Lighter Things

As promised we will start on a lighter note today except for the COALITION FOR DARFUR POST, which can be read by clinking on the link or by continuing to read at the end of this post. Meme via Cross at Beyond You and Me and I promise that I will not ask anyone to do it but feel free to answer any of these questions in the comment section. I especially would like to know any deep dark perverse bits of information that you would like to share. I'm hot (overheated); it is more humid than it should be here in the city that never sleeps. The people in this god forsaken mass of stone, brick and steel never sleep either, especially the people across the hall from me, therefore I'm taking a walk soon along the, grayish black with dirty brown stains, sidewalk carrying a bag large enough for a body to fit into but instead loaded with various academic paraphernalia. Indeed this is the not so good type of paraphernalia but the kind I am most familiar with. I 'm heading to another place, which is where my night will be spent, and maybe I can actually get some work done. If not I may at least be able to convince someone to delve into the sensual practice of hair - playing with me; at the very least I need to have the humidity squeezed out of me as I think I�d feel better if someone twisted me like a dishrag and sort of shook me out. I guess this was the meme of 7 7 things to do before I die: 1. Live in London for a year. I've spent enough time there to know I want to go back for a longer stay. 2. Live in Africa for a year. 3. Photograph the land and the people of the Sudan, Darfur in particular. This of course is assuming there will still be any people left in a few years. 4. Surf Australia, I never did it when I lived there as I was too young. 5. Design and help construct my own home somewhere. 6. Own a Brownstone in the city of NY. 7. Have a multi-orgasmic experience on top of Taipei 101. 7 things I can do: 1. Photograph buildings and the naked people in them. 2. Debate 3. Snowboard almost anywhere. 4. draw/paint 5. Argue 6. Stay up all night 7. Tequila shots even though I am not a drinker per se. We can thank my brother for this one. 7 things I can't do: I can do anything as can anyone so the word can't technically means won't, don't wanna, ain't gonna, so don't even go there. 1. Cook. 2. Mix drinks 3. Sit around and watch television 4. Tolerate ignorant or stupid people 5. Drive, at least that is what people tell me I think I drive splendidly and except for an unfortunate deer,( and the deer was to blame ), I have never had an accident. 6. Sing 7. Care about professional sports teams 7 things that attract me to a man: 1. Brains 2. teeth/lips/mouth 3. Eyes 4. Sense of humor 5. A general respect for humanity. 6. Appreciation of art and an understanding the significance of art in it's multitude of forms. 7. Humility 7 things I say most often: 1. Play misty for me..... Private joke but I say it a lot. 2. c'est la vie 3. Fuck - yea I say it a lot 4. Come again? Come not cum. 5. Black no sugar. 6. babes � I call people I am fond of babes. 7. Black pants or jeans? 7 celebrity crushes: I couldn't find seven if I tried, I rarely even know celebrity names although.. 1. Yes John Malcovich is one. 2. Mick Jagger- no comment. 3. Rafael Nadal - This is purely a sexual fantasy of me with a younger man from Spain who dresses in sort of girlie capri�s. 4. Ian Mackaye - Don't ask if you don't know. 5. Jim Morrison - I know he was a fucked up mess but he looked hot in all those old pictures. Plus I hear he is still alive in Paris. 6. Johnny Ramone 7. James Spader- If he would cut his fingernails. Mostly old, dead, weird or scary looking; I am going to have to go into therapy for that. 7 people I'd like to do this list: No one I know would do this list but if anyone wants to volunteer feel free Addendum is thanks to Tina Purdy at The Sardonic Sideshow September 14th, 2005 I too take Responsibility Wow. �And to the extent that the federal government didn�t fully do its job right, I take responsibility.� George W. Bush Sept. 14, �05 Coalition for Darfur A Meaningless Pledge Some are hailing the inclusion of language regarding a "responsibility to protect" in the draft declaration on UN reform to be discussed during the three-day summit being held in New York. The "Responsibility to Protect" is, according to the seminal report on the topic

[T]he idea that sovereign states have a responsibility to protect their own citizens from avoidable catastrophe, but that when they are unwilling or unable to do so, that responsibility must be borne by the broader community of states.

The report, and the idea, were generated by the international community's ignominious failure to intervene in situations such as the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The thinking was that it was necessary to shift the debate away from a "right to intervene," which carries serious implications for the cherished idea of national sovereignty, and toward a "responsibility to protect" those people in danger. After much debate, compromise and rewriting, the final text included in the draft declaration came out looking like this

The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapter VI and VIII of the Charter, to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the UN Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case by case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities manifestly failing to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. We stress the need for the General Assembly to continue consideration of the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity and its implications, bearing in mind the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We also intend to commit ourselves, as necessary and appropriate, to help states build capacity to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and to assist those which are under stress before crises and conflicts break out.

Nowhere has the Security Council or the UN member states actually pledged to do anything. This section carries no legal obligations; rather, it merely reiterates that the UN has a responsibility "to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity," which something they already an obligation to prevent under the Genocide Convention. Note also that it doesn't say that the UN has a "responsibility to protect" but rather a responsibility ... to help protect" those at risk. That is a big difference. As such, it is a little difficult to share Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's excitement

But a Canadian-inspired initiative highlighting the world's responsibility to protect threatened people and prevent genocides is a clear move forward, Martin said. The doctrine "essentially says that if Rwanda occurred today that the United Nations would act," he said, referring to the genocide that took an estimated 800,000 lives in the African country in the mid-1990s.

Considering that there is "another Rwanda" currently taking place in Darfur, why are we to expect that suddenly the UN is going to take seriously its "responsibility to protect"? Has the UN failed to act thus far solely because it lacked this one resolution? The UN has resisted acting on Darfur for two years and there is absolutely no reason to believe that this recognition of a theoretical "responsibility to protect" will have any impact on the legal or political concerns that have thus far prevented action. If the UN and its members truly believed in the "responsibility to protect," they would be protecting the people of Darfur, not writing resolutions vaguely promising to act when Darfur-like situations arise in the future.