum. And it will be believed wholesale, if not consciously, subconsciously. That is the problem; everything that exists in your world becomes real as a result of this “spell.” Your finance, your marriage, your health, and when you ultimately fail, whoever was accused becomes the witch. (And why on earth is it always female?) The woes are being generated by the belief, and the mental power given to the belief that essentially says that what you fear most begins to manifest. That is my belief.

WITCHCRAFT FAKE OR REAL?

So is witchcraft, its existence and its power real? To be able to cast spells and possess others? Me, being born and raised in the UK, I would say absolutely not. To me, these star trek and superman stories of people flying, casting spells, causing death, and destroying people’s finances, is ludicrous. I just don’t see how these things can be possible. Though, at the same time, I had to ask myself whether I would be brave enough to challenge the world of witches to put a spell on me to prove it has no effect. The truth is I wouldn’t do that either. So I had to ask myself is that seed an element of belief or recognition that this could be possible? How much more would that be hardened if I was living in a society where evidence could be tallied, or I knew people like David Blaine, who did things beyond comprehension of the physical mind. As much as I say it’s false, the truth is, I wouldn’t put it to the test, would you?

I really don’t have the answers. I know belief holds a big sway on what happens to an individual. But I am willing to be open and to try and listen without being prejudice or judgemental. I would really like to know what people feel or think about this complex subject. Can you help me evaluate the evidence?

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