Friday, February 06, 2009

Our world has gone to the dogs (part I)

It suddenly dawned on me, as I watched video footage of Muslim protestors attacking police* and trashing London, that our world has gone to the dogs.

Rows of Bobbies wagged truncheons and ordered the protestors back, as they inched slowly backwards, for blocks. I kept watching, waiting for reinforcements to arrive, certain the riot police would rush in to take control. But, the agitators continued to hurl abuse, sticks and traffic cones at The Law, while cops shouted, threatend, false-charged and retreated.

To me, these officers looked just like the protective beagle that growls and barks at the gate, but scampers away as soon as you confront him.

"Allah hu akbar!"

"Yip, yip, yip". Scamper. "Yip, yip, yip".

French police backed off from marauding Muslims on Parisian streets and Oslo cops battled to stand up to demonstrators there. In San Francisco, police ignored flag-burning and incitement like "Every Zionazi is a legitimate military target". They instead removed a lone Jewish protestor with an anti-Hamas placard.

"Yip, yip, yip."

What played out on the avenues of London and Paris is a microcosm of world leadership's (in)action against this century's most serious threat. Those who are supposed to police our planet and contain rogue behaviour are all bark and no bite. They yelp, sneer and dart off as soon as they feel the heat.

"Pyonyang, halt your nuclear programme immediately!"

"Yip, yip, yip".

"Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah, Assad, don't threaten Israel!"

"Yip, yip, yip".

War on terror. "Yip, yip". Regime change for Zimbabwe. "Yip, yip".

Our world has gone to the dogs...



* WARNING: Strong language in this clip!

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