Monday, April 29, 2002

The Afghan War by Matt Siegfried The September 11th attacks on the United States and the American response to them have opened a new round of uncertainty and conflict in the world. Nearly all of the thousands who have died in the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the American war on Afghanistan are the poor, workers, civilians, and the innocent. Almost 25% of those who died in the World Trade Centre were in trade unions including those who worked at the Windows on the World restaurant in the Twin Towers. This was the largest unionised restaurant in the country and had workers from every corner of the world. All who went to work at the restaurant that day are now dead. In Afghanistan the crisis and level of destruction is much greater. Millions face starvation, cold, disease and American bombs as well as the chaos of the civil war that has been used as a proxy battle by many of the countries of that region and beyond. Thousands died in the US, millions have died over the last 20 years in Afghanistan and millions more are in peril. Comments: 4:39:40 PM

All systems go The longest phoney election campaign in living memory has ended. Polling has been set for 17th May and Sinn Féin candidates throughout the 26 Counties have been straining at the leash. Full scale canvassing and postering has been underway for some time now, but the naming of the date will focus all minds on the battle ahead. Comments: 4:39:28 PM

Orange Women Anyone who takes my recommendations or denunciations as worthy and informed will just have to think twice. Last year I reviewed a novel for a national daily using a cut-throat razor and a blowtorch to make the point that I did not like the book. It turns out I am the poorest judge in the world because that book, 'No Bones' by Anna Burns, has been long-listed for the Orange Prize For Fiction (sponsored by Orange, the British mobile communications company). The competition is open to women writers only and is judged by a panel of five women. The winner of the Prize is awarded £30,000 (the Booker Prize, which was £20,000, was increased this week to £50,000, prompting me to immediately start a new novel). The prize arose in protest against the Booker Prize for 1991 when no women were short listed, part of a trend, some have alleged, of women being overlooked for the biggest literary prizes, despite the number of women writers. Comments: 6:55:10 AM

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