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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
 Posted - 01 Jan 2010 : 10:03:12
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HAPPY NEW YEAR: THE END OF A DECADE.
kayjatta
The decade of 2000 to 2009 has been a difficult and disappointing decade for many people around the world. But this is a decade that wasn’t supposed to be in the first place. It was supposed to be aborted in a premature birth by the congenital syndrome, Y2K. And then we survived. The computers did not crash, the lights in New York, London, Sydney, and Tokyo did not go out, the clocks continued to tick; but it’s been a decline- a downward spiral- since then.
It’s been a decade of war, recession, terrorism, and global environmental crisis.
The terrorists attacked on September 11, 2001; and since then we retaliated and opened two war fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and since then no smoking gun, no Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) but Saddam is gone anyway. The wars still rage on, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan …
The threat of Al-Qaeda and its affiliates around the world is still present, although much contained.
The biggest recession since the 1930s became official in 2008 following the burst in the housing market combined with Wall Street malpractice, and excessive military spending on the wars on terror, which still rumbles on. The recession left millions of families devastated around the world.
The creeping effect of global warming and its catastrophic effect on world climates through floods (tsunami) like the one in South Asia (2004, hurricanes like Katrina in New Orleans (2005), and the destruction and disappearance of wild life have forced a convergence of world leaders in Copenhagen, Denmark in December, 2009 to confront the climate threat. However, the summit in Copenhagen has been marred by old bickering, and very little substance has been achieved.
The decade of 2000 has been described by many as the decade of failure. The Nobel Prize winning economist, Paul Krugman has called the decade “The Big Zero” meaning nothing has been achieved in this decade. The decade was marred by “the U.S. gaining virtually zero jobs, the typical U.S. family made zero economic progress, and stock prices did not rise”. Paul Krugman.
The Pew Research Center poll reports that the majority of the people surveyed described the decade as a “Downhill” decade, meaning the decade has been characterized by a decline.
So let the “Naughty 2000s” end with Sydney’s fireworks. Let it drop with the New York’s massive crystal ball. Let it fly away with Tokyo’s roaring ballons…
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Edited by - kayjatta on 01 Jan 2010 10:22:09 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11829 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2010 : 15:33:02
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| Kay, that was a good summary of the last decade 2000-2009. I wish you a happy and prosperous 2010 to you and all members and visitors of Bantaba in Cyberspace. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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tamsier
United Kingdom
558 Posts |
Posted - 01 Jan 2010 : 15:51:29
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| Happy new year Kay and to all [even those who despise me]. Hope the next decade belongs to Africa. |
Tamsier
Serere heritage. Serere religion. Serere to the end.
Roog a fa ha. |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 02 Jan 2010 : 21:15:38
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| Thanks Momodou and Tamsier. I wish all of you and all Bantaba members well in the coming New Year (2010). May the hopes of prosperity, tolerance, and understanding continue to rekindle into greater reality for all of mankind. |
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shaka
996 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 00:13:12
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| I join you folks in wishing every Bantaba member and visitor a very happy 2010. |
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sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 09:57:00
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Wishing everyone good health, peace & happy new year. |
The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary) |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 14:58:48
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| Wow, Sab that is a huge transformstion: from Ken S. Wiwa to a modest beauty queen (Zainab Jammeh??). Which doctor helped you achieve that, certainly not Dr. Lurker; was it? Or is this a New Year's gig??? |
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sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 17:01:19
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Unfortunately Neda Soltani had her life cut short by the Iranian military – so like Ken Saro-Wiwa she died at the hands of repressive rulers.
Neda has been named as The Times Person of the Year
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article6967927.ece
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76W-0GVjNEc&skipcontrinter=1
I believe that people like Neda Soltani standing against corrupt and brutal regimes are very courageous.
A big thank you to Bantaba admin who submitted the new avatar.
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The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary) |
Edited by - sab on 03 Jan 2010 18:17:01 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 17:07:52
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Seasons Greetings to all. Special thanks to Momodou for upkeep of this most interactive platform of Bantaba.
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Karamba |
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Lily
United Kingdom
422 Posts |
Posted - 03 Jan 2010 : 19:06:14
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| I would just like to add my good wishes to everyone for 2010 - Happy New Year - I was lucky enough to celebrate it in Gambia and am now home to freezing conditions everywhere! |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 04 Jan 2010 : 19:25:59
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Greetings Everyone I wish you all a Happy New year and Happy New Decade!
peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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