Category: Freedom

Eat More Chocolate!

More and more studies have been proving that chocolate is good for you! The key factor is the flavinoids found in the cocoa used to make chocolate. Flavinoid rich foods can help to lower the chance of developing heart disease and many forms of cancer! The darker the chocolate the more cocoa and thus the better it is for you.

One study showed that those with high blood pressure who ate 3.5-ounces of dark chocolate daily for 15 days were rewarded with lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improved sugar metabolism. It has also shown to increase serotonin production in the brain which is essentially a chemical that controls happiness. So this means that chocolate can make you feel happy, lower your risk of many diseases and also just tastes amazing! What are the odds of that?

Parties start again in Uganda

Nineteen years ago Ugandan President Ypweri Museveni seized power in Uganda and imposed a single political party on the country. In a recent referendum which he endorsed other political parties can now exist freely, the first time since 1986.

Critics are arguing that this is to appease donors and solicit more money from donor nations. Regardless of the motives behind the move to permit more political parties this is a step for improvement for the people of Uganda.

Canadian Political Transparency

Transparency in democratic politics is not only a good thing, it is necessary to the process. In Canada, there are strict rules in place for the recording and reporting of donations during an election campaign. We like to know just much a corporation or rich citizen has donated, and to what party. However, what most people don’t pay attention to, or even know, is that the myriad of smaller donations given to local candidates are also strictly regulated, and scrupulously recorded. Individuals and local businesses give surprising amounts of money to their preferred local candidate. And now, thanks to Elections Canada, you can easily find out the details.

Searchable by candidate, contributor, party or location, see who supports what in your riding. There are also options for searching contributions to party leadership races and even candidate nomination contests. Things are good when you can see.

Jordan Denies U.S. Immunity

Jordan’s Parliament has recently decided to reject a bill that would have given American troops immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court. Jordan was concerned that their sovereignty would be comprised by agreeing to America’s demands. 100 countries had signed immunity agreements with the USA.

Jordan has made a smart decision because the International Criminal Court is a institution with great potential, and all countries should respect it.

Colombian Justice

Four soldiers and one civilian are facing charges for the murder of three union leaders. The international community, including the United States, are putting pressure on the South American country to respect human rights. The majority of the human rights infractions seem to come from the government’s militias committing attacks against civilians. The US has withheld $100 million in aid until progress is made on human rights, inclusing purging human rights violators from the armed forces. Source: New York Times July 15, 2005