Reflections...

My favourite pastime is actually standing in front of my giant window and just watch the world pass me by. But today, I watched tons of icey snow past me by, driven by howling winds.
Being on the 5th floor and on a hill, in relatively low rise Aarhus gives one an ego boosting feeling of towering above everything.
So I've been thinking,
1. This whole Danish newspaper cartoon incident comes as no surprise. The attitude of Europeans of late has meant that such an incident was only a sooner or later thing.
2. Expression of freedom of speech is part of democracy. But Winston Churchill once said that Democracy is not the best system. It is just the best that we have for now.
3. Which sounds like my career decision making process. A legal career is not the best for me. But it is the one with the most prospects now, unfortunately.
4. Its a pity that countries like Iran and Syria are using religion as a pretext to further nationalistic interest. Iran is facing big flak over its nuclear ambitions. Denmark is now a member of the UN security council of which Iran might be hauled before. Iran is just trying to stock up enough ammo to sway opinion and to blackmail a member of the SC. Syria on the other hand is just using this opportunity to wreck havoc in Lebanon. Besides, Syria and Iran have always been sympathetic to each other's cause.
5. Which makes me wonder why the leader of the free world, Mr Bush, called for a boycott of the last Iranian elections which resulted in Mr Ahmadinejad, a hardline militant, being swept into power on an extremist vote. A boycott which resulted in the moderate Khatami being ousted for lack of support. A boycott called by a democratic powerhouse, of a democratic process. A boycott which has led to a resurrection of an Iranian nuclear program.
6. And if the west is so against nuclear programs, why has it turned a blind eye toward's Israel's nuclear program?
7. That the Europeans seem to have a hidden xenophobic agenda and perhaps that is expressed through freedom of speech? But an influx of immigrants is a sooner or later matter. With the greying population across Europe, there will definately be a need for foreign labour in the near future. And it is highly likely or already obvious that the source of such labour will be muslim countries like Turkey or Egypt. Why not embrace it with proper legislation, proper administrative measures and proper education about such matters. Why not think about how to integrate peoples instead of comparmentalising. Why not be prepared for it before it overwhelms you.
9. I belive the reason for this lies in democracy. Politicians need votes and anything that would suggest greater immigration in Europe would be highly unpopular. So now the decision making process has passed on to the masses, with imperfect knowledge and no specialised expertise in such matters. This is Western democracy.
9. Most countries pay lip service to Globalisation. Creating of a global market means that people will move to where there are opportunities. One cannot insist on having a global market without acknowledging that as boundaries become more permeable to goods, it will invariably become more permeable to people too.
10. That we don't have to necessary love or like the people that we live with but we do have to tolerate them for the simple fact that they are human beings. If we can put up with our mother in laws, why not with foreign workers, why now with people of a different religion or skin colour?
11. That this exchange stint has enrinched every aspect of my life except academically