USA Democrat boycott

I just so happen to be in a smallish town in the USA at the moment. And it just so happens that this smallish town has been in the national news in the US: it has become a hide out for House Democrats.

I don't really understand American politics, but I think the bottom line is that the Republicans now have a majority in the House in some states. So they can pass bills that the Democrats object to, because of their majority vote.

So the Democrat strategy is to literally run away - they escape to other states, so the Republicans don't have quorum, and can't pass their bills.

Apparently there are over 30 House Democrats from other states holed up in motels in the city I'm in.

And what is even more ludicrous is the fact that this is a tried and true, long standing American political tradition. Lincoln himself once jumped out of a window and ran away to stop the Democrats getting quorum!

Winter Soldier

Apologies all, for not blogging very regularly!

A few posts ago I mentioned that I was heading to an event called "Winter Soldier" orgainsed by the Iraq Veterans Against the War. I didn't really know what I was in for: someone handed me a flyer for it, I thought it sounded interesting, so I went.

The term Winter Soldier comes from a 1776 quote by Thomas Paine:
"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

The pamphlet describes the event as "True stories from the men and women who fought the "war on terrorism."" Apparently Winter Soldier events were started after the Vietnam war, organised by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

A panel of soldiers sit in front of an audience, and tell stories about why they are against the war. Some of the stories are harrowing: killing of civilians, racism, brutality, graphic accounts of violent deaths. Some are less so: complaints about problems with war veterans medical aid, complaints about military culture, complaints about army recruitment methods and how and when reserves are called up.

War is a horrible thing. And there is an special horror to a war like this: fought in urban areas, populated by ordinary citizens. Where the people who are tying to kill you look just like the people you are trying to protect. Where the cars that explode to kill Iraqi civillians and American soldiers look just like the cars that little old ladies drive to town. Where the trucks that terrorists drive look just like the trucks that farmers use to drive their produce to market.

The testifying soldiers were mostly young men, trained to fight, trained to kill. In an environment where every day their lives were in danger from an enemy that was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. With few clear goals beyond getting back home alive. And with ever-relaxing rules of engagement. Witnessing so much death. Of Iraqi people and of their fellow soldiers.

So at Winter Soldier some of these guys testify to torturing people, killing civillians needlessly, wrecking people's homes. Battle their way through stories of watching people die. Speaking about the fashbacks they still have.

I thought about the event for a bit afterwards. I think that one thing we have to remember is that they are part of an anti-war organisation, so the events are co-ordinated and the speakers speak with that agenda. I am definately not pro-war, that is not what I am saying. But I think it means that it gives a bit of a skewed picture of the war as only being about racist young men brutalizing innocent Iraqi citizens. Which is no more true than the pro-war spin that has honourable young soldiers protecting the poor Iraqi victims from the evil terrorists and playing soccer with grateful Iraqi children.

The truth, I think, is somewhere in the middle. But one thing an event like this definately shows us is that people just like us can do terrible things. People just like us can torture people, can kill innocent people, can become numb to what they are doing. These guys and girls who testified, they were young people. Just ordinary young people. Most joined the military because they thought they could do some good in the world. Makes you think...

Notes on America

Notes on America

Note 1:
The cars here are all big. You never see a Corsa, Corsa Lite, Kia, City Golf, Mazda Midge. Just big cars, even the old skadonk cars are big. And automatics, rather than manuals.

Note 2:
The houses here in Urbana all have central heating. Which is great because even when its so freezing your nose hurts you can still be sitting at a pretty 25 degrees C inside. So you just bundle yourself up in ten thousand layers when you run between buildings. Fantastic.

Not so fantastic though, it the actual central heating itself. Apparently there are several ways of centrally heating a house. One way is to have almost mini-panel-heaters in all of the skirting boards. Or a boiler in the basement that pipes hot oil around your house. Probably the least expensive way is through natural gas heating. That's what I have.

I'm not sure how it all works, but what I experience is this: there is a temperature dial on my wall, which I can set to a desired temperature. Then a cuthunky machine blows hot air through vents around my flat, warming the flat. It the temperature drops later, the cuthunky machine kicks into gear again and blows more hot air.

Whats the problem with that? Well, there are three:

1) Lying in bed having blasts of warm dusty dry air blowing over you is horrible.

2) The cuthunky machine waking up at 3am to heat the house means that I wake up at 3am too.

3) Much like aircon in a car, there is no point in heating your house if the windows are open. So the windows need to be shut. In fact, some of the windows in my flat are even taped shut. My supervisor tells me that when they bought their house here, the windows hadn't been opened in years and years. This might not be a problem for normal people, but one of my few epic irrational fears is suffocating while I sleep. So I always have a window open when I sleep, even if it is in an adjacent room.
I compromised here: I am leaving a window in my lounge open by about a millimetre. I lay in bed last night and wondered if enough oxygen could diffuse through that tiny crack through the house, to prevent suffocation.
I don't know, but I'm trying to to dwell on it.

What I learned in the USA

I was in the USA for October and November last year for PhD work, in a small town called Urbana/Champaign. Well actually its two towns, Urbana and Champaign. Once they were separate but they are completely merged now. I was at the University of Illinois (UIUC) there. So half of the university is in Urbana and half is in Champaign. Not that they are different campusses, there is just a demarcation that this half is Urbana, the other half is Champaign.

But I digress, this post is about "What I learned in the USA"

1. International air travel is not as scary as I thought. Also, a 16 hour flight is not unlike a 16 hour bus trip.

2. I identify with African people way way more than US people. Every time I met an African person - from anywhere in Africa - I felt like I'd just met a homie.

3. Wow those American folks have amazing team spirit, some days every second or third person I saw on campus would be wearing UIUC team spirit clothing.

4. Its weird meeting South African people who have emigrated (not the Kemball's, in case you ever read this! Other people I met). There are just so many reasons people have left and I think people carry baggage from their time in SA and their leaving.
I met one South African couple who emigrated many years ago now and it was just too awkward, I think they actually didn't want to meet other South Africans.

5. You know what democracy looks like? It looks like televised *incredibly boring* city council meetings where everyone and their dog has time to have their say about the new rent laws or the inner city parking system or their plumbing issues. It also looks like plackards on people's front lawns that say "Impeach" or "Stop the war."

6. "Having an accent" is novel for about a week, when people comment on how cute your accent is... then it just becomes irritating. Then it just becomes burdensome. "Can I please have a glass of water?" "Water." "W-a-t-e-r." "WATER!" "WAADER" "oooh ok..."

7. The local church is the hope of the world.

8. American people are great. American's are taking alot of flack from the world at the moment, but I think people should just examine their attitudes for a moment. If someone spoke about black people / Indian people / Jewish people / etc. the way people often speak about American's, people would be horrified. American people are like people anywhere, some good some bad. I met some very friendly, funny, fun, humble people. And really not as insular or arrogant as people sometimes expect they are...