Foreign Bailouts

Many Americans are oblivious to the massive amounts of money given to foreign countries. Our tax dollars help contribute to this aid. Here is a quick rundown on some of those countries:

The U.S. will give an estimated $26 billion in foreign aid in 2008—70% more than when President George W. Bush took office (the figure doesn’t include funds related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan). More than 150 countries get financial assistance from the U.S. Here are the six that received the most this year.

COUNTRY	AID	PURPOSE
1. Israel	$2.4 billion	Virtually all of this money is used to buy weapons (up to 75% made in the U.S.). Beginning in 2009, the U.S. plans to give $30 billion over 10 years.
2. Egypt	$1.7 billion	$1.3 billion to buy weapons; $103 million for education; $74 million for health care; $45 million to promote civic participation and human rights.
3. Pakistan	$798 million	$330 million for security efforts, including military-equipment upgrades and border security; $20 million for infrastructure.
4. Jordan	$688 million	$326 million to fight terrorism and promote regional stability through equipment upgrades and training; $163 million cash payment to the Jordanian government.
5. Kenya	$586 million	$501 million to fight HIV/AIDS through drug treatment and abstinence education and to combat malaria; $15 million for agricultural development; $5.4 million for programs that promote government accountability.
6. South Africa	$574 million	$557 million to fight TB and HIV/AIDS; $3 million for education.

Another Day in Kuwait

It was pretty hot today in Kuwait. Usually after Friday prayer I go and have lunch at the Senegalese ambassadors' house for lunch and immerse myself in all that's Senegal. After that I plan to magically appear at some of my students house. I told them that I would be knocking on their doors just for fun.

I have been in Kuwait for six months now and I am really missing home. All of the things I cannot stand about America I would pay cash to see...funny huh?

Football at Kuwait University

I went to Kuwait University to watch a football game between Senegal and Ghana. I was impressed by the diversity at Kuwait University. There were students from all over Africa, Europe, and Asia. After watching the game, which Senegal won 2-1, I accompanied some of the players to the cafeteria for dinner. The food was not the best but it did not seem to bother the students. Aside from the food I really enjoyed myself and look forward to going again and watch some more football games.

Chagossians of Diego Garcia

I just learned about the about one of many horrific crimes committed by western powers. The following is an excerpt from the documentary film:

The Chagos Archipelago was once home to roughly 2,000 Chagossians, a Creole-speaking matrifocal society that had lived on the islands for six generations beginning in the late 18th Century. Descendants of slaves from Mozambique and Madagascar and indentured laborers from South Asia, Chagossians were primarily anglers and coconut farmers. The islands' location and natural resources determined its economy, and a distinctly Chagossian culture emerged during the nearly two centuries of settlement.After World War II, Chagos' isolation brought the United States government to conspire with their British counterparts to forcefully occupy Diego Garcia, the largest island in the group. Based on Cold War planning, the US Navy decided that a military presence was strategically necessary in the region and Diego Garcia was determined to be the island best suited for a base. That it had been home to the Chagossian people for almost 200 years did not alter their decision to depopulate the entire archipelago.Between 1967 and 1973, the Chagossians were systematically uprooted from their homes, jobs, native soil, and lives, only to be unceremoniously dropped on the shores of Mauritius. Suddenly, more than 1000 miles away in a foreign country and without provisions for their resettlement, the islanders found themselves in the strange and foreboding surroundings of the urban slums most have still yet to escape.

After reading up on this atrocity and watching the documentary I was in disbelief for a couple of days. Not that anything "the man" does surprises me anymore. Its just amazing that how little coverage this story has gotten. This military base established by U.S. there is known as "Fantasy Island." Its the largest base outside the U.S. and has played a major role as bombing of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and secret air strikes on Somalia. We all need to fight for the rights of the Chagossians because their struggle is our struggle.

You can watch the documentary here.

Failaka Island

My colleague, her son, and myself took a trip to Failaka Island, and small piece of land belonging to Kuwait. The trip was nice and a much needed getaway from Kuwait. The boat ride was pretty nice. The island is nothing spectacular mainly due to some of war ravaged houses from the Iraqi invasion. There is a zoo (like one block), camel rides, hotel, and atv's. The atv was by far the highlight of the trip. It was kind of cool when we went so we could not swim. I planned to go back when its warm to better experience the island.

Brother Malcolm's Words Still Ring True

The Zionist armies that now occupy Palestine claim their ancient Jewish prophets predicted that in the "la
Here is an excerpt of an article taken from the Egyptian Gazette in 1964. I go crazy wondering how great things would be on this earth if Malcolm were still alive.

Malcolm on Zionism: - st days of this world" their own God would raise them up a "messiah" who would lead them to their promised land, and they would set up their own "divine" government in this newly-gained land, this "divine" government would enable them to "rule all other nations with a rod of iron."

If the Israeli Zionists believe their present occupation of Arab Palestine is the fulfillment of predictions made by their Jewish prophets, then they also religiously believe that Israel must fulfill its "divine" mission to rule all other nations with a rod of irons, which only means a different form of iron-like rule, more firmly entrenched even, than that of the former European Colonial Powers.

These Israeli Zionists religiously believe their Jewish God has chosen them to replace the outdated European colonialism with a new form of colonialism, so well disguised that it will enable them to deceive the African masses into submitting willingly to their "divine" authority and guidance, without the African masses being aware that they are still colonized.

CAMOUFLAGE

The Israeli Zionists are convinced they have successfully camouflaged their new kind of colonialism. Their colonialism appears to be more "benevolent," more "philanthropic," a system with which they rule simply by getting their potential victims to accept their friendly offers of economic "aid," and other tempting gifts, that they dangle in front of the newly-independent African nations, whose economies are experiencing great difficulties. During the 19th century, when the masses here in Africa were largely illiterate it was easy for European imperialists to rule them with "force and fear," but in this present era of enlightenment the African masses are awakening, and it is impossible to hold them in check now with the antiquated methods of the 19th century.

The imperialists, therefore, have been compelled to devise new methods. Since they can no longer force or frighten the masses into submission, they must devise modern methods that will enable them to manouevre the African masses into willing submission.

The modern 20th century weapon of neo-imperialism is "dollarism." The Zionists have mastered the science of dollarism: the ability to come posing as a friend and benefactor, bearing gifts and all other forms of economic aid and offers of technical assistance. Thus, the power and influence of Zionist Israel in many of the newly "independent" African nations has fast-become even more unshakeable than that of the 18th century European colonialists... and this new kind of Zionist colonialism differs only in form and method, but never in motive or objective.

At the close of the 19th century when European imperialists wisely foresaw that the awakening masses of Africa would not submit to their old method of ruling through force and fears, these ever-scheming imperialists had to create a "new weapon," and to find a "new base" for that weapon.

DOLLARISM

The number one weapon of 20th century imperialism is zionist dollarism, and one of the main bases for this weapon is Zionist Israel. The ever-scheming European imperialists wisely placed Israel where she could geographically divide the Arab world, infiltrate and sow the seed of dissension among African leaders and also divide the Africans against the Asians.

Zionist Israel's occupation of Arab Palestine has forced the Arab world to waste billions of precious dollars on armaments, making it impossible for these newly independent Arab nations to concentrate on strengthening the economies of their countries and elevate the living standard of their people.

And the continued low standard of living in the Arab world has been skillfully used by the Zionist propagandists to make it appear to the Africans that the Arab leaders are not intellectually or technically qualified to lift the living standard of their people ... thus, indirectly "enducing" Africans to turn away from the Arabs and towards the Israelis for teachers and technical assistance.

"They cripple the bird's wing, and then condemn it for not flying as fast as they."

The imperialists always make themselves look good, but it is only because they are competing against economically crippled newly independent countries whose economies are actually crippled by the Zionist-capitalist conspiracy. They can't stand against fair competition, thus they dread Gamal Abdul Nasser's call for African-Arab Unity under Socialism.

MESSIAH?

If the "religious" claim of the Zionists is true that they were to be led to the promised land by their messiah, and Israel's present occupation of Arab Palestine is the fulfillment of that prophesy: where is their messiah whom their prophets said would get the credit for leading them there? It was Ralph Bunche who "negotiated" the Zionists into possession of Occupied Palestine! Is Ralph Bunche the messiah of Zionism? If Ralph Bunche is not their messiah, and their messsiah has not yet come, then what are they doing in Palestine ahead of their messiah?

Did the Zionists have the legal or moral right to invade Arab Palestine, uproot its Arab citizens from their homes and seize all Arab property for themselves just based on the "religious" claim that their forefathers lived there thousands of years ago? Only a thousand years ago the Moors lived in Spain. Would this give the Moors of today the legal and moral right to invade the Iberian Peninsula, drive out its Spanish citizens, and then set up a new Moroccan nation ... where Spain used to be, as the European zionists have done to our Arab brothers and sisters in Palestine?...

In short the Zionist argument to justify Israel's present occupation of Arab Palestine has no intelligent or legal basis in history ... not even in their own religion. Where is their Messiah?

Sand Storm

Here are some pics from the first sandstorm in Kuwait. The windows in my house were closed but there was still sand all over the house. I was happy though because they let school out early!