Solar Power for Homes – Cost Effective Means for Power to Your Home.

Are you tired of anticipating the costs from your current electrical bills? Have you considered alternative means for generating power to your home? Using solar power may be one way for you to generate electricity to your home while cutting costs. Using solar power allows you to take control of the electricity in your home.

Not only do you have clean energy in your home, you also have a means to effectively power your home. This is a means for generating efficient and effective means of energy. You could either transform your home or have a home specifically designed for solar energy. You may receive tax and federal incentives for using solar power to be generated into electricity.

With the information building supporting global warning, solar powered homes are one means of deescalating this situation and adding an effective means to power your home. With the rise in technology we can see that using solar power for homes can lead to a cleaner and healthier environment. Your home can have it’s similar appeal and look while enhancing the use of natural resources to maintain your level of living. Solar Power for homes is a key step into using technology and the sun for effective living means.

Active Citizenship Goal Delayed by Lack of E-democracy Vision

People and e-democracy
The idea of e-democracy was supposed to be that people could influence the decisions affecting them by using new technology to make their voices heard. This would create “active citizens” who would take a greater part in their local communities, leading to more consensus and harmony all round. Great idea, but in practice the idea is still very much an ideal.

Reflection! without technology
Did you ever try to find a book in Foyles bookshop in the days when they displayed them by publisher? A thorough search for a book on paintings by Matisse would need visits to seven sections on two different floors.

Constructive searches
Finding out how you can influence decisions on, say, crime and policing is a similar exercise on the web. First you need to know that local authorities use the word “consultation” to describe the process of asking people for their opinions about issues (and many people don’t know that). Then, if you live in London and want to search for consultations on crime, you might look on the Metropolitan Police website, any one of the 33 London Borough websites, the Greater London Authority site, YourLondon.gov.uk and several others, about forty altogether. On each website, the search usually throws up hundreds of irrelevant pages and documents as well as those you want. Well, speaking for myself, I’d love to be an “active citizen” but right now it’s just too much of a sweat to be worth the effort.

Using the technology
Like so many of the promises of new technology, the problem with e-democracy is not with the technology itself - that’s the easy bit - it is with the human factors behind it. The technology will allow people to easily find consultations and to respond to them online has been around for a few years. A new initiative announced in July in the London Connects newsletter for a London-wide system will potentially make it possible for someone living in Hackney to find information about consultations on community planning in their area, consultations affecting their children’s school in Islington and public transport near where they work in the City, all from any one of the London websites listed above.

Driving change
In technical terms, setting up such a system is now easy, but whether it will be adopted by local authorities is another matter. Central government has taken a lead with the Implementing Electronic Government (IEG) process, which encourages and, to some extent, requires local authorities to acquire such systems.

The need and the business case
Some regional partnership bodies like London Connects are playing a healthy role in championing these ideas and Partnership Manager Andres Crespo has endorsed the “e-consultation management system (eCMS)”. As he put it, “Innovative, cost-effective and efficient ways to carry out consultations are pivotal in capturing the lost voices of our 21-Century citizens. A common e-consultation system for the whole of London, such as the one proposed by CommunityPeople, is long overdue”.

The right prospective
But many council officers still remain sceptical about e-consultation as a concept. They see it as an add-on rather than a replacement for the traditional methods of consulting with the public. They often believe that it will create more work, because they find it hard to see what off-line work it could replace. Some officers even claim that e-consultation is expensive, although a quick look at the figures shows that this view can only be justified if e-consultation really is an additional expense rather than a replacement for off-line methods. For comparison, the London-wide eCMS system would cost a London Borough about the same for a whole year’s worth of consultations, as just one postal survey for a citizens’ panel.

Getting the mix right
The fact that over a third of the population still do not have access to the web, the so-called “digital divide”, is often quoted by the traditionalists as a reason for rejecting e-consultation completely. The implication seems to be that we must use the web for everything or for nothing, but it doesn’t take much imagination to see that different media are appropriate to different kinds of people and so, for consultation, a mixture of online methods and traditional ones is probably the best way to go. Many older people will only feel comfortable with paper or come to meetings while most young people will only use the web.

Cost benefits
If making changes in local government practice is like wading through thick mud, the largest quagmire in terms of the adoption of e-consultation has to be budget setting. The traditional methods of market research such as on street surveys, public meetings and focus groups cost something whenever they are run. Double the amount of consultation and you double the cost. This means that budgets for consultation tend to be associated with projects, i.e. with the individual consultations, rather than being treated as infrastructure costs. But the main cost of e-consultation is in development and maintenance, not activity. So although the adoption of a new e-consultation management system might save a lot of money overall, whose budget is it going to come out of if the savings are from many separate budgets from many different departments? Don’t look at IT, they never had a budget for consultation in the first place!

Allocating the budget
The implementation of electronic methods in local democracy needs a shift in thinking at a high level, high enough to allow some restructuring of budgets. Departmental heads need some vision in this area.

Driving change
But perhaps overall, the rate at which I can realistically become an active citizen depends on one key group of people: the “e-government champions”. These are the people within each local authority given the task by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of pushing through the various e-government initiatives. They are the chief head bangers with the job of banging together the heads of the council officers to get agreement on adoption of electronic methods.

At the end of the day
Most people probably don’t care whether it comes about through vision or banging of heads, or even whether it is called “active citizenship” or some other buzzword. They just want to have an influence on the decisions that affect them without too much sweat - and without too much delay please.

© Eric Sutherland
http://www.ghostwriter.dsl.pipex.com

Interest in politics came from R&D projects and obtaining government grants or other forms of help. Now the fight is on since the socialist European Union/Commission has produced to much RED Tape to encourage entrepreneurship and the UK Government has just dropped it on us, along with more of their own acts. Studing Cybernetics and Management led me to read books by Stafford Beer and Peter F. Drucker, one of Druckers’ most recent books Post Capitalist Society being very relevant to the way all Government’s should think about changing their interface with society and the world at large. After consideraable exchange of views with different Goverment departments and Ministers had a refereed article produced in the Journal of Strategic Change titled Local Government, University and Management Education for the 1990s.

Dafur Emergency: A Challenge To Civilisation

With pain rocking through my whole body today, I cast a bitter glance back at what I called, the ‘tragedy of Dafur’ and decided to settle accounts with my fellow Africans on this matter.

President Omar el-Bashir has twisted history, invented a distortion in African lexicon and rammed it through our throats. Every mention of anything Sudanese these days sounds much more like ‘Sadness’, and every picture of the attrocious genocide of Dafur seems more like hearing or seeing the destruction wroth by ‘Sulphur’. Anytime I hear the word ‘Janjaweed’ it connotes an imagery of ‘Ganja-weed’ i.e Marijuana, no wonder, the trails of this militia of shame that diplaced 2 million people, leveled an estimated 2,000 villages and killed over 180,000 so horrified the UN that it had to stridently call for their trial by the International Criminal Court.

The Sudanese leader has suceeded in his 16-year rule, in turning Sudan into one of the poorest countries in the poorest continent in the world: one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Sudan is now a giant Ghetto dotted all-over with refugee camps hosting millions.

The death of John Garang last Monday, in an helicopter crash would not change the tempo of the silent revolution that would end dictatorship and bring lasting peace to the 40million people of Sudan.

It is however a discernible and irrepressible truth that the insurgency by black Africans of Dafur, in February 2003 against alleged discrimination and oppression by the Khartoum government was the trigger.

This was one battle too much for a regime whose bucket was already overflowing with multiple conflicts, particularly, the two decade fatricidal war against the Southern Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA)led by Garang.

That battle exposed the under-belly of the Sudanese dragon and stopped the full-fledged speed of the Sudanese government from being the continental capital for the ‘Axis of Terrorism’ in Africa.

That battle sent the regime scampering for a desperate balance by hastily coming to the negotiating table and conceeding partial autonomy and power sharing with the SPLA.

It is now certain that the janjaweed and all its vicious attrocities of rape, murder, etc. has failed to break the will of Dafur for freedom, autonomy, democracy, peace and deverlopment. The bell tolls for the 16-year rule of el-Bashir. What Dafur started, Dafur would complete: and that is to sweep oppression and dictatorship off the landscape of Sudan- our Sudan.

Aderemi Ojikutu (Aderaskeey) is a Motivational Author and Youth Mentor. He is a minister of the Word of God. A political economist and political leader. He is President of the TREASURE WRITERS CLUB in Nigeria(http://ryze.com/go/Aderaskeey). He is also the current President of the National Democratic Forum (N.D.F). He was National Mobilisation Officer of the National Association of Nigerian Students (N.A.N.S) for several years. A revolutionary of over two decades, he was also the political secretary of the defunct Nigerian Labour Party in 1989-1991.

How the Poor Were Lost

When the poor were the majority.

The poor in developed countries like the USA and UK are now a minority, though up to maybe the 1950’s or 1960’s they had been a majority.

While the poor were a majority their main problems were simply economic poverty and economic exploitation. Government bodies manned by the upper and middle classes understood this sufficiently to be able to handle the poor with some appropriateness, if not always entirely to the poor’s liking. The votes of the poor majority were basically sought with a policy mix of small economic titbits and nationalistic policies.

The poor becoming a minority.

In the USA by 1950, and the UK by 1960, growing economic prosperity saw the numbers of the poor begin to fall until soon they became a minority. This was helped by more enlightened government policy, and was good for the many that then escaped poverty. Unfortunately the remaining poor as a minority were to face seriously increased problems.

There were two main reasons why the modern minority poor in advanced countries faced increasing problems. The first was that the poor soon had more complex, though supposedly helpful, welfare systems applying to them and giving them new problems – and also as a minority they now also hit new minority social exclusion problems. The second main reason the modern poor in advanced countries faced increasing problems was that they became less seen and less understood by the governing upper and middle classes, so their governing became wildly inappropriate and plain wrong.

How affluent governments lost their poor.

When the poor in developed countries became a minority, democratic political parties began to see their votes as unnecessary, though the poor are a socially significant minority whose misgovernment can seriously undermine society.

Majority middle-class issues became prioritised, for example huge anti-tobacco-smoking resources being applied by government and employer bodies but much less on drunkenness, drug-taking or weapon-carrying – pushing many from cigarettes to these. Socially tobacco is a small undesirable but the available alternatives for the poor are really much worse. And some of the health problems of smoking may be due to inhaling cigarette lighter flints rather than inhaling tobacco.

All government, charity, employer and other bodies being now run by a middle-class having no real understanding of modern poor minority problems has led to many policies affecting the poor becoming totally inappropriate. And developed countries prioritising middle-class issues and worsening the position of their poor minority are in effect doing a Nero and ‘fiddling while Rome burns’, but their governments basically lost the poor.

Re-finding the poor.

In developed countries now, those producing policies are educated professionals with little or no experience of the poor today, and they may commonly have correct general theories but often be missing the correct practical detail needed for correct modern policy making for today’s minority poor. They urgently need to find and involve the tiny handful of street-wise professionals who somehow do happen to have substantial real experience of today’s poor themselves – but as yet they are totally unaware that this is needed.

Or if modern affluent middle-class government cannot find a way to better govern their poor and other minorities, then perhaps modern democratic government will demand less middle-class officials. Maybe a percentage of politicians should not be elected, but instead be randomly selected from elector lists ?

Vincent Wilmot currently lives in Grimsby UK and has several interesting websites including http://www.social-exclusion-housing.com

Social Security Rant

As the Baby Boomer Generation continue to get older, one of the hot topics will continue to be Social Security. Critics claim that Social Security is going bankrupt, and that it needs to be privatized as soon as possible, or people will lose their benefits. This rant examines if Social Security needs to be privatized, and if it is actually going broke.

Thanks to various search engines, and thanks to the Information Superhighway, there is much data to suggest that Social Security—even at the going rate—will be able to pay full benefits at least until 2032, and some research indicates it could survive as long as 2042. Also, seventy-five percent of Social Security funding comes from the payroll tax, which guarantees that Social Security will never go broke. The trick is—in about thirty or forty years, to come up with a system to make up the other twenty-five percent. Those who like to crunch numbers, and those who are familiar with the mathematical formula claim that a raise in the payroll tax by two percent—one percent by the employer, and one percent by the employee, will guarantee the survival of Social Security until the Second Coming. Analysts like to stress the fact that a tax increase—no matter how meager it may or may not be, is not the only solution. With the advancement of technology and medical science, people are living longer than they ever have before. Also, various amounts of disease have been quelled. About ninety years ago, the number one killer in the world was Spanish Influenza. Today, the flu is no longer a serious threat. Also, polio used to be a scourge on society, but these days, that disease has been virtually eradicated off the face of the planet. Thus, it makes sense that the retirement age will—and should—be raised to about 70. Actually, seventy years of age is not old. In fact, it is about the average age, in this country, and well below the average in many industrialized nations in the world.

Of course claiming that Social Security is under-funded is not telling the whole story. Let us look at the facts. So far, on this war on terror, the United States has spent over 300 billion dollars. If that amount is divided by the present population, that equals to about a thousand dollars for every man, woman, and child in the country. Also, do not forget about the hundreds of millions of dollars that “loaned” to other countries in the world. Instead of saying, “Social Security is going broke because of the population”, the correct statement should be, “the president believes that there are more important things to spend money on rather than insuring that benefits will be around for years to come.”

Whenever Social Security Reform is mentioned, there are always a select few that love to clamor that the system should be privatized. Statistically we know that people spend more than they save. If Social Security should be privatized, what about the millions of people that do not have a bank account? Should those people automatically receive an account? And who is going to make sure that these people get an account–the federal government? That would defeat the purpose of privatizing Social Security in the first place. It’s kind of like saying, “let’s fix our brakes so we can take the car to the mechanic so he can fix the brakes.”

I could do a lot of research and list a lot of data and list a lot of references, or I could use history and common sense to prove that Social Security should never be put in the hands of a private institution. It is certainly true that there have been many government scandals that have cost the taxpayer billions throughout the history of this country. The failure of the Savings and Loans is one example, and the list is quite lengthy. Also, there have been many scandals in the private realm that has wiped out the life savings of countless people. Enron is just one example in a list that I am sure is exhaustive. Thus, the conclusion is that history shows that it government bureaucracy is safer than the private realm, thus leave Social Security alone.

About the Author

I like to discuss politics and history. I have two college degrees in those disciplines. Please stop by my site sometime at (www.xtraxtrzxtra(dot)com.)

Earthquake Diplomacy

Earthquake Diplomacy
Relief materials cannot bring peace (Satire)

It is good to send aid to quake victims. But it cannot stop the terrorists and the nukes.

What the people of Bam didn’t suffer in the hands of the leaders of the ‘rogue state’ of Iran, was inflicted on them by an earthquake. So the city of about 80,000 souls had her population reduced by half by the fateful hand of ‘nature.’ But I am not going to talk of miracles. Like the unearthing of a man in a closet after two weeks. No, the doctors had better explain that.

I am only interested in how this member of the infamous ‘Axis of Evil’ suddenly became the beloved country after the disaster.

Not that this was the only sin of Iran. Back in the day, the country had taken hostage of Americans. This Islamic state had also been guilty of gross human rights violations. And it is fingered to be hiding nukes–make it weapons of mass destruction. This is besides the several alleged terrorists’ hideouts in that ‘outlaw regime.’ But now, thank God for the earthqake. Because what man would neither achieve by declaring the Year of Peace nor by praying for peace in Rome, is going to be brought about by the maddening of the earth.

There was general sympathy for Iran after the quake. All the country’s enemies came to her rescue. Even one of her obdurate enemies sent large sums of money, relief materials and disaster management experts to Iran. That country even planned to send a high level representatio to Iran, but this was randomly rebuffed.

The UN was not left in the show of suppport. It has already gone up cap in hand begging for millions of dollars to help Iran. Perhaps, this prodigal son will gain sanity and return someday. Who knows. Perhaps even Iraq would be a better place to live after the hanging of Saddam who was found hiding in a spider hole the other day. Who knows. Perhaps North Korea would stop playing hide and seek, and start playing ball someday–like Lybia. Who Knows. And then we would hold hands together and start shouting, Peace and Security!

But wait. All this talk about a peacefull world free of weapons of mass destruction and terrorists, is pure crap. Because there will always be nukes and 9/11’s. The reason is that we have not asked the right questions. ( What causes terrorism?) Neither do we know the solution. ( How can we prevent it?) This is the message that I am trying to get out to whoever cares to listen with my book CHASING SHADOWS! : A Dream, published by 1stbooks.com.

It is my desire that the controversy generated by the publication of the book would lead to solving the world’s political, economic, social, religious, and enviromental problems that breed this monster. Then we would have prevented the sinking of this planet.

Earthquake diplomacy by relief materials cannot bring world peace. Some call it chasing shadows.

Arthur Zulu,is an Editor,. Book Reviewer and Author of the controversial book CHASING SHADOWS! : A Dream. (A book that reveals the terrorists’ master plan to fianally set the world on fire.)
For a copy of the book and FREE excerpt, goto:
http://www.1stbooks.com/bookview/21013
For contacts, mailto: mostcontroversialwriter@yahoo.com

About the Author

Arthur Zulu,is an Editor,. Book Reviewer and Author of the controversial book CHASING SHADOWS! : A Dream. (A book that reveals the terrorists’ master plan to fianally set the world on fire.)

Polictics, Relgion and Points of View

After watching a show called Question Time on BBC 1 this last week…it dawned on me just why the world is the way it is right now, For the Government i.e. The Labour Party and its Beleaguered Leader Tony Blair…United Kingdom seems to be torn apart in regards to Terrorism, Religion and Parliament!

I found myself utterly flabbergasted by it all. It sure has been an interesting week for everyone concerned… Going back to the Show I watched, ‘Question Time’ Which is a weekly TV Debate show had opponents from each political party and the odd special guest like in this case Lesbian Comic Rhonah Cameron and another guy I had never heard of…With David Dimbleby Hosting it was one hell of a show but what got to me was the crowd which almost seemed hand picked, Reason for me to believe that this was case, was fact that most of the audience which was white had hardly any effnic minorities.

Topics of the week discussed was mostly about the Prime Minister’s defeat in the commons and the Race Riots in France. So it was an Interesting show to watch…But what left me upset and angry was the fact that as a Black man living in the UK and knowing what I know about Racism, Discrimination, Cultures and Life as a whole…I was struck by just how backward this country truly is.

Some people in the UK blame the fact that 7/7(The London Bombings) was because the UK raged war on Iraq but for me because of the lack of education in regards to extremist groups from around the world and the simple fact that this was going to happen anyway but it was all just a matter of time. 9/11 Happened well before Iraq and there has been so many incidents of bombings well before and after 9/11. It was going to happen to all countries which celebrate freedom amongst it people. But imagine this, you are a normal man with a normal life, good family and friends and then one day you attach explosives to your body and then enter a train or bar and kill innocent people..??? This has happened so many times now, so many stories of this type of change in behaviour in people that make them do what they do. Now what makes a man or woman do this? I don’t think that question can be answered but I think we can elaborate on it a little.

My point of view is that Religion has a lot to answer for! Everything comes back to that one issue, Religion and the lack of innate education between all races. To me no one really understands what religion truly is, I know I don’t!

I hardly ever go to Church and when I do it’s for the odd christening and funeral! As for my faith, I don’t have one! I believe in what I can see and do as a human being living on this planet, why because life doesn’t give me enough reason to believe in something other than what is going on around me, sorry mum, I know that may hurt you to hear but its how I feel. Anyhow back to the point at hand, the world is this way right now because Religion dictates everything we do believe it or not…Muslims have there beliefs, Christians have theirs and well all the others, God knows!

But what it shows is that people need something to believe in and are easily taken in by these true or false religions. Thus the way the world is…Watching this show made me feel so lost and disappointed with Democracy, Equality and Freedom and that we are all created equal. These days I don’t think all three exist. We are supposed to be going forward as Humans Beings but it seems we are gong backwards. The Destruction of humans is an everyday accurance these days, is that what Christ would have wanted? I know I can’t answer that, I am sure though the religious people of this world will have their own point of view on that one but for me it will always be a bit of a joke.

People’s points of views are always interesting to hear but sometimes I think that people should understand and educate themselves more on topics and issues before speaking their minds and worse of all going on TV and making a fool of themselves. I am fed up with these TV shows that have people on which are supposed to reflect the people from the streets and putting their own points of views across. For me that’s a load of bull! I would like to see a show where they get loads of Muslims and other Religious factions on so that the real point of view in regards to how the world has change because of Religious beliefs, only there and then we will get a good debate on how things really are and what the real people are thinking.

Only then will someone like my self and for me a lot of other effnic people living in the UK and around the world will understand a little to what is going on in the world we live. It is so easy to ignore things that happens around you but when it affects you in a certain way then its time to take notice and not ignore what is going on.

Mark J. Stevens

mjsmusic@hotmail.com

PALS in Pakistan Part Six - Objections to PALS

Some arms control experts voice a variety of objections to transferring PALS technology to Pakistan and other states. These range from objections to the likelihood of Pakistan’s acceptance of the program to political objections to the ramifications that granting Pakistan PALS will have on other states that are considering proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. While there may be validity to some of these objections, the on balance effect of a technology transfer program dealing with PALS would be positive.

A first objection made is that Pakistan may be unwilling to accept an offer by the United States to give them this technology (Global Security Newswire). The logic behind this argument is that Pakistan would be unlikely to allow the U.S. to have detailed access to its nuclear weapons sites. Since PALS are usually an integrated part of the nuclear device, it would require on-site assistance by the United States that might discourage Pakistani acceptance. While Pakistan would probably indeed have concerns about allowing the U.S. unlimited access to its nuclear facilities, the PALS program could easily be designed to assuage these fears. First, while the U.S. would have to be involved in installing PALS on the Pakistani weapons, this doesn’t require constant access to every Pakistani nuclear weapons site. The installation would be a one-time procedure that could be performed at any location Pakistan requested. Additionally, if Pakistan refused even limited access to a single site, Pakistani scientists could be trained to install PALS themselves.

While the technological specifications of PALS are restricted from the general public to prevent efforts to bypass the technology, giving the knowledge required to install and operate them to another country wouldn’t compromise our nuclear security. Many other countries such as France and Russia already have U.S. PALS technology, and since the Pakistani government already possesses nuclear weapons they have no real incentive to try to access ours (Bellovin).

Teve Torbes is an awesome owner of a corporate gift basket site, who writes a whole lot about flea on kitten stuff. He has also created a valuable corporate gift idea resource.

Who Will Come To The Polls?

There is a disease that affects many voters across our nation. This disease is called Voter Apathy.

I remember the 1972 election when eighteen year olds could finally vote. 50% of young adults ages 18 to 24 cast ballots. Compare that to current numbers such as the 2000 election where the number fell drastically to 32%. There were great efforts to encourage young adults to vote by the 2004 election; however, the percentage was still only 42% who actually cast ballots. An even more sobering number is how many of our young adults do not vote when it is a non-presidential year. In recent years that number has plummeted to less than half of the 42% who voted in the 2004 election.

These are unacceptable numbers when you consider that this generation will soon be stepping up to the plate to run our communities. It cannot be stressed enough to our next generation of potential voters that active civic participation is important for the future of our nation.

It is imperative for experienced voters to help the next generation of voters become involved, stay informed and take action. The old adage of how one person can make a difference cannot be any truer than the last two presidential elections.

In the home, it is important for parents and peer relatives to discuss politics and the electoral process with their children. Unfortunately, there are a large percentage of high school seniors who simply feel uniformed about the political scene and have a lack of understanding on how our government operates. These young adults are on the cusp of the political arena and need an impetus to move forward to become active civic participants.

In our community, it should be a priority that we as voters share our enthusiasm about the political process. When you hear individuals complaining about the high sales tax in your area, consider it an opportunity to encourage others to vote in upcoming elections. Take advantage of the volunteer opportunities your area candidates offer, and see how you can help. There are so many ways to get involved; from donating campaign contributions to allowing campaign signs to be placed on your property prior to the elections.

The bottom line is that you must use your voice. We have to be practical and understand that these turnout statistics are actually covering up a much deeper problem. Statistics do not include all of the people who are old enough to vote, but have not registered. There is such a wide gap between who votes and who could vote that there has probably not been an elected official who has ever received a vote from the true majority of their constituents. The minority and not the majority of the people are running our local, state and national government.

The Preamble of the United States Constitution reads, “We the people of the United States,” and continues to express how we should work together to form a sound government and protect our democracy. We each have a voice. Democracy can only be silenced by apathy. You can cure this plague of indifference with a simple prescription. Get involved in the civic process and vote. You can and will make a difference

Carol Blood is a candidate for the Bellevue Nebaska City Council, Ward III. Carol is President of the Sarpy County Chapter of the American Business Woman’s Association,Chamber of Commerce member and Bellevue Business Owner.

Olympic Aspirations

Olympic Aspirations

The war-drum throbb’d no longer, and the battle-flags were furl’d
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world…
— Tennyson

In an hour long ellipsoid procession of various sized groups, each sporting its unique colors and uniform, the segregated delegations of Olympians enter the stadium each four years behind the standard of their respective nations. After a frenetic fortnight of agonistic woes and triumphs the stadium again sees the contestants assembled, but on this occasion, competition now history, they are permitted to mingle, exchange pins, hats, addresses and recollections in a poignant heterogeneity of colors, raiment, and, very probably, with newly awakened perspectives and cultural perspicacity. One cannot but wish that the procession could go that one step further and achieve a less transient manifestation of cooperation which would, like some benign epidemic, disperse itself around the world.

Imagine what might happen if the games were to start where they leave off, with athletes unfettered by nationalism. Imagine contestants competing as themselves with no flag of allegiance beside names on the scoreboard; multinational teams whose members have been able to train together in an exchange of disparate techniques, outlooks and cultures; and, perhaps some ad hoc assemblages just for fun. Imagine athletes being given the option of competing as a “world citizen” free from association with a nation in support of whose mind-numbing propaganda they would prefer not to dedicate their efforts, with whose policies they take issue, or with whose hubris they feel supremely uncomfortable.

Suppose one nation, perhaps a small one, perhaps one which has never participated in the games before, were to open its doors and permit citizens of any nation to compete under its auspices as a member of a world team. Participation would no doubt be minimal at first, with nations prohibiting the practice and disparaging anyone who would abandon his or her national identity; but starting small, with a few countries secure enough in their own national character to remain unthreatened by aspiring to a larger more universal identity, productive seeds could be sown. As it becomes more generally recognized that prohibiting or discouraging the practice of world representation is symptomatic of a parochial attitude of self aggrandizement and disdain for others, one might even see the larger nations, always so eager to outdo each other, compete to be the most open minded and universally conscious. It would indeed be strangely ironic if nationalistic fervor were to bring about the downfall of nationalism in the games.

It is hard to fathom the depth of disappointment felt by an athlete, who has achieved the peak of form through years of determined practice and conditioning, suddenly being faced with nonparticipation due to some politically motivated boycott of the games. The option of world representation would certainly put a damper on future boycotts and on the use of the Olympics for political ends.

As if waking from a sublime dream, one is forced to conclude that the games are likely to continue to take place much as they have in the past. It cannot hurt, however, to plant ideas here and there. With well meant thoughts, it is remarkable what can be achieved.

– K. Titchenell
http://www.abacus-es.com/sat/

About the author:

K. Titchenell is the author of SAT Practice: The New Verbal Section (Abacus Educational Services, 2004 ISBN: 0-9758796-0-X) a quick and delightful way to learn vocabulary, grammar, writing style, or
how to have fun preparing for the new SAT and similar exams requiring verbal skills.

The website ( http://www.abacus-es.com/sat/)contains extensive material on English vocabulary, usage, grammar, writing style, and testing resources.