₦airaland Forum

MyJoe:
Everyone's doing great. Thanks aplenty!

Good to hear that sir.
 

Lol. Seems you jammed 'em Cockney speaking types. The English, perhaps once you leave a small part of Southern England, have no common language. Higgins said something similar in the movie My Fair Lady 50 years ago and it’s still true today. Once an Englishman opens his mouth you can tell his background. Queens English is actually refreshing to the ear and I’d pick it over any other variety of spoken English any day, but it seems only when spoken by those of them from the “public school” tradition. Most cockney leave you close to tears the way Australian English does.

LOL It'd been a long time since I'd been in an english speaking country and was excited to be in the UK so I again participate in communication and conversations . . . but mehn, the variant of 'english' I heard was just  could not understand a single thing. The thing vex me small lol.

I don’t think what you said was knee-jerk. I meant that for the anti-American conspiracy theorists.

I was actually critisizing myself. My response to Cap was while true in principle, may not be in 100% practice. Which is why I will plead the fifth to your comebacks below:

I disagree with bolded. Let's look at the scenarios.
True. Tribalism is indeed as bad as racism.
Since only a small minority of women are in pologamous marriages these days, this is a big exaggeration. No, you don’t have to be a third wife to survive. None of my many female relatives had to. There are kept women in the US, too. The levels of poverty in Nigeria are much higher than those of the US, that means fewer opportunities, and that, perhaps, means the percentages are higher - not that I am even sure of that. But things are changing. There departments of universities you go to nowadays and you wonder if there’s some maiden dance going on – women are getting educated and liberated.
There are also many women everywhere who have to take to “artistoism” or “kokoletism” to survive. There was an American woman who auctioned her virginity on e-Bay a couple of years or so ago, just so she could raise money to see herself through college. There are probably just more women involved in Nigeria.
I would not bother too much about this. Nigerians, especially those of means, write wills nowadays. Even if you remove wills, such traditions apply, in practical terms, to a small minority of Nigerians.
I will agree with you this is fairly rampant - but still, two quick points (i) It has been reported in the US (ii) Most girls don't have do this to pass, only a small minority of them do. Besides several universities have now come up with reliable means of checking the problem.
Maybe I should just skip this one since it's impossible to guess its extent. But just a few points (i) I know women working in Nigeria who don't have to do this. (ii) It's often not clear cut if it's the lady looking for bosses to sleep with because of a belief (false as often as it's true) that it will help her advance or the boss hounding ladies to sleep with him to keep their jobs. I think it comes down to the mentality of cutting corners to get ahead.
True. While there is crime everywhere, and we may have less of it in Nigeria than the US, the official response to it in places like Nigeria is indefensible.
True if the statement is modified to reflect the fact that only certain cases cannot be treated in Nigeria. There are hospitals sufficiently equipped to treat 99% of ailments suffered by Nigerians living in Nigeria. Afterall, there are people who have never travelled abroad who live above 100 in Nigeria. It's the small minority that make the headlines. Although I must quickly add there is no excuse for that small minority. Most people who die of treatable ailments in Nigeria, whether from going to white garment prophet or "tradomedical" doctor, doctor strikes, inability to travel abroad or whatever reason, do so out of ignorance, superstition or poverty. Which just applies to the US or any other country where the poor may die because they have no health insurance.
I disagree with the bolded. The way I see it, when you leave one clime for another, you exchange one set of problems for another. It is for that reason that there are many people for whom America is not as good as some alternatives out there. To illustrate, Katsumoto said something about being (i) a job seeker (ii) a rich playboy just looking to have fun. These two categories of people have different needs and will the same places from different prisms. One can write a whole book on the advantages of living in Europe over the US, or, yes, Nigeria over the US and vice versa.

^Thank you for this . I don't necessarily disagree with much of what you've said. I'm not in a good position to speak to what the current climate is so I appreciate the break-down, thanks, really. On the bolded bit . . . I see what you're saying. But you'll have to agree that the adv/disadv weigh heavily in one direction over the other. See one of my friends who just got back from Naija . . . why won't stories like these continue to scare and annoy the heck outta me?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-170354.2400.html#msg7664163

But if I were a scientist looking to reach my full potentials, I'd probably kill to be in the US!

Haha! I actually hope to be making a graceful exit from corporate science soon. While I remain enchanted with the dream that is science & knowledge & discovery, the reality for the most part presents a sorry disconnect. Which I've noticed over time results in zombi-ism that is driven only by the promise of a weekly paycheck. And I would like to be driven by more than promise of a weekly paycheck .

But ehn . . . if you hear of any labs venturing into Fringe science . . . mehn, I will work for free!

Katsumoto:
I get your point now. When you used the word soul, I assumed you meant environment, aesthetics, language, Food, etc. When compared with other European countries, the UK is a shining example in terms of opportunities for the coloured person but it can't rival the US. France is not too different from the others (Italy, Germany, Spain). But you have to understand the culture in those places to really understand whats going on. France and Italy are probably one of the most openly racist countries in Europe.

Hmm . . . really? France is pretty well known to be a good place for blacks as MyJoe said. And in my experience I was extremely comfortable - racially speaking - while I was there as opposed to other places. There's racism everywhere, but some places are much much better than others.

I like France for the scenery, language, quality of life, small villages, etc. The same for Italy and Spain. All three are better than the UK in terms of quality of life. If I had a ton of cash and thick skin, ill live in the South of France or Barcelona. If I want job opportunities, then ill live in the UK.

lol. If I had a ton of cash, I would 'live' in at least 10 different places

Katsumoto:
Did you visit Italy and Spain as well? Since you mentioned France, I assume we should ignore discrimination that a coloured person may face in those countries.

Not sure what you mean Katsumoto. I'm joining MyJoe in praising both the UK and France as the only other places that can rival the freedoms and opportunities black people have and enjoy in America.

And yes, Italy was one of my stops (didn't make spain though, next time). And yes, I heard from the mouth of both white and black about how terrible racism is there. Those folks are very honest even when it casts a negative light on them, something I very much liked.

frosbel:
^^^^

Can I ask a simple question.

Where is Israel is your opinion , in the physical location called Palestine or the Body of Christ which is spiritual ?
Secondly do you believe that Jews will be saved without Jesus ? Because if that is the case then the tens of thousands of Jews who are accepting Jesus are wasting their time.

it is both Frosbel - looking from 2 perspectives. Which is why I tried to distinguish between the physical Isreal and the spiritual one. For political and geographical purposes, Isreal is in the MiddleEast. For spiritual purposes, Isreal is any and every who do the will of God.

Both MyJoe and Kodewrita are spot on . . .

MyJoe from the religious/spiritual angle & Kodewrita from the political angle.

Kodewrita,

kodewrita:
@OP no point in trying to rile us against Israel. They are not responsible for your fear in europe. Its your policies that are coming back to haunt you.

Scripture as quoted by joagbaye clearly proves their status irrespective of your personal opinion. However thats no reason to support criminal actions but at the same time, I will not mount a campaign so I can placate arabs who would rather massacre every last jew.

As far as israel not being any better, i beg to differ. pick any Arab/Middle Eastern non-jewish country and we will have a long list of crimes to lay onthem that would make the Gaza incursions look like child's play. Is it Saddam's attack on Iran killing 500,000 people or Turkey's massacre of the armenians or jordan's large scale persecution of the palestinians (not widely known) or the way they are treated in lebanon and syria.

its easy to blame israel because they are the only sensible government in the neighbourhood but hard to realise that there are few other democracies in the world that have had to survive with the same kind of pressures that israel is coping with at the moment. definitely some of their actions are the end-results of external aggression.

Or to bring it home, are you saying they shouldnt have struck back at the guys that launched Grad rockets recently (while Israel was distracted by Iranian ships) to satisfy Israel-bashers like you.

Besides its hard to be even-handed when surrounded by people who vow to push you into the sea (Hamas), deny you the right to exist (Iran), deny that your ancestors perished (Iran and UK Nationalist parties Holocaust denial) fire rockets at your children (pick your choice), refuse to trade with you over something that happen in '67(Saudi, Oman, etc) and continually plan your demise.

This is simply on point my brother, especially the bolded. Very very well said.

kodewrita:
not to worry. the nigerian contingent just left sokoto en route libya with[b] molue and wheelbarrows to conduct a daylight operation[/b]. they should be there any week now.

LOL

MyJoe:
JeSoul is a mainstreamer championing conservative American ideals. My name is MyJoe and I approve this message. 

Howdy, JeSoul?

MyJoe! my it has been a long time . I am well sir. How are you doing? Hows the family? I hope all has been sunshine and seabreeze .

Lol@ 'mainstreamer'. Is that what I sound like?  

I always feel a bit at a loss when Americans make this sort of claim in bold. I mean, an American friend of mine once kept going on and on about freedom and I was forced to launch into facts and figures proving there is actually far more “freedom” in France than the US.

All things considered, the US is the greatest nation on earth. But, of course, there is no position you or any black occupies in the US that they can’t in the UK or France. The US has had a black woman as foreign minister, the UK, with much smaller percentage of blacks has had an international development minister. But these ideas are actively promoted in the US and people tend to believe and repeat them without, it seems, matching them with present day or even historical realities. Personally I tend to bracket them with knee-jerk anti-Americanism, another fad I have little patience for.

This is true. I was opportuned to do some vast travelling recently and France was the only country I could see myself living in joyfully besides America . . . the UK didn't really appeal to me . . . no 'soul' imo, if you know what I mean. And for supposed 'owners' of the English language, you cannot hear a dam thing they say when they speak 

Okay being serious . . .

You're right the overall tone of my post could be accused of being 'knee-jerk'. I only hope that in my brashness, the real point I was trying to make was not lost. That America, almost always (and certainly for me) is the best place for a black woman to be.

I don't agree with your typification of Africa versus America, but maybe some other time I will say something about that.

lol. Perhaps. Show me an African woman, and 9.9 out of 10 have faced at least one of the scenarios I mentioned. As much as I love Africa, God, our shortcomings in so many departments of life are so severe. Perhaps my 'typification-ing' was harsh . . . but honestly, I think it is well earned and deserved. And as always, I'm open to being educated on anything I might be wrong on.

Cheers my sir

cap28:
Je soul, nothing spoil. I know you don't mean any harm.

When i criticise america i direct my crticisms towards the US govt but lets agree to disagree about america.

Thanx for the cake though it was delicious

You're more than welcome my brother I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I have questions for you . . . political, but I moreso on the philosophical slant of things. I'll be on one of your other 'conspiracy' threads

Ibime:
Obama is a punk.

Dude, don't insult my president jare   

He couldn't speak against the hard targets of Mubaraks regime, yet he's ranting and raving about Fidel who is a soft target.

If Obama no dey careful, Fidel's sponsor Hugo Chavez fit turn off the pipeline to teach him to guard his utterances.

Obama should first tell us about human rights violations in US-supported Pinochet's Chile, Mobutu's Zaire, Mubarak's Egypt etc, not to forget the continued violation of the Kurdish in US ally Turkey. Then we would take all his rantings about Fidel seriously!!!

I do agree that most left wing revolutionaries are too paranoid about counter-revolution and always attack their opponents with the most repressive arms of the military state. Animal Farm and Stalin's famous purges come to mind, not forgetting the murder of Trotsky in Mexico. Likewise Che Guevara's trial and execution of many counter-revolutionaries.

100% agree with you there, and is the 'problem' as a whole with international politics . . .

   what is in a country's national interest or security takes precedence or priority over ideology or moral concerns or 'the right thing to do'. We support dictators if its in our best interest and oppose them when it isn't. Usually, the relationship is symbiotic anyways . . . both sides get something out of the relationship. That is an unfortunate reality and I daresay most of us would do the exact same thing if we were in Obama's shoes. Obama's problem is that he sold himself as a 'champion' of change and a departure from the norm (which politician doesn't self?) and now that it's time to walk the walk he's finding out the world doesn't really 'work' that way.

Katsumoto:
Many people die on the roads in Nigeria because the government can't be bothered to fix roads. Many die due to inadequate health infrastructure. Yes I do not care about the human rights of rulers who are directly and indirectly responsible for the death of citizens. That is different from the human rights abuse of human rights and civil liberties campaigners.

Okay, understood. How does this exculpate Castro from his crimes? unless you're saying he has committed none other than non-feasance. In which case I will simply say 'Godbless'.

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cap28:
I was going to ignore your underhanded attempt to take my words out of context in the post about Abacha but i thought it best to put you straight - first of all when quoting people always refer to the context in which those words were made - Did i start off the topic declaring Abacha a hero or did i say that Abacha was  a hero in refusing to give in to the IMF's demand that he take on crippling loans with draconian repayment conditionalities attached to them?

Please refer back to that topic and you will find that the discussion was about how Abacha refused to go along with the well known scam perpetrated by international financial institutions in which foreign countries are coerced into borrowing more money than they need in order to enrich the donor nation (the united states) whilst simultaneously leaving the recipient nation and its people with the crippling prospect of picking up the tab which continues to grow larger and larger each year because of the never ending interest repayments. 

Please can you stop misquoting me and taking my words out of context.

Cap, you're right. I apologize if my comment came off as trying to misrepresent you as that was certainly not my intent. No vex ehn. Here's a piece of chocolate cake to appease you . . .
https://andreasrecipes.com/photos/ISO_german_choc_cake_slice.jpg

With regard to your comments about Castro - his achievements and assistance to all oppressed people the world over speak for themselves and there is nothing you can do to change who he is and what he represents.

It is your prerogative to educate yourself about what is really going on in the world or remain in the dark and accept the lies, distortions, ommissions and half truths fed to you courtesy of the western corporate media, i refuse to allow my mind to be hijacked by people with a hidden agenda.

America that you think is the bastion of democracy is a country that refused to allow people who look like you the right to vote, eat in the same restaurant ,use the same restroom, attend the same schools and sit down on a seat in a bus beside a white person UNTIL 1968 !!!!!!

To date all people of african descent in america suffer higher unemployment, poorer quality healthcare,education and housing than their white counterparts - so my advice to you is direct some of that hypocritical outrage towards the united states and stop demonising a man and a nation whose history you know very little about.

You make me smile Cap. You already know I like you and have high regard for your knowledge . . . but your anti-west bias is really your greatest handicapp.

America is the greatest country on earth. Lemme say that again. America is the greatest country on earth.

For all her faults and shortcomings, for all her sins and atrocities, for her terrible history and dark beginings . . . please name one country on the face of the planet where I as a black woman can be afforded the opportunities and rights that I presently have and to the high degree that I have them. Please name just one country. Biko. Thank you in advance.

Should I go to africa? where there is no 'racism' but tribalism that is just as fierce and deadly reigns supreme? where I can become chief's 3rd wife in order to survive? or one of the kokolettes hustling their bodies and self-esteem just to be able to survive? or hope if my husband dies in-laws will not accuse me of killing him and therefore take all my property and banish me and my children out of our own house? or have to sleep with my professor in order to pass the course? or with my boss in order to stay employed? tell me Cap? where if I am robbed or rayped the best I can hope is karma or celestial justice in another life? or where if I am sick, the likeliest course of action is to solicit prayers at a cost from the local crooked pastor? or if I am shot and almost killed by theives (just like my friend was) no one will be held accountable?   

Like I said, America is not perfect - never has been, and never will be. But by God and all His angels . . . America is by far better than any other 'alternative' out there. And I love Nigeria die, but fact is fact. And if all this makes me brainwashed, then may brainwashing always be my portion.

and like I said, if Castro is a hero to you, then Godbless you. I can think of a significant number of countries and peoples that drastically disagree with that estimation. One need look only as far as google to see just how many . . .

Katsumoto:
Body dey kampe; how yours?

Thieves, state looters and their collaborators who deny millions of citizens access to basic amenities do not deserve to have human rights protected. Many people all over the world die daily because rulers can't be bothered to provide amenities. Why should we care about their human rights?

Oga I dey jare.

You're kidding right? Non-feasance is very different from malfeasance my friend. Are you saying why should we not  be concerned about human rights if basic amenities are not available? Please correct me if I'm misquoting you.

---

@topic,
This just yesterday, Obama made comments about Cuba and the Castro(s) regime:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110223/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_cuba_dissidents

Obama denounces Cuba's treatment of dissidents
HAVANA – U.S. President Barack Obama denounced the Cuban government Wednesday for harassing the mother of a political prisoner who died after a long hunger strike, and said her treatment and the detention of other dissidents stood as evidence of the island's poor human rights record.

. . .

A leading Cuban human rights leader told The Associated Press that at least 46 opposition activists had been detained across the island Wednesday, including another well-known hunger striker, Guillermo Farinas. Many of those detained were quickly released, but Farinas remained in custody late Wednesday afternoon.

Obama said Zapata's "selfless and tragic death" had "galvanized the world's attention to the ongoing mistreatment of those unjustly held by Cuban authorities."

. . .

Obama's criticism followed similar sentiments by Amnesty International denouncing Cuba for its treatment of Zapata's mother, Reina Luisa Tamayo, who was detained for about 12 hours last week in her hometown of Banes, in eastern Cuba.

But no, only on NL, Castro is an 'inspirational figure' and a 'hero'. I guess until the end of his deadly staff touches close to home, one is entitled whatever no-be-my-papa's-business view they want. Next we'll soon hear Ghaddafi too is a 'courageous' and 'legendary' and 'inspirational' figure.

Anything that has been genetically engineered we ought to be rightfully wary of. Are there any long-term studies that have closely monitored the effects of the consumption of these birds in countries that currently consume them? But then again here out west almost everything we eat has undergone some kind of genetic alteration to make it either bigger, easier to produce and transport or have a longer shelf-life.

I wish Naija would aim to stay as organic as possible . . . I'm sure genetically altered foods are contributing to many of the health problems we see in the west.

cap28:
Castro is definitely not a tyrant, dictator or human rights abuser - he liberated his country from a US supported tyrant and dictator known as Batista who allowed the mafia to run gambling and prostitution rackets all over Cuba.  Castro got rid of all of these parasistes who were destroying Cuba and succeeded in alleviating poverty and  exploitation of his people at the hands of Batista and the US govt.

Under the Batista regime US multinationals were allowed to take over 90% of the land and use it to grow sugar   the Cuban people were not allowed to own land and many were forced to work on the US owned sugar plantations for a pittance.

Before Castro took over black cubans faced terrible racial discrimination and many could not afford to get an education, the few who did, could not get jobs as they were condemned to a life of second class citizenship in their own country.  Castro overhauled all of that and provided free education for all Cubans irrespective of race up to university level, Castro also introduced access to free medical care to all of its citizens, a feat not even acheived by the US, a world super power!! 

Castro also was responsible for helping many african countries fight to liberate themselves from colonial and aparthied rule.  He sent 300, 000  troops to Angola to help the MPLA who were fighting to rid themselves from Portuguese colonial rule while the US govt which claims to be defenders of democracy funded and assisted the UNITA the opposition group which was backed and funded by the racist apartheid regime of south africa!!!
Needless to say Castro's Cuban troops DEFEATED and humiliated UNITA.

Castro  has been behind the struggle of every african nation to rid itself of white domination and exploitation, Cuba sent medical doctors and various other professionals to various african countries to assist in treating the sick and wounded during various liberation struggles (Congo, Angola, South Africa)

If anything Castro is an inspirational figure and a symbol of great courage, selflessness and the triumph of good over evil.

With all this chatter you have not said much.

Castro is an angel.

Coming from someone who argued with me for 2 pages that Abacha is hero . . .

The only comment I have is that anti-west bias is preventing you from seeing and acknowleding the obvious. Has Castro done some good? yes. Did Hitler self even do some good? yes as well. But one is only a short click away from google . . . countless sources both Cuban and international are all crying foul at Castro. Cubans themselves from the saftey of foreign soil are also crying foul. But hey, if he's a hero to you, whom am I to convince you otherwise? to each his own.

Katsumoto, how body now?
'Tyrant' and 'dictator' are not even the primary descriptors I was using for Castro in particular, but human rights abuser, he scores more than a passing grade.

[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=344420.msg7732195#msg7732195 date=1297731223]http://www.cavstheblog.com/?p=4350

Speaking of Hickson, he was nearly as bad as Jamison on defense. Bad shows, blown assignments, miscommunications, you name it. Antawn Jamison is easily the worst defensive forward I have ever seen in my life, but Hickson isn’t a whole lot better defensively. Jamison and Hickson make Blatche and McGee look like Duncan and Robinson.

Absolutely hilarious [/quote] omigosh . . . that is just so wrong in so many ways Lol. Its truly amazing how players like Hickson (whom I was praising last yr btw) suddenly look like trash in the absence of the greatness that is LeBron . . . they cannot hop on his coattails and ride for free anymore, and we're all seeing their true colors.

[quote author=A-40 link=topic=344420.msg7722035#msg7722035 date=1297577427]So coach Sloan has resigned! No thanks to Deron Williams lol! Its a star's league I guess[/quote]So sudden and so suspicious. Well . . . change is almost always a good thing.

@Jesoul
Haha its a decoy jare for the Knicks to move before the transfer deadline! The real gbege would happen in 2012 when Dwight Howard pulls a Shaq and moves to L.A that's what they are saving Bynum for lol and talking about Bynum shey you saw how he killed yall the other day

Ha! yeah right dude. DH is going to retire an Orlando magic. You can take that to the bank TB40. Any bank.

And oh, forgive me if I don't place any weight whatsoever on the Lakers win at Boston . . . Celtics played without key players including Shaq, Jermaine O'neal, Delonte West, Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels and Semih Erden . . . the real story should be people congratulating the Celtics for making it such a close game playing without a bench.
 
  And the lakers went on to show us how 'great' the win in Boston was by being blown out at Orlando and Charlotte. Including Kwame Brown of all people taking Bynum to school lol. Abegi jor. Next! 

---

rasputinn:
Thereafter,Bosh was to say"I guess for us to beat the Celtics,we've gotta wait for another three months,I really hate losing to those guys"
LOL[/i]

Lol . . . I thought that was a pretty cool and honest comment from Bosh . . . who likes losing anyways?

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/16/bachmann-targets-michelle-obama/ 

Bachmann targets Michelle Obama
Washington (CNN) - Rep. Michele Bachmann, a potential Republican presidential candidate, is taking issue with Michelle Obama over the first lady's recent promotion of bosom-feeding.

Speaking to conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham Tuesday, the Minnesota Republican said Obama's efforts to promote b.reast-feeding and the IRS's announcement that nursing supplies that aide in the practice can be deducted from tax returns amounts to a "new definition [of] the nanny state."

"This is very consistent with where the hard left is coming from," Bachmann told Ingraham. "For them, government is the answer to every problem."

"I've given birth to five babies and I br.east fed every single one of these babies," she added. "To think that government has to go out and buy my br.east pump for my babies? You wanna talk about the nanny state, I think you just got a new definition."

The comments come on the heels of Obama's recent contention that bre.ast-feeding can play a key role in reducing childhood obesity.

"We also want to focus on the important touch points in a child's life. And what we're learning now is that early intervention is key. Brea.stfeeding. Kids who are bre.astfed longer have a lower tendency to be obese," Obama told a group of reporters last week, according to Politics Daily.

"Br.eastfeeding is a very personal choice for every woman," Kristina Schake, a spokeswoman for Obama, later said. "We are trying to make it easier for those who choose to do it."

It's not the first time Obama has faced ire from the right when it comes to childhood nutrition. Sarah Palin told Ingraham last fall that "the first lady cannot trust parents to make decisions for their own children, for their own families in what we should eat."

For crying out loud, what is wrong with Michelle Obama simply encouraging mothers to b.reast feed their infants?   I understand the IRS choosing to allow breat-feeding costs to be deducted can be seen as intruding into areas that should be govt-free and could be a slippery slope but still . . .

What Michelle Obama is promoting is a good thing, including her entire campaign against child obesity which is out of control in America. Conservatives should learn to applaud good moves and not always scream "govt-takeover" at everything, especially if its a positive move that is being championed by the 'left'.

kodewrita:
@jesoul. protests alone never do the work, it must be backed by proper planning. check youtube for a serbian resistance group called OPFOR. their playbook was what the tunisians used and then the egyptians followed. Infact some of the key organisers in egypt travelled to Serbia to meet the OPFOR team. what they advocate is definitely non-violent but its more than just placard-carrying. its more than just stopping traffic in lagos and abuja. its a whole lot more. watch that and get back to me.

Thanks for explaining Kodewrita, I think I understand your position much better. So you're not against 'placarding' per se, but insist that it must be first and above all organized, led by capable leaders, targeted in its goal and executed properly? not just a bunch of people carrying signs outside the state house?

  If that's what you're saying, then I don't think you're saying anything overly different from Aisha2 .

---

rasputinn:
I dey Laff o
Was it not just last week that Ghadaffi was congratulating the people of Egypt for toppling Mubarak,now the chicken has come home to roost

Lol. My brother na so oh. Ahmadinejad was also praising the 'revolution' in Egypt. Protest began in Iran a few days ago and guess what, his government is calling for the execution (can you imagine) of the protest leaders. Hypocrisy has no greater poster child than these tyrants.

Prez and Thameamead,

  As much as I agree with both of you about the sorry state of the dynamics of international politics, I can't help but feel that I think if we were in a position of power, we would see things very differently, and be less cavalier about what we expect to happen. What you're asking of Obama is unrealistic in the world that we live in. A leader has to do what he has to do for the best interest of his country - not his ideals. He cannot risk antagonizing the source of our oil, or attack the Chinese on their human rights violations because they're our bankers right now etc etc. If he were Bono or Nelson Mandela or some other private citizen/activist that would be a different story.

  Honestly, we have to sometimes put idealism on the backburner and face up with realism.

Realism in international relations theory

Realism in international relations theory is one of the dominant schools of thinking within the international relations discipline. Realism or political realism prioritizes national interest and security over ideology, moral concerns and social reconstructions. This term is often synonymous with power politics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realism_in_international_relations_theory

aisha2:
Thanks girl

My sister you are welcome jare. Opportunity never affords me the chance to say enough that you are one of the few NLders I truly respect and admire. I pray God will continue to empower you to do all that you do. Amen oh.

fstranger3:
The guy already said prayer.

May be you should just stick with just observing. You obviously do not have the mental capacity to post in this section. Just stay in romance, ok?

A failed attempt at humor I've been on NL since '07. I probably have less than 10posts in the romance section. Try again stranger, you might do better 

and oh, I don't think Kodewrita has said "prayer" is the answer anywhere. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I'm usually a happy spectator in this section, but I just had to comment and salute/support my sister Aisha on this. Girl, may wisdom and understanding never cease to be yours.

kodewrita:
@aisha2 It is my personal belief that we Nigerians waste time using tools we see in the outer world automatically expecting it to work here. If we will bring down any tyrants or other people we have to be way more crafty than just carrying placards. that doesnt work. I agree we must have played a role SOMEHOW. but that was not the whole picture.

Kodewrita, oga, if I may ask, what other means or actions would you personally suggest other than mass protests?

mabell:
The blood of Jesus
What's in this blood
Is it right to pray with it? For example, covering your house, children and so on with the blood of Jesus.
Why do people use it
Is it scriptural or man made?

Mabell, check out this topic:
No Respect For Blood Of Jesus In Nigeria  https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-250657.0.html

Also Prez, please read this article posted here in the section by a fella named Krayola. It blessed me immensely and I'm sure it will bless you too.

Faith Is Trusting God, Not Belief In Doctrine https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-590298.0.html

Krayola:
I just read a blog that I thought was kinda interesting. Just want to know what you guys think. Agree? DIsagree? why or why not? Besides some of the claims about "God" which though I don't exactly disagree with, I have some reservations about, I think he makes a lot of sense.

Are you a believer?

Have you ever been asked this question before? Did the question and your search for an answer make you uncomfortable? Did you wonder to yourself what does this question really mean? For me, the answer to all these questions is "yes."

When I was growing up, I often heard the popular refrain in Christianity that to be "saved" all one needed was to have "faith." When asked what "having faith" meant, the reply was typically "believing that Jesus is the son of God." In other words, all we are required to do in order to have eternal life is to believe a certain set of facts about events that occurred over 2,000 years ago, and whatever else we do in our lives (cheating, stealing, murder, etc.) is irrelevant.

I struggled with this issue because logically it didn't make sense to me. Why would an all-powerful God, who created all of existence, care about a single belief we held? Anthropologists would say that for the vast majority of us, our beliefs are culturally conditioned. Is the Hindu raised in India with little exposure to Christianity who lives an exemplary life going to hell because she does not believe what an American who grows up in the Bible-belt is taught from a young age? What happens when an article of faith (for example, that God created the world in 6 days 6,000 years ago) contradicts what we know from other disciplines like science, history, and archaeology?

The more I thought about this issue, the more it seemed that the formula of "believe in the doctrine of XYZ" and "you will be saved" was little more than a carrot and stick approach to encourage people to conform to the doctrine of whatever authority was making the proclamation. The history of politics has shown that this exact strategy has been employed countless times (often to terrible results) by authoritarian regimes to compel conformity and thus solidify the power of the institution.

The modern view of believing in Jesus in order to be saved has its roots in Martin Luther's Reformation which responded to the Catholic practice of selling indulgences (paying the church for salvation) by substituting the doctrine of Justification by Faith as outlined by St. Paul. According to this doctrine, we cannot be saved by our good works because at heart we are all imperfect sinners -- our works will never be good enough for God. We are only saved through our faith in Jesus.

However, as Luther's doctrine has evolved over the centuries, it has been distorted so that "faith" has become synonymous with "belief." What has happened is that a new requirement has been substituted for good works. Making belief a requirement for salvation is just replacing another kind of work -- the mental work of belief in something -- as a condition to salvation. It is trying to bring in through the back door the type of human action and interference in God's salvation that Luther objected to with the Catholic church selling indulgences.

So what is the meaning of Luther's justification by faith? This means simply that we are already saved. We don't have to do anything for our salvation, and this includes believing in a specific doctrine. When we combine this theory with the conception of God (which I have outlined in earlier posts) as the creative power behind all of existence (instead of a supernatural being who judges our actions like Zeus from the top of Olympus), we can begin to understand how we are already part of the infinite and eternal power of being. The "Kingdom of God" is already present and real because it is the basis that underlies all reality. However, we do not realize that we are already saved -- we do not experience this salvation in our day-to-day lives. We live lives in which our egos dominate us and in which we live apart from the ground of reality that is God. Using an analogy from science, we experience only one side of reality -- our bodies and the spaces around us -- but if we were to look at reality at the molecular level, reality looks very different -- what appears solid is actually made up mostly of space and the empty space around us is filled with particles.

The path to salvation thus becomes more like an awakening, an understanding, and an experience of what is already here but we cannot see. The spiritual path (prayer, meditation, fasting, worship, etc.) becomes a mechanism to peal back the onion layers of who we are and what we think the world around us is, so that we can examine the power of God within ourselves, within others, and within existence itself. Salvation is an opening of our eyes and hearts, a new way of seeing the universe.

Faith then is not belief in a certain doctrine about Jesus, but a trust in using him as an example of what it looks like to live a God-centered life. Through the stories in the Gospels (whether or not the details are historical are irrelevant), we can understand the nature of God's presence within the world and what a God-centered life looks like: a life of humility, compassion, love without boundaries, a life which experiences suffering and doubt, but a life that ultimately participates in the eternal power of God that transcends death.

We've all heard the expression "Try it on faith." This doesn't mean, "Believe me" but rather "Trust me, and experience it for yourself." Faith is about testing, questioning, and doubting. In science these qualities lead to greater truths, why shouldn't the same apply to religion? For me, religion is about embracing the unknown and the difficult -- a journey of exploration that never really gets there because ultimately I am finite. Faith is about being comfortable with my doubts because doubt is part of my search for truth. Faith is not a closing of my eyes and mind to the real world, to science, to modern knowledge, or to experience, but it is the opposite: an opening up and a new way of seeing.

Understanding evolves and changes with information; it is open and dynamic. The history of science shows us that whatever our beliefs and theories are today, they will probably be proved wrong over time, and we will then adapt our theories to the new information. Yet in religion we often hold onto cherished beliefs in the face of contrary facts. I think we should borrow from the model of science and allow our religious beliefs to evolve with time as well. But we should be cognizant of the difference between scientific knowledge and understanding through faith and religious experience. I view faith as another form of knowledge that is based more on insight and wisdom. It is using intuition as a way of understanding versus pure reason. But it should not be in conflict with reason, science, and experience. Therefore when I pose the question at the top of my blog "What do you believe?", I do so as an invitation to explore your beliefs, to question them, and to engage in a deeper search for meaning that may mean confronting uncomfortable facts and evolving your views.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-small/faith-is-not-a-synonym-fo_b_810458.html

[quote author=pres-elect link=topic=602750.msg7725840#msg7725840 date=1297639784]Dear Jesoul,
I decided to start by researching the history of the bible. I had to stop at a point bc the information I was getting was almost converting me into an atheist.[/quote]I am glad you're doing such extensive research Prez that is good. I am aware of most of what you mentioned. I have only one advice for you, just let the same Holy Spirit of God that convicts your heart of God's existence and of your need for salvation - direct you into all things. Because theories abound, conspiracies aplenty, speculations are endless, opinions will vary, history will be presented from all kinds of angles and perspectives. On what you should and ought to 'logically' believe and whether the bible is accurate etc etc there are a thousand voices and one. There is no scarcity of different ideas on God and Jesus and the bible.

To me personally Prez, whether the bible can or cannot be proven or historically shown to be accurate is now and has always been irrelevant. Which is why a lot of the things you mentioned you found in your research has had zero impact on my belief. Because I did not first believe based on what could be 'proven' or 'verified' or a 'best estimate', so why start now? I believed because I found the word itself to be power, jumping off the pages and becoming real in my own life. That is why I personally still believe it. Not because any researcher or scientist can 'prove' it is legit.

And as you conduct your own search for truth and understanding, I trust you will make up your own mind on what to believe my dear sir Godbless as always.

---

and btw, I am waiting for you on my Presidents thread , watch me now, I will soon become his biggest defender on NL

Very nice photos . . . in a very twisted way.

The dead body being flung in the Haiti morgue picture is just and the suicide dude, hmm . . . and the over-crowded train station

Kobojunkie:
In a newspaper column called "The Revolutionary Rebellion in Egypt", Castro accused Washington of looking the other way while Hosni Mubarak pillaged his own people.

Well, Castro is 100% right on that.

More interesting to me in all this is the fact that world-class tyrants and dictators and human rights abusers such as Castro and Dinner-jacket who themselves have squashed and severely punished similar movements in their own countries, all coming forward to "praise" the revolution in Egypt . . . hmmmm

^reading my post again . . . I sound like such a resolute pessimist about world affairs and how we do business. Lol. Make una nor blame me jor, na so I see am, na so I go call am.

thameamead:
Siz,
The west cannnot continue to support tyrants and dictators, the West talk about Democracy all the time but most of the tyrants they cosy up to in the Middle East are tyrants who will do anything to stay in power, they won't allow oppostion to have rallies and they control the media, they torture people who disagree with them, am dissappointed in President Obama, he should have asked Mr Murbark to quit immediately but instead he was bn told by the Saudi King who happens to be another tyrant not to humilate Mr Mubark.

thameamead:
Siz,
The West only talk about democracy when they need to invade counties like Iraq which has a oil and Afghanstan which had natural resources, Am so proud of the people of Egypt and my heart goes out to the people who lost loved ones in helping to topple Mr Mubark but that is the price of Freedom, innocent lives are lost.

. . . and you have hit the nail squarely on the head.

Politicians like Obama wax poetical on the campaign trail, they promise all these lofty ideals of democracy and a better world - and I don't blame them because they don't know better - until they actually get into office and then suddenly find out that that is not how the world works.

  You are 1000% right that the west will preach 'democracy' in one case, yet turn a blind eye in another - this is because at the end of the day, its all about looking out for YOUR own interest. And it is in the best interest of the US (not Egypt) for Mubarak to have stayed in power and maintained the status quo. CNN and the rest of them are now criticizing Mubarak as if he just got into power, he's been there for 30yrs! yet they've been fine to look the other way. Anderson Cooper and co. are suddenly acting like they're part of a 'revolution'. Where were they these past 30yrs Mubarak has been brutally killing people? I laugh at these pretenders.

  Deep down Obama may have wanted to tell Mubarak to quit, but in reality he can't - because He has to work for the good of America first and above all. Unfortunately, this is how the world works. We support dictators when it profits us, and oppose them when they don't profit us . . . and sister, every single country does this. Which is why I don't fault Obama on this. We have to get in bed with filthy leaders if the union is in our best interest - this is reality. Not that hope and change warrever he was preaching on the campaign trail.

seyibrown:
Are you really saying that those who accept Christ with their last breath, and other 'persecuted' people who get no chance for water baptism are not saved?

Salvation is not about 'religious rites'; It is by grace through faith!

Seyi, my sister lemme save both you and my dear Chuks some trouble. I have 'fought' with Chukwudi on this matter before  here's the thread:

Would Someone Go To Hell If He Doesn't Do Water Baptism?
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-420977.0.html

Nice topic to resurrect sister

thameamead:
America and UK knew about human rights abuse in Egypt but they turned a blind-eye to it because of his relationship with Israel.

Gbam. I agree fully here. But thameamead, I think Obama has handled the situation as well as he can. I mean he cannot come out hard against Mubarak since the US has been their ally for forever. Plus the US doesn't just give "aid" out of the goodness of their hearts, they're also getting something out of the relationship so both sides have something to lose. I think Obama has done what he can, he has to tread very sofly as we don't have many allies in the ME. He can't afford to burn the few bridges we have. The rest really is up to the Egyptian people.

@Prez, here's an article that you can read to your hearts delight. Gets down and dirty into details on problematic OT verses. Very long and in-depth so brave it at your own risk or benefit
, Does God condone slavery in the Bible? http://christianthinktank.com/qnoslave.html

mazaje:
I dey ohh my sister, two days? Wetin dey happen? How is the new year going? May the year be good to us all. . . . .I gas dey move around ohh, man no suppose dey stay for one place all the time, its risky . . . .Best wishes. . .Will read up your post when I get home. . .

My brother the year is going jare . Tank you for the wishes. You no fit stay for one place? risky how? do you owe somebody money there? lol. Journey man, may your feet always land on fertile soil, amen oh .

And yes pls read that 'rebuttal' - its actually speaks the opinions of both sides so its a good read. Your input is always and ever fierce and takes no prisoners . Take care ehn.