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Undoubtedly we are living in a global economy and the World is a small place. However we have seen two opposites that show the gulf between East and West is not getting any smaller and we are all walking a tight rope of understanding and appreciation.
As we embark on the next decade we have seen Akmal Shaikh executed in China for drug smuggling. In the States a would be airline bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was over powered when plastic explosives moulded to his leg failed to detonate. He will probably be locked up.
The USA will now heighten security even further and no doubt this will have repercussions on us all when travelling elsewhere.
Now I suspect that in both examples it will not dissuade would be drug smugglers and extremists will continue to try to martyr themselves for a greater good.
The way we perceive handling of human rights, the ability for human beings to see the same situation demanding completely different solutions and the consequent tension that can arise is not getting any easier and indeed is actually probably exacerbating the variations.
We can condemn the Chinese for their lack of human rights – but who are we to criticise if that’s how they want their Country run? Why should we not have zero tolerance to terrorism and stop clipping the rights of the law abiding?
How we will ever square thus circle goodness knows but one thing is for sure unless we see our leaders starting to move together to tackle the big issues we are never going to solve the perils facing us.
04 Jan 2010 09:10:29