British Summer Time imemalizika alfajiri hii (saa 7.59),na hivyo saa 1 inarudi nyuma.Just in case umesahau!
26 Oct 2008
Remember this post?Well,here is a follow up:
Who cares?That's what I wondered when George Packer (ace of the New Yorker) asked whether he could post my intention to vote for Obama on his blog.So I duly ignored him. Only when he bugged me two days later did I say okay, and responded in quick, instinctive emails back.Little did I know the splash this would make. Not until a day later, when my wife and I were up in Philadelphia to teach leadership via scenes from Shakespeare's Henry V for the Wharton Business School. When friends joined us for dinner at UPenn, they said their taxi driver had talked about my "endorsement of Obama," having read it online during a break.What's most fun about unexpectedly "breaking through" on an issue is not feeling powerful, that you're molding minds out there. People make up their own minds, based on lots more information than my personal inclinations.Okay, this type announcement can give (maybe a few) conservatives some cover -- not publicly to use with others, but privately to assure themselves that it's actually okay to break away. To break with the most conservative, or Republican, candidate and vote (in my case, the first time ever) for "the other guy."And it's not most fun dealing with longtime friends, fellow conservatives. Most are polite and say they understand, and they'll get over it. Yet a few do get heated, show their disappointment, and say they can't understand my taking a public stance (even if I privately stray).I don't enjoy those discussions, since I've long prided myself in being a staunch conservative.Not a neo-con, since I was never liberal along the way (having campaigned for Barry Goldwater in 1964, when at that hotbed of lefty politics, Grinnell College). I'm really a con-con.And not a staunch Republican, as I've never been to a Republican rally or convention (I came closest in 1980, after writing Don Rumsfeld's speech and after we drove there; but I left Detroit before the convention opened).So I've considered myself less of a partisan than an ideologue. I cared about conservative principles, and still do, instead of caring about the GOP.Granted, McCain's views are closer to mine than Obama's. But I've learned over this Bush era to value competence along with ideology. Otherwise, our ideology gets discredited, as it has so disastrously over the past eight years.McCain's temperament -- leading him to bizarre behavior during the week the economic crisis broke -- and his judgment -- leading him to Wasilla -- depressed me into thinking that "our guy" would be a(nother) lousy conservative president. Been there, done that.I'd rather a competent moderate president. Even at a risk, since Obama lacks lots of executive experience displaying competence (though his presidential campaign has been spot-on). And since his Senate voting record is not moderate, but depressingly liberal. Looming in the background, Pelosi and Reid really scare me.Nonetheless, I concluded that McCain would not -- could not -- be a good president. Obama just might be.That's become good enough for me -- however much of a triumph (as Dr. Johnson said about second marriages) of hope over experience.Now what's most fun about the media breakthrough is hearing from gobs of people from previous lives. Many long forgotten, reminding me of long forgotten times together. People emerging suddenly, from the dark matter of time, into the recesses of the brain.These folks were important at various stages of my life -- grammar school playmates, Grinnell classmates, Indianapolis cousins, Dan Quayle, Dick Allen, colleagues from the Reagan arms control agency (chuckling over my quip to Packer that I wouldn't have hired Sarah Palin to a mid-level job there).A veritable stroll down memory lane, to see a line of people who have touched my life at various times, in its varied stages, reconnecting in a most unexpected (even bizarre) manner.Now that's fun.
25 Oct 2008
24 Oct 2008
24.10.08
Evarist Chahali
HATMA YA NCHI YETU, TANZANIA, UZALENDO
No comments
Pamoja na umasikini,madudu ya kisiasa,ufisadi na mengineyo yanayochukiza kuhusu nchi yetu ya Tanzania,mimi (na pengine wewe mwenzangu) bado tunaipenda nchi yetu.Nina sababu lukuki za kuipenda (au hata kuichukia) Tanzania,lakini ya msingi zaidi ni ukweli kwamba mimi ni Mtanzania,Tanzania ni nchi yangu na kwa vyovyote itakavyokuwa huko mbeleni bado nitabaki kuwa Mtanzania.
Hata hivyo,haitoshi kuwa Mtanzania tu.Haitoshi kuipenda Tanzania pasipo kutafsiri mapenzi hayo kwa vitendo.Kwanini?Kwa sababu pasipo kuhakikisha kuwa Tanzania inakuwa bora,inakuwa mahala salama pa kuishi,na inadumu kama nchi,Utanzania na mapenzi yetu kwa nchi yetu yanaweza yasiwe na faida au kuna mahala tunaweza kufika tunapenda kitu kisichokuwepo.Au kibaya zaidi,tunaweza kufika mahala ambapo ukisema "naipenda Tanzania" unaonekana taahira kama hutoishia kupigwa mawe.
Weka pembeni umasikini,weka pembeni maradhi,ufisadi,na matatizo mengine ya kijamii,kiuchumi au kisiasa.Tatizo kubwa na la hatari zaidi kwa Tanzania ni UZALENDO.Ni tatizo kwa sababu uzalendo unapotea kwa kasi.Ni tatizo kwa sababu nchi iko ilipo sasa kutokana na wachache wasio na uzalendo kwa nchi yetu.Ni tatizo pia kwa vile imefika mahala ambapo baadhi ya wenzetu wameanza kutafsiri uzalendo ni sawa na uhaini.Hawa ni wale ambao kwa vile wana uhakika wa kuamka wakiwa salama,kupata matibabu ya daraja la kwanza,kupata mishahara na posho nono sambamba na usafiri wa bure,pamoja privileges nyingine.Wenzetu hawa wanasahau kwamba wana babu,bibi,baba,mama,kaka,dada,wadogo,ndugu,jamaa na marafiki mtaani ambao wanateseka kutokana na matendo ya wasio wazalendo (mafisadi,nk).
Kwa kulinda maslahi yao binafsi na ya wale waliowaweka kwenye ulaji,wenzetu hawa hawataki kusikia neno lolote linalowahusu watu wa kawaida.Kuzungumzia lolote kuhusu kundi hili la walio wengi inatafsiriwa kuwa ni utovu wa nidhamu,kwenda kinyume na taratibu na pengine uhaini.Wanachosahau ni kwamba Tanzania ikichafuka,hizo raha zinazowalewesha nazo zitapotea.Badala ya kuwanyanyasa wale wanaohangaika kuifanya nchi yetu iwe katika hali nzuri,wanapaswa kuwaenzi na kuwasapoti.
Tanzania ni yetu sote,sio ya kikundi kidogo cha watu wanaotaka kusikia yale wanayopenda wao tu japo nao wanaona kabisa madudu yanayofannywa na majambazi,mafisadi,wazembe,mafuska wa itikadi,nk.Hizi tabia za kupiga makofi ya shangwe hata chifu anaposahau kufunga zipu yake zitatupeleka pabaya.Amani ina tabia tatu kuu: inachukua muda kuipata/kuijenga,inachukua muda mfupi sana kuiharibu/kuipoteza,na inachukua muda mrefu zaidi kuirejesha pindi ikitoweka (na pengine ikishapotea hairejei tena).Tuna kila aina ya mifano inayotuzunguka:Somalia,DRC (Zaire),Sudan,nk.
Tusipofanya sasa tunachopaswa kufanya kuilinda Tanzania kwa nguvu zote na kuwasapoti wazalendo wote wanaotusaidia kufanya hivyo tutaishia kujilaumu huko mbeleni.Na hakuna sehemu mbaya ya tatizo kama inapofikia hatua ya kusema "laiti tunge..."
- 24.10.08
- Evarist Chahali
- RAIA MWEMA
- No comments
WANASIASA, viongozi wa dini na wananchi wameelezea kushitushwa kwao na hali ya kisiasa na kiuchumi inavyoendelea nchini, wakisema kwa sasa nchi iko hatarini kutokana na kuibuka kwa matabaka ya wazi ya kijamii miongoni mwa wananchi, watawala na watu waliowazunguka...kwa habari hii na nyinginezo,pamoja na makala zilizokwenda shule,usikose kusoma toleo la wiki hii la jarida la RAIA MWEMA.
Police: Campaign Volunteer Lied, Injured Self
Ashley Todd, 20, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Police say a campaign volunteer confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter B in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker.
At a news conference this afternoon, offiicals said they believe that Ashley Todd's injuries were self-inflicted.
Todd, 20, of Texas, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police.
Todd initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect became enraged and started beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.
Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.
Authorities, however, declined to release the results of that test.
Investigators did say that they received photos from the ATM machine and "the photographs were verified as not being the victim making the transaction."
This afternoon, a Pittsburgh police commander told KDKA Investigator Marty Griffin that Todd confessed to making up the story.
Todd told investigators that she didn't remember what happened.
Police say they do not believe any other people were involved; and her friends believed the story about the attack.
According to police, investigators working on the interview process detected several inconsistencies in Todd's story that differed from statements made in the original police report.
Pittsburgh Police Public Information Officer Diane Richard released a statement earlier today, saying: "Because of the inconsistencies in her statements, Ms. Todd was asked to submit to a polygraph examination which she agreed to do."
No photos of Todd are being released by Pittsburgh Police at this time.
SOURCE: KDKA
Na Peter Edson
JUMUIYA ya Kikristo Tanzania (CCT) imemuonya Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Bernard Membe kuwa kauli zake kuhusu kujiunga na Jumuiya ya Kimataifa ya Nchi za Kiislamu (OIC) zinaweza kusababisha mgawanyiko wa kitaifa na kumtaka aachane nazo au ajiuzulu wadhifa wake.
Tamko hilo la maaskofu wa makanisa ya Kikristo imekuja baada ya Waziri Membe kukaririwa akisema kuwa hakuna athari zozote kwa Tanzania kujiunga na taasisi hiyo, ambayo madhumuni yake ni kutetea binadamu na hasa Waislamu na sehemu takatifu.
Membe alisema hakuna haja ya kuwa na woga wa kujiunga na taasisi hiyo wakati katika mchakato wake wakristo na waislamu watanufaika na miradi itakayokuwa ikisimamiwa na OIC, na akashangaa ujasiri wa Watanzania wa kupambana na matatizo umekwenda wapi kiasi cha kuogopa nchi kujiunga na jumuiya hiyo.
Suala hilo liliwahi kuibuka mwishoni mwa utawala wa Rais Ali Hassan Mwinyi wakati vyombo vya habari vilipofichua kuwa serikali ilijiunga kinyemela na jumuiya hiyo. Baadaye viongozi wa serikali walikiri kufanya hivyo kabla ya kujiondoa, lakini safari hii upinzani umekuwa mkubwa zaidi.
Wakitoa tamko lao kwa waandishi wa habari jana, maaskofu hao kutokana makanisa ya kiprotestanti walisema kauli ya Waziri Membe ina lengo la kutetea maslahi ya watu wachache.
Maaskofu hao walisema kwa kuwa katiba ya OIC hiyo inaeleza bayana kuwa italinda mila, desturi na tamaduni za kiislamu, kujiunga na jumuiya hiyo itakuwa ni kukiuka katiba ya nchi inayoeleza kuwa dini ni huru na jambo la hiari la mtu binafsi, na kwamba shughuli ya uendeshaji wa jumuiya za dini zitakuwa nje ya shughuli za mamlaka ya nchini.
"Kama serikali ikikubali, kutakuwa ni mwanzo wa kuruhusu kubomoka na kuvunjika kwa amani ya nchi kwa sababu yanagusa hisia na itikadi za wananchi," alisema Askofu Peter Kitula, ambaye ni makamu mwenyekiti wa kwanza wa CCT.
Askofu Kitula, ambaye alisoma tamko hilo la maaskofu, alisema baada ya kutafakari kwa roho ya kiutume na kinabii wameamua kupinga kuanzishwa kwa mahakama ya kadhi pamoja na mchakato wa kujiunga na OIC.
Alisema katiba ya Tanzania ibara ya 19 kifungu cha 2 inaeleza wazi kuwa kazi ya kutangaza dini, kufanya ibada na kueneza dini itakuwa ni huru na jambo la hiari la mtu binafsi, na shughuli ya uendeshaji wa jumuiya za dini zitakuwa nje ya shughuli za mamlaka ya nchini.
"Ibara hii ni muhimu sana kwa ajili ya kusimamia na kuhakikisha kwamba mambo ya dini yanatenganishwa kabisa na shughuli za uendeshaji wa nchi," alisema.
Alisema sehemu hiyo ya katiba inapingana na ibara ya 1 kifungu cha 11 ya katiba ya OIC kinachosema kuwa jumuiya hiyo inatetea mila, tamaduni na desturi za kiislamu, kuwalinda na kuwaelimisha wananchi kuhusu uislamu nchini, jambo ambalo askofi huyo alisema linaonyesha wazi kuwa kujiunga na IOC itakuwa ni ukiukwaji wa katiba.
Alisema siku za hivi karibuni Bunge la Jamuhuri ya Muungano limekuwa likijadili miswada ya sheria ya kuanzisha au kujihusisha na vyombo hivyo viwili, lakini akasema kuwa kushinikiza kukubalika kwake ndani ya bunge ni kwenda kinyume na katiba.
Naye Owdernburg Mdegela, askofu wa dayosisi ya Iringa ya Kanisa la Kiinjili la Kilutherani Tanzania (KKKT), alisema kitendo cha Waziri Membe kulizungumza jambo hilo bila kulionea haya ni kutetea maslahi ya watu wachache na kuvunja katiba.
Alisema Tanzania ina rasilimali za kutosha hivyo kujiunga na umoja huo kwa lengo la kutafuta misaada ama kutafuta kula na baadaye kupoteza mwelekao wa taifa, ni kujiingiza katika mtego ambao kujinasua kwake kunahitaji gharama ambayo ni kumwaga damu.
"Sisi tunasimama kama viongozi wa kanisa tukimwambia Membe kuwa hafai wadhifa huo, hivyo ni vema akaacha mara moja kutoa kauli zake zisizo na mantiki. Lakini kama hawezi, basi inampasa ajiuzulu," alisema Askofu Mdegela.
Naye askofu wa kanisa pentekoste, Sylivester Gamanywa alisema Waziri Membe anatoa kauli ambazo zina lengo la kuweka hisia binafsi na mgawanyiko wa kitaifa pamoja na kuvunjika kwa amani.
Alisema kitendo cha waziri huyo kusema kuwa serikali inaruhusu fedha chafu na kwamba kama mtu akikuta fedha za shetani inampasa kuzichukuwa, ni kuwadhalilisha Watanzania na taifa lao kwa ujumla.
Naye askofu wa Anglikana, Dk. Stephen Munga alisema kuwa waziri Membe hafai katika kushughulikia masuala ya kitaifa kwani hakuna mamalaka yoyote iliyomuagiza aende kuzungumzia suala la kuaanzishwa kwa OIC.
"Inampasa Waziri Membe afahamu kuwa sisi ni Tanzania na tutafuata mambo yetu na si kuiga masuala ya nje. Anavyosema tuwaige Waganda si jambo sahihi," alisema Dk. Munga.
Alisema kama kanisa msimamo wao ni kuyakataa mambo hayo mawili na kuitaka Serikali na mamlaka zake zote kuacha kuendelea kukaribisha mijadala ya mambo hayo kwani kufanya hivyo ni kupoteza muda wa wenye dhamana ya mamlaka ya nchi hii na rasilimali zake.
"Tunauhakika kuwa yaliyomo ndani ya OIC ni hatari kabisa, kwani endapo yakikubalika katiba ya nchi itakuwa imevunjwa na Watanzania watakuwa wameingia katika migogoro itakayoua maridhiano, mshikamano, utengemano na umoja wa kitaifa," alisema Askofu Kitula.
"Kwa kuzingatia wajibu wetu wa kinabii na kiutume, tunatoa wito kwa bunge kutoruhusu kamwe uanzishwaji wa mahakama ya kadhi kwa kupitia mchakato wa utendaji wa mamlaka ya nchi, pia kutoridhia uanachama wa Tanzania katika OIC."
Akizungumzia tamko la maaskofu, mwenyekiti wa kamati ya msikiti wa Idrissa, Sheikh Ally Basaleh alisema kuwa awali kabla ya kuanza kwa mchakato wa masuala hayo serikali ilishafanya uchambuzi wa kina na kugundua umuhimu wa kuanzishwa kwa vyombo hivyo.
"Kauli za maaskofu hawa na viongozi wa kanisa zinadhihirisha kuwa wanakataa maamuzi yao ya awali kwamba Rais Jakaya Kikwete ni mteule wa Mungu, kwani ndiye anayesimamia masuala haya yote," alisema Basaleh.
Alisema waislamu ni sehemu ya jamii hivyo wao kama viongozi wa dini wanaandaa mchakato wa kutoa tamko litakalokuwa likitoa mchanganuo kuhusu uhalali wa kuanzishwa kwa vyombo vyote hivyo viwili nchini.
CHANZO: Mwananchi
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