Opinion: Polarization will be the key protocol to follow in 2017!

No matter if it is local politics, if it international or trade, the most important backbone to policies in the next year will be polarization. That is not Polar Bears dancing on the dwindling ice, if so the U.S. TV station would have better ratings. No, this is the importance of local and national industries, while stressing ignorance towards immigration and imports to add more GDP value and also stop inflation. A balance that is hard to carry as the trust in local currency and local production doesn’t change overnight. That has to happen with steady policies and ability to trade products and create market for the ones that we’re in the past produced far away.

“Definition of polarization

1:  the action of polarizing or state of being or becoming polarized: as

a (1) :  the action or process of affecting radiation and especially light so that the vibrations of the wave assume a definite form (2) :  the state of radiation affected by this process

b :  an increase in the resistance of an electrolytic cell often caused by the deposition of gas on one or both electrodes” (…) “2 a :  division into two opposites b :  concentration about opposing extremes of groups or interests formerly ranged on a continuum” (Merriam-Webster – Polarization, link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polarization).

We are dividing ourselves while the world is into more conflicts that need assistance and securities to secure peace. There internal conflicts in Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Where the conflict is bloody, where people are detained for the political affiliation, where innocent dies in the streets and where guns are imported to silence the ones who is not succumbing to the regimes who hold power.

We are living in a time where opposition victors doesn’t get into power, because the leaders of old are not allowing and keeping power by the gun, are using the police force and army to monitor the opposition and even rigs the election to secure the “validation” of their rule. This has happen in many Republics and Nations this year and proves that progress of governance and accountability is dying, like innocence and justice is impartial and only for the elites. The rest of us just have to be lucky to see just systems and laws for the common folk.

Like Adama Barrow is the President-Elect in Gambia, Jean Ping should have become the President in Gabon, Dr. Kizza Besigye in Uganda and Moise Katumbi should have risen to power in DRC if there we’re any justice and transition of Power in the Republic. But the big-man and long ruling Presidents of these nations doesn’t give-in or leave office. They continue to stay without any fear or without any mercy as the monarchs they acts of. Instead keep polarising the political elites and societies with paying the elites and silencing the ones who stand in their path. Also, by forging alliances with nations to make sure justice doesn’t prevail in their path.

While these tragedies are appearing in front of our eyes in our times, the borders and the helping hands are not appearing, the funds and allocations of necessary funds to the refugee camps, the direct food aid and agents of humanitarian actions are not sufficient. The reality of these missing steps should boggle our mind and should freeze our hearts out, as the news of burning convoys into Aleppo, lack of food into refugee camps in Adjumani in Uganda and the lacking rations of food in refugee camps in Tanzania. These should all be a reminder of the fate we have put our world in. The steps of lost grace and mercy on the weakest of humanity, where hospitals and humanitarians are put in the lines of bullets and grenades in between the battlefield as the soldiers fight for keeping merciless tyrants to stay in power.

While the superpowers are claiming the fight for justice, the innocent dies, the towns are battlefields and turns into dust, the graves are not cleared and the lives are lost in vain. This while UN cannot impose arms-embargoes or create a possible cease-fire to get civilians into safety, this while Italian and Greece authorities are working and trying to find ways to impose fleeing civilians on Turkey, because the rich European states fears that fleeing civilians could be terrorists. The humanity and just behaviour is dying while the states are flogging their responsibility to the ones in need.

We can question ourselves if this is right, if we can sleep knowing the indebtedness we have in riches. In the time of peace in our states, where we have possible houses and shelter for the ones fleeing possible genocides and acts against humanity; Europe impose stricter rules on immigration and Brexit proves the fear of Polish and other ethnic groups as they want to secure their borders as key argument to stop being an EU Member State.

We can wonder why the world has come to this that polarization of between ourselves the ones who see the innocent die and the ones who want to keep their own by any means. That the own nationals are going against each other and seeing it as only fit, instead of thinking for instance for a hot minute, what if the war came to our shores and to our homes, wouldn’t we flee? Wouldn’t we do what we could to leave our wealth, our riches to save our own?

Why shouldn’t the Syrians and all other who are in conflicts leave grenades, tanks and bombs, would we live on the streets with daily shooting and killing if we had an option to flee? Would we stay and risk everyday our lives to get a loaf of bread? I doubt that. We would travel to safety and to places where we could resettle and rehash the future of ourselves and our kids. If not we would be risking ourselves and the future of our kin. That is because it’s natural.

Still, the Europeans and citizens of fellow states don’t see it this way with fear-mongering politics and internal polarization of demagoguery, which is out of proportion. This will continue as these conflicts leads to more hurt and damage of lives, where more shelter and more merciless killings to stay in power, where more rigging of elections and more police-states are controlling the civil society. Where the states are more totalitarian and the power controlled by a little elite, while the average citizens are struggling, they will seek fortunes other places instead of in their birth-nations. Just as we would do if our destiny we’re in the limbo, if our homes were shacks and our sockets could electrocute us.

So the world of 2017, will be inflicted with the unfinished business of past, like all years has been, with as much uncertainty as the start of 2016, but with new issues and new struggles, with new people behind bars because of political affiliation, more families lost loved ones because of demonstrations, more people fleeing as the machetes and burning villages for land-grabbing, foreign investors taking land while locals cannot get deeds, as the central government are getting needed funds to supply the army with equipment and salaries, civil servants are left behind with reunification and it is happening so many places. Nobody confess nobody impose on it or even sanction this. We should question the economic challenges and the way they allocate funds, especially when many of these states get based government loans from the IMF and World Bank to basically could function; together with the reasonable taxation they can be able get from their citizens.

We shouldn’t silent on the merciless acts of men, we shouldn’t be ignorant of the world of oppression and fear, as the grand masters of our times are destroying and depleting lands for fortunes, as the multi-national companies see only profits and not see the populations they are forcing into unjust working conditions to trade resources into high profits abroad. These acts shouldn’t be forgotten, as industries and the trade are made for the international companies to gain and not all locals, therefore the polarization are created in these, create more havoc and even more injustice, as the unfair world we live in doesn’t give hands to ones in need. The rich can get it all, while the poor is lucky if they have enough for a jerry-can to buy water. That isn’t justice, that isn’t right when others are only drinking imported expensive French Water.         

We should questions the systems and revise them for more balanced between the rich and poor, for more functioning United Nations, for more diplomatic efforts and for stronger laws that cannot make Presidents into Emperors! The reality is that 2017 will start where 2016 and that is not in positive looks into the future, because the powers we have, the armies and police are targeting fellow citizens who deserves better. We all deserve better and we all should know better. Peace.

Ana Gomes MEP letter to the EU Parliament: “Detention of Dr. Merera Gudina in Ethiopia” (01.12.2016)

Extraordinary Plenary Session in the European Parliament on Brexit; the anxious future is to touch after the MEP discussed the outcome in the Chamber!

Gianni Pittella said: “This is no time for polemics. This is a historic event, we need clarity. Do we get clarity from the Brexit side? Difficult to see why all of a sudden there’s no clarity.” (European Parliament, 2016).

There are many of these days when one Member State have taken the vote to leave the Almighty European Union and their Organizations. This is rare occasion that shows the ramifications on the European continent. The leadership of Europe and Britain will be tested and go through fire, what we as Europeans can hope for is humility from the different partners and regulators. The Nobility of President of the European Parliament Jean-Claude Juncker shows of a man who has been punched in the stomach and tries to sustain the honor of fellow kin; while the others in Parliament we’re either ignorant, pan-Eurocentric or just wanting to speak of honoring the vote of confidence of other Eurosceptic. This is the start of the solution.

As the MEP spoke, this is how the Plenary Meeting we’re presented:

“The European Parliament held an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels on Tuesday 28 June for MEPs to discuss and vote on a resolution assessing the outcome of the UK referendum and its consequences for the European Union. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Council representatives also took part” (European Parliament, 2016).

The Northern Ireland MEP Martina Anderson said:

“There was a democratic vote, we voted to remain [in Northern Ireland]. I tell you, the last thing that the people of Ireland needs is an EU border with 27 member states, stuck right in the middle of it” (…)”The EU has supported our peace process,” she said. “I ask you to continue to do that” (…) “MEPS like Diane Dodds and Marine Le Pen would say that we in the North of Ireland are bound by a UK vote. We say we are not. Like the previous MEP Mr Smith, we ask you to respect our vote. We stand by the vote of the people from the North of Ireland, just like Scotland which voted remain. We accept, we respect and we will defend the wishes of the people of the North of Ireland.” (European Parliament, 2016).

The Scottish MEP Alyn Smith said:

“While I am proudly Scottish, I am also proudly European. Please remember Scotland did not let you down and I beg you colleagues, do not let Scotland down now.” (European Parliament, 2016).

The English MEP Nigel Farage Said:

“The United Kingdom will not be the last member State to leave the European Union.

“It is up to the British Government to invoke article 50. And I have to say that I do not think that we should spend too long in doing it” (…) “What I’d just be pragmatic, sensible, grown-up, realistic, and let’s get between us a sensible tariff-free deal and thereafter recognise that the United Kingdom will be your friend, that we will trade with you, we will cooperate with you, we will be your best friends in the world. But do that sensibly and allow us to go off and pursue our global ambitions and future” (…) “The only upheaval is political upheaval where we see the Prime Minister resigned and indeed the British Commissioner Lord Hill resigned. They both have done so for the right reasons. You never know, we might be getting rid of the Labour Party Leader as well. But upheavals in politics can actually be a very healthy and very good thing” (European Parliament, 2016).

The Answer from President Jean-Claude Juncker:

““You can’t leave a nation up to its nationalists. You have to respect the nations, but you don’t need to respect the nationalists, they are not patriots, they are anti-Europeans. They are not patriots at all.” (…) “The UK didn’t vote on austerity policies, they didn’t vote on the protection of external borders. The UK is not a member of the euro zone, so the euro policies does not apply to the UK. The UK is not a part of the Schengen area so the United Kingdom is a master of its own borders.” (European Parliament, 2016).

First rebuttal from Nigel Farage:

“”Isn’t it funny? When I came here 17 years ago and I said that I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well, I have to say you are not laughing now, are you?” (…) “And the reason you are so upset, the reason you are so angry has been perfectly clear from all the angry exchanges this morning: you, as a political project, are in denial. You are in denial that your currency is failing, you are in denial… well, just look at the Mediterranean.” (European Parliament, 2016).

First Rebuttal from Jean-Claude Juncker:

“I am sad after the vote in the UK. I really would have liked that the UK would have decided to stay with us but they decided differently” (…) “I’m sad because I’m not a robot, a bureaucrat or a technocrat. I’m a human being and I regret the results of the referendum” (…) “I would like the UK to clarify its position. We cannot allow ourselves a prolong time of uncertainty period. There won’t be secret negotiations. No notification, no negotiation” (…) “We need to reassure Europeans. Our flight continues, our journey continues” (European Parliament, 2016).

The European Parliament President Martin Schulz:

“The will of the majority of citizens of the United Kingdom must be done. It has to be respected and that is why we will be looking today intensively at the issue of Article 50 and its triggering.” (European Parliament, 2016).

If these words don’t prove something, then nothing does. We can see the liability of the vote and now the fragile situation that is created between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Certainly the situation does not become better with the consideration and rhetoric used by either UKIP Nigel Farage or European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. The words between UKIP leader and European Commission President we’re not worthy of Parliament, reasons why I didn’t address the Le Pen or other ‘Nationalist’ who wants to coin in on the current affairs instead of creating progress. I am not a man who supports the EU, but still see the value of integrity and transparency between the counter-parts of Europe and collaboration of the Union.

With that in mind, the Northern Ireland and Scottish MEPs represented their constituency with honor and also respecting the vote, still wishing to be taken serious as people and voters who wanted to ‘Remain’, they proved the hard task of Nobility towards the Brexit Referendum in the whole United Kingdom and their own constituency, a reason alone why the other MEPs respected their words and character. While after this, Nigel Farage continued his flabbergasting words and acting as brute, instead of happy victor with some clarity. Farage was like a kid who finally gotten his candy he had nagged for the whole car-trip. Instead of being a Politician with humility and trying to commend the Union, as he forgets or trips on the escape button; like Farage doesn’t know that the levels for leaving the Union the rubberstamp by the fellow MEPs who are responsible to accept the agreement between UK and EU in the near future.

While Jean-Claude Juncker is a disappointment, he can be right about how he perceive the Union, but the doubt of the centralized organization of Brussels that many Europeans have a problem with, and doesn’t need to be nationalist or right-wing separatist, more about the question on being Sovereign, which is major question towards the EU. But, his attitude and quarrel with Farage, doesn’t make him look bigger, instead like a little kid losing his favorite toy. That is not the look the ‘aftermath’ of the UK referendum needs.

What the Italian MEP Gianni Pittella said was spot on, as the Italian sees the big picture and the accurate vivid the uncertainty and needed for clarifications on the United Kingdom and the EU leaving as the Member State of the Union. The Italian are representing something refreshing and other in the debate, as the Scottish and Northern Ireland MEPs are respectable, but also wishing to be considering as special candidates for Membership in the future it seems. This is as the England and Wales population; we’re the majority voted on the whole of referendum. While the other we’re either biased for the Nationalistic or Eurocentric that the ideas of addressing it with equal sense and clarity, instead of being there to act upon the decision made by the British public with care and honor. Certainly some like EU Commission President Juncker acted wrong… he acted with the sense and talked with caution instead of childish towards Farage, there would be a better taste in my mouth as an outsider.

But let me not forget what MEP Greens Belgium Phillippe Lamberts: “No wall will be high enough and thick enough to isolate Europe from the challenges of the 21st century” (…) “Today you can only have sovereignty if you share that sovereignty” (European Parliament, 2016).

We can question the future and how this will end, if the EU negotiations towards the UK will be in the fashion of the Commission President, then the Farage should take care of his words, while the bureaucracies on both sides have to be solid and clear on their programs, as the monetary policies and the exclusions from the current programs from the EU will hit the UK with unknown consequence, as the EEA or other possible tangible ways in the Single-Market of Europe still will be on the line. The matter of the tone and progression as respectable men should be in the end the level of concern between the negotiators.

What is worrying that the level of attitude from men likes Nigel Farage, not that I am shocked as he does have the con-man, the fraudster and the snake-oil salesman smile and attitude that cannot be taken away from him. The United Kingdom must hope they send some talented and wise consular towards the European Union when they are pushing the Article 50 and triggering the 2 Year time-table to become a Non Member State. This is a reform and reformation takes time and UK need to take their time. While EU has to prove their Community and their Peace Project worthy and Juncker was not that today, I am disgusted by him and also by Farage, but Farage was more to expect then Juncker. Peace.

Reference:

European Parliament – ‘UK referendum: European Parliament debate on outcome and consequences’ (28.06.2016 – 10:00 CET) link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/20160627STO33965/UK-referendum-MEPs-debate-outcome-and-consequences