At the end of a CFR article that tries to deal with the political mess that is Nigeria, Richard Joseph, who knows Nigeria pretty well, ends on a somewhat positive note. His answer to anybody who asks him what he would like to do during the next elections: The response I advocate is to bolster… Read More »
A reader writes: Without undermining the intellectual capabilities and the personal achievements of Ms Hirsi Ali, she often comes accross as self-overestimating and excessively self-benefitting. Since she stepped out of the islamic faith, she seems extremely obsessed with projecting islam in a negative light. For a self-proclaimed islam expert, I would appreciate a discuss that… Read More »
danah boyd writes in the closing paragraph of a beautifully brilliant rant: Zuckerberg and gang may think that they know what’s best for society, for individuals, but I violently disagree. I think that they know what’s best for the privileged class. And I’m terrified of the consequences that these moves are having for those who… Read More »
The concluding paragraph of Peter Akinlabi’s Beyond Gadaffi: Nigeria, Federalism and Other Quicksands: We can intellectualize these things all we want, but there are no more startling discoveries to be made as far as the causes of violence in northern Nigeria are concerned. Olakunle Abimbola’s getting a lot of verbal bashing (sentimental fool, people like… Read More »
Nneoma of Pyoowata writes in a review of Nigerian bloggers’ response to ‘District 9’ for NigeriansTalk.org: In an interview with the Huffington Post, Neill Blomkamp states that the small population of Nigerians in South Africa is indeed responsible for the majority of crime in his country. In keeping with his bias against Nigerians, District 9… Read More »
Last year I wrote this post about e-waste, toxins and cancer; today I read this editorial from the Daily Trust: The World Customs Organization (WCO) recently expressed concern over the indiscriminate and incessant dumping of used electronic gadgets in Nigeria. The organization said that the gadgets emanated mostly from Europe and such products had been… Read More »
So, it seems that smuggling is being discussed in Nigeria these days (my research is partly on the informal trade in second-hand clothing between Benin and Nigeria so I am really interested in this). Really, when a country has this list [pdf] of prohibited items what is to be expected? The Comptroller of Customs in-charge… Read More »
The saddest song to have come out of Africa in recent times was actually composed as a song of celebration, written to mark the ascendancy of an African-American to the presidency of the United States of America. It was a musical tribute by a Kenyan, and the lyrics say simply: it is easier for a… Read More »
President Obama granted his very first one-on-one interview as a president to a media house that broadcasts out of Dubai. The White House Blog titles the post that announces the interview ‘President to Muslim World: “Americans are not your enemy”‘, which clearly shows that the interview was meant as an interview, or an address, if… Read More »
Mr Roger Cohen of the New York Times writes in his column: A strong Europe is essential to America’s recovery. The United States is too stretched — militarily and economically — to do without the cohesion of its closest allies. There are three major European powers: Britain, France and Germany. Britain is going through a… Read More »