Prague Property

The people of Iran have suffered grievously over the years under repressive regimes. Now they face a new horror in the form of Chris de Burgh. De Burgh, a purveyor of inoffensive “rock” (well it could be called that if you stretch the definition of rock into the 7^th dimension….) and saccharine ballads, is set to become the first major western artist to perform live in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

The culture and Islamic guidance ministry has given De Burgh permission to stage a concert in Tehran next year. He is expected to play in a 12,000-seater venue with an Iranian band, Arian, with whom he has recorded a song, A Melody For Peace. Approval for the concert comes amid growing intolerance of western culture under president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. CDs by internationally popular acts have become harder to obtain while the government has pressed state broadcasters to favour Iranian over western music, some of which has been denounced as satanist. However, De Burgh’s anodyne persona has persuaded the authorities to draw a distinction between him and more exotic performers (like James Blunt?). They may also have been persuaded by his description in 2002 of Iran as “one of those countries I would love to visit, not only for historical reasons but also for the fact that I believe that music is an international language and deserves to be heard all over the world”.

Pop concerts are rare in Iran and have to be approved by the culture and Islamic guidance ministry, which scrutinises lyrics and musical style for “un-Islamic” influences. Many artists only perform instrumental pieces to avoid giving offence. Some bands also play illicit gigs in “underground” venues, such as car parks, an offence that can result in imprisonment.

I can only imagine that the Argentine born, Irish resident is part of an American plan to punish Iran over its nuclear programme. Realising that a military offensive is unfeasible, the US is resorting to a less lethal but method of Iran’s leaders toe the line. De Burgh is merely a warning shot - failure on the part of the Iranians to comply with American demands will result in a Michael Bolton/Barry Manilow salvo (If Germany joins a new coalition of the willing then Guildo Horn may be sent too). Further non compliance on Iran’s part may cause the ultimate weapon to be unleashed – Celine Dion Oh the horror!.

My thanks go The Norfolk Blogger where I saw the story first

Dixons Liffey Valley Dublin have restored my faith in electrical outlets.  After another visit to PC World yesterday where they could not tell me if software I wanted would work on vista, I took the plunge and went into the main part of Liffey Valley shopping centre.  It wasn’t too bad, I was there early [...]

Europe.view

Club rules
Dec 13th 2007
From Economist.com

Organise, cooperate, develop—and watch out

RUSSIA longs to join the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a club mainly comprised of old rich countries that is anxiously trying to expand and stay relevant as the global economy’s centre of gravity shifts south and east.

Earlier this month Poland dropped its objection to Russia, and the OECD agreed to start negotiations. Now the question is whether Russia will manage to raise its standards to the required levels of transparency and good government. If it fails to do so, will the OECD will turn a blind eye, or will the accession talks fizzle out?

Russia first applied to join in 1996, when it was a basket case. Now it is a huge, if not altogether healthy, economy, with GDP over a trillion dollars. That alone is no ticket to membership: China and India are not OECD members, though the organisation is establishing other ties with them.

Since the end of the Cold War, the OECD has been a club strictly for democracies, either rich or nearly so. Now talks have opened with four other countries—Chile, Estonia, Israel and Slovenia—that easily meet that definition, and will likely join pretty quickly. Russia is a different question altogether, both on the demanding technical details of the “roadmap” to meeting OECD standards and on the broader question of “like-mindedness”.

The issue is divisive. Russia’s backers—chiefly Germany and France—prize engagement over the finer points of OECD integrity. Other countries, including but not only Sweden, Britain and America, are more dubious.

Such sceptics note the effects of Russia’s behaviour in other multilateral organisations: it has crippled the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, turning a once-lively democracy-promotion organisation into a sterile talking shop. It has discredited the Council of Europe, which is meant to be the continent’s human rights guardian.

Russia throws its weight around in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (though even that body flinched when it turned out last week that its partner in a planned venture-capital fund was in fact a Kremlin-sponsored corporate raider). Optimism (or wishful thinking) brought Russia into the then G-7 in 1998. Few would argue in retrospect that this was a wise move.

If Russia joins the OECD while making only pretend reforms, the problem is severe: predatory state activity and other forms of lawless capitalism are certainly not confined to Russia. Once the OECD loses its bark and bite, the developed world will be without its best watchdog on issues of global importance, including money laundering, bribery, corporate governance and reform of bureaucracy.

Will it happen? The OECD operates on the basis of consensus, so all 30 members will need to be satisfied that Russia has truly changed. In theory, that’s a big safeguard. But political pressure, particularly when exercised through big countries, has a way of flattening even the rockiest mountains.

A common Kremlin tactic is to escalate discussion of practical issues to a higher level where political or commercial considerations trump everything else. When President Nicolas Sarkozy of France congratulated Vladimir Putin on his party’s supposed victory at the polls, he demolished the already feeble common EU position criticising the blatant shortcomings of Russia’s parliamentary election. That the French auto manufacturer Renault clinched a juicy deal in Russia later that week was doubtless pure coincidence.

The danger is that Russia’s membership negotiations become politicised too. Objective, practical questions of shortcomings, remedies and evidence may become agenda items to be horse-traded elsewhere. So OECD members will need to stay focussed and resolute when considering Russia’s application. Alas, these aren’t words that leap to mind concerning the West’s approach to the Kremlin so far.

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