Uganda: Military Dictatorship, Elections of an Unknown Sort and Unwanted Visits From the Neighbors

President Yoweri Museveni and his one time rebel-comrade-turned-personal-physician, Dr. Kizza Besigye, just don't seem to be able to get along these days! I guess Dr. Besigye's return from exile in South Africa just in time to pose the only formidable threat to Museveni's third ten-year term as President, jjjuussttt isn't sitting well. Never mind the fact that Museveni originally campaigned on the idea that one of the greatest sources of corruption in all of Africa is the fact that once leaders get power they are not willing to let it go; this, hence standing in the way of true democracy. Of course, this is what he said in 1986 when he was first elected and also prior to him thanking the congress for categorically extending (a) the length of the Presidential Term and (b) the number of times one can be elected into the position.....hhhmmm...

One Ugandan was recently quoted in the print version of BBC Focus on Africa as saying "Of course we want Museveni again, because of his achievements; there is peace in Uganda and we are not troubled by soldiers." Uh, lady, where do you live??? Since Besigye's return to Uganda in late 2005, Museveni's "Men in Black" (aka "Black Mumba's Urban Hit Squad" - no joke, apparently the local Ugandan papers also enjoyed "Kill Bill") - an elite 21 man, heavily armed force comprising "the new face of the Ugandan Military"- have been hunting down Besigye and his 14 closest allies on treason charges. Minor detail: the Ugandan civilian court had already reviewed the case and released these men on bail. The “Men in Black” were assembled to bring Besigye and his men in front of a Ugandan Military court, which, in a previous ruling by Uganda’s Constitutional Court, was found to be inherently inferior to the rulings, precedents and decisions made by the civilian court. Once again: hhhmmm. No wonder Museveni got touchy when opposition leaders accused his government of being “a military dictatorship in disguise”….Uh, what disguise.

In addition to this Machiavellian ballet for political power, the DRC’s hunted refugees are flooding the Ugandan border. Turns out that not only are the state troops of the DRC and the UN blue helmets fighting together against the usual rebels, but battalions within the DRC army are fighting one another. What does this mean for Uganda? A new and delicate campaign issue: What to do with the, thus far, 2,000 refugees…. and who will take what stand...hhhhmmmm....

Rape: Liberia and Internationally

Subject: Rape

"What has finally made this a public issue is the fact that the fighting is over, but the rape has not stopped."

"Men were forced to have intercourse with their daughters in front of the soldiers," Ms Boiwu said.
"The soldiers forced brother and sister or son and mother to have sex in front of the husband ... So it broke the family ties."

"We have prosecuted a single case since 1999. And we prosecuted that one case because during that time, it was a female judge that was sitting on the case."

ONE CASE OUT OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS HAS BEEN PROSECUTED SINCE 1999.
The power of scourged, raped, violently abused, and entirely ignored women brought a female president to power in Liberia and the first word out of her mouth at her inauguration was rape. Good for her.

BAD UN AND PAKISTAN first of all for allowing the gang rape of one of their women per "tribal law" for her brother's crime and second of all for benching her everytime she tries to speak on US soil....ridiculous.

You know, I was about to publish this post and I googled the word "rape" thinking I would be able to find international statistics regarding the violence of rapes and their prosecution percentages in different countries................I am, in a way and in a way not at all, shocked that what came up was OVER 20 PAGES of pornographic depictions of rape. These are not sites condemning the action, there seem to be few disclaimers deterring viewers from partaking in the act that they are watching and (from the very first page it brings you to) there are crying women, bound, defenseless, showing marks of physical abuse on their bodies as menacing men stand over them smiling and touching. Americans think that they are so much more "civilized" and evolved than the rest of the world when really, instead of openly partaking in such depraved acts, they are reinacted in turn encouraging those unable to think for themselves to commit these horrid acts against OUR women.

I am disgusted and ashamed of the arrogance that gives life to such degradation.

Bob The Creepy Snowman

From the choices below, please select the candidate best suited to run a restaurant, hotel chain, oil company, non-profit organization or -oh I dunno - a country.

Please, take your time. Weigh each of their qualifications carefully and post your decision - only after reviewing all of them thoroughly. Now, I realise that the pictures representing each of these candidates aren't exactly flattering, but do try to be impartial.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

.........uuuhhhh.... I'm personally gonna go with A through C - all, any or any combination of these that excludes D....but that's just me....

Le Grand Amour...**

Je suis dans la solitude une fois de plus. Je sais bien que c'etais le bon histoire de ma vie. Je comprends bien qu'il est meilleur d'être seule, mais pourqoui il me fait un peu triste? C'est parceque j'aime bien le sentiment d'un autre étant qui sait ton coeur...neamoins, je ne crois pas que c'etait jamais possible. Il y a des amis qui pensent qu'ils te connaissent, mais je suis sûr que c'est un rêve impossible...

Donc, ce matin quand je lisait les nouvelles, je me suis rappelé ce qui est d'importance dans la vie. Oui, des vrais amis sont très important pour mon coeur. J'ai des amis qui m'aime n'import ce que se passer dans ma vie pas idéal. Je les aime beaucoup. Mais, aussi, je suis certain qu'un qui souhaite vivre une vie d'importance pour un monde en douleur, doive mener une vie solitaire. Si non? Choses comme les petits amour tous tort va arrêter leur progression. Nous devons nous focaliser sur la grande image et pas sur nos-même. Il y a tant de problèmes plus importants que nos propres coeurs...Le grand amour existe: pas chez une personne, mais partout. Il est là...je suis sûr...
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** Si vous ne parlez pas le français, n'essayez pas de tranduire ce passage....ce n'est jamais précis et je déteste cela!