South African rape survey (BBC)

I don’t think there is one word I could add to this story to make its message any plainer or any more disturbing. These are the cruel realities of life in South Africa.

Some key statements:

• One in four South African men questioned in a survey said they had raped someone and nearly half admitted having attacked more than one victim.
• … practices such as gang rape were common because they were considered a form of male bonding.
• A recent trade union report said a child was being raped in South Africa every three minutes with the vast majority of those cases going unreported.

What?! How long has this been going on, and why has there been no outrage about this before? And why?!

The researcher suggested that:

“… it’s partly rooted in our incredibly disturbed past and the way that South African men over the centuries have been socialised into forms of masculinity that are predicated on the idea of being strong and tough and the use of force to assert dominance and control over women, as well as other men.

Really? Can this adequately be attributed to a patriarchal society and the on-going prevalence of negative attitudes towards women, or do these statistics require a phenomenon all of their own? I can certainly see her point, but this theory still doesn’t explain these staggering statistics when men all over the world have been socialised into those very same forms of masculinity. (And I question, by the way, what a ‘form of masculinity’ is in the first place.) No, there’s something much more sinister afoot here, and I wish I understood what it was. But more than that, and infinitely more importantly, I wish that somebody, somewhere was doing something about it. The responses in this piece indicate to me a complacency about these crimes and an acceptance that this is just how things are in South Africa. I cannot get my head around this at all. And I’m fucking disgusted.

Full piece behind the cut.

Naughty little peers, they are

I’m only really posting this because it makes me laugh. Not because I care enormously about it one way or t’other.

Peers respond to cash allegations

Two of the Labour peers at the centre of claims they were ready to take cash to change legislation have responded to the allegations in the House of Lords.

If there was ever a reason to reconsider the effectiveness of the structure of Parliament in this country, then surely this is it. You don’t need a moral conscience when you’ve got vaguely royal blood, it seems.

On the way home this evening, I heard Radio 4 play a recording of Lord Taylor’s conversation with the Times in which he discussed a bribe, followed by Lord Taylor telling the House of Lords that he doesn’t think he’s done anything wrong. The juxtaposition was priceless.

In his defence, he did sound a bit dottery. Well, when he was addressing the Lords anyway. Less so when he was talking cold hard cash. Frankly, I feel he was selling himself cheap for a grand. Apparently, he often gets offered £25,000 to pull a few strings. Marvellous!

Who wants to bet me 20p that the Lords in question get away with it? That’s how it rolls here, no?

If you don’t fancy that game, play this one instead. Get more metaphors into one paragraph than Lord Strathclyde does here. I don’t think it’s possible, myself.

“This House has been mired in a grim torrent of criticism about a culture of sleaze,” he told peers. “If these allegations are true those involved have shamed this House,” he said, adding there were no “grey areas in the paid advocacy rules”.

I love politics.

Boy stabbed. Sister actress makes news.

Another stabbing in London. Yes.

But does it strike anyone else as strange that Ben Kinsella’s death has become more about his ex-Eastenders actress sister than him?

The Mirror: EastEnders star Brooke Kinsella in emotional tribute to murdered brother

BBC: Sister’s tribute to ‘true angel’

The Sun: Stabbing grief of EastEnders star Brooke

The Telegraph: Ben Kinsella, brother of EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, is murdered

Sky: Actress Pays Tribute To ‘True Angel’

Daily Mail: EastEnders star’s tribute to murdered brother as she begs for end to knife epidemic

Guardian: Brother of actor is 12th teenage stab victim

The Times: Actress Brooke Kinsella’s brother is London’s latest knife victim

I’m not really sure what that’s about, but it makes me feel very cynical and uneasy. When I walked past the newstand in Tesco this morning, I saw her face five or six times. I saw his once.

Vitamins are bad for you

It’s all just a scare, of course, and it’s impossible to know the merits of each of the contributing studies in this meta-analysis, but I’m going to post about it anyway in case any of my readers are rabid vitamin munchers like me. I take about 10 different vitamin and mineral supplements a day. I kid not! I eat healthily as well but it’s become something of an obsession and addiction. I know, I know…

Today, the BBC news revealed that some vitamin supplements do not extend life and could even lead to a premature death.

Oh dear!

A review of 67 studies found “no convincing evidence” that antioxidant supplements cut the risk of dying.

Scientists at Copenhagen University said vitamins A and E could interfere with the body’s natural defences.

“Even more, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E seem to increase mortality,” according to the review by the respected Cochrane Collaboration.

The research involved selecting various studies from 817 on beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium which the team felt were the most likely to fairly reflect the impact of the supplements on reducing mortality.

It has been thought that these supplements may be able to prevent damage to the body’s tissues called “oxidative stress” by eliminating the molecules called “free radicals” which are said to cause it.

This damage has been implicated in several major diseases including cancer and heart disease.

I’m not buying it, even if I should. Mobile phones are bad for you, mobile phones are harmless; fairy liquid causes cancer, fairy liquid’s harmless, etc. etc. I’m going to keep on munching my vitamins regardless (and you should too). In my experience, meta-analysis are not hugely reliable and are often refuted in a short space of time. Besides, issuing blanket advice on whether or not someone (anyone, everyone) should take vitamin and mineral supplements is vastly irresponsible.

Take no notice, vitamin-lovers; they’ll be telling you something different next week.

Abortion case in Ireland

There’s a very serious and interesting appeal case going on in Ireland at the moment. A girl, Miss D, who is age 17, wants to travel to England for an abortion, but is being prohibited from doing so by the courts. Abortion is still illegal in the Republic of Ireland unless there is a risk to the life of the mother, but many women travel to England or Wales each year to have terminations, and they do so legally.

The current case involves a a young girl who is in the care of the Health Service Executive, and who is carrying a foetus which, apparently, will not be able to survive outside the womb. Logic would suggest that this is an open and shut case – what is the point, after all, in continuing with the pregnancy? – but not so in Catholic Ireland. The elements of her case are threefold:

1. She is challenging the court order placing her in care, because it restricts her leaving the country.
2. She is challenging the Health Service Executive’s decision instructing the gardaí (police) to stop her leaving the country.
3. She is challenging the Health Service Executive’s decision to refuse to let her travel to terminate the pregnancy unless there’s a risk she’ll commit suicide.

I understand that the main impediment to her termination is simply that she’s in care and that the Health Service Executive has been granted a court order against her travelling for an abortion. In any other circumstances, she would have been allowed to go without question; it seems that the Health Service Executive is really just trying to protect itself by stopping her. As if she doesn’t have enough to contend with…

The case has gripped all of Ireland, unsurprisingly, and could have many political ramifications because the Taoiseach (prime minister) recently called for a general election. I’m not sure that the abortion laws will ever change in Ireland, but it’s high time they were revisited. Perhaps now they will be.

In any case, the appeal is being heard tomorrow, and I’ll be keeping a keen eye. And, as it happens, I’m going to be in Ireland so I’ll be able to hear a lot more about it than I would here. Naturally, Irish pro-lifers are protesting the appeal with all their might, but I’m hopeful they’ll make little difference. And, unless I just haven’t noticed, the Church is being suspiciously quiet on this.

I’m vehemently pro-choice in case you hadn’t noticed. In fact, I don’t even stop at ‘pro-choice’: I’m say I’m pro-abortion and be done with it. Because I am.

Fingers crossed.

– –

[Edit: Thankfully, it seems that she’ll win her appeal. I hope so]

Northern Ireland devolution

Sweet mother Mary and the orphans: NI peace deal.

NI deal struck in historic talks

Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams, sitting side by side for their first news conference in Stormont, confirmed that power-sharing would begin on 8 May.

Mr Paisley said the DUP was committed to full participation in government and Mr Adams said it was a “new era”.

Tony Blair said it was a very important day for the people of Northern Ireland.

I never thought I would see this day. Not only are Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley in the same room, but they’re at the same table agreeing to the same principles about what is best for our beautiful home.

This news makes me so very happy I could cry.

Human traffic

Since I got to work, I’ve done nothing but read new features about human trafficking on the BBC website.

‘Forced to have sex from 11am to 10pm’

My name is Nicoleta, from Romania, and my life has been very hard. When I was 18 I was trafficked into prostitution in the UK where I worked 11 hours a day, seven days a week, for over three years.

I was made to work during my period, was often not fed so I did not become “fat”, and had to have sex without a condom.

I do not feel like Nicoleta anymore.

…

I was kept locked in the house for two weeks. He raped and slapped me every day. He also bought me make up and sexy clothes and made me watch sex films.

After two weeks he took me to my first brothel, where I was forced to have sex with men I did not know.

I had to work from 11am to 10pm every day, even during my periods, and I often had to give oral sex without a condom. I had to do my best because if the customer complained I would be beaten.

Sometimes they did not let me eat at night because they did not want me to get fat, so I was often hungry.

I was taken to a variety of brothels and saunas, but never allowed out alone. I did not try to escape; they threatened that they would inject me with drugs, or cut my sister’s hands and legs off if I did anything like that.

Eventually, the police raided the flat I was in, and I was taken into custody and then to the Poppy Project.

I have very bad back pain now, and painful periods. I had Chlamydia and pelvic problems. I can’t eat, I can’t concentrate and I can’t sleep, although I am very tired. I have nightmares in the day as well as in the night.

‘They raped me again and again’

My name is Rosemary from Nigeria, and I am 19 years old.

I ran away from my stepmother on my 18th birthday after she tried to force me to be circumcised.

I refused and so she beat me, and burnt me with a hot iron on the insides of my thighs as punishment.

…

I flew on my own to the UK, on a false passport. I was given a telephone number and told to call it when I arrived.

The plane ticket was arranged by the man and he told me I may have to pay him back once I got to the UK – but he didn’t say how much.

When I called the phone number I was given an address and went there by taxi. Two men lived there, with another woman like me.

They made me watch pornographic films, telling me that’s why I was here. They raped me again and again and I was kept locked in a room 24 hours a day.

I was only allowed out to go to the toilet. They brought food to the room, but they didn’t feed me if they were angry with me for something.

I had to have sex with five to ten men every day, in the bed I slept in at night. If I disagreed or tried to refuse, they beat me up.

Sometimes I asked the customers for help but they just laughed at me.

Finally the other woman in the house helped me to escape and I went to the police.

I am free now but I am scared to go out. I have severe depression and I can’t sleep, with nightmares and hallucinations. I can’t eat properly and I am still afraid.

There must be countless stories like this. I don’t know what to say. I feel sick.

Giuliani and Reid

Today is one fucking appointment and arrangment after another (with the last one at 8.30 tonight), and I’m going to get no writing done at all. I haven’t got any writing done in too long, but I suppose I was in Ireland for a while.

I need to drink more coffee, very quickly, or I’ll never get through it all.

And why the hell is it so cold in our house in the mornings? My feet and hands are surely about to fall off.

The BBC website is my favourite place in the world, and I spend way too much time there. That would be another reason for the non-writing sometimes, I suppose.

But look: Giuliani joins race for president.

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani has officially joined the running for the Republican nomination for the 2008 US presidential election. The Federal Election Commission said Mr Giuliani had filed a “statement of candidacy” – a one-page form outlining a candidate’s wish to seek office.

Does this make anyone else giggle? Not only is it the the 40th (approx.) person running for the White House but it’s Giuliani! That just doesn’t fit or something. It’s just stooopid. Mind you, I’ll cut my arm off if he gets in.

Oh and this: Sex register to include email.

Sex offenders could be forced to register their e-mail addresses to prevent them approaching children on the internet, the government says. Home Secretary John Reid said he was also considering making paedophiles add their chatroom names to their other details on the Sex Offenders Register.

If there are any more temporary things in the world than email addresses and online IDs, I would like you to tell me. Sex offenders put their handles on the sex offender register and turn around and make new ones the next day. He’s forgotten that a sex offender is generally much, much smarter than your average offender. Job’s a good ‘un. John Reid has, once again, conjured up a totalitarian idea which can only serve to increase bureaucracy ten-fold with little positive effect. Of course, it’s only a gesture to placate the proletariat because Reid, like Blair, never fails to assume that we can’t see through these sorts of policies. Were it not for the fact that Blair has hair and Reid doesn’t, I would think that they were clones. Maybe he and Giuliani are clones…

Man, I’m running late already.

Iraq, Iraq, Iraq

Man, this turned into quite the rant once I got started. There seems to be something of a conspiracy that Hussein isn’t dead at all. I’ve admitted before that I do like the odd conspiracy but I want to question this one. First, what would be the point in keeping him alive? And second, given the look of that whole arrangement at the hanging, if they did hang a look-a-like, there is simply no way that it could remain a secret for long. I’m having trouble finding links about this on the web, so if anyone knows a good information source about this conspiracy, I’d quite like if you posted it in the comments (thank you). I’m always interested in learning more about such things. I can’t stop thinking about it, actually: the hanging and the effects it will have. This piece reflects a lot of my feelings on the issue:

Saddam Hussein deserves no one’s pity. But as anyone who has seen the graphic cellphone video of his hanging can testify, his execution bore little resemblance to dispassionate, state-administered justice. The condemned dictator appeared to have been delivered from United States military custody into the hands of a Shiite lynch mob. For the Bush administration, which insists it went to war in Iraq to implant democracy and justice, those globally viewed images were a shaming embarrassment. Unfortunately, all Americans will be blamed, while the Iraqi people are now likely to suffer still more. What should have been a symbolic passage out of Iraq’s darkest era will instead fuel a grim new era of spiraling sectarian vengeance.

No, he doesn’t deserve pity, but in executing him the way they did, it’s the western world which looks bad and although the NYT only mentions America, this includes the UK too.

Mr. Maliki’s usual cheerleaders, President Bush and Britain’s prime minister, Tony Blair, have distanced themselves from this repellent spectacle. Yet the Bush administration again finds that it has little credibility to lecture anyone on the basic dignity due to detainees. The Washington Post reported yesterday on an internal F.B.I. investigation that revealed a pattern of deliberate taunting of the religious beliefs of Muslim prisoners at Guantánamo.

And now they shirk from what they caused. Surprise, surprise. The slimy bastards. — – — – — This too. Very true. Who would have thunk it: Bush and Blair telling fibs!

It was the Bush administration and not Saddam that turned out to be lying about WMDs. As we all know now, there weren’t any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Amazingly enough, it was Saddam who was telling the truth from the very beginning. Bush was the one who lied to the whole world.

He really did take us all for fools – President George W Bush – and what is even more sickening to me is that he got away with it. Dammit, he was even elected for a second term in office. (Note how I didn’t say ‘reelected’ there because it’s not as if he was elected to office the first time he served there.) I remember in the run up to the Iraq war, and for the first few months of battle, that the issue that stuck in my throat the most was that Bush and Blair clearly believed that their electorates were idiots who couldn’t see through their lies and propaganda and manipulations. We all felt this sentiment, and we were all angry about it, yet neither of these men has had to answer any questions about it. I know that Paxman has probably asked a few questions around this in recent years but I’ve never felt that the issue has been addressed. Why doesn’t anyone ever say, ‘Mr President/ Prime Minister, you treated the people you’re supposed to represent honestly and loyally like they’re fucking halfwits and you’ve never once apologised for the lies you told those people that led to war.’ I dare say they will never be brought to task about this. This continues to make me very angry. — – — – — Oh, and [lastly] this is a very sensible piece about Iraq, which has a little tongue in cheek for good measure. If you can’t see it on the site, it’s posted under the ‘more’.

Saddam hanged

Wow. They actually hanged him. I’m rather in shock about that. I thought that it would be drawn out much more, frankly. I very much hope they haven’t made a martyr out of him. Some quotes on the execution: George Bush is predictably smug and delusional. And it’s really not very often that I agree with the Vatican, but I do today.

“A capital punishment is always tragic news, a reason for sadness, even if it deals with a person who was guilty of grave crimes…

“The killing of the guilty party is not the way to reconstruct justice and reconcile society. On the contrary, there is a risk that it will feed a spirit of vendetta and sow new violence.

“In these dark times for the Iraqi people, one can only hope that all responsible parties truly make every effort so that glimmers of reconciliation and peace can be found in such a dramatic situation.”