For starters the church must call the state bluff by robustly and colourfully launching their NO campaign. They must not seek political will from a MORIBUND President or an INEFFECTIVE Prime Minister.The truth of the matter is Gordon Brown is not a political unknown. The 59 year old incumbent is an accomplished electoral candidate both as an individual and as a politician especially when compared to his other 2 competitors. Many are aware that prior to his 2 and a half year stint as the UK's prime minister,he was the country's finance minister or Chancellor of the Exchequer as they like to call it there.He was the longest serving exchequer and oversaw 10 years of high and stable economic growth in the UK economy that saw the tiny island feature in the top 5 of the world's richest countries
Sadly though the issues underpinning the UK elections to be held on 7th of May have nothing to do with experience or track record and the Prime Minister is not a favourite to win the hotly contested race for Number 10 Downing Street. When you look at the other 2 candidate's real achievements, what becomes clear is that the British voters are not interested in track record or experience but physical appearance,charisma and age. Fickle nature of the British voter or poor PR management for the incumbent Prime Minister or simply time for a change in the world's largest former colony?
Undoubtedly voting in Cameron to Number 10 will be a great gamble not to mention a return to conservative rule after more than 13 years out of power. According to the latest polls (oh no not POLLS again) the Conservative party leader does not face a hard battle against either Brown or Clegg, and Cameron's chances of winning the popular vote are extremely high.
I think he is going to win as i cannot see a situation where majority of the UK public will, if given the chance, favour a candidate they consider lacking in charisma and personality ala Tony Blair the immediate former prime minister. Whereas majority of the British public were/still are of the opinion that Mr.Cameron is "posh" and from priviledged background, he is younger,more eloquent than Brown, and is relying on his fellow countrymen to emulate the example of their cousin's across the Atlantic and vote in a "fresh" unknown outsider as they did with President Barack Hussein Obama currently the country's 45th President
Truth be told, neither the conservative nor the liberal democrat candidates have done any of the things Mr.Brown has accomplished in his political career and if there was any justice in the world, he would be re-elected as leader of the Labour party and prime minister. However, his Labour party is still popular with the voters, and past attempts to throw a leadership coup have in fact been in the hope that a different leader at the helm would convince the voters to stick with the party and return them to power for yet another 5 years.
Unfortunately, the reverse of everything i've mentioned so far is true for Kenya and what its going to be like in the next general elections! If only we would have the luxury of downplaying political candidate's track record and overlooking their previous experience-but more than half of them have none. The script for that play is already being written now even as we speak,and a repeat performance of 2007 is inevitable, with the exception of throwing in a new constitution into the mix. That plus the fact that no one in the entire breadth and length of the country in their right mind wants to see a repeat performance of the 2007 election shambles when we return to the ballot in 2012.
Luka,
ReplyDeleteUsichelewe, May 7 will be a day too late. Ama UK yako iko Mars?
BTW GB has just goofed leo cursing inside his car that a lady questioner as BIGOT oblivious of the fact that he still had the SKY mic on. He has driven back to personally apologize but Dave and Nick will surely use that kesho debate.
On charisma and PR just ask Jeff Randall, you must be TELEGENIC and TV debates is all about image oiled in substance.
Mwalimu,
ReplyDeletepoor Gordon,
its not his fault he was born in the WRONG country to ungreatful countrymen unappreciative of his midas touch and sobriety over style.ole wao
,he was the country's finance minister or Chancellor of the Exchequer as they like to call it there.He was the longest serving exchequer and oversaw 10 years of high and stable economic growth in the UK economy that saw the tiny island feature in the top 5 of the world's richest countries
ReplyDeletexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ati stable economic growth? Hakuna kitu kama hiyo.
For the last 2-3 decades, the so called economic growth in the West has been driven by wealth appropriation/robbery from 3rd world. The proceeds of this robbery are the ones that have been used to inflate stocks and land in a manner that does not reflect productivity of these economies. As long as this gambling was on, UK appeared weathy. Wapi, fictitious wealth.
In 1971, third world nations passed at the UN General Assembly the New International Economic Order.
To counter this movement and stop industrial growth in 3rd world, the West formed G7. With G7 in place, dismantling of emerging industrial structure started.
They started in Chile, Peru, Mexico and they ended with Japan and Asian Tigers. However, the beast they created has now arrived back home in Europe. Just check Greece today. Na bado.
The appropriation of 3rd wealth has been done via two means:
(a) SAPS, and
(b) unequal pay for equal work.
Under these two strategies, they ensured continued poverty in 3rd to ensure availability of cheap raw materials and slave labour.
Unfortunately, due to the low pay for 3rd world workers, they are not in a position to afford what they produce.
At the same time, those workers in the West who have been losing industrial jobs are forced to be unemployed or take low paying so called service jobs.
To maintain their usual standards of living, these workers in the West have accumulated debts that are staggering. Now, they have reached a point where most of their incomes are used to settle debts. This leaves them unable to buy industrial goods produced in 3rd world. This destroys the real economy and jobs.
As a result, we have workers in 3rd world and the developed world who cannot consume what they produce. When this happens, the whole debt pyramid collapses. Thats the problem with the UK, USA economy (global economy), and none of these guys will do what needs to be done.
Watch this pace. After Greece, we will have Portugal, Italy. Once they are done with these nations, UK will be next.
Wahenga walisema, mchimba kisima uingia mwenyewe.
Luke,
ReplyDeleteGordon Brown did himself a diservice by taking cue from Kibaki. But the Brits cannot take humour. Imagine they are crucifying GB for the humourous word BIGOT. What would they do if he went KUMBAFF na mavi ya kuku? Brits must style up and relax their stiff jaws.
...the church must call the state bluff by robustly and colourfully launching their 'NO' Campaign...
ReplyDeleteIs there such a thing as the 'United Churches of Kenya'?
If I may ask, where were the 'United Churches of Kenya' - those who are now united against the 'Yes Vote' - when the country was burning during the PEV?
How many of the so called church leaders risked their comfort and lives in order to champion for the victims of PEV, the powerless, underdog raia, landless, the downtrodden and the strangers (foreigners) in our midst?
Where were they? Where was Sulumeti and his ilk when the country needed them most?
Kenyans didn't expected any of them to walk in the footsteps of great African religious leaders like Archbishop Demond Tutu, but all theclerics could have done was show some courage by standing up against the evils that brought baout the PEV and its aftermath.
So far the country is littered with IDP camps and one wonders where the churches have been all a long to call the state bluff by robustly and colourfully lauching their 'NO' Campaign against:
a)the continuous presence of IDP camps on Kenyan soil.
b) perpetrators of PEV.
c) predatory politicians.
d) gross economic injustice.
e) daily corruption.
f) hunger and poverty.
g) unnecessary large carbinet.
h) wasteful spending by GoK.
i) degradation of environment.
j) inept and toothless judiciary.
Regarding Abortion and Kadhi Courts.
Do the religious leaders have any other important constitutional issues to oppose other tha their abortion and Kadhi courts agendas?
Let pray and hope that they do learn from other people's mistakes, such as what happened Dorothy Muzorewa and the never ending Christian-Muslim deadly clashes in Nigeria and India.
Mwarengethe,
ReplyDeleteKwani you thought europeans undertook global exploration for your benefit? They needed resources. Did you see Stephen Hawking saying we (humans) should not try to contact other beings in other planets because those beings might be superior to us and take our resouces - like happened to native americans when Colombus landed.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMwarengethe,
Kwani you thought europeans undertook global exploration for your benefit? They needed resources.
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More so about so called "economic growth" we can add that in 2005, the Economist warned that:
- The current worldwide boom in residential real estate prices is "the biggest bubble in history,"
- "Rising property prices helped to prop up the world economy after the stock market bubble burst in 2000," It then asked, "What if
the housing boom now turns to bust? It answered, pain.
- The total value of residential property in developed countries rose by more than $30 trillion, to $70 trillion, over the past five years – an increase equal to the combined GDPs of those nations.
Surely, is land/stock speculation driven GDP what we are told was sustainable economic growth?
Now, they tell us that, they will restore growth. Thats only possible if there was growth, but, there was no growth in the first place?
Surely, surely, we ought to know better than believe in this communicated nonsense.
As concerns 3rd world, we have no illusions about their intentions.
What is very disturbing is to hear Africans call what is the greatest robbery of the weak and poor an economic growth.
In 1982, the Mexican president, while trying to defend Mexican industrial structure which was under deliberate attack, called on all nations to act in concert to prevent regression in the Dark Ages.
He said that, developed world was caught between "two blades of a pair of scissors that threaten to SLASH the momentum achieved in some countries and to CUT off the possibilities for progress for the rest."
He added this warning:
"Mexico and many other countries of the Third World are unable to comply with payments agreed... We developing countries do not want to become vassals."
As he warned, our nations became vassals. This has helped to prop up the Western economies for sometime.
How can you pen such an informative piece without mentioning the words "Hung Parliament" which will occur in UK this year? Well, let's go to the good old Wikipedia, shall we?
ReplyDelete"In parliamentary systems, a hung parliament is one in which no political party has an outright majority of seats. This situation is normal in many legislatures with proportional representation such as the parliaments of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and Italy, or in legislatures with strong regional parties; in such legislatures the term 'hung parliament' is rarely used. However in nations in which single member districts are used to elect parliament, and there are weak regional parties, such as the United Kingdom, a hung parliament is a rarity, as in these circumstances one party will usually hold enough seats to form a majority. A hung parliament will usually force either a coalition government, a minority government or a dissolution of parliament. Frequent hung parliaments can result in smaller parties staying in power for decades as they switch support between the two or three major parties (this is what occurred with the Free Democratic Party in Germany)."
Greetings from Kampala. I wish I could take every Kenyan to this beautiful city so that the Ugandans can teach Kenyans a thing or two about good manners (especially motorists) and of course cooking mouth watering, finger licking- food.
M-Pesa
ReplyDeleteObviously you have not driven in Kampala.
... teach Kenyans a thing or two about good manners (especially ...) and of course cooking [mouth watering, finger licking] - food.
ReplyDeleteSorry to bust your new found cuisine bubble in a neighbouring country. Is it your first visit to that country?
First of all, having limited knowledge or lack of exposure with regard to Kenyan cusine is often more comfortable than knowing it.
Yaani, ingorance of what is available in your home country is not an occasion for self deprecating humour in all things culinary.
Mr/Ms. Knoita (Know-It-All), you may not have associated Kenya with world class cuisine, but once you venture into the right places with well informed local Kenyans and discover the real tastes of Kenyan cuisine, you most certainly will.
Some of us may have been raised eating foods and dishes that were rather very simple, since much of the country's population live in poor rural areas and underdeveloped urban neighbourhoods.
Such is the sad state of affairs and a fact of life for many of our people living in a wealthy nation like Kenya.
Fyi, Kenya's abudance of natural produce, combined with rich variety of cultures and traditions, have created a great culinary nation. A nation that's awaiting your overdue discovery - ASAP.
So when commenting about Kenyan cusine, be it in public or private, it's better to know in detail what you are talking about. Please do your home work the next time around.
I once lived in Fort Portal, Kampala, Entebbe and Mbale, hence I would like know what made you believe that some segments of the Kenya population need culinary lessons from our neighbours over there .... who love to eat their stew of groundnuts, beans, meat, chicken, kaunga, matoke, cassava, sweet potato, some of the semi-Indian dishes et al.
How about Mouth watering, finger licking food, Kenyans learn culinary lessons for 2012.
President Barrack Obama is the 44th President of the U.S not 45th.
ReplyDeleteMy gosh! All the pharaohs and their favourite hounds, mighty armies, fastest charioteers, great builders, high priests (who seemed to know God so well than any other mortals on earth), authors of Book of the Dead and the glory they once brought to ancient-Egypt are all gone and long forgotten, with the exception of several archaeological remains, here and there.
ReplyDeleteImagine for a second what type of country Kenya will be by the time Kenyans elect their 45th president?
Talking of 41 presidents after Presidendt Mwai Kibaki, the man who helped Kenyans get their second constitution that changed the nation for the better.
Where will the 45th president come from as in sub-location, location, division, district, province, and ethnicity?
And will current issues of the day that seem soooooooo important to 85% of the 2010 Kenya population matter when the 45th president gets elected?
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! He he he he he he he he he he!
Where will Kumekuchans be when the historic moment debuts a very young Kenyan president?
I am reminded that so many of our names will have ceased to exist in their current form, our remains will be no where to be found, don't even bother with the usual concrete headstones on our graves, and our so called ancestral homes will be no more when the 45th president move into his or her residence at the Uhuru House.
LOL! The current State House will have been transformed into a civic, historic or culturual museum similar to colonial Karen Blixen museum.
History is a great equalizer and every three generations have a way of doing things differently.
Live and let live!
I don't care what anyone says, but Kampala is the place to be. Dishes, manners, women, opportunities...et all. Where was Nairobi when Kampala by passed us? I love cum-pala!
ReplyDeleteLuke:
ReplyDeleteWhat economic growth are you talking about? The idiot has screwed UK into becoming a bankrupt nation (it it already is not?). The only thing left now is open the printing presses to pay of the debts, thus devaluing the pound. The idiot sold most of the country's Gold reserves when it was $300 an ounce.
They idiot has no idea on how to run the country, the track record speaks for itself.
Demogod said...
ReplyDeleteLuke:
What economic growth are you talking about? The idiot has screwed UK into becoming a bankrupt nation (it it already is not?).
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"Unwanted homes in Irish Republic could be demolished."
Irish Republic is now demolishing houses that were built in the era of "stable economic growth" (land speculation) that Brown and his friends tell us about. This land question will destroy many nations before before accept very simple truth.
@ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8653238.stm
this thread is dead, kaput, zilch, or whatever. what's next for the weekend political/economic musings?
ReplyDeletehave a great weekend loaded with whatever musings.
Luke,
ReplyDeleteCheck your facts...Gordon Brown failed as Chancellor of the Exchequer while under Tony Blair. No need to look back further than the financial crisis that happened at the end of 2008. He presided over that 'stable' period that climaxed with British economy coming within a whisker of total collapse. He's been living on borrowed time since then.
As for that part about being an accomplished electoral candidate, he was never elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair just passed it on to him when Brown was elected Party Leader [elections which Brown forced himself]. The English do not vote for their Prime Minister, the leader of the party with the highest share of seats in parliament is appointed.
Cameron hasn't been doing so well himself. The only thing going for him is that he is the Leader of Opposition, things have been going so bad with the economy that the British public want to see anything but Labour. Picture the Army destroying the homes in the Mau in early 2007, as a Kalenjin living in or aroung that area...would you vote for Kibaki in Dec 2007? Didnt think so...
-mm
Nick Clegg, the leader of Liberal Democrat confessed on National TV that he had slept with 30 women (before he got married).
ReplyDelete