Professor Jorge Neff was a walking encyclopedia when it came to issues around colonialism and third-world development.
It's not called the "third world" anymore of course. The winds of political correctitude have rendered the third world into the developing world, the post-colonial world, and God only knows what else.
I got to know Jorge when he taught a course in International Studies at the University of Guelph many years ago.
Jorge was a blast. A refugee from Pinochet's Chile, he'd found at least a temporary refuge at this lovely little second tier university in Canada. And he totally knew his stuff.
Pinochet was the guy we installed in Chile after that democratically elected commie Allende committed suicide by shooting himself 57 times in the back with a machine gun.
Anyway, Professor Neff opened my eyes to different perspectives on what might be going on in that great big world out there.
And as much as that was an eye-opening course, my eyes soon became preoccupied with the minutia of day to day life. Raising children, paying the mortgage, and so on.
So it was only thirty years later that semi-retirement permitted the luxury of rediscovering International Studies.
And here's what's so great about that.
At any given moment I've got a to-do list a mile long here at Falling Downs. The dining room needs re-plastering. The wood-shed needs re-stocking. The bathroom ceiling needs re-painting...
The farm manager is never shy about mentioning the to-do list. Luckily, as long as I'm sitting in front of the computer typing out some obscure take on peace in the Middle East or the 2012 election campaign, she figures I'm working for the greater good!
What's more important? Peace in the Middle East or the bathroom ceiling?
See what I mean?
Obviously, to write even semi-intelligently about world affairs requires a ton of research. See where I'm going here? I mean TONS of research. I'm talking about a viable excuse to sit in front of the computer all day long when others might think I should be cleaning up the bat shit in the attic or painting the bathroom ceiling.
And the fact that every once in a while a reputable almost-mainstream website picks up one of my blog-posts... well!
How is the farm manager going to argue with that?
One thing I've learned from all this research is how wide the range of opinion is on any given issue. Take this attack on Iran that may or may not be in the works.
Mainstream American media pretty much sees it as a done deal. It's just a matter of timing.
The Likud faction in Israel seconds that sentiment.
But then a whole range of security insiders in Israel are on the record as claiming this would be the biggest nightmare in Israel's sixty+ year history.
I have to admit I'm a little partial to the point of view of the insiders. With them, there's at least a chance they know what they're talking about. No guarantee, mind you, but at least a chance.
Which is why I was fascinated by MJ Rosenberg's essay on the Al Jazeera website today.
Rosenberg is very much an insider. Knows AIPAC, knows his way around Washington, knows how stuff works. His latest missive is Will AIPAC and Bibi get their war?
I'm not going to spoil the fun for you. Look it up and give it a read. Find out for yourself what this insider thinks.
Anyway, between reading that and writing this, I've probably taken care of a good two hours of time that would otherwise have been spent on chores around Falling Downs.
Thanks Jorge!
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