From serious to saDcarstic news : countdown.

Many news items surface in the last day so that it would be hard to separate them into categories.  the best option to cover them all is then to rank them from serious to be answered fully down to a bit ridiculous to be smacked with one liners. With that in mind, here is our post-vacation return to news on this blog.

In Saudi Arabia, we learned yesterday that King Salman has re-arranged the succession order.  As we said before on Definitive Lapse of Reason, this is important because hitherto, the new kings were all sons of the Kingdom’s founder Ibn Seoud. This horizontal succession line is now going to move to the more standard vertical model with his nephew Muhammad Bin Nayef replacing his brother Prince Muqrin and his son Mohammed Bin Salman taking the next spot.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-29/saudi-king-names-mohamed-bin-nayef-as-crown-prince-i923l6xu

One cannot decouple this from a previous move made early in his rule by King Salman that had appointed the said son as Minister of Defense. Strictly speaking, this could be seen solely as a way to favor the monarch’s family and it is. However, these were not the only changes made earlier this year. In general, King Salman has modernized the state’s directorate on essential matters such as economy, politics and security / defense. One set of results of this can be found in the operations in neighboring Yemen and the accompanying proposed Rapid reaction Force of the Muslim League.
Indeed, the new situation of the Middle-East as well as the future of Saudi Arabia warranted this. Saudi Arabia is facing many important challenges under conditions that are changing fast. A short list includes :

– Shift to Asia in Washington that saw a decrease in interest by America or a loss in reliability from the local view point;

– the above exemplified by the Iranian deal being pushed fast forward which Ryiadh does not approve of;

– changes in the region consecutive to the Arab Spring of 2011 that cannot be swiped away even in the authoritative KSA, for if the public opinion can still be contained, the results are very tangible elsewhere, say Syria;

– security as the very groups born out of the active spreading Wahhabi variant of the faith are now outflanking it on the political model front ( ISIL );

– and a change in oil exports, now that fracking has diminished the USA need for it do that variations are more linked to the international situation and less bi-lateral as they used to be.

Other challenges are more internal but still essential such as the energy crisis stemming in big part from the need for water which consumes a lot of it and will only rise over the next years and decades to cover the population increase, itself a sticking point due to the presence of a majority of non-nationals as imported labor ( even though that is a more dire predicament in other GCC states ). In order to adapt to all the above, Saudi Arabia could not spare an adaption of its ruling structure.
It is then this and not solely a familial takevoer that King Salman is undertaking. When his son replaced a long standing defence minister, it was also to bring in new blood in the sense of a new generation. The question that may be asked is thus not why the changes but why so fast! And to that too, there is  a simple answer ; The King’s health is not so good. Oh, sure, the news stories are rare on this subject  and some were even pulled out from publication :
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/media/television-and-radio/2015/02/02/Washington-Post-apologizes-for-unsubstantiated-report-on-King-Salman-s-health.html

And yet, transparency over reverence accounts for a limited timeframe. If indeed the monarch is suffering from a life threatening disease, whatever the nature of it, he has a limited amount of time to enact the solutions to the pressing issues we’ve just outlined. That he would then even undertake these reforms is a proof of his dedication to his duty. Renewing the power base of the nation also serves to minimize the main consequence of the transverse line of succession, namely growing age of the Princes. It is a coherent way of insuring that the challenges will be met and should be lauded.
For the reader, expect more transformations to come or in other words, don’t take your eyes off Saudi Arabia. Its role in the region is not diminishing, quite the contrary.
Nearby in the Mediterranean, the last two weeks were centered on the tragedy of migrants dying in droves. One single incident was so repeated in the news that I had to explain to people that it was one sinking of an immigrants packed vessel and not many different ones. But in typical fashion, the more noise in the media, the less results in the deciders’ offices. So Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi went public. So the EU forced by his outcry promised to help … and so in turn little came out of it.
http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20150424090449/immigration-naufrage-m-diterran-e-union-europ-enne-immigration-m-diterran-e-accord-a-minima-sur-triton-dont-les-moyens-sont-tripl-s.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/africa/2015/04/blog-desperate-measures-african-migrants-150425142227464.html

The first link in French from the excellent Jeune Afrique magazine summarizes the measures : a triple fold increase in budget of the Triton program that replaced Italy’s Mare Nostrum salvation effort late last year. That now reaps around 9 million euros a month. And that’s it. Oh France has included two more ships for the task and Belgium one but even Germany that has a reasonable navy only committed to “looking into it”, i.e. later, maybe! Why so little?
Strictly speaking, the problem has two sides. One is found inside Europe. The European Union is first and foremost and economic one. Political unity is still far off and in fact each country defends its interests staunchly in that respect. Do consider for instance that a common defense is yet in the very distant future at best. The richest country Deutschland is not strong on international action and its sizable army is not anywhere near full operational capacity. England is one of 2 nations with means in that respect and mostly follows Washington around. France is at present the only European country still actively involved worldwide on an individual basis ( Mali, etc ). The rest is torn between complacency and NATO or the US which is actually almost the same although to those in the know in America itself, that link is eroding as fast as the Alliance usefulness itself. ( The reason for which being that NATO just as the EU itself relies on perfect consensus for important matters so that any one participant can block the whole thing which is reminiscent of the veto rights in the UN’s Security Council. ) Transpose this on immigration and you will find again each country stuck on its prerogatives. As Jeune Afrique reported, the crisis meeting drew up a figure of 5 000 slots for refugees before ( alas correctly ) concluding that this number being irrationally low, doing nothing would be more reasonable than acting on it ( sic ). The second problem is even less palatable but must be addressed.
Those migrants are not a European problem anyway. Oh, I know, it is near immoral to say so out loud but sadly it is true. The people on these boats are trying to flee hellholes void of any hope. Europe is their Eldorado. The only reason for Italy’s courageous and solitary actions until October 2014 was that they have an island by the coast of Libya named Lampedusa where thousands of migrants are now parked in unsavory conditions. Until the demise of Muammar Gaddhafi in 2011, Libya in fact traded its stymying of illegal immigration for various favors from the north shore. Now that the central power has vanished in that country, the human traffickers are free to operate. As is our habit on this blog, we’ll be frank and brutal ; do you want an end to these deaths? Here is Triton’s realistic three-prong trident then :

A- unload this global problem on the UN as part of reducing world inequalities ( expect a plan next century and a solution never );

B- move into Libya with troops and bring it under control that way ( it will go back to unheard of if not solved );

C- let Italy sell Lampedusa and clean its hands of it.

Nice? No! Morally acceptable? Nope! Realistic? Certainly for let’s be blunt, there are other examples of way to solve this. Do what Australia and America are doing : ship them back off as soon as they arrive! It ain’t pretty but it works. In the meanwhile, whining constantly about it is but a way to cover ones tracks.
One way to show the implacable truth behind this comes through in another scandal in the news today.
http://www.bdlive.co.za/africa/africannews/2015/04/30/french-soldiers-accused-of-sexual-assault-in-africa

A leaked report from the UN reveals that some French soldiers are under investigation for sexual assault on Central African Republic minors. The problem was disclosed to French authorities last summer whom took it seriously enough that it was since transferred from the Armed Forces to a Paris prosecutor office. One UN worker finding the delay unreasonable then leaked it to the press.
I was asked earlier to day by fellow forumers from Pakistan to comment on this. Here is in a nutshell what I answered. No country is void of such bad people as the perpetrators if this is confirmed. Even in their armies. Proper judicial review and punishment if proofs are found is the best that can be done. But, again, logic must prevail no matter how harsh it may be to state it. The link above includes this phrase :

“The allegations raise questions about French soldiering in Africa, where France has played the role of regional cop, partly due to its history as the former colonial power in much of Africa, including Central African Republic.”

That is wrong! France may be the ex-colonial power but it was also the only non-African country to raise hell at the UN over the fate of CAR then under Seleka rebels command committing atrocities. It took about 6 months for the UN to authorize an operation by which time the victims were out of their mind with grief over the exactions they had suffered s that today, the French forces are trying to stop a majority to enact revenge over the civilian components of the minority the Seleka stemmed from. There was an African Union peace-keeping force prior to the French take-over that lacked either the means or the will and sometimes both to do anything. We have often defended the AU for its growing role in solving the continent’s recurring and debilitating problems here and I will again say that this organization is part of the future of Africa. Still, in the case of CAR, it just wasn’t enough.
Heck even the Minusca from the UN called in to replace the French have not yet managed to do that with 1, 700 French troops still there out of roughly 2, 000 at maximum m deployment size.
http://definitivelapseofreason.com/2014/09/30/last-week-news-items-that-are-still-useful-today/
http://definitivelapseofreason.com/2014/01/12/fidels-coming-out-michels-going-out-and-the-suns-flaring-out/

At some point, in such immense disasters, one could be forced to compute an inhuman ratio ; those saved by the troops versus those hurt. The point is dual. Now, that due process is carried through is the only thing required so that justice may be served. In the future however, that Africa is equipped to deal with its own protection and crisis solving is the best and maybe only way to make sure that French interventions are not necessary anymore. Either that or letting  entire nations die in bloodshed?

Irony of ironies, the article up there is from South Africa where new ordeals were suffered in a nation not yet over its past by far as shown in this scandal about migrants
http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2015/04/anti-migrant-attacks-affect-africa-future-150428193857314.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/hundreds-malawians-leave-south-africa-attacks-150429072732475.html

Considering how racist the nation is and how it has the highest rape ratio to population in the world causing an AIDS pandemic of staggering proportions, maybe its journalists could keep busy at home instead of furthering the nation’s political agenda to counter its waning position on the continent. I mean, I don’t recall them doing an any better job on this rape crisis that I denounced in Congo in 2013
http://definitivelapseofreason.com/2013/06/15/congo-children-rape-crisis-and-the-relativity-of-news-media/
than the rest of their local and international colleagues.

As we’ve just seen, there are more than enough tragedies to keep every reporter in the world busy. Thoughts for Nepal for instance while we’re on that.
And let’s now turn to less important stuff to conclude our day.

2 Presidents that should shut up :
Putin says grabbing Crimea and supporting the splitting of Ukraine was only “righting a historical injustice”!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/26/us-russia-putin-film-idUSKBN0NH0JD20150426
How do you spell moron in cyrillic?

George W Bush came out of his welcome silence with an attack on Obama’s foreign policy.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4198902179001/george-w-bush-rips-president-obama-on-middle-east-policies/?playlist_id=trending#sp=show-clips
Even Fox News didn’t press defending him too much. Hey Georgie, you’re the one responsible for the mess than spawned ISIL so talking about how the Prez is making the Middle-East future’s chaotic … hum? Leave political analysis to folks who did not start wars for no reasons, please?

Legal scare avoided!
For a moment, it was thought that the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority had allowed bus ads to run that were racist against Jews. The case was brought to court and a judge found out they were merely racist against Muslims … so they were allowed!?! Phew, I guess?
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/04/judge-orders-ny-buses-to-run-killing-jews-ads/

Save nature even if you don’t know how.
http://www.itproportal.com/2015/04/27/thirty-meter-telescopes-site-hacked/
Nature activists are darn opposed to the 30 Meters Telescope planned to be built atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, literally the best place on Earth for such instruments. The latest attempt to stop the scientists ( Aloha Doug! ) was a cyberattack on the site claimed by a group claiming membership to Anonymous. Funny how science and Anonymous are both so often blamed by ignoramuses. So I guess that if the absence of this new platform means that a meteor strikes Earth into oblivion as happened before because it was detected too late it will be ecologically acceptable? Come on people, it’s a science outpost, not a gas station! You know, the science that built the computers you used to hack them with? Tsssk!

The iWatch is available in many colors but …
Yesterday, I joked about the iWatch not reading through tattoos.
http://definitivelapseofreason.com/2015/04/29/1-apple-joke-a-day-keeps-the-doctor-away-iwatch-and-tattoos/
It seems it may not read through very dark skin either!
http://qz.com/394694/people-with-dark-skin-and-tattoos-report-the-apple-watch-is-having-trouble-determining-they-are-alive/So
I can’t help but ask : What if Black people got white wrist tattoos? Would that help or make it worst? 😈

Paint your face or shut up!
Comedian Amy Schumer came out with a great video on make-up.
http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/girl-you-dont-need-make-up-says-amy-schumer-in-hilarious-but-poignant-one-direction-parody-24019/

I fully agree with Amy. I was never a big fan of resurfacing women’s face myself, if only because it’s sort of a trap to unsuspecting males such as myself ( what lurks beneath and so on ). I’ll pass over the fact cutie Amy wears it herself as being a job thing for a public figure making their lives on TV but … huh …
this sentence from the article lauding her move got me non-plussed :

“What the heck do you guys want from us?”

Not only is it not guys per say, as I just pointed out but more importantly, if you don’t know the obvious answer ( Hint ; it’s not make-up! ), why care? You’re probably too young and naive to wear make-up in the first place and second, applying chemicals to your face for an unknown reason is not going to help further the view that women should be valued for their intelligence, now is it? That’s merely helping the worst of men ( those that want both that secret thing and that you put make-up and that you shut up and look purrty ) which is kinda counter-productive, wouldn’t you say?

Say what???
http://time.com/3841502/nick-loeb-sofia-vergara-frozen-embryo/
This guy is dating this actress ( I think, still my absence of interest in Entertainment here ) and they congealed embryos ( probably ‘cuz frozen waffles and vegetables are too mundane for stars ) before breaking up. The gal now wants the embryos to stay frozen indefinitely ( even though she intends to have no more kids with the idiot ) while the guy wants them thawed or something. To which effect he sued and famously declared :

“In my view, keeping them frozen forever is tantamount to killing them,” he wrote.

Now wait, what? I do understand about male vs female rights in reproduction and think it should be addressed better than it is now but that is insane! Walt Disney and others were frozen TO stay alive! Once heated, the embryos can only stay alive if you use them and for that you’d need a lady, my poor fellow. And supposing you found a willing tart to bake them in her biological baby oven, the previous one would likely object? So that in fact, considering their parents already disagree prior to their birth, these putative kids’ chances are better now? I mean really, think of the trauma mate :

– Dad, what did mom and you divorced about?
– Whether or not to have you, son!

Self-serving stupidity.
Last is our idiot of the day and darn did she aim for that. This TV reality woman in the UK ( I have no idea who she is and don’t intend to find out ) made unsavory remarks at people with autism.
http://www.autismdailynewscast.com/uk-apprentice-runner-up-katie-hopkins-slurs-parents-with-special-needs-children/2291/shanellis/

It apparently became a big thing, so much so that Lucy Hawkins, daughter of famed genius Stephen Hawkins and mother of an autistic child, replied in today’s Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/30/katie-hopkins-life-harder-disabled-people

I’m not sure I get this. I may be alone in thinking this but in a society that gives more air time to the opinion of TV reality stars, especially on the supposed lacks of disabled progeny of disabled geniuses, these kind of things are bound to happen. Until Katie Holmes has a Nobel prize in medicine, her opinion on disabled Physics Nobel prize winners and their families is of no importance to me whatsoever. Pull the microphone away from that idiot and let’s concentrate on more important things?

Just sayin’

Tay.