the facts speak for themselves

no they don’t

analysis is translation

What we learn from history, is that we don’t learn from history.

I used to take that as a cynical motto, in that we really should try harder to learn from history. It’s really the other way around, we need to accept the limits of what we learn from history and not always trying to ‘fight the last war’.

The military hubris of 1914 gave rise to the shameful anti-war appeasement of the 1930s, which led the way to the militarism in Vietnam and Korea, then the non engagement in the Balkans and Somalia, to the Iraq war, to who knows what justified humanitarian military action we will hesitate in carrying out because of the Iraq mistakes.

We learn from history, that the hindsight from the last crises shouldn’t write the play-book for the next one.

Here’s some Friday morning songs…

http://open.spotify.com/track/2CJtimCSGAn8×6RE3irZFV
http://open.spotify.com/track/6Us57QMe4FrOwfwjnXZ8Zu
http://open.spotify.com/track/36ucGuVr5F2hFWpMZFUYJu
http://open.spotify.com/track/40VAYnnGBDLQVXD8D1ager
http://open.spotify.com/track/4QsGJ2mlwK4WJdoKJtL5i5

Consider this, yesterday was the 84th birthday of the Indian Guru Sathya Sai Baba. He has literally millions of devoted followers who are convinced he is a living god. Thousands of people have claimed and born witness to many miracles such as healing the sick, raising the dead, turning water in to other drinks, and he claims to have been born of a virgin. The list continues and is familiar. Even with all this evidence, no one with any kind of objective intelligence really considers that he might in fact be god. Yet a third of the world’s population…well…

when cyberpunk Stewart Brand said in 1984 that ‘Information wants to be free’, could he have envisaged the digitisation/infomistaion of everything?

yes,  i made that word up.

This is my latest email to Markus, i’d be surprised if he replies. Wouldn’t it be great if he was actually genuine? a heart warming triumph over the cynical.

Hi Markus

I’m a bit confused, the emails are coming from Damin, and that is the signature on the passport photo, but the name on the passport is Markus.

I’m keen to continue but I’m worried about scams. So it would be great if you could clear that up.

Would it be ok if i just sent you a cheque for the deposit rather than paying the transport company?

This is his reply… hmm, don’t really understand. maybe i should just leave it now.

Damiana is my child, my daughter

Damin is stands

his reply…

The first step is to register with the transport company at www.eufast-expedition.com//register.php

Tomorrow morning i will go with the car and documents for inspection and the company will get in touch with you in order to proceed forward.

My contact details are: Markus Barni , {removed} , Milan, Italy

Thank you !

brilliantly… attached was his driving license in the name of Markus Barni but signed by Damin Anderson.

This is the latest email from my cheap car scam attempt

Hello,

I can transport the car to your home location by shipping company and takes about 4-5 days. They work very simple and will arrange the payment and delivery for the car . Shipping will cost 400 pounds and i will pay half of that. The transaction is done in 3 easy steps:

1) The car and the documents are received by the shipping company;

2) A technical and legal inspection is made, then you are informed about the situation of the car;

3) The payment is made to the transport company and once they have the confirmation they deliver the car to your address;

After you receive the car you will have it in custody for 3 days to decide if you like it or not. If you

don’t like the car, the company will refund your payment.

Let me know if you agree and maybe we will go forward with a deal. I have other interested for this car so a prompt decision

is appreciated.

and my reply…

sounds good

can you send me a Digital photo of the registration documents, with your name on it.

and a picture of you standing beside the car (showing the reg plate)

thanks

A brief resume. The Question Monkey is in the market for some new wheels. Money’s too tight to mention but the car needs to be a decent size or at least have good backseat leg room. I’m a second hand car buyer and not very confident when it comes to ‘doing the deal’.

The car i would like is a Nissan Qashqai, but even second hand its more than i’m wanting to spend. So i’m a prime sucker to fall for and advert on Autotrader – £5k for a two year old Qashqai. So i emailed him. This is his first reply.

The car is in Italy at this moment but still registered in UK. I have moved to Italy with my work and unfortunately i have to sell the car as fast as i can. MOT and road tax is paid, no outstanding finance, full service history, the car is in excellent condition, no problems what so ever. If you are really interested in my car please let me know because I’m ready to bring the car back to United Kingdom for sale.

So, it’s a scam of course. The only surprising thing is he didn’t mention Nigeria as oppressed to Italy. I decided to follow it up with this…

I’m interested in the car

when will you be bringing it back to the UK so i can test drive it

i await.

It’s not possible to have a neutral religious, ethical or political influence on our children, nor should it be. Instructing our children in the traditions, myths and values of our forefathers is a large part of what makes us human. Respect, tolerance and appreciation of other traditions is all we can realistically demand of parents if we are to thrive in a multi-cultural society. I believe that my worldview is as compact and rational and non-delusional as i can get it as of today (as does everyone), so i’ll raise my kids in that spirit. When they are older, then other traditions will have an influence on them and they may reject my world view (though that’s statistically quite unlikely). It’s not like a Muslim parent thinks ‘well i know that most of this stuff i believe is dubious, but I’ll make my child believe it too, to validate it for me’. People are generally sincere, and care about their children.

We can though be honest with ourselves and confess that a great deal of our religious, ethical and political views are in fact learned from parents and respected elders rather than exclusively objective and rationally attained. The committed Christian or Hindu needs to be take a step back and realise that those metaphysical and historical stories he holds true would seem bonkers and naive had he been raised by Mr & Mrs Khan from Number 43 and visa versa. Everyone of course thinks that their personal views on maters of life, ethics and relationships are ‘correct’ or they would change them. So why would they not instruct their loved ones likewise?

The labels are handy, they are informative.

PS: the writing of this brings one thing to the fore in my mind, not that we shouldn’t raise our children in a likeness of us, but that we should be extra concerned about who we are and what we believe, as it reverberates down though the generations. Quite a responsibility.