STANDING ORDERS FOR A PEACEFUL WORLD

We know more than enough to choose policies that will help prevent protracted deadly conflict and terrorism. We also know more than enough to avoid policies that will cause protracted deadly conflict and terrorism.

• Maintaining public order and preventing social turbulence from escalating into protracted deadly conflict are prerequisite to the success of all other development policies.

• Polarising political rhetoric and tactics must be forgone, however tempting their short-term benefits may seem. Like mustard gas, which had to be abandond as a weapon in World War I, this strategy has a tendency to "blow back" upon the user.

• Meeting the needs and aspirations of fighting age young men should be the first priority of national development policies and of programs funded by international donors.

• Developing counties should have internal security forces (police and paramilitary) that are generously funded, professional, apolitical and trained to meet the complex challenges of maintaining public order in a changing society.

• Development policies that meet human beings`common aspirations - to feel good about their lives, the circumstances in which they live and future prospects for themselves and their children - will contriute most effectively to keeping violent conflict and terrorism within acceptable bounds.

• Those who frame development policies should seek a middle path between capitalism`s efficient, but Darwinian precepts, and socialism`s egalitarian, but stultifying precepts.

• Good governance and democratisation must be a part of the "successful development" mix. Most important are governance institutions that are open to "bad news" and self-correcting.

• Multinational corporations, businesses and businessmen`s organisations should play a more active role in supporting successful development policies.

• Successful development requires a long-term view. Giving sufficient weight to the long-term requires institutional mechanisms and discourses that extend beyond the next election and term in office of political leaders presently in power.

• There must be realistic, rigorous, opportunity-cost analyses of military options, versus equivalent expenditures for non military options, before proceeding down the slippery slope of "military solutions" to complex development problems.

Now just obey Canute and all of his very wise standing orders.

THE SNAASA CONNECTION

By coincidence the norwegian health care minister has, during only a week, challenged all the country's doctors with moves that are dangerous near the limits of tolerance for medics.

23. January 2009 he presented the proposal that doctors should be deprived responsibility for the specialist training.
Three days later, he stands up in the country's largest newspaper, and tells everybody about how his son had help against kolikk-pain from the Snaasa-oldtimer; for eleven years ago.

The Snaasa-oldtimer is a renowned norwegian healer.

Lise Lotte Folge, Editor-in-chief of Today's Medicine did not like that; as most of the other norwegian medics.

The last to see red was biology professor Kristian Gundersen, and he was to argue strongly that it is most unprofessionally by the country's Health-boss to herald the Snaasa-oldtimer; in order to legitimize the treatment methods that have not been documented scientifically.
Gundersen has the support of the norwegian physician president, who is not particularly excited for The Snaasa Connection.

But something more, and far more remarkable, is about to happen in the relationship between the Health-chief and the country's doctors.
The proposal to impose a permanent two days nursinghome-service a the week for every norwegian doctor, is seen by the president in Allmennlegeforeningen as a declaration of war against the sick.

In reality it is, of course, a declaration of war against the doctors; unless the Health-baron is prepared to open the governments wallet, to compensate fully for the concomitant loss of income in the private offices of the medical doctors.

Most of us recognize clearly that any compensation will never happen.

CONGO: INTERNATIONAL BAN ON BLOODMONEY

The apartheidregime in South Africa did not fall as a result of a foreign invasion.
An economic strangulation of the companies that heat up under the warlords in Congo could be a solution to get the peace we want there.
This worked very well against apartheid, and could perhaps disciplined some rouge companies too.

Of course atrocities would not be terminated immediately even if the warlords were out of money, but…and it is an important but…the weaponsdealers is not any philanthropists; arms merchants will have their cash for the goods.

Less “business” and less arms.
Less blood money and less murder.

The socalled "leadership" in the companies that serves us the bloodmoney should be hung by the media.
As the leadership in South Africa under apartheid was also hung out.
It should be embarrassing for decent people to work for the companies that serves us the bloodmoney from Congo.

(And embarrassing to be married to someone who works there and so on)

Evil (and financial support to the evil) must simply be quite costly.
Evil must be quite costly in all kinds of ways.

Did you think that ethics were for free?

Any humanitarian invasion in Congo is only a dream.
To drive a moral and economic warfare against Congo’s bloodmoneycompanies is possible thou.

To resolve this issue with increased immigration from Africa to Europe is no valid solution at all; let us rather go for the socalled “business” witch drives this war on and on forever.

The business of murder and rape, the business of blood.

Hit were it hurts: Silver and gold.

FRIENDLY ADVISE

WHEN THIS ONE COMES AROUND

DO NOT FREEZE

RUN

CAUTION

To all you mariners out there, sailing the high seas, hear me:

The Persian Gulf is heading for war.
The US and Iran will soon begin launching their missiles at each other.
Ships will be caught in the middle.

Beware.
Stay out of there...