Why waste money on military weapons?

It's really sad how some men and women who rule nations believe that their power and the respect their nations get is directly proportional to the amount of military weapons that they have and their military prowess. That used to be true before the computer age but with the advent of the computer which was utilised to control almost everything from air traffic, rail traffic in developed nations, road traffic lights, electric power stations, water supply systems to government databases and financial systems, the power of a nation now rests on how well it can protect its critical computer network systems from hackers. If ever there is going to be a world war III in years to come,(may God forbid) it is going to be a cyber war with nations launching cyber attacks on each other's critical computer network systems, which will render all military weapons useless.

Picture it this way. The year is 2060 and the whole wide world has become one computer network highway. China has become the number one superpower having overtaken giants like USA, Japan, UK, South Korea and Russia and that is because it has developed an army of hackers who have the ability to hack into any computer network system in the whole world and through those hackers China stole other nations' technology programs, business and strategic governance intelligence and improved on it to become a superpower to reckon with. Then it so happens that there is a diplomatic dispute between USA and China which escalates into an all-out war. USA is convinced that with its superior military weapons it can cut China down to size by defeating it in military war so it gives China an ultimatum to submit to USA's demands or else face their wrath in war. This ultimatum opens China's old wounds, the psychological trauma it suffered during the Opium Wars of the nineteenth century, when British gunboats routinely humiliated the Chinese government of the day. The deep feelings of resentment most Chinese feel for the humiliation they suffered during that time makes them want to ensure that there is no repeat of a time when foreign powers could push the Chinese people around with impunity. Therefore the Chinese knowing very well that they stand no chance if it came to a conventional military conflict with USA and its superior military firepower, they turn to using what they can do best, they utilise their army of hackers to launch a cyber attack on USA. So as the USA army is busy preparing to launch a barrage of ballistic missiles and jet fighters to destroy key Chinese targets, China simply telnets into the USA's critical computer network systems and by so doing takes over control of the whole nation of USA. At the flick of an electronic switch the Chinese army of hackers totally shut down USA's electric power stations, water supply systems, all traffic control systems, USA financial systems and all USA government databases. USA with all its computer network systems shut down abruptly stands still and the result is more devastating than the earthquake in Haiti of January 2010 and also more devastating than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki of August 1945. There are airplane & airbus crashes, electric train crashes and road accidents all over USA, people suffocate in elevators and the effect of the terrible stench from decaying food supplies in refridgerators and toilets without water after a few days with the electronic switch off is worse than the effects of the poisonous gases at Chenobyl, Bhopal or Seveso combined. USA's attempt to respond by launching nuclear-armed Trident missiles at China proves impossible, as the computer systems that control the weapons system have been hacked into by the Chinese army of hackers.

Dear readers, heave a sigh of relief because this is a fictitious story and not a prophetic statement but be warned that a situation like this has the potential to become reality especially considering what was written on http://www.telegraph.co.uk recently , I quote,

"There have already been well-documented instances in recent years where Chinese hackers have successfully launched cyber attacks against key Western targets like the Pentagon and Whitehall. In America Chinese hackers are reported to have attempted up to 100 000 attacks on government computers each year, and have successfully penetrated the computer systems of some of American military's elite units, such as US Army's 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions. In 2006 Chinese computer hackers were accused of shutting down the UK House of Commons computer network by flooding it with bogus emails, and the UK Foreign Office and other key government departments have accused Chinese computer experts of trying to hack into their systems. In fact, China is so obsessed with achieving electronic dominance over the whole world so much that it annually holds computer hacking competitions throughout the country, and then recruit the winners to their burgeoning cyber army."

So dear readers let me get back to my question, "Why waste money on military weapons when the real threat to the world today is hackers who can penetrate the computer networks that this technology age is dependent on to run people's lives efficiently." It would be best if countries like Iran which is refusing disarmament of its nuclear weapons would realise that their nuclear weapons are no threat to an army of hackers and get rid of the nuclear weapons and concentrate their efforts on building perfectly secure computer networks that even the most capable hacker can not penetrate.

Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize of 2009 that was awarded to him.

On Thursday the 10th of December 2009 he was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. Why Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 2009 was for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between citizens of the world. President Barack Obama's creation of a new climate in international politics closely fulfils the statutes of Alfred Nobel's will which is why the Norwegian Nobel committe nominated him as the Nobel Peace Prize winner on the 9th of October 2009. This is what Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said as he announced the winner on the 9th of October 2009.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

On the 10th of December Thorbjørn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in his presentation speech went on to explain why the committe saw it fit to award President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize. You can read the full text of that presentation speech on the following link,
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/presentation-speech.html
I am a peace-lover myself and have always believed that nothing ever justifies violence or for that matter war but after reading the Nobel Peace Prize lecture that President Barrack Obama gave just before being awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize I now understand and am convinced that sometimes it is neccessary to wage war in order to achieve lasting peace but only as a last resort when peaceful negotiatians, sanctions and passive resistance have failed. You can read this Nobel Peace Prize lecture on this link,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34360743/ns/politics-white_house/
These are some of the words in Obama's speech that convinced me to change my rigid anti-war mindset.
1."There will be times when nations - acting individually or in concert - will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified and war is justified only when it meets certain preconditions: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional, and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence."
2."As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King's life's work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there is nothing weak -nothing passive - nothing naïve - in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.
But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism - it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason."
3."I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans, or in other places that have been scarred by war. Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later. That is why all responsible nations must embrace the role that militaries with a clear mandate can play to keep the peace."
4. "I understand why war is not popular. But I also know this: the belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it. Peace requires responsibility. Peace entails sacrifice. That is why NATO continues to be indispensable. That is why we must strengthen UN and regional peacekeeping, and not leave the task to a few countries. That is why we honor those who return home from peacekeeping and training abroad to Oslo and Rome; to Ottawa and Sydney; to Dhaka and Kigali - we honor them not as makers of war, but as wagers of peace."

World history is full of charismatic leaders who were or are great orators but President Barrack Obama surpasses them all, his charisma and ability to give moving speeches that exude his humanitarian nature can not be equaled but that is not why he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 2009. Why he was awarded the prize is because he not only talks but walks the talk. It is almost a year since he came into power but the many peaceful negotiations he has embarked on in that small space of time in trying to heal the world and make it haven of peace, love and happiness makes him deserve to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 2009. If I had my own peace, love & happiness unto the whole world award I would award it to him too, for he rightly deserves it.

Zimbabwe: The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award of 2009 was awarded to Magodonga Mahlangu and WOZA of Zimbabwe

In a country whose people are notorious for not speaking out, notorious for being passive and not standing up for what they believe in, there arose two women called Jenni Willims & Magodonga Mahlangu who refused to be intimidated by the POSA and AIPPA repressive laws of Zimbabwe and formed a group called Women of Zimbabwe Arise, WOZA, whose aim is to empower Zimbabwean women with knowledge and skills designed to stimulate courageous activities within the community. Over the years WOZA has managed to build strength of character among its members that demonstrates courage and leadership qualities as it spoke out, demonstrated and picketed for democracy, good governance and human rights in Zimbabwe. On Monday 23rd of November 2009, President Barrack Obama of USA showed his appreciation for their efforts over the years by awarding Magodonga Mahlangu on behalf of WOZA the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award of 2009. The awarding ceremony was held at the Whitehouse in the East Room. President Barrack Obama made a beautiful speech in which he narrated what WOZA has been up against in Zimbabwe for the past years up until now, before handing over the award to Magodonga Mahlangu amid a deafening applause.

You can read President Barrack Obama's beautiful speech by going to the link below.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-presentation-robert-f-kennedy-human-rights-award

Congratulations WOZA!!! I am proud of you and am sure all Zimbabweans who are for democracy, good governance and human rights are indeed proud of you.

He loved me but never told me

I am posting on this blog address again until I find a way to make readers be able to make comments on the articles I post on my new address, http://www.peacelovehappiness.org.zw

A group of my friends were at a Zimbabweans and South Africans only dinner party in UK watching photos of yesteryears which were on a slideshow loaded on the host's desktop computer and reminscing about the good old Zimdays whilst watching the photos. When my photo filled the screen a male friend of mine who used to belong to the same book club as myself when we were teenagers asked Babra my friend who was hosting the party to freeze the slideshow so that he looks at my photo for some more minutes. She obliged and asked him to tell the party members what that picture reminded him of. He started talking and Babra switched on the tape recorder of her phone. This is what is recorded on the tape that Babra sent to me.

My secret admirer"This woman's name is Eusebia and we grew up together in Greendale and she has a good deal of character and is awfully attractive. There was always something poetic in her, a sort of lyrical quality, as it were, that coloured her movements, her acts and everything about her. It seemed to exalt her above common cares. There has always been something so candid in her expression, so courageous and independent in her bearing, that-oh, made other beauties in the neighborhood just flat and dull compared to her."
My secret admirer's wife "I remember you telling me about her when we started dating."
Babra " You speak as if you had been in love with her?"
My secret admirer " Of course I was. I should have thought you would have guessed that at once. I was frightfully in love with her but I never told her so we never had a love relationship?
Ike (Babra's husband) "What made the friendship feelings turn to love?"
My secret admirer "For many years I thought I just liked her as my friend until her elder brother Ephraim who was a medical student was stabbed by a knife and died in 1989 and when I saw her broken-hearted at the funeral my heart bled, it hurt me so much and I wanted to hold her in my arms and shield her from all the hurting in the world. It was then it suddenly struck me that what I felt for her was special, I don't know how to explain it but it was a sort of shattering turmoil that affected every bit of me and that feeling was love.
Ike "So why didn't you tell her that you loved her.?"
My secret admirer " I wanted to badly enough but I never gained the courage to say so. Although she was always so nice to me and so easy to get on well with and we were such good friends, I always felt there was something about her that made me feel inferior when I was with her. Although she was so simple, so frank and natural, you never quite got over the feeling of an inner kernel of aloofness, as if deep in her heart she guarded, not a secret, but a sort of privacy of the soul that not a living person would ever be allowed to know. I don't know if I make myself clear.
One of the male party members. "Maybe if you had declared your love you would have been the only person she would let into that private place."
My secret admirer " Maybe but I never got the courage to tell her that I loved her and up to now I regret not doing so. Her aloofness was not the reason because I found it quite captivating. It was strangely exciting to think that if she loved you and you were married to her you would at last pierce right into the hidden heart of that aloofness, and it would be as it were a consummation of all that you'd ever desired in your life.
One of the female party members "If you found her aloofness attractive then what exactly was it that made you hesitate to tell her that you loved her.?"
My secret admirer " What really made me not ask her is because I couldn't bear the thought that if I proposed to her and she refused me our friendship would never be the same again, there would be a tension between us. I enjoyed her friendship so much and didn't want my proposal to disturb that friendship. It made me so happy to be her friend and I wasn't sure if she loved me too. Babra did she love me too?
Babra "She never confided that to me, and anyway even if she had loved you, knowing her and her pride she would never had told anyone unless she was sure that the love was mutual."
My secret admirer "I saw her photo on facebook the other day and damn she still looks as beautiful and elegant as ever, her beauty has defied age. Funny enough what made me fall in love with her was not her looks, though they were quite alluring, with the tenderness and sweetness in her eyes and her sexy legs. What made me fall in love with her was the sensation of well-being when I was with her, she made me relax and be quite natural without putting up appearances because she was so down-to-earth. You felt she was incapable of meanness and it was impossible to think of her as envious of other people or catty. She seemed to have a natural generosity of soul.
Ike "Do you still love her?
My secret admirer "I can't answer that question because I am married and have four teenage children ."
My secret admirer's wife "Honey it is important to me that you answer that question."
My secret admirer "Of course I don't love her anymore, I love you my wife of sixteen years."

When I listened to the tape Babra sent to me yesterday I couldn't believe my ears and I cried till my eyes were red because I loved him too though I never dared tell a single soul because I thought that the love was not mutual. If human society was such that it was acceptable for a woman to make the first move or to propose to a man I would have told him that I loved him way back then and we would have got married to each other and not to the people we both eventually married. As it is, that love we shared secretly in both our hearts will forever remain in our dreams buried into history never to be consummated between us. What a waste. I will never forgive him for not telling me that he loved me.

A glimpse of passing moments of joy.

Life is made up of bits and pieces of moments of joy most of which pass so swiftly yet they leave permanent marks in our lives. How we often wish we could freeze those moments in time so that the joy they bring to us stays with us forever. We keep memories of some of those moments in our photographic memories and remember them during moments when life seems so sad and hopeless but no matter how often we remember them and they make us smile they are just that, memories.

1. Do you remember the feelings of joy when you thought you had finally found mutual love from a soulmate that would lead to a lifetime full of love, peace and happiness? The mutual love was but only a passing emotion and did not last the lifetime you had envisioned but it was sweet while it lasted.

2. Do you remember the joy of anticipating for the first day you would meet someone you had loved for so long but had never met? The feelings of joy, love and excitement as you waited patiently for the two of you to meet. How you longed for an embracing, warm and love-filled first hug and when instead you got a cold, "Hello" you suddenly realised that, that moment of joy had passed away so swiftly. It's one of those moments that you keep replaying in your mind and sometimes replace the actual events with your own wishful thinking. If given a second chance to make a first impression would he/she make it not a passing moment of joy but the prelude to a lifetime of joy?

3. Do you remember the day someone unexpectedly proposed to you or the day you unexpectedly proposed to someone? That beautiful moment when he went on his knees and told you that he loved you and wanted to be engaged to you. That beautiful moment when you went on your knees and declared your love for her and how you wanted the two of you to be committed to that love. She was taken aback because she thought the two of you were just friends and could never be something else and had to ask him to give her time to think about it. She never said yes because she was in love with someone else but that beautiful moment when he was down on his knees will forever be etched in her mind as a passing moment of joy. Joy that someone loved her enough even though she had no feelings for him.

4. Do you remember the day you got married? Hopelessly in love and naive, you thought marriage meant a lifetime of bliss laying on a bed of roses so on that day you were operating on cloud nine. The marriage turned out to be not all roses with the thorns of the roses pricking the marriage ever so often. So your marriage day was but only another of those passing moments of joy.

5. Do you remember your honeymoon? All those days of indulging in the pleasures of the body without any nagging issues at the back of your mind and the joy of it all. The pictures of the two of you on your honeymoon failed to capture all the joy you were feeling inside your heart just as your life together after the honeymoon was over failed to retain that joy of the honeymoon days. So your honeymoon was but only another of those passing moments of joy.

Most of life's passing moments of joy have to do with love. How I wish love was something you could pin down and catch in your hand, never to let go. Unfortunately you can't do that with an emotion like love, it is not tangible. If love was tangible surely we would make the passing moments of joy not pass but stay with us forever.