Craig Murray, erstwhile UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, is a courageous man. He has lost his job for criticising the human rights record of Uzbekistan, a Western ally and for saying that British intelligence use evidence extracted from prisoners tortured by Uzbek authorities. Murray is right. Getting into bed with unsavoury regimes is immoral, unprincipled and ultimately disastrous. It does not help the ‘war against terrorism’.
The West, in particular the US, has a track record of befriending tyrannies in pursuance of its political and strategic interests. For example, to contain the spread of communism, the US supported and propped some of the most appalling regimes and organisations. Some of those decisions continue to haunt the West today. Afghanistan is a prime example. To counter the Soviets, the US provided material help to various Mujahideen groups, including those which, in due course, metamorphosed into the Taliban and Al Qaeda. It is now clear that a period of communism would have been good for modernising Afghanistan.
Another example is that of Saddam and Iraq. To deal with the ‘threat’ posed by Iran, the West supported and armed Saddam. Perhaps that is why the US and the UK are so convinced that Saddam was a threat: because they supplied all the WMD in the first place.
I believe that this duplicitous approach to foreign policy is self-defeating. When the US talks of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq, why should the citizens of neighbouring pro-Western tyrannies believe them? US policy makers should remember that anti-American feeling is strongest in countries that are officially considered to be friendly.
Monday, November 22
Tuesday, November 9
Asian restaurants- a very English phenomena
Whenever I visit a curry house, it strikes me, even as an Asian, how unfamiliar I am with most of the culinary delights on the menu. South Asia is a vast area, with diverse languages, cultures and cuisines. The beauty of the English curry house is that it brings together, under one roof, cuisines and styles of cooking that are found in different regions of South Asia. These styles of cooking cut across political boundaries and are spread along cultural units, for example Punjabi or Bengali.
Curry houses have experienced such phenomenal success because they have filled a vacuum. Before the curry, England lacked a cuisine. We had fish and chips, but essentially English food was a belly-filler and lacked any theme. Asian restaurateurs have been clever at identifying and filling that culinary vacuum. Many innovative restaurant owners experimented with the basic ingredients to come up with new dishes.
Asian restaurants have, however, passed their apogee. This is partly because of competitive pressures from a proliferation of curry houses. Even Asian-owned fish and chips shops offer a more enticing choice than was previously the case. However, I think the main reason why Asian restaurants are no longer at their former heights is because they are, in a sense, the victims of their own success. The curry has become so entrenched as an English meal that the basic ingredients, for those who can cook, are available from supermarkets. For the time poor and the oscitant, there are microwaveable packaged curries. The curry has come home.
To the question does England have a cuisine, I would say, resoundingly: Yes, the curry.
Curry houses have experienced such phenomenal success because they have filled a vacuum. Before the curry, England lacked a cuisine. We had fish and chips, but essentially English food was a belly-filler and lacked any theme. Asian restaurateurs have been clever at identifying and filling that culinary vacuum. Many innovative restaurant owners experimented with the basic ingredients to come up with new dishes.
Asian restaurants have, however, passed their apogee. This is partly because of competitive pressures from a proliferation of curry houses. Even Asian-owned fish and chips shops offer a more enticing choice than was previously the case. However, I think the main reason why Asian restaurants are no longer at their former heights is because they are, in a sense, the victims of their own success. The curry has become so entrenched as an English meal that the basic ingredients, for those who can cook, are available from supermarkets. For the time poor and the oscitant, there are microwaveable packaged curries. The curry has come home.
To the question does England have a cuisine, I would say, resoundingly: Yes, the curry.
Tuesday, November 2
Disadvantages of having a stammer
Having a severe stammer is extremely disempowering. The feeling of powerlessness stems from being unable to say what we really want to say or to express our true feelings. People with speech problems devise a coping strategy, for example by using words with a particular type of sound which can be uttered with less hindrance. This limits our scope for expression. Our coping mechanism may hide the true extent of our speech problem, but may also give the impression of being inarticulate, unable to string a coherent sentence.
This self-imposed limitation of expression has practical consequences. At restaurants or take-ways, for example, I sometimes end up with ordering something that is second best but is easier to pronounce. Sometimes I end up with the wrong thing because I am reluctant to correct misunderstandings. In other contexts, I can give the impression of being unsocial, uncaring, cold or plain weird. It might be that I am all of these- the stammer has conditioned my personality.
Those who stammer may also be extra-vigilant against becoming embroiled in potentially contentious situations. I go out of my way to avoid arguments. Again, this can be disempowering- it means avoiding arguments even if I know I am right.
Job interviews are particularly gruelling experiences if you have a speech problem. Sometimes interviewers are taken aback, surprised, even embarrassed. Some hide it well; others try to pre-empt the word I am trying to say and say it for me. Whatever the reason, I am convinced that having a stammer puts me at a disadvantage. For most office-based jobs, ‘excellent verbal skills’ is an essential requirement. Whatever the policy about equal opportunities, I am sure the type of disability you have does matter. You could be in a wheel chair, but still be a confident orator. The gift of the gab can get you far…
For me, not being able to say what I want has been the most frustrating thing in my life. It has affected my very being. I have a lot to say- I am very articulate. Blogging is like a process of catharsis. I have had to sharpen my writing skills to compensate for the lack of speaking skills. I am glad that I have these writing skills.
This self-imposed limitation of expression has practical consequences. At restaurants or take-ways, for example, I sometimes end up with ordering something that is second best but is easier to pronounce. Sometimes I end up with the wrong thing because I am reluctant to correct misunderstandings. In other contexts, I can give the impression of being unsocial, uncaring, cold or plain weird. It might be that I am all of these- the stammer has conditioned my personality.
Those who stammer may also be extra-vigilant against becoming embroiled in potentially contentious situations. I go out of my way to avoid arguments. Again, this can be disempowering- it means avoiding arguments even if I know I am right.
Job interviews are particularly gruelling experiences if you have a speech problem. Sometimes interviewers are taken aback, surprised, even embarrassed. Some hide it well; others try to pre-empt the word I am trying to say and say it for me. Whatever the reason, I am convinced that having a stammer puts me at a disadvantage. For most office-based jobs, ‘excellent verbal skills’ is an essential requirement. Whatever the policy about equal opportunities, I am sure the type of disability you have does matter. You could be in a wheel chair, but still be a confident orator. The gift of the gab can get you far…
For me, not being able to say what I want has been the most frustrating thing in my life. It has affected my very being. I have a lot to say- I am very articulate. Blogging is like a process of catharsis. I have had to sharpen my writing skills to compensate for the lack of speaking skills. I am glad that I have these writing skills.
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