What (a) Wonderful World?

Sometimes I am brought to question my faith in Humanity. A question that comes to my mind more and more these days is "What kind of World are we living in?". Reading the papers and online reporting I am really unsettled.

I love this Planet, and I do believe we live in a wonderful world. Its a pity that some people and governments seem to have given up on their fellow man, and hold themselve above others.

As some of you may know, Tibet is under Chinese rule, and the Tibetan people are unfairly treated. China has for a long time been known to have a bad track record with Human rights, and this continues with the treatment of Tibet. However what I read in the news today is a sad sad story.

It is a common practise for Tibetan monks to set themselves alight, as a form of peaceful protest. Residents of the town of Aba, in the south west Sichuan Provice, witnessed a Monk waving the Flag of Tibet, douse himself with Petrol and set himself alight. However uncommonly they then witnessed Police shoot the protester. His name was Tapay. The protest came after a gathering to Celebrate the Tibetan new year, which the Chinese Government had banned. It is also nearing the 50th Anniversary of the uprising that led the Dalai Lama to flee to India.

On the other side of the world, Palestinian militants have fired five Rockets into Southern Israel, hitting the coastal town of Ashkelon, damaging a school but causing no injuries. A general strike was called across the occupied West Bank territory, with schools and shops remaining shut, to protest against the 1,500 to be evicted.

The United States, Israel and Canada have shamefully refused to attend a conference on Racism, to be held in Geneva, becuase documents for the conference make reference to Zionism. Tzipi Livni, the current foriegn minister, has used the typical trick of the United States and Israel. Anyone who speaks out agianst Zionism is labelled antisemitic, despite the fact that Zionism is not Judaism.

"Under the fig leaf of combating racism, this conference is blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli" - Tzipi Livni

Obviously Pro Israeli groups are supporting the move also. The Netherlands and France have voiced concern but are not yet boycotting the conference. In other Palestine related news Israel have blocked a Pasta shipment to the Gaza strip. Food, a basic human right.

Why do I question humanity?? Well this is the cliff hanger. I question humanity, cause no one seems to give a .... well you know. Currently the Tibetan, Burmese, Palestinian, Tamils, Basque and Irish people, to name very very few, live under illegal occupation, and/or are opressed in one form or other.

In Tibet, it is illegal to even fly the flag. In Burma, the legally elected Government are held in detention by a military force government. Read my previous blogs, you'll see that to even be Palestinian is a crime according to Israel. In the Basque region any Basque affiliated Political parties are banned. In the Occupied Ireland we can't even get equal standing for our language.

And No one seems to care.

Those that do care are penalised, by being branded as Racist or antisemitic. In Canada too colleges banned posters calling for an end to Israeli aparthied.

I don't know where I'm going with this so I guess I'll leave it here.

God Bless
Peace