blessed britons

Zarine Rentia was a 15-year-old Indian girl who had been severely disabled by an extremely rare disease. On a visit to Britain in 2005, she was diagnosed and began a course of treatment at Great Ormond Street, the world famous children’s hospital. In the meantime, she attended a local London School, where she impressed children and staff alike. With the support of Zarine’s doctors, her mother applied to the Home Office for leave to remain in Britain on medical grounds, but was refused. After an immigration judge turned down their appeal in February, mother and daughter returned to Gujarat, where Zarine died weeks later.

— Mike Marqusee

No Sanctuary

mad world

In India, DFID spent US$40m on TA [technical assistance] from Credit Suisse First Boston over just six months, in the course of advising the state government of Orissa on energy privatisation. The total bill for foreign consultants on this programme eventually rose to US$110m, with most of the TA provided by Price Waterhouse Coopers. In Vietnam, one DFID official estimated that they typically pay foreign experts between US$18,000 and US$27,000 per month, compared to US$1,500-$3,000 for local experts.

— Action Aid

Real Aid

justice

suspending disbelief

Submitted by antarchi on January 14, 2008 - 02:15.

The determined among us can continue to hold onto beliefs that cannot be put into practice. We can hold onto beliefs that can probably never be tested. I can continue to believe, for example, that a different way of organising things, a different system or a different set of values would suit human beings - and humanity - much better; would bring out the best in them, while the one we have (here) brings out the worst. If I am optimistic - or naive - enough, I can go on believing, even if everything around me seems to contradict the possibility.

does this road lead to the cathedral?

Submitted by antarchi on September 7, 2007 - 23:16.

"Does this road lead to the cathedral?"
"No, this is Varlam Street, it doesn't lead to the Cathedral"
"Well what's the point of a road, if it doesn't lead to the Cathedral?"

From Tengiz Abuladze's 'Repentance' Pokoyanie)

That exchange comes right at the end of the film. I was reminded by it of a quote from Thomas Nagel, that philosophers are after the truth, even though they know that's not what they're going to get (or words to that effect).

maladjusted

Submitted by antarchi on April 9, 2007 - 20:50.

Extract from Martin Luther King's speech to West Michigan University in 1963:
'Modern psychology has a word that is probably used more than any other word in modern psychology. It is the word "maladjusted." This word is the ringing cry to modern child psychology. Certainly, we all want to avoid the maladjusted life. In order to have real adjustment within our personalities, we all want the well-adjusted life in order to avoid neurosis, schizophrenic personalities.
But I say to you, my friends, as I move to my conclusion, there are certain things in our nation and in the world which I am proud to be maladjusted and which I hope all men of good-will will be maladjusted until the good societies realize. I say very honestly that I never intend to become adjusted to segregation and discrimination. I never intend to become adjusted to religious bigotry. I never intend to adjust myself to economic conditions that will take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few. I never intend to adjust myself to the madness of militarism, to self-defeating effects of physical violence...
In other words, I'm about convinced now that there is need for a new organization in our world. The International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment--men and women who will be as maladjusted as the prophet Amos. Who in the midst of the injustices of his day could cry out in words that echo across the centuries, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."...
Whole text available here