The Little United States of America
I've always liked to see the parallels between the state of affairs of our Dhivehi Raaje and the United States and think of us as a tremendously scaled down version of the latter.
Think about it. Here are top ten reasons why I think so:
1. We've got big narcotics problems
2. We're highly religious with fundamentalist separatist groups here and there. God and country appear in the same sentence often
3. We've got presidential systems in place
4. We've had terrorist attacks on local soil
5. We're hooked to trash television
6. We're 300 thousand, they are 300 million
7. We've got a poor majority and a highly wealthy few
8. State is controlled by corporate interests
9. Level of education in grade schools low, increased unemployment, disillusioned youth, racist
10. A stringy, grinning younger man beat a senile, wrinkly codger in elections by an electorate driven by desire for change
Congratulations to Mohamed Nasheed "Anni", president-elect of the Maldives. Congratulations Barak Obama, president-elect of the USA.
The Anon | November 6, 2008 12:54 AM | Reply
This is probably one of the most honest pieces you have ever written.
So you Are capable of this kind of insight & reflection. You could easily fool people into thinking otherwise, with some of those articles you spew out!
MShahdy | November 6, 2008 2:20 AM | Reply
Looks like the American public has learned a few things from us! Hah!
M | November 6, 2008 8:56 AM | Reply
sí se puede!
Hilath Rasheed | November 6, 2008 10:13 AM | Reply
When you think about it, Hitachi employs workers equal to the whole population of Maldives. If they can manage their human resources with medical insurance and pension schemes, you can imagine the gross mismanagement of this country by Maumoon and his cronies over the past three decades. And woe be to us all, now all Anni can do is talk about forgiving this man! Is this the change I sought? Is this the Aneh Dhivehi Raajje that I voted for? Damn them all.
anon | November 6, 2008 10:25 AM | Reply
these superficial parallels can be drawn between any two countries in the world. drug problem, tv, fundies, inequality, lobbyists etc. none of which are unique to us or the states.
Vaa nuvaa | November 6, 2008 1:04 PM | Reply
Dude, what are you on? like the guy above says, you have this in every country. Here are some things that i think are not so similar.
1 - we got big narcotics problems, they got bigger narcotics problems
2 - we are highly religious and they are not highly religious.
3 - their political system and ours are extremely different
4 - We've had 'a' terrosist attack. They've had quite a few.
5 - nowadays everyone is middle class in maldives, very few poor, very few rich.
6 - Americans have some of the best educational systems in the world
7 - The US president will go to court when he is asked to
And for the record, the state is controlled by corporate interest? what the hell does that mean? on what grounds do you say such a thing at the Americans? you should atleast give some citations or links to back your crap.
If the change that you and the rest of the 56% voted for involves the president playing unfairly, and the high court begging him to come for hearings, well then, congratulations. You got your change.
Nice blog I must admit
Hi Vaa nuvaa,
But of course I know this isn't an accurate comparison. These two countries are beyond comparison. One is the largest economy in the world and the other is unrecognisable on an atlas.
1. the drugs problem: I did say that we were a scaled down version
2. oh but the USA is considered quite a religious country albeit of course Christian
3. yes I agree the feature for feature the political systems are different. Their's is a federal system but essentially they too have the 3 separation of powers etc.
4. On terrorist attacks. We've had one attack on the Nov 3rd of 1988, the US also had one attack on Sep 11th 2001. All the other attacks were local groups. One example is the Sultan park bomb here and the Oklahoma City attack of 1995.
5. No. Not everyone is middle-class in Maldives. Over 40% Dhivehin live on a dollar a day. 20% live on less than that. The figure is roughly thereabouts for the USA at various times.
6. The US is definitely home to fine higher learning establishments. What I said was grade school education. The rate of children falling below international benchmarks is very high there also.
7. Large corporations are known to pull strings in Capitol Hill - especially financial behemoths and oil companies. Goldman Sachs, Halliburton, JP Morgan Chase etc etc. The US media is owned by a few large corporations. The Iraq war has corporate fingerprints all over it. The facts go on and on.
On another note, I find president-elect's disrespect for the court summons disturbing. But that is beside the point of this post.
And finally, the competing against an wrinkly codger and winning - the facts are on TV.
nexus | November 6, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply
US got a huge mexican problem, we have a bangaalhi problem.
mode | November 6, 2008 5:01 PM | Reply
im sure Mr. Obama quite happily would go to court if the prosecutor general decides so. but here "he" is immune because he is "the man for the people".
The Anon | November 6, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply
lol. Obviously 'vaa nuvaa' knows what he's talking about. Simon this is an example of the crowd in this country that needs to be re-educated.
Vaa nuvaa | November 6, 2008 7:39 PM | Reply
Re-educated so that the uneducated 'crowd' will one day come to their senses and jump with joy when they hear that their president didnt go for court hearings, and instead sent someone else to take his place? And ultimately, that someone else is doing time in jail in place of the president? If thats the case for maldivian courts before he comes to power, wonder what will happen afterwards. Maybe he will catch everyone in the uneducated 'crowd' and summon them to the court. We will send the court a letter saying we can't make it and we will send simon to take our place.
Wisham | November 6, 2008 8:12 PM | Reply
Hihihi!! Vaanuvaa the great!!( Why are u so angry dude?)
Kewl post Simon!
Kalhu huthu | November 6, 2008 8:40 PM | Reply
LOL (that means laughing out loud)
Not only did this 'Vanuva' miss the point of reply, but went on to babble something about an entirely different something else. Once again demonstrating a failure of comprehension and a characteristic trait that i could sniff out from a mile away.
Perhaps we should start quoting pig & apes sites. There is an extent to which reason and critical thinking can be stressed on a deaf, dumb and blind person.. It is like trying to get a DRP loyalists to explain how when The WB says the Maldives has the highest income per capita in SA, we still have a significant and certain majority of the population living under two dollars a day.
"..they are not highly religious"
"nowadays everyone is middle class in maldives, very few poor, very few rich"
"we got big narcotics problems, they got bigger narcotics problems"
"Americans have some of the best educational systems in the world"
"The US president will go to court when he is asked to"
"And for the record, the state is controlled by corporate interest? what the hell does that mean?"
HAHAHA
It is not so much that these sanitized opinions have been expressed, but that such arrogant-Ignorance still continues to feed into it's own ego. The whole exercise of even expending any amount of energy (for instance in writing this) to try and communicate to such nincompoops is pointless.
thanks for the laughs
Wisham | November 6, 2008 9:19 PM | Reply
I still cant stop laughing at vaa nuvaas comment, very few rich? very few poor? Duude, do u walk through our streets high on something? Have u ever thought of a Maldives BEYOND Male'? As simon has pointed out, some 21% of the "richest" country in the poor South Asia, live below the poverty line according to international agencies.( Not a story cooked up by the MDP "crooks" u seem to despise)
kalhu huthu | November 6, 2008 9:30 PM | Reply
yeeah visham!!..u tell 'em!!!
hehe
dingdon | November 6, 2008 9:59 PM | Reply
Now that Gasim Ibrahim is to be the new Home Minister, officially there is no poverty in Maldives. We are all a middle class affluent people, with a slight drug problem!
subpus | November 7, 2008 5:50 PM | Reply
"5. No. Not everyone is middle-class in Maldives. Over 40% Dhivehin live on a dollar a day. 20% live on less than that. The figure is roughly thereabouts for the USA at various times."
Pure Fabrication
Evidence : Half the population of Maldives can afford internet
"wrinkly codger"
Fact:Now we have Elected:-
A president with spit coming of the corners of his mouth.
A Drunk President.
A sucker in politics who will protest in big countries to get aid, as opposed to a clean way.
An idiot.
Subpus,
Fact still remains wrinkly codger got beaten.
sucker | November 7, 2008 9:49 PM | Reply
Hilath,
"Anni can do is talk about forgiving this man! Is this the change I sought? Is this the Aneh Dhivehi Raajje that I voted for? Damn them all."
You addicts make me laugh....
Revenge on the wrinkly codger is gonna lower the prices... improve economy and rid all the maldives' problems...?
You get a good change and yet you are unfulfilled....
Typical Maldivian behaviour...
You dont see value in anything...and seek only violence and recklessness....
Like the behaviour of a 12 year old...
=Peace Out=
Don't Take anything personally.
Vaa nuvaa | November 7, 2008 10:48 PM | Reply
Dear simon,
Why is my comment being moderated? I thought it will come up after moderation. Too long a reply? Sorry if thats the case.
Vaa nuvaa,
Comment moderation is off on this blog. Sometimes the spam filter collects suspicious comments - those with really short text or many URLs etc - and puts them in a special section. I checked there and did not find any valid comments.
Vaa nuvaa | November 8, 2008 8:37 AM | Reply
Hi simon,
Theres only one URL in my comment. I figure there are other comments with URLs on the website. My comment was obviously submitted.
Hey vaa nuvaa,
I'm sorry but it probably was not submitted. Did you get a notice saying that your comment was being held until approval?
I've checked everything and the comment just didn't make it to the DB. One thing you should know that is that I never actually delete any comments. I might disable them but not delete.
I'm really sorry if the problem was on my side. I hope you will continue to comment in the future despite the glitch.
subcorpus | November 8, 2008 12:28 PM | Reply
hello bro ...
seems like you know a bit about USA eh ... ???
and apprently some guys here know a bit more than you ... hehe ...
but can i say somehing ...
its not Barak Obama ...
its BaraCk Obama ... in wikipedia its ... Barack Hussein Obama II ...
you might wanna try and get the spelling right ...
after all he is the leader of the free world ...
and you one who always fights for our freedom ... hehe ...
:P
Subcorpus,
Oh you giggling breathless hyena!
Thanks for pointing that out. No big deal, eh Führer of Spelling Nazis.
kaiza shozey | November 8, 2008 5:57 PM | Reply
hehehe. nice analysis. and that was some speech given by obama. the best ive heard from any president.
Vaa nuvaa | November 8, 2008 6:43 PM | Reply
I will probably get the comment out from my office PC on monday and post it. Just to let you know, I did get some message similar to that. Something about the administrator and all...
Will comment if its worth my while
kuththa | November 9, 2008 8:29 AM | Reply
the comment section of this post makes u guys look like nerds. fighting with ur keyboards. thought u should know.
It looks like we do have some similarities. Obviously we have a completely different culture and societal norms and people. Which tends to change and evolve as we develop and progress..along with the good comes the bad and then the ugly.
gifili | November 9, 2008 11:15 PM | Reply
kaiza shozey, did you know that it was Not Obama who would have written that speech?
Vaa nuvaa | November 10, 2008 8:52 AM | Reply
Kuththa,
What does this make you then? Please don't fight us with your keyboard... We are too nerdy to pick on your mighty keyboard...