And Now For Something Completely Different
After a rather heavy past week, thought it might be time for a little change of pace.
First, there's an excellent post by Harry Rud, which describes better than anything I've seen in a long time just how frustrating even the simplest of tasks can be in a place like Afghanistan.
Second, and continuing on the woe-is-aid worker theme (because, really, who doesn't like a little pity once in a while), Alanna Shaikh describes some of the more unpleasant aspects of working in the field. She also has some provocative things to say about how aid workers alienate those they're trying to help.
And, finally, as yet another sign that the apocalypse is nigh - Nathan Hodges at Danger Room reports that Blackwater, everyone's favorite mercenaries, are now peddling their pirate-fighting skills with an eye on the lucrative Somalia pirate market (as described by UN Dispatch).
Which, at the least, raises an interesting means-ends issue, given the threat that piracy poses to emergency food shipments. To see Erik Prince, the CEO of Blackwater, explain Blackwater's maritime impulse, see the video here.
[Pirates of Penzance - Photo from NYT]
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