The Quiet Political Revolution of the Millennial Generation by Donovan Reynolds, Independent Writer.

This article distinguishes the Millennial Generation from other cohorts in terms of systematic differences in values, preferences and voting behaviour. It describes their social media use and highlights evidence of intra‐generational variance arising from, economic, cultural, technological and political shifts. We also discusses the variance in the Millennial's savvy use of social media, mainly to influence changes  considered as “establishment driven politics” that do not serve their best interests. Kingston Mouth is interested in examining the voting patterns and socio/political trends of this generation. Our interest is mainly because of a shift of values, attitudes and political expectations of them across the world. Kingston mouth contends that the valuable political contribution of the Millenials is often obfuscated, demonised and undervalued by the establishment class. They are also the generation less likely to be schmoozed by the slick talking millionaire televangelists or the mind controlling bearded mullahs. Most importantly, it appears that they are quietly plotting a counter cultural revolutionary movement to dislodge the old Wall Street and Fleet Street controlling politically backed corrupt establishment.

The Canadian Economist David Foote was the first to locate this generation by using the term “Baby Boom Echo” to describe them. He posited that they were the offspring’s of the Baby Boomer Generation and were born between 1980 and 1995. Sprawling through available statistics in 2001 he suggested that there were about 76 million of those persons in the US and 6.9 million of them living in Canada.  Strauss and Howe are widely credited with naming them Millennials. By 2013, a   more comprehensive global generational study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers in collaboration with University of Southern California and the London Business School, similarly defined Millennials as those born between 1980 and 1995. The Pew Research Centre, conducting their own research a year after, extended their birth period to the year 2000. Generation theorist William Strauss and Neil Howe in 20001 are widely credited to have given them   the name “Millennials in Generation”. They posited that the turning of this generation is stifled by the conformity imposed on them by controlling establishment. Strauss and Howe theorise that a crisis era has affected this generation in the post 2008 financial meltdown. In March 2014, the Pew Research Centre delivered a report about how 'Millennials in adulthood' are 'detached from institutions and networked with friends'. They are the internet generation who conduct their social and political activities on social media platforms. The Pew Research Centre has identified Millennials as the first generations to grow up with this new technology.

There has been an incongruity by political commentators to label generations below others as lacking ambition without examining the root cause of their behaviour. We know for example that American sociologist and lifestyle writer Kathleen Shaputis pigeon-holed Millennials as the boomerang generation or Peter Pan generation in her numerous publications; most of the Millennials have a perceived tendency for delaying some rites of passage into adulthood for longer periods than most generations before them. The truth is that the current financial crisis, together with a shortage of affordable housing, has stalled these young people from flying the nest. Junco and Mastrodicasa in a 2007 survey pointed out that this generation is indeed ambitious and aspirational about higher education and the use of technology when compared to their generational cohorts such as the baby boomers. Most of the research centered around the New Millennials is focused on their consumer habits at the expense of their socio- political leanings. The Political coming to prominence of anti -establishment politicians such as Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau, US Presidential hopeful Bernie Saunders and British Opposition Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn, owe a lot to this generational cohort for their thrust into the spotlight of political eminence . This appears to be because these anti-establishment politicians’ connect authentically with the Millenials  aspirations, economic needs and difficulties  and are not aligned with big money special interest. They are also sceptical of utopian religious ideas that were tied to the old established political regimes that do not act in their best interest.

Research by the Pew Research Centre in 2014 showed a preference of socialism over capitalism. This finding is in line with a recent Yougov survey published in February 2016 showing that 43 % of Millennials have a preference towards Socialism compared with older Americans. This is good news to supporters of the Bernie Saunders campaign team who no doubt must be tapping into this ground swell of support. One of the most important lessons that often escape statisticians about the Millennials is that they, more than any other generation, are unfazed by the Wall Street influenced media spin. They are also adept at circumventing the Rupert Morduch /Ted Turner choice of establishment candidates through their use of social media. For this reason, the electoral appeal fortunes have been waning for the Wall Street backed political 'dolly birds' such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin. They are also responsible for routing the political family entitlement dynasty of the Bushes.

If you are gullible enough to absorb the nonsense that Millennials are a bunch of politically alienated self-centred, narcissistic loonies, only fixated on taking selfies, you are way off base. It was this generation in Britain that laid to rest the political career of the former UK Deputy Prime minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg.. He was punished at the polls and his party received a thumping electoral lesson in 2015. Why? Mainly because he broke an election pledge made to the National Union of Students before the election not to raise tuition fees in 2010. However, enticed by the offer of Deputy Prime Minister in a David Cameron Tory led coalition; he made a U-turn to lift the cap on fees to £9,000.

It was the British Millenial generation of 2015 that cut through the spin, lies and ageism rants of the media and establishment propaganda brigade of the Labour Party to elect a left wing anti-establishment candidate, Jeremy Corbyn. His leadership campaign attracted 40,000 new Labour Party members in five days. He secured a thumping victory over his Blairite rivals, despite their smear campaign against him. In the media run-up to his selection the Murdoch influenced press, along with Chancellor George Osbourne, branded him as threat to national security due to is anti-nuclear stance. He survived the most vicious character attack from the right wing press, who vilely ridiculed him with mocking epithets such as 'Maverick', 'Carcass Corbyn' and accused him of being a 'looney leftist'. Yet, with the help and funding of new Labour party Millennial members he won the leadership contest by securing nearly 59.5% of first-preference votes, beating his establishment  rivals Andy Burnham, who trailed on 19%, and Yvette Cooper who received 17%. The “Blairite” candidate Liz Kendall came last on 4.5%. Within days of Jeremy Corbyn settling in office a YouGov poll, paid for by Rupert Morduch’s SUN newspaper, recorded an opposition approval rating list showing Jeremy Corbyn as the most unpopular opposition leader ever. How questionable?

The next time you see college student in the US crouched over their smart phones with their thumbs and index finger texting frantically, don’t be judgmental; they might be raising funds for Bernie Saunders. The New York Times has recently reported that the Bernie Saunders campaign has amassed a million online donations over the past five months, far faster than Barack Obama in his first, digitally ground-breaking, campaign for president. Saunder's campaign fund raising back office is being run by Tech- savvy Millennials who are positioning a powerful message for the “old Maverick” that is spreading across social media platforms like a Californian wildfire. It clearly suggests social media is more effective advertisement than polls bankrolled by the Koch Brothers. As a matter of fact, the Koch brothers are slowly warming to the Bernie Saunders narrative. In a USA Today post Charles Koch was quoted by Journalist Nicole Gaudiano asserting that he agrees with Bernie Sanderson one issue: the US has “rigged” political and economic system. How surprising!

Finally, Kingston-mouth would like to issue a word of caution to the smug Harrod's handbag cavorting Baby Boomers: whenever you meet in a Conservative club with your Bentley driving, Cuban smoking cigar friends do not slag off the Millenial generation as materialistic couch potatoes lacking in ambition. The designer clothes they are wearing were bought at fraction of the cost that you bought yours for at Harrods; they are smart enough to buy exact replicas from mainland China online. We assert that the Millenials are one of the most politically engaged and ambitious of all generations. Be aware that they are not Smartphone junkies, as you often wrongly perceive, they are the 'now generation', surreptitiously plotting an online Socialist revolution in order to escape student debt, unemployment and rising house prices. Unlike Baby Boomers, they are not afraid of failure in order to confront the dishonest establishment politicians and thieving exploitative capitalist billionaires.

This article was written by Donovan Reynolds CEO and edited by Ann Smith Managing Editor of Kingston-Mouth .com.  Donovan Reynolds is an Independent Blogger and Human Rights Activists who is of a Jamaican descent and a legal academic that has an interest in Politics, Human Rights, Culture and International Development Issues.

A call for the uncommitted voters In Jamaica to support the JLP at the upcoming general Election: by Donovan Reynolds Independent Writer

After a year of speculation the Jamaican Prime Minister ended the dodgy circus of uncertainty; before a large gathering of PNP party faithful’s she announced the date of the countries seventeenth general Election since universal adult suffrage. According to statistics from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) since the 1980 election there has been a decrease in voter turnout in Jamaica’s General elections. Several reasons have been cited for this level of voter apathy, although the result has favoured the ruling PNP. While in most emerging democracies, elections are decided on Kingston-Mouth contends that this is not the case in Jamaica. We assert that the PNP are skilled at the dark art of using huge resources to mobilize their support on any given election day. In the last general Election of 2011, from a population of a little over 2.8 million, 2.6 million persons registered a vote. Only 46.18% turned out to vote. It is widely estimated that there is still a huge block of uncommitted voters who have not seen any real economic growth in the past fifty years and feel alienated by the political class that have failed their economic aspirations. It is an open secret that Kingston- Mouth supports the opposition JLP, based on their track record of success at managing the Jamaican economy. This article is a polemic pitch to the undecided, eliciting support for a JLP victory at the polls.

Surely, from all indications, the General election in Jamaica is imminent on the 25^th of February; it is the time of year to be PNP jolly. A word of caution to the gullible, entrenched, unsuspecting and uncommitted voter: woe betide the sweet mouthed PNP politician wearing a shiny orange t-shirt and driving a SUV loaded with a fist full of five hundred dollar bills.  Be cautious of getting trapped by the 'what have you done for me lately' attitude. This could land you with a fist full of temporary orange dollars that could scupper the future prosperity of you and your children. Kingston –Mouth strongly supports Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) stalwart Deputy Leader Desmond McKenzie’s call for Jamaicans not to be lured by 'a one night bellyful' as they prepare for the February 25th general election.

Beyond the shadow of the PNP euphoric lantern and orange T-shirt wearing politician, lies a dark shadowy web of hidden deception. The PNP assert that they support the poor but the reason behind such a mendicant utterance is that they have mastered the art of using the poor and vulnerable to remain employed in the selfish cushy positions that they hold in government. They dislike the Jamaican people as their interest is only confined to themselves and their corrupt cronies. They are schooled in the dark art of rigging a Jamaican political franchise that serves their best interests.

  
The JLP - often described as boring - govern on behalf of the entire country while the PNP fixation is to reward a select few that keep them in Government. Do you remember when Bruce Golding came to Government in 2007, on the back of a declining world economy; he gave every Jamaican free and universal health care and free Secondary education at the point of delivery?  Yet when the hapless lying scheming PNP government ousted us from Government it was on the pretext of a false promise of delivering economic prosperity implementing a programme called “JEEP”. This programme should have led to massive jobs and economic prosperity; the only jeep that turned up was a glossy expensive SUV for their inept political officials. One of those same SUV Jeeps rolled up at a by-election in Central Westmoreland last year then was caught on video dolling out a fistful of dollars wrapped over an orange t-shirt. The result was a massive election win bought and paid for by “JEEP”.

On the matter of crime and violence the PNP administration is a dismal failure. It was the JLP shadow representative on crime, Derrick Smith, who recently summoned the Jamaica Police Commissioner before a Parliamentary committee because of his concerns of an escalation of crime. What he told us was really frightening and showed how much the PNP crime strategy had run amok and was bereft of ideas on how to keep us safe from criminals and murders. The Honourable Mr Smith alerted us to the hard cold reality that the latest murder figures represents a 26% increase, that is, 211 more murders than the corresponding period last year. The Commissioner's explanation was far from uplifting, he said that, “Two hundred and twenty-six gangs are operating in the 'franchises' across the island and spreading their wings further than ever before”.  At the core of criminal activity is youth unemployment. The commissioner’s report outlined that most of these gang members are males between 18 and 29 years. It is disingenuous of the Finance Mister to suggest that a next PNP government, if elected, will create one hundred thousand jobs. This is a tacky and deceptive political lie, since the only growth he has presided over in his four years of office is the inches on his waist brought on by cavorting with his champagne drinking socialist cronies at Drumblair. To the uncommitted, I would strongly advise, do not obey the command to vote coming from a weak lying corrupt and ineffective PNP politician.

On corruption and mismanagement, the PNP has again shown their hatred and contempt for Jamaicans. You may recall the Trafigura vs Manatt, the  Outanami scandal, and most recently the $665 million unaccounted for at PC bank. The PNP dread honesty, integrity and openness in Government; their approach to openness compares only to the way a vampire emerges from his casket at the crack of dawn. When last has a politician in the PNP government lost their job? They are all waiting to die in office. The only way they will budge is when you give the push with a JLP vote.

 Don’t forget that Portia Simpson Miller consistently fails the common sense test, especially when she is asked to make difficult management decisions that she faces. Confronted with a serious health scandal, instead of launching an ineffective and clueless Health Minister in the stratosphere of Neverland, her response was astounding. She reassigned him to labour ministry on the back of a damning health audit report that was released. Yet the higher the PNP climb, the more difficult it will be to wrestle back the country from moral and economic decadence. You can accuse the JLP of making a few bad political decisions internally as a party but our record of accountability in government is strong.

We know that the JLP is best placed to position the Jamaican economy; we say what we mean and we mean what we say. This honesty placed us in the opposition bench at the last general election when our Leader answered fairly about the austerity plans demanded of by us by the International lending agencies. You will recall that at that time, the world was in the clutches of an economic decline and tough choices had to be made. A lying and cunning PNP capitalised on the context in which things were said and began to offer that dodgy JEEP as the alternative.

It is fair for our critics to say that the JLP failed to show more sensitivity with our language but we were never lacking in confidence to plot the difficult and arduous path to future economic prosperity. Throughout everything, we recognised that protecting the interest of the poor and most vulnerable among us was essential. This time around we intend to be more sensitive in our communication of our core aspirations and we regret what was conceived as aggressive posturing at the last election. You will recall that when we were in power, the Jamaican dollar was enjoying a period of stability, interest rates were nearly down to single digits and the murder rate had decreased by almost 40 %. We are a party of stability and prosperity. The JLP is adept at steadying Jamaica though periods of instability and strongly capable of shepherding the island towards progress. The PNP cannot claim this.

The PNP and the media are great at shedding the spotlight on our internal squabbles. Yes, we fight among ourselves because we are passionate about making the best decisions about our party’s future and the type of leadership that the country deserves. We have emerged from those quarrels as a better and more cohesive party, ready to take over the reins of government. As a party one thing unites us: the need to work toward winning the next general election, economic prosperity and poverty alleviation.

We know that the PNP spin doctors are adept at decorating the highway to hell with deceptive orange containers full of illusory promises and cleverly crafted catchphrases to schmooze you. Don’t let them use the ghost of Michael Manley to bamboozle you. Don’t let them use curry goat and white rum to snooze you. Remember, when elections are called they address you as comrade and booze you and after the election is over you are left on the wayside to beg bread and for criminals to pester you. Call me impetuous, but you know when an election is near; the PNP mascaraed roll out of 89 Old Hope Road, the sale of orange wigs increase and Portia and Lisa are sighted on political platforms gyrating and wearing orange lipsticks with Peter Philipps bulging from the pockets.

The spurious criticisms of PNP this time around will not cloud the JLPs message; we are determined to cut through the false carnival and spin that they use to cloud the judgement of the Jamaican people. The road from poverty to prosperity is not an election cliché by us; it’s a statement of deep and abiding commitment to the Jamaican people. It is a carrion call for change by genuine congruence and confluence with the needs of the Jamaican people.

On the 25th of February the election ballot presents us with a rear opening to change this corrupt and inefficient PNP government. Our Leader Andrew Holness offers a ten-point plan for growth and job creation that is a road map to alleviating poverty and placing the country on a steady path to recovery. Kevin O’Brien Chang has laid bare the lies of the PNP spin doctors about the recent improvements in the economy that the PNP are attempting to claim. He was right to alert us to the truth that the improvement was a result of the plummeting global oil price on the world market;  it has nothing to do with the lazy and inefficient PNP stewardship. The JLP will manage the economy while the PNP will continue to increase the wealth of a few selected henchmen. You don’t need to look far to convince yourself that the PNP do not love the poor. Just follow “Mama P” to her constituency to see how she benefits from Jamaican poverty. The only growth we have seen in the PNP is an increase in wealth and the shirt sizes of a few champagne socialists who have benefitted from the corrupt PNP feeding trough.

Come the 25^th of February, the choice for Jamaicans is stark: vote PNP then you get more corruption mismanagement, increased crime and more poverty, vote JLP and you will lurch from poverty to economic prosperity, lower crime and  increased security. To the uncommitted I say, your life does not improve by chance under the PNP Government. It can improve by voting JLP. To the uncommitted, I assert that progress is impossible in Jamaica with a corrupt PNP Government. To remain on the fence is not an option. Please be advised that Inaction does not change us; it may in certain circumstances condemn us to poverty and oppression. On Election Day come with the JLP and walk with us along the oft but necessary travelled road from poverty towards prosperity. Another five years of PNP Government is way too excruciating to even imagine.

This article was written by Donovan Reynolds CEO and edited by Ann Smith Managing Editor of Kingston-Mouth .com.  Donovan Reynolds is an Independent Blogger and Human Rights Activists who is of a Jamaican descent and a legal academic that has an interest in Politics, Human Rights, Culture and International Development Issues.

Taking a swipe at the Billionaire class in Davos: by Donovan Reynolds, Independent Writer.

A yearly event for the Business, Government, Academia and International organizations is held at the World Economic Forum high in the showy Swiss resort of Davos-Klosters.  These organisations aim to shape the global, regional and industry agendas and address pressing global challenges. This year’s theme is 'Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution'. However, the meeting has been overshadowed by fears of China's trending down of growth and plummeting oil prices on the world market. China's Vice President, Li Yuanchao, countered by remarking that China would address the recent slowdown in its economy. With the global financial market in a cautious mood it is expected that about ten central bank Governors will descend on the upmarket ski resort. It is hoped that the forum will provide them with a platform to lay out their ideas on requirements to help the global economy this year.

 France's Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, started off the European session by remarking that security and terrorism are one of the biggest challenges currently facing the European region. He called for a pooling of resources and also sharing more information, including a common programme of oversight of flights and airports. Wolfgang Schauble, Germany's finance Minister, called for a new Marshall Plan to tackle Europe’s refugee crisis, saying billions must be spent. Meanwhile, his boss Chancellor Angela Merkel, remains below the radar, smarting from a refugee sex scandal backlash from opposition parties at home in Germany. US Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew, has hinted in the opening session that markets have over-reacted to the oil price slump and China’s slowdown. While the contribution from HSBC boss warned that it is hard to raise money for green energy right now. Alexis Tsipras, Greece’s current Prime Minister, appeared sombre in his presentation he called for a new co-ordinated growth strategy and for Europe to diminish the inequalities between North and South.

High on the agenda at Davos will be the future of the European Union and the Schengen Agreement. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has told Davos that Europe business and community leaders should campaign in the upcoming referendum for Britain to remain in the European Union; recent polls show that 52% Britons opting for leaving the EU has placed the future of the union in doubt. With a UK referendum expected this year on its political relationship with Europe, whether to remain in or opt out Europe, nerves can hardly be calmed. However, David Cameron is wooing the doubters in Davos by insisting that he is 'confident' the UK will remain in a reformed European Union if he achieves the deal he is seeking for a new relationship with Brussels.

It is expected that some of the world’s influential charities such as Oxfam as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Trust will be there; they will rub shoulders with Hollywood heart-throbs, Political powerhouses and the growing billionaire class. This year the guest list is a little less white than the Oscars; the impressive guests include Rachel Whetstone, Justin Trudeau, Will.i.am, Sheryl Sandberg and Leonardo DiCaprio. Yet, missing from the Davos  list are the pied political pipers of the squeezed middle such as Bernie Saunders, Jeremy Corbyn and Russel Brand who will not get a foot in to embarrass the money grabbing capitalist billionaire class present at Davos.

As to the volunteers of Kingston- Mouth, we will be watching the drama unfold on our couches from afar, on television and social media, clutching our Poundland crisps and drinking organic carrot juice. However, our lower middle class voices will not be silenced.   Statistics from Oxfam bear testament to the fact that the squeezed middle class numbers and quality of life are evaporating rapidly from the planet.

Since the last economic crisis, the billionaire class has ridiculed the poor, so it’s time to return the favour to the Davos cavorting class. According the Oxfam Charity that examines global poverty, this year the richest 1% in the word will own more than all of us.  Yes I, will repeat: the cumulative wealth of us the 99 % will not match the wealth of a handful of mostly tax evading billionaires. Subsequently, the middle class among us are dwindling rapidly. Luckily, Winnie Bynyiami, Oxfam’s CEO, will have a voice at the table at Davos. Although it is likely that her voice will be drowned out by the greedy billionaire class worried about her dwindling oil stocks and shares on the Capital market.

Wealthy moneybags such as George Soros, Warren Buffett and the Kotch Brothers won’t choke on their glasses of champagne when Oxfam breaks the news to them that 62% persons like themselves wealth is equal to half of the world’s population wealth. They will be engrossed in scientific lectures about how robotics can lower the cost of labour and increase their already incredulous bottom-line.  I hope that whenever the first sets of robotics are delivered they resemble Bill Gates, Will I Am, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. While I am at it, might I take a swipe at British Billionaire Richard Branson who is busy in the American desert blowing up Space crafts in the American desert? He is fixated on landing millionaires on space stations in the stratosphere while the poor are starving in UN refugee camps as a result of terrorism, civil wars, drought and famines. Neither is he interested in the fact that most of the world’s poor are living on an income less that US 1.25, down from $2 a day before the last economic recession. His focus is solely to grow the Virgin Empire. The trump change that is left on his aircrafts goes to charity and he is very noisy about it.

 The Russian property grabbing billionaire class, such as Roman Abramovich and Yuri Milner, have an open yearly invite to sit cosily at the table at Davos and they might have one eye on the table and another on the lucrative property market in London. A word of advice to them, if they are bothered to make it to Davos, stick to property acquisition and refrain from criticising President Putin openly.  They really don’t want to get on his wrong side or they might end up sipping a glass of expensive vodka laced with plutonium by the KGB. We strongly advise that you confine your criticisms to your expensive yachts moored on the Chelsea Harbour or the French Riviera. As you swan around Europe laundering billions, remember those Russians living on less than 9,662 roubles ($169) a month. Please also remember that the number of Russians living on the official poverty line surged to nearly 23 million at the end of March 2015.

The Qatari Royal Family and the House of Saud are also in for it. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar and H.M King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia have a combined wealth of 80 billion dollars. Their idea of a good charity is to spread Wahhabism (radical Islamic ideology) across the world. While they are buying expensive F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets at a cost of $94 million each from the US, these oil rich Middle East Royal families invest in high end sky scrapers in Europe, forcing up the price of real estate in London making it almost impossible for the Middle class to own a home . Turning up at Davos is beneath them as it’s too cold and definitely too high up in the hills of Switzerland to moor their luxurious yachts. Their version of human rights is to publically behead its citizens who oppose their exclusive rule by dictatorship and prevent women from driving in public. Despite this, they are the darlings of Europe and the US, the two main pillars of Capitalism and democracy in the word. They defiantly don’t have to turn up in Davos as they have the entire EU and US envoy doing the bidding on their behalf. Even with oil plummeting to an all-time low of $32.26 dollars a barrel, they are so rich that they won’t break into a sweat no matter how hot the desert gets.

You might be wondering why Kingston-Mouth has stooped so low to berate the Billionaire classes who turn up at the Word Economic Forum in Davos. These forums do not improve the lives of the poor and squeezed middle class from Beijing to Bangladesh. We see the gap between the rich and the poor getting wider; there is no trickle-down effect.  We emphatically do not believe that there is a tremendous passion to end poverty when billionaires and world leaders meet; based on the legacy of deception that Adam Smith has left us. We do not expect the likes of Christine Lagarde, President of the IMF who receives a tax free salary of US $467,940  to close the gap between rich and the poor; the best she can achieve during her tenure  is a face lift and an expensive hair extension. If we had a choice between wiping out poverty or wiping out billionaires which one do you think we would choose?

This article was written by Donovan Reynolds CEO and edited by Ann Smith Managing Editor of Kingston-Mouth .com.  Donovan Reynolds is an Independent Blogger and Human Rights Activists who is of a Jamaican descent and a legal academic that has an interest in Human Rights, Culture and International Development Issues.

Turkeys Arrest of 12 University Academics& It’s Dubious Human Rights Violations against the Kurds: by Donovan Reynolds Independent Writer

Yet another busy week on the international scene:  Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) killed 28 people and a further 56 were injured in Burkina Faso after Islamist militants attacked a hotel in the capital of Ouagadougou, frequented by foreigners. Then there was pleasing news that Jason Rezaian, an American Journalist employed by the Washington Post, and four other Americans were released by Iranian authorities in a prisoner swap. Rezian was arrested in July 2014 on alleged charges of espionage. On the 14th of January a major shopping and business district in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, close to foreign embassies and the United Nations offices, was bombed by terrorists; two civilians and five of the attackers were killed. The week ended with a good item of news on Saturday with the US and the EU announcing the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran.

This week’s blog focuses on the current situation in Turkey where its President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has ordered the detention of twelve academics over allegations of involvement in “terror propaganda”. These academics, together with 1,400 others, signed a petition calling for the end of a massacre and deportation of Kurdish people. Two academics of international notoriety, American Noam Chomsky and the Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, had been severely criticised by the Turkish President. He accused them of not paying attention to the true picture in Turkey   and labelling them as ignorant terrorist sympathisers. The war of words ratcheted up this week when the UK Guardian quoted that Chomsky accused Erdoğan of operating double standards on terrorism.

The arrests prompted a flurry of reactions from Rights organisations who accused the Turkish President of violating academic freedom by rounding up innocent university teachers.  They were concerned about the welfare of these academics that did not deserve to be incarcerated on the basis of assisting the Kurds to assert their human rights. Among them is Amnesty international asserting that the current military campaign against the Kurds, conducted by the Turkish government, involves a breaching international law. These Rights organisations also accuses Turkey of targeting staff from 90 Turkish universities (calling themselves “Academicians for Peace”) who signed the petition last week calling for an end to the acts of state oppression against the Kurds.

 Further pressure was brought to bear on the Turkish President on Wednesday when Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov opportunistically announced that he is set to hold talks with the co-chairman of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtas on the matter. There were further developments on Friday, reported by local media, when Turkey’s main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) also chided President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for ordering arrests of dissident academics.  With such pressure mounting we expect the UN to at least make a statement shortly on the matter.

The Kurdish people’s quest for an independent state and self-rule can be traced back to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. During that period the Allies contrived to split Kurdistan (as detailed in the ultimately unratified Treaty of Sèvres) among several countries, including Kurdistan, Armenia and others. However, the recapture of these areas by the forces of Kemal Atatürk (and other pressing issues) caused the Allies to accept the renegotiated Treaty of Lausanne and the borders of the modern Republic of Turkey, leaving the Kurds without a self-ruled region.

Turkey's human rights record against the Kurds has unremittingly attracted scrutiny, both internally and from external Rights organisations. Furthermore, its close association with the US, NATO and the European Union has been criticised by international commentators. It is open secret that Turkey has exploited its strategic relationship with the west by flouting human rights openly against the Kurds. This history of abuse against the Kurds has been well catalogued by the European Courts of Human Rights (ECtHR). We know for example that the ECtHR in 2005 awarded Kurdish deputy Leyla Zana 9000 € from the Turkish government for a landmark Human Rights breach. The court ruled that Turkey had violated her rights of free expression. Zana, who had been recognized as prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and had been awarded the Sakharov Prize by the European Parliament, was jailed in 1994, allegedly for being a member of the outlawed Kurdish based PKK. The court found that she was treated high-handedly by the Turkish court for having spoken Kurdish in public during her parliamentary oath.

In their quest for an independent state the Kurdish people have endured a long history of oppression; in the last century they have fought the Ottomans, the British, and the Baathists. Apart from the Jewish Holocaust and the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean and North America, I would suggest that no other group of people in the world has endured pain and suffering like the Kurds.  They are sandwiched between four countries in a large Geographic area spawning eastern and south eastern Turkey (Northern Kurdistan), Northern Syria (Western Kurdistan), Northern Iraq (Southern Kurdistan) and North Western Iran (Eastern Kurdistan). According to CIA Fact book, Kurds formed approximately 18% of the population in Turkey (14 million) in 2008. One Western source estimates that up to 25% of the Turkish population is Kurdish (approximately 18-19 million). Kurds constitute approximately 17% of Iraq's population and 7-10 %of Iran's overall population (6.5–7.9 million).

The Kurds are not without natural resources in the region that they occupy and as a result attracted the attention of resource grabbing developed countries and multinational Corporations. Prominent companies active in Kurdistan include Exxon, Total, Chevron, Talisman Energy, Genel Energy, Hunt Oil, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, and Marathon Oil. As you may well imagine, these large multinational corporations are not in the business of liberating people - their main aim is to extract profits and forming strategic business alliances.

Turkey is a founding member of the United Nations (1945) the model of government is a parliamentary representative democracy. Since its foundation as a republic in 1923, the country has developed a strong tradition of secularism. Human rights in Turkey have been the subject of some controversy and international condemnation. Between 1998 and 2008 the European Court of Human Rights made more than 1,600 judgements against Turkey for human rights violations, particularly regarding the right to life, and freedom from torture. Other issues, such as Kurdish rights, women's rights, and press freedom, have also attracted disagreement from the international community and rights based organisations.

 Turkey's human rights record continues to be a significant obstacle to future membership of the EU,  yet the country is one of the most important allies to the US and the European Union based on its geo-political interest and the war on terrorism. In recent time there has been a falling out of relations between Turkey and the Russia. On Monday 25^th November 2015 Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border, alleging that Russia had violated its airspace. Since then there has been a showering of relations with Turkey and as a result the Russian Government, through its associated news network has accused Turkey of secretly buying gas from ISIL and leaving its borders to Syria pours for ISIL to recruit foreign fighters and conduct Terrorist Training camp in Turkey.

This week the English Based version of Russian Television (RT) reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is planning a meeting with the co-leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas , according to sources in the Foreign Ministry. We at Kingston Mouth view this as a sinister move, mainly because of the souring relations recently with Russia and Turkey. Russia’s attempt to woo the Kurds is indeed opportunistic as they are on opposite sides of the proxy war in Syria. Meanwhile, it is not expected that President Obama or the European Union to castigate the Turkish President over Human Rights breaches, as Turkey is a major air base from which the US and its allies launch attack on ISIL in Syria and Iraq. Many Rights group in Europe have chided the EU for agreeing to fund the Turkish Government to the tune of 2 billion EU dollars to manage and house the flood of refugees fleeing war in the region. The Kurdish issue aside, it is fair to suggest that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rule in Turkey is rapidly becoming an embarrassment to the West and NATO, and Turkey’s international credibility  and record on human rights is diminishing. It seem as if the Turkish President is hell bent on becoming the “two faced Janus” of the Middle East. Nevertheless, he is an untouchable based on the Geo Strategic location in that region and his powerful allies on the UN Security Council have to treat his friendship cautiously.

Surely, the present approach to the Kurds and the Academic Sympathisers has gone the wrong way and it is now time for the UN to send a special envoy to that country to resolve the very complex issues involved in that dispute. A failure to act quickly can only lead to the “Putinisation” of Turkey and Balkanisation of the already troubled Kurdish Region. The Kurds in Iraq have a Regional Government that seems to be working although it’s not perfect. Turkeys hostility towards is Kurdish population can be less belligerent if some arrangement can be brokered. In the interim, Kingston-Mouth condemns the action of President Erdoğan. We urge release of the twelve academics and other journalists held in Turkey and a toning down of the bellicose rhetoric by all parties involved. Now that the Iran deal is more settled it would be advisable for the Secretary General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, to focus his attention on events in Turkey.

This article was written by Donovan Reynolds CEO and edited by Ann Smith Managing Editor of Kingston-Mouth .com.  Donovan Reynolds is an Independent Blogger and Human Rights Activists who is of a Jamaican descent and a legal academic that has an interest in Human Rights, Culture and International Development Issues.

Understanding the Current Conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran: By Donovan Reynolds-Independent Writer

The beginning of the year was expected to be quiet on the International scene.  Last year the international community attention was unavoidably focused on a preoccupation with ISIL expansion of territory in the Levant. That crisis forced the coming together of an international diplomatic consensus to containing the infamous terrorist assemblage. The historic  Iran nuclear deal that followed seventeen days of almost uninterrupted negotiations was heralded as a good thing .It involved foreign ministers from seven countries – Iran, US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany – along with the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini. The agreement was supposed have signalled a thawing of tense relationships within the Middle East. However, before the ink dried on the deal there were uncomfortable utterances from Israel and the Sunni influenced Saudi Arabia about the agreement. In fact Israel Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, moved pre-emptively to criticize the deal even before the final details had emerged.

While Saudi Arabia is one of the US major allies in the region, it has been a relationship purely of strategic necessity. It is for that reason why Saudi Arabia’s King Salman reluctantly sought assurances from U.S. President Barack Obama about the Iran nuclear deal shortly after it was inked. Historically, the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia has never been a peaceful one, mainly because of the ongoing Shia /Sunni ethnic spat that has divided the region for centuries. Most recently, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of sponsoring terrorism and using Hezbollah to interfere in the conflict in Yemen and Syria.  Iran has always been uncomfortable with the cosy relationship that the Saudi’s share with the West. Especially, its expensive arms purchases from the US. Meanwhile, Iran has countered this relationship by forging strategic ties with Russia and President Assad in Syria.

The hatred between both Saudi Arabia and Iran recently deepened with the arrest and execution of prominent Iranian religious Cleric Nimr al-Nimr. He was among those put to death last week in Saudi Arabia on charges of terrorism. Recently, as an act of revenge an angry mob of Iranians vandalised the Saudi embassy   in Tehran: it was set ablaze during the protests against the execution of the popular Iranian cleric. Members of the diplomatic mission hastily evacuated the Embassy and headed for the airport in Tehran as it became apparent that the Iranian security force had not done enough to protect them. At the Airport there were further allegations that they were temporarily held up before they were allowed to leave for Saudi Arabia- a claim that Iranian officials denied; in a hastily held press conference chaired by its Foreign Minister. On Sunday, the immediate severing of relations with Iran was announced by Saudi Arabia after the storming it’s Embassy in Tehran. The Saudi Government alleged in a press briefing that the Iranian Government was a behind the attack on their Embassy. Shortly after the press conference, the Iranian government put out a press release denying any involvement. In the Times of Israel they were quoted as saying that Iran had regretted the attacks on Saudi embassy. The conflict has thrown the region into a Geo-Political frenzy and by Monday Bahrain and Sudan both announced that they severed relations with Iran and the UAE  had also downgraded its diplomatic mission to Iran.

The road to peace in the Middle East has always been a slippery diplomatic slope for the UN, US and Russia. It is worsened by Russia’s and the US involvement backing client states and correspondingly as a result several episodes of inaction by the UN. The ratcheting up of a divisive conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran does not argue well for lasting peace in the Middle East, let alone the diffusion of two major civil wars in that region.. It is quite understandable therefore why the US, the UN and Russia have remained almost silent on the matter. As the diplomatic manoeuvres take place quietly behind the scene, one sobering narrative by the Saudi Foreign Minister emerged. Adel al-Jubeir was quoted by Al-Jazeera on Tuesday that the dispute will not hinder political negotiations over the Syrian conflict expected later this month.

The international community and the peaceful community of nations aligned to the UN   await nervously a speedy diplomatic outcome before this international discord deepens. Central to the thawing of this is the bellicose relationship is President Obama- as he is still welling up his tears and mulling over the difficult but necessary US domestic gun control issue involving armed white ranchers- who have overtaken a federal wildlife building in Oregon.

The Middle East, for a long time, has stretched the interpretation margins of realist foreign policy analysts. The geopolitical manoeuvres in that region have led to an insolvable international security dilemma as it is a region where even political differences and alliances are difficult to describe. For example, the only thing that Iran and Saudi Arabia have in common is a hatred for Israel. We know too that the only thing Israel and Saudi Arabia have in common is a dislike for Hezbollah and Iran. The picture becomes more of a conundrum when you factor in the Palestinian issue and the historical Shia/Sunni ethnic divide. It is a region where the three largest religions in the world coverage and battle over ideas and religious shrines. Making peace in the region is a never ending cat herding exercise. The idea that two of its most powerful actors could descend into war conjures up thoughts of an Armageddon that the world cannot afford to experience.

World War Two was a horrific reminder of how conflicts can damage the planet if left without a speedy resolve. It was estimated that during that period 40,000,000 - 72,000,000 persons died as a result of negligent dithering. The existing League of Nations at the time failed to live up to its mandate of preventing the Second World War atrocities from happening. It is for this reason that, in 1945, fifty one countries signed the UN’s charter to dedicate to maintain international peace and security. Currently the United Nations have 192 members and many peacekeeping operations across the globe. It has a 15 member security Councils in place which include five permanent members.  Most of the five permanent members are involved in proxy wars in the Middle East and have client states that they protect and are beholden to. It is for this reason why it is difficult to have peace in the region as there is always a conflict of interest.

It is absurd to expect the permanent security members fighting proxy wars who have veto powers to adjudicate against their national interest, especially when large oil and arms deals are under the table. It is for this reason why we firmly believe that the Security Council needs to be reformed urgently. Rwanda was rude awakening for all of us and it is   a strong reminder why we should have a credible UN security council. In 1994 the UN Security Council stood with its arms folded over half a million Rwandans that were killed within a hundred days in that country. More recently thousands have been killed in Syria and Yemen in the two current civil wars, and last year we saw the greatest flood of refugees arising from conflicts in the Middle East. The amount of refugees that could emerge as a result of an additional war in that region is unimaginable. This is why Kingston –Mouth, along with other Rights organisations, call for a speedy UN led diplomatic action on this very urgent and risky security matter. The idea that these two powerful oil rich nations in the Middle East could let slip the dogs of war is a scary proposition.

On a more sober note we at Kingston -Mouth expect that the members of the UN Security Council act speedily to resolve this matter. The UN should be reminded in this matter of its mandate under resolution A/53/243 which calls for the promotion of increased understanding, tolerance and cooperation among all peoples, inter alia, through appropriate use of new technologies and dissemination of information.  In this regard, we urge that the UN should not remain silent. The resolution also calls for the supporting of actions that foster understanding, tolerance, solidarity and cooperation among peoples and within and among nations.

In closing, I would like to thank the many readers of Kingston –Mouth who have supported our blog over the past four years. It is our commitment to bring quality commentary on Political and international issues, focusing on themes of Human Rights and global Justice.  Kingston-Mouth is a charitable publication committed to the adherence of principles of freedom, justice, democracy and tolerance. We promote solidarity, cooperation, pluralism, cultural diversity, dialogue and understanding at all levels of society and among nations. We are keen to spread the doctrine of Human Rights to non-traditional spheres and to bring understanding of Political issues facing Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Caribbean free of cost at the point of delivery. We are grateful for the invaluable contribution of our past editor Kevton Foster and our current editor Ann Smith; both editors have held us to a high standard of quality control and consistency. We wish all our readers a happy New Year as we aspire to broaden our audience and improve the quality of our service delivery.

This article was written by Donovan Reynolds CEO and edited by Ann Smith Managing Editor of Kingston-Mouth .com.  Donovan Reynolds is an Independent Blogger and Human Rights Activists who is of a Jamaican descent and a legal academic that has an interest in Human Rights, Culture and International Development Issues.