Posts tagged "QUICK"

Corrupt Vba Project Error While Converting and Access Database to 2002

Under some circumstances, Access users need to convert a database from one file version to another. It is a very useful option, provided by Microsoft Access. But sometimes, when you attempt to convert Access 97 MDB file to Access 2002, the process may fail and you may get the following error message:

“An error occurred while loading Form_FormName. Do you want to continue?”

Followed by the second error message:

“The Visual Basic for Applications project in the database is corrupt.”

Because of these error messages, the conversion fails and your database becomes completely inaccessible.

Grounds of the issue

You get above error messages if the Access database that you are attempting to convert from one file version to another is not in the compiled state, or the database was damaged before you have tried to convert it.

Whatever the cause of this problem is, the ultimate result would be the incomplete conversion of the data and corruption in MDB file. It is never accepted due to the importance of stored data and thus you need to have required actions to get your database repaired.

Resolution

To fix this problem, you can use any of the below given methods:

? Use Compact and Repair to get the database repaired and then restart conversion.

? In spite of converting the database, import database from Access 97 into 2002.

? Delete references to Utility.mdb and then reattempt conversion.

Though, these methods work in some cases and can fix the problem, but if you are having problem due to corrupted MDB file, you need to use some advanced methods for Access recovery.

Access recovery is best possible using the third party  Access recovery software. These software are very powerful and carry out excellent Access repair in almost all possible cases of MDB corruption. Without having any sound and prior technical knowledge, you can use these software very easily for perfect Access recovery.

Stellar Phoenix Access Recovery is the best suitable Access repair software for having trouble-free, quick and absolute Access recovery. Having cool looking and intuitive user interface, this  Access repair software is extremely easy to use. You can use this advanced Access recovery software for all file versions of Microsoft Access including Access 97, 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2007.

Simpson Raid
http://www.articlesbase.com/data-recovery-articles/corrupt-vba-project-error-while-converting-and-access-database-to-2002-687271.html

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Gbush
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/buy-cheap-diet-pills-online-order-weight-loss-prescription-pill-53071.html

Voices Can Change the World

Voice talent Dave Christi runs an organization comprising of professional voice talent working towards bringing awareness and an end to one of the worlds most evil atrocities, genocide, particularly, the genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

A genocide literally means that an entire group of people, or, in many cases, the majority of a population, is annihilated without just cause. The motives behind these genocides often revolve around religion, politics and ethnicity with hate as the catalyst.

Genocide is defined as: The deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group

You may recall the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. At the time, Canadian Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire was in the then war-torn Rwanda with a UN peacekeeping mission. While he was there, he heard that there was going to be a genocide. In this country, there are two distinct groups of people, the Hutu people and the Tutsi people, the latter being the minority and also considered the aristocracy.

To give you an extremely brief summary of what happened, the Tutsi people suffered a genocide at the hands of the Hutu while the world turned a blind eye. Between April 6th and July 16th 1994, over 800,000 Tutsi men, women, and children along with moderate Hutus were slaughtered over a period of 100 days – a massacre which has been likened to a modern Reign of Terror.

I happened to have the opportunity to attend a moving presentation a couple of years ago that screened a documentary about the Rwandan genocide in London. Major Brent Beardsley, who served as the personal staff officer to LGen Romeo Dallaire in Rwanda, was there to share what he saw of the massacre first hand and how if the UN had only continued to provide support to their peacekeepers, the genocide may have been stopped.

Several survivors from the genocide were there and spoke that evening, many of whom were the only living members of their family, letting us as Canadians know how much it meant to them that Romeo Dallaire and his troops did not pull out or abandon them when the United Nations and the rest of the world did.

Romeo Dallaire and his troops defied the UN in order to defend the people of Rwanda, and the battle they fought has made the term genocide very real.

The question Romeo Dallaire asks is “Are all humans human? Or… are some humans more human than others?”

What is going on in Darfur is eerily familiar… it is a genocide.

In our human history, we have seen genocides before Darfur and Rwanda, although, sometimes they are known by other names. Remember what happened to the Jewish people during World War II? The Holocaust, as termed by the British government, is a genocide. Millions of Jewish people were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime.

History repeats itself, but as we also know of history, we can learn from it to change the world. While it is true that not everyone can be at ground zero, there are things that you can still do from home.

When I heard about what Dave Christi had started, my heart broke for the people of Darfur and I wanted to see his purpose and the mission of his colleagues uplifted and shared with you.

I was fortunate to have an interview with Dave earlier this week.

Stephanie: What inspired you to start this project?

Dave Christi: A while ago, I happened upon an article online about a recent trip that a celebrity had taken to Darfur. Then another person on another trip. Then another and another. I wondered, “What’s going on in Darfur?” I always knew that there were problems in Africa, but I never knew to what extent. A quick Internet search later, I found more information.

I was horrified. Not just by the atrocities happening there, but by my own ignorance of the gravity of the situation. I couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t heard more about this on mainstream national news outlets.

I petitioned my congressman and signed the petition to the president and so on, but I didn’t feel like I was doing enough. I don’t have sacks of cash lying around, so I decided to donate my talents as a voiceover artist and copywriter. Then, I figured there may be one or two other voiceover talents that would like to contribute in the same way.

Stephanie: Do you offer services to charitable organizations directly, or do they need to find you first and ask?

Dave: The website and concept are both still in their infancy. My vision is to offer voiceover services to non-profits that may need a PSA read, or a presentation narrated.

Also, since I am a writer, I am putting together a series of PSAs for radio. As far as I can tell, there is a serious LACK of media coverage of this genocide. I’ll be contacting human rights organizations to ask them what we can do to help.

Stephanie: How many people are involved with the project?

Dave: This is the truly amazing part. I made this project public when I had the first PSA script written. That was on Monday, December 11. Just a few days later and I have over 20 voiceover talents who have helped on the PSA and many more that have expressed an interest in donating their voices for future projects.

I am now looking for others that can help with administration.

Stephanie: Do you have a mission statement?

Dave: Not an official statement, but the mission is 3-fold:

1. Donating voiceover work to non-profits who raise money/awareness for the crisis in Darfur.

2. Drive website traffic through our website to sites that accept donations.

3. Creating effective PSA’s to distribute to radio stations to help raise public awareness of the crisis in Darfur.

Stephanie: Do you have a blog to promote your project?

Dave: The entire website is setup on blogging software. I found this the easiest way to organize the fluid content of the site. So, yes, a blog is in place.

Stephanie: What is the demand for a service like yours?

Dave: I feel the demand could be quite great. Like any “for-profit” business, charities need to market themselves. This means they need voice work. UNLIKE a “for-profit” business, charities don’t have large marketing budgets. Every penny they have to spend is one less penny that goes toward their cause. If an organization like ours can lower their bottom line just a bit, I feel like we’ve been successful.

Stephanie: What does a typical client of your service look like?

Dave: Right now there is just one focus. Darfur. I am running the organization as a one man show right now. If I’m successful with charities that help Darfur, then I’d like to expand to domestic children’s charities.

Stephanie: Do you have a case study on hand that people could relate to?

Dave: The only case study I have right now is my own. The abuse of human rights in Darfur as been going on since 2003. Why was I unaware until the end of 2006? Why is it that my local and national media saw fit to educate me on every tedious detail of TomKat’s relationship, yet the stories of the suffering of the Darfuri people go unaired and unpublished?

Stephanie: How would someone go about getting a talent to record their message? Can clients pick their preferred voice from your base of volunteer talent or do talent view opportunities and respond if interested?

Dave: Right now I am collecting names of those interested in donating and I’m still researching charities that would need work done. Come to think of it, Voices.com has a lot of experience in getting voices and people who need voices together.

Stephanie: What qualifies to be recorded for free through your service? Are there any restrictions?

Dave: I want to ensure that the charities that use Voices for a Change are legitimate. In the US, that would simply mean faxing a copy of their 501(c)(3) to us before they would be given access to our services. The other requirement is that their charitable efforts go toward delivering relief to, raising public awareness for, and encouraging media and government response for the genocide in Darfur.

Stephanie: How can people get involved?

Dave: Even those who do not wish to donate their voices may still help the people of Darfur. Talk to your congressman. Talk to your local media. Talk to your friends. Be A Witness said it very well; “You can’t stop a genocide if you don’t know about it.”

Stephanie: Thank you Dave for your time and for sharing this mission with us at Voices.

Dave: Thank you for the opportunity.

Stephanie Ciccarelli
http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/voices-can-change-the-world-97280.html

Would a dictorship dedicated to clean corruption help the Philippines?

With Nationalism fervor, if a military dictator like Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew would take over Philippines and cleans up all kind of corruption, and creates all kind of jobs for Filipinos and creates a strong middle class, would that be acceptable to Filipinos? Sort of Marcos when he started.

But why a dictatorship once again. We already have this kind before, why not a little different from a dictator I would agree. A visionary/young leader with ambition to lift up the Philippines from the quick sand it is now saddle on.

Every Filipino have nationalism fervor in his or her heart because this is our country, one and only. Do we have a spare country on the side like a small or big island that belongs to the Philippines? I don’t think so. Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew took the leadership with an IRON FIST. But unlike Marcos he didn’t become greedy and has no wife that is also greedy. Besides, Philippines is a divided archipelago compared to Singapore only a small country like Hongkong. Much easier to handle compared to the Philippines especially the Filipinos who will bring so much headache to the leader of the land.

We personally do not need a dictator just to show us the meaning of true leadership or nationalism fervor. What we do not have is Singapore’s discipline, we do not know its meaning. We don’t follow every rule or law of the land. Filipinos don’t follow almost anything at all. It is like bara-bara na lang system, like anything goes ok. You put up one sign that says no jay walking, expect everybody will cross the road just like that. Do Filipinos knows how to read? They do. We are the most literate individual in Asia but as I said we do not follow a single law or rule impose on us.

When Taking the Police Test Why Do Some Police Candidates Have an Unfair Advantage?

Copyright (c) 2008 Don Cirillo

Why do friends and relatives of police officers do well on police judgment/situation questions and have an unfair advantage? Although it’s a federal mandate that you’re not required to know police procedures when taking law enforcement entrance exams, many test makers conclude that police procedures are just common sense. They’re usually included in the test in some form. The reason: they measure two very important traits needed for police work: JUDGMENT and COMMON SENSE.

But here’s THE DILEMMA: to really do well on these judgment questions you need more than just common sense. The reason police friends and relatives do well, is that they’re familiar with police language and police thinking. This gives them a DECISIVE EDGE when they choose answers to these questions.

Ideally, you shouldn’t need to know police procedures and policies or the law; you should just be able to interpret them. Realistically, if you know the basic philosophies of police procedures before taking the test, answering the questions becomes much easier.

To Answer Police Situational Questions You Must Think Like a Police Officer

If you had a friend or relative who was on the police force they could help you THINK LIKE a police officer and give YOU an edge when answering police situational questions.

In this article I will give you some important tips and strategies on how to handle difficult police situation questions. The goal is to help you THINK LIKE a police officer. It will not only give you an edge for the written test, but also will help you with the ORAL INTERVIEW.

On the test you’ll be given police procedures and asked to apply them to situations. You’ll be tested on your ability to remember information, analyze data and apply it using common sense, good judgment and the ability to solve problems.

Most police procedure questions ask: What would YOU do if Assume you’re a police officer. How would you respond? The questions are based on ACTUAL POLICE SITUATIONS.

For instance: What would you do if you saw a man walking down the street dressed only in a baseball hat, (naked) carrying a baseball bat? Arrest him? On what charge? What would you do?

The first thing you should do is to ask questions and try to determine what happened. He may be a victim of a crime. Don’t jump to conclusions.

TIP: Do the most important things first! It’s IMPORTANT TO PRIORITIZE your response to the situation. It’s also important to familiarize yourself with the role of a police officer in the particular police department you hope to join. Each department has a definite set of priorities that govern a cop’s decision-making process.

Here are some important factors you should know when answering police judgment questions.

1. Protect the welfare of citizens, victims, and fellow officers. ALWAYS tend to and assist anyone who is in danger, injured, wounded or in the line of fire, etc. Help anyone in danger. Repeat, your most important job is to always assist and protect endangered people FIRST. This includes victims of crimes, injured persons, physically endangered persons and potential victims.

2. Secure public order. Keep the peace against acts of aggression, riots, armed suspects and destruction of property.

3. Uphold the laws. Arrest those who violate the laws, protect crime scenes and preserve evidence. Enforce laws, investigate violations of law and make arrests when necessary.

4. Help those needing assistance. This duty focuses on people not in immediate danger, such as non-injured victims of crimes, the mentally ill, the homeless, neglected children and lost or stranded persons.

5. Maintain order on your beat. Check your beat for suspects and suspicious activity. Investigate suspicious persons, potential hazards, etc. Know your beat by becoming familiar with the physical structure, the streets, the buildings and the people, especially the criminal element.

6. Maintain proper flow of traffic. Make sure damaged traffic signs and lights are repaired. Make sure proper direction of traffic is conducted with the use of traffic cones and traffic officers until repairs are made.

Based on using the police priority factor, what do you do in the following situation?

You are a police officer is working a security guard detail at the state fair. Which of the following situations do you handle first?

1. There is a crowd forming around two unarmed teenagers arguing.
2. A dumpster sitting next to the main tent pavilion is on fire.
3. The Ferris wheel is stuck in midair with people still on it.
4. A man, who is obviously drunk, has passed out and is lying by the ticket booth.

The correct answer is 2: The dumpster on fire should be dealt with first. It is sitting next to the main tent pavilion and is possibly a danger to many people.

The Value of Police Hierarchy The police officer’s job is extremely hard at times. He/she is expected to make quick decisions in situations involving conflicting values.

For instance:

It may be necessary to choose between allowing dangerous criminals escape or risking serious injury to a hostage.

Some departments set clear parameters for many of these types of situations. But, because of all the unforeseen situations officers face on a daily basis, these parameters cannot cover every possible type of situation.

That is why law enforcement agencies test your practical judgment and common sense so intensely. It’s also why it is SO IMPORTANT you know the priority list used by police agencies before you take your test. YOU MUST KNOW what they consider the order of importance to successfully answer police situational questions. The Police Hierarchy List You’ll notice Police Hierarchy is similar to the Police Priority list but they’re not the same.

While Police Priority is concerned with order of importance, Police Hierarchy deals with rank and authority. LEARN THEM BOTH if you want to do well on police situation questions. Plus, it will go a long way in helping you make good decisions when you become a law enforcement officer. Here is the most commonly used Police Hierarchy:

1. PROTECTING LIFE AND LIMB IS #1. Always take action first on those things that pose a threat to someone’s safety and tend to injured people: performing first aid, calling for an ambulance, etc.

2. Obeying orders in emergency situations is the #2 priority.

Obeying orders should be done at all times. The only exception is when the order interferes with the protection of life and limb or violates the law.

3. Protecting property.

4. Obeying orders in non-emergency situations.

5. Maintaining your assigned duties.

6. Being efficient in getting the job done.

7. Avoiding the blame i.e. earning praise and respect.

Using Police Hierarchy and Common-Sense

Situation: You are assigned to a particular area during an emergency situation and ordered by your supervisor to stay at this location. But, by leaving this location, you can help a severely injured person and possibly save that person’s life.

What do you do? You are justified in choosing to leave your assigned area to help the injured person, even though you are disobeying the supervisors order — provided that leaving your assigned area will not result in other lives being put in danger or lost.

Always remember protection of life is the #1 priority.

By thinking about the Police Hierarchy and Police Priorities it will help you “Think Like a Police Officer” and make answering police situational questions much easier.

Summary

When answering Police Judgment Questions read carefully but don’t read anything into the situation. Think like a COP. Think about the police priority list. Keep in mind things like “safety first” and using the least amount of force to get the job done. And always USE COMMON SENSE.

Don Cirillo
http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/when-taking-the-police-test-why-do-some-police-candidates-have-an-unfair-advantage-688939.html

Churchill’s During World War II and Its Aftermath

The growing rapacity of German gluttony forced Hitler to take over Austria in 1938 and threaten Czechoslovakia. In Britain this produced a national crisis which resulted in Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s meeting Hitler in September 1938 at Berchtesgaden. Chamberlain returned from the meeting announcing ‘peace in our time’ which was abruptly smashed when Hitler invaded Prague in March 1939. Soon after given Western weakness and hesitation to work with the Soviet Union Stalin formed a pact with the Nazi’s guaranteeing Russian security and the partitioning of Eastern Europe between the Bear and the Hun. There was nothing to stop Hitler from destroying Poland and then turning his malevolence towards the West.

Public anger which had exploded after the subjugation of Prague had forced Chamberlain to give the improvident pledge to guarantee Poland’s security. Militarily and rationally this was an impossibility. The British did not possess a large enough standing army to lend help to Poland to stem a German advance and the logistics of transferring military relief to Poland was never calculated. Only the Navy was possessed war making power and there was little the Navy could do to defend Poland. She was invaded on the first of September and the Second World War began. Churchill was immediately recalled into power as First Lord of the Admiralty – the very same post he had assumed control of 25 years previous on the eve of the First World War.

From day one of the war Churchill was the true Leader of Britain. Chamberlain was defeatist and broken hearted remarking bitterly how his life’s work was now tragically sundered. He did not have the capability to rouse a nation and persevere to the bitter end. Winston as Naval War Lord was not only attacking the enemy on the seas but combating defeatist elements at home and trying to prod the blind neutral nations into action. Only Churchill could utter with true conviction and spirit, “Now we have begun; now we are going on; now with the help of God, and with the conviction that we are the defenders of Civilisation and Freedom, we are going on, and we are going on to the end.”

The Royal Navy was the only strong force that Britain possessed and from the opening bell the naval squads were on the offensive. Churchill worked at least an 18 hour day. Plans were drawn for a blockade of the German coast, convoy arrangements were made; mine-sweeping was instituted, enemy raiders harassed and submarines sunk. By the end of 1939 the Royal Navy had sunk half of all German submarines. However the war was only in its infancy. Great battles loomed.

On May 10 1940 the Germans began their vicious assault on the West. The Hun streamed into Holland and Belgium. That night the King of England sent for Churchill and asked him to form a government. Thus began the creation of the Churchill legend and his enshrinement into history. The story of the British war effort under Churchill falls into two distinct categories – the struggle to survive and the establishment of the alliance with the USA and Russia and the ultimate destruction of Germany and Japan.

The battle to survive covers the twelve or so months that Britain fought Germany completely alone in 1940-1. This period covered the dazzlingly quick disappearance of France under the heel of the Gestapo in June of 1940 to the German attack on Russia in June of 1941. This grim year brought horrible highlights; the partition of France, the formation of the pro-Nazi French Vichy government, the battle of Britain, the blitz on London, the beginning of the North African desert war, the defeat of Greece, and the British Commando raids along the Norwegian and French coasts.

It was during this sombre episodic current of ruin that Churchill became the most inspirational Leader of the Western world in the 20th century. He portrayed the towering, implacable fierceness of a proud nation, and of liberty, and expressed every free man’s tenacity to fight in words that no other could have summoned forth. Winston’s knowledge of military matters and his close operational vigilance over all affair animated and excited the British war effort with a boldness that astonished. British prestige in this desperate hour reached its highest ever pitch. The world over prayed for its salvation and success.

The immense energy and illimitable skill that throbbed and turned in his heart and mind was at last released from its bondage and given full scope of use. Churchill no longer knew the frustration of ideas that could not be brought alive, vitality that could not be expended, or ingenious approaches that could not be tested. The supreme challenge was met by a man of supreme stature. The Government was turned upside down. Routine was destroyed. Twenty four activity the rule with Churchill as the master organiser. All knew their place and role. Churchill immediately established a small War Cabinet to make effective and quick decisions. At first the membership was four which grew during the war to seven. This tiny all powerful directing force was supported by sixty or seventy other ministers of all parties who formed the core membership of the Coalition government but responsible only for their own departments. As Churchill pointed out, it was only the members of the War Cabinet, “who had the right to have their heads cut off on Tower Hill if we did not win.”

Never before in modern history did one man have so much power. Churchill was everywhere. He not only controlled the government but the operational side of the conflict as well. He was not only the King’s First Minister but Leader of the House of Commons and, even more important Minister of Defence also. The military Chiefs of Staff instead of reporting to their own ministries reported instead directly to Churchill. The Joint Planning Committee – a body of professional staff officers of all three services – worked under Churchill as part of the Ministry of Defence rather than under the Chiefs of Staff. Thus by permission of the War Cabinet and Parliament Churchill became the penultimate democratic Leader.

No one can study Churchill’s part in the war without being staggered by the colossal output of interests, dictation’s, orders, speeches, broadcasts, plans, promotions and prunings. In military matters he covered an almost incomprehensible range of activity. When Britain stood alone and the nation was bracing itself for the storm of invasion Churchill was racing about the government demanding attack plans, offensive action and targets of British incursions. He demanded the end of the passive war. Thus the commando raids were born. He participated during the war in every operational plan and strategy demanding full technical elaboration’s and missives to be sent to his attention. “During the war,” the American General Eisenhower later testified, “Churchill maintained such close contact with all operations as to make him a virtual member of the British Chiefs of Staff; I cannot remember any major discussion with them in which he did not participate.”

Churchill’s power was dependent upon the War Cabinet. It is a tribute to his skill of persuasion that unlike Roosevelt or Stalin, who were by their constitutions absolute military leaders of their nation, Churchill exercised his authority only by the permission of the War Cabinet who were willing to grant this authority only so long as Winston commanded the confidence of Parliament. Much of Parliament’s confidence was bolstered by Churchill’s impassioned, humanised and soaring orations. No man or women in the British Commonwealth who heard on June 4 1940 that France was being devoured by the German beast, will forget the tingling of emotion and courage when Churchill uttered in a strange, hoarse voice: “We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and the oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever he cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God’s good time, the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.”

Another Leader may have uttered, “We will do what is necessary to win this war and persevere in its struggle until it is won. This government believes in the ultimate ability of our nation to come through to victory.” Or something to that effect. Very few would have evinced the crescendo of emotional “We shall’s” in a peroration. Churchill gave the roar to the British lion and heart to the British public. Romance, history, philosophy and leadership all running in the cloud-burst of Churchill’s speeches and leadership of the war effort. But though he carried his role with pride, prompt execution and relish in no way implies a cold heart or an acceptance of war’s carnage. The suffering that he saw, and he saw a lot with his own eyes as he inspected damage through Britain, on more than one occasion pushed him into tears. When Churchill saw a small shop in ruins and wondered out loud to his private secretary the anguish that the owner must feel to have his whole life exploded and ruptured so completely, he became so visibly upset that he resolved at that moment to compensate all damaged property with state payments. Thus the policy of war damage for private assets came into effect. If Churchill enjoyed the waging of war he certainly suffered from the anguish it induced and endeavoured to share its destruction with the common man and woman.

The second phase of the war lasted from the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on December 7 1941 until the end of the war. Until 1944 the British and Russian armies bore the brunt of the struggle against the demented German race. From early 1944 onwards the Americans assumed a greater share and responsibility of the war effort and began to relegate the British to a supporting role in the drive to victory. Roosevelt and Churchill met nine times during the war establishing a strong if short lived friendship. The Americans including Roosevelt were incorrectly convinced that Churchill and the British wanted to expand their Empire.

This calamitous suspicion allowed the Russians more freedom in Eastern Europe than the British would ever have tolerated. As early as 1943 with victory a matter of time and logistics Churchill implored the American leadership not to let Soviet ambition run unimpeded in Eastern Europe. The American reply was incredibly purblind and vague. It appears in scouring the documents and American communiqués that they trusted the Soviets to behave themselves more than their close allies the British ! Eisenhower and many of his chiefs remarked in letters and in meetings that they could not understand why the British constantly mixed politics and military affairs.

To the British this represented reality and the best hope to avoid another world war with the Soviets after the defeat of Germany. Churchill and his advisors even preached that upon the war’s closing everything necessary should be attempted to revive Germany as a bulwark against the pending Soviet menace. The Americans felt that such targets as Prague, Berlin and Vienna were unnecessary military ventures that would endanger the lives of their men. If the Soviets wanted to shed more life in attacking these seemingly remote locations than the Americans were content to let them. The British just shook their heads in dismay unable to impress the Americans with their superior logic. Victory was attained but it set the stage for the Cold War.

The fact that the British survived the early years of the war when Germany swept all before it and that the British evaded a complete national disaster at Dunkirk and defeated the Nazi’s in the air during the Battle of Britain, issued during the remainder of the war and for a short period after it, an inflated sense of self destiny and strength and even an isolationist mentality. The collective suffering and emotional agony endured by the entire British nation also gave express an imbued spirit of egalitarianism. The depth of this communal desire was the most profound in British history and exercised a new faith in social planning and cohesion. During Churchill’s premiership in the war the most celebrated social reconstruction document of the period was the report by William Beveridge which outlined a radical scheme of comprehensive social security, financed from central taxation. This new state aided social plan included maternity benefits, child allowances, universal health and unemployment insurance, old age pension and death benefits – an entire cradle to grave policy. From 1940-45 Britain moved more rapidly to the left than at any time in history a move marked by the important positions Labour ministers occupied in the war government.

At the end of World War II in 1945, Britain was still one of the Big 3 powers, indeed it was ranked as a great power, an illusion that held until about 1963. The British still had their empire in 1945 and in the ensuing years they could still produce great artists and Nobel prize winners, but much to the chagrin of Churchill and the leadership class British glory was long past. The rapid decolonisation of most of its empire — India, Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka — and parts of Africa shedded from British finance much unneeded expense and worry, and solidified Britain’s secondary role in world affairs subordinate to the USA and Russia.

Success in conflict notwithstanding the British electorate in the 1945 general election shockingly kicked Churchill and the Conservatives from office by an overwhelming share. For the third time the Labour party was called forth to govern. Churchill after leading the democracies to attain the supreme glories and garlands of success instantly found himself shorn of privilege and casted into opposition. It was a role he obviously did not appreciate. For Churchill defeat was only explained by the plain fact that people believed his government to be a war council, unprepared for the extended restructuring of society that peace demanded. Labour presented a sharper and more intelligent platform and catalogue of change. The Conservatives were quite content to rest upon Churchill’s name and ignore the organisation and deliverance of a viable alternative to the Labour programme.

Whilst Churchill harried the Labour government and began the rebuilding of the Conservative party to respond to public and peace-time pressure he began the personal memoirs of the great struggle and in the absence of anything else offered by the other leaders – Stalin, Roosevelt, Truman, or Hitler – Churchill was able to dictate on the best terms and in the most convincing language possible, his and Britannia’s exalted position in the struggle against evil. It was an incomparable success, ensuring that in times forward, historians would favourably compare the works of Thucydides and those of Churchill. Both men represented and recorded their times and events on an unparalleled scale.

What Churchill was able to offer the reader was a glimpse into the details of history’s most horrible man-made disaster. The wicked folly of the conflict was evident at the war’s end. Whole nations lay in ruins. Towns, cities, industrial plants and transportation facilities were erased. Food and life essentials were unavailable to great migratory populations. Cynicism and disillusionment in Europe and elsewhere bred the shift to the political left. Marxism replaced Fascism as an acceptable form of social order. Communism erupting from poverty, spread like an open wound across Asia and Europe. With the complete eradication of Nagasaki and Hiroshima the nuclear age dawned. Moral questionings loudly divided those in the West over the usage of weapons of such finality – especially against a prostrate Japan. Dropping two bombs three days apart on a nation that was in the process of trying to negotiate an exit from the war seemed to many morally reprehensible. It was an inauspicious beginning to the scientific era.

The United States and Russia emerged from the rubble of the war as opponents. Russia was mauled and mutilated by the war with over 20 million dead and whole sections of her country raped. The USA stood at war’s end possessing a massive ego and the greatest economic supremacy in history. The big two were joined by the little third – Great Britain – and the three during the war and after drove the discussions regarding the build up of the United Nations. Most vexing to the Allies in the construction of the United Nations Assembly was whether members were obliged to surrender part or all of their own independence to the new body in order to maintain peace. How would it be possible to invest such a supranational body with enough force to enforce decisions ? How would the large powers relate to the smaller in the decision making of such a forum ? At Moscow in 1943 the Big Three resolved many of these issues and in Washington in 1944, joined by China, hammered out the shape of the new international body. At the Yalta conference in 1945, the Big Three came to terms on the matter of securing for each of the major powers the right to veto decisions of the new international body. This allowed the creation of the UNO charter at San Francisco in April 1945 which clearly identified the principles and responsibilities of the new organisation. Fifty one founding nations signed the document and in September 1945 the UNO opened its headquarters in New York.

Comprising the UNO were principally the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat. Most power resided in the Security Council which was given the task of maintaining the peace. Five permanent members sit in the council; the United States, the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China and France and six other nations are elected for two year terms as non-permanent members. The permanent members retained veto power with all resolutions needing the consent of the five permanent nations before passing.

In contrast to the Security Council the UNO General Assembly was shaped by all the member states each wielding one nation one vote rights. International problems are to be solved in an open forum and mandates need to be passed by majority vote. This effectively gives the smaller nations more voice in international affairs. The Secretariat acting as the permanent secretary of the UNO concerned itself with internal operations with its Secretary General the highest profiled member of the UNO, exerting wide diplomatic powers emanating from the prestige of the office.

Thus the founding of the UNO was an expression of hope by the survivors of the Second World War. Quickly this vision was marred and jaded by political ineptitude and quivering resolve by the UNO in major affairs. There was little effective work during the Cold War that could be resoundingly accomplished. This war which was contested by two sides that viewed the other as monolithic or controlling inimical forces, could never have been settled via diplomatic channels. The mental straitjackets of both sides; with the Soviet Union believing that the capitalist West controlled by a few monied financiers who desired the destruction of communism and especially the Soviet Union and which would never grant the Russians fair credit in defeating Hitler; and the West believing that Russia controlled the communistic movement world-wide and that communism and especially Russia wanted to overthrow the better functioning liberal states, could only end with the breakdown of one of the combatants. The demise of Marxism gave spring to the hope of a liberal-democratic world.

The major events since 1945 can be summarised in a short list;
- The Collapse of Communism
- The Triumph of Capitalism
- The beginning of the High Tech Era
- The Decline of the USA and the re-emergence of Europe, Japan and China
- The Fragmentation of parts of the world into tribes
- Ecological dislocation
- Growing disparity between the have and have-not nations
- Emerging militant Islamism
- Questioning over the role of the UNO

The most momentous and important event however has been the spread of globalism. Economically, morally, and spiritually people are viewing themselves regardless of race, kin, geography or circumstance as belonging to the entire human race and not a limited defined tribe. Though tribalism in some areas of the world is taking hold even within these identified units a greater consciousness is emanating out to the rest of the globe that though distinct there resides a desire and need to be integrated into a global framework. Economics, peace and ecological salvation commonsensically dictate this. So do the various images from space capturing a small blue ball in the surroundings of space. Somehow this humbles even the largest of egos. So even as, in some parts of the world, balkanisation is shattering mature states, the pieces will still be forced to bond not only together but somehow they will need to align themselves to the greater puzzle that resides outside their narrow borders. It is only by collective effort that the solutioning of poverty, ecological rapine, and the stoppage of war can be peacefully effected.

Churchill died just after the Cuban missile crisis during a bitter period of Cold War strife, which almost pushed the world into a nuclear confrontation. Though he felt certain of liberal-democracy’s triumph he did not see the maturity of his concept. And though he sustained an undying faith in the ability of man to overcome his worst problems we can be sure that without using the leadership skills presented through his example we will have a very difficult time indeed.

C. Read
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/churchills-during-world-war-ii-and-its-aftermath-700338.html

Alternative Treatment for Bacterial Vaginosis – Treat Bv Naturally

Alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis is a much better option than using antibiotics or expensive over the counter remedies. To understand why this is, it is vital to understand the nature of bacterial vaginosis.

In the vagina, there are two types of bacteria which, under normal circumstances, co-exist in harmony. The “good” bacteria (Lactobaccilus) keeping the “bad” bacteria (Gardnerella) in check. If something happens to upset this natural balance, there are times when the good bacteria simply cannot work effectively enough to prevent an overgrowth of the bad bacteria and an excess will cause the typical symptoms of bacterial vaginosis which include itching, burning, soreness, a white/gray watery discharge and, of course, the offensive fishy odor.

There are various reasons why the bacteria might become imbalanced and these include over-washing, a change of sexual partner, douching, using perfumed products on the vaginal area or even simply being “under the weather”. Indeed in many women it is difficult to pinpoint exactly what the cause is. What is known though is that whilst antibiotics will treat the symptoms and kill off the bad bacteria, they do not treat the cause and so if that “cause” is still present when the antibiotics have finished working, the inflammation will return. In addition, as antibiotics kill off <b>all</b> bacteria-both good and bad, once bacteria begins to naturally repopulate the vagina, the good bacteria will not be of sufficient strength to keep things under control.

<u><b>This is why over 70% of women who are treated with antibiotics will have a repeat attack of bacterial vaginosis within a few weeks of finishing the course</b></u>

Over the counter remedies can give symptomatic relief, but like antibiotics, they do nothing to treat the root causes and can be very expensive. Many simple alternative treatments can give similar relief at a fraction of the cost.

One of the problems with alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis is that a quick search on the internet can reveal many different natural remedies and much “helpful” advice by so-called experts-so much so that you cannot be sure what will work and what is useless. As good alternative treatments tend to use a carefully balanced combinations rather than just one solution, it is vital that you ensure that you have a reliable, tried and tested, surefire way which you know will work.

For example, some alternative treatments might include the use of live, natural yogurt, but there is conflicting advice as to whether it is better to eat it or insert it into the vagina via a tampon. Garlic is also a good natural remedy for BV-should you eat it raw or take it in tablet form? Cider vinegar can be helpful, but exactly how much is the right amount to put in a bath?

Natural treatments can help strengthen the immune system, giving the body the ability to fight and kill the bad bacteria present in the vagina. A good alternative treatment for bacterial vaginosis will work very quickly-often much faster than antibiotics and you will begin to feel relief right away. If you would like further helpful information on the best treatments available, I can highly recommend 3 natural treatments which are completely guaranteed to work. All include strategies to get rid of the symptoms immediately and offer a complete cure within 3 days. Please visit Alternative Treatment For Bacterial Vaginosis for details.

Mary Hopkinson
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-health-articles/alternative-treatment-for-bacterial-vaginosis-treat-bv-naturally-737065.html

Why In The World Would I Use Private Jet Charter Services?

Private charter jets often offer amenities that are not found on public airlines. Although it may sound expensive to charter a private jet, there are many benefits that outweigh the cost. Commercial airlines cannot compare to the benefits of private charter jets, especially if you fly frequently.

Often, after only one private charter flight, passengers are hooked. They decide that private jets are now their preferred mode of transportation. You can locate a private charter jet through local business charters or through a charter broker who is qualified.

Since the price of private charter jets has become more affordable, they have also become more popular. Whether you are booking a private charter jet for business associates, friends or family, there is no better way to commemorate a special occasion.

Generally, commercial airlines have a set number of routes with only one or two connecting cities or countries. Private charter jets have greater flexibility in their routes. If done correctly, private charter jets have the ability to offer less expensive tickets because they operate differently than commercial airlines. Since, when chartering private jets, the entire airplane is booked from the airlines, they are able to offer a discount.

Private charter jets are great for group travel or even for those who want a more private flying encounter. At times, travel firms will incorporate overnight stays at some of the most luxurious hotels. They may also include programs for touring and sightseeing.

Private charter jets are generally more reliable than other ways of getting inexpensive tickets. Often, the closer to the flying date it gets, the cheaper it becomes to book. In order to make their money, the private charter company wants to sell as many tickets as possible. They offer you the ability to fly when and where you want to. All the while, giving you the security and privacy not found on commercial airlines.

There are some things that need to be kept in mind when looking into chartering a private jet. First, you will need to chose a charter that suites your needs best. When researching a charter jet company, focus on the safety and service of the company. Ask them questions. Ask them what qualities do they have that other companies do not?

There is the chance that private charter jets will cancel the flight if they have not sold enough seats. Additionally, if you travel with a commercial airline and there is any type of problem with the flight, they will try to get you as close as possible to your destination. Unfortunately, private charter jets do not have this capability. Therefore, you could possibly find yourself stuck where you are. Although you will receive a full refund, rearranging your schedule could possibly ruin the entire trip.

Private charter jets have the capability to fly in and out of most airports in the United States. They have access to over 5,000 airports in both the United States and Europe.

When flying with a private charter jet, you will generally lose less time at the airports. Flights are generally quicker and offer a more luxurious flying experience. The cabins are often fancier and more comfortable.

Private charter jets, because they are less crowded and more private, allow the business traveler to conduct business right on the plane while flying to and from his or her destination. Private charters also allow for quick trips for get-togethers with business associates.

With a private charter jet, you can get more one-on-one attention from flight attendants. The flight attendants are trained to wait on small groups. Food on private jets in considerably better than food found on commercial airlines. Charter jet food is more in line with food that would be served at the more prestigious restaurants.

Normally, it only takes one flight on a private jet to be hooked for life. You will quickly decide that flying privately is the only way to fly. With so many benefits with chartering a private jet, you will never want to fly with the commercial airlines again.

Adrian Adams
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/why-in-the-world-would-i-use-private-jet-charter-services-94188.html

Corruption in Africa: a Cancer That Won’t Go Away

‘Corruption is one of the most formidable challenges to good governance, development and poverty reduction’ in Africa says 2008 Transparency International Report.

It has been said that corruption in Africa is like an advanced cancer or tumour that cannot be treated. Like cancer, corruption has tragically devastated African societies and made millions of people very poor. From South Africa to Egypt the tentacles of corruption reaches every where. Corruption has no boundaries. From the offices of presidents and prime ministers to the smallest administration unit of government corruption is everywhere.    According to the Africa Union (AU) around $148 billion are stolen from the continent by its leaders and civil servants every year. The recent Forbes’ list of most corrupt nations had 9 out of the first 16 countries coming from Africa.

In Africa, very few government officials and civil servants perform services for free. You cannot get your birth certificate or passport unless you grease the palm of officials. You cannot get good education for your kid unless you pay a bribe. You cannot obtain electricity meter for your house unless you pay a bribe. You cannot get your goods out from the harbour unless you pay kickback. Anything involving signing of documents involves paying inducements. In Africa you can hardly find someone who has not paid bribe before either willingly or unwillingly. To receive attention when you are sick you need to grease the palm of hospital officials.

 In Ghana, officials illegally charge 15 and 150 Ghana cedis for a birth certificate and a passport respectively. Again in Ghana Police officers openly ask bus and taxi drivers to pay bribe before they are allowed to cross mounted road blocks. Customs officials adopt all manner of tactics in order to collect money from importers and exporters before their goods are allowed to leave the ports.

Most projects in Africa are carried out by corrupt contractors who collude and connive with public officials to inflate project cost in order to enrich themselves. As a result every project carried out cost three times the usual cost and it is always the tax payers who bear the brunt of it. Due to corruption, project inspectors fail to do their job and allow substandard work to be done at the expense of the people and the nation.

In Africa, it is totally useless to bid for contracts because contracts are awarded to the contractors who are able to pay the biggest bribe. In most countries there are no announcements for tenders rather contracts are awarded to companies who secretly pay large sums of commission to government officials.

For example on 17th September 2002 a Canadian Engineering company called Acres International was convicted by a High Court in Lesotho for paying $260,000 bribe to secure an $8 billion dam contract in the tiny Southern African nation of Lesotho.

 Achair Partners a Swiss company and Progresso an Italian company have been accused of bribing Somali Transition Government officials in order to secure contracts to deposit highly toxic industrial waste in the waters of Somalia.

In 2002 Halliburton a US company was accused of establishing $180m flush fund with the intent of using it to bribe Nigeria officials in order to secure a $10 billion Liquefied Gas Plant contract in the Nigeria. In response to the accusation the company fired Mr. Albert Jack Stanley. Mr. Stanley a former executive of Halliburton (KBR) has pleaded guilty for orchestrating the $180m flush fund. Even though Halliburton denied any knowledge of such a fund a report by the company later named a British called Jeffrey Tesler as the middleman behind the bribery. Such corrupt practices by western companies seeking contracts in Africa are not uncommon.

In Africa contracts are awarded to party faithfuls who in turn make handsome financial contributions to the party in power.  Because of corruption and nepotism anyone can become a contractor in Africa. In Africa, state coffers or the treasury are the personal property of the president/prime minister, his family, his cronies and his political party. In most African countries there is no separation or difference between state and ruling party resources.

Corruption is so endemic in African societies that, political parties have been pledging to combat it with deadly force but when they are elected nothing seem to change.  When former president of Ghana John Kuffour took office he said ‘there will be zero tolerance for corruption’ in his government but his party recently lost power amid accusation that he was unable to tame his corrupt officials.

Despite years of exports of oil, gold, diamond, bauxite, tin, coltan, uranium, manganese timber and several other valuable minerals the continent continue to be ranked as the poorest on earth because most of the revenue from these exports do not get to the people but find its way into the bank accounts of corrupt government officials, civil servants and their allies.

Since oil was first discovered in Nigeria about 50 years ago, over $400 billion have been realised from its sale but today the whole population continue to live in abject poverty and the country has nothing to show or account for the billions of dollars she has received for years. Those who have benefited from the oil are corrupt politicians, civil servants, a shadow economy, armed bandits, army generals and the big oil corporations such as Shell, Mobil, BP and their American counterparts.  As a result able men and women are battling dangerous seas just to enter Europe and try their luck. Others have resulted to 419 a popular scam used to trick people into given out their money and valuables. In fact Nigeria has consistently featured in the top 1% of the most corrupt nation on the planet.

Between 2005 and 2007 several state governors and their immediate families were arrested by Scotlandyard in London on corruption and money laundering charges.

Among them are James Ibori of oil rich Delta State and his wife Theresa who had their $35m asset frozen by the English court. Mr. Ibori earns about a thousand dollars a month but during his eight years as a state governor he managed to acquire wealth to the tune of $35m and was a key financial contributor to the campaign of the current president of Nigeria. He owns a private jet and a lavish London home. 

Another corrupt governor is Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, governor of oil-rich state of Bayelsa who was also arrested in London for money laundering charges. Mr. Alamieyeseigha broke his bail conditions and evaded capture in Britain by dressing up as a woman. When Police conducted a search in his London home they discovered one million pounds worth of cash in his home.  

Another governor who was arrested in England was Joshua Dariye of Plateau State. He was arrested in a London hotel for stealing money meant for development of his state.

But these thieves have no rank compared to the heavyweights like Abacha, Mobutu, Eyadema, Lansana Conte, Obiang Nguema, Omar Bongo, Mubarak and Arap Moi.

In the 1990s economic hardship, abject poverty and destruction of the environment forced the people of Ogoniland in Nigeria to demand a say in which Shell operates but the military regime led by Gen. Sani Abacha arrested the environmentalists led by Ken Sorowiwa and executed them. You may wonder why Abacha killed his country men instead of protecting and providing for their needs. According to available data Nigeria government Lawyers within the period that Abacha became Head of State i.e. between 1993 and 1998 he stole $4 billion of Nigeria’s oil money and stashed it in several secret bank accounts in Switzerland, Britain, Luxemburg, Jersey Island and Liechtenstein. In April, 2002 these countries agreed to return $1 billion of the stolen money to the people of Nigeria. So far about $2 billion have been returned to the government of Nigeria and the rest of the money is still sitting in bank accounts in Western countries notably Switzerland and Britain.

A visit to the Niger Delta region of Nigeria shows that majority of the people especially the youth are unemployed. Years of oil spills have made the soil unfit for any agricultural activity. Their streams and wells are polluted and the people have no access to basic necessities of life because their leaders have enriched themselves with the money.

 Every effort to get the Nigeria government to develop the oil rich areas fell on death ears until the unemployed youth took up arms against the federal government and oil companies. They kidnapped foreign oil workers and demanded ransom before their victims were released. They disrupted the oil production forcing the oil companies to move several miles offshore for their own safety but they were not safe either. Eventually, the companies had to reduce their output by 25% in 2007-8. These disruptions affected supply of oil in the world market forcing the price to skyrocket to $140 a barrel in the summer of 2008.

 If Abacha could steal $4 billion within 5 years then you can tell how much the leaders who have ruled for decades have stolen. For example Gaddafi of Libya has been in power for 39 years now. Omar Bongo of Gabon 31 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea 28 years, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe 28 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt 27 years, Paul Biya of Cameroon 26 years, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda 22 years, Omar Al Bashir of Sudan 19 years, Iddriss Derby of Chad 17 years, Yahya Jammeh of Gambia 14 years.

I think you have now got the picture and understand why the African Union says $148 billion leave the continent every year.

The late Lansana Conte ruled Guinea for 24 years from 1984 to 2008. Sometimes having a leader maintaining stability in a country could translate into economic prosperity but this is not the case for Guinea. Even though Guinea is the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, there is little very the country can show for it. Apart from bauxite, Guinea also have large deposits of gold diamond, iron, nickel and uranium yet poverty is so severe that the country was ranked among the top 1% of most corrupt countries in Africa. In fact according to a report by UN, Guinea ranks 160th out of 177 in the UN’s Development scale.

According to available documents 70% of revenue from of all mineral exports every year finds its way in the bank accounts of Lansana Conte and his cronies. Today the people lack portable water and electricity. Roads, rail lines, telecommunication, schools, hospitals are in severe deplorable conditions while money meant for their repair and maintenance sit in Europe and America being protected by banking secrecy laws. According to Aljazeera a credible and popular news broadcaster, corruption is so woven in Guinean society that school girls need not study as their promotion to next class is always assured by their male teachers who solicit sex from them. According to the students, those who refuse to sleep with their teachers are made to repeat a year in class. Female teachers on the other hand demand money to be paid in exchange for higher marks.

Why won’t the people be poor when their livelihoods have been taken away from them? Why?

On Friday 31, 2007 the Guardian newspaper in Britain reported a corruption scandal perpetrated by former president of Kenya Daniel Arap Moi and his family. According to the Guardian a 110 page report prepared by international risk consultancy firm Kroll exposed Arap Moi and his family and accused them of banking £1 billion in 28 countries including Britain. The report went further to say that the family used Shell Oil Company, secret trusts, front men and his entourage to siphon the money away.

Apart from the money, the Moi family also bought several multimillion pound properties in London, New York, South Africa including 10,000-hectare ranch in Australia and bank accounts containing hundreds of millions of pounds. It is on record that Mr. Moi’s sons Philip and Gideon are wealth £384m and £550m respectively. While majority of Kenyans live in rural areas, and live in mud/thatched houses with bamboo/raffia leaves as roofing sheet the Moi family live in a £4m home in Surrey and £2m flat in Knightsbridge. Arap Moi’s 24 year rule was largely corrupt and contributed to endemic poverty seen in Kenya today.

How do you expect the continent to develop when monies meant for her development are stolen by her leaders and kept by countries who praise themselves as civilised, cultured, loving and democratic?

In South Africa, Jacob Zuma is still battling it out with the court for his part in the multi-billion arms deal in South Africa in 2001. He was forced to resign as Deputy President of South Africa a clear embarrassment to the ANC government of former president Mbeki.

In 2006 former president of Malawi Bakili Muluzi was arrested for pocketing $12m donated to his poor country by foreign governments. Again former Zambia president Frederick Chiluba was arrested together with two business men Aaron Chungu and Faustin Kabwe and charged with 11 counts of stealing money meant for the Zambia’s development.

In Equatorial Guinea where oil export has earned the country billions of dollars, the 600,000 people living in the country continue to live in poverty while Teodoro Obiang Nguema and his cronies continue to siphon the oil revenue with no accountability.

Gabon and Angola both Oil exporting countries are no different. In fact, the governments in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea can best be described as Kleptocracy that is government by thieves. In countries such as Nigeria, Egypt, Cameroon, The Gambia, Sudan, Uganda, Libya, Tunisia a Kleptocracy class of people have replaced anything democracy. In these countries very few people continue to remain in power and the people have no say in the way their country is govern or run. For example Gaddafi of Libya has been in power for 39 years now. Omar Bongo of Gabon 31 years, Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea 28 years, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe 28 years, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt 27 years and the list is unending.

How do you expect a person to rule for 30 years without being corrupt?

What is clear is that these unelected leaders continue to amass wealth at the expense of their poor countries and continue to mismanage whatever remains of their corrupt activities. Because most of the leaders are former military officers or former rebels with no grasp of economics and management, they are unable to formulate any good economic policies that will transform and grow their economies hence poverty has become a part of the people but their leaders know not what poverty is.

In DR Congo it is estimated that gold and diamond deposits alone could fetch the country 23 trillion dollars not to mention the abundance of timber and other several minerals that are found in large quantities such as columbo-tantalite (coltan) and cassiterite (tin ore) yet years of corruption, mismanagement, conflicts and foreign involvement have made this resource rich nation one of the poorest in the world.

It is often said that western nations cannot maintain their current level of lifestyle without Congo and most corporations in the west can easily go bust without Congo. The question is if Congo is the blood line of the west and the west is rich because of Congo then why is Congo so poor?

And where are the billions of dollars from the sale of these minerals? The answer lies in the history of the nation which is endemic corruption, colonialism, armed conflicts and foreign involvements. Mobutu in his 32 year reign is believed to have taken several billions of dollars from the treasury and deposited it in his numerous Swiss bank accounts. When President Kabila requested the Swiss for the money to be returned he was told Mobutu had just $7.6m. President Kabila frustrated and disappointment with the Swiss announcement said he had expected the Swiss to announce something like $1 billion or more.

But unconfirmed report indicate that the Swiss decided not to give the billions of dollars to the Congo government for fear that it would be stolen again by Kabila and his regime who are also deadly corrupt. Mobutu have several villas and mansions in France and Switzerland bought with money stolen from the Congo people. In 2001, items auctioned in his luxurious home in Switzerland fetched $100,000. The billions of dollars taken away from the country have made Congo one of the poorest in Africa. In Congo today there are no schools, hospitals, roads, telecommunication, rail, electricity and potable water. The only means of transport is through River Congo.

Everyday in Walikale about 16 aircraft fly out of the city with loads of minerals bound for Rwanda. These stolen minerals further find their way in the western mineral markets in London and Switzerland. The proceeds are shared by the Generals, politicians, western companies the businessmen in Rwanda, the warlords in Congo who use part of their share to acquire weapons that are used to terrorise the people and prolong the war.  Watch the video below about Congo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io8c81xHLmw

Conclusion

Western governments are quick to preach good governance to Africa but they fail to preach the same message to their banks who act as save havens for these corrupt leaders. The western governments have forgotten that the existence of bank secrecy laws in Switzerland, Jersey Island, Britain, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Austria have encouraged these corrupt leaders to bank away monies meant for their countries’ development.

The name of Switzerland, Britain, France, Jersey Island, Liechtenstein and Luxemburg came up several times throughout this study of corruption in Africa as I try to establish where most of the stolen monies go. Even though these countries like to portray themselves as civilised and cultured with hearts of angels, they have failed to recognise that keeping monies that were dishonestly obtained from the poor people on earth taint whatever reputation they might have. In the case of Switzerland and her allies who keep these stolen monies it is so pathetic that they know they are receiving stolen monies yet due to greed they have done nothing to stop it.

The next time you are looking for stolen money from your country ask the Swiss government and the Swiss banks they always have a clue about it where about.

Africa is poor today because of colluding and connivance of Swiss and other western banks and the kleptocrats who rule Africa. Corruption is rife on the continent because those who steal the money never lack a place to hide them.

Fighting corruption should not be left to the poor countries alone.

Western media who always portray Africa as underdeveloped and backward must expose the banks in their countries who serve as save havens. The media should put pressure on politicians in Europe and America to reform the banking secrecy laws and make it punishable offence to receive monies from these corrupt leaders. Again the western media must campaign vigorously for all looted monies to be returned to their rightful owners in Africa. The western media must team up with civil organisations to expose western companies who pay bribes to secure contracts in Africa like Acres International, Halliburton, Trafigura, Achair Partners and Progresso.

Western countries have a duty to stop their nations being used as save havens for stolen monies from the African continent. Western countries should reform their banking laws. They should return all looted money put there by corrupt African leaders to the African people. There must be an international coalition dedicated to tracking all stolen monies on the face of the earth with Africa given to priority.

Africans should establish well funded independent Corruption watchdogs to investigate, prosecute and severely punish corrupt officials who engage in corrupt practices. The Africans must demand transparency and accountability in government. Laws must be enacted in Africa to protect whistle blowers who take the risk to expose corrupt practices.

 It is by uniting to fight corruption that Africa can ever dream of parting with poverty.

Lord Aikins Adusei
http://www.articlesbase.com/economics-articles/corruption-in-africa-a-cancer-that-wont-go-away-738350.html

Where to eat at Walt Disney World ?

Walt Disney World offers its guests more than 100 different dining options.  Formal restaurants, family dining, theme dining, character meals, quick bites and treats from cart vendors are all available throughout Disney’s complex.  From mouthwatering steaks to sushi to smoked turkey sandwiches with avocado mayonnaise, dining in Walt Disney World is diverse and delicious.  The Florida vacation hot spot continually offers guests culinary choices to please even the most discerning palette.

There are four main theme parks at Walt Disney World.  Within each park reside a variety of sit-down restaurants, counter-service restaurants, theme or character dining options and food cart vendors.  Several of the best dining options at Disney World are eateries located within the theme parks.

Magic Kingdom

* Cinderella’s Royal Table

Located in Cinderella’s Castle, the “Dreams Come True Dinner” is a recommended dining experience, especially if you have a little princess in your party.  This is a character dining experience.  Characters that appear may include Cinderella, Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, Jasmine, Aladdin, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Princess Aurora and Snow White.

The dinner meal includes choices of appetizer, entree and dessert as part of a fixed priced meal. Appetizers range from green salad to a delicious corn and crab chowder.  The lemon lavender chicken is a recommended entree choice as are the pork chops or cavatappi pasta.  For dessert, don’t miss the créme brulée.

* The Crystal Palace

Located on Main Street U.S.A. around the corner from Casey’s Corner, The Crystal Palace has one of the best breakfast buffets in Disney.  Make a reservation for this restaurant to share a breakfast buffet experience with the character of Winnie the Pooh.  Dine on fluffy eggs, decadent pastries, fresh fruit, Mickey Ear waffles and amazing omelets.  The characters including Pooh Bear, Eyeore, Piglet, and Tigger will visit each table and pose for pictures while you eat.  The food is outstanding and the atmosphere festive.  Breakfast at The Crystal Palace is a great way to start a Disney day.

* Liberty Tree Tavern

To the left of Cinderella’s Castle is the pathway to Liberty Square.  In the square is the Liberty Tree Tavern, a great lunch spot serving an amazing New England clam chowder.  Visit the Tavern for a hearty lunch of tasty  New England pot roast, a juicy Angus cheeseburger or even a flavorful vegetarian potpie.  The Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake is recommended for dessert.

Epcot

Epcot is divided into two sections, the World Showcase and Future World, both with many great places to eat.  If trying dishes from different countries sounds exciting and delicious, plan several meals in the World Showcase.  There are eleven different countries represented serving sit-down meals, quick-bites and some of the tastiest coffee drinks in Epcot.  Future World offers an equally eclectic collection of food choices from traditional American burgers to pan-seared Ahi tuna.

* Le Cellier Steakhouse (World Showcase:  Canada)

One of the most popular restaurants in Walt Disney World, Le Cellier Steakhouse is one you will need reservations in order to get a table, even for lunch.  The atmosphere is warm and the food is extremely hearty and flavorful.  For an appetizer, start with the rich Canadian cheddar cheese soup.  It is a steakhouse, so a steak is recommended.  Excellent choices include the mushroom Filet Mignon and the coffee-rubbed Kansas City Strip Steak.  However, for the non-meat eater, the sauteed potato gnocchi is outstanding.  For dessert, consider the chocolate “Moose” or the apple-rhubarb crumble.

* The Biergarten Restaurant (World Showcase:  Germany)

A festive, family atmosphere, The Biergarten is an all-you-can-eat German buffet served in the Oktoberfest tradition.  There is a polka band and guests are encouraged to take a twirl on the dance floor in between feasting on the best German food at Disney.  Diners are seated at long tables with other guests so the atmosphere is very friendly.  The buffet includes hot and cold offerings as well as amazing pastries and strudels for dessert.  For beer lovers there are many German and European choices available.  On the buffet, do not miss the sauerbraten, Bavarian cabbage salad, homemade spaetzle, pork roast and baked veal loaf.

* Teppan Edo (World Showcase:  Japan)

Miso soup, sushi and Teppan-Yaki entrees are all served around a flattop grill/table combination and cooked to perfection by your personal chef.  Kids will love the show the table chef gives as he flips shrimp tails behind his back and creates a steaming volcano out of onion slices.  The food is fresh, hot and full of flavor.  The atmosphere is relaxing and suitable for  couples, families or larger parties.

* Coral Reef (Future World:  The Living Seas)

If you are going to eat seafood during a Disney World trip, this is the restaurant to visit.  They offer succulent seafood that is fresh and cooked expertly by top chefs.  For appetizers the creamy lobster soup and the shrimp and lobster cakes are superb.  The blackened catfish served over pepper jack cheese grits is spicy and full of rich flavors but for non-seafood eaters, try the wild mushroom lasagna or the grilled New York Strip Steak.  The almond gelato with passion fruit sauce is a dessert favorite.

* Sunshine Season Food Fair (Future World:  The Land)

Perfect for lunch, the Food Fair offers items from sandwiches and salads to noodle dishes and pork chops.  There is something for everyone and many of the fresh ingredients are grown right there in The Land’s greenhouses.

* Kringla Bakeri og Cafe (World Showcase:  Norway)

Viking coffee, espresso and pastries are all recommended at this small counter service stop.  This is the perfect place to grab a specialty coffee and treat before Epcot’s evening fireworks display.

Disney Hollywood Studios

* Hollywood Brown Derby

The Brown Derby is located on Hollywood Boulevard across from the giant Mickey Sorcerer’s hat.  It serves American food with Hollywood style and is most famous for its Cobb salad.  They are open for lunch and dinner but reservations are recommended.

* Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant

Eating at this restaurant is like dining at an old-fashioned drive-in that only plays snippets of classic Sci-Fi movies.  The table are cars and you dine while the movie clips play.  It is a great place to eat with kids.  The Rueben is outstanding and the hamburgers are always a hit.  Not to be missed is the large and extremely filling ice cream sundae for dessert.  It is located on Commissary Lane.

* Toy Story Pizza Planet Arcade

A replica of Pizza Planet from the Toy Story movie, it is a great place for pizza, salads and fun.  It is located on the Streets of America across from Muppet Vision 3-D.

Animal Kingdom

* Tusker House

This restaurant located in the Africa area of the park is a lunch and dinner buffet.  It features American and African cuisine with dishes like couscous salad, hummus, curry chicken and rotisserie pork loin.  The warm banana pudding is excellent for dessert.

Dining in the Resorts

* California Grill
(Contemporary Resort)

Featuring Californian-Asian fusion cuisine, this amazing restaurant is located on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort with one of the best views of the evening’s fireworks from the Magic Kingdom.

* Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge)

African and American cuisine served buffet style, Boma is a flavorful bounty of delicious foods.  Make sure to try the FuFu, mashed sweet and white potatoes spiced with cinnamon and coriander.

* Victoria and Albert’s (Grand Floridian)

This is the ultimate in elegant Disney dining.  Victoria and Albert’s is not for a casual family meal or a quick bite before taking in a fireworks display.  This fine dining, Disney style.  Meal choices include Poulet Rouge, Wild Turbot, lamb, duck and Australian “Kobe” beef tenderloin to name but a few.  Reservations are required.

Finding a good place to eat or dine is not difficult when visiting Walt Disney World.  Most restaurants and quick-service eateries are participating members of the Disney Dining plan. The Dining Plan can be included in most vacation packages and can save guests about 40 percent on their vacation dining.

It is strongly recommended for guests to make advanced dining reservations at most Disney table service restaurants, Character dining, Dinner Shows, and Grand Gatherings. Reservations can be made by calling (407) 939-3463 (407-WDW-DINE), through your concierge at your Disney Resort hotel, from your in-room telephone by touching 55, or by touching *88 on any Disney World resort pay telephone.

Raj Aryan