Die chaos in die onderwys behoef sekerlik nie debateer te word nie.  As die onderwys owerheid egter na vier jaar eers tot die besef kom dat hulle stakende onderwysers se salarisse behoort af te trek en dan agterkom dat hulle nie meer rekord het van wie gestaak het en wie nie, kan ‘n mens ‘n idee vorm waar die oorsprong vir die chaos setel. Om egter dan te besluit om deur die bank salarisse af te trek waardeur pligsgetroue onderwysers onregmatig benadeel word, is aanduidend van die minagting wat die regime vir onderwys en opvoeding het.

Stalled sale a saving grace
By Ellen Brown
www.atimes.com

When a spokeswoman for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said at a news conference on March 17 that Japan has the financial means to recover from its devastating tsunami, skeptical bloggers wondered what she meant. Was it a polite way of saying, "You're on your own?"
Spokeswoman Caroline Atkinson said, "The most important policy priority is to address the humanitarian needs, the infrastructure needs and reconstruction and addressing the nuclear situation. We believe that the Japanese economy is a strong and wealthy society and the government has the full financial resources to address those needs."
Asked whether Japan had asked for IMF assistance, she said, "Japan has not requested any financial assistance from the IMF."

Countering Chinese Influence in Africa

by Emile Schepers Global Research

www.peoplesworld.org

U.S. participation in the war in Libya appears to be coordinated out of a former French Foreign Legion base in Djibouti, a tiny country of a half million souls at the very tip of the Horn of Africa. This is the forward base of AFRICOM, the unified command for African action set up in 2007 by former President George W. Bush and his Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who has continued in that post under President Barack Obama. Why the United States has set up such a special Africa operation, and what this portends, bears examination.

Syrian Regime May Hang On, But Future Looks Bleak for Qaddafi

www.counterpunch.org

By PATRICK COCKBURN

The president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, is expected to announce reforms today including the end of the 50-year-old state of emergency, to try to defuse protests as thousands of people continue to confront troops.

President Assad needs to convince Syrians that he is sincere in promising to dismantle the arbitrary powers of the ruling Ba'ath party, the security services and his own family. In the week since the demonstrations first started, the government has spoken of reforms, but has allowed its forces to open fire repeatedly on marches and rallies, killing at least 61 people. The crisis in Syria affects the politics of all the Middle East since the country is the predominant power in Lebanon, Iran's most important foreign ally, a significant player in Iraq, and a backer of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.