Prejudice

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The first time I read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, it was out of my passion for anything literary; but the second time was simply out of mischief. And I truly enjoyed the latter mainly because of this introductory quote: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife". My perspectives about the quote decades ago is still valid till today, irrespective of the fact that the book was first published in 1813.


In today's context, "single man" is an endangered specie while "single man" with ‘good fortune’ is almost extinct. The predatory instinct  of the woman coupled with the fact that the population of the two genders (knowing there are now more than two) is lopsided in favour of women, are major contributors to the alarming rate at which the planet is running out of the "single man"specie"

To further explore this social phenomenon, we must take a dispassionate look at the causes and effects- which are of course well known to anyone above 18 years Unlike global warming, it is quite difficult to be objective where emotion is in constant collusion with logic. Rather, let’s take a look at world events in the last three weeks.


Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood baron was the first hit in a creepy list of what is fast becoming a hall of infamous sexual harassment. The initial reaction when the allegation broke out was that, sexual harassment should not be a surprise in an industry that grew out of the ashes of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sexual activities are rife in the entertainment industry. That notwithstanding, the number of ladies that have fingered (no pun intended) Harvey in these allegation would, if asked to form a line, reach all the way to Congress.

If the Hollywood allegations of sexual harassment can be excused as occupational hazards, same cannot be said however,of the sexual impropriety in the hollow chambers of the Congress who ideally should be the flag bearers of all that defines decency. Across the aisle and in a bipartisan manner, congress men are either busy denying allegations or apologising for their sexual misconduct as scandal after scandal continues to overshadow legislative activities.


The fear here is that if this trend continues, there will be more revelations that may well topple the congress from the place of honour it occupies as an upholder of all that we hold dear and true. At this rate,the congress may soon run out of men of integrity, thereby paralyzing the biggest and most effective man made political system in the world. The comforting part of the story, as I reassured my American friends is that this cannot happen at home . Our women are more diplomatic and most of the times,  our discerning men ‘with good fortune’ in power are well able to tell their yes from their no.


Mugabe? Remember we have been chronicling world events in the last recent weeks. He is a man with "good fortune" that was "graciously" brought down by a the help of a wife.

Subject

Nigerians however cannot lay claim to such testimony when it comes to the chemistry between them and politics. Nigerians' politics is like our greed - very straight forward. And the reason is simple. While Nigerians see our economic glass AS half empty and the laboratory tests confirm same, our leaders see the glass completely full! Half with liquid and half with air. See my consternation with everything chemistry? In assessment of content purity, our leaders are not part of the solution and neither it seems, are we the led, part of the precipitate.

Politics here in America is more like the version of chemistry in my secondary school days. Completely complex and absorbing in it's seemingly simple appearance. The modern political party system in the US is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The remaining 2% of the population who are not in the mainstream are filtered into the politically insignificant parties, that you probably would not know.

Until very recently, the majority of Americans have been prisoners of the brand of politics played. This is primarily because the sustenance of the capitalism foundation upon which their democracy is based is  driven by the working class, not necessarily the middle class.

In other words, you're made to pay for everything uncle Sam puts on your plate. Now, paying taxes is  entirely a bad idea, but having the poor pay more than the rich who can easily afford it, can be likened t H20, which is the molecular formula for water for H2O2-the molecular formula for hydrogen peroxide: which will kill you instantly if you drink it.

The new tax bill up for debate by our congress men and women is already a mix that is capable of setting the congress alight and killing the people. And you only need residual knowledge in chemistry to know that you can never trust atoms because they make up everything!

Mass Voting

White House is presumably the symbol of the awesomeness of the United States of America as the most powerful nation on planet Earth. Though, the colour white depicts purity, it is hardly a true representative of a nation that has over the years become a safe haven for all colours. What's in a colour, you may want to ask? Nothing, until you know what's in the house. We will come back to that later.

Last week, November 5, 2017, there was a mass shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, about 30 miles east of the city of San Antonio. The gunman, 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley of nearby New Braunfels, killed 26 and injured scores more when he decided to take not only law but also semi automatic rifles in to his hand.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the shooter was allowed to buy rifles and stockpile ammunition in spite of his mental health. He was also known to have sneaked guns into Airforce base and escaped from mental facility in 2012, and also has a pending sex assault case hanging on his neck before rage and revenge consumed him as he went looking for his mother in law.

As at this time, it is inconclusive what exactly was his grouse with the mother-in-law. Relationships with mothers-in-law have always been generally cantankerous, but this must have assumed a dangerous dimension and was able to fuel this young man’s demented mental abilities and raging revenge.

The troubling part is that this is coming in the heels of the Las Vegas shooting and other 306 recorded mass shooting this year alone in the United States. Trying to find motives for these mindless killing has so far left the FBI clueless but not hopeless. Arrested mass murderers are often white and always plead insanity as defense.

Insane people here unlike back home live in good neighbourhood and dress decently thereby making it impossible to detect early mental cases until it is manifested. Having it manifested in the neighbourhood is bad enough, the nation can however not afford these extremes in domain and public offices where policies are formulated. Ever wondered who's more insane? The guy who buys guns off the shelf or the politically elected representatives who ensure enabling laws are made to facilitate mass murder?  The case of "he who drums for a mad man is himself a mad mna"; Ola Rotimi, "The God's are not to blame".

Finally, it does not matter what colour you paint your house, the colour of your conscience is determined ultimately by your deeds and act. And this will be brought to remembrance at the 2018 mid-term elections. Though the ballot boxes are white, voting will be colourless.

War is war.

"No sentimentality comrades, war is war"! -Snowball in Animal Farm.

Wars are wars. There can't be civil or uncivil war. The categorization of wars as means of conflict resolution fundamentally negates the intents and causes of war. In simpler form, wars fought in both civilised and uncivilized climes, (as long as they are within same people and in same geographical location)are termed civil wars! Interesting.

What is not interesting however, is the aftermath of any war. I guess that is why the government is being asked to pay 50 billion naira to compensate war victims and a further 38 billion naira to state authorities to help rebuild damaged property by the Economic Community of West African States Court of Justice. Relax, we do not have the money and even if we did, there are no statistics to aid payment.

The three-year conflict was fought between the Nigerian government and the southeast- Biafra, and if by now, you still don't know the reason for the war, you are in good company, because I don't either. This is not meant to slight lives that were lost or laid down for the war, but just to underscore the importance of dialogue in conflict management. Scars of war do not heal easily no matter the amount of money spent on it, neither does the ghost of war gets exorcised at the mention of Halloween. Wars are better when unfought; especially the mindless one we had in 1967.

Before am hastened to be reminded about the pros of war like liberation of the oppressed(as expressed in American civil war), the ingenuity of managing the economy as well as the evolved technological initiative of the seccenionist during this period, the fact remains that all these are developments that could have been better managed under peaceful conditions.

Again,If you still do not know the story of the slave trade, it is either you are younger than this piece or slept through history class. Whichever way, you still will not be entitled to a recap- war memories are traumatizing. Anyway in 1860,The Civil War, also known as “The War Between the States,” was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, a collection of eleven southern states that left the Union in 1860 and 1861 and formed their own country in order to protect the institution of slavery. Of course, without rolling my eyeballs, the slaves in question were blacks!

In order not to lose the war after the battle was won, American Congress embarked on a reconstruction which lasted from 1866 to 1877, aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War, providing the means for readmitting them into the Union, and defining the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a nonslave society. That is reconciliation and reconstruction. Not compensation.

Rather than embarked on deliberate and conceited effort in readmiting our brothers and their grievances back into the fold after the civil war, the federal government chose the path of winners take all. Since then, the South East have been licking their wound in the hope that further alienation- that is mainly self inflicted will not reopen their wound. The toothless court located in Abuja can bang it's gavel for all we care, it will never drown the drums of war resonating again in the not too distant future, This time,from all aggrieved tribes.

Monetary compensation is good, don't get me wrong,as long as it's equitable distribution will not brew another potential war. However, anything short of true reconciliation and reconstruction of the Nigeria entity will simply not suffice. I hope you have read this piece bearing in mind that we are entitled to our opinions, but not our own facts.