Nomination of American Justices

Nomination of American justices, as recounted by history, has been shrouded in political obscurantisms for over 200 hundred years stretching back to the creation of the great American nation. The American judicial system has become a victim of political exploitation depending on who is holding the reins of power in a nation divided along members having differing ideological thoughts and processes. Whenever there is a vacancy, the nomination of a justice to a bench depends on the political leaning of the prospective judge-applicant, his or her uprightness, professionalism, judicial disposition, philosophical thoughts, and level of expertise in constitutional law (Gerhardt, 1992). The most contentious judicial nomination in American judicial history was when Justice Clarence Thomas was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the Senate as an associate judge of the Supreme Court of the United States resulting in widespread outcry that almost led to paralysis of judicial discussions. The president was empowered by the ‘Appointments Clause’ that allowed him to make the right choice in selecting Justice Thomas with the recommendation and approval of the Senate.

President Eisenhower who was a Republican nominated the highly influential William Brennan of New Jersey as an Associate Judge of the Supreme Court (Gerhardt, 1992) despite Brennan being a Democrat. Also nominated by Eisenhower were Justices Potter Stewart and John Harlan who were both strong supporters of the Republican Party. Eisenhower did so with the blessings of a Senate controlled by majority Democrats (Gerhardt, 1992). Partisan politics can be dangerous especially when it comes to the nomination and confirmation of Justices. Often, there evolve ideological divergences, political differences, and racial divisions when selecting justices.

Hudson (2010) opines that Congress is more knowledgeable than the selected members of the judiciary when it comes to obligating commerce power. Some justices have been known to pursue their own self-fulfilling agendas leading them to evade judicial conscientiousness (Dimino, 2005). I would suggest that the tenure of judges be limited to certain duration. Justices should not be allowed to sit on the bench until retirement or until incapacitation. There has to be a limitation on the number of years justices serve in the judiciary. Also, selection of justices should be representative of society since America is now a multicultural nation populated by people of walks of life. One other aspect regarding changes to the judicial system would require justices to be free from any political affiliation or alliance. I don’t see anything wrong if election of justices is left to the public to decide on an electoral basis.

References

Dimino, M.R. (2005). The worst way of selecting judges-except all the others that have been tried. Northern Kentucky Law Review, Vol. 32:2.

Hudson, W. (2010). American democracy in peril: Eight challenges to America's future (6th ed.), Washington, DC: CQ Press.

Gerhardt, M.J. (1992). Divided justice: A commentary on the nomination and confirmation of Justice Thomas. Faculty Publications, Paper 979.

             http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/979

Voter Motivation

Voter motivation which is an act of pulling electors to a cause from a micro to a macro level so they can cast their votes still remains an essential factor in contemporary democratic elections. Understanding the philosophy of voter motivation to garner victory can be a vital tool and a way of triumphing over political opponents. In present-day American elections, parties compete to attract as many voters as they can by using all sorts of tactics at their disposal. Cases of voters turned away for failing to furnish birth certificates, identity cards, and other documents demanded by officials manning election stations in various parts of the U.S, pop up in the media now and then to arouse public opinion. Turning away eligible voters challenges the concept of direct democratic participation. Election irregularities are common in almost every democracy mainly due to humankind’s irrationality and hostile responses become part of the ordinary citizens’ ways of voicing political discontent. Some form of racial prejudice surfaced among black and white voters in the presidential election of 2008 when the Republican Party fielded political heavyweight John McCain against the youthful politician and challenger Barack Obama of the Democratic Party such that former president Jimmy Carter, in the glare of the media, came in support of Obama (Paine et al, 2010).

One tactical measure to enhance voter turnout would be encouraging voters to come to the polling stations to cast their ballots. Libertarian paternalism is famous for its self-conscious influencing application that is known as “Nudge” where attempts are made to move people to a certain direction that elevates their living standards without promises of economic incentives attached. In such cases, what is essential for the voter is not concern for party arrangements but concern for policy results (Kedar, 2005). Another important means would be boosting voter education so that people can have understanding of how the electoral systems work. Broad experimental literature is available that document how the ordinary American citizen is ignorant of the policies and the politicians that shape the nation. According to Kaplan (2008), though not an aberration, the number of Americans having significant knowledge of politics is alarmingly low and below the level required for an advanced democracy such as the U.S.

Political science scholars, borrowing a leaf from the application of bargaining theory, often cite the need for the allocation of distributable goods and resources and the examination of institutional designs as factors that alter voter behavior (Kedar, 2005). To the contrary, other political scientists reference proximity theory which is voter endorsement of the candidate sharing similar political views. Regardless of which theory is right, one major aspect that voters put into consideration when voting for a particular candidate, is the state of the economy. According to Hudson (2010), creating better voting procedures has been shown to increase voter turnout. People often vote according to their social and economic statuses. Improved voter turnout can be realized through civic engagement and through empowering citizens to have a say in political discourses. A reduction in adherence to class prejudice and lessening all sorts of barriers that restrict voter involvement should be top priorities for congressional leaders if they are to receive the trust and support of their constituents. Advancing mobile and internet democracy could also be used to eliminate political misconceptions and allow for the retention of diminishing party loyalty.

References

Hudson, W.E. (2010). American democracy in peril: Eight challenges to America’s future (6^th. ed).  Washington, D.C: CQ Press.

Caplan, B. (2008). Majorities against utility: Implications of the failure of the Miracle of Aggregation. Department of Economics, Center for Study of Public Choice, and Mercatus Center: Fairfax, VA: George Mason University.

Kedar, O. (2005). How voters work around institutions: Policy balancing in staggered elections. Electoral Studies, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. Retrieved from http://pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il/~okedar/files/ES-06.pdf

                                              

Payne, B.K., Krosnick, J.S., Pasek, J., Lelkes, Akhtar, O. & Tompson, T. (2010). Implicit and explicit prejudice in the 2008 American presidential election. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 367–374.

Labo Kala Daran

W/Q Aadan Makiina

Waa xilli waaberi ah carruurtiina wey baahanyihiin. Hooyadood Mama Mwikali waxaa la soo dersay xaalad adag maadaama aysan faraha ku hayn wax raashiin ah oo ay ilmaha dabka u saarto. Yar iyo weynba waxay ku dhawaaqayeen, “Mama ee tunataka chakula” (hooyooy cuntaan rabnaa). Odeyga ay wada noolyihiin oo la yidhaahdo Kioko ayaa isla xilligaasi shaqo isu diyaarinayey. “Kioko ee”, ayey ugu yeedhay Mwikali odeygeeda. “Ee” ayuu ugu jawaabay xaaskiisa. “Naata ee” (see tahay ama iska warran) intay ku salaantay ayuu ugu jawaabay “nekuseo muno” (waan fiicanahay). 

Mwikali waxay u sheegtay ninkeeda in ilmaha aan dab loo shidin oo gaajo baahsan ay guriga ka jidho. Wuxuu u sheegay Mwikali bal in ay digsi biyo ku shubto dabadeedna ay dabka saarto illeyn wuxuu soo indho indheynayaa xaafadda Eastleigh oo ay Soomaalida ku badantahay. Intuu si degedeg ah u labistay ayuu aaday saldhigii booliska kana soo qaatay qori cabbeysan oo G3 ah. Asagoo ay la socdaan labo askari oo saaxiibadiisa ah ayey xaafaddii Easteleigh dalag yidhaahdeen oo galeen.

Odey Xandulle waaga ayaa asagana ugu baryey xaafadda Eastleigh. Xaaskiisa Muxubo oo saalaaddii subax ay wada tukadeen ayaa usheegtay in caarruurtu gaajeysanyihiin. Wuxuu ku yidhi xaaskiisa, “bal digsi biyo ku shuboo dabka saar waxaan noo raadinayaa shaxaade”. Halkii buu ka shiraacday wuxuuna cagta saaray waddo gashoxaafadda Islii (Eastleigh) ee Soomaalida caan kutahay magaalada Neyroobi. Wuxuu guriga kaga soo tegay xoogaa qaad ah oo uu xaleyto kasoo shaxaaday saaxiibadiisa. Qaadkuna kuma filleyn sigaarna maba uusan haaysan. Sida keliya maalinkaasi uu ku murqaami lahaa waa isagoo raadsada xoogaa shaxaad ah.

Kioko oo ay saaxibadiisa la socdaan iyo odey Xandulle ayaa ku kulmay meel goolad ah. “Wee Waryaa simama” (waryaa istaag), ayaa la amray Odey Xandulle oo argagaxsan. “Balo, waar maxay ahaayeen waxu”, intuu yidhi ayuu socodka joojiyay. “Lete kipande” (keen waraaqahaaga aqoonsiga) ayaa isla markiiba la amray. Kaar aqoonsi ah oo sharciyeysan intuu jebadda kala soo baxay ayuu udhiibay Kioko. “Hii ni fake (kani waa faalso), twende station (inakeen saldhiga), nitakufunga” (waan ku xirayaa), ayaa lagu yidhi Odey Xanduulle oo ay xaajadu ku xumaatay. Nasiib wanaag, Odey Xandulle wuxuu meel dheer ka arkay Odey Magan Qadiid oo in muddo ah ay saaxiibo ahaayeen. Wuu udhawaaqay. Odey Xandulle intuu afka furtay buu ku qaayliyay, “waar Magaanoow isoo gaadh”. Wax yar kadib Magan Qadiid baa kasoo dul dhacay halkii lagu buuqsanaa. “Waar ina adeeroow 1,000 shilin ideemi anaa dib kaa siinayaaye”, ayuu Odey Xandulle ku calaacalay saaxiibkiis Magan Qadiid. Magan Qadiid intuu jeebka gacanta gelshay ayuu kasoo saaray 1,000 kii shilin ee saaxiibkiis ka amaahday. 

Odey Xandulle wuxuu Kioko farta ka saaray 500 shilin sidii ayuuna xorriyaddiisa ku helay maalinkaasi. Asagoo dheg la qabto lahayn ayuu Odey Xandulle ku laabtay gurigiisi. 200 shilin buu udhiibay xaaskiisi. Isla markiiba waxaa lasoo gaday raashiin. Carruurtii gaajeysneyd maalinkaasi waa ay dhergeen. Odey Xandulle 300 shilin ee u soo hadhay buu ku iibsaday xoogaa qaad ah iyo sigaarkii uu ku dhuuqi lahaa. 

Askerigii Kioko ahaana wuxuu iska fasaxay saaxiibasiisa oo wuxuu markiiba aaday gurigiisa. Dherigii dabka la saaray markuu kasoo hayaamay gurigiisa ayaa la cabbeeyay oo loo helay raashiin ay quutaan carruurtiisa iyo xaaskiisa intaba. Guud ahaan Kioko wuxuu asagana xaaskiisa udhiibay lacag dhan 200 shilin oo Kinyaati ah. Lacagtii kale ee usoo hadhay wuxuu la aaday goobaha khamriga nooca Chang’aa la yidhaahdo lagu cabbo. Odey Xandulle iyo askeri Kioko dhibkii waa ka haaday maalinkaasi oo waxaa u dambeeyay murqaan iyo damaashaad

Cagaha Mise Wejiga?

Wadaad baa beri wuxuu raacay diyaarad. Wakhtigii salaada markii la gaadhay ayuu galay musqusha sifa uu u weyso qaato. Maadaama musqulaha diyaadaha ay yaryar yihiin, dantu waxay ku qasabtay in uu albaabka musqusha furo sifa uu cagaha u saarto saxanka wejiga lagu dhaqdo ee loo yaqaan 'sink'-iga. Gabadh ka dhex shaqeyneysay diyaaradda ayaa soo agmartay oo aragtay ficilka wadaadka waxayna u sheegaty in uusan cagaha saarin saxanka maadaama ay cagahiisa wasakh yihiin. Wadaadkii ayaa wuxuu gabadhii weydiiyay: "Imisaa jeer ayaad wejigaaga dhaqdaa maalin walba?" Waxay ugu jawaabtay, "Hal ama labo jeer". Wadaadkii wuxuu hadalkiisa kusoo gunaanaday oo uu ku yidhi gabadhii, "Maalin walba waxaan cagahayga dhaqaa shan jeer". "Sidaasi awgeed, cagahayga ayaa ka nadiifsan wejigaaga".

Caqlileey Reer Banii Israa'iil ah

Sida uu soo weriyey Muxamad bin Kacab, waxaa beri jiri jirey wadaad reer Banii Israa’iil oo ahaa nin caqli badan isla markaana ahaa caalim looga dambeeyay garashada cilmiga diiniga iyo maadda.  Wadaadkan Reer Banii Iraa’iil ayaa xaaskiisa oo aad iyo aad uu ujeclaa si lama filaan ah ugeeriyootay. Murugo iyo ciil darteed ayuu goostay inuu albaabada xidho oo dib dambe uusan la haasaawin dadkii magaalada ay qaraabada iyo saaxiibada ahaayeen.

Haweeney Reer Banii Israa’iil ah ayaa maqashay murugada wadaadka haysata waxeyna go’aansatay in ay ugu tagto hooygiisa oo ay soo ogaato. Markay gurigii wadaadka tagtay ayey ka codsatay dadkii waardiyeynaayey bal in loo ogolaado iney la kulanto wadaadka sifa ay uweydiiso hal mas’aalo. Kadib markey ogolaansho weydiisatay dad waardiyeynaaye, ayey iska fadhiistay albaabka geeskiisa. Nin waardiye ahaa ayaa wadaadka ugalay una soo sheegay in qof dumar oo marti ah ay debedda u fadhido. Wuxuu faray in lasoo fasaxo waana la fasaxay oo wey ugashay.

Salaan kadib, waxay wadaadkii weydiisay su’aasha ah: “Waxaa jiraa dahab aan kasoo amaahday deriskeyga waana kan aan hadda xidhnahay. Dahabkan muddo dheer ayaan haaystay. Qoftii iska lahayd dahabkan hadda waxay soo dirsatay qof kale oo waxay dooneysaa in aan dahabkeeda ugu sii dhiibo ta lasoo dirsaday. Ee su’aasha aan doonayo in aan ku weydiiyo ayaa waxay tahay: “Ma iska dhiibaa oo ma u celiyaa”? Wadaadkii ayaa wuxuu ugu jawaabay, “haa, waa inaad iska dhiibtaa ood u celisaa illeyn waa amaahe”. Waxay ugu jawaabtay, “sideen ku celin karaa dahab aan intaasi oo sannadood xidhnaa”?. Wadaadkii ayaa wuxuu ku wargeliyay, “in kalgacal iyo wanaag loo muujiyay oo ay mudantahay in qoftii sidaasi kuugu naxariistay aad tixgeliso oo aad u celiso wexeeda”.

Markuu wadaadkii jawaabihii udhammeeyay, ayey ku tidhi, “Allaah hakuu naxariisto”. Waxay wadaadka weydiisay waxa uu sidaas ula murugoonaayo. Waxayna usii raacisay, “ninyahaw Ilaahey wuxuu ku ammaahiyay xaaskaaga wuuna kaa qaaday illeyn asagaa leh oo abuurtay naf walba”. Mar allaale markey hadaladaasi dhegihiisa ku dhaceen ayuu ogaaday in uu qaldanaa. 

Damaashaadkii Dharka

Beri ayaa waxaa jiray nin la odhan jiray Sheekh Sacdi kaasoo ahaa gabyaa kunoolaa magaalada Shiraas (Shiraz) ee hadda katirsan gobolka Fars ee waddanka Iiraan. Inksatoo abtirsiinyadiisu aheyd Abuu Muxammad Muslix al-Diin bin Cabdalla Shiraasi, haddana marka lasoo gaabiyo magaca loogu yeeri jiray ayaa ahaa Sacdi Shiraasi. Aabbihii wuxuu dhintay asagoo saqiir ah. Kadib marki imberedooriyaddii la odhan jiray Moongol (Mongol) burburiyeen xukunkii Islaamiga ee baaxadda weynaa ee la odhan jiray Khawaarismi, ayuu Sheekh Sacdi bilaabay socdal dheer kaasoo uu ku maray dhulalka ay kamid yihiin Anatooliya (Turkiga), Sindi (Bakistaan), Ciraaq, Suuriya, Masar, iyo gobollo kale oo badan. Sheekh Sucdi wuxuu tegey magaalooyinka barakeysan ee Makkah, Madiina, iyo Beytul Quddus wuuna xajiyay.

Sida dadka kale ee falsafistayaasha iyo gabyaasha lagu yaqaan, Sheekh Sacdi wuxuu ahaa qof caadi ah oo aan maal badan lahayn. Maalin ayaa nin magaalada magac dheer ku lahaa oo ahaa maalqabeen martiqaadey Sheekh Sacdi iyo dad kaloo farabadan. Martiqaadkana wuxuu ahaa mid loogu dabbaaldegayey maalqabeenka gabadhiisa oo la guursanayey. Sheekh Sacdi wuu aqbalay martiqaadkii asagoon wax diidmo ah muujin.

Maalinka uu dhacayey damaashaadka arooska gabadha, ayaa aabbaheeda iyo dad kaloo gacan siinayey raxan raxan u tubnaayeen albaabka laga soo galo guriga xafladda. Dadka la martiqaaday ayey soo dhoweynayeen una sii gubnayeen qolka laga cunteeyo. Tijaariinta iyo dadkii ugu magac dheeraa magaalada Shiraas ayaa uga soo qeybgalay arooska si aan caadi ahayn. Cid walba oo aragtay xafladda wey la yaabtay dhaqalaha ku baxay iyo sida loo agaasimay intaba. Martidii oo isugu jiray rag iyo dumar, waayeel iyo carruur ayaa mid waliba wuxuu maalinkaasi soo xidhay dharka ugu quruxda badnaa.

Dumarka waxay soo xaadireen ayagoo ku labisan dharka xariirta ah isla markaana gacmaha, qoorta, iyo lugahana ay ka lushaan dahab, dheeman, iyo luul la xardhay. Carrurtiina waxaa loo soo xidhay kuulal dhaldhalaalaya. Raguna waxay ku soo labisteen dharkii ugu qaalisanaa geyigaa xilligaasi. Barafuuno iyo wax walba oo la isku carfiyo ayaa laysku soo shushubay intaanan xafladda la tegin. Sheekh Sacdi wuxuu xafladda lasoo galay dhar aan sidaa indhaha usoo jiidan oo aan bilic fiican lahayn.

Sheekh Sacdi wuxuu istaagay meel xooga ka yara durugsan albaabkii laga soo gelayey wax dheg jalaq usiisayna ma uusan arag. Wuxuu islahaa waa laguu immaanayaa oo gacanta ayaa lagu qabanayaa sida dadka tijaariinta ee qaddarinta mudan loo soo dhoweynayey oo kale. Xitaa ninkii martiqaadka horboodaye waxba shuqul iskama gelin Sheekha meesha taagan oo danihiisa ayuu iska watay.

Sheekh Sacdi markuu arkay sida wax usocdaan, ayuu si tartiib ah isaga huleelay xafladdii. Wuxuu abbaaray dukaan laga ijaarto dharka aroosyada. Markuu dukaankii tagey ayuu codsaday in laga ijaaro dhar dahab ku xardhanyahay. Wuxuu kaloo dalbaday duubka madaxa lagu xidho oo aad iyo aad u qurux badnaa. Wuxuu haddana ku labistay sheey dhexda lagu xidho oo sida suunka oo kale. Markuu dharkii isku hubsaday, ayuu muraayad isku eegay. Wax kastoo uu xidhnaa ayaa cajabiyay. Intuu lacagtii ijaarka iska baxshey ayuu halkii kasoo dhaqaajiyay oo soo abbaaray goobtii xafladda.

Markuu hoolkii xafladda soo galay ayaa loo soo dhoweeyay si ka daran sidii dadkii hore ee taajiriinta ahaa. Mashxarad iyo sacab ayaa hoolkii qabsaday. Odeygii gabadha dhalay ayaa Sacdi shafka shafka usaaray oo dhabanada ka dhunkaday una riyaaqay Sacdi dharkii uu xidhnaa. Kadib, martisoorihii oo cod dheer ku hadlaya, ayaa ogeysiiyay dadweynihii in qofka hortaagan yahay,  gabyaagii caanka ahaa ee Sheekh Sacdi. Markaasaa hal mar lawada istaagay oo loo mashxaradeeyay loona sacabeeyay sidii boqor oo kale. “Saaxiib, maxaa kugu dhacay oo aad sidaa ugu soo habsaantey”?, ayaa la weydiiyay Sheekh Sacdi. Sheekhu shib buu iska yidhi oo waxba ma uusan odhan. Waxaa Sheekha loo sheegay in uusan waxbo hagaageen la’aantiisa habeenkaasi.

Sheekhu oo aan weli hadlin ayaa gacanta laqabtay oo la geeyay halkii uu habeenkaasi fadhiisan lahaa. Meel aan buuq iyo tafash lahayn oo loogu talogalay raggii ugu caansanaa magaalada Shiraas ayaa lagu hubsaday. Wax yar kadib waxaa la keenya cunto nooc walba leh cuntadaaso la taxay roogag qurux badan oo lagu dangiigsado. Waxaa jiqilada Sheekha loo dhigay firshaan iyo barkimooyin aad u raaxo badan. Martisoorihii ayaa unoqday sheekha adeege. Sheekha waxaa lasoo hordhigay faroxal, bariis udgoon badan, maraq, qudaar, hilib, iyo ceesh si fiican loosoo dubey.

Intaasi kadib, ayaa waxaa dhacday arrin yar oo sheekha qabsatay. Qamiiskii qaaliga ahaa ee sheekha xidhnaa ayaa ku daatay xoogaa baraq ama suugo. Qeyb idil oo qamiiskii sheekha ayaa noqday dheecaan maliiqan. Intuu xoogaa bariis ah gacanta ku qaatay ayuu Sheekh Sacdi ku kor firdhiyey halkii suugada kaga daatay asagoo qamiiskii ku odhanaya, “hoo, kani waa muraad adiga laguugu talogalaye ee ku raaxeyso”.

Martiidii oo dhammi ayaa hal mar dhankii Sheekhi soo wada eegay ayagoo la yaaban hadalka sheekha kasoo yeeray. Martisoorihii oo careysan ayaa ku buuqay sheekha wuxuuna ku yidhi, “maxaa dhacay oo ma waalantahay ee sidee ayuu qamiisku ku cuni karaa cunto”? Wuxuu dabadhigay su’aasha ah, “Sababta aad qamiiska u cunsiineyso cuntada maxay tahay”? Sheekhi ayaa si deganaansho ay ku dheehantay ugu jawaabay, “waxaan la yaabanahay su’aalahan aad iweydiineyso”.

Sheekh Sacdi ayaa martisoorihii ku yidhi, “sowma ahid kii i inkiray markaan dharka caadiga xidhnaa”? Waxaan arkaa in aadan wax dan ah ka lahayn dadnimadeyda ee aad daneyneyso keliya dharka ama labiska aan xidhnahay. Waxaan hadda daremayaa ixtiraam gooniya maadaama aan dhar qurxoon soo xidhay. Sheekhi ayaa wuxuu hadalkiisa kusoo gebogebeeyay, “Xafladdan aniga layguma talogelin ee waxaa loogu talogalay dharkeyga”.

Farsamoyaqaankii Naftiisa Khayaanay

Nin farsamayaqaan ah oo taqasus dheer ulahaa faryaamada iyo dhismaha guryaha ayaa wuxuu gaadhay xilligii uu geli lahaa hawlgabnimo da’ lasoo deristay awgeed. Qoladii uu ushaqeynaayey ayuu ku wargeliyey in uu shaqada ka fadhiisanayo maadaamo uu cagacageynaayo da’ aad u weyn isla markaana uu doonaayo in inta ka hadhay cimrigiisa uu ku noolaado deganaansho iyo raaxo aan rabash lahayn. Waxa keliya ee uu tebi goortuu shaqada ka fadhiisto ayaa waxay ahayd lacagta mushaharada ee uu qaadan jiray si aan kalago’ lahayn.

Qoladii uu ushaqeynaayey ayaa waxey ka codsatay, kana dalbatay in mar keliya uu guri u dhiso intaa uusan shaqada ka fadhiisan. Farsamayaqaankii wuu ka aqbalay codisgoodii inkastoo uu ku wargeliyay in shaqadaasi ay noqon doonto shaqada ugu dambeysa ee uu faraha la gelaya kadibna uu shaqada ka ruqseysan doono ayadoo soo laabasho dambe aysan jiri doonin.

Maadaama uu niyadda ku hayey aayatiin wacan iyo nolol barwaaqo leh oo dambe, farsamayaqaankii ma uusan siin wax tixgelin ah shaqadii la faray. Wuxuu noqday qof maankiisa maqanyahay oon wax kala ogeyn. Wuu gaabiyay oo xirfaddii lagu yaqiin ayuu sahwiyay. Si qalqaloocan ayuu hawshan dambe ufarsameeyay. Micnaha wax dareen ah ama jaceyl uma uusan hayn. Mar un iska dhammeystir oo dedeji ayuu islahaa. Qalabka uu wax ku dhisayey ayaa wuxuu ahaa mid tayo xun. Waa nasiib darro in gebagebadii shaqada uu si xun uqabtay asagoo fiiro gaar ah siin oo aan ka baarandegin wuxuu falayey.

Hawlihii guri dhiska markuu bogay, ayuu wacay qoladii si uu guriga isaga wareejiyo. Qolooyiinki markey yimaadeen, ayey ku wareejiyeen waraaqo muujinaya in asaga milkile ka yahay guriga. Waxaa loo siiyay abaalmarin ahaan maadaama uu shaqo wanaagsan soo qabtay intuu qolyahaasi uu shaqeynayey. Waxaana lagu yidhi goortii waraaqaha lagu wareejinayey, “kan waa gurigaaga, waana haddiyad.”

Farsamayaqaankii wuu naxay wuxuuna isu arkay inuu fadeexoobay. Keliya hadduu ogaan lahaa guriga uu dhisayey in uu yahay gurigiisa, wuxuu sammeyn lahaa dadaal dheeri ah oo wuxuu taagi lahaa guri aan dunidan lagu arag ama abidkiis uusan dhisin.

Hawlaheenna adduun waxaa lagu matali karaa shaqada farsama yaqaankan oo kale. Allaah wuxuu dunidani noo keenay in aan caabudno sifa guryo aan dhaxalno uu jannada nooga sameeyo. Haddaba, waa inaan udiyaargarownaa sidaan ku hantiyi lahayn jannooyiin iyo guryo kuyaal meel aan lahayn geeri iyo rafaad dambe. 

Farta Lee Iigu Fiiq Aan Soo Jabsade

Waagii hore xafladaha wey iska yaraayeen oo meelaha dhallinta ay ka qaraaban jireen waxaa kamid ahaa meelaha lagu sheego muraad ama sabb sida aroosyada, nebi ammaanka, wanqalka, Qur'aan akhriska, iyo ducooyinka guud ee la duceysto ee loo dhigo qof bukaan ah ama mid faataxada loo maraayo sifa uu hadafkiisa ugaaro ama cudur muddo lala tacaalayey uga biskoodo. 

Dhallinta aan camalka lahayn weyba usii diyaar garoobi jireen inta aanan la gudo gelin xafladda maalmo kahor. Hadduu aroos yahay dharka iyo barafuunka, kabaha, feseleetiga, dhowr xabbo oo sigaar ah iyo kuustoo tubaaka ah oo ay ku daaqsimaan inta xafladda damaashaadkeeda lagu gudo jiro, ayey sii diyaarsan jireen ama amaah ku heli jireen. 

Burburkii dawladdii dhexe kadib, waxaabad mooddaa in is bedel dhacay maadaama dhaqamo kale lala qabsaday. Waxaa kamid ah damaashaadka heesaha oo ay fanaaniin faraha looga gubtay tumaan Soomaali ama ajaanib midkey doonaanba ha noqdaane. Is dhexgalka gabdhaha iyo wiilasha, ragga iyo dumarka ayaa wuxuu noqday wax caadi ah oo aanan marnaba laga gabban. Ayadoo diinta ay dhinac ka fideyso ayaa haddana balo aan hore loo aqoon dhinac kale ka shidantahay.

Kala qeybsanaanta ummadda waxay horseedday in qabiil waliba dhinac ubaxo oo uu lasoo baxo wacdaro ugaar ah. Haddii nin madax ah kusoo fool leeyahay magaalo qabiilkiisa ku badanyahay, waa loo sii gurmadaa oo waxaa loo sii diyaariyaa xaflad heer sare ah ayadoo xafladaasi lagu martiqaadayo dad kala nooc ah oo ay ku jiraan majaajilisteyaal, fannaaniin, gabyaa, mutacallimiin, odey dhaqameedyo, nabad-doonno, mashaa'ikh akhriya ducooyiin iyo faataadhugleyaal tiro badan, kaboleefyaal, quraafaadtiriyeyaal, iyo kuwo xambaarsan duluc aan la garaneyn. 

Halkii awal hore laysugu immaan jiray keliya cunto cunid iyo faataxayn, hadda waxay isku bedeshay niikoniikeyn iyo naagonaageysi. Dabcan dad baa waxaas oo kale u arkaa ilbaxnimo iyo horumar la gaadhay. Dhaqaale badan ayaa lagu baxshaa is dhexgalka noocan oo kale. Ogoow, kuwa ka faa'idaya cuntada iyo sharaabka habeenka damaashaadka ma aha masaakiin ee waa dad dheregsan. Dhaqamadan foosha xun hala ogaado in ay saameynayaan carruur badano hadda fayoow ka muuqdo. 

Qoysaska qaarkood waxayba usoo ijaaraan koox muusikada tunta shaqsi debedda ka immaanayo oo la martigelinaya. Waxaa dhici kartaa in habeen idil loo soo jeedo oo la wada niikiyo. Shaqsi debedda ka immaanayo oo berritona dhibsan doono darxumada dadka deegaanka, isku dhexyaacsanaanta magaalada, iyo kala durugsanaanta dabciga guud ayaa lagu luminayaa hanti faro badan. 

Haddii uu qof madax ah magaalo soo gelaya, waxaa habboon in la sammeysto borotokool lagu dhaqmi karo kaaso ah in wixii uu dadka usheegi lahaa laga siidaayo telefishenada, raadiyaha, iyo jaraa'idyada. Haddii sidaasi la yeelo, wixii war ah wuu gaadhaya cid walba. Haddii aan sidaasi la yeelinna, warku wuxuu ku ekaanaya koox tiro yar. Shaqsiga debedda ka immaanaya waxaa wanaagsan in lacagta uu ku fataalayo lagu hirgeliyo wax muuqda oo ummadda anfacaya. 

Maanta, xafladaha waxay isku rogeen "farta lee iigu fiiq aan soo jabsadee". Kuwa kasoo qeybgelaya waxay ubadanyihiin dad doonaya in xilligaasi un ay naftooda u raaxeeyaan. Mowqifkii laga lahaa muraadkaasi waxaa dhici kartaa in uusan hirgelin illeyn inta daneyneysa muraadka laga leeyahay ayaaba iska yaree.

Labadan Mid Dooro

Labo will oo la kala yiraahdo Caydaruus iyo Cawil ayaa saaxiibo ku ahaa Afrika. Yaraantoodina weyba isla soo koreen. Dabcan isku reer bey ahaayeen. Dabayaaqadii 90kii ayuu Cawil helay boos kaasoo uu kusoo aaday waddan waddamada reer Galbeedka ka mid ah. Wuu guursaday oo degey. Wuxuu noqday wadaad oo haddana wuxuu ku darsaday waxbarasho ilaa uu ka gaaray heer jaammacadeed. Wuxuu ahaa qof Muslin ah oo aad iyo aad isaga ilaalin jiray xaaraanta. Dhammaan hay'adihii uu usoo shaqeeyay waxay guddonsiiyeen shahaadooyiin iyo billad sharaf. 

Saaxiibkiis Caydaruus wuxuu shaqo ka helay dawlad Afrikaan ah oo uu markaasi saldhigtay qaxii kadib. Waddanka waxaa ka jiray musuqmaasuq aad u baahsan. Laaluush iyo wax is dabamarsiin ayuu dhaqan ka dhigtay Caydaruus. Muddo yar kadib wuu guursaday oo xaaskiina carruur badan ayey udhashay. Wuxuu qabtay lacag xad dhaaf ah. Wuxuu dhistay guryo; wuxuu gatay baabuurro iyo beero waaweyn, iyo weliba wuxuu furtay dukaamo. Dhowr sannadood kadib, Caydaruus wuxuu noqday maalqabeen laga danbeeyo. 

Mar ay kasoo wareegtay 10 sannadood, ayuu cawil kutegey boqasho gaaban waddankii uu hore uga soo haajiray ee uu saaxiibkiis Caydaruus kaga soo tegey. Labadii saaxiib ayaa kulmay oo weliba Caydaruus ayaa martiqaadka fidiyey maadaama saaxiibkiis waddanka muddo ka maqnaa. Meel maqaaxi ah ayey wada fadhiisteen sifa ay sheekadu isugu baxdo. Ismarxabeyn iyo isdhunkasho kadib, waxaa la guda galay in laga sheekeeysto nolosha guud. 

Caydaruus wuxuu ku faaney in uu hanti badan qabtay hantidaasoo ubadnaa hantida maguuraanka ah. Wuxuu usheegay saaxibkiis in uusan wax welwel ah ka qabin nolosha adduunka maadaama uu gaadhay isku filaansho. Markuu uwarramay saaxiibkiis, ayuu weydiiyay bal in uu asagana usheego wuxuu qabtay sannadihii uu maqnaa.

Cawil wuxuu ka warramay sida ay u adagtahay nolosha waddammada galbeedka ha yeeshe keliya uu ku dadaalay siduu nafsadiisa utoosin lahaa oo uu Rabbigiisa uga cabsan lahaa. Wuxuu u faahfaahiyay siduu ugu diyaargaroobay nolosha danbe. Cawil markuu sheekadiisa dhammeystay ayuu saaxiibkiis Caydaruus weydiiyay, "walaalow sidee baad uga dabbaalan doontaa maalinta qiyaame xoolahan aad soo dhacday"? 

Wuxuu dabadhigay su'alo badan oo ay kamid ahaayeen: Miyaadan ogeyn in xoolahan aad boobeyso ay xaaraan yihiin oo laguugula xisaabtami doono maalinta qiyaame? Sowma ogid nolosha addunyada in ay tahay cayaar iyo madadaalo? Qur'aanka micnihiisa ma raacatid miya? Sidee baad usiin kartaa ilmahaaga ceesh xaaraan an?

Caydaruus caro ayuu biq la yidhi illeyn ma uusan filaneyn su'aalaha noocaaso oo kale. Asagoo caaytamaya ayuu Caydaruus halkii isaga huleelay dibna uma uusan raadin saaxiibkiis Cawil. Cawil wuxuu ku shukriyay Allihii ka badbaadiyay ibtilada haysata Caydaruus oo kale. Asagoo u duceynaya saaxiibkiis Caydaruus ayuu Cawil goor danbe isaga dhaqaaqay maqaaxiddii. Intuu dhexda kusii jiray ayuu soo xasuustay cidhibtii ay ku danbeeyeen qowmihii hore sida Samuud, Eykat, Tubbac, Ra'si, iyo weliba Fircoon iyo kalkaaliyaashiisi Qaaruun iyo Haammaan.

Udugii la Xaday

Waxay ahayd xilli qorraxda sii galbaneyso ama sii dhaceyso. Garas Qoox wuxuu ahaa nin miskiin ah oo aan waxba haysan ama jeebadahiisa madhanyihiin. Maalinkaasi oo dhammi wuxuu ku howlanaa tuugsi iyo baadhitaanka qashin qubka sifa uu uga helo wax uu quuto. Nasiib darro waxba uma hagaagin. Garas Qoox wey la noqonweyday in uu habeenkaasi gaajo ku seexdo. 

Galab carrawgii ayuu is yidhi bal maad sii indho-indheysid maqaaxiddii uu lahaa maalqabeen Teneg bin Barmiil. Wuu kusoo laabtay oo abbaaray tenegii qashinka lagu uruurin jiray. Cabbaar ayuu ku dhexjiray oo qashinkii rogrogay. Mise wuxuu ka helay gabal roodhi ah oo ingegan. Wuu la fadhiistay sifa uu u cuno. Waa ay u dhadhami weyday. Wuu fekeray siduu suugo ama fuud uu ku cuno ku heli lahaa. Maqaaxidda maba geli karo oo waaba la cayrsanayaa oo Teneg bin Barmiil ayaaba diyaar u ah oo dilaya cid kastoo kusoo xadgudubta hantidiisa. 

Qaddar markuu ruugay roodhigii, ayuu goostay inuu ka faa'ideysto uduga raashinka ee sankiisa kusoo dhacaya. Wuxuu maskaxdiisa iyo qalbigiisaba ka dhaadhiciyay in roodhiga uu ku cuni karo udgoonka cuntada ee ay dabeysha uga soo gudbineyso jikada maqaaxidda. 

Halkii uu taagnaa ayuu isaga huleelay maadaama uduga ahaa wax u dhadhamaya sida cajiinka canjeerada. Dariishad kale ayuu ag istaagay wuxuuna ka dareemay dhadhan cambuulo. Madaxa intuu gilgilay ayuu ka dhaqaajiyay. Dariishad kale ayuu isku gaddaamay waxaana usoo dhadhamay wax sida calooleeyda ah. Dariishaddii u dambeysay ayuu isku aadiyay mise waaba hilibka loo yaqaan aroosto oo lagu shiilaya basal iyo wixii qudaar ahaa. 

Halkii ayuu raamsi ka bilaabay. Wuu la qabsaday oo cuntadii ayaa ubaxday. Mar uu kalabar marayo oo uuba dhereg udhowyahay, un buu hal mar ka war helay qof dul taagan oo ku qaayliyaya oo leh, "tuug, tuug dhale udgoonka cuntadeyda ayaad ku raaxeysaneysaa miya"? Isla markiiba kulleetiga shaarka ayaa lagu dhegay Garas Qoox waxaana lagu xidhay qol maqaaxidda kamid ah.

Qaddar yar kadib, Teneg bin Barmiil ayaa wuxuu wacay booliska oo si deg deg ah ku soo gaadhay goobtii. Teneg bin Barmiil dacwaddii ayuu ugudbiyay booliska taasoo ahayd in Garas Qoox sanka ku dhuuqay wixii udgoon ahaa ee maqaaxidda jikada kasoo burqanayey. Eedeeysane Garas Qoox waxaa loo dhaadhiciyay saldhiga booliska halkaasoo kiiskiisa lagu qoray buugga dhacdooyiinka ee loo yaqaan Occurrence Book ama OB. 

Tobankii aroornimo maalinkii dambe ayaa Garas Qoox oo dhafoorrada ay isku dumeen, dhuxulo naareedna daacaya gaajo iyo masaariif la'aan awgeed la horkeenay xakiim Cantara Baqash. Dacwaddii ayaa loo akhriyay Garas Qoox wuxuuna maxkammadda horteeda ka qeexay in uu falay dembiga lagu soo oogay. Xakiimkii ayaa ujeestay dhankii Teneg bin Barmiil, wuxuuna ku yidhi, "Teneg bin Barmiiloow isoo eeg oo ha udeymo la'aan falka aan fali doono". Teneg bin Barmiil waxaa la faray in uu dhegaha iyo indhahaba kala furo.

Xakiimkii ayaa wuxuu jeebka kala soo baxay shilin markaasuu weeydiiyay Teneg bin Barmiil in uu ujeedo iyo in kale. Teneg bin Barmiil wuxuu sheegay inuu ujeedo shilinka. Xakiimkii intu gacantiisa kor ubaaciyay ayuu shilinkii kor utuuray. Dhammaan waxaa lawada maqlay dhawaaqa shilinka oo ahaa, dhalalalalalalalalalalay...

Xakiimkii ayaa wuxuu weydiiyay Teneg bin Barmiil bal inuu maqlay dhawaaqa shilinka. Markuu qirtay inuu maqlay dhawaaqa shilinka, ayaa xakiimkii wuxuu ka codsaday Teneg bin Barmiil inuu bixiyo qiimaha dhawaaqa shilinka maadaama asagaba uu dalbaday in ninka maskiinka ah uu bixiyo udeygii uu ka dhuuqay maqaaxidiisa. Maxkammaddii waa lagu kala tegey Garas Qodaxna sidaas ayuu xurriyaddiisa ku helay.

Maandeeq Meysan Dhimman

Dhurwaaga ama waraabaha waa bahal xeelad badan. Inkastoo inta badan uu ku noolyahay waxa xayawaanaadka kale ay dilaan sida libaaxa, haramcadka, iyo shabeelka, dhurwaaga, sidiisaba waa bakhti-quute. Ayadoo ay sidaas tahay, ayuu haddana ku xeeldheeryahay weerarka iyo khayaanada ee uu kula kaco xayawaanka kale ee aan is difaaci karin sida geela, lo’da, iyo adhiga intaba.

Hadda kahor ayaa dhurwaa weerar ba’an ku qaaday hal iyo nirig meel iska daaqaya oo war moog ahaa. Intuu argagixiyay labadii is dhalay, ayuu midba dhinac u eryay. Nirigtii ayuu bishimaha ka goostay; hashiina candhada ayuu qardam ka siistay markaasuu intuu madax madax isku tuuray oo qosol la dhacay, yidhi: “maxay ka nuugtaa, maxayse ku nuugtaa”, oo ula jeedadiisu ahayd, haddiiba nirigtu bishimihii go’anyihiin, maxay haaysa oo ay ku nuugtaa naasaha hooyadeed. Teeda kale, maxay ka nuugi hooyadeed haddiiba hooyadu candho ku oolin oo ay go’anyihiin.

Anigoo tusaale usoo qaadanaya dhacdadaasi dhurwaaga, ayaa waxaan jeclaan lahaa inaan arrimaha Soomaaliya wax ka furdaamiyo. Haddii aynu bidhaansano sida wax uga socdaan Soomaaliya, waxaan odhan karraa hasha waa dalka, nirigtuna waa dadka, candhadana waa Xamar, dhurwaagana waa kuwa xumaanta u horseedaya dalka iyo dadkaba.

Hashii Maandeeq ahayd, oo dalka Soomaaliya ah, naasaha ama candhada ayaa go’an. Xanuun aysan u adkeysan karin ayaa hayaa wax dawo ahna looma hayo. Dawada waa xeeladihii, tabihii, ama maareyntii lagu daweyn lahaa dalkani masiibada aafeysay. Waddankii Maandeeq ahaa wuu is dhex daadsanyahay oo maamul iyo maareyn ayaa ka maqan. Gees kasta waxaa asiibay fowdo iyo farosaar. Waxaa hashii Maandeeq ahayd had iyo jeer lala dhacayaa qoryo fudufudud iyo kuwo celys badan. Nidamkii oo maqan awgeed, Maandeeq waxba isma tari karto. Waa dhaawac; waa naf-laf-caari; wey sumeysantahay; waxay u dhowdahay geeri.

Kuwii maareyn lahaa oo ah dadweynaha, waxay matalayaan nirigtii sida ba’aneyd loo dhaawacay ee bishimihii ay wax ku nuugi lahayd laga goostay. Waxay garan la’yiin sidii ay wax u hagaajin lahaayeen. Iskuma kalsoona oo waxaa ayagana dhib ku haya kala daadsanaan, garasho iyo garaad yari, tuugonimo, musuqmaasuq, wax-is-dabamarsi, hunguri, iyo aargoosi aan dhammaad lahayn.

Dadkii ama ummaddii Soomaaliyeed bishimaha ayaa go’an oo jeermi halis ah ayaa ka quudanaya afkii lagu doodi lahaa illeyn jeermiga ishu ma qabatee. Xanuunka nirigta haya waa tan dadka iyo adduunweynuhuba wax ka qaban la’yihiin. Waa xanuun aan dawo lahayn xilligan aynu joogno. Qaxootinimada, dilalka qorsheysan, isqarxinta, dagaalka lagu riiqmo had iyo jeer, umulo dooxa, kufsiga, barakaca, gaajada iyo harraadka, is-dex-yaaca falsafadeed, iyo dhibaatooyinka faraha badan waa tan ay la xuunsanyaan dadkii oo ah nirigtii bishimaha go’neyd.

Candhada waa caasimaddii muqdisho aheyd. Candhadii ay nigrigta nuugi lahayd (haba iska liidatee) wey buktaa oo dhiigeysaa. Qanjidhadii, seedihii iyo xididadii ayaa wada dhiigayaa ama dheecamayaa-dheecaankaasina ma aha caano ee waa dareere wasakheysan oo aan la quudan karin. Ilmihii (waa dadkii ee) ayaa qatan oo gaajo udhimanaya. Xitaa haddii la daweyn lahaa, farsamadii lama hayo, lamana yaqaan falkeeda.

Dhurwaaga ama waraabaha waa kuwa madaxda ah ah ee dhibkan guud u geystay Maandeeq iyo nirigteedi. Qaswadeyaashan qaar waa Soomaali, kuwana waa deriskeena, qaarna waa dad ajaanib ah oo dawlado shisheeye matalaya. Wax dan ahoo wanaagsan oo ay waddanka ka leeyihiin ma muuqdaan. Waxay daneynayaan keliya danahooda iyo danaha waddamada ay metelayaan.

Sida keliya ee lagu daweyn karo waa ayadoo lagu sameeyo waxa afka walaad loo yaqaan Plastic Surgery. Qalliinkana wuxuu suurtoobaya marka la helo dawlad loo dhanyahay oo ku dhisan caddalad iyo sinnaan. Markaa kadib ayun baa lala tacaali karaa sidii loo daweyn lahaa candhada Maandeeq iyo faruurta nirigta. 

Eedeysanow waa Lagu Ogyahay, waa Lagu Abaal Marin

Laga soo billaabo markuu dhacay xukunkii militeri 1991, addunka door weyn ayuu ka qaatay in la heshiisiiyo madaxda Soomaalida. Magaalooyiinka Islaamka ee barakeysan ayaa qaar la geeyay sifa loo heshiisiiyo. Qaar waxaa la geeyay magaalooyin qadiimi ah qaarna magaalooyin qurux badan. Si fiican ayaa loo martiqaadi jiray oo waxaa usii dheeraa cunto dheef iyo dheecaan leh oo macaan badan. Waxaa intaasi usii dheera haddiyado qaali ah iyo gogol hurdo macaan oo ay maalin iyo habeen ku seexan jireen. Lacagna sacabada ayaa loo buuxin jiray. Waxaaso dhammi waxay ka doorteen qori caaraddii, borobagaandha, isla weyni, san taagid, kibir, iyo dhaqamo lid ku ah diinta Islaamka. 

Sideedaba aadanaha markuu dulanka badiyo, wuxuu gaadhaa heer uu xoolaha ka liito. Garashadii baa yaraan; ma taxadarayo; ma fekerayo; tallaabada ayuu dedejin; wuu is ciil badi; dad aan waxba galabsan ayuu eedi; mana dhergaayo si kastoo uu wax u boobo. Waddanka Soomaaliya dhaqaale badan baa addunka ku baxshey maantana waxba lagama hayo. Waxay anfacday keliya tiro yaroo iimmaan la'. I sweydiin malaha in malaayiin doolar oo la xaday ku aasantahay dhulka hoostiisa waayo tuugga wuxuu ka baqaa in lagu ogaado wuxuu bangiyada dhigtay. Wuxuu dhinac marayaa la xisaabtanka-xisaabtan la'aana waxba ma hagaago. Lacagta tuuga aastay lalama wadaagayo qabiilka uu difaacayo ee uu ka dhashay. Waxaa raamsanayaa asaga iyo kuwo ay ehel wadaagaan oo tuugo ah. Haddaba waxaan leeyahay, "eedeysanoow, eedeysanoow, waa lagu ogyahay, waa lagu abaalmarin".

Killer whales

By Luqman Adan Makina

July 6, 2013

Have you ever wondered about Killer whales? I’m here to tell you about Killer whales. Killer whales are worldwide animals. Killer whales are great animals. Killer whales eat anything except their own kind. Killer whales are common animals.          

Killer whale pods are transient and resident pods. Different pods eat different things. Transient pods eat larger prey. While resident pods eat mostly fish, different pods go different ways. Some pods go far distances while others don’t go far. Killer whales have different pods.

Killer whales can choose which way to go. Killer whales mostly live in the Arctic. Killer whales live in bays, seas, and oceans. Killer whales pods can be related. Killer whale transient pods are small and in size from 5 to 7. Resident pods range in size from 15 to 25. Killer whales pods have their own set of calls that only their pod knows of. Killer whales go which way they usually do.

Killer whales communicate in different ways. Killer whales use a type called echolocation. Killer whales send clicks to their melon on top of their heads. The clicks travel through the water until they hit an object. The clicks come back and tell the killer whale the objects weight, size, and direction.

Killer whales hunt in different ways. Killer whales mostly hunt in groups. But Killer whales can hunt alone. Killer whales pods sometimes combine so that they can hunt and play together. Killer whale pods are social animals and not harmful. Killer whales like to hunt in different ways.

Killer whales aren’t harmful animals. Killer whales aren’t endangered but could be if we harm them. Killer whales are interesting animals. Killer whales are very social animals and cause no harm.  Killer whales are intelligent animals. Killer whales live in the same place for all their life with their pod members. Now you know killer whales are amazing animals.

Luqman Adan Makina is the son of blogger Adan Makina and he is fond of animal sciences. He just graduated from Clardy Elementary School and is planning to start Grade 6 at Antioch Middle School. He is about to turn 11-years old.

 

Technological Solutions for Hawalas

The success of any modern organization in daily business transactions depends on the effective use of modern technological tools. Money remittance companies are exceptional profit-making organizations because they tend to their clients by transferring billions of dollars across the globe. In the Middle East and Africa, money transfer companies are known as Hawalas which translates to mean “to transfer”, “to convey” or “to transmit”. These remittance companies are considered the fastest money transfer systems in the world. A client in San Francisco who wants to send money to a relative residing in a village somewhere in Africa or the Middle East will only need to visit the nearest Hawala in San Francisco, present the particulars of the recipient and pay the amount of money to be transferred and the $6 service charge for every $100 remitted. After the money is presented to the Hawala clerk, the sender then calls the recipient to convey the good news of the money sent and the name of the Hawala. It usually takes as little as twenty minutes to transfer money to a recipient.

One dilemma facing these companies is the lack of the necessary technological tools required for Hawala interconnectedness and intercommunication. Usually, every Hawala works on its own such that there is no exchange of money between this money remittance organizations. Franklin and Raadschelders (2004) believe that there are dilemmas present in any budgetary process because decision-makers favor one determinant over the other. What Hawalas will need to do is improve collaboration in how they conduct business so as to be able to serve each other. If a sender in Minneapolis discovers that his favorite Hawala has no establishment where the money is being sent, then, another Hawala should be able to receive the money and transfer the same to the intended recipient with a surcharge.

The use of the spreadsheet will help money senders to make remittances without making the trip to the Hawala when schedules are tight and time is scarce and when there is inclement weather. At the same time, it is more convenient and that it is like ordering a large cheese pizza from Papa John’s. Hawala executives could then be able to differentiate what was delivered in cash from what was ordered online. Hawalas could manipulate workflow technology so that both sides can be aware of system performances. Also, they could execute performance measurement by applying dashboard, cockpits, and scoreboards to enhance their daily activities (Kavanagh et al, 2006). In reporting, they could use Business Intelligence (BI) and Executive Information Systems (EIS). In BI, the Hawalas would learn to analyze data for information collection while EIS could be used to enhance serious or calculated statistics collection.

References

Franklin, A. L., & Raadschelders, J. C. (2004). Ethics in local government budgeting: Is there a gap between theory and practice? Public Administration Quarterly, 27(4), 456–490.

Kavanagh, S. et al (2006). Government finance officers association: Budgeting technology solutions.

Retrieved from http://www.gfoa.org/downloads/BudgetTechnologyReport.pdf

Essential Concepts and Principles of Democracy

For generations the concepts of democracy have been subjects of discussions or debates among legislators, between people in the academia, and the ordinary citizen whose living condition was dictated by a retinue of bureaucrats who ruled according to their whims. Democracy has been so contentious and controversial and it is to this day, because everyone involved in the discussion employs a different interpretation that edge toward a political dispensation unique to his or her thoughts and imaginations. Beginning with the era of the Greeks when they were the only democratic political power in the world, given their understanding of legislative dimensions populated by conflicting philosophical thoughts that was in essence, alien to a compacted world that was struggling to come up with a political solution, democracy and its concepts or principles has never had an agreeable unanimous interpretation capable of relieving humanity from aggravating philosophical quagmires.

According to Prothro and Grigg (1960), “a successful democracy requires the existence of a large measure of consensus in society”. However, to political scientists, there is no general agreement in mind as to the exact proportion of what constitutes consensus in government.  Conversely, for the purpose of constitutional amendment, three-fourths is a good measure to reach an accord. Of the many concepts of democracy, the four unique and guiding principles that I have chosen to highlight are popular sovereignty, equality, elections, and consensus. The major factor that endears people to have a democratic government is for the most part for the protection and promotion of their rights, interests, and welfare. Some important concepts of modern democracy are democracy, constitutionalism, and liberalism.

Popular Sovereignty: In popular sovereignty, the people, meaning citizens, are the ultimate source and authority of government and that it is a fundamental principle of government.

Equality: Going by the old adage “no one is above the law”, equality entails equality of all people before the law regardless of color, creed, religion, sex and gender, religious and political affiliation, and national origin. In liberal democracy, even those regarded as minorities have equal right before the law. If there was no equality in democracy, those enjoying majority rules would govern according to their wishes and thus trample on the inalienable rights of the minority. Thus, it is incumbent upon leaders to uphold the law and ensure the equality of all races and sexes. Stratification and marginalization of a select group of people is unacceptable in a genuine democracy. Equal sharing of the fruits of the nation should apply to all citizens. Giving preference to one religion over the other is undemocratic; likewise, favoring an able-bodied person over a disabled, in any form, is illegal and subject to prosecution before a court of law. An era of political unrest known as the civil rights movement, gripped the U.S. in the sixties mainly because of inequality of races. Likewise, South Africa under the apartheid regime saw proliferation of political and civil rights movements and increased chaos between the white regime and the oppressed black population.

Free Elections: Elections alone, without being free, fair, and frequent, do not fulfill the wishes of the people in electing the government of their choice. Any liberal democracy that wishes to see proper governance has to have a form of genuine representation that evolve out of a free, fair, and frequent electioneering processes by way of the ballot box for the sake of competing and winning popular votes. “Free elections” is meant to give every citizen the right to contest and hold office without encumbrances. “Fair elections” imply fundamentally honest elections that never hinder voters from voting for the right candidate. “Frequent elections” means that there have to be elections now and then so that people can have control of the government. In pseudo-democracies, ruling parties enjoy leverage over the opposition and thus frequently proclaim unanimous garnering of majority votes in major and minor elections at times corresponding to 99.99%. Opposition’s fear of government repression and refusal by the ruling elite to submit to defeat has been harbinger for continuous manipulation in many election processes where the rule of law is mandated by dictatorship.

Consensus: A modern political inclusion or proposition, consensus is a fundamental principle that is essential to democracy and that it implies unanimity or general agreement though we are not told the nature and kind of agreement. Political consensus enables all sides of the political spectrum to agree on an agenda and reach a unifying solution.

John Mill appears to have several democratic tenets that he uses to identify democracy. However, Mill (1860) concurred that Christianity was restricted to Europe and European descendants, a reasonable occurrence that may have transpired during his lifetime. In the last few centuries, Europe and its descendants took their religion to greater heights while at the same propagating democracy far and wide.  His explanation of individuality as being equivalent to development makes sense.

Conclusion

The absence of one democratic concept or principle is cause for democratic failure. All the concepts/principles of democracy are interdependent and inseparable. Taking away one concept is like depriving a human being of one his/her senses: vision, smell, touch, hearing, and so on. Of the many principles of democratic governance in the world today, liberal democracy towers above others when rendering developmental services to the cause of humanity. In utilitarianism, the ideological foundations it cherishes may seem incomprehensible to the wary human intelligence as it has been “flawed” (Stanford, 2007).

References

Prothro, J.W. & Grigg, C. M. (1960). Fundamental Principles of Democracy: Bases of Agreement and Disagreement. The Journal of Politics, 22, 276-294.

Mill, J.S. (1860). On Liberty, Harvard Classics, Vol. 25.

           Collier & Son, retrieved from http://www.constitution.org/jsm/liberty.htm

Stanford (2007). Mill’s Moral and Political Philosophy. Retrieved from                        http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mill-moral-political/. 

Comparing and Contrasting Levels of Government

Budgets for the three levels of government often perform the same regardless of the scope of government though there could be variations in the size of earmarked budgetary allocations according to demand and population. According to Mikesell (2011), it all depends on how the entity pays particular attention to the demands and foundations of the institution to be funded. Budget allocation is the prerogative of select government appropriation officials who often debate on subjects related to what to spend, where to spend, when to spend, and how to spend. At the federal level, it is Congress that debates on government budgetary needs before sending their final bill to the president for approval. In the end, the president may approve it by signing it into law or veto it out-rightly. In the U.S., there are financing committees known as the Senate Finance and House and Ways Means committees that have leverage over federal tax and revenue measures (Mikesell, 2011). In essence, as a measure of easing work, the appropriation committee gets help from subcommittees that assist in making the necessary budget for federal operations. In the U.S., the two largest federal budget entitlements are Social Security and Medicare that are primarily for the elderly. Medicaid, a program that has been established to serve the needy receives 12.5 percent mandatory spending and is the third largest entitlement. Most government spending comes from tax cuts (Mikesell, 2011).

At the state and local governments, expenditures are geared towards general public needs and that is the delivery of health and sanitary needs, educational enrichment, and welfare and public safety measures. Unlike the national government that has a broader reach in international affairs related to dispute resolution, state governments put greater consideration to the attainment of fiscal stability by tending to the needs of local governments. The largest recipient of local government expenditure goes to primary and secondary education (Mikesell, 2011). Public welfare programs receive the largest share of state budgets. Governments-federal, state, and local-generate their expenditures from taxes levied from income taxes, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes, wealth taxes, property taxes, corporate taxes, and estate and excise taxes (Taxes and Government Spending, 2011). A state may use innovative ideas of dispensing its money without causing harm to the rest of the national economy.

At the local level, departmental heads prepare Christmas lists that are devoid of executive guidance and at times unreliable in context. Some important features that make local governments perform well in their fiscal policies when executed efficiently include choices and responsiveness, citizen participation in decision-making, accountability, improved revenue mobilization, and easier monitoring of results (Shah, 2007).

References

Mikesell, J. (2011). Fiscal administration: Analysis and applications for the public sector (8th Ed.). Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Taxes and government spending (2011). Retrieved from http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1309/Taxes-Government-Spending-OVERVIEW.html

Shah, A. (Ed., 2007). Public sector governance and accountability series: Local budgeting. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. World Bank. Washington, DC

Rivalrous and Non-rivalrous Goods

The central government provides various public services to cover public needs. Non-rivalrous and non-excludable, public goods include environmental protection, water, education, defense, roads and bridges, light houses and street lighting. Everyone in society benefits from public goods and services provided by the government. The national defense of a nation is one example of public good provided by the central government where every citizen benefits from the protection provided by that nation’s armed forces from all sorts of outside aggression. It would be wasted efforts to allow state governments to oversee the running of our national defense operations. A ship plying a certain maritime area may not be able to obstruct other ships from using a single lighthouse that is open to all ships. On the other hand, a national defense perimeter in New York may not be available to other cities say, like the City of San Francisco, because there may be no need for such security arrangements. According to Hyman (2011), goods such as national defense cannot be sold in the markets to individual consumers for exclusive benefit.

Unlike private goods that are rivalrous and excludable, public goods are goods that are open to everyone. Everyone in the vicinity of a lake can enjoy the use of the lake without interruptions. While the government finances public goods through taxes collected from the public, it cannot at the same time charge fees for the citizen’s use of public goods such as national defense that is committed to the security and protection of the nation, social welfare programs that provide care to the elderly and the poor, and public education that is exclusively geared toward providing universal education.  There is congestion costs associated with the use of public goods such as when there is an increase in the number of users that reduces benefits to each user. When a scenic overlook area is congested, a negative congestion externality arises meaning some of the public viewers may not get the chance to see what is being viewed. The case of national defense best describes the most efficient public service provided by the central government.

References

Hyman, D.N (2011). Public Finance: A contemporary application of theory to policy (10^th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Tax Levying

Taxes levied by the government should not discourage work in any way and there should be little distortion as tax should be distributed fairly. Since the 1986 tax reform, there have been more than 1,500 changes to the tax code (Mankiw, 2009). It has been generally agreed that equity and efficiency are the two most important goals that drive the tax system. In the past, the major revenue for construction of highways and bridges came from gasoline taxes but because of inflation and enhanced fuel efficiency, there has been a drop in the effectiveness of the gas tax (Vincent, 2007). Such problems have led to states to finding unconventional funding for highway construction. In the states of California and Virginia, city planners and government officials foresee public-private partnerships as the best way to finance highway construction. This is done to advance efficiency and equity since public-private partnership in highway construction rests on two ideals: (1) that tapping private equity will increase the needed capital in the private sector and that (2) there is the belief that the private sector is more steadfast and competent than its public counterpart.

Economists have often referred to alcohol and tobacco taxes as Pigovian taxes, named after Arthur Pigou (1877-1959), because of the negative effects the two have on the human health or society at large. Corrective taxes are usually imposed by the government to discourage society from consuming alcohol and cigarettes to socially optimum level. Other than alcohol and cigarettes, corrective taxes may also apply to soda and to other activities such as vehicle exhaust emissions that are deemed to cause pollution. Usually, the government will tax activities that have negative externalities and subsidize activities showing signs of positive externalities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for overseeing activities that cause harm to the environment. Governments impose corrective taxes on gasoline tax because of the need to reduce congestion, accidents, and environmental pollution.

Property owners pay property taxes at a given time frame or a given period every year. They fall under the corrective tax category. Since vehicle owners operate machinery that causes damage to the highways, imposing corrective taxes to repair or construct highways will be to their advantage. Education, social welfare, and highways received the biggest share of spending by local governments for the year 2005 (Mankiw, 2009). A tax benefit is like installing an energy efficient system in your home which in turn reduces energy consumption for a limited period. A tax benefit could be distortionary and have unintended consequences. An example of a distortionary tax is biodiesel which costs more to produce than the regular petroleum diesel. Modifications could be made to tax collection system and amount if they deemed beneficial to society.

References

Mankiw, N.G. (2009). Principles of Macroeconomics (5h ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning.

Vincent, K. (2007). Public private partnerships in highway infrastructure. Conference Papers-Western Political Science Association. Retrieved fromhttp://ehis.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3778a080-1f0b-4ced-94b0-73c1197a72ee%40sessionmgr115&vid=2&hid=102