Vote for peace

US Presidents can do jack about the price of gasoline at the pump. They can fabricate evidence and drag us into unnecessary wars in Iraq or bomb other countries into the stone age, but they can't do jack about oil. Here's a quick primer.

The dollar is the reserve currency of the world. This means international trade happens in dollars. This is a consequence of the Bretton Woods agreements, a result of the US' major contribution to winning World War 2. So what happens when the US government does not have its house in order and spends more than it earns? The price of gold goes up as evidenced over the last few years.

Oil is traded in dollars. When the dollar weakens due to fiscal indiscipline, the price of oil rises. When there is speculation about a strike on Iran or shutting the straits of Hormuz, the price of oil rises as speculators envision an uncertain future.

If your Government spent as much or less than it took in, if your leaders didn't threaten to bomb other countries into submission, if there was certainty in the economy and every day life - then oil would trade at $70 a barrel rather than $120, gold would be cheaper and jobs would be growing.

When you vote in November, vote for peace and sensibility, not bellicosity or rhetoric.

The keys of the kingdom

And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven - Jesus Christ to Peter

When I was a teen, I read my first book by A J Cronin, The Citadel and was mighty impressed by the author's prose and his ability to immerse the reader in a human story and the times in which it was set.

I recently caught up with A J Cronin again and read what is probably his best novel The keys of the kingdom. Set at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, this story starts in the author's native Scotland. Francis Chisholm is a young catholic boy growing up in a predominantly protestant region. His father is beaten up by protestants and Chisholm is orphaned when both his parents are swept away by the Tweed. It is a tough childhood growing up at his grandfather's house until he is taken away by his aunt Polly, a magnificent character. Cronin catalogs Chisholm's entry into the catholic church along with his more suave and dapper friend Anselm Mealey. These two characters and their progression over time are a study in contrast.

Francis Chisholm is a rebel by nature and does not accept the Church's dogma readily. This eventually culminates in his being dispatched to China as one of the pioneering missionaries to open up that country to the church's religion. What follows is a fantastic tale of a simple, dedicated and open minded man who struggles to establish his church in a strange land and attract adherents. Unlike some of his peers, Chisholm does not believe in bribery or coercion to build his flock but leads by example. He openly accepts Chinese culture, their ethos and tenets of Confucianism much to the chagrin of his peers and superiors in his church. Over thirty six years he fights prejudice both within and without his church and selflessly leads by example. The narration and prose are spectacular. The story moves fast and you feel like you are right there watching it unfold.

At a time when religion seems to be a dividing force in today's world, this is a story of tolerance, co-existence, faith, open mindedness and dedication.