Thursday, February 24, 2005

Kofi and U.N. Snake Oil

Kofi Annan recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal that "The U.N. needs to be reformed, but it still performs a crucial function."
This is an amazingly self-serving statement from the head of an organization that he admits:
Yet I am the first to admit that real and troubling failures--ethical lapses and lax management--have been brought to light. I am determined, with the help of member states, to carry through the management reforms which are clearly called for by Mr. Volcker's findings.

Even more shocking are widespread cases of sexual exploitation and abuse of minors by peacekeepers and U.N. officials in the Congo and other African countries. Both the U.N. Secretariat and the member states have been too slow to realize the extent of this problem, take effective measures to end it, and punish the culprits. But we are now doing so, and I am determined to see it through.
Kofi acknowledges that under his watch there have been some very significant "ethical lapses" (involving people, like, hmmm..., like himself and his family), and "lax management" (again involving people, like, hmmm..., like himself). Yet, Kofi begs us to still rely on the U.N.

Kofi does point out that after the recent tsunami, "...when all involved came together in Jakarta to plan and coordinate the multinational effort, everyone, including the U.S., agreed that the U.N. should take the lead." He points out that it does have some uses (however far they may be from the U.N.'s original charter).

I find this analogous to a snake oil saleman who is confronted with the fact that his "remedy for what ails you" product 1) doesn't work as purported, 2) is actually poisonous, having killed several local people, and 3) is extraordinarily lucrative for the seller. Upon being confronted with these facts, the seller says, "But you can use it to remove tarnish from your silver... Don't take this wonderful product off of the market!"

Kofi doesn't understand - we are realizing that we have been bilked by the U.N. We were sold a bill of goods; we were promised that it would promote world peace and help eliminate hegemony. Instead, it promotes destabilizing, anti-democratic and anti-freedom producing forces. It encourages hegemony and totalitarian states. (But it is good as a relief agency.)

Kofi, your organization is snake oil, dangerous snake oil at that.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Light and Small Towns

There seems to be something about the distinction between darkness and light. Some activities flourish only in darkness, other activities flourish best in the light.

When 'we' lived predominantly in small communities (this is the figurative 'we' of our American heritage) everybody seemed to know everything about everyone else. The close-knit social fabric was supplemented by gossip channels to ensure that very few things remained secret or hidden. As our society moved from small-town America to more urban living, isolation and anonymity increased, gossip channels were interrupted and consequently more and more of people's lives fell out of public view. With anonymity came an increase in "acts of darkness" - or an increase in those activities that would be shameful if detected or widely known, an increase in actions shameful if seen, but that seemed to be alright if the identity of the doer were not known.

We have all seen the caricatured versions of hooded or masked groups of vigilantes or thugs; those who think that by shielding their identity they can get away with acts that would be unacceptable to society. Acts of darkness flourish when the doer thinks they are not known.

This is a bit like the attendees at masked balls of a bygone era. The masks conferred a sort of ambiguity about who the actor might be - and so actions at masked balls became more ribald and provocative. As long as there was plausible deniability about the identity of a person at the ball, the doer might "get away" with things that society might otherwise reject.

The larger our cities become, and the more anonymous we become, the greater the risk that we will act as if our actions are all done in the cover of darkness. In the anonymity of being a faceless New York commuter we lack friendliness - we become abrupt in our dealings with others. When our friends and spouses don't see us, we even say exactly what we think, regardless of how rude or inappropriate.

As we consider some of the scandals that have recently brought down celebrated people (e.g., Eason Jordan), we find that it is their actions that they 'think' are private that ultimately do them in. It is, as well, their actions attempting to keep those acts 'under wraps' that compound their problems. As Michelle Malkin asks of Eason Jordan:
What about the videotape? Will he ask the World Economic Forum to release the tape to help clear the air and remove the unfair tarnish?
Our friend Eason was destroyed, in part, by his refusal to shed light on his actions. Ask Richard Nixon..., a cover-up only compounds problems. It is when we allow a part of us to develop that cannot stand the light of day that we really get into destructive trouble.

Sure, we all have our faults, but it is not our faults per se that usually destroy us. They may hold us back, but they don't usually rip apart our career and bring ruin. No, destruction more often comes from a combination of things. If we allow a part of our persona to develop in the dark, a part that only flourishes in darkness, then we enhance the likelihood that light is our enemy. If we have 'dark' secrets that haunt our lives then we become enemies of light. We become the adversary of scrutiny, the target of the small-town gossip, of the investigative journalist, of the rabid bloggers. We become enemies to all those forces that bring light to otherwise dark acts.

Aksel Sandemose wrote a great novel about life in a small Swedish city. Everyone knew almost everything about everyone else. This created a law, the "Jantelavn" or the informal law of Jante, that, among other things stated that "We know you, we know where you grew up and who you are." This 'law,' on one hand, makes certain that no one gets "too big for their britches" - but at the same time it reminds us that others are always watching.

Our best defense against destruction by light is to keep in check the development of our character. If we notice that parts of our lives need to remain hidden for us to be comfortable, then we are probably doing things that we ought not.

Rather than attempting to keep signficant parts of our lives free from scrutiny, we should concentrate more on changing our nature. We should clean up the soiled spots of our character and of our lives - not just rely on darkness to hide the unsightly blemishes.

Light and small-town scrutiny are really stimuli for improving our nature. If we can live so that we bear investigation, so that we can stand the heat of light shined on all that we do, then we have employed the best defense against destruction. We can say, "Bring on the light... I am not ashamed."

Destruction by light is only a threat to those with a dark nature. Too bad Eason - you really needed to go.

Monday, February 14, 2005

Jon Mozo

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of that great underwater / surf photographer Jon Mozo. He was apparently carried into the reef at Ehukai Beach (Pipeline) and died of head injuries. The Honolulu Advertizer carries this article but it barely communicates the feelings of the North Shore community and the university.
Baker said yesterday was one of those "pristine, perfect kind of photo and surfing days." The surf at Pipeline was not especially big, he said, but the swell was out of the west "and as any North Shore lifeguard can tell you, when you have an extreme west swell you have an extremely strong current and it's very easy to get dragged into a shallow area off the reef.

"He probably found himself caught in the face of a wave, and with the power of these west swells it may have dragged him up and over the face of the wave and flipped him into the shallow water. He would have hit the reef, which at best has 5 feet of water."
This vignette of his life perhaps says it better:
Jon went to BYU Hawaii and developed a talent for picture taking while working at the Polynesian Cultural Center, where he met his wife and studied her Maori culture. He left Hawaii in 1994 and took a job in San Diego doing photofinishing. Six months later he moved out to the east coast where he worked for a number of labs and studios in the Baltimore and DC areas. After two years of gaining invaluable experience, and sacrificing much island living, Jon moved back to Hawaii. With these new experiences and knowledge, he anxiously started his own photography business in 1996.
He leaves a wife and four children, and an entire community of admirers.
Twelve years ago Jon escaped a shark attack at Goat Island yet continued to love the water.
Jon's passing is felt by the entire community. He was known as a good husband and father, a great underwater photographer and an all around good man.
Aloha Jon.