Oil battles, social forums and Chris Rock’s horoscope.

by Jessica Reed

Guantanamo’s 5th anniversary is looming. We published a lot about the topic in the past few years, with highlights such as Clive Stafford Smith’s “torture: an idea of our time” and “Guantánamo and back: an interview with Moazzam Begg”. Last December Amnesty launched a global action against Guantanamo, which started with the very mediatised procession of volonteers dressed as prisoners slowly walking from Big Ben to Dowing Street. Learn about it here.

A lot is happening in Africa. Starting with the World Social Forum 2007, which this year will be held in Kenya. Patricia Daniel will be covering the 5 day event for us, blogging it live from Nairobi. She will however focus on women’s perspectives: is another world possible without them?

Combats are still raging as the US bombards islamic militia positions in Southern Somalia, which underline two distinct levels: the great parade of justice whih walks hand in hand with the executions of dictators, and yet the continuous re-engagement of the USA in wars, on grounds too often poorly defined. Meanwhile, some Ethiopian blogs are claiming Somalian developments were used to mask internal crackdown on Ethiopian dissidents.

Now to the topic of energy and seasonal remarks (in winter, countries with important ressources seem to enjoy reminding their counterparts of their power): Belarus complained that Russia is aggravating the trade battle that could have an impact as far as Germany, as they stopped pumping oil to Europe last monday via the pipelines that cross Belarus, which “accuses its neighbor of siphoning off oil” : it turns out the country with pipelines ends up having as much power as the country producing energy, as Russia finds itself quite restricted. The EU stepped in and tried to diffuse the quarrel, as the EU Commission should release a report on energy policy early next week.

And while we are talking about oil – Hugo Chavez made great use of his country’s ressources, as he engaged in talks related to energy with China last year, prompting some commentators to call it the new Axis of Oil. He now seems to be more highly focused on nationalisation than ever, as his platform solidifies, finding its roots in South-American socialism. He also denied a license renewal to an opposition broadcaster, accusing the TV station of “backing plots to oust him“.

And finally for some tech-related news: Mia Farrow will be “among those discussing and answering questions about the genocide in Darfur and the worsening situation in neighboring Chad at a live, virtual 3-D event in the on-line community Second Life.” (raising your eyebrow? Me too). But that’s nothing compared to MI5’s latest project: to use e-mails to send terror alerts. I’d rather rely on Chris Rock’s horoscope which supposedly predicts our future: “Scorpio – you’re gonna die. Gemini -you’re gonna die, etc”. This am sure will really happen, in due time.

Today at openDemocracy

Democratic change in France usually needs a little help from the street -it has been an unwritten pillar of every Republic, bringing stability and voice as much as instability. So when the urban homeless brought their homes – in the form of tents – to the streets, they follow a long political process of integration. > Will the rushed “right to a roof”, fueled by presidential hopes, be more than symbolic? The powerful homelessness films by Agnes Varda -Sans Toit ni Loi and Les Glaineurs – remind us how fast a marginal life can sink.

Descending to the streets is part of the typical HOWTO of deliberative democracy, nor is it clear how exactly the Wisdom of the Crowd shines through in this process. But maybe there is nevertheless a “hidden secret” of the French constitution at work: there is nothing like action to show you really mean what you say.

The problems of urbanisation more generally are highlighted by The Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Signs report. More than half the world’s population is urban, and the number is growing. Point to a social problem – climate change, people-flow, identity, poverty, homelessness – and it is bound to also be an urban problem.

Even, it seems, the very rural issue of organic farming. David Milliband criticised the health claims made by Organic farmers. Lobby capture? Or is there a valid trade-off to be seen between agricultural productivity and other pressing issues – urban poverty, of course, but less intuitively also climate change, with the claim that Organic food tends to spend more carbon getting to us than logistically optimised supermarket food? We won’t expect Fast Food to translate to “green food” in the film of Schlosser’s book, soon to be released in the UK.

The trials of urbanisation are evident also in Rio’s riots: another sign of the Brazilian state’s challenge to meet its basic Hobbesian compact of preserving order, as Arthur Ituassu has noted in a string of articles for us.

by Tony Curzon Price.

Voyeurs! (or the public execution of Saddam Hussein)

by Jessica Reed

Releasing the normally gruesome pictures of dead leaders is a powerful gesture. It has often been used in the past to mark the end of an era – From the BBC “‘in pictures’“

With millions of hits over the last few days, the leaked phone footage of Saddam Hussein’s execution has become one of the most-viewed video on the website. On the other hand, a great majority of national tv channels refused to broadcast the video – CNN “vowed discretion“, as the BBC implies that the phone camera footage may be “the most controversial media disclosure from Iraq since snapshots of US guards abusing prisoners inside Abu Ghraib”.

Some bloggers have rightly called out the hypocrisy shown by some mainstream media, who refuse to show the video when it is crystal clear that censorship is proved to be difficult to apply and enforce on the internet: it is very true, as this Comment is Free piece suggests, that our reaction and indignation to the execution would may not be the same, had we been confronted to the ‘official, edited and silent’ version only.

(Of course conspiracy theorists were all thrilled, displaying their interrogations (it wasn’t the real Saddam!) minutes after the news were released.)

Meanwhile, the Iraqi PM longs to leave office, as the conflict shows no sign of improvement and the body count keeps on escalating at an alarming rate.

Some commentators, like the Times’ Andrew Sullivan are now calling for a withdrawal of the US troops:

The alternative is withdrawal. Many will call this a defeat. In many ways, it is. The attempt to remake the Middle East on our terms and on our own schedule has been revealed in retrospect as pure folly. The core goals of the Iraq war – to disarm Saddam and remove him from power – have been accomplished. Iraq is no longer a potential source of WMDs – just of suicide bombers and terrorists. Saddam is dead.

What strikes me as menacing is the possibility of an expansion of the already explosive civil war and increasing regional segmentation should the US decide to call its troops back. Stability will undoubtlessly be lost. A great deal of time will be needed for the conflict to resolve itself, not to mention that the country will be left to its disarray- in an arguably worse shape than it was before the war began.

Update: An official in charge of supervising the execution has been arrested. He is believed to have recorded the hanging and remains unamned for the time being.

Elsewhere: Charles Peña asks: “Now that he has been executed the question that must be asked is: Since Saddam Hussein was the raison d’être for taking preemptive action against Iraq, was launching such a war worth it?” + Al Jazeera on the video and Iraqi divisions.

Blogs & Politricks

by Jessica Reed

- Clive Davis, currently guest-blogging on Andrew Sullivan’s page, takes the defense of Europe (I’d call it a refreshesing view on, dare I say it, anti-europeanism):

If there’s one thing that has driven me mad about American conservatism lately, it’s the spate of columns and books banging on about the imminent “end of Europe”. Show me the the phrase “death spiral” one more time, and I’ll tear up all my back issues of National Review.

- The BBC’s Nick Robinson explains why the Beeb is not as “anti-politics” as some might think:

Predictable or not, inevitable or not – and not so long ago it appeared to be neither – the police’s first ever interview of a serving prime minister was a major news story. The context that had to be set out on that day was the fact that Mr Blair had not been cautioned, was not being treated as a suspect and that he, and indeed everyone else involved, may never face charges.

- From the New Republic’s staff blog: Michael Crowley comments on the recent rise of violent crime in the US and asks if it will be a threat to “post-racial” Obama (yes, I raised an eyebrow at the weird choice of adjective as well):

The steep crime drop of the 1990s neutralized many of the GOP’s traditional racial-wedge tactics. But might Republicans–who post-Katrina can hardly do worse with African-Americans–see an advantage in reverting to Willie Horton-style politics? And, finally, could that possibly complicate things for the “post-racial” Barack Obama?

In the news

Transition in danger: Violent fights erupted yesterday on many fronts in Ethiopia as the islamist ultimatum expired (Le Monde).

Canadian parliament uncontrolable: Harper says the country should get ready to vote, aiming for a majority government this time (Globe and Mail).

Iran is an “obstacle to hopes for peace” : those are Blair’s words today, as he called for an alliance against extremism (NYT)

David Irving on probation: The denier, who was after denying the existence of the Holocaust, should be released soon (BBC).

When you see this…: In a Washington Post interview, Bush admits -for the first time- that the US is not winning war in Iraq (WaPo).

…do you understand this? : George Bush wants to increase the size of the military (IHT).

Concerned. After thwarting three attacks in the last 18 months, French counterterrorist forces are growing alarmed by the boldness of the Algerian militant group GSPC, which has recently won the alleged backing of al-Qaida. (Madrid11.net).

In the news

Abducted: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels kidnapped 21 students (BBC).

Death penalty and the WoT: Peruvian president Alan Garcia wants Congrass to back his effort seeking to impose death penalty for those accused of terrorist activities (Living in Peru).

Death penalty in Lybia – The Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor accused of having inoculated the virus of AIDS to children have been condemned to death by the Lybian court of justice (Liberation).

Cleared: Author Ipek Calislar was “acquitted of insulting modern Turkey founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk”. Calislar had mentionned Ataturk fleeing disguised as a woman in the biography of the politician’s wife, Latife. This was interpreted as an attempt to denigrate Turkishness (BBC).

“Menaced and misunderstood” – Islamophobia is on the rise in the European Union, claims a report published yesterday by the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (IHT).

Blair: What’s next? – The Chatam House’s report about Blair’s legacy is now online.

All time high – According to a quarterly report grudgingly released by the Pentagon today, attacks on American and Iraqi forces have reached an all time high in the months between August and November. (Madrid11.net)

Get your 2007 bets on.

by Jessica Reed

In the world of webjournalism, the end of the year usually means “painful lists of ‘most…’ and ‘best…’ things” – most publications are busy looking back at the events, innovations, peple and products that made 2006.

Some, like the Slog’s Josh Feit, write about how spot on their preditions were. Some, like the Webby Awards, gather thousand of voters to compile a list of best web-sites. Time magazine has made up a list of “100 people who shape our world” (where Angelina Jolie is in the Heroes and Pioneers section. I will try to refrain from commenting really, really hard). Wikipedia has an interesting 2006 entry, with the year’s events categorized chronologically. Salon has its own Person of the year article, and some are inspired enough to make a big list of lists.

At openDemocracy we will try another approach and peer (to peer?) into the future, teaming up with prediction markets company Inkling (Tony Curzon Price previously blogged about them for us here). We will soon publish a couple of 2007 predictions coming from our authors and specialists’ crystal ball – will Bush be impeached? Who Blair finally go? Will we see a government change in Iraq, and will India and Pakistan reach settlement over Kashnmir? What about a new “dot com” crash?

Stay tuned – and be ready to take bets (my crystall ball says you might even be able to win a cool prize). But in the meantime- what are your predictions? This morning Tan predicted another horrific Mel Gibson movie, and I’d be willing to bet on the proliferation of silly marketing terms such as “web 3.0″.

Your turn.

In the news

by Jessica Reed

- Judity Regan Pwn’ed: Rupert Murdoch sacked the OJ Simpson publisher as most employees were at the company’s Christmas party (Gothamist).

- How to flatter your readership’s ego: YOU are the person of the year, says Time magazine (BBC).

- Secrets unveiled: Link to the top Iraq expert Carne Ross’ testimony (aka the Butler Report) was made available yesterday. Its content? Britain saw no threat before war (CNN). Read the testominy here.

- Talk about setting up an example: National icon rock singer Jhonnu Halliday is an embarassement to his friend and presidential canditate Nicolas Sarkozy: the singer moved to Switzerland to bypass the massive taxes he ought to pay the French government (Liberation).

- Bye, Castro: He will surely “recover, but not return” (NYT).

- New elections in Palestine: Mahmoud Abbas takes the gamble of his career (Globe and Mail).

Stolen Friday Funnies

By Tan Copsey

What the oD office has found amusing this week:

Kos is funny, but only on Thursdays, so I ripped this Jay Leno quote yesterday:

“President Bush has received a copy of the 96-page Iraq Study Group report. When they gave it to him, President Bush said, ‘Don’t tell me how it ends.’ They said, ‘Uh, it doesn’t.’”

Continuing on the US politics theme are the onion, squeezing the last drop of myspace humour out of its now bloated Murdoch-owned carcass (note: I am a myspace member – please be my friend).

Not exactly new but I thought I’d also share with the world my love for John Safran and his amusing approach to placing Fatwa’s on rival broadcasters, The Guardian, Slate you have been warned (Warning: contains Hardcore Australian Humour).

Saturday night live has done a number on Mel Gibson’s new movie (Warning: contains Mel Gibson).

The Daily Show gave old Donnie Rumsfeld the type of high-falluting send off he deserved – gosh darn it!

Anyone who’s interested in getting creative work should head over to Fox.

The Spurt campaign is both funny-disturbing and disturbing-disturbing. I myself have never licked a transport white paper.

And in case you didn’t know, certain cats have been displaying dictatorial tendencies. Although a descent into fascism is probably their only option given Grist’s plans for them. Plus the overwhelming threat presented by the emerging bee-dog menace cannot be disregarded.

Of course nothing, absolutely nothing, tops our new Secretary General. Ladies and Gentleman, live from New York City, introducing MR….BAN….KI……MOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!(click on Ban link at the bottom-center of the page)!

Major problem for Dems

by Tan Copsey

Well that didn’t last long.

Breaking news here, there, and everywhere that US Senator Tim Johnson, Democrat of South Dakota, is in hospital in a critical condition. This of course could hand the Senate straight back to the Republicans as they control the Governors office in South Dakota, and it is the Governor who will appoint a replacement should Tim Johnson die.

Nevada thunder details the relevant history in a wonderfully informative post that features asides about Jim Jeffords, Richard Nixon, and Lyndon Johnson.

4 pundits chastise those intent on focussing on political implications and not the tragedy itself (does that mean me?) – with this rather grand aside:

‘Every human being, created in the image of God and possessing an eternal soul, is more important than transient political systems and issues. Our prayers should go out to him and his family’.

Indeed praying seems to be the most common response, would it be wrong to pray for an extended Democratic majority?

Traces of polonium and one dead quail were also reported found in his office (ed note: this is an outright lie).

In the news

Only in Belgium: National belgian TV channel announed yesterday that the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium had taken its independence – The King had fleed and new borders were being created. All hell broke loose as even diplomats were spoofed, as the TV channel explained it was a great way to take the ongoing debate more seriously (BBC).

Frankenstein’ed: If you created what you think will be the next great invention and want to sell it to the world, you might want to browse Google Patents first (Google Blog).

Doors closing down: The European Union wants to slow down the enlargment process, wanting to reform the Institutions first.

Public Health: New studies say circumsision may limit risk of AIDS (Globe and Mail).

50/50: South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson has suffered a stroke and is undergoing surgery. If incapacited, his replacement would be appointed by the State governor, who is a Republican. A Republican appointee would create a 50-50 tie, and allow the GOP to retain Senate control (CBS).

In the news

by Jessica Reed

-“One of the most complex and far-reaching EU regulations ever”: European parliament approves a law regulating chemicals found in everyday products (NYT)

- Fame politics:George Clooney already spoke at the UN to press decision-makers to make a move in Darfur, in which he said a “genocide is taking place”. He’s now in Egypt with Don Cheadle to plead for the cause, where both actors met with Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit (Le Monde). Clooney repeated in “stay out of the political life”.

- Anything new? – In its latest report the World Bank praises globalisation as the tool which create an amelioration of the standards of living for a great number of people worldwide. But it can also destroy common goods. We resist replying with a resonating “oh really?” (Mail & Guardian online).

- About time: A tribunal judged today that Botswana’s bushmen are allowed to take back their lands, and settle in the Kahalari reserve. They had been evicted back in 1997 when the government declared wanting to exploit the land’s diamonds mines (Liberation).

- Who should really be punished? As the ‘Ipswich muders’ case dramatically unfolds, a journalist questions the curfew’s raison d’etre: women are not the ones making the streets unsafe (Guardian).

Welcome to the oDagenda

Welcome to the new addition in the openDemocracy blogs family: the oDagenda.

You may already visit our oDtoday blog (the personal news and views from our staff, updated daily) but the oDagenda’s main purpose is slightly different – I will blog the news that sparked a debate during our daily editorial meetings: what made us think, laugh or even argue about. I will also introduce the upcoming topics which will be treated on the openDemocracy homepage in our main articles – and try to give you a preview of what we wan to comission in the future.

Some of my colleagues – oD’s editors and contributors- might join the fun from time to time to write about global politics- of course it goes without saying that everyone (yes, you) is welcome to post comments, or alternatively drop me a line (odagenda at opendemocracy dot net) with suggestions, thoughts or even hate mail.

To know more about openDemocracy, please visit our “about” and “our team” pages.