The crisis in Ukraine has re-ignited a lot of bad blood between Russia and the West, each trying to be the moral authority over the other. Putin's Russia eventually gained Crimea for itself, and the Eastern provinces of Ukraine which are mostly pro-Russian threatened to follow in the footsteps of Crimea and seek a referendum.
Up to this moment, Putin has been hailed by many as a master tactitian, and deservingly so. He had managed to outsmart the West (but not the sanctions of course), and was (and still is) in the process of building strong alliances with other 'not-so-west-friendly nations'.
The downing of Malaysian flight MH17 is certainly a big problem for his government and his power base. On board the plane were 285 civilians,
- 154 Dutch nationals, 27 Australians, 23 Malaysians, 11 Indonesians
- Six Britons, four Germans, four Belgians, three from the Philippines and one Canadian
- All 15 of the crew were Malaysian
I'm just wondering how the authorities of the countries whose nationals died in the crash would react. They would probably join the anti-Putin camp (if it is confirmed that his people had anything to do with it).
The plane went down in rebel controlled area, so it's difficult not to assume that they were behind thye plane's take down.
Yesterday, after the conference of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) in the Brazilian city of Fortaleza, we got exciting news that had been long overdue. The BrRICS nations are going to set up a developement bank. The BRICS nations, who account for a fifth of the global economy and some 40% of global population have been negotiating this project for some time now, but the final agreement seems to have been reached.
The Indian Prime minister whose country is to head the bank proposed the name by which the bank is to be referred to: New Developement Bank.
With an intitial capitalization of $100 billion, and a subscribed capital of $50 billion, the bank is expected to aid in infrastructural projects and shave off future economic crises. The bank was set up to counter Western monopoly on financial markets and capital.
The Washington-based World Bank is increasingly seen as an arm of the West, and the IMF doesn't seem to represent the inrterests of emerging markets.
In a press confrence, the presdident of Brazil, Dilma Roussef said, "These initiatives show that, despite our diversity, our countries are committed to a solid and productive association,". Russian president Vladimir Putin certainly agreed with the Brazilian president when he said when he said the agreement was "a very powerful way to prevent new economic difficulties."
The so-called BRICS bank came as a necessity to manage the outflow of capital from emerging markets that camme as a result of the stimulus measures proposed by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. This led to falling currencies in BRICS countries.
The bank is set to start lending in 2016 with an initial total of $10 billion in cash put in over seven years and $40 billion and open it's doors to other countries, but the share of the BRICS countries can't drop below 55%. The contingency currency pool will be held in the reserve of each BRICS nation. China, holder of the world's largest foreign
exchange reserves, will contribute the bulk of the contingency currency
pool, or $41 billion. Brazil, India and Russia will chip in $18 billion
each and South Africa $5 billion.
Having won the bid to host the bank, China will be the last to hold the revolving office of head of the New Development Bank.
Here's why I think the success of this bank has the potential to change the World Order.
First of all, Russia just signed a $400 billion gas deal with China which aimed at countering the effects of western sanctions over it's annexation of Crimea. In addition to that, India and China did not support sanctions on Russia at the UN Security Council. These two also vetoed war crimes resolutions on Syria, still at the UN Security Council.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look at the list of countries that have issues with the West besides the BRICS nations: Argentina, Iran, Syria...These are all countries that would line up to offer their allegiance to the BRICS exchange for their support; not to mention the resource rich but financially poor African countries that are weary of extremely high interest rates offered by western banks on bank loans.
This for them is a 'The Messiah' come to take their financial misery away, and they would lmine up at the doors of the bank to create ties in order to seek financing on 'fairer terms'.
Consider this too. The IMF recently imposed cut in oil subsidies on a number of countries, which they had little or no say in, and this has been the practice for decades; imposed reforms on countries even when they are not ready for them. The 1997 Indonesian riots were blamed on the IMF.
The western monopolisation of global financual markets and financial power also means that the West can easily impose sanctions on Countries that do not 'toe the line', like Russia and Iran. If this power moves West, it becomes easier for such countries to dodge these sanctions by simply looking West. Do I need to remind you that Iran has been labelled The Next China?
In case you haven't noticed, I have above given four reasons why the institution of the New Development Bank should raise western eye brows. But the one most important reason I haven't mentioned, The Rise of China.
China, the second largest economy in the world, and poised to overtake the U.S., has finally found a way to gain more control over the 'rest'. Let's be reminded that China is the largest contributor to this bank. Of course the West fears the Rise of Putin's Russia too, but that in no way compares to a China that could grow beyond the West's ability to control it.
Tke a look at China's territorial disputes in Asia, and you get a sense of where China is headed. If this China should gain more influence over rising countries like Iran, Nigeria, Indonesia and even some of the European countries hit with recession, it's certainly bad news for the West.
I have always respected the saying 'Money can't buy class', and being a guy with very little income myself, I have always lived by it.
In the quest for class, many men have gone out of the way to acquire some of the most expensive items (cars, mansions, hyper expensive designer clothes and shoes, even the latest technological gadgets). The sad truth is that this trick hasn't always worked.
After consulting with some of the people I believe are the most classy I know, and also by applying my own intuition, here's the list of the 11 'must have's' of every classy man at this point in time. The definition of class is constantly changing, so a few of these items may not feature on this list same time next year.
1. Cotton White shirt.
A white shirt always does the trick. It is mature, classy and stylish. It could be worn with jeans, troussers and even shorts. And above all, it presents a man neatly. It shows him as a man who can take care of himself.
2. Wrist Watch
A wrist watch is one of the most defining fashion accesories of the Twenty First Century. It doesn't have to be a Rolex, or Tissot like the one in the picture; not even a fossil. Even metal hands (which are more expensive) would do the trick. If someone asks you for the time, you don't need to take out you cellphone.
3. Espadrilles
These shoes are stylish, classy and comfortable. But most importantly, they're affordable. They are highly versatile too. They could be worn with jeans, troussers, shorts, suits... Bottom line, you need a pair.
4. Black Suit
Forget the funny colours of suits you see on the streets. Black is the new green. Only the mature can pull it off. You can then substitute the troussers for any colour, be it red, green, blue, ash or even shorts...why not jeans? The good thing about a black suit, it will go with a shirt of any colour.
5. Loafers
A solid pair of loafers never hurt. It would work best if they are black, brown or dark blue. However, there are other colours that work too.
PICTURE COURTESY OF globalblue.com
6. Plain white t-shirt
A plain white t-shirt is a must have for every man. Just like the plain white shirt, it distinguishes the wearer from the 'rest of the population'. It could be a v-neck t-shirt; but forme, I'd go for the round neck.
IMAGE COURTESY OF dailycal.org
7. Blue jeans
Every man must own at least a pair of blue jeans. They
could be light blue or dark blue, plain or ripped. Bottom line is, you
must own a pair. Jeans come in handy in casual accasions or outings
8. Dress shoes
Dress shoes are the ultimate symbol of maturity. You can't go to an important event in sneakers. They could either be black or brown. Some people prefer brown, but black would be more universal
PICTURE COURTESY OF menofcolours.blogspot.com
9. Tie
Ever been invited to an important event and you don't have a tie to wear? It's really frustrating. A tie should always be in every man's closet. My favorite pick would be a black tie because of it's versatile nature; but there are other great colours like dark blue and grey.
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.polyvore.com
10. White sneakers
A classy dude doesn't need a very flamboyant pair of sneakers in order to look good. Rather, most of them look childish. However, a pair of Jordans or Yeezy's never hurt
PICTURE COURTESY OF GQ
11. Khaki Troussers
Everybody (or anybody who's stylish) knows that khaki is one of the most universal colours for troussers. If you didn't know I'm telling you now. Try it on with shirts, t-shirts, pullovers...
PICTURE COURTESY OF opticsplanet.com
So there you have them, my pick for the 11 clothing items every classy man should have. Of course there are other things which are important, but these to me are the top 11.
If you disagree, let me have your perspective on the comments section.
The World Cup has brought with it so many surprises. The various teams have given us their possible best, and we have been entertained. These teams have different names that identify them.
I sat in church on Sunday as the priest delivered the sermon on the way we humans approach the issue of respect and honour. He then related it to the World Cup, specifically the names of the worst performing teams. He tried to create a link between team performance and the name of the team, emphasizing the fact that a mojority of the teams with the most aggressive name are the worst performing. I sought to clarify that, and that's why I decided to write this article.
Let's take a look at the names of the various teams.
Brazil
'Seleçao' meaning 'the selection' or 'Verde-Amarela' meaning 'green and yellow' representing the colours of their previous jersey.
Reached semi-finals
Croatia
Croatia - 'Vatreni' translated as 'The Blazers'. Probably because the croatians had been hard to beat for years.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF sdgpr.com
Cameroon
'The Indomitable Lions'. Probably a reflection of the teams succeses in the 70's and 80's.
Eliminated at Group Stage (No match won)
PICTURE COURTESY OF NILE SPORTS
Mexico
'El Tri'. This represents the three traditional colours (white, green and red)
Reached Roung of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF BET THE WORLD CUP
Holland
'Oranje' meaning 'Orange', which is the colour of the dutch national team attire.
Reached Semi-Finals.
PICTURE COURTESY OF WORLDCUPZONES.COM
Spain
'LA Fluria Roja' which means 'Red Fury', and probably represents the colour of their outfit.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF THE BLEACHER REPORT
Chile
'La Roja' which translates as 'The Reds' and is also reflected in their national ootfit and flag.
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF CYPRUS-MAIL.COM
Australia
'Socceroos' which is in homage to the 'kangaroo' which is an animal almost unique to Australia
Elimited at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF bestino.streetwise.co
Japan
'Blue Samurai' in respect of ancient japanese legend and the colour of their outfit too is blue.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE OF worldinfo4u.com
Greece
'The Pilattes Ship'. They got this name from their 2004 European Championship win.
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.tovima.gr
Ivory Coast
'Les Eléphants' meaning 'The Elephants'. The elephant is one of the strongest animals in the wild.
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.bgr.com
Colombia
'Los Cafeteros' which loosely translates into 'coffee maker' or 'someone who makes coffee'.
Reached Quarter Finals
PICTURE COURTESY OF conmebol.com
Italy
'Azzurri' meaning 'The Blues', and also the colour of their jersey.
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF CITY PEOPLE NEWS
England
'The Three Lions' which makes allusion to the three lions on the logo of the English FA logo.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.ronaldo7.net
Costa Rica
'Los Ticos' which is a more shortened term for 'Costarincencces' or 'Native Costa Rican people'
Reached Quarter Finals
PICTURE COURTESY OF COSTA RICAN TIMES
Uruguay
'La Celeste' which translates 'The Sky Blues', referring to the team's sky blue uniform
Reached Round of 16 PICTURE COURTESY OF www.ronaldo7.net
France
'Les Bleus' which translates into 'The Blues' and olso the colour of the national team outfit.
Reached Quarter Finals
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.mlsoccer.net
Switzerland
'La Nati' meaning 'The National Team'. Very short and straight to the point.*
Reached the Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF ABC.NET.AU
Honduras
'Los Catrachos' which is a name used to refer to native hondurans.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF CONCACAF.COM
Ecuador
'La Tricolor' which refers to the ecuadorian flag: yellow, blue and red
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF worldcupbrazil.net
Argentina
'La Albiceleste' which translates 'The White and Sky Blue', referring to their national team outfit.
Reached Finals
Iran
'Team Melli' which simply translates 'Nationa Team'.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF theiranproject.com
Bosnia and Herzegovina
'Zmajevi' which translates into 'Warrior'. The name was given by a commentator in 2004.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICYURE COURTESY OF tipsontits.co.uk
Nigeria
'Super Eagles' which they adopted after loosing to 'The Indomitable Lions' in the 1988 ACN finals.
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF cheeronnigeria.blogspot.com
United States of America
'The Yanks' which as of now is still just an unofficial name
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF heavy.com
Germany
'Die Mannschaft' which translates as 'The Team'.
Reached finals and is favourite to win.
PICTURE COURTESY OF tsmplug.com
Portugal
'Seleçao das Quinas' meaning 'The Selection of The Shields' refers to the five shields and five dots within each shield on the country's flag.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.footballgate.com
Ghana
'The Black Stars' which is in reference to the sole black star on Ghana's flag.
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF THE GUARDIAN
Russia
'Sbornaya' a powerful word which simply means 'National Team'.
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICYURE COURTESY OF THE MOSCOW TIMES
Belgium
'The Red Devils' with respect to the colour of their jersey.
Reached the Quarter Finals
PICTURE COURTESY OF sol.pt
South Korea
'Taegeuk Warriors'. The South Korean fans also refer to themselves as 'Red Devils'
Eliminated at Group Stage
PICTURE COURTESY www.abc.net.au
Algeria
'Les Fennecs' in honour of the national animal of Algeria (small nocturnal foxes native in North Africa.)
Reached Round of 16
PICTURE COURTESY OF en.qantara.de
This
priests thesis was that the teams with the most 'powerful names' didn't
go far while those with those with soft names did go far in the
tournament.
When
all is considered, there are a number of areas where the priest was
right: For example, the African teams had some of the most 'powerful
names', particularly Cameroon, but failed to go far. The same could be
said of Asian teams like Japan and South Korea. All three of these teams were eliminated in the Group Stage. Secondly, as seen above, the teams that reached the semi finals have the 'softest names'.
But
the thing is that he considers there to be a correlation between team
name and team performance which is totally false. First of all, consider
the fact that some of these 'powerful-name-poor-performance' teams were
once football greats, like Cameroon (check Cameroon's past records).
Secondly, some of the soft name teams still did not go anywhere, like Australia.
So my verdict is that there's no correlation between a team's name and it's performance, Russia, Australia and Iran would have reached the semi-finals, and the Ivory Coast and Ghana would not have done as good as they did.
