The Seasoned Revolutionary: a short-er story

The seasoned revolutionary, in her old age, once sat on the ground, gazing aimlessly into the night sky, then spoke quietly to those in her company:

“Do not seek justice. The universe will laugh at you. It is like spending serious time searching for your imaginary friend.

You cannot explain the big bang, the formation and explosion of stars, the creation of the elements inside the guts of stars, the formation of planets, solar systems, atmospheres, life, and evolution, in terms of justice.… More

Geopolitics of Dreams and God

The field of geopolitics refers to the study of political events and processes as they relate to the factors of geography, or, more loosely, to the context of place. The idea seems quite intuitive: the context of place influences political events and processes in ways sufficient to say that the same political factors may render very different outcomes when they interact in different spacial/geographical contexts. … More

On Voting

Voting does not change the power structures in any given society. This is a general rule. The powers-that-be are typically so entrenched in the economic and political strata, as well as the mainstream culture, that the act of casting a ballot would not be able to remove them from rule, change hierarchies, and transform the big picture. There may be exceptions, you say?… More

Statements that Matter (to me)

– Morality is the explicator of human agency. In our daily lives we make multiple moral decisions, and these choices may be the only aspects of our circumstances to which we are justly accountable. We generally do not choose our genotype, phenotype, health, economic/social status, etc., but we are assumed to choose our morals and understand their consequences. It follows that moral discourse cannot be called “ideal” without dehumanizing daily ‘human’ activities.… More

Individual over Society

The argument that ‘society is more important than the individual’ is the pillar of fascism, and it was earlier promoted by people like Mussolini and Stalin. Yet, it is a widely shared conclusion by different people of different backgrounds and ideologies. This argument starts by drawing a clear dichotomy of ‘society vs. individuals’ (which is not realistic) and then argues for the favor of society using certain cultural sentiments (such as dress codes, family structures, and specific religious believes). … More

‘Hizbullah’ and ‘Jesus Inside’ on the Road

In Arusha, Tanzania, the Dala-Dala (mini-buses), just like in many African towns, are important members of the urban scene. They weave through the town’s centre and sides, packing passengers to the limit, transporting them from place to place all day. They keep the socioeconomic pulse pumping, the streets noisy and colourful and the urban network tightly connected. Also, as in many African towns, each Dala-Dala likes to distinguish itself by colourful decorations and inventive/witty comments and nicknames, written in large letters on the back of the vehicle.… More

Saving the Planet

“In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace.”
Wangari Maathai, 1940-2011(the first Eastern African woman to receive a Ph.D, and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.”)

“The human brain now holds the key to our future.

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Options of Life – Options on Life

Option 1: Life is an intelligent force. It is aware of itself and surroundings. It has purpose and methods and it can reveal them upon investigation. Therefore we, as products of that intelligent force, express it and perceive it intelligently. Thus we are capable of being in charge and in concert with that purpose and method. We can literally rule our destiny.

Option 2: Life is not an intelligent force.… More