What is it with Paris (the s is silent) and pickpockets? Over the course of 3 days, I came across 3 stories on 3 different mediums about the Parisian pickpockets.
The first was an article in a newspaper.
The second was a short film directed by the Coen brothers. (As beautiful as their films)
The third was a BBC podcast on the Syrian conflict in which fleeing Armenian traders chose to go back to their country instead of joining their counterparts in Paris for reasons solely concerned with crime.
Brazil’s fucked, South Africa’s fucked, London’s fucked, Russia’s fucked, Delhi’s fucked, New York’s fucked, Africa’s fucked. It seems everywhere’s fucked if you pay attention to such stories.
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Since we are on the subject of travel, let’s speak a little bit about migration- the travel in search of a better life. Due to the economic downturn and the austerity measures, there are no jobs to be found in places like Portugal, Spain, and Greece. The result- wholesale emigration of youth from such places. Where do these young and jobless migrate to? In case of the Portuguese, they mostly migrate to their former colonies like Brazil and Angola.
Migrating from a first world country to a third world country seems to be an entirely different proposition from a third world to a first world migration. Because all I hear from the Portuguese and Spanish emigrations are “heart-wrenching goodbyes and sorrowful adieus and lingering homesickness-es.” From my third world country pov, the only tears I see accompanying emigration are tears of pride and joy. The 3rd world departing child is delighted to get away, and the 3rd world parents can’t call their relatives fast enough to gush about their emigrating child.
Aren’t familial ties stronger in 3rd world countries? Then why is it that 1st world families express more sorrow at the thought of separation? Is the sorrow simply the shame associated with migrating to a 3rd world country?
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Let Egypt’s democratically supported coup of a democratically elected government be our final stop. The legitimate government of Muslim Brotherhood- the party representing the values of the traditional and the rural religious minded people- was cynically cast aside by the secular forces of the urban masses and women and military. While concerns of Islamization and possible suppression of women’s freedoms are genuine, this is no way to treat a government in a democracy which came to power through free and fair elections. For this and for the curiosity of how the secular brigade will react, I want to see the Muslim Brotherhood come to power again once the elections are re-held.
I am so curious about this situation that I am willing to support the group aided by Qatar, the bete noire of Assad and peace in Syria.
Arctic monkey 