text
stringlengths 1
134k
| label
int64 0
1
|
|---|---|
These solar panels are seriously changing the game for both tap water and clean energy. Credit: Zero Mass Water
In an exciting new development, a startup company called Zero Mass Water has created solar panels that passively and efficiently pull water from the sky, purify it, and transport it to the tap for drinking and cooking purposes. Though the primary motivation for creating these panels was to help people living without access to clean drinking water, it can also help a variety of people from all walks of life while conserving traditional energy that is bad for the environment .
The founder and CEO of the startup, Cody Friesen, said he was inspired when he was setting up another one of his technologies in Indonesia and thought about the abundance of rain, but lack of clean water in the region. He decided to focus his efforts on improving the global water supply. Friesen told Fastco Exist:
“Everybody’s heard about the latest nanofilter this…or whatever the latest pump technology is. None of those end up being sort of the leapfrog technology that addresses the fact that drinking water is a fundamental human right, and yet we have one person dying every 10 seconds from waterborne illness on the planet.” Credit: Zero Mass Water
Though these are the first solar panels of their kind, the idea and technology behind the water conversion and supply is simple. Zero Mass Water created a material that absorbs water from the air at an extremely accelerated rate, then it draws the water back out to evaporate it and draw out pollutants. After this purification process, the distilled water is run through a mineral block to add calcium and magnesium and to improve the taste.
Since waterborne illnesses are so prevalent, this water can save millions of lives and slowly eliminate diseases, as it becomes more widely-used by countries suffering the most as a result of contaminated drinking water . Having an in-home water supply would also save girls and women worldwide approximately 200 million hours annually , as that’s how much time they spend retrieving water. They could use this time to go to school, perform more tasks around the house, or work.
The solar panels are currently being tested in Ecuador, Jordan, and Mexico to test their viability and effectiveness. Though they’re starting out in areas rampant with poverty , the panels can also make a difference in the lives of the citizens whose water supplies are tainted with lead. There are roughly 5,300 such water systems, and this could be a safe alternative to drinking that lethal tap water and buying bottled water. Credit: Zero Mass Water
A single panel can provide enough clean drinking and cooking water for a family of 4, and additional panels can be used on larger buildings, such as hospitals.
Zero Mass Water hopes that this concept won’t remain novel for too long; despite the success they’re likely to have for being the only sellers of this panel, their goal is to make the technology common throughout all solar panels installed in people’s homes.
“When you think about solar today, what do you think about? Electricity,” Friesen said. “Everybody thinks that way. I think that in a few years when people think about solar, they’ll also think about water abundance.”
Would you buy these solar panels for your home? New Solar Panels Pull Drinking Water From The Air Because Clean Water Is A Human Right | 0 |
“Miss Saigon” started with an audacious idea — create a musical that explores the end of the Vietnam War through an romance between a virginal Vietnamese bargirl and a hunky American G. I. It would become much more than that. Over 28 years, “Miss Saigon” has turned into one of the most successful hits in musical theater — as well as one of the most polarizing and most protested. Now, it’s back on Broadway, for the first time since 2001. It is in the same theater, tells the same operatically tragic story, and again features a hovering helicopter. But the show has changed significantly over the years, and those shifts tell another story — one about how much the controversy over “Miss Saigon” has affected the industry. “Miss Saigon” opened in London in 1989, with an acclaimed white British actor, Jonathan Pryce, wearing prosthetics to alter the shape of his eyes and makeup to alter the color of his skin as he played the show’s leading man, a scheming Eurasian pimp called the Engineer. But by the time the show reached Broadway in 1991, Mr. Pryce had abandoned those practices, and, after he won a Tony Award and left the show, the producers changed their approach — in the years since, they have chosen only actors of Asian heritage to play the Engineer, both on Broadway and on the United States tours. Not every controversy has been calmed. The show’s critics, who tried and failed to stop the initial production and have periodically protested it since, say the production perpetuates an unwelcome view of Asians. Here, in edited excerpts, more than 20 people whose lives have been touched by “Miss Saigon” — as producers and protesters, artists and activists — talk about their views, then and now. Schönberg (composer) One afternoon I was working on the score of “Les Misérables” in Paris, and I opened a magazine, and I saw a picture that really struck me. It was a young girl at the airport (in Vietnam) facing her mother. The mother had been looking for her a G. I. and she wanted to send the girl to the United States for a better future. The mother did exactly the same sacrifice as in “Madama Butterfly,” who committed suicide to force the American, Pinkerton, to take their boy with him. So I called Alain, and said, “Imagine the story of ‘Butterfly,’ happening at the end of the Vietnam War. ” Alain Boublil (lyricist) We got quickly to the idea that the misunderstanding between two people reflected the misunderstanding between two countries. Cameron Mackintosh (producer) This was a very dangerous, but exciting, subject. This was 14 years after a traumatic war that they’d written this, so it wasn’t obvious stuff for a musical. I remember saying, this subject matter is like dancing on a razor blade: a brilliant feat if you can pull it off. Mackintosh I’d seen Jonathan in several performances, including “The Seagull,” and then, when Michael Crawford had opened (in “The Phantom of the Opera”) in ’86 in London, Jonathan rang me out of the blue and said, “Look, I’d like to have a crack at the Phantom. ” It never got any further than that, but I remembered it. And when we had our first conversations in London with the authors and Nick Hytner (the director) I threw his name in the hopper. The entire audition process, we never saw anyone else. Frank Rich (then the chief theater critic at The New York Times) He was, and still is, a great actor — it would have been a coup for a musical to get him. Jon Jon Briones (member of the original London ensemble now playing the Engineer on Broadway) I came from the Philippines, and we were used to yellowface, and how white actors play Asian roles, because we watched Hollywood movies all the time. We thought that was a normal thing. Marc Oka (member of the original Broadway ensemble) I went to see it in London, and I loved the show — it was a show with Asian people, and I was in the business, so I thought maybe I could be in it. But I was way up in the balcony, so I didn’t see him up close. Then I saw an article in a magazine about Jonathan Pryce, and I saw a picture of him in the show, and he was wearing those prosthetics on his eyes to look Asian, and that was the first time I said there was something wrong. BD Wong ( actor) I first heard about the show in a conversation with the playwright David Henry Hwang. He and I were really fresh off of doing this reasonably successful play (“M. Butterfly”) in which the whole notion of “Madama Butterfly” is turned on its head. He was reporting, in a kind of amused way, about this show in the West End, with these two guys in yellowface (the Engineer and Thuy, Kim’s cousin). We said, surely the show will come to the United States, but the yellowface will never happen here, because that’s the kind of thing that only happens in England now. Lea Salonga (actress who played Kim, the bargirl, in the original London and Broadway productions) I was in Manila, and in my freshman year at college — I was . I was 17, and I was very innocent. I didn’t know what a bargirl was. And my concerns were less about that than some of the skimpy costumes I had to wear — I grew up pretty conservative. I called my father, and said, “What am I going to do?” and he said, “They’re not going to remember that. They’re going to remember when you shoot yourself at the end. ” And I guess he was right. Wong Much to our surprise, there was an announcement that Jonathan Pryce was coming. So I wrote a letter to the actors’ union, which had to approve the visa, even for a star coming over. After decades of Caucasian actors impersonating Asian characters in television, movies and in the theater, with a certain amount of comfort from audiences at large, it finally became absolutely essential for the audience community and the acting community to say it’s too painful for us to watch this anymore — we can’t take it any more, it embarrasses us, and it’s humiliating. Rich I’m completely sympathetic, and argue further that actors have a particularly raw deal — there are so few opportunities for them compared to other minorities, let alone majorities. But I still feel a director has the right to do what he wants to do. Tisa Chang (artistic producing director, Pan Asian Repertory Theater) This was not the 1970s, when there was a protest against Lincoln Center for casting “Narrow Road to Deep North” with no Asian actors whatsoever — and it was a play about Japan. This was 1990, and a lot of work had been done already. Our position was not to be inflammatory, but it was a cri de coeur in response to what their team had said, which was that there was no actor qualified to play the role. That really stirred the pot. Boublil It was a bit disturbing for us, because suddenly the subject of the show was not anymore the doomed love story and the mother’s ultimate sacrifice, which is what we had written. Suddenly the subject was casting controversy. I remember even some journalist in a magazine who said, “Don’t let this show come to this country. It’s going to destroy the fabric of the country. ” Wong In this really dramatic, theatrical way, Equity voted to deny Jonathan Pryce his visa. Mackintosh I was just astonished. And it got, as you know, quite sticky. At that point, even though we had the biggest advance in history, I said, look, if the show isn’t going to come here with the performances that made it so fantastic in London, I’d rather it didn’t move at all. I canceled it. Wong Equity had a real problem on its hands. The membership was divided. Some people thought it was absurd to make an issue of the race of a person. And the pressure came from other places. There was a lot of stuff. The mayor of New York (David Dinkins) really wanted the show to come in. A few days later, Equity rescinded its decision. It was profoundly sad. I remember feeling so misunderstood. Ralph B. Peña (producing artistic director, Theater Company) I protested, but I thought I should know what I’m protesting against, and also I needed to see what they did, because they had removed Jonathan Pryce’s yellowface. So I saw it on Broadway, and it was glorious. And then it hits you — what did I just experience? And then it’s awful. But I had never seen a helicopter land on Broadway before, and I was mesmerized by the music and the stagecraft, and also the pride that I felt at seeing Lea nail that role on Broadway. That was something else. Esther Kim Lee (associate professor of theater, University of Maryland) I saw the taped version at New York Public Library, and I was most interested in the Jonathan Pryce character, despite the fact that I was completely criticizing him. I was surprised to see how good he was. Rich It was a fantastic performance. Tara Rubin (casting director) After Jonathan Pryce, who was absolutely brilliant in the role, there was never another Caucasian person who played the part in this country. We knew that the acting community had an incredibly good point, and it was the beginning of a huge shift in the way we think about casting. And I can’t help but wonder if the increased opportunity has helped increase the number of actors who enter the field. Manu Narayan (actor in second national tour) With all the trouble they had had — and rightfully so — casting Jonathan Pryce, the total turnaround they then did to make sure Asians were cast in the roles going forward is a testament to Cameron Mackintosh. It doesn’t negate what happened, but a lot of people wouldn’t have seen that error. In 1995, I had gone to New York for a wedding, and in Backstage I saw an open call for Chrises and Johns, so I went and stood in line and danced on the Broadway stage. I was cast in the ensemble for the national tour and stayed for four years. Raul Aranas (actor in multiple productions) I can safely say I’ve done over 2, 000 performances as the Engineer — I did it for the first national tour, and then they moved me to Broadway, and then Cameron offered me London, and then I on Broadway and did a few venues that were not as large. And after this, I did “The King and I” I did “Pacific Overtures” I did “Flower Drum Song” and I did “Oliver. ” “Miss Saigon” enabled me to save enough money to have a nest egg, start a family and find a home, and now I’m retired — another thing “Miss Saigon” enabled me to do is have a great pension. Margaret Ann Gates (actress in multiple productions) I heard that they were looking for actual Asians to be in the show — not people who were and I went into the ensemble a month or two after graduating from college. Then they offered me the role of Ellen (an American woman who marries a returning G. I.) in 1998. I was the first Asian to hold the role, and when I started, people were like, “That’s not right! Ellen’s supposed to be white!” which of course is ridiculous — just because somebody is American doesn’t mean she has to be white. Ethan Thoi (actor in Australian production) I couldn’t believe there was a musical about Vietnam, where I was born. I was born in 1973, and my mom had some involvement with a Western guy at that time — her pregnancy was not accepted, and she had to give me away. In 2007, when the show came to Sydney, I was lucky to be in the ensemble. I did the whole national tour (in Australia) — about 14 months — and every night I was crying at the part where she sings, “I’d give my life for you,” and crying at the part where the refugees are climbing up the walls, because I was also a refugee, from Vietnam to Australia. Pun Bandhu (actor active with Asian American Performers Action Coalition) There continue to be protests against “Miss Saigon” across the country, and I think that’s because the Asian community is so tired of seeing ourselves portrayed in one way. In many ways, “Miss Saigon” is a colonial story, where none of the Asian characters are portrayed in a positive light — yes, they are victims of a war, but they are also characterized as opportunists, villainous, and, at the center of the story, Kim is written to be very weak. Oka It turned into a political protest about the portrayal of Asian women on the stage. I remember one night, during the second act, when the Bangkok number happened, protesters were screaming and shouting from the audience, and they were led out. Salonga I have friends who were on the other side of that controversy, and I do understand what they were fighting for, but you do realize the whole prostitution thing lasts 15 minutes, and the show is 2½ hours long? And you can rally and rail against Asian women as prostitutes, but you can’t erase history. This is set in 1975, not in 2017, and this really happened. I’m from Manila, and it still happens. Go to any district, and that’s what you see: a girl with desperation in her eyes, wanting to not be doing this, and another girl who is dead on the inside. I don’t know of too many shows that allow the audience to see that reality. It’s very and can be quite jarring. Will Chase (actor who played Chris, the G. I. in multiple productions) I used to make fun of it when I was a longhaired percussionist at Oberlin College. Then I did three years in the show. And over the course of doing it, we would have Vietnam vets come talk to the cast. I started to pay attention to it in a different way. One guy said when he got back home he would wake up in the middle of the night with a gun, ready to blow his brains out, night after night, and the show was cathartic for him. He came once a week. Those kinds of stories made me grow up in the show. Ralph B. Peña One of the songs — the marriage song, I found out later — was gobbledegook, not even real Vietnamese. The new version has changed those lyrics to real Vietnamese words, which is some recognition that they can’t get away with what they got away with in 1990. Marc Thibodeau (longtime “Miss Saigon” publicist) The first week of rehearsals (for the Broadway revival) Alain Boublil met with Christopher Vo, a Vietnamese cast member, who suggested some rewording on the wedding blessing to make it genuine and to make sense. Alain took his suggestion, and it went into the show early in rehearsals and has been part of the show in previews. Laurence Connor (revival director) My memory of the original is it felt so big and epic and operatic. I wanted to make it real — I wanted to set up a sense of grit within the production. Rachelle Ann Go (actress playing Gigi in revival) Our first two days of rehearsals in London, we were in a room, watching so many documentaries about the war. It was so heartbreaking. Eva Noblezada (actress playing Kim in revival) I’d never seen the show. I didn’t know what happened until I read the script when I was cast. I was like, “Oh my goodness, this is epic. ” I’m a prostitute in this, and it’s not glamorous, it’s not pretty. It is demeaning. But this happened to real people. And the refugee scene — that’s relevant today. Being a victim of war and being a victim of confused leadership — that is relevant today. Briones I’ve been doing this on and off for a while — the Asian tour and the American tour and the U. K. tour, and in Germany, where I met my wife — she was playing Ellen. I first encountered “Miss Saigon” in 1988, when they came back to Manila to cast the male ensemble, and I auditioned. I was 22, and left the Philippines for the first time. And now, for me to be playing the Engineer on the biggest stage of all, it’s an honor and it’s a responsibility. I truly believe that, because of “Miss Saigon,” Asian actors are seen in a different light. | 1 |
Country: Syria With a new president coming into office, hopes for a break in the Syrian conflict are abound. However, these hopes are likely misplaced. Recent US designs for the destruction of Syria began unfolding, not during the administration of US President Barack Obama, but in fact during the presidency of George Bush, and were merely continued, and clearly expanded upon under President Obama. Pundits and policymakers on both the “left” and “right” of the Western political spectrum have made arguments for continued, even expanded US war with Syria, simply behind the smokescreen of varying partisan narratives. In the end, however, the Middle Eastern nation’s overthrow – and failing that – its incremental and systematic division and destruction, remains Washington’s ultimate endgame. President-Elect Trump’s Surrounded by Eager Warmongers President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign for the past 2 years or so has been openly guided by elements of Washington’s political establishment often referred to as Neo-Conservatives. This includes former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director during the Bill Clinton administration, James Woolsey, an avid supporter of US war with Iran who served as Trump’s adviser on national security, defense and intelligence, Politico would report . Together with Woolsey, Trump has either invited in or courted other members of the so-called Neo-Conservative establishment including former US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, and former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich. Joining them is media personality Steven Bannon of Breitbart News, the establishment’s “right cover” retrenched within what is otherwise the independent and increasingly influential alternative media. Woolsey, Bolton, Giuliani, and Gingrich have all lobbied for years as advocates for war with Iran, including lobbying directly for US State Department-listed foreign terrorist organization, Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK) as a means of propping up a capable, armed, and fanatical proxy with which to indirectly wage war on Iran, much as the US is currently using Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, and proxy groups like Jabhat Al Nusra and the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” (ISIS) to wage proxy war on Syria. Syria’s Destruction Plotted Under Bush, Carried Out Under Obama, a Prerequisite for War with Iran… In fact, war with Syria has been long determined by US policymakers as an essential prerequisite before waging war on Iran. Syria’s inclusion within the Bush-era “Axis of Evil” was in fact announced by Trump-ally John Bolton under the Bush administration in 2002. The BBC in a 2002 article titled, “ US Expands ‘Axis of Evil,’ ” would report that: The United States has added Cuba, Libya and Syria to the nations it claims are deliberately seeking to obtain chemical or biological weapons. In a speech entitled “Beyond the Axis of Evil”, US Under Secretary of State, John Bolton said that the three nations could be grouped with other so-called “rogue states”– Iraq, Iran and North Korea – in actively attempting to develop weapons of mass destruction. He also warned that the US would take action. And the US would indeed take action, utterly destroying Libya and setting itself upon Syria, only not during Bush’s eight-year term in office, but under his successor’s administration, beginning in 2011. And while the US proxy war with Syria began in 2011 under Obama, the stage was already being set as early as 2007 under Bush. In Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh’s 2007 article, “ The Redirection: Is the Administration’s new policy benefitting our enemies in the war on terrorism? ,” it would be explicitly stated that (emphasis added): To undermine Iran, which is predominantly Shiite, the Bush Administration has decided, in effect, to reconfigure its priorities in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Administration has coöperated with Saudi Arabia’s government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shiite organization that is backed by Iran. The U.S. has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to America and sympathetic to Al Qaeda. Hersh, in his 9-page report, would enumerate how financial, political, and material support was already benefiting extremist organizations associated with this expanding conspiracy, organizations that would soon be directly involved in the 2011 Syrian conflict including the Muslim Brotherhood and armed militant groups aligned with Al Qaeda. US corporate-financier funded policy think tanks including the Brookings Institution as early as 2009 would also reveal that either the coercion or overthrow of the Syrian government, as well as the neutralization of Hezbollah would be essential prerequisites to the eventual attack on and overthrow of the Iranian government, as stated in their extensively detailed report, “ Which Path to Persia?: Options for a New American Strategy Toward Iran .” Trump’s Transition Includes Reboot of Syrian-Iranian “Axis of Evil” Narrative It should be noted that Trump’s political allies among Washington’s Neo-Conservative clique, have been lobbying for MEK terrorists as recently as July of this year. In Paris, France, Bolton, Gingrich, and Giuliani were shoulder-to-shoulder with the Saudi Royal Family calling for “regime change” in Tehran. Noting that the elimination of Syria and Hezbollah are essential prerequisites for this “regime change,” should pique concern regarding the incoming administration of President-elect Trump. With Russia’s steadfast intervention in Syria upon Damascus’ request, and with the positive outcome of the Syrian conflict for Moscow key to Russian national security, it is unlikely that genuine rapprochement between the US and Russia can actually be made. The hope of Trump allying the United States with Russia should be interpreted as a political ploy not unlike the now obviously disingenuous “reset” Hillary Clinton herself presided over as US Secretary of State in 2009. As Secretary Clinton posed for pictures with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov holding an emergency stop button with “reset” written on it, US policymakers were already deeply involved in the planning of not only political unrest within Russia itself through the use of US-funded opposition groups, but planning fully on the liquidation of Russia’s traditional allies throughout the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), Eastern Europe, and Central Asia via the upcoming “Arab Spring” conflagration. With Trump now incoming as US president, the Western media is attempting to capitalize on campaign promises made by Trump himself regarding “safe zones” in Syria and the exploitation of the refugee crisis triggered by US interventions across the MENA region. A CNN article written by conservative media personality Sarah “SE” Cupp titled, “ Syria: The issue we can’t ignore anymore ,” repackages Obama-era talking points to dovetail with Trump’s campaign promises. Tellingly, the op-ed states (emphasis added): Trump has made clear during the course of the election that he would not take in any Syrian refugees. While that’s not the position I wish he would take, I can live with this, because keeping refugees out matters to him, and presumably his many supporters. And ultimately, the humane and practical solution is to secure a safe zone within Syria so that other countries, including ours, do not have a refugee crisis in the first place. Indeed, one of the most straightforward things we can do — and the most significant — is to give Syrians a safe way to return home. It’s also something Trump and a Republican-led Congress could agree on. However, “safe zones” are not a new idea. They also have nothing to do with addressing the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Syria. They were introduced by the very engineers of the Syrian conflict among US foreign policy circles, and were designed not to help end the war or protect refugees, but to “bleed Syria” to death as a functioning nation state by intentionally protracting fighting for as long as possible. As early as 2012, the Brookings Institution in a document titled, “Middle East Memo #21: Saving Syria: Assessing Options for Regime Change,” US policymakers would openly declare their intentions to create such “safe zones” stating: An alternative is for diplomatic efforts to focus first on how to end the violence and how to gain humanitarian access, as is being done under Annan’s leadership. This may lead to the creation of safe-havens and humanitarian corridors, which would have to be backed by limited military power. This would, of course, fall short of U.S. goals for Syria and could preserve Asad in power. From that starting point, however, it is possible that a broad coalition with the appropriate international mandate could add further coercive action to its efforts. The document would then openly admit that – failing to overthrow the Syrian government – bleeding the nation would be an acceptable alternative, claiming (emphasis added):
The United States might still arm the opposition even knowing they will probably never have sufficient power, on their own, to dislodge the Asad network. Washington might choose to do so simply in the belief that at least providing an oppressed people with some ability to resist their oppressors is better than doing nothing at all, even if the support provided has little chance of turning defeat into victory. Alternatively, the United States might calculate that it is still worthwhile to pin down the Asad regime and bleed it, keeping a regional adversary weak, while avoiding the costs of direct intervention. If it seems that Trump’s campaign speeches, his campaign and transition team, as well as his prospective presidential administration seem fully arrayed to preserve a continuity of agenda that has so far, clearly transcended both the 8 year term of Bush and Obama’s subsequent 8 years in office, that’s because it is. Russian “optimism” regarding America’s incoming president is likely nothing more than a diplomatic gesture of goodwill. And just as Foreign Minister Lavrov humored Secretary Clinton’s “reset” charade, fully anticipating treachery, Russia and its Syrian allies must prepare fully for American treachery once again – from an administration carrying the distinct DNA of the very policy circles that added Syria to the “Axis of Evil” in the first place, and has since then worked ceaselessly to undermine it and its allies for well over a decade. Tony Cartalucci, Bangkok-based geopolitical researcher and writer, especially for the online magazine “ New Eastern Outlook.” Popular Articles | 1 |
A Florida man has been charged with murder after strangling his wife during an argument and then posting messages on her Facebook page under her name to try to fool her friends and family about her absence, the police said. The man, George J. McShane Jr. was trying to “convince her friends and family she was still alive,” according to the Orlando Police Department. Mr. McShane, 42, who a police report said worked at a resort, was arrested on Jan. 11 and charged with murder and battery by strangulation in the death of Kristen McShane, 30, the police said. For several days this month, Ms. McShane’s Facebook page was updated with cheerful photographs documenting her life in Florida: a portrait of her smiling in front of an easel, paint brush in hand and another of her enjoying an outing with friends. On Jan. 7, a Facebook message informed friends and relatives why she had not been in touch: “I can’t believe I dropped my phone in the toilet. I am such an idiot. Message me here, til I can get it fixed. ” Friends replied with advice (“Put it in rice”) or with offers to lend her a phone. This week, the police in Orlando, where the McShanes lived, revealed that the author of some of those messages was not Ms. McShane, who was 30, but her husband. Mr. McShane posted the Facebook message about her phone so that others would not become alarmed because she “was not returning their phone calls or text messages,” the police said. Officers were called to the house on Jan. 10 by a relative of the couple who had been concerned about them, according to a police affidavit. They found Mr. McShane sitting in his car in the garage with the engine running. Then they found Ms. McShane’s body in a bedroom. The authorities said Mr. McShane told them that he had “lost his temper and jumped on Kristen, using his two hands to choke her until he realized she was dead. ” The reason for the argument was not available on Friday. Mr. McShane had not yet been arraigned on Friday, a court official said in an email, but appeared in court on Jan. 11 to hear the charges, court records showed. Robert Larr, a public defender assigned to Mr. McShane, declined to comment on the case on Friday. The Florida murder case is the latest example of someone assuming the social media identity of another person to deflect suspicion from family and friends after a crime. In December, Shanna Golyar of Iowa was arrested and charged with murder in the 2012 killing of Cari Farver of Nebraska, the Omaha police said. Ms. Golyar had posted messages on Ms. Farver’s Facebook account posing as the victim, a Douglas County prosecutor said on Friday. In October, the Facebook pages of a missing South Carolina couple suddenly became active with updates that family and friends did not believe were written by them. Todd C. Kohlhepp, 45, was later charged with murder in the death of the man and with kidnapping the woman, who had been held chained in a container, the police said. In the Orlando case, Ms. McShane’s Facebook page was updated on Jan. 7 with a photograph showing her next to a man at a social event. “Who’s your friend?” someone wrote. “That’s my new guy,” came the reply in the comments section under Ms. McShane’s name. Another post the same day described her dropping her phone in the toilet. Both posts appeared after 3:30 a. m. that day — the time that Mr. McShane told the police the couple had started to argue, according to the police. Her Facebook profile was updated twice again on Jan. 8 with posts showing a photo of her painting and another image including the sleeping face of a little girl, apparently the couple’s daughter. By Jan. 11, after Mr. McShane’s arrest, there were only condolence messages. | 0 |
Charlie Baker, Massachusetts (2015–present)[31] Robert J. Bentley, Alabama (2011–present) (withdrew endorsement)[32] Dennis Daugaard, South Dakota (2011–present) (withdrew endorsement, called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[33] Bill Haslam, Tennessee (2011–present)[34] Gary Herbert, Utah (2009–present) (withdrew endorsement)[35] Larry Hogan, Maryland (2015–present)[36][37] Susana Martinez, New Mexico (2011–present); Chair of the Republican Governors Association (2015–present)[38] Brian Sandoval, Nevada (2011–present) (withdrew endorsement)[39] Rick Snyder, Michigan (2011–present)[40] Former Former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 nominee for President Mitt Romney Arne Carlson, Minnesota (1991–99) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] A. Linwood Holton Jr., Virginia (1970–74); Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs (1974–75) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[41] Jon Huntsman Jr., Utah (2005–09); United States Ambassador to China (2009–11); United States Ambassador to Singapore (1992–93) (withdrew endorsement)[42] William Milliken, Michigan (1969–83) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[43] Kay A. Orr, Nebraska (1987–91)[44] Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota (2003–11) (withdrew endorsement)[45] Marc Racicot, Montana (1993–01); Chair of the Republican National Committee (2001–03)[46] Mitt Romney, Massachusetts (2003–07), 2012 nominee for President[47] Arnold Schwarzenegger, California (2003–11)[48] William Weld, Massachusetts (1991–97) (2016 Libertarian nominee for Vice President)[49] U.S. Senators[edit] Arizona Senator and 2008 nominee for President John McCain Current Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire (2011–present) (withdrew intended vote, writing-in Mike Pence)[50] Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia (2015–present) (withdrew endorsement)[51] Susan Collins, Maine (1997–present)[52] Jeff Flake, Arizona (2013–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[53][54] Cory Gardner, Colorado (2015–present) (withdrew endorsement, called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy, writing-in Mike Pence)[55] Dean Heller, Nevada (2011–present)[56] Mark Kirk, Illinois (2010–present) (withdrew endorsement, writing-in Colin Powell)[37] Mike Lee, Utah (2011–present)[57] John McCain, Arizona (1987–present); 2008 nominee for President (withdrew endorsement)[58] Lisa Murkowski, Alaska (2002–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[59] Rob Portman, Ohio (2010-present) [60] Ben Sasse, Nebraska (2015–present)[20][61] Dan Sullivan, Alaska (2015–present) (withdrew endorsement, called on Trump to withdraw candidacy, writing-in Mike Pence)[62] John Thune, South Dakota (2005–present) (withdrew endorsement, called on Trump to withdraw candidacy)[63] Former Norm Coleman, Minnesota (2003–09)[28][64] David Durenberger, Minnesota (1978–95) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Slade Gorton, Washington (1981–87, 1989–2001) (endorsed Evan McMullin)[65] Gordon J. Humphrey, New Hampshire (1979–90) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[66][67] John Warner, Virginia (1979–2009); United States Secretary of the Navy (1972–74) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[68] U.S. Representatives[edit] Nevada U.S. Representative and 2016 nominee for U.S. Senate Joe Heck Current Justin Amash, Michigan (2011–present)[28] Mike Coffman, Colorado (2009–present)[69] Barbara Comstock, Virginia (2015–present)[70] Carlos Curbelo, Florida (2015–present)[20][71] Rodney Davis, Illinois (2013–present) (withdrew endorsement)[72] Charlie Dent, Pennsylvania (2005–present)[73] Bob Dold, Illinois (2011–13, 2015–present)[28][74] Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska (2005–present) (withdrew endorsement)[72] Scott Garrett, New Jersey (2003–present) (withdrew endorsement)[72] Kay Granger, Texas (1997–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[75] Richard L. Hanna, New York (2011–present) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[28][76] Cresent Hardy, Nevada (2015–present) (withdrew endorsement)[77] Joe Heck, Nevada (2011–present); 2016 nominee for U.S. Senate (withdrew endorsement)[77] Jaime Herrera Beutler, Washington (2011–present) (writing-in Paul Ryan)[78] Will Hurd, Texas (2015–present)[79] David Jolly, Florida (2014–present)[80] John Katko, New York (2015–present)[81] Adam Kinzinger, Illinois (2011–present)[82] Steve Knight, California (2015–present)[83] Frank LoBiondo, New Jersey (1995–present) (withdrew endorsement, writing-in Mike Pence)[84] Mia Love, Utah (2015–present)[85] Pat Meehan, Pennsylvania (2011–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[84] Erik Paulsen, Minnesota (2009–present) (withdrew endorsement)[86] Reid Ribble, Wisconsin (2011–present)[28] Scott Rigell, Virginia (2011–present) (endorsed Gary Johnson)[20] Martha Roby, Alabama (2011–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[87][88] Tom Rooney, Florida (2009–present) (withdrew endorsement)[72] Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Florida (1989–present)[28] Mike Simpson, Idaho (1999–present) (withdrew endorsement)[10] Fred Upton, Michigan (1987–present)[89] David Valadao, California (2013–present)[90] Ann Wagner, Missouri (2013–present) (withdrew endorsement)[91] Host of Morning Joe on MSNBC and former U.S. Representative from Florida Joe Scarborough Former Steve Bartlett, Texas (1983–91)[92] Bob Bauman, Maryland (1973–81)[92] Sherwood Boehlert, New York (1993–2007) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[93] Jack Buechner, Missouri (1987–91)[92] Tom Campbell, California (1989–93, 1995–2001) (endorsed Gary Johnson)[94] Bill Clinger, Pennsylvania (1979–97)[92] Tom Coleman, Missouri (1976–93)[92] Geoff Davis, Kentucky (2005–12)[92] Mickey Edwards, Oklahoma (1977–93)[92] Harris Fawell, Illinois (1985–99)[92] Ed Foreman, Texas (1963–65, 1969–71)[92] Amo Houghton, New York (1987–2005)[92] Bob Inglis, South Carolina (1993–99, 2005–11)[28] Jim Kolbe, Arizona (1985–2007) (endorsed Gary Johnson)[95] Steve Kuykendall, California (1999–2001)[92] Jim Leach, Iowa (1977–2007)[92] Pete McCloskey, California (1967–83)[92] Connie Morella, Maryland (1987–2003) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Mike Parker, Mississippi (1989–99); Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (2001–02)[92] Ron Paul, Texas (1976–77, 1979–85, 1997–2013)[96] Tom Petri, Wisconsin (1979–2015)[92] John Porter, Illinois (1980–2001)[92] Joe Scarborough, Florida (1995–2001); commentator and author[97] Claudine Schneider, Rhode Island (1981–91) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[93] Chris Shays, Connecticut (1987–2009) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Peter Smith, Vermont (1989–11)[92] Mark Souder, Indiana (1995–2010)[98] J.C. Watts, Oklahoma (1995–2003)[20] Edward Weber, Ohio (1981–83)[92] Vin Weber, Minnesota (1983–93)[99] G. William Whitehurst, Virginia (1969–87)[92] Dick Zimmer, New Jersey (1991–97) (endorsed Gary Johnson)[100] Former State Department officials[edit] Richard Armitage, Deputy Secretary of State; Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[101] John B. Bellinger III, Legal Adviser of the Department of State; Legal Adviser to the National Security Council[12] Robert Blackwill, United States Ambassador to India; Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Planning (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[12][17] R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; United States Ambassador to NATO; United States Ambassador to Greece (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[102] Eliot A. Cohen, Counselor of the United States Department of State[12][20] Chester Crocker, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs[22] Jendayi Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs[12] James K. Glassman, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[22] David F. Gordon, Director of Policy Planning[12] Donald Gregg, United States Ambassador to South Korea[19] David A. Gross, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] John Hillen, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs[12] Reuben Jeffery III, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment[12] Robert Joseph, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs[22] David J. Kramer, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor[12] Stephen D. Krasner, Director of Policy Planning[22] Frank Lavin, United States Ambassador to Singapore; Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Robert McCallum, United States Ambassador to Australia; Acting United States Deputy Attorney General[12] Richard Miles, United States Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, and Georgia; Acting United States Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan[22] Roger Noriega, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs[22] John Osborn, Member of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy[22] Kristen Silverberg, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs[12] William Howard Taft IV, Legal Adviser of the Department of State; United States Ambassador to NATO; United States Deputy Secretary of Defense[12] Shirin R. Tahir-Kheli, Senior Advisor for Women’s Empowerment; Special Assistant to the President for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[12][17] Betty Tamposi, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[103] Peter Teeley, United States Ambassador to Canada (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Robert Tuttle, United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[104] Philip Zelikow, Counselor of the United States Department of State[12] Former Defense Department officials[edit] Don Bacon, Brigadier General, United States Air Force; 2016 nominee for Nebraska’s 2nd district (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[105] Seth Cropsey, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict & Interdependent Capabilities[22] Michael B. Donley, United States Secretary of the Air Force (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Eric Edelman, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy[12] Doug Feith, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy[106] Robert Hastings, Acting Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs[22] Tim Kane, United States Air Force intelligence officer; Chief Labor Economist, Joint Economic Committee[22] Mary Beth Long, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs[12] Alberto J. Mora, General Counsel of the Navy (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Gale Pollock, Acting Surgeon General of the United States Army (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Martha Rainville, Major General, United States Air Force; Vermont Adjutant General[22] Michael Rubin, Defense Country Director for Iran and Iraq[22] Kalev Sepp, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations Capabilities[22] Matthew Waxman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[10][12] Paul Wolfowitz, United States Deputy Secretary of Defense; President of the World Bank Group (voting for Clinton)[107] Dov Zakheim, Comptroller of the Department of Defense[12] Former National Security officials[edit] Ken Adelman, Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[10][22] Mike Baker, covert operations officer, Central Intelligence Agency[22] Tom Donnelly, Director of the Policy Group, House Armed Services Committee[22] Gary Edson, Deputy National Security Advisor[12] Richard Falkenrath, Deputy Homeland Security Advisor[12] Peter Feaver, Senior Director for Strategic Planning[12] Aaron Friedberg, Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President[12] Greg Garcia, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Cyber Security and Telecommunications[22] Michael Green, Senior Director for Asia, National Security Council[12] Paul Haenle, Director for China and Taiwan, National Security Council[12] Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2006–09)[12] William Inboden, Senior Director for Strategic Planning, National Security Council[12] James Jeffrey, Deputy National Security Advisor[12] James C. Langdon, Jr., Chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board[12] Deborah Loewer, Director of the White House Situation Room (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[108] Evan McMullin, Operations officer, Central Intelligence Agency; Senior Adviser for National Security, House Foreign Affairs Committee (Independent candidate for President)[109][110] Paul D. Miller, Director for Afghanistan, National Security Council[22] Meghan O’Sullivan, Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan[12] Kori Schake, Director of Defense Strategy, National Security Council[12] Gary Schmitt, Executive Director of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board[22] Brent Scowcroft, National Security Advisor (1975–77, 1989–93); Chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (2001–05) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] David Shedd, Deputy Director of National Intelligence; Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency[22] Stephen Slick, Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, National Security Council[12] Frances Townsend, Homeland Security Advisor[22] Kenneth Wainstein, Homeland Security Advisor[12] Other former federal government officials[edit] Former Chief of Staff to the Vice President and founder of The Weekly Standard Bill Kristol Donald B. Ayer, United States Deputy Attorney General[12] Phillip D. Brady, White House Staff Secretary; White House Cabinet Secretary (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[108] Paul K. Charlton, United States Attorney[111] Linda Chavez, Director of the Office of Public Liaison; 1986 nominee for U.S. Senator from Maryland[28] Jim Cicconi, White House Staff Secretary (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Scott Evertz, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Tony Fratto, Deputy White House Press Secretary[112] Charles Fried, United States Solicitor General; Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[113] Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy; Commissioner of Internal Revenue (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[17] Hugh Hewitt, Assistant White House Counsel; conservative radio host (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[114] Theodore Kassinger, United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce[12] Bill Kristol, Chief of Staff to the Vice President (endorsed Evan McMullin)[115] Rosario Marin, Treasurer of the United States (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[116] John McKay, former United States Attorney (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[117] Andrew Natsios, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development; Chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party[12] Daniel F. Runde, Director of the Global Development Alliance[22] Larry D. Thompson, United States Deputy Attorney General[12] Dan Webb, former United States Attorney (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[118] Peter Wehner, Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives[10] Lezlee Westine, Director of the Office of Public Liaison (2001–2005) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[99][119] Peter Zeidenberg, Assistant United States Attorney[111] Statewide officials[edit] Current Brian Calley, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan (2011–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[120] Spencer Cox, Lieutenant Governor of Utah (2013–present)[121] Kim Guadagno, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey (2010–present)[122] Former Paul Anderson, Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court (1994–2013) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[123] Greg Bell, Lieutenant Governor of Utah (2009–13) (endorsed Evan McMullin)[124] Bob Brown, Secretary of State of Montana (2001–05) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[125] Betty Montgomery, Attorney General of Ohio (1995–2003), Ohio State Auditor (2003–07)[126] Mark Shurtleff, Attorney General of Utah (2001–13) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[127] Robert Smith, Associate Judge of the New York Court of Appeals (2004–14) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[128] Michael Steele, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland (2003–07) and RNC Chair (2009–11)[129] Diana Taylor, New York Superintendent of Banks (2003–07) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[130] Grant Woods, Attorney General of Arizona (1991–99) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[131] State legislators[edit] Current Jack Ciattarelli, New Jersey State Representative (2011–present) (withdrew endorsement)[122] Kurt Daudt, Minnesota State Representative (2011–present), Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives (2015–present) (called on Trump to withdraw his candidacy)[132] David Johnson, Iowa State Senator (2003–present)[37][133] Mark B. Madsen, Utah State Senator (2005–present) (endorsed Gary Johnson)[134] Charisse Millett, Alaska State Representative (2009–present), Majority Leader (2015–present) (withdrew endorsement)[135][136] Ross Spano, Florida State Representative (2012–present)[80] Joe Sweeney, New Hampshire State Representative (2012–present) (withdrew endorsement)[137] Former Lois Sherman Hagarty, Pennsylvania State Representative (1980–92)[138] Brian Lees, Massachusetts State Senator (1989–2007), Minority Leader (1993–2007)[139] Jack McGregor, Pennsylvania State Senator (1963–70) (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[108] Will Weatherford, Florida State Representative (2006–14), Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (2012–14)[140] Municipal officials[edit] Joel Giambra, former Erie County Executive (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[141] Carlos A. Giménez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County (endorsed Hillary Clinton)[142] Danny Jones, Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia (endorsed Gary Johnson)[143][144] Aimee Winder Newton, Member of the Salt Lake County Council (withdrew endorsement)[145] Tomás Regalado, Mayor of Miami[146] Other notable individuals[edit] | 1 |
NBCUniversal heads into the next three Olympics — all of them in Asia — faced with a critical question: Was the viewership for the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro a fluke or a harbinger of fraying audiences over the next six years? The answer, for now, is unknown, as NBC prepares for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing (which hosted the Summer Olympics eight years ago). No one is certain how much further consumers will alter their media habits, how much further television viewing will be diminished, or what new technologies will emerge during that time. A further challenge to carrying an Olympics in Asia: the to time differences between the host cities and New York. “You’d be a lot less concerned if you were in the United States or in Continental Europe,” said Rich Greenfield, an analyst at BTIG Research. “Ninety percent of the content from Asia will be happening when we’re asleep — and when we wake up we’ll see our Twitter feeds and news stories telling us what has already happened. ” NBC works with the international federations that govern Olympic sports and the International Olympic Committee to get the most favorable scheduling. For games in Asian locations, NBC’s goal is to have as many marquee sports as possible — swimming, diving, track and field and gymnastics in the summer figure skating and skiing in the winter — taking place at times when they will be live in prime time on the East Coast. NBC would not necessarily need to cover gymnastics live in Brazil, it showed the events on a delay of several hours. Still, scheduling events in prime time can be a tight squeeze. Events that start at noon in Korea in 2018 would be seen at 10 p. m. the prior day in the Eastern time zone. And NBC cannot get everything it desires in scheduling despite the enormous rights fees it pays other countries’ networks, including those in Europe, for example, push for favorable scheduling of their own to televise their popular sports. Neal Pilson, an industry consultant and former head of CBS Sports, said: “If you asked NBC’s preference, they’d probably prefer not to have three straight in Asia, but they bought into the process without knowing where they would be held. But I think NBC will figure out a way to prevail in terms of scheduling. ” Still, even a favorable time zone like Brazil’s did not deliver for NBC as the network had expected. NBC thought that the greater number of live broadcasts from Rio would produce audiences larger than those amassed for London four years ago. But at 25. 4 million, NBC’s broadcast audience fell 18 percent from the 31 million that watched the London Games. It added 2. 1 million more viewers from live streaming and Olympic events on the NBCSN and Bravo cable networks. In all, the three sources of viewership did not combine to match London’s performance. “Television is in a secular decline,” Mr. Greenfield said, adding that viewers increasingly accustomed to online series are likely to grow increasingly dissatisfied with NBC’s model that compels viewers to wait for their favorite sport to be shown. Still, even with decreased viewership, NBC dominated prime time during the Rio Games and boosted to viewership on other company programming like the “Today” show, “NBC Nightly News,” “Access Hollywood” and late local newscasts. In addition, 3. 3 billion minutes of Olympic events, replays and highlights were streamed on NBC’s Olympic website and the NBC Sports app. “The Olympics are the only events of its kind, dominating prime time for 17 straight nights, 118 Summer Olympic nights in a row,” Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports Group, said in a statement, referring to the past Summer Olympics NBC had televised. With billions of dollars invested in the Olympics, NBC hopes it can somehow increase those dominating audiences as it goes to Korea, Japan and China. | 1 |
FORT WORTH, Tex. — The dinner crowd was sparse for a downtown steakhouse, a handful of families and couples lost in conversations. Ryan Lundeby, 32, an Army Ranger with five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, took in the scene from his table, seemingly meditative beneath his shaved head and long beard. He was not. “He watches, he’s always watching he notices everything,” said his wife, Mary. “Superman noticing skills, that’s what I call it. Look, he’s doing it now — Ryan?” “That table over there,” Mr. Lundeby said, his voice soft, his eyes holding a line. “The guy threw his straw wrapper on the ground. I’m waiting to see if he picks it up. ” He did not. Mr. Lundeby’s breathing slowed. After 14 years of war, the number of veterans with multiple tours of combat duty is the largest in modern American history — more than 90, 000 soldiers and Marines, many of them elite fighters who deployed four or more times. New evidence suggests that these veterans are not like most others when it comes to adjusting to civilian life. An analysis of Army data shows that, unlike most of the military, these soldiers’ risk of committing suicide actually drops when they are deployed and soars after they return home. For the 85 percent of soldiers who make up the rest of the service and were deployed, the reverse is true. “It’s exactly the opposite of what you see in the trauma literature, where more exposure predicts more problems,” said Ronald Kessler of Harvard, who led the study. The findings may shed a clearer light on the need of this important group of veterans, whose experience is largely unparalleled in American history, in their numerous exposures to insurgent warfare, without clear fronts or predictable local populations. Researchers are finding that these elite fighters do not easily fit into the classic mold of veterans traumatized by their experience in war. As psychologists and others grow to understand this, they are starting to rethink some approaches to their treatment. The idea that these elite fighters can adapt solely by addressing emotional trauma, some experts said, is badly misplaced. Their primary difficulty is not necessarily one of healing emotional wounds they thrived in combat. It is rather a matter of unlearning the very skills that have kept them alive: unceasing vigilance snap decision making intolerance for carelessness the urge to act fast and decisively. “I don’t even leave my house much,” said Jeff Ewert, who served with the Marines in Iraq and now lives in Utah. “I’m scared not because I’m an or anything. I just minimize my exposure because I know how easy it is to cross that line, to act without thinking. ” Alan Peterson, an Air Force veteran who oversees two large research consortiums studying combat stress at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is sharply aware of the challenges. “Turning off this after returning from a deployment is not an automatic function of the brain,” he said. “We have virtually no science to guide us in managing these instincts. We need to figure that out, or we’re going to end up with a generation that struggles for much of their lives. ” Mr. Lundeby’s Ranger battalion specialized in extractions — surprise raids on insurgents. The soldiers usually struck at night — vampire work, some called it — and often the missions were over within a couple of hours. It is one thing to train for such work. It is another to perform well when something goes sideways. In a 2007 raid in Baghdad, the team blew the front door off a house, leaving a screen door . The first man inside — the point man and team leader — tripped on the screen and fell down. Mr. Lundeby was behind him. “You want to help him, you feel this almost tidal pull,” he said. “But that’s someone else’s job yours is to keep the momentum going. ” He next remembers being in the house, the green haze of the gear, going room to room, watching for anything amiss. And then, a few doors down, “We pulled the guy out, put him in the truck, and were gone, done. ” The military is very good at identifying and amplifying the psychological factors that make a fighter. The Pentagon has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on testing and analyzing these elements, but its researchers publish very few of their findings and refuse to speak in specifics on the record. Psychiatrists and psychologists who have worked with the military say the mental profile is based largely on two kinds of testing. One is a questionnaire that assesses personality. The other test is intended to gauge performance. People who excel in combat tend to be assertive, active, and enthusiastic. “I hate to use the cliché, but these are guys who love to be at the tip of the spear,” said a psychologist who works with the military he asked that his name be omitted to protect that relationship. “It’s more than the camaraderie there’s a need to protect life, directly — and if necessary, to take life. ” The performance measure has more to do with attention and decision making. It is based in part on a theory of concentration “styles,” developed by researchers studying athletes. “The classic analyst takes in the information and then retreats into their head and wants to think about it, then maybe checks the environment again and thinks some more,” said Dr. Charles A. Morgan III, a psychiatrist at the University of New Haven who has worked extensively with Special Operations forces. The elite combat troops operate much differently, he said. “They immediately take in their surroundings they have a high degree of external focus. But they’re able to switch internally, make a quick decision — then act and adjust as they go. ” In training and in combat, this intense awareness and decision making become much sharper. “Essentially the decision making and acting become second nature,” said Bret Moore, the deputy director of the Army’s Warrior Resiliency Program of the Regional Health in San Antonio. “You do not want these guys thinking too much. ” That may help explain the recent suicide findings. The research team, led by Dr. Kessler of Harvard and Dr. Robert Ursano of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, analyzed 496 suicides among men in the Army from 2004 to 2009. The risks for two jobs — infantryman and combat engineer — were higher across the board, at 37 per 100, 000 each year. But the rate was 30 per 100, 000 while deployed, compared with 40 per 100, 000 when back home. The rate across the rest of the Army was much lower at home, 15 per 100, 000, compared with during deployment, where it was 22 per 100, 000. “These are the guys, we think, who are getting into fights, or in trouble with the law, who are impulsive and don’t manage well when they’re back in a civilian world that seems boring and frustrating,” Dr. Kessler said. Mr. Lundeby had the makings of a combat soldier from an early age. Growing up in Modesto, Calif. the younger of two brothers, he was mostly easygoing — a Boy Scout, a driven athlete — but for a sensitivity to injustices, small and large. “He had this intense sense of what was fair and just, and he would go toe to toe” with anyone, said his mother, Vicky Lundeby. “He had to be the one to make things right. ” That quality left him feeling bored and disconnected after high school, studying graphic arts at a local community college. The news coming out of Iraq in 2003 put him in motion: He signed up for the Army Reserve, then the National Guard. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina landed his Guard unit in New Orleans, working for a month to contain looting and help people evacuate to safety. “I decided, right there,” he said, “I want to do this every day. ” “Katrina changed him,” said his father, Luther. “I feel like it gave him that purpose he wanted. ” Ryan Lundeby joined the Army and soon set his sights on the Rangers, beginning an intense training regimen. In 2007, he deployed for the first time, to Iraq. “It felt like Christmas finally, a chance to do this for keeps. ” But returning home for good in 2010, he was a man on constant patrol. He raged at fellow drivers whom he considered rude or careless. He confronted litterers, often by picking up the offending cigarette butt or wrapper and throwing it in their faces. When a driver cut off Mary, then his fiancée, on her way home from work, he jumped on his motorcycle in nothing but running shorts and prowled the neighborhood to make the man pay. “I don’t know what I would have done if I’d found him,” he said. “But I feel like that’s what happens to guys. You react — and next thing you know, the police are there. ” The combat veterans in this category form “a pretty closed club,” said Ford Sypher, a friend of Mr. Lundeby’s and a fellow Ranger, who deployed five times and, after leaving the Army, has returned to the Middle East, now as a documentary filmmaker. “We don’t talk about this stuff much with anyone. But we’re all trying to figure out ways to manage it. ” For now, there is no therapy that reliably reverses or dials down the instincts acquired in multiple combat tours. researchers are experimenting with a variety of approaches for these veterans, including virtual reality and biofeedback techniques, in effect to train new instincts that overwrite the old ones. There are psychologists who argue that vigilance, snap decision making and other combat attributes can be helpful in some aspects of civilian life. “You begin by letting people know that they’re not crazy, it’s not at all abnormal to have these reactions — it’s normal,” said Richard Tedeschi, a psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, who works with veterans. And those skills, he added, “can be turned to a future mission, whether that’s related to family, or helping other vets, or to a job. ” Mr. Lundeby has been lucky. He has a supportive family and group of friends, and a wife who understands his quirks and helps him manage them. She was the one who demanded he visit a veterans clinic, which led to therapy with a former Marine who understood how to get him to think before acting — even if the urge was strong. “He got me to ask, ‘Do I have time to do this — to right every wrong? ’” said Mr. Lundeby, who several months ago landed his first job, at a helicopter manufacturer. “And he got me to see the humanity of the people I was confronting. ” “So I may always be a Ranger, in some ways,” he said, “but I’ve stopped trying to be the world’s sheriff. ” | 1 |
WATCH: Trump Gropes, Humiliates Miss Universe Just To Get REVENGE By Karen Shiebler
It is absolutely incredible that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is still trying to deny his sexual misconduct.
First the man brags about grabbing women and kissing them without consent, then he acts completely outraged that anyone would ever accuse him of doing just that. As a literal parade of women have come forward, one after another, to accuse the candidate of grabbing them, he has responded by threatening to sue them.
It is hard to believe that anyone would believe Trump’s shallow denials, but if there is anyone out there who still needs convincing, here you go .
A video has surfaced from 2011 showing Donald J. Trump publicly humiliating a beauty pageant contestant with sexual jokes at her expense and an unwanted grope in front of thousands of corporate audience members.
Not only did Trump embarrass the woman and grab her in public, he did it out of a very twisted desire for revenge.
The need for revenge moves Trump’s misogyny out of the realm of the creepy and into the realm of the truly sick.
Here’s what happened, according to reports .
Trump was speaking to a corporate audience in Sydney, Australia in 2011. As he often does in his corporate speeches, Trump talked about getting revenge on those who have slighted him. He said: “Get even with people. If they screw you, screw them back 10 times as hard. I really believe that.”
What a prince.
He went on to give the crowd an example of how he gets even. He decided to single out a woman named Jennifer Hawkins. She was the 2004 winner of the Miss Universe Pageant, which Trump owned. He had asked the beauty queen, who is Australian, to introduce him at the corporate event, but there had been some type of miscommunication.
Either that, or she had simply declined to do so.
Either way, Trump was furious at Ms. Hawkins. He wanted the crowd to see how he handled his anger at a perceived snub. As he talked about getting revenge, he said : “I’ll give you an example: Jennifer Hawkins. Where’s Jennifer? Where’s she sitting? Get over here, Jennifer. First of all, how beautiful is Jennifer? This is about getting even.” Trump pulled Hawkins up on the stage, telling the crowd how angry he had been at her. When she tried to explain herself, Trump pulled the mic away from her and told the crowd how she had “dissed” him after he had made her a “big star” through his pageant. He disregarded her attempts to explain, instead choosing to make a sexual joke of her. “So what happens is ― and you know what? She came tonight, she came ― came, she came, she came.” When the audience dutifully laughed at Ms. Hawkins’ expense, Trump added: “See, so they have the same filthy minds in Australia.” Oh, ha,ha. What a sick adolescent mind. What an ass. It got worse, though. Trump grabbed the embarrassed woman and pulled her in for a clearly unwanted kiss. She managed to get an arm in between them, but Trump still managed to kiss her cheek. This is all on video, folks. This is right there for everyone to see. The disgusting sexual pervert who wants to be our next President can’t dismiss this one with a threat to sue. He can’t pretend that it didn’t happen. Because we can all watch it. Right here .
Featured image via YouTube Screengrab . About Karen Shiebler
Karen is a retired elementary school teacher with many years of progressive activism behind her. She is the proud mother of three young adults who were all arrested with Occupy Wall Street. To see what she writes about in her spare time, check out her blog at "Empty Nest, Full Life" Connect | 0 |
Emmanuelle Riva, whose performance in the antiwar film “Hiroshima Mon Amour” in 1959 placed her at the center of the French New Wave — and who, more than 50 years later, became the oldest person nominated for an Academy Award for best lead actor or actress, as a woman debilitated by strokes in “Amour” — died on Friday in Paris. She was 89. The cause was cancer, her agent, Anne Alvares Correa, said. “Hiroshima Mon Amour,” directed by Alain Resnais and written by Marguerite Duras, was one of the first internationally acclaimed films to emerge from the French New Wave, a movement that rejected classic cinematic storytelling with youthful irreverence. In the United States it was an hit. “With his first feature film,” Andrew Sarris wrote in The Village Voice, “Resnais has made the most important contribution to realizable film aesthetics since ‘Citizen Kane. ’” The movie opens with Ms. Riva, playing an actress who has come to Hiroshima to make a film promoting peace, and her Eiji Okada, as an architect, in a lovers’ embrace. Their faces are unseen and their limbs are covered in what appears to be ash, as if from a nuclear blast, that is then washed away. They speak in . Ms. Riva says she has seen evidence of the bomb’s effects in a hospital and a museum. But Mr. Okada rebukes her, over and over: “You saw nothing in Hiroshima. Nothing. ” She reveals tortured memories of an affair she had during World War II in her native Nevers, France, with a German soldier. Her living and dead lovers become linked — as do the horrors of Nevers and Hiroshima. Looking back at it nearly a later, the critic Michael Koresky said that Ms. Riva’s performance was “responsible for much of the emotional heft” of the film and that “the range of feelings that run across Riva’s face is perhaps the most unforgettable element. ” Ms. Riva sensed at the time that “Hiroshima Mon Amour” might turn out to be the creative peak of a film career that had just begun. “I think I was particularly blessed because I put my trust in Alain Resnais,” she told an interviewer at the Cannes Film Festival in 1959, when the film was shown there. But, she added: “I feel like I might be a disappointment after this, because Resnais pushed me to excel. He made me reach certain heights. ” Paulette Germaine Riva was born on Feb. 24, 1927, in Chenimenil, in northeastern France, and grew up in nearby Remiremont. Her father, René Alfred Riva, was a sign writer her mother, the former Jeanne Fernande Nourdin, was a seamstress. An only child, she never married and had no children. Ms. Riva had wanted to act since she was a child, she later said, but felt that her ambition was circumscribed by her family’s modest life in a rural village. She began performing in regional theater, but also trained as a seamstress before she entered acting school in Paris in her . “If I had failed, I’d be dead,” she told the French newspaper Libération. “I did not have a second to lose. ” Her first role on the Paris stage was in Shaw’s “Arms and the Man” in 1954. Five years later, Mr. Resnais cast her as the nameless actress in “Hiroshima Mon Amour. ” In the decades that followed, Ms. Riva toggled from movies to stage work to television series. She distinguished herself in movies like “Léon Morin, Priest” (1961) but she never had another role as sensational as the one she played in “Hiroshima Mon Amour. ” “I refused as many offers as I accepted,” she told The New York Times in 2013. “I refused commercial roles. But it was wrong, I have been too extreme, and I don’t say it was good. ” Then the Austrian director Michael Haneke — who told The Times in 2012 that as a young man he had been “captivated” by Ms. Riva’s performance in “Hiroshima Mon Amour” — asked her to audition for “Amour. ” “Clearly he wanted to see me again after all these years,” she told The Guardian in 2013. “I was in his head, perhaps. ” In “Amour,” Ms. Riva played Anne, a retired music teacher who is failing mentally and physically. Her husband, Georges, played by Trintignant, devotedly cares for her. Writing in The Times, Manohla Dargis called them “two titans of French cinema. ” In an interview with the entertainment news website TheWrap. com, she said that Mr. Haneke had only one direction for her as she worked with Mr. Trintignant. “We were doing a scene,” she recalled, “and he said, ‘It’s very nice — very sweet, very tender — but it’s too tender. No sentimentality. From here on in, no sentimentality.’ This was the key that opened the horizon of the film. Once I heard that, it became much more clear. ” “Amour” won the Academy Award for best film. Ms. Riva did not win the Oscar for best actress — she lost to Jennifer Lawrence for “Silver Linings Playbook” — but she won the César, the French version of the Oscar, and a Bafta film award, from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, for the role. After the release of “Amour,” she said in an interview with The Times, she received a letter from a friend who wondered how she had aged “so tragically in front of our eyes. ” She explained: “Anne is another person, it isn’t me. It is a journey into someone else, someone I’m not. ” | 1 |
By Bernie Suarez A recent video released by a LiveLeak source shows a staged car bomb explosion followed by what I call must-watch jaw-dropping crisis... | 0 |
Small Stocks Threaten Breakdown – Can They Hang On? by IWB · October 27, 2016
by Dana Lyons
The Russell 2000 Small-Cap Index has violated (for now) the 2 key uptrend lines that we recently identified.
A main theme recently among both our posts and our quantitative risk analysis has been the battle between weakening market internals and resilient price averages. Despite deteriorating breadth and momentum, most of the major averages had been able to hold above the key levels that we’ve identified. For example, just 9 days ago , we highlighted 2 Up trendlines on the chart of the Russell 2000 Small-Cap Index (RUT). These lines (e.g., the post-2009 and post-February Up trendlnes), we suggested, were the key in determining whether the RUT would maintain its upward trajectory (above the lines), or see an expansion in potential downside. Recently, the RUT had been able (barely) to hold the top side of of the trendlines and maintain its path of least resistance to the upside. That path may have shifted today.
As these updated charts show, the RUT closed below the 2 key trendlines today – albeit by a fairly slim margin.
Wide Angle:
Close-Up:
While the winds may have potentially shifted following today’s action, the overall message here is the same as it was 9 days ago. Thus, we will repeat what we stated in that post:
If the RUT should “Continue to hold above the trendlines, the bulls will remain in control and the intermediate-term rally in small-cap stocks can persist further. Should the level give way, however, the bears may have their chance to finally deliver a more serious blow.”
Absent a quick recovery of the broken trendlines, the bears would appear to have their chance now, especially given the elevated status of our broad market risk assessment. The question is will they finally follow through, or will the small stocks manage to narrowly hang on once again? | 0 |
Kidney Protective Liver protective The table below reveals in detail what parts of the coconut palm are responsible for producing these aforementioned biological effects. Click to view the fully enlarged versions of the table here . In support of these findings, the GreenMedInfo.com database presently contains research on the coconut palm’s potential therapeutic value in preventing and/or treating over 50 different conditions , and expressing 16 different beneficial biological effects. You can view the supporting studies on our coconut research page . The new study, titled “ Cocos nucifera (L.) (Arecaceae): A phytochemical and pharmacological review ,” also reviewed the toxicity literature on the coconut palm’s various constituents and found there was no evidence of acute toxicity, and only low toxicity associated with chronic exposure. The study summarized the story of the coconut palm’s fascinating spread around the world as follows: The plant is originally from Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines) and the islands between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. From that region, the fruit of the coconut palm is believed to have been brought to India and then to East Africa. After the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, this plant was introduced into West Africa and, from there, dispersed to the American continent and to other tropical regions of the globe.” The review also summarized the traditional healing applications of the coconut palm. This is an important, complementary data set, because though many of the traditional uses have not yet been tested and validated by science, they may actually work exceptionally well for these conditions in actual practice. The traditional uses were also summarized in the following paragraph: In Brazil, extract from the husk fiber of C. nucifera is used to treat diarrhea (7). In Papua New Guinea, the leaves and roots of young plants are chewed as treatment for diarrhea and stomachaches (8,9). In Fiji, coconut oil is used to prevent hair loss and coconut water is used to treat renal disease (10). In Ghana, people use coconut milk to treat diarrhea (11). In Guatemala, the husk fiber extract is used as an antipyretic, to reduce renal inflammation, and as a topic ointment for dermatitis, abscesses, and injuries (12). In Haiti, a decoction of the dry pericarp is used for oral treatment of amenorrhea, and the oil is applied as an ointment to burns (13); an aqueous extract from the husk fiber is also used for oral asthma treatment (14). In India, infusions made with the coconut inflorescence are used for the oral treatment of menstrual cycle disorders (15). In Indonesia, the oil is used as a wound ointment, the coconut milk is used as an oral contraceptive, and fever and diarrhea are treated with the root extract (16–18). In Jamaica, the husk fiber extract is used to treat diabetes (19,20). In Mozambique, the fruit is consumed by men as an aphrodisiac (21). Peruvians use the aqueous extract of the fresh coconut fiber orally for asthma, as a diuretic, and for gonorrhea (22). In Trinidad, bark extract is used orally for amenorrhea and dysmenorrhea, and bark tea is used to treat venereal diseases (23). In Mexico, coconut is used to treat various disorders associated with urogenital tract infection by Trichomonas vaginalis (24). A decoction of the white flesh of the fruit is used in rural Malaysia to treat fever and malaria (25). In Kenya, the fruit is used to relieve skin rash caused by HIV infection (26). The study concluded, Cocos nucifera is a widely dispersed plant that has important pharmacological effects with low toxicity. Furthermore, medicinal use of C. nucifera has an environmental appeal, since this plant is widely used in the food industry and use of discarded plant parts will reduce waste and pollution. The pharmacological effects of the plant differ according to the part of the plant or fruit used. Antioxidant activity predominated in the constituents of the endocarp and coconut water. In addition, the fiber showed antibacterial, antiparasitic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Only the ethanolic extract of the root had depressant and anticonvulsant action on the central nervous system. Coconut water seems to have protective effects, e.g., on the kidney and heart, and antioxidant activity, as well as a hypoglycemic effect. For more information on the amazing properties of coconut, read the following popular articles on the topic: | 1 |
49 Views October 30, 2016 GOLD , KWN King World News
With continued uncertainty in global markets, today the man who has become legendary for his predictions on QE, historic moves in currencies, and major global events, spoke with King World News about the the coming ‘Super Depression,’ social unrest, wars, cyberwar, $10,000 gold, and $1,000 silver.
The Beginning Of The End Egon von Greyerz: “ Money printing and debt is just the most beautiful scheme invented by governments to make ends meet and give the people whatever they want. In this perfect system, it makes not the slightest difference if the budget doesn’t balance. Conventional methods of increasing taxes or reducing government expenses is old hat and totally unnecessary. With modern methods, such trivial problems are solved by the printing press…
Continue reading the Egon von Greyerz interview below…
In a King World News interview I spoke with the man who predicted the Swiss National Bank would experience staggering losses and that the Fed would also experience massive losses that will destabilize the global financial system! His company is the only one in the world offering a precious metals investment service outside the banking system, with direct ownership and full control by the investor. He has also become legendary for his predictions on QE, historic moves in currencies, and major global events. To find out what he and his company can do to help answer that age old question for you CLICK HERE. Sponsored
Egon von Greyerz continues: “ More social security, more guns or major infrastructure projects; whatever is required there is money printing. Because printing presses have no limit. And with computers, a few zeros can easily be added. The problems in the HC Andersen saga “The Emperor’s new clothes” don’t exist today. At that time, they had run out of gold in their coffers and therefore the emperor had to go naked.
Today no president must be naked since the printing press can dress both him as well as all the people. And after he has finished his term, his banker friends will use him so he can earn $100s of millions by just giving speeches and networking. Everybody benefits, the poor get more welfare, the middle classes can borrow money for houses and cars and the rich accumulate incredible wealth. This system is so good that working can be made voluntary. All that is needed is to print a bit more money to feed everyone whether they are working or not.
The system described above has worked incredibly well for the last 45 years since Nixon abandoned the gold backing of the dollar. Gold doesn’t fit into a modern monetary system. It restricts the unlimited expansion of money and credit which is the new paradigm for prosperity and growth.
In 1971 the US Federal debt was $398 billion. Forty years later the US will have a debt of $20 trillion by the time the new president comes into office. That makes a compound annual growth rate of the debt of 9%. This rate remains fairly constant whether it is calculated from 1971, 1981 or later. If we extrapolate it four years to the end of the new president’s period it would give a debt by the end of 2024 of $28 trillion. And if we go ten years forward to the end of 2026, the debt will be a staggering $47 trillion. So president ‘Trunton’ and whoever follows after him/her will just have to speed up the printing presses a bit more.
The Hairy 1970s But wait, what about a slowdown in GDP, a decrease in tax revenues, major bank defaults, much higher interest rates and more weapons for the military and possibly some major wars. These are all likely events in the next few years. As bond and credit markets collapse, we will see interest rates at least in the high teens like in the 1970s. This will also kill the $1.5 quadrillion derivative market. Well, all of this is not a problem either. Just needs more money printing. Instead of printing trillions, we just add a few zeros and make it into quadrillions or quintillions. We might even get to googols (1 with hundred zeros). The founders of Google never thought that would happen in their lifetime. Or did they?
The great advantage in this new economic system is that taxes become totally redundant. Firstly, very few people will have a job and for the ones who do, they won’t be able to afford to pay any tax. Secondly, the little tax they can pay is totally irrelevant in an economy where the government needs to print unlimited amounts of money to prevent the inevitable collapse. In this context, tax revenue becomes incidental. The rich will be heavily taxed, probably nearer 100% income tax to placate the masses.
But most of the rich will never pay these taxes. In many countries, like the US, there will be schemes that minimize taxes for the rich to virtually nothing. Wealth taxes will be extremely high in most countries and this could be a problem for the wealthy since hyperinflation initially will drive asset prices up to very high nominal levels. Most governments will be in total disarray when hyperinflation starts. That includes civil servants and tax inspectors. Their system never assumed hyperinflation and they will be totally incapable to calculate and collect taxes. But this won’t be a problem that a bit more money printing can’t solve.
Social Unrest, Wars, And Cyberwars What every government in hyperinflationary economies fails to understand is that adding debt to a debt problem just exacerbates the problem. Zimbabwe still haven’t learned, despite their recent experience of hyperinflation. They now need to print money again since they still have no idea how to govern the country. This coming hyperinflationary era will benefit no one. Governments will lose control, people will lose their jobs and there will be social unrest and probably wars, including cyberwars. World trade and economic activity will collapse. Asset markets might boom for a while, reflecting to hyperinflationary price levels. But this will be short lived and follow the pattern of all hyperinflationary economies because hyperinflation always goes hand in hand with depressions.
Credit markets will also fall fast due to severe economic conditions, high interest rates and the inability of borrowers to service their loans. Indexation of loans in line with inflation is also a possibility. It has happened before.
In every case of hyperinflation in history, it has always affected just one country or region. Between 1700 and today, there have been around 150 instances of hyperinflation in various countries around the world. When a country has defaulted on its debt, any foreign creditors obviously had to write off their claim. So far these write-offs have been manageable. However, the coming period of major defaults will involve such astronomical amounts on a global scale which cannot be absorbed by any country.
A World Drowning In Debt The coming global hyperinflationary period is unlikely to last more than a few years. During this period, there will be debts of a magnitude that computers are unlikely to cope with. Before the world can get on a sound footing again, all this debt must disappear. There is clearly no chance of ever paying it off. And there is no possibility for the world to grow again as long as this debt is overhanging the world economy. Therefore, the only solution is an implosion of the debt.
But when this happens, all assets financed by this debt will also implode in value. This will create a global super depression that will be devastating for every individual on earth. It will also involve a major reduction in world population due to poverty, famine, lack of medicine and hospital care, disease, social unrest and wars. The world has been through these periods before. In the mid-14th century Black Death halved Europe’s population and possibly also the whole world’s.
After a period of excesses that we have seen in the last 100 years, a correction is due. This correction is the only way for the world to get back to a sound base on which future growth and prosperity can be built. But sadly, the transition will be horrific and could last a very long time.
Gold & Silver Demand To Skyrocket As The System Breaks Down During the economic, financial and geopolitical calamities that we will see in coming years, there will be times when the financial system will not function and when paper money will be worthless. The demand for physical gold and silver will then increase exponentially. At that time, no one will accept paper gold or silver. So the paper market, which is many hundred times the physical market, will collapse. Comex together with other futures markets will then default since they will neither have the gold or silver nor the money to settle the paper claims.
The same will happen to all the bullion banks, investment banks and the BIS. They will all have lost control of the paper market in precious metals. Instead, prices will only be determined in the physical market. As people scramble to get hold of physical gold and silver at any price, there will be periods when there is ‘no offer.’ This means that physical gold or silver cannot be found at any price. These will be the times when gold will go up not just hundreds of dollars but also thousands of dollars.
For any buyer who is waiting to buy physical gold or silver, I would advise them to buy now at current prices, which are unlikely to ever be seen in history. There could soon be times when physical shortages will make it impossible to get hold of gold and silver.
$10,000 Gold And $1,000 Silver My longstanding target of $10,000 gold is in today’s money. Taking into account credit creation, money printing and inflation in the last 26 years, this is a very realistic target that could well be exceeded. Silver on the same basis could reach $500-1,000. But remember that these targets don’t take the coming hyperinflation into account. With that we need to add quite a few zeros to the gold and silver price.
The wonderful thing is that investors can still today take advantage of the current low prices to buy physical gold and silver based on the paper prices for the metals. But remember, this situation is unlikely to last for much longer.”
***KWN has now released the remarkable audio interview with Nomi Prins CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW.
***ALSO RELEASED: FINANCIAL CRACK-UP: Nomi Prins Just Warned When The System Crashes This Time, It Will Crash Harder CLICK HERE.
***KWN has also released Rick Rule’s timely audio interview CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW.
© 2015 by King World News®. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. However, linking directly to the articles is permitted and encouraged. About author | 1 |
We all know a new era dawns in Washington in approximately 12 days, but why should Hollywood wait? Kicking off the E! red carpet show at the 74th Annual Golden Globes on Sunday night, Ryan Seacrest served notice to all that as far as awards season goes, change starts now. “‘Who are you wearing?’ That’s so done,” he said, not long before admitting he was, as it happened, wearing a tuxedo from his Ryan Seacrest Distinction collection. Conflict of interest issues aside, it was a provocative statement, even in a time when practically every day brings a new provocative statement over the Twitter superhighway. Could it be true? Would 2017 usher in a time when actresses (and actors) did not have to their clothes as part of the price of entry? Dream on. The complex is alive and well and serving its prime purpose: marketing a moment of fantasy and escape. Kerry Washington did her job by not only introducing her dress as by Dolce Gabbana but by announcing that it was their special couture line and had never appeared on a red carpet before. Never, in other words, been seen by the general public’s eyes. Sprinkle a little of that diamond dust on all of us. She wasn’t the only one who could. Ruth Negga also modeled gold: this time sequins, this time with a futuristic cool, this time by Nicolas Ghesquière for Louis Vuitton. (It never hurts to send a subliminal message by modeling yourself after a statuette, perhaps the reason it was something of a trend.) When Lily Collins appeared in full pink beaded Zuhair Murad, her oversize bun like a nest just made for some twittering Disney canaries to land in, it was clear as far as fashion went we were in, well, La La Land. There were trains, on Winona Ryder’s strapless black Viktor Rolf ball gown and Claire Foy’s Titania dress. Pink was a dominant color, as seen on Felicity Jones, doing a kind of sexy Jane Eyre impersonation in trompe l’oeil Gucci, and Carrie Underwood, in a top so was yellow (Natalie Portman’s maternity Prada, ’ and very Jackie) and yet more gold on Naomie Harris in an Armani column and Sarah Paulson in Marc Jacobs. Mandy Moore had a chiffon cape attached to the back of her plunging Naeem Khan gown, the better to do some superhero billowing with a twirl. And if Nicole Kidman’s Alexander McQueen slip dress was a bit of a medieval shipwreck, and Drew Barrymore’s Monique Lhuillier suggested she was about to transform into a superglamorous sea gull, Emma Stone’s Valentino covered in stars hinted she could twinkle like a constellation all on her own. And so it went. Sarah Jessica Parker swept by in a white Vera Wang dress (not really, presumably). Ye olde Hollywood brigade was best represented by Brie Larson in full Veronica Lake waves and red strapless Rodarte gown with a beaded, corseted top Blake Lively in molded black velvet Versace with gold chain mail trim and a host of liquid sequined columns on Viola Davis ( yellow, Michael Kors) Amy Adams (strapless, wine black, Tom Ford) and Kristen Bell ( black Jenny Packham). But then Evan Rachel Wood showed up in a custom Altuzarra tuxedo, referencing both David Bowie and Marlene Dietrich, because “I wanted to make sure young women and girls understood they didn’t always have to wear dresses it’s not a requirement. ” Not that she was trying to “protest dresses,” she said. Ditto, presumably, Octavia Spencer, powerful in another custom tux, and also talking about inspiring the next generation of girls. By the time Pharrell Williams appeared in a white Chanel jacket from the “2012 ” women’s collection, the gender gauntlet was thrown. It made all the froth and familiar fantasia seem and close to irrelevant. Sure there were few really silly looks (Janelle Monáe’s Armani and Olivia Culpo’s folkloric Zuhair Murad among them) but there weren’t a lot of memorable ones, either. Thandie Newton, in Monse, wore one of them. strict and the white dress was unadorned — except for a hint of flames licking their way up from hem to calf. Just in case anyone forgot the somewhat incendiary nature of this particular time. | 1 |
FRANKFURT — Germans who never really warmed up to the euro may be able to sleep a little easier. After decades of being safeguarded overseas, the nation’s gold reserves — a large part of them, at least — are once again safe in Frankfurt. Not that the gold was ever in danger of being stolen, according to the Bundesbank, the German central bank, which is in charge of the reserves. But the Bundesbank said on Thursday that it had completed a planned transfer of some $13 billion in gold bars that for historical reasons had been stored in vaults deep below Lower Manhattan. Whether gold matters anymore is questionable in an age of Bitcoin and digital payments. Even paper money is losing importance. But at least for some Germans, many of them nostalgic for the deutsche mark, gold provides reassurance that the embattled euro is underpinned by something tangible. “From a scientific point of view you could say it’s no longer necessary,” Jörg Krämer, chief economist at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, said of the gold reserves. “However, credibility is very important. Gold is perceived as trustworthy. Therefore it still plays a role. ” During the Cold War, when the country was on the front lines of conflict, West Germany moved large amounts of its reserves abroad out of fear they would be seized by an invading Soviet army. Even after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the gold stayed overseas. One reason it took so long to bring it back is that moving gold is not so easy. It is heavy and an obvious target for thieves. But the Bundesbank began repatriating some of the gold in 2013 after an official audit found shortcomings in the way the reserves were accounted for. The bank has been secretive about how it moved the gold, to discourage anyone who might try to steal it. The audit, in 2012, provoked a political outcry among Germans who were shocked to learn that much of their gold was stored not only in Manhattan but also in Paris and London. Rumors circulated that some of the gold was missing. Although there was no evidence of that, the Bundesbank announced a plan to return enough of the gold so that half the reserves would be stored at the central bank’s vaults in Frankfurt by 2020. That goal has almost been reached, with 48 percent of the gold already in Germany. A move involving 300 tons from New York was completed last year, three years ahead of schedule, Thiele, a member of the Bundesbank’s executive board, said in its statement on Thursday. Gold bars accounting for more than of the total reserves will remain in New York about 13 percent will stay in London. The Bundesbank plans to withdraw all the gold stored in Paris. It has already moved 283 tons, with 91 tons left to go. The rationale for leaving some of the gold in New York and London is that they are major trading centers, and the gold could be deployed quickly if the euro collapsed or some other catastrophic economic event occurred. So far, the only gold sold by the Bundesbank has been in the form of commemorative coins. Germans may feel safer with the gold in Frankfurt, but James Rickards, a gold expert and author of “The New Case for Gold,” said that removing the reserves from New York and London could destabilize the gold market. Central bank gold reserves are routinely leased to banks, which use them as the basis for securities linked to gold. Stored in Frankfurt, Mr. Rickards said, the gold is no longer in circulation, leaving less available for lease at a time when demand for gold securities is high. “There is less floating supply,” he said. “It makes the market more unstable. ” While gold’s value is mostly sentimental, Mr. Krämer of Commerzbank acknowledged that it still exerted a powerful influence on the human imagination. “Have you ever touched real gold?” he said. “It has a kind of fascination. Even as an economist I can feel this. ” | 1 |
What the White House is Talking About:
Michelle Obama joins Hillary Clinton this afternoon in North Carolina for their first pairing on the campaign trail.
Of note: A quick search of Getty reveals there hasn't been a photo of the two women together since May 2014, when both accompanied their husbands on a brief tour of the National 9/11 Memorial in New York City.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
With a November 1st open-enrollment date looming, and a week of bad PR, Obama today has a conference call with Affordable Care Act “advocates and stakeholders,” according to the White House.
Obama Going Full-Frontal:
Fresh off his comedic spin on “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and other recent late-night appearances on Colbert and Fallon, Samantha Bee, host of “Full Frontal,” gets her turn with the president. The show announced Obama will be Bee's guest Monday night.
Office Space:
Even though the offices of powerful Washington types look pretty much as you would expect in this New York Times feature out today, it's sort of refreshing to see Valerie Jarrett also keeps a pile of shoes on hand, like me and most working women I know in this town.
Image Credit: Gabriella Demczuk for The New York Times
The story includes the offices of several Cabinet members—Sally Jewel's looks cool—and Obama Chief of Staff Denis McDonough. Also, just sayin .
12 Days to Go, Eat Your Feelings: Part II:
On November 1st you can literally taste the sweet victory of having survived this election cycle with a doughnut from Astro , inspired by the flavors of either candidate. Hillary's is a Spicy Hot Chocolate doughnut with a Chipotle glaze, because she eats hot peppers or whatever, for $2.85. And Trump's is a Vanilla Cherry Coke doughnut, a pillow doughnut filled with cherry compote (gag? a little?), for $3.10.
Image Credit: Rachel Lyn Photography
Our Daily Melania:
This was Melania Trump's face when Donald Trump told George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” this morning that she would be making more speeches on the campaign trail:
Image Credit: Screenshot/ABC News
Apparently, news to her.
The couple were spotted having lunch à deux at BLT Prime inside the new hotel, prepared for them by chef David Burke. Then they went upstairs to a suite for the GMA interview.
On the fashion front, she and Ivanka Trump both wore Roland Mouret dresses to the Trump International Hotel ribbon cutting; hers was this icy blue for $2,215 , and Ivanka's a white with bell-sleeve cuff for $2,570 .
What The Beltway is Talking About:
Bill Clinton Inc. New leaked emails show how money was raised for the Foundation and how Chelsea Clinton expressed concerns over the process.
What America is Talking About:
Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was vandalized with a sledgehammer yesterday.
Here it is being repaired:
Image Credit: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
Trump's Plan B:
Bloomberg Businessweek's cover story, “ Inside The Trump Bunker With 12 Days To Go, ” goes inside the campaign's data operation (their email list is worth up to $112 million and they have a three-pronged voter suppression plan targeting idealistic white liberals, young women, and African Americans) as well as their post-election possibilities (“Win or lose, Trump’s future may well lie in capitalizing on the intense, if limited, political support he has cultivated over the past year.”)
Romney Doesn't Endorse:
The 2012 Republican nominee tweeted yesterday for voters to vote for Republican down-ballot candidates, but made no mention of the presidential race (sorry, Evan McMullin):
Twitter: @ MittRomney
Romney also spoke in D.C. yesterday at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters and said he watched the presidential debates but neither candidate offered solutions to problems like the national debt and entitlements.
Meanwhile, in an Alternative Universe...:
Pollster Frank Luntz said if Hillary Clinton was facing a different Repub , the race would be much different. Her vs. Ted Cruz would be tied, vs. Marco Rubio she'd be down eight points, and vs. John Kasich she'd be down 12 points.
Spooky:
This Tenleytown anti-Trump Halloween display was sent in by Sharon Gang. “Buried in a Landslide” and “Hear Lies ... and Lies ... and Lies ... and Lies Donald Trump.”
Image credit: Sharon Gang
Throwback Thursday: That Time Ivanka Posted a Fireplace on Instagram While Her Father's Campaign Burned:
I'm endlessly fascinated by Ivanka Trump's Instagram account, a calming feed of inspirational quotes and family photos amidst the hurricane of the campaign. It's often bizarre to see what she posts while her father's campaign is facing a major controversy, so I went back through her account to see what she posted during major moments. You can read my full story here , but below are my three favs:
December 7, 2015:
Donald Trump calls for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”
Ivanka posts five black-and-white photos to promote her Ivanka Trump Jewelry campaign. | 1 |
Get short URL 0 16 0 0 Indian and Russian defense delegations discussed joint defense projects and defense issues of mutual interest, in particular, the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the upgrade of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter, the sources at the Indian Defense Ministry sources told Sputnik.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — On Wednesday, the India-Russia intergovernmental commission on military and technical cooperation held a meeting in New Delhi, bringing together the delegations headed by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar. © AP Photo/ Aijaz Rahi India Seeks Foreign Defense Firm to Build Domestic Single-Engine Fighters
"We discussed… the FGFA project and [upgrade] of SU-31 MKI which is presently India's priority," the sources said on Wednesday.
The Russian-Indian FGFA has stealth capabilities and is based on the Russian T-50 prototype jet. The FGFA project came about following the signing of a Russian-Indian cooperation agreement on October 18, 2007. Su-30MKI (Flanker-H) multirole fighter | 0 |
During Thursday’s Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, former FBI Director James Comey stated nine times that he could be “wrong” on various matters, including central points in the probe of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. [Here are each of those nine times, presented in the order of Comey’s testimony: 1 — Asked by Sen. Mark Warner to clarify Comey’s claim that he believed President Trump was seeking to “create some sort of patronage relationship” by inviting him to a dinner at the White House, Comey offered his response with the qualification that he could be “wrong. ” He stated: Well, my impression, and again it’s my impression, I could always be wrong but my common sense told me what was going on is, either he had concluded or someone had told him that you didn’t, you’ve already asked Comey to stay, and you didn’t get anything for it. And that the dinner was an effort to build a relationship, in fact, he asked specifically, of loyalty in the context of asking me to stay. 2 — Comey used the “wrong” qualification when he further interpreted Trump’s intentions at the same dinner: My common sense, again I could be wrong but my common sense told me what’s going on here is, he’s looking to get something in exchange for granting my request to stay in the job. 3 — Comey said he could be “wrong” about his interpretation of an instance on January 6 in which Trump allegedly asked Comey to speak with him alone after a meeting at a conference room at Trump Tower. My impression was something big is about to happen. I need to remember every single word that is spoken, and again, I could be wrong, I’m 56 years old, I’ve been, seen a few things, my sense was the attorney general knew he shouldn’t be leaving which was why he was leaving and I don’t know Kushner well but I think he picked up on the same thing so I knew something was about to happen that I needed to pay very close attention to. 4 — Asked why he thought he was fired from his position as FBI chief, Comey replied: I guess I don’t know for sure. I believe — I think the president, at his word, that I was fired because of the Russia investigation. Something about the way I was conducting it, the president felt created pressure on him that he wanted to relieve. Again, I didn’t know that at the time. I watched his interview. I read the press accounts of his conversations. I take him at his word there. Look, I could be wrong. Maybe he’s saying something that’s not true. I take him at his word, at least based on what I know now. 5 — Comey was asked to interpret a statement that he claims Trump made to him in private in which the director claims Trump stated about an FBI probe into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn that “I hope you could see your way to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go. ” Comey stated: Well, the context and the president’s word are what led me to that conclusion. As I said in my statement, I could be wrong, but Flynn had been forced to resign the day before. And the controversy around general Flynn at that point in time was centered on whether he lied to the vice president about his nature of conversations with the Russians, whether he had been candid with others in the course of that. So that happens on the day before. On the 1, the president makes reference to that. I understood what he wanted me to do was drop any investigation connected to Flynn’s account of his conversations with the Russians. 6 — Comey was asked about a March 30 phone call in which he claims Trump asked him what the FBI could do to “lift the cloud” of the Russia investigation, which Comey says Trump described as impeding the president’s ability to govern. He replied: I think what he meant by the cloud — and, again, I could be wrong — but the entire investigation is taking up oxygen and making it hard for me to focus on what I want to focus on. The ask was to get it out that I, the president, am not personally under investigation. 7 — Comey was asked whether Attorney General Jeff Sessions was aware of concerns about Flynn at the time Sessions was sworn in to the attorney general position. “I don’t as I sit here,” Comey responded. “I don’t recall that he was. I could be wrong, but I don’t remember that he was. ” 8 — Asked whether he had conversations with Trump about the Russia threat that suggested the president was “taking that hostile action seriously,” Comey replied: I don’t remember any interactions with the president other than the initial briefing on January the 6th. I don’t remember — could be wrong, but I don’t remember any conversations with him at all about that. 9 — Comey stated he could have the date “wrong” regarding an alleged phone call from Trump: “There was another phone call that I mentioned could have the date wrong, March 1st, where he called just to check in with me as I was about to get on the hospital. ” Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio. ” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook. With research by Joshua Klein. | 1 |
California Democrats are readying themselves to battle Republicans in Congress over potential attempts to roll back regulations under the Endangered Species Act. [Last month, the Oroville Dam’s spillway malfunctioned, sending gallons of water rushing through an area affecting nearly 200, 000 residents. The damage — beyond the spillway itself — is estimated to be in the millions. However, certain U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations under the Act, which protects endangered species like the Delta smelt, and which require property owners to consult with the agency before carrying out construction or repairs, could present roadblocks to fixing the damages. According to the San Bernardino Sun, “Section 7 consultations” specifically allow wildlife agencies to determine how projects are carried out in order to prevent harm to protected species. Last month, congressional Republicans took aim at the Endangered Species Act because it could prevent necessary projects from taking place — and also, possibly, because of longstanding grievances over the diversion of water from farms to the Delta smelt because of the Act. California Democrats are now pushing back with a state bill that would prevent federal changes from affecting the protection of endangered wildlife at the state level. The California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2017, introduced in December by Democratic state Senators Kevin De León ( Angeles) and Henry Stern ( Park) would require the Golden State to implement environmental laws that are equal to or even more stringent than regulations set into law under federal environmental laws. According to the San Bernardino Sun, the bill, SB 54, seeks to ensure that California maintains and strengthens protections for air, water and endangered species, including for worker safety laws. “This is the least we can do to protect our state,” Sen. Stern reportedly said before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on April 5, the San Bernardino Sun notes. The committee reportedly voted to move the bill forward. President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for the coming fiscal year would reportedly trim $1. 5 billion, or 12 percent, from the Interior Department’s budget, which could directly affect the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service — a move that has some California environmentalists concerned. However, others have argued that existing state and federal regulations already go too far. Some who support the Democratic bill reportedly contend that the Endangered Species Act is in need of reforms that would provide farmers and other property owners with incentives to protect wildlife. The bill’s next stop will be at the State Senate’s Judiciary Committee. Follow Adelle Nazarian on Facebook and Twitter. | 0 |
20 Ways They Truly Were ‘The Greatest Generation’ Posted yesterday Email We won’t soon see their like again.
1. They know that sacrifice isn’t just a word, but a set of meanings associated with that particular word.
2. They ate two raw eggs every morning, two raw eggs in the afternoon, and two raw eggs after sundown, because that’s just what you did.
3. They were 40 feet tall, with long, terrible teeth, and arms thick as a clipper’s mast! And their awful strength was matched only by their appetites!
4. They know that this is the best way to tie a tie:
5. They were married by age 18, had a house by 20, sucked the tongue out of a jackal’s mouth by 23, had their arms and legs ripped off on the radio by 25, and did it all over again by 36.
6. Some of them were named “Leland,” which is wild.
7. They could get under the hood of any car and tell you exactly how they’d fuck it.
8. The previous holder of that title was the generation that came up with the idea for pets, so you gotta think this one’s pretty great.
9. They never threw anything out if they could tuck it under one of their folds.
10. You could kill 100 or even 200 of them, and you still wouldn’t have killed all of them.
11. When it really, really mattered, they put aside differences of race, creed, sex, and nationality to do World War II.
12. They drove the hideous Tasmanian tiger extinct.
13. They’re definitely the last generation to ever witness this in person:
14. Many of them live underground. Pretty impressive!
15. Their ranks include Frank Sinatra, John Travolta’s dad, and Dagwood from Blondie .
16. They never left a man behind. That’s why we have Bruce.
17. They fought for civil rights, but also against civil rights, but they won the fight, but they really tried pretty hard to shut that fight down, so maybe that one’s kind of a wash.
18. They probably invented tarp, the outdoor silk.
19. They learned the kind of dignity and poise that makes this happen when they enter a room:
20. They really need the gratification, so don’t deny them this. | 0 |
WILLINGBORO, N. J. — The peacocks were rooting around in the bushes, strutting and pecking and ruffling their trains. Occasionally, one — Boy or Big Boy, say, or Snow White — struck a pose, tipping its beak up to emit a banshee shriek. “They’re just a bunch of drama queens, honey,” said Pat Cleveland, as she sat in the backyard of her house in a rural part of New Jersey, sipping on a juice drink the color and texture of algae. Drama queens, as it happens, is a topic on which Ms. Cleveland has some stories to tell. This she does in “Walking with the Muses,” a picaresque new memoir about a tall, skinny girl (“not black enough to be black or white enough to be white”) hailing from a section of East Harlem that she terms the Golden Edge. In her 1950s childhood, Ms. Cleveland writes, that neighborhood was still representative of a now largely bygone city, a place where “the Jews, the blacks, the Irish and the Puerto Ricans all had a corner of their own. ” Ms. Cleveland took her leave from childhood’s haunts fairly early and through the kind of cinematic turn of fate that seems to have characterized much of her life. A Vogue editor discovered the on a subway platform, chased her down and set her on the road to becoming a fashion model. “Model” is probably too limited a job description for a woman who, through a singular combination of moxie, beauty and preternatural energy, spent the next five decades romping across continents and stamping her imprint on an industry that, if it didn’t always know what to do with her, inevitably succumbed to her goofball appeal. “Pat was a muse for Halston, Stephen Burrows, Giorgio Sant’Angelo and Antonio Lopez,” Diane von Furstenberg, the designer and chairwoman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, wrote in a recent email from Tokyo, where she had paused briefly on her way to Bhutan. “She was, and is still, magical. ” Whether on catwalks in New York or the various European capitals of fashion, Ms. Cleveland made for an unconventional model, one not classically beautiful and yet “a more gorgeous version of Josephine Baker,” as Ms. von Furstenberg said. Dancing, twirling, strutting on a runway and “moving like no one else,” as the designer added, Ms. Cleveland had an effect on the catwalk best captured by another top model of the era, Janice Dickinson: “When she moved, she painted the air around her with the clothes. ” To comprehend what Ms. Cleveland is to the recent history of fashion, it probably helps to consider what fashion is not anymore: an insular and largely tribal business dominated by cliques and elites. Compelling to a largely cult fan base, fashion in Ms. Cleveland’s 1970s prime was anything but the corporate juggernaut and global entertainment spectacle it has since become. American fashion, in particular, during the era when Ms. Cleveland first appeared, was also more porous and racially diverse than it would be in the subsequent decades. Success in the business was measured in those days not by social media metrics but by an ability to bewitch the cognoscenti, to make yours a name they whispered about. And seemingly Ms. Cleveland has been an object of fascination for those around her almost from the time she was born 65 years ago to a white Swedish saxophonist and an artist from the South. Soon after, Ms. Cleveland’s father, Johnny Johnston, returned to Sweden, leaving her mother, Lady Bird Cleveland, to raise her young daughter alone. “If you’re a single black woman and have a Swedish lover, life is never going to be easy, and Lady Bird didn’t have the opportunities in life,” Ms. Cleveland said. “But her lesson to me was always, whatever your circumstances are, it’s up to you to create your own world. ” She was sitting at a picnic table in the mild spring sunshine. Behind her was a clutch of the tame peacocks that had strayed from a nearby farm and into the yard of her modest house one day and somehow remained. Set amid a row of plots carved from rich local farmland, the house was Lady Bird’s until her death last year from Alzheimer’s disease. More than a decade ago, Ms. Cleveland and her husband, the photographer Paul Van Ravenstein, returned to the United States from the Italian mountain village where they’d been living, to care for the ailing woman. “I tell my kids I expect them to do the same for me,” Ms. Cleveland said of her son, Noel Van Ravenstein, a sometime model and yoga teacher, and her daughter, Anna Cleveland, who herself has cut a considerable swath through the modeling business in recent years. Throughout the house hang scores of the prolific Lady Bird Cleveland’s paintings and drawings images of black historical figures crowd the walls there, stand five deep in a storeroom and are even taped inside kitchen cabinet doors. A parallel domestic presence is that of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, the Hindu spiritual leader who counts Ms. Cleveland among her devotees. Dressed in a and snug plum jeans, Ms. Cleveland looked surprisingly fresh that day, particularly given that she’d driven home from Manhattan at 6 in the morning, after a marathon photography session with Anna Cleveland for a catalog. The prosaic suburban setting seemed a far cry from her glamorous work life and from the haunts Ms. Cleveland depicts in her book. It was not easy to square the serene figure at the picnic table with the goofball naïf who over the years found herself on jaunts through the Serengeti with tempestuous models and photographer divas who spent a thousand nights clubbing in New York or Paris fueled by lavish quantities of Champagne and other stimulants who embarked on nearly that many libidinal adventures along the way. “I practically killed myself at the Tenth Floor,” she remarked offhandedly, referring to a 1970s gay dance club made famous in Andrew Holleran’s novel “Dancer from the Dance. ” “I was wearing platform shoes and went up on a ladder and started laughing and dancing because we all had poppers and I almost fell off. ” “Walking with the Muses,” a densely peopled and illustrated volume, is studded with the boldface names of Ms. Cleveland’s acquaintance (“Diane Vreeland was a freak and she liked the freaks,” she remarks) and amorous partners — Mick Jagger, Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty make appearances — but also with cultivated figures from her mother’s Harlem Renaissance coterie. It was Carl Van Vechten who snapped some of Ms. Cleveland’s earliest photos. What’s notable about Ms. Cleveland’s story is its grounding in an untutored wisdom, her own canny powers of observation and a willingness to write with candor about professional challenges that, as often as not, were rooted in race. When she first appeared on the scene, according to André Leon Talley, a contributing editor of Vogue, Ms. Cleveland was a type of model people hadn’t seen before. “A skinny girl from Harlem with no boobs and a frizz of hair,” is how she describes herself. At the height of her powers, that same skinny girl from Harlem was transformed into a star on the evening of Nov. 28, 1973, when she — one of 30 black models chosen to participate in a benefit runway show held at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris — took to the stage in front of 800 guests, many of them prominent or titled, and, spinning and twirling, left little doubt in the minds of observers that the immediate future of fashion belonged not to the Old World but to the New. “Pat was never a parody of the model,” Mr. Talley said. “The way she walked, her sense of theatricality wasn’t something she acquired. Whether she was being zany, goofy Pat or ethereal, ephemeral, Pat, what she did was natural to her. It came from within. ” So, too, Ms. Cleveland said, does the memoir, which she composed in multiple drafts across a dozen years, employing notes made so long ago that most were written on a typewriter. “I wrote this book myself, honey,” said Ms. Cleveland, as she glided indoors and into a sunlit studio where stacks of early drafts lay piled alongside snapshots of a girl in pigtails and scores of magazine tear sheets showing a glamorized Ms. Cleveland as captured by nearly every fashion photographer of any note: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Bruce Weber and Steven Meisel. Ms. Cleveland doesn’t shrink from facing down in her book an industry not always welcoming of black beauty, then or now. “In the beginning, people said, ‘You shouldn’t use her, you shouldn’t use her,’” the designer Stephen Burrows explained recently by telephone. “But her personality was so electrifying and inspirational, you could imagine anything you designed on her, like a sketch come to life. ” It is dismal to note that, as Ms. Cleveland said, the racial discrimination she experienced at the start of her long career persists. “It’s still out there, my darling,” said the model, who decades ago fled New York for Paris, where she vowed to remain until a black woman appeared on the cover of Vogue. (Beverly Johnson earned the distinction in August 1974.) It was early on during her sojourn in Paris that Ms. Cleveland fell in with the fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez, and through him that she met the model Donna Jordan, the designer Karl Lagerfeld and many others from among an impossibly glamorous faction the writer Alicia Drake characterized as the Icarus Generation in her 2006 book, “The Beautiful Fall: Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris. ” Most favored of the perches for that group were the banquettes of the Café de Flore on the Boulevard . There, as Ms. Drake wrote, “designers, models and muses all came,” seeking notice, arrayed on one side of the room a cluster of beautiful and seductive Yves Saint Laurent loyalists — people like Loulou de la Falaise and Betty Catroux — and opposite them, half hidden behind potted palms, “a dazzling throng of Americans” from the camp of Mr. Lagerfeld. “We were just like two little girls from Little Rock,” Ms. Cleveland says of herself and Ms. Jordan, a reference to the beautiful provincials in “Gentleman Prefer Blondes. ” “We were comrades and we were going to get that Vogue cover!” she adds. Failing that, they would win the embrace of designers like Valentino and Oscar de la Renta and Thierry Mugler and Ms. von Furstenberg, and of Mr. Burrows and Kenzo and Yves Saint Laurent. So besotted was Halston with how Ms. Cleveland looked and moved in his clothes that he drew her into his inner circle, anointing her a “Halstonette. ” It is a challenge to conjure, in an age of anonymously interchangeable and often robotic creatures, her effect on those lucky enough to have observed her working her ephemeral magic on a runway. For those who did, she remains unforgettable. “I still have a visceral, electric memory of her,” said Michael Gross, the author of “Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women” and “Focus: The Secret, Sexy, Sometimes Sordid World of Fashion Photographers,” which will be published on July 5. “It wasn’t just dancing, it wasn’t leaping, it certainly wasn’t mere walking,” Mr. Gross said. “She was the living embodiment of not just the clothes, but the joie de vivre, the energy and enthusiasm, everything that was great about that particular moment in fashion and the joy of being alive. ” | 1 |
Early Voter Turnout Looks Great for Trump
Trump Jr. was traveling between campaign events in Arizona on Thursday when the woman’s car stalled in front of him.
Instead of pitching a fit, blaming the woman for getting in his way or just going around the car — like many celebrities in his position would have done — Trump’s eldest son jumped out of his car and helped the stranded motorist push her car to safety.
Tyler Bowyer, chairman of the Maricopa County Republican Party, was impressed by the young businessman’s reaction to the situation. Advertisement - story continues below
“I’ve been around a lot of politicians. Most would just freak out or go around,” Bowyer told the Arizona Republic . “But Don Jr. … before you can blink, he’s out there pushing the car.”
Bowyer took a video of Trump Jr. and two other men pushing the woman’s Chevy Impala out of the roadway and posted it to social media where it has been shared more than 15,000 times on Facebook and retweeted nearly 7,000 times on Twitter, as of Friday afternoon.
“This just happened in Mesa and this is why I’m voting for (Donald) Trump,” Bowyer wrote on Facebook. “We were on our way from a rally to another event and Donald Trump Jr. hopped out first to help push this ladies (sic) car off the road, get some water and call for help.”
Trump Jr. and his group also gave the woman bottles of water so she wouldn’t get dehydrated while waiting for help in the 100-degree Phoenix heat. Advertisement - story continues below | 0 |
0 комментариев 0 поделились Фото: Fotodom.ru/DP
Согласно распоряжению правительства РФ, размещенное на официальном интернет-портале правовой информации, комплекс работ должен быть проведен до 2022 года. В 20173–2018 годах разработают план управления объектом в соответствии с требованием Конвенции об охране всемирного культурного наследия 1972 года, этот документ планируется передать в ЮНЕСКО. Также в 20173–2019 годах должна быть разработана концепция перспективного развития ансамбля Новодевичьего монастыря.
Как сообщает ТАСС, благоустройство территории историко-культурного ансамбля продлится до 2023 года. Объект избавят от временных хозяйственных построек, будет ликвидирована стихийная парковка туристических автобусов в пределах границ буферной зоны, при этом вблизи памятника появится служебная парковка для нужд Московской епархии Русской православной церкви. Кроме этого планируется создать экспозиционно-выставочный музейный центр, который станет структурным подразделением Государственного исторического музея.
Напомним, Реставрация Новодевичьего монастыря началась в 2012 году, из-за подготовки проектной документации, в активную фазу она вступила в 2014 году. В марте 2016 года заместитель министра культуры РФ Николай Малаков сообщал ТАСС, что реставрация должна завершиться в 2019 году. Общий объем финансирования, по его словам, составляет 5,2 миллиардов рублей, из них на тот момент уже было освоено 1,5 миллиарда.
Новодевичий монастырь был основан великим князем Василием III в 1524 году. Он входит в список Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО. В 2010 году передан Русской православной церкви и в настоящее время находится в совместном ведении с Государственным историческим музеем.
В марте 2016 года вице-глава Министерства культуры и еще несколько человек были задержаны по подозрению в хищении не менее 60 миллионов рублей, выделенных на реставрацию объектов культурного наследия.
По данным следствия, в 2012 году замминистра культуры РФ Григорий Пирумов создал преступную группу, участники которой заключали госконтракты с недостоверной информацией и завышенной стоимостью услуг на выполнение реставрационных работ с целью хищения денежных средств.
В деле пока фигурируют четыре эпизода: хищение средств, выделенных на выполнение реставрационных работ ансамбля Новодевичьего монастыря, Драмтеатра в Пскове, Иоанно-Предтеченского монастыря и музея Космонавтики в Калуге. По словам одного из адвокатов, сумма ущерба составляет более 100 млн рублей.
Кроме того, как сообщала Pravda. Ru, ранее ФСБ возбудила уголовное дело в отношении некоторых руководящих работников министерства культуры РФ и ряда предпринимателей, подозреваемых в хищении государственных денежных средств, выделенных на проведение реставрационных работ на объектах культурного наследия.
В рамках дела были заключены под стражу замминистра культуры Григорий Пирумов, глава ФГУП "Центр реставрации" Олег Иванов, директор департамента управления имуществом и инвестиционной политики министерства культуры Борис Мазо, глава компании "БалтСтрой" Дмитрий Сергеев, управляющий "БалтСтроя" Александр Коченов, предприниматель Никита Колесников, глава ФГКУ "Дирекция по строительству, реконструкции и реставрации" Борис Цагараев и руководитель проекта ООО "Стройкомплект" и АО "БалтСтрой" Владимир Сванбек.
Читайте последние новости Pravda.Ru на сегодня В Большом театре воровали по-крупному Поделиться: | 0 |
وجد علماء نفس من بريطانيا والولايات المتحدة الأسباب التي تجعل الشخص يبدأ يكذب بانتظام، وقد نشرت هذه الدراسة في مجلة Nature Neuroscience.
واتضح للعلماء أن كذبة صغيرة تستطيع أن تحفز الجهاز العصبي على التعود على الخداع والكذب أكثر فأكثر.
وقال نيل غاريت الباحث في قسم الطب النفسي التجريبي في جامعة لندن: "إنها المرة الاولى التي يثبت فيها أن التصرفات غير النزيهة تتعاظم حين تتكرر".
وبحسب تالي شاروت من جامعة لندن: "سواء أيتعلق الأمر بالخيانة أو بالغش في المسابقات الرياضية، أو بتزوير الحقائق العلمية أو البيانات المالية، يقول الكاذبون انهم بدأوا ببعض الكذب ثم انزلق بهم الأمر إلى ما هو اعظم".
وقد شملت هذه الدراسة 80 شخصا تراوحت اعمارهم بين 18 و 55، فعرضت أمامهم صورة عالية الدقة تظهر وعاء مليئا بقطع نقدية.
وتعين على المشاركين أن يساعدوا شريكا لهم على تقدير قيمة هذه القطع النقدية، ولم يكن في حوزة الشريك هذا سوى صورة باهتة للوعاء وما فيه من مال.
وطلب من المشاركين في المرحلة الأولى من التجربة أن يجتهدوا في معرفة قيمة القطع النقدية، وقيل لهم أنهم ان فازوا في الاختبار سيجنون المال هم وشركاؤهم. لذا يعتقد الباحثون ان اجاباتهم هنا كانت صادقة.
واستخدمت نتائج المرحلة الاولى كمعطيات أساسية لتقييم المرحلتين الثانية والثالثة، حين كان تقليل قيمة القطع النقدية أو تعظيمها ينطوي على مصلحة للمشاركين على حساب شركائهم.
وتقول تالي شاروت: "الناس يكثرون من الكذب حين تكون في ذلك مصلحة لهم وللشخص الآخر، ربما لان ذلك لا يولد لديهم شعورا بالانزعاج من انفسهم، أما حين يكون في الأمر مصلحة لهم على حساب مصلحة شركائهم، فهم يكذبون اقل، لكن معظمهم صار يكذب اكثر مع الوقت".
ولفهم ما جرى في ادمغتهم، خضع 4 مشاركين لتصوير الدماغ بالرنين المغناطيسي أثناء الاختبار. ولاحظ الباحثون أن الجزء من الدماغ المسؤول عن إصدار المشاعر، كان أكثر نشاطا حين كان المشاركون يكذبون لتحقيق مصلحتهم على حساب مصلحة الآخر، وكان يصدر مشاعر سلبية تحد من نطاق الكذب، ولكن مع كل كذبة جديدة، كان أداء هذا الجزء من الدماغ يتراجع، ونطاق الكذب يتسع.
وتقول تالي شاروت "هناك نوع من التكيف في المشاعر، من شأنه أن يؤدي إلى انزلاق المرء إلى المزيد من الكذب".
ويرى نيل غاريت ان هذه النتائج تؤيد فكرة ان هذا الجزء من الدماغ ينشط حين نتصرف بشكل نراه سيئا أو غير اخلاقي.
المصدر: وكالات | 0 |
WASHINGTON — The United States, the wealthiest nation on Earth, also abides the deepest poverty of any developed nation, but you would not know it by listening to Hillary Clinton or Donald J. Trump, the major parties’ presidential nominees. Mrs. Clinton, speaking about her economic plans on Thursday near Detroit, underscored her credentials as an advocate for families whose fortunes have flagged. She said much less about helping the 47 millions Americans who yearn to reach the middle class. Her Republican rival, Mr. Trump, spoke in Detroit on his economic proposals four days ago, and while their platforms are markedly different in details and emphasis, the candidates have this in common: Both promise to help Americans find jobs neither has said much about helping people while they are not working. “We don’t have a condemnation of the level or extent of poverty in America today,” said Matthew Desmond, a Harvard professor of sociology. “We aren’t having in our presidential debate right now a serious conversation about the fact that we are the richest democracy in the world, with the most poverty. It should be at the very top of the agenda. ” It is not as if Washington policy makers have completely forgotten the poor. President Obama and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin have advocated expanding the tax credit for childless men and tackling a criminal justice system that has saddled minor offenders with lives of economic struggle. And Mrs. Clinton’s policies, although rhetorically geared toward the middle class, would probably have a broader effect. On Thursday, in Warren, Mich. she again promised an economy that works for “everyone, not just those at the top. ” She has called for raising the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour from $7. 25 an hour, which would directly benefit many workers. And her proposals to help the middle class would benefit some families, too. She has proposed expanding federal subsidies for health care, child care and education, and mandating improved benefits for workers. “You want more?” Heather Boushey, the executive director of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, asked of those who argue that Mrs. Clinton should embrace an explicit agenda. “That’s great. That is such an audacious statement. They want everything, and I am with them. But it is also worth noting that Hillary Clinton is running on the most progressive platform any party has put together. ” Ms. Boushey is an adviser to the Clinton campaign but said she was not speaking for it. The campaign itself did not respond to a request for comment. Mr. Trump said Monday that he would spur economic growth by reducing taxes and regulation, and by renegotiating trade agreements to bring manufacturing back to the United States. He also outlined a plan to help some families offset the expense of child care. Mr. Trump said in July that he favored a $ federal minimum wage, but he has made contradictory remarks in other public appearances, the proposal does not appear in campaign materials, and he did not mention it in Detroit. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump have said that they are focused on creating more and better jobs. “My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States,” Mrs. Clinton said in accepting the Democratic nomination in Philadelphia last month. But Mr. Desmond, the Harvard sociologist, said that was not enough because the poor faced a wide range of other obstacles to economic stability. His own work has focused on a growing shortage of affordable rental housing. In his recent book, “Evicted,” he showed that evictions were a regular feature of life in neighborhoods, and that they were not just the result of poverty, but that instability causes poverty. Increasing affordable housing was until recently a standard campaign pledge for presidential candidates of both parties. President Bill Clinton created a “National Home Ownership Strategy. ” President George W. Bush announced early in his first term a target of creating 5. 5 million new minority homeowners by 2010, alongside measures to encourage the construction of rental housing. But Mrs. Clinton made only one glancing reference to affordable housing on Thursday, spending far more time on promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses, bolstering broadband access and reviving manufacturing. Her campaign website highlights 37 issues, but housing is not among them, although the campaign issued some proposals in February. Mr. Trump, during a speech in Miami to the National Association of Homebuilders on Thursday, lamented the decline of homeownership since the housing and financial crisis of 2008. But he stopped short of outlining a housing policy. “It was pretty shocking not to hear that word, housing, uttered on the main stage” at either party’s convention last month, Mr. Desmond said. The silence is particularly striking because the problem is growing. There is not a single state where a worker earning the minimum wage can rent a apartment for 30 percent or less of their income, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition. And more than 11 million households spend more than half of their income on rent. Kathryn Edin, a professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University, said it was particularly important to focus on the plight of families without regular income. Federal benefits for workers, notably the tax credit, have steadily expanded in recent decades, improving the lives of those who have jobs. Mr. Ryan presented an plan in June that suggested another expansion of the tax credit, an idea that is also popular among many Democrats. But Ms. Edin said the 1996 deal between the Clinton administration and congressional Republicans to curtail cash benefits for needy families had left those without jobs behind. “When you can’t pay the utility bill, you can’t pay the rent and you can’t buy socks and underwear for your kids, how much does the fact that you have a Medicaid card really do for you?” asked Ms. Edin, who wrote about the plight of such families in her 2015 book, “$2. 00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America. ” She said that she had hoped the 20th anniversary of the “end of welfare” might spark renewed discussions about what should be done instead, but that she had been disappointed. Ms. Edin and other advocates also express frustration that both candidates tend to focus on manufacturing, a sector that employs less than 10 percent of the work force. Mrs. Clinton chose to speak on Thursday at Futuramic Tool Engineering, a company in Warren, Mich. just north of Detroit, which makes parts for cars and airplanes including the fighter jet. Mr. Trump has repeatedly promised to create new jobs for miners and steelworkers. The candidates have spent less time talking about the service jobs performed by the vast majority of workers. There were 64, 000 steelworkers last year — and 820, 000 home health aides. “Much of what I hear is an argument over who is going to help the working class that’s been hurt by globalization, more than the retail or restaurant worker who is stuck at a low wage,” said Jared Bernstein, an economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a research group. “We have to be mindful of where those displaced manufacturing workers have ended up, which is in the service sector. ” Mr. Trump’s policies, while ostensibly aimed at the middle class, would in fact benefit the rich. His call this week to eliminate the estate tax would affect only couples who were able to leave their heirs nearly $11 million at death. Estates worth less than that are exempt from taxation. Even his call for a greatly expanded tax deduction for child care costs would benefit only households that itemize their taxes, most of them with incomes over $75, 000. Mr. Bernstein did add that Mrs. Clinton’s proposals could benefit those workers, even if that was not her focus on the campaign trail. “It’s not at all unusual for people running for president not to talk about poverty because the poor are not necessarily the swing voters you’re trying to pick off,” he said. “But I actually think a lot of her proposals would help — she just doesn’t always connect the dots to poverty and workers. ” | 1 |
. Mr Netanyahu has presented this as a rebuff to those who accuse him of jeopardising Israeli security interests with his governments repeated affronts to the White House.
In the past weeks alone, defence minister Avigdor Lieberman has compared last years nuclear deal between Washington and Iran with the 1938 Munich pact, which bolstered Hitler; and Mr Netanyahu has implied that US opposition to settlement expansion is the same as support for the ethnic cleansing of Jews.
American president Barack Obama, meanwhile, hopes to stifle his own critics who insinuate that he is anti-Israel. The deal should serve as a fillip too for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic partys candidate to succeed Mr Obama in Novembers election.
In reality, however, the Obama administration has quietly punished Mr Netanyahu for his misbehaviour. Israeli expectations of a $4.5bn-a-year deal were whittled down after Mr Netanyahu stalled negotiations last year as he sought to recruit Congress to his battle against the Iran deal.
In fact, Israel already receives roughly $3.8bn if Congresss assistance on developing missile defence programmes is factored in. Notably, Israel has been forced to promise not to approach Congress for extra funds.
The deal takes into account neither inflation nor the dollars depreciation against the shekel.
A bigger blow still is the White Houses demand to phase out a special exemption that allowed Israel to spend nearly 40 per cent of aid locally on weapon and fuel purchases. Israel will soon have to buy all its armaments from the US, ending what amounted to a subsidy to its own arms industry.
Nonetheless, Washingtons renewed military largesse in the face of almost continual insults inevitably fuels claims that the Israeli tail is wagging the US dog. Even The New York Times has described the aid package as too big.
Since the 1973 war, Israel has received at least $100bn in military aid, with more assistance hidden from view. Back in the 1970s, Washington paid half of Israels military budget. Today it still foots a fifth of the bill, despite Israels economic success.
But the US expects a return on its massive investment. As the late Israeli politician-general Ariel Sharon once observed, Israel has been a US aircraft carrier in the Middle East, acting as the regional bully and carrying out operations that benefit Washington.
Almost no one blames the US for Israeli attacks that wiped out Iraqs and Syrias nuclear programmes. A nuclear-armed Iraq or Syria would have deterred later US-backed moves at regime overthrow, as well as countering the strategic advantage Israel derives from its own nuclear arsenal.
In addition, Israels US-sponsored military prowess is a triple boon to the US weapons industry, the countrys most powerful lobby. Public funds are siphoned off to let Israel buy goodies from American arms makers. That, in turn, serves as a shop window for other customers and spurs an endless and lucrative game of catch-up in the rest of the Middle East.
The first F-35 fighter jets to arrive in Israel in December their various components produced in 46 US states will increase the clamour for the cutting-edge warplane.
Israel is also a front-line laboratory, as former Israeli army negotiator Eival Gilady admitted at the weekend, that develops and field-tests new technology Washington can later use itself.
The US is planning to buy back the missile interception system Iron Dome which neutralises battlefield threats of retaliation it largely paid for. Israel works closely too with the US in developing cyberwarfare, such as the Stuxnet worm that damaged Irans civilian nuclear programme.
But the clearest message from Israels new aid package is one delivered to the Palestinians: Washington sees no pressing strategic interest in ending the occupation. It stood up to Mr Netanyahu over the Iran deal but will not risk a damaging clash over Palestinian statehood.
Some believe that Mr Obama signed the aid package to win the credibility necessary to overcome his domestic Israel lobby and pull a rabbit from the hat: an initiative, unveiled shortly before he leaves office, that corners Mr Netanyahu into making peace.
Hopes have been raised by an expected meeting at the United Nations in New York on Wednesday. But their first talks in 10 months are planned only to demonstrate unity to confound critics of the aid deal.
If Mr Obama really wanted to pressure Mr Netanyahu, he would have used the aid agreement as leverage. Now Mr Netanyahu need not fear US financial retaliation, even as he intensifies effective annexation of the West Bank.
Mr Netanyahu has drawn the right lesson from the aid deal he can act against the Palestinians with continuing US impunity.
- See more at: http://www.jonathan-cook.net/2016-09-19/palestinians-lose-in-us-military-aid-deal-with-israel/#sthash.fL4Eq28N.dpuf Obama Loses It: Goes Off On Audience Video
Listen Up Sit Down Im Speaking Be Quiet! Posted November 04, 2016 The commotion started after a protester interrupted his speech.
The audience was 90 percent African American.
Heres the protester He looks like a veteran: Via theGatewayPundit.com | 1 |
NYT Admits Key Al Qaeda Role in Aleppo November 6, 2016
Exclusive: In a backhand way, The New York Times admits that the U.S.-backed “moderate” rebels in east Aleppo are fighting alongside Al Qaeda jihadists, an almost casual admission of this long-obscured reality, writes Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
As much as The New York Times and the mainstream U.S. media have become propaganda outlets on most foreign policy issues, like the one-sided coverage of the bloody Syrian war, sometimes the truth seeps through in on-the-ground reporting by correspondents, even ones who usually are pushing the “propo.”
Such was the case with Anne Barnard’s new reporting from inside west Aleppo, the major portion of the city which is in government hands and copes with regular terror rocket and mortar attacks from rebel-held east Aleppo where Al Qaeda militants and U.S.-armed-and-funded “moderate” rebels fight side-by-side. Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the United States to the UN, addresses the Security Council meeting on Syria, Sept. 25, 2016. Power has been an advocate for escalating U.S. military involvement in Syria. (UN Photo)
Almost in passing, Barnard’s article on Sunday acknowledged the rarely admitted reality of the Al Qaeda/”moderate” rebel collaboration, which puts the United States into a de facto alliance with Al Qaeda terrorists and their jihadist allies, fighting under banners such as Nusra Front (recently renamed Syria Conquest Front) and Ahrar al-Sham.
Barnard also finally puts the blame for preventing civilians in east Aleppo from escaping the fighting on a rebel policy of keeping them in harm’s way rather than letting them transit through “humanitarian corridors” to safety. Some of her earlier pro-rebel accounts suggested that it wasn’t clear who was stopping movement of civilians through those corridors.
However, on Sunday, she reported: “We had arrived at a critical moment, as Russia said there was only one day left to pass through a corridor it had provided for people to escape eastern Aleppo before the rebel side was flattened, a corridor through which precious few had passed. The government says rebels are preventing civilians from leaving. Rebels refuse any evacuation without international supervision and a broader deal to deliver humanitarian aid.”
Granted, you still have to read between the lines, but at least there is the acknowledgement that rebels are refusing civilian evacuations under the current conditions. How that is different from Islamic State terrorists in Mosul, Iraq, preventing departures from their areas – a practice which the Times and other U.S. outlets condemn as using women and children as “human shields” – isn’t addressed. But Barnard’s crimped admission is at least a start.
Barnard then writes: “Instead [of allowing civilians to move through the humanitarian corridors], they [the rebels] are trying to break the siege, with Qaeda-linked groups and those backed by the United States working together — the opposite of what Russia has demanded.”
Again, that isn’t the clearest description of the situation, which is stunning enough that one might have expected it in the lede rather than buried deep inside the story, but it is significant that the Times is recognizing that Al Qaeda and the U.S.-backed “moderates” are “working together” and that Russia opposes that collaboration.
She also noted that “Three Qaeda-linked suicide bombers attacked a military position with explosive-packed personnel carriers on Thursday, military officials said, and mortar fire was raining on neighborhoods that until now had been relatively safe. It was among the most intense rounds in four years of rebel shelling that officials say has killed 11,000 civilians.”
While she then throws in a caveat about the impossibility of verifying the numbers, the acknowledgement that the U.S.-backed “moderate” rebels and their Al Qaeda comrades have been shelling civilians in west Aleppo is significant, too. Before this, all the American people heard was the other side, from rebel-held east Aleppo, about the human suffering there, often conveyed by “activists” with video cameras who have depicted the conflict as simply the willful killing of children by the evil Syrian government and the even more evil Russians.
More Balance
With the admission of rebel terror attacks on civilians in west Aleppo, the picture finally is put into more balance. The Al Qaeda and U.S.-backed rebels have been killing thousands of civilians in government-controlled areas and the Syrian military and its Russian allies have struck back only to be condemned for committing “war crimes.” The second plane about to crash into the World Trade Center towers in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001.
Though the human toll in both sides of Aleppo is tragic, we have seen comparable situations before – in which the U.S. government has supported, supplied and encouraged governments to mount fierce offensives to silence rockets or mortars fired by rebels toward civilian areas.
For instance, senior U.S. government officials, including President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, have defended Israel’s right to defend itself from rockets fired from inside Gaza even though those missile rarely kill anyone. Yet, Israel is allowed to bomb the near-defenseless people of Gaza at will, killing thousands including the four little boys blown apart in July 2014 while playing on a beach during the last round of what the Israelis call “mowing the grass.”
In the context of those deaths, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power, who has built her career as a supposed humanitarian advocating a “responsibility to protect” civilians, laid the blame not on the Israeli military but on fighters in Gaza who had fired rockets that rarely hit anything besides sand.
At the United Nations on July 18, 2014, Power said , “ President Obama spoke with [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning to reaffirm the United States’ strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself…. Hamas’ attacks are unacceptable and would be unacceptable to any member state of the United Nations. Israel has the right to defend its citizens and prevent these attacks.”
But that universal right apparently does not extend to Syria where U.S.-supplied rockets are fired into civilian neighborhoods of west Aleppo. In that case, Power and other U.S. officials apply an entirely different set of standards. Any Syrian or Russian destruction of east Aleppo with the goal of suppressing that rocket fire becomes a “war crime.”
Perhaps it’s expected that the U.S. government, like other governments, will engage in hypocrisy regarding affairs of state: one set of rules for U.S. allies and another for countries marked for U.S. “regime change.” Statements by supposed “humanitarians” – such as Samantha Power, “Ms. R2P” – are no exception.
But double standards are even more distasteful when they come from allegedly “objective” journalists such as those who work at The New York Times, The Washington Post and other prestige American news outlets. When they take the “U.S. side” in a dispute and become crude propagandists, they encourage the kind of misguided “group thinks” that led to the criminal Iraq War and other disastrous “regime change” projects over the past two decades.
Yet, that is what we normally see. A thoughtful reader can’t peruse the international reporting of the U.S. mainstream media without realizing that it is corrupted by propaganda from both government officials and from U.S.-funded operations, often disguised as “human rights activists” or “citizen journalists” whose supposed independence makes their “propo” even more effective.
So, it’s worth noting those rare occasions when The New York Times and the rest of the MSM let some of the reality peek through. When evaluating the latest plans from Hillary Clinton and other interventionists to expand the U.S. military intervention in Syria – via prettily named “safe zones” and “no-fly zones” – the American people should realize that they are being asked to come to the aid of Al Qaeda.
[For more on this topic, see Consortiumnews.com’s “ The De Facto US/Al Qaeda Alliance. ”]
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com ). | 1 |
President Trump has blamed “obstruction by Democrats” for delays in confirming his senior appointments, saying on Twitter that “it is a disgrace that my full cabinet is still not in place. ” But the slow pace of filling out Mr. Trump’s cabinet can be attributed in part to decisions made in the early days of the nominee vetting process. The Trump transition team deviated from the practices of recent Democratic and Republican administrations, according to five people directly involved with the transition process. The Trump team chose to skip a practice of grilling nominees to prepare them and protect the president from potential embarrassment during the confirmation process. Candidates, for example, were not asked about financial conflicts and past vices — known informally as the “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll” questions. The rushed approach has led to some of Mr. Trump’s nominees — many with immense wealth and complex business interests — being held back by unexpected revelations. Representative Tom Price of Georgia, his pick for secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, placed stock trades that were questioned Andrew F. Puzder, the labor secretary nominee, hired an undocumented household worker Representative Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, the choice for budget director, skipped paying taxes on a nanny and Steven T. Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary nominee, made major omissions about financial holdings. “It was game time and they walked up without any uniforms on and with no playbook,” Clay Johnson III, who directed George W. Bush’s transition effort in 2000, said about the initial vetting process by Mr. Trump’s administration. So far, nine of Mr. Trump’s nominees who require Senate confirmation have been approved. Eight years ago at this time, 12 of Barack Obama’s appointments had been confirmed, while 15 of Mr. Bush’s had been confirmed in 2001. Throughout his campaign, through the transition and in the early days of his presidency, Mr. Trump has often chosen to do things his own way, ignoring protocols. After his election, Mr. Trump held court at Trump Tower in Manhattan, and other Trump properties, meeting with job candidates and celebrating the selection of his cabinet and White House staff — but before the routine background scrubbing that typically occurs. In a significant omission, the new administration early on did not ask cabinet nominees and top White House officials to fill out the “sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll” questionnaire that has become a routine part of the nomination process. The questionnaire was used by the past two administrations to help conduct the early vetting of potential cabinet nominees. In addition to trying to determine potential financial and professional conflicts of interest, the questions concern areas of potential blackmail, past criminal investigations, and whether taxes have been paid for nannies and hired help. The goal is to have the most serious issues facing a potential candidate figured out well before the F. B. I. conducts background checks and before financial disclosure statements are filed with the Office of Government Ethics. In recent weeks, the administration has made efforts to catch up. It has hired an ethics compliance team, including four lawyers working for Donald F. McGahn, White House counsel. And White House ethics officials have now begun circulating a new version of the questionnaire. The new form, unlike the previous one used by the Obama administration, asks nominees just one question about conflicts of interest and skips over queries about ties to corporations or investments in properties, according to a copy reviewed by The New York Times. The form focuses mainly on questions of character and potential lawsuits that could arise from sexual and racial harassment claims. The White House did not respond to emails and calls requesting comment for this article. The Trump team’s approach of announce first, vet later has led to confusion, clearance delays and situations where candidates were unexpectedly thrust into a spotlight of public scrutiny. Already one prominent nominee, Vincent Viola, the candidate for secretary of the Army, has walked away after concluding that it would be an “insurmountable” task to disentangle himself from his many businesses. Nominees have been caught off guard by their need to sell or distance themselves from unusual holdings, like stakes in private equity and hedge funds, family trusts and even professional sports franchises to steer clear of conflicts before taking a government post. In the case of Wilbur L. Ross Jr. the billionaire and commerce secretary nominee, ethics monitors granted him twice the normal period to sell off his assets, many of which are intimately tied up in private investment funds. Despite the vetting issues, few, if any of Mr. Trump’s cabinet nominees are expected to be rejected by the Senate. Some people close to the nomination process said that officials with the Office of Government Ethics, which works with nominees to decide how to deal with potential conflicts, lacked an understanding of some of the more sophisticated financial investments held by nominees, making the process more difficult. Compared with previous administrations, Mr. Trump’s government has more billionaires and multimillionaires. The transition from a national political campaign to taking over the White House is always a difficult one. A new team of people assumes unfamiliar levers of power, while also going on a hiring spree — installing dozens of appointees and droves of underlings. In the case of the Trump administration, the transition was hampered by a management . Mr. Trump appointed Chris Christie, New Jersey governor, as chairman of his transition months before Election Day, but decided to remove him and much of his team soon after his victory. The decision to oust Mr. Christie’s team, without quickly putting in place a new one, left the administration, which must still fill hundreds of top jobs, ill prepared for the nomination process. “The vetting process is designed to identify issues about fitness and confirmability prior to public announcement,” said Leslie B. Kiernan, a former deputy White House counsel for President Obama and now a partner with the law firm Akin Gump. The confirmation hearing for Mr. Puzder, the billionaire restaurant to head the Labor Department, was postponed several times because of a delay in filing his financial disclosure statement. Mr. Puzder’s hearing is now scheduled for Thursday after the ethics office on Wednesday cleared his financial disclosure statement and ethics agreement. In the agreement, Mr. Puzder said that if confirmed, he would divest himself of his holdings in CKE Restaurants, the operator of the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. chains that he heads. Todd Ricketts, the deputy commerce secretary nominee, has not had a confirmation hearing yet, even though he was announced by the Trump team on Nov. 30. Mr. Ricketts is the scion of a wealthy family and of the Chicago Cubs. A letter on Feb. 7 to Mr. Ricketts by several Democratic senators asked him for more information about his political activity. Despite the setbacks for Mr. Trump, the administration has had ample resources at its disposal. One bipartisan program, called the Center for Presidential Transition, met with the remaining campaigns in the spring to offer advice on a process it calls “big, complicated and dangerous. ” In the months before the election, the Office of Government Ethics also communicated with representatives for Mr. Trump. After his victory, the office offered to bring over supplies, including regulatory books and ethics guides, according to internal emails made public by the agency in response to records requests. But with the turnover at the Trump transition team in the wake of the election, the communication with the agency stopped. Walter M. Shaub Jr. director of the office, cautioned in a Nov. 18 email that cabinet nominees who did not make use of the office for prescreening posed “the risk of embarrassment for the ” and his appointees. Mr. Shaub wrote in one email, “We seem to have lost contact with the transition since the election. ” The messy start to the ethics process could still come back to haunt the administration. In 2000, when Mr. Bush faced a condensed timeline after the contested election in Florida, his team moved aggressively to minimize potential surprises, said Mr. Johnson, who was executive director of the transition. Their approach was to demand answers to the tough questions at the beginning of the process, before anyone was announced. “It becomes you tell us everything we need to know,” he said. “If you don’t tell us something, we drop you faster than a blink of an eye. ” | 1 |
Beatings and abuse from Muslim classmates have been cited by the parents of a Jewish teenager as the reason they removed him from a leading Berlin school. [The was born in London to a British mother and a German father. According to a report in the Sunday Times, the student was kicked and punched by students of Middle Eastern and Turkish origin so many times he was left fearing for his life. One of the attackers is alleged to have threatened to shoot him with a mock gun he believed was real. The Central Council of Jews in Germany described the bullying allegations at the Friedenauer Gemeinschaftsschule in Berlin as “ of the ugliest form. ” The Times reports Ferdinand and his parents — Gemma, an entrepreneur from London, and Wenzel, a human rights organiser — chose a multicultural environment for their son’s schooling. Until recently the family had hosted a Syrian refugee in their Berlin home. “I loved the fact that the school was multicultural . . . the kids and teachers were so cool,” Ferdinand said. Yet within a week of enrolling last November, at a school where almost of the pupils are from immigrant families, Ferdinand’s troubles began after he let slip that he was Jewish. “First my Turkish friend Emre said he could no longer hang out with me because I was Jewish,” Ferdinand said. “Then other pupils started saying stereotypical things about how Jews only want money and hate Muslims. ” Daily beatings by a gang of pupils, all of immigrant origin, soon followed. These were accompanied by racial insults. “This boy, Jassin, whose parents are Palestinian, asked me if I’m from Israel,” Ferdinand said. “I’ve never been to Israel. He said Palestine will burn Israel and his friends said Turkey will burn Israel. He kept kicking me. “One day he came up to me from behind and he punched me in the back. I became dizzy . . . I had a bruise for a week or two. Every time something bad happened, I told myself I could manage it, but it only got worse. ” The experience of Ferdinand is not an isolated incident in the Berlin school system. Aaron Eckstaedt, principal of the Moses Mendelssohn Jewish High School in Berlin, told the Jewish Chronicle that six to 10 Jewish parents apply to switch their children to his school every year. The requests are generally “in reaction to statements coming overwhelmingly from Arabic or Turkish classmates,” he said. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, insisted Berlin’s education ministry investigate the school and pinpoint any failings. In his statement, reported in the Juedische Allgemeine weekly paper, he also called on Muslim leaders in Germany to combat “antisemitic tendencies in their ranks with all the determination they can muster. ” As Breitbart Jerusalem has reported, is rising in a variety of forms in Germany, and is being found to include criticism of the modern state of Israel in general and Jews in particular. The Independent Expert Group on published its findings in Germany at the end of April on the matter. It found Jews are “increasingly concerned for their safety due to everyday experiences of ” as the number surveyed who agreed with statements rose from 28 per cent in 2014 to 40 per cent in 2016. | 0 |
Police in the small German town of Bad Sobernheim have reported a group of men described as being “African or Arabic origin” who broke into a construction site, stole tools, and used them to attack locals. [The attack, which was reported to have taken place over the weekend of the 25th of March saw a gang of migrants roam around the small town which has a population of only six and a half thousand and attack . Police say that the men had broken into a construction site in the town earlier that evening, stealing various tools which they used to torment the people in the town according to a press release from the force. Witnesses to the rampage said the gang numbered between five to seven people who attacked three individuals at around midnight on Sunday morning. Police say that the men were armed with various “striking tools” though did not specify what exact tools they used to attack the residents. The victims of the attack were able to run into a nearby restaurant where they hid from the gang. Shortly afterwards the migrants fled the area, but not before damaging a street sign. Those attacked all described the gang as “persons of African or Arabic origin” police said. Only one person was injured in the attack and authorities have yet to determine a motive. None of the males who participated in the incident have been caught or arrested by police so far and authorities have reached out to the public to help them identify those responsible for the violence. Many migrants settled in Germany during the migrant crisis have been placed in small towns of only a few thousand residents or less over the last year and a half to relieve pressure on the nation’s larger cities. One of the more significant problems for small towns has been the cost of taking care of migrants and many municipalities are expected to go into debt because of the migrant crisis. In one town a migrant home designed for 500 migrants is costing the local government 500, 000 euros per month, despite only 21 migrants living there. In one small town, residents attempted to lay out some ground rules for the new arrivals which included learning German, not harassing girls and exclusively using toilets for defecation. The town residents were labelled as racist for writing up the guidelines by others in Germany. Other areas have reacted negatively to attempts by politicians to bring large amounts of migrants into their towns. One politician in Oersdorf was violently assaulted for trying to encourage large amounts of migrants to be housed there. Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson@breitbart. com, | 0 |
BNI Store Oct 27 2016 GERMANY: Parents outraged after German primary school ‘forces’ children to chant “Allahu Akbar” and “there is no God but Allah” in Muslim prayer The father of the pupil at the girl’s primary school in German ski resort Garmisch-Partenkirchen discovered that his daughter had been forced to learn the Islamic prayer when he discovered a handout she had been given. He claimed she had been “forced” by teachers to memorize the Islamic chants and forwarded the handout to Austrian news service unsertirol24. UK Express (h/t Terry D) The handout read: “Oh Allah, how perfect you are and praise be to you. Blessed is your name, and exalted is your majesty. There is no God but you.” It had been given to the girl during a lesson in “ethics” at the Bavarian school. Headteacher Gisela Herl did not confirm the incident when questioned, but said the school would issue a written statement detailing its position in the coming week. The incident comes just weeks after parents complained to German newspaper Hessian Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA) that their children’s nursery was refusing to acknowledge “Christmas rituals” to accommodate the “diverse cultures” of other pupils. The Sara Nussbaum House daycare centre in Kassel refused to put up a Christmas tree, tell Christmas stories or celebrate Christmas in general because it said only a minority of pupils. A spokesman for Kassel explained: “There will be no Christmas celebrations, in the strictest sense. Because the majority of children at this kindergarten are not Christian the festival will not be celebrated in the way that it is at other schools.” Migrants now outnumber native children at many schools in Germany as the country has been inundated with Muslim migrants in recent years. More than one million migrants are estimated to have arrived in Germany during the last year alone. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees estimates that another 200,000 Muslims will apply for asylum in 2017. | 0 |
A lost opportunity for Russian statesmanship at the UN Having sacrificed so much credibility over Syria, Russian officials will face chilly receptions at the UN and beyond for some time to come Having sacrificed so much credibility over Syria, Russian officials will face chilly receptions at the UN and beyond for some time to come.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, salutes to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: AP
Since 2011, Russia has played a deft diplomatic game over Syria , albeit one that has allowed a brutal civil war to drag on at great human cost. Moscow has oscillated between taking a hard line in defense of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and periods of partial cooperation with the U.S. over limiting the conflict.
In doing so, Russia has prevented the fall of Assad, reasserted itself as a power player in the Middle East and achieved the “Russification” of the United Nations Security Council, as American diplomats have shaped their diplomacy to keep cooperation with Russia over Syria going.
Recommended: " The return of Cold War thinking in Moscow and Washington " This has frustrated America’s British and French counterparts, who traditionally align with the U.S. in most UN diplomacy, but have found themselves reduced to bystanders in many serious talks on the Syrian war.
At the beginning of this year, it looked like Russia could build on all this maneuvering to secure a political settlement in Syria that – despite continuing debates over Assad’s future – would largely favor Moscow’s interests. In its desperation to close out the Syrian war, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama seemed willing to make further concessions to get a bargain. Such an agreement might not only have consolidated Russia’s interests in Syria and the broader Middle East, but also allowed Putin to present himself as a statesman.
But he has not taken this course. Instead, Russia has used diplomacy as a cover for a new military push in Syria that seems set to culminate in the destruction of the rebel-held areas of Aleppo . In the short term, this may play to Moscow’s advantage, by significantly strengthening Assad’s position in the run-up to the U.S. presidential transition in 2017, reducing the next administration’s options for intervention.
Yet the price of this short-term gain is high. The military drive has caused even American and European officials with a strong belief in cooperation with Moscow to reconsider their assumptions. In the European Union, Germany and France are tilting towards a harder line. On the U.S. side, Secretary of State John Kerry is still wearily attempting to find new diplomatic openings with Russia, but the Obama administration as a whole is adopting a sterner tone. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton promises to be more hawkish still.
The chance for Putin to act the part of a statesman this year – thereby repeating his remarkably successful handling of the Syrian chemical weapons crisis in 2013 , when he averted U.S. airstrikes on Syria – has slipped away. Moscow seems to have calculated that it will gain more from a show of force than a compromise.
It has certainly got the West’s attention and its boldness may in part pay off. Some significant EU members, such as Italy, are still arguing for a relatively soft response. Although certain Arab and Western diplomats have convened a series of meetings at the UN to condemn Russia’s behavior, they will have little real impact. Putin may nonetheless have overplayed his hand.
Even if Russia ultimately comes to a deal with the U.S. and its allies over Syria, Moscow has squandered a vast amount of trust with its main diplomatic counterparts . Even China has avoided siding with it in the UN Security Council over Aleppo. Whereas Secretary Kerry has been willing to risk considerable political capital to maintain Russia’s goodwill over Syria, U.S. officials are likely to be more much more skeptical.
In future crises, Moscow is likely to find that Western diplomats treat its views with cynicism, and will be much less inclined to grant significant concessions. This will be true in multiple settings, but relations are liable to grow especially difficult at the UN, where the Americans and Europeans may now unite to reverse Russia’s increased influence in the Security Council.
Expect to see further Western efforts to isolate Russia on resolutions over Syria and other crises, forcing it to use its Security Council veto, and drive more wedges between Chinese and Russian diplomats in New York. This will play to Russia’s long-term detriment.
Also read: " The death of the U.S.-Russia ceasefire deal is now official " Moscow’s privileged position in the UN is an important part of its great power status, and its clout in the institution offers a cheaper and less risky form of influence than adventures such as the Syrian mission. President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov underlined this through their skillful use of the UN over Syria. That is, until this year. They may soon regret throwing away their accumulated diplomatic capital for Aleppo.
If tensions between Russia and the West escalate further – meaning more U.S. and EU sanctions on Moscow , more covert jousting in cyberspace and perhaps even some sort of military stand-off over Syria – both sides may eventually have to return to the UN to de-escalate the situation.
Incoming UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres , who managed to secure the backing of Moscow and Western powers through a smart campaign this year, may find that one of his first tasks is to help Russia in this reconciliation process. But it will be a slow, unhappy effort for all concerned. Having sacrificed so much credibility over Syria very quickly, Russian officials will face chilly receptions at the UN and beyond for some time to come .
The opinion of the author may not necessarily reflect the position of Russia Direct or its staff.
; | 1 |
On this weekend’s broadcast of “Fox New Sunday,” host Chris Wallace got into a long and heated exchange with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus over President Donald Trump‘s tweet labeling the press an “enemy” of the American people. After several minutes of back and forth arguing over the media’s coverage of the Trump administration, Wallace said, “You don’t get to tell us what to do Reince. You don’t get to tell us what to do any more than Barack Obama did. Barack Obama whined about Fox News all the time, but I got to say, he never said we were an enemy of the people. ” Later in the segment, Priebus said, “I don’t know why you are going bananas. ” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN | 0 |
I took the bread pill and started making my own bread. This video explains why and how I do it…
Visit my Youtube channel and hit the Subscribe button to see new clips before I drop them on the blog.
Previous Video: My Summer Vacation In Croatia
| 0 |
Prison Planet.com October 27, 2016
The owner of the Blue Cat Cafe is the victim of recent terrorist attacks on her business by communists protesters based in Austin. 47 | 0 |
Tweet Widget by Timothy Shenk
In order to downgrade the centrality of slavery to the development of the United States and global capitalism, mainstream historians attempt to depict the slaveholding classes as provincial actors. However, the slave owners were the most powerful people in the country. “Southerners imagined—and worked to build—an American republic whose foundation was slavery.” They wanted a strong United States, with a strong military, to protect slavery. When Slaveholders Controlled the Government — An Interview with Matthew Karp
by Timothy Shenk
This article previously appeared in Dissent Magazine and Portside .
“Ideologically, slave labor fit in very well in a world increasingly dominated by free trade, expanding European empires, and hardening racist science.”
Booked [1] is a monthly series of Q&As with authors by contributing editor Timothy Shenk. For this interview, he spoke with Matthew Karp about This Vast Southern Empire [2] (Harvard University Press, 2016).
Between 1789 and 1850, the United States had twelve presidents. Ten of them owned slaves; the only two that didn’t were both named “John Adams.” The United States was a pioneering democracy, but its democracy was shaped by the demands of a slaveholding elite that had immense—and often decisive—authority over its government. Princeton historian Matthew Karp explores the consequences of this arrangement in This Vast Southern Empire . He focuses on the influence Southerners wielded over foreign policy, but Karp’s inquiry opens up new perspectives on much more, including the dynamics of proslavery ideology, the world-making ambitions of Southern elites, and the origins of a Civil War that broke American democracy in two. It is a history driven by the intertwined forces of white supremacy, state power, and coerced labor—and it is a history that would persist long after the Confederacy’s demise.
Timothy Shenk: When Americans talked about a “vast Southern empire” before the Civil War, what did they have in mind?
Matthew Karp: The short answer is that they weren’t talking about an independent Southern republic, but the entire United States.
It’s easy to find sectionalism in Southern politics before the Civil War, but the most powerful antebellum Southerners—from Andrew Jackson to Jefferson Davis—were nationalists, not separatists. What John C. Calhoun really wanted, as Richard Hofstadter wrote long ago, was not for Southerners to leave the Union but to dominate it, which they more or less did in the thirty years before the Civil War.
Southerners imagined—and worked to build—an American republic whose foundation was slavery. In their minds, this was a powerful state, continental in scope and hemispheric in influence, which put the preservation of slaveholding property at the center of U.S. politics and U.S. foreign policy. That’s what they meant by “this vast Southern empire,” and that’s the focus of the book.
Shenk: Especially in popular discussions, slaveholders are often seen as advocates of small government and states’ rights. What does looking at the foreign policy visions promoted by leading proslavery figures do to that image?
Karp: It’s true that in many antebellum political arguments, Southern leaders emphasized the limited powers of the federal government. But when slavery and states’ rights came into conflict, the abstract commitment to limited government vanished pretty quickly. The outstanding example is the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which overrode personal liberty laws in the northern states and required federal marshals to assist slaveholders in capturing runaway slaves.
You can look at this and say, “Aha, they’re hypocrites!” But the use of federal power to defend slavery went far beyond hypocrisy—it was a cornerstone of antebellum Southern politics. Looking at U.S. foreign policy makes this especially clear. On many important questions of foreign relations—the annexation of Texas, for instance—supposed small-government ideologues suddenly morphed into bold advocates of federal power. Proslavery Southerners also served as by far the most aggressive champions of U.S. military and naval expansion. They didn’t do this because they were hypocrites, but because they believed the world’s strongest bulwark for slavery was not the weak state governments of the South, but the entire United States.
Shenk: One of the most fascinating characters in this book, and in all of U.S. history, is John C. Calhoun. He was the most incisive thinker the plantation elite had—Richard Hofstadter called him “the Marx of the master class”—and he’s a central figure in your account. What do we learn about Calhoun by bringing his foreign policy into the spotlight?
Karp: We think of Calhoun as the quintessential antebellum Southern sectionalist. But from the perspective of foreign and military policy, he was much closer to a bold proslavery nationalist. As Secretary of State, he pushed aggressively for Texas annexation, bypassing Congress (and cutting constitutional corners) to offer military aid to Texas in 1844. Through the antebellum years he remained a relatively consistent advocate for army and navy expansion.
Sometimes we imagine Southern slaveholders like Calhoun as isolated elites, barricaded in the parlors of their plantation homes. But Calhoun was also a bold proslavery internationalist . He paid close attention to the politics of slavery and abolition in Europe and in Latin America, and he was very assiduous about directing U.S. power to sustain slavery in Cuba and Brazil. For him, the international strength of slavery and the international strength of the United States were tightly bound together.
Shenk: Recent historians have paid a lot of attention to the commercial relationships that bound the United States and the United Kingdom before the Civil War. As you note in the book, during this period “Britain was the world’s largest consumer of goods produced by American slaves.” But you also observe that this was the same period when the UK both abolished slavery and embarked on a renewed drive to establish a global empire. From the perspective of the American South, this combination seemed like a total jumble of ideological, cultural, and economic issues that the UK would have to sort out if they wanted to develop a coherent vision of their country’s place in the world. And it gets even more confusing when you remember that figures like Calhoun had spent most of 1812 pushing for a disastrous war with Britain. How did slavery’s defenders make sense of all this?
Karp: Southern elites saw Britain as both a vital commercial partner and a potentially dangerous strategic enemy. That’s not necessarily incoherent, but it is confusing. It helps to approach Southern attitudes toward Britain from a chronological perspective.
It’s hard to overstate the importance of the British abolition of slavery in 1833. Overnight, the policy of the world’s most powerful empire was now distinctly hostile toward one of America’s most fundamental institutions. In the early 1840s, Southern leaders in and around the administration of President John Tyler believed that defending slavery against British abolitionism should be a top strategic priority for the United States. There were many dimensions to this effort, from naval expansion to Cuba diplomacy, but in some sense it culminated with the U.S. annexation of the Republic of Texas, which was in 1845 the fourth largest slaveholding society in the world.
By the 1850s, after the Texas annexation and the U.S.-Mexico war, the strategic situation had changed. Slaveholders were cheered by the apparent “failure” of emancipation in the West Indies—obviously, it wasn’t a failure for the emancipated slaves, but sugar production in Jamaica and elsewhere plummeted after abolition. Across the 1850s, slaveholding leaders eagerly reprinted evidence that Britain had soured on abolition, and was ready to accept the dominance of slave-produced staples (from the United States, Cuba, and Brazil) in the world market. This was a somewhat optimistic view, but by 1861, Southerners sincerely viewed Britain much more as a commercial partner than as a strategic rival.
Shenk: For a long time, historians tended to think of the antebellum South as an almost feudal holdover from the past that could not stand up to the forces of modernity. In the last decade or so, however, scholars have become much more likely to depict it as thoroughly modern. Where does your research fall in that debate?
Karp: You’re right about the tendency of the recent scholarship. In a lot of ways, my book is congruent with that work, although I do think there are limits to a social or economic interpretation of slavery that concentrates entirely on its modern characteristics.
Really, though, the book is less about whether slavery was or was not “modern,” and more about the fact that leading slaveholders believed it was. I like what the historian Frederick Cooper says: scholars should stop “shoehorning political discourse into modern, antimodern, or postmodern discourses” and instead “listen to what is being said in the world.” What slaveholders said, over and over again, was that “modern civilization” and African slavery were fundamentally compatible. Economically, they argued, slave labor was necessary to produce vital agricultural staples. And ideologically, slave labor fit in very well in a world increasingly dominated by free trade, expanding European empires, and hardening racist science. I think the most powerful slaveholding politicians—Calhoun, Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens, and so on—believed this most of all. We have to understand that belief to understand antebellum politics.
Shenk: By 1861, elite Southerners were no longer convinced the United States could serve as the agent of their interests, and so they break off to form the Confederacy. You argue that we should see the launching of the Confederate States of America as their “boldest foreign policy project.” What do we gain by thinking of the Confederacy in this way?
Karp: Slaveholding leaders didn’t want to abandon the Union. But their grip on the federal government was overthrown by the election of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party in 1860. Suddenly the power of the national state—which they had spent decades building up—could be used to not to strengthen slavery, but to undermine it.
All the same, I don’t think Southerners would have seceded without the confident belief that a slaveholding Confederacy could thrive on the world stage. In the book I look at two of the most famous Southern documents from early 1861—the Mississippi declaration of secession [3] and Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens’s “ cornerstone address [4].” Both are very candid about the central importance of slavery, and in contemporary discussions they are often brandished as clear evidence that slavery, not state rights, drove Southerners to secede (like the way Jon Stewart cites [5] the Mississippi declaration in this [5] episode of the Daily Show).
That’s all true, but what’s most interesting about these documents is that they make a fundamentally international case for slavery. “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery—the greatest material interest of the world”: that’s the second sentence of the Mississippi declaration. It wasn’t just that slaveholders believed Britain and other European powers would come to their aid in a war against the North, although they did believe that. It was that their entire ideological and strategic worldview depended on a belief in the global necessity of slave labor. European states might oppose slavery in the abstract, but they could not escape the deeper principle of racial inequality upon which slavery rested. “The truth of this principle may be slow in development,” Stephens admitted in his famous address, but so was the case with the controversial principles of Galileo or Adam Smith. Ultimately, he and other Confederate leaders were confident that the fundamental ideas of racial hierarchy and coerced labor would receive “full recognition . . . throughout the civilized and enlightened world.” That international confidence, I think, was a true ideological cornerstone of the Confederate project.
Shenk: The book’s epigraph comes from Karl Marx—“In the foreign, as in the domestic policy of the United States, the interests of the slaveholders served as the guiding star”—and its footnotes are studded with classic works of Marxist scholarship, but your methodology here doesn’t follow the standard practice among Marxists. Your concern is with policymaking elites, and while you’re clearly aware that their work isn’t taking place in a vacuum, you’re not trying to write a history from the bottom up. Is there a contribution that you’re trying to make by shifting the angle of focus?
Karp: Part of the issue here is that the literature on slavery and the Old South is, in some ways, the richest literature in U.S. history—the crown jewel of American historiography, as I’ve heard it described. And the best books on Southern politics, from the 1960s to the 2000s (many of them written from a Marxist or Marx-ish perspective), have been grounded very firmly in the social world of the antebellum South.
I would say that my book’s focus on elite actors and elite sources should not be seen as a criticism of that literature, but an indirect appreciation of its richness. Historians are so accustomed—as we should be—to viewing slaveholders at the top of a complex pyramid of class, racial, and gender hierarchies in Southern society, that for a long time, we forgot that they were also the nation’s most powerful political leaders, and the world’s most powerful slaveholding class. Only in the past fifteen years or so have historians begun to look more systematically at slaveholders as leading national and international actors, as well as Southern social elites. Done right, I think, these approaches don’t contradict each other—they complement each other.
Shenk: You end the book by discussing a speech by that W.E.B. Du Bois gave at Harvard’s 1890 commencement, when he was twenty-two. In his address, Du Bois portrayed the Confederacy’s president Jefferson Davis as not just a successful politician but as the representative product of a whole civilization. Thirteen years after he made this argument, Du Bois wrote in The Souls of Black Folk , “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line.” Do you see a connection running from the history you examine here and the world that Du Bois saw at the turn of the twentieth century?
Karp: Du Bois titled his 1890 address “ Jefferson Davis as a Representative of Civilization [6],” and by that he meant, provocatively, not just the civilization of the Old South, but all contemporary Western civilization itself. Davis’s life and career, according to Du Bois, prefigured the major world developments of the turn of the twentieth century—the destruction of indigenous populations, the strengthening of a global color line, the extension of Euro-American empires over Asia, Africa, and Australia. It’s an incredibly powerful and ambitious speech for anyone to give, let alone a twenty-two year old undergraduate.
Many historians would object to Du Bois’s intellectual genealogy here. Davis’s side, after all, lost the Civil War: the Confederacy was destroyed and slavery was abolished. The leading players in the world of 1890—from industrial tycoons from to European imperialists—seemingly owed little to Jefferson Davis or the slave South. U.S. President Benjamin Harrison was himself a Union Army veteran, who had marched with General Sherman into Georgia.
But what I like about Du Bois’s speech is that he refuses, unlike so many later writers, to consign Davis to a distant and departed past, entirely walled off from the twentieth-century future. Davis and other slaveholding elites thought and acted as power players in a rapidly modernizing world. Their battlefield defeat should not blind us to the ways in which many of their core ideas—about racial hierarchy, coerced labor, and imperial state power—survived long after 1865.
That doesn’t mean that the Civil War, Confederate defeat, and slave emancipation were irrelevant. If anything, it underlines their significance. The larger point, though, is that when we look back at Davis and his ilk, we should not regard them as antiquarian curiosities, but as ambitious contenders for power in an uncertain mid-nineteenth century world.
Shenk: Historians know you as a specialist in the antebellum South, but in the wider world you’re better known for your writings on contemporary politics, especially for your essays in Jacobin , which were some of the sharpest analyses of the Bernie Sanders campaign in this entire election cycle. On the surface, at least, those two don’t seem to have a lot in common. Do you see any common threads running through the two? What was it like wrapping up this book while also spending so much time with your feet planted in 2016?
Karp: I’m not sure they do have much in common! I turned in my final draft of the book in January, just as the Democratic primary really got underway and Sanders emerged as a surprising contender for the nomination. It was fortunate timing, because after working on the book for years, I now had some free time to get involved in contemporary politics.
To the extent that there is a connection between these things, it might have to do with my sense of slaveholders as a nineteenth-century ruling class. Our most powerful elites today are very different, and I don’t want to make a serious analogy between the two. But in the very general sense that slaveholders were a small and self-conscious class, nationally powerful, internationally sophisticated, and totally confident in the future of their system—despite various warning signs all around the globe—their outlook is, in some ways, comparable to the outlook of today’s big capitalist class. And control of the American national state was—as it remains today—absolutely fundamental to the operation of ruling class power.
I agree with other historians and commentators, like Manisha Sinha [7] and Chris Hayes [8], that the contemporary left could stand to learn from the anti-slavery movement. The key, though, is not only to isolate and weaken the gun lobby or fossil fuel industry, for instance, but to develop a popular and more comprehensive critique [9] of the political-economic system—a twenty-first century version of the “Slave Power” argument. Slaveholders, after all, didn’t just represent a sector of the economy; they controlled the government. For all its weaknesses, I do think the Sanders campaign represented a major step forward in this larger project, and I’m probably unreasonably optimistic about the possibilities going forward. Matthew Karp is Assistant Professor of History at Princeton University, and the author of This Vast Southern Empire [2] . Timothy Shenk is a Carnegie Fellow at New America and a contributing editor at Dissent. He is the author of Maurice Dobb: Political Economist [10]. | 1 |
As the field of GOP candidates in the hunt for Governor of Colorado for 2018 grows, Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway is assuring everyone he is not one of them. [Elway again stomped down speculation that he intends to jump into the GOP primary for governor for the Centennial State. Current Governor, Democrat John Hickenlooper, faces a term limit end to his tenure in 2018. But the Hall of Fame quarterback says he is not interested in running for office right now. “My intentions are to continue to run the Denver Broncos football operations,” Elway told KUSA 9News. “They can run. I’m not running for Governor. For some reason these things continue to come up. ” Just as the Super Bowl champion (1999 and 1998) quashed rumors of a political career in Colorado, he also insisted he is not interested in taking his football management career to California. Elway has an offseason home in Los Angeles and there has been much speculation that he intends to parlay that home into a job with the L. A. Rams, or the San Diego Chargers if they move to L. A. “I’m working for the Denver Broncos. You can put an end to those,” Elway said. Still, Elway has only one year left on his current Broncos contract and has been in talks about an extension since October. Speculation of a political career, though, isn’t out of the blue where it concerns Elway. A Republican, Elway ruffled feathers early this year by appearing in an advocacy commercial over the Amendment 71 issue, a measure to make it harder to change the state constitution. Still, state Republicans have wooed Elway to run for one office or another for years and he has thus far always resisted the temptation. Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail. com. | 0 |
More Police move to disperse students protesting outside the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, October 26, 2016. (Photo by Reuters)
Clashes have erupted outside South Africa's parliament as police struggled to disperse students protesting against financial hardships and the deteriorating economic situation in the country.
The protest on Wednesday outside the national assembly building in Cape Town saw a direct confrontation between the police and about 2,000 students.
The protesting students were mainly angry at the increased tuition fees in the universities. They also voiced anger at South Africa’s grim economic prospects.
Other cities across the country have seen similar protests over the past weeks, some of them violent. Officials in Cape Town, Johannesburg and elsewhere have even ordered the temporary closure of the universities to calm down the situation. An injured student is helped by classmates during a protest outside the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, October 26, 2016. (Photo by Reuters)
The clashes on Wednesday came as Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan delivered a speech in the parliament to warn about South Africa’s weakening economy, although he vowed that the government would do anything to help students in the country cope with financial problems.
“We will do everything that is possible to regain normality on our campuses. We want the violence to stop,” Gordhan said, adding, “Many students face financial hardships that undermine their ability to succeed academically.”
Gordhan said South Africa’s 2016 growth forecast stood at 0.5 percent. He also stated that an extra 17 billion rand ($1.2 billion) would be earmarked for funding university students.
He warned that a growing sense of political uncertainty in South Africa could seriously harm the country’s financial position in the world.
“Much more disturbing, and more difficult, is the rise in our own communities of anger and discontent, spilling over into violence and destructive protests,” Gordhan said, adding, “It is not just that our economic outlook is distressed, and there is the possibility of downgrades in credit ratings.”
Gordhan’s promise of spending cuts and fighting corruption has triggered a new political stand-off in South Africa. He has been ordered to appear in court on November 2 to face charges of fraud in what many see as a direct clash between him and people loyal to President Jacob Zuma. The minister enjoys a good deal of public support over his record in office.
Some senior members of Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC) have dismissed charges against Gordhan as politically motivated, calling on Zuma and the ANC’s senior figures to resign to save the party from the current political turmoil. Loading ... | 0 |
0 |
|
0 Add Comment
IN what is probably his ‘last year for it’, 10 year-old Barron Trump has written his letter to Santa… and a transcript has leaked online.
Although many expected the letter from the son of president-elect Donald Trump to be a word-for-word facsimile of the one Sasha Obama wrote when she was 10, young Barron actually sat down and composed a wholly original missive, which can be read below…
Dear Santa,
How are you? I’m good. Really good. Ask anybody. I’m as good as anyone can be. Just so good.
First of all, I need to inform you of a change in my address. You can deliver everything to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA, I’ll pick everything up there in February, okay?
Now, for what I want… look, I’m doing pretty okay at the minute, but there’s a few things you could maybe get for my Dad?
He needs the materials to build a wall that he kinda promised, but has no way of ever delivering. Concrete, rebar, that kind of thing. Enough to run about 1,000 miles, to about 40ft high or so. If you can send over some elves to help build it, that’s cool too.
I’ve heard my Dad say that he’d also like a waterboard. I’m not sure what it is. Some sort of surfboard thing? Anyways, he’s big into bringing waterboarding back. So throw in one of those.
Could you also fix it for my half-sister Ivanka to not be related to our family anymore? I think Dad would really like that.
Also, kill all Muslims. And a surprise.
Sincerely, | 0 |
WASHINGTON — As Lennar Corporation, one of the nation’s largest home builders, pushed ahead with an $8 billion plan to revitalize a barren swath of San Francisco, it found a trusted voice to vouch for its work: the Brookings Institution, the most prestigious think tank in the world. “This can become a productive, mutually beneficial relationship,” Bruce Katz, a Brookings vice president, wrote to Lennar in July 2010. The ultimate benefit for Brookings: $400, 000 in donations from Lennar’s different divisions. The think tank began to aggressively promote the project, San Francisco’s biggest redevelopment effort since its recovery from the 1906 earthquake, and later offered to help Lennar, a publicly traded company, “engage with national media to develop stories that highlight Lennar’s innovative approach. ” And Brookings went further. It named Kofi Bonner, the Lennar executive in charge of the San Francisco development, as a senior fellow — an enviable credential he used to advance the company’s efforts. “He would be a trusted adviser,” an internal Brookings memo said in 2014 as the think tank sought one $100, 000 donation from Lennar. Think tanks, which position themselves as “universities without students,” have power in government policy debates because they are seen as researchers independent of moneyed interests. But in the chase for funds, think tanks are pushing agendas important to corporate donors, at times blurring the line between researchers and lobbyists. And they are doing so while reaping the benefits of their status, sometimes without disclosing their connections to corporate interests. Thousands of pages of internal memos and confidential correspondence between Brookings and other donors — like JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest bank K. K. R. the global investment firm Microsoft, the software giant and Hitachi, the Japanese conglomerate — show that financial support often came with assurances from Brookings that it would provide “donation benefits,” including setting up events featuring corporate executives with government officials, according to documents obtained by The New York Times and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. Similar arrangements exist at many think tanks. On issues as varied as military sales to foreign countries, international trade, highway management systems and real estate development, think tanks have frequently become vehicles for corporate influence and branding campaigns. “This is about giant corporations who figured out that by spending, hey, a few tens of millions of dollars, if they can influence outcomes here in Washington, they can make billions of dollars,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, a frequent critic of undisclosed Wall Street donations to think tanks. Washington has seen a proliferation of think tanks, particularly small institutions with narrow interests tied to specific industries. At the same time, the brand names of the field have experienced explosive growth. Brookings’s annual budget has doubled in the last decade, to $100 million. The American Enterprise Institute is spending at least $80 million on a new headquarters in Washington, not far from where the Center for Strategic and International Studies built a $100 million office tower. The shift has occurred as nonprofits in general have been under increasing pressure from their donors to meet specific goals. But for think tanks, that pressure can threaten their standing as independent arbiters in policy debates in Congress, the White House and the news media. “Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to the greatest generation, in the War II era of philanthropy, where they said, gosh, ‘Here is $1 million spend it how you wish,’” Kimberly Churches, the managing director at Brookings, said in an interview. Think tank executives reject any suggestion that they are tools of corporate influence campaigns and say they are simply teaming up with donors that have similar goals, like helping cities with economic development. “We do not compromise our integrity,” said Martin S. Indyk, Brookings’s executive vice president. “We maintain our core values of quality, independence, as well as impact. ” But he acknowledged that the arrangement to appoint the Lennar executive as a senior fellow had created the “appearance of a conflict of interest. ” And he said that Brookings, in the interest of transparency, had recently decided to prohibit corporations or foundations from making anonymous contributions. At think tanks like Brookings, the majority of reports and events, with titles like “Five Evils: Multidimensional Poverty and Race in America” or “India at the Global High Table,” have no obvious link to corporate donors. Still, the benefits afforded to corporations looking to cloak themselves with the authority of think tanks are strikingly evident, according to a review of documents from more than a dozen institutions. The likely conclusions of some think tank reports, documents show, are discussed with donors — or even potential ones — before the research is complete. Drafts of the studies have been shared with donors whose opinions have then helped shape final reports. Donors have outlined how the resulting scholarship will be used as part of broader lobbying efforts. The think tanks also help donors promote their corporate brands, as Brookings does with JPMorgan Chase, whose $15. 5 million contribution is the largest by a private corporation in the institution’s history. Despite these benefits, corporations can write off the donations as charitable contributions. Some tax experts say these arrangements may amount to improper subsidies by taxpayers if think tanks are providing specific services. “People think of think tanks as uncompromised and not bought like others in the political class,” said Bill Goodfellow, the executive director of the Center for International Policy, a think tank. “But it’s absurd to suggest that donors don’t have influence. The danger is we in the think tank world are being corrupted in the same way as the political world. And all of us should be worried about it. ” A group of Democratic state attorneys general is investigating whether Exxon Mobil worked with certain think tanks in past decades to cover up its understanding of fossil fuels’ impact on climate change, in part by financing reports questioning the science, a suggestion the company rejects. Executives at Brookings, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and other think tanks say they have systems in place to ensure that their reports are based on scholars’ independent conclusions. “We strongly believe in our model of seeking solutions to some of our country’s most difficult problems,” John J. Hamre, the chief executive at C. S. I. S. said in a written reply to questions. “We gather stakeholders, vet ideas, find areas of agreement and highlight areas of disagreement. ” Yet researchers at think tanks are seeing corporate influence firsthand. Rachel Stohl, a senior associate at the Stimson Center in Washington, said she had been quizzed by potential donors as she tried to raise money for research on the military’s use of armed drones. “‘Are you going to say drones are bad? ’” she recalled one potential financial backer asking. “‘We are not interested in funding something that says drones are bad. ’” The confidential Brookings spreadsheet had an unassuming title: Corporate Overviews Tracking. It listed nearly 90 corporations, from Alcoa to Wells Fargo, providing a glimpse of the vast electronic file that Brookings maintained on donors and prospects, and the benefits it might offer. The database, along with thousands of pages of emails, solicitations for money and memos on meetings with corporate officials, highlighted Brookings’s practice of assuring that donors would see results from their contributions. The files included company priorities and a tally of donations. General Electric wanted to fund work on rail networks and clean energy programs — both critical parts of its business — and Brookings then featured G. E. executives, joined by officials from the White House and Congress, at events that focused on these industries. In 2004, Brookings established its Metropolitan Policy Program, devised to stimulate economic growth in cities. As the country was emerging from recession, Brookings bolstered its ties to corporate donors in 2010 by naming Marek Gootman, a lobbyist from Patton Boggs, as its first director of strategic partnerships. He was assigned to work with “a national network of elected, business and civic leaders engaged in city and metropolitan area policy development and implementation. ” From the start, the program blended a variety of insights on urban matters, including from corporate, nonprofit and government sources. And Mr. Indyk noted that any reports issued were made public. Donations to the program exploded, from $4. 3 million in 2005 to $12. 5 million in 2013, nearly 20 percent of Brookings’s overall program spending that year. K. K. R. after starting special funds around 2010 to invest in real estate and other infrastructure projects, donated $450, 000 to Brookings, some of it as the institution agreed to set up meetings for a top K. K. R. executive with community leaders in Philadelphia and Detroit, where the company was considering real estate projects. Brookings separately produced a report, published on K. K. R. ’s website, promoting one of the company’s infrastructure projects in New Jersey, after the company executive suggested such a piece. In advance of a 2014 event Brookings officials attended with corporate executives including Henry R. Kravis, a of K. K. R. one memo marked as confidential noted: “K. K. R. has given a total of $350K to Brookings. Last gift came in on for $150K to Metro Henry has donated $75K to Brookings, most going to the individual unrestricted fund. ” The tally demonstrates the important distinction that Brookings makes between “unrestricted” donations, which the think tank can spend on any research, and funding restricted to specific topics that the donor has a particular interest in. Lennar joined Brookings’s Metropolitan Leadership Council, established for the program’s top donors, in July 2010. That month, the company won approval to redevelop Hunters Point in San Francisco, turning the area into a more than mix of housing, education and commercial development. Brookings would later name the project one of the three most “transformative investments in the United States. ” The San Francisco project generated controversy from the beginning, with critics concerned about toxic waste left by the former Navy shipyard. Lennar joined with Brookings as protests were escalating in 2010. One complaint, filed by area residents with the Environmental Protection Agency, said the San Francisco Health Department was “conspiring with Lennar Corporation to conceal the health threats of dust. ” The company was busy at the time looking for investors to help it complete the project, known as the San Francisco Shipyard. A spokesman for Lennar, Glenn Bunting, disputed claims that the company had donated to Brookings out of — and said the alliance was not related to the protests. “There was nothing needed in the way of assistance for Lennar to ‘buy’ from Brookings,” Mr. Bunting said in an email. Brookings, though, continued to promote the project. “San Francisco’s Shipyard project is both physically and economically transformative for the Bay Area and globally significant,” Mr. Katz, the Brookings vice president, said in a news release issued by San Francisco’s mayor in 2011 as Lennar’s hunt for major investors intensified. “This project promises to set a new paradigm for successfully conceiving, financing and delivering transformative infrastructure projects in the United States. ” memos were more explicit: Brookings, as it sought an additional $50, 000 from Lennar in 2014, said it was prepared to “use our convening power, research expertise, network connections and knowledge of innovative practices to help further drive the ultimate impact and success” of Lennar’s project and to “provide public validation of San Francisco’s efforts through national and local media coverage. ” The think tank soon delivered. Mr. Katz made appearances alongside Mr. Bonner, the Lennar executive, to promote the project to government officials and business leaders in California. In 2014, around the time the think tank sought an additional round of money from Lennar, Brookings invited its new nonresident senior fellow, Mr. Bonner, who has a master’s degree in architecture and is a former government planner for several California cities, to appear at an event at its headquarters. “I am working in San Francisco in a fabulous property,” Mr. Bonner said at the event, referring to Lennar’s Shipyard project. In March, at a conference of real estate developers and investors in Cannes, France, Lennar sponsored a session in which Brookings researchers helped the company highlight the Shipyard. “Kofi is what I would describe as the quintessential city builder,” Julie Wagner, a Brookings nonresident senior fellow, said as she introduced Mr. Bonner at an event where projects with no connection to donors were also featured. At least some of the $400, 000 Lennar has donated to Brookings since 2010 has come from its SunStreet Energy division, which sells rooftop solar systems, at the same time that Brookings’s metropolitan program has published research on the rooftop solar industry. Mr. Indyk said the collaboration simply reflected shared goals of revitalizing cities. Brookings scholars promoted other real estate projects, he said, involving local governments, universities or even developers that were not donors — including one in Detroit backed by Dan Gilbert, the founder of Quicken Loans, and one in Seattle backed by Paul G. Allen, a of Microsoft. But Mr. Indyk acknowledged that naming Mr. Bonner, who declined to be interviewed, a Brookings nonresident scholar had “created the impression that because Lennar was giving money, he was getting the title. ” His post, which was unpaid, was not renewed. Hitachi has been another large donor to the metropolitan program, giving a total of $1. 8 million to Brookings over the last decade, according to Brookings documents. The think tank reviewed the company’s corporate marketing and sales strategy targeting the United States, an internal memo shows. Brookings also organized public events that featured top Obama administration officials and allowed Hitachi executives to promote their products. “Metro has held nine meetings and several conference calls in the past six months with executives from Hitachi’s water, transportation and data business lines and are collaborating more fully on defining what it means to be a ‘Smart City,’” a confidential Brookings memo said. Officials at Brookings said they had not lobbied for Hitachi, and they provided examples of reports that they said included conclusions challenging the company’s position. “Helping a corporation’s agenda is not in any way our agenda,” Ms. Churches, the managing director, said. Yet Ms. Churches also said the contract language with donors like Lennar and Hitachi was “inelegant,” although not improper. When asked if the documents read like a agreement, she said, “It could be misconstrued. ” Mr. Indyk said Brookings had recently changed its policies so that “today, there is no way in which those words would be used in our documents. ” When JPMorgan offered a major donation to the metropolitan program in 2011, Brookings created the Global Cities Initiative, complete with a new logo that called it a “joint project of Brookings and JPMorgan Chase. ” The project was premised on a common interest between the bank and the think tank. Brookings wanted to promote economic growth in cities by encouraging international trade, and JPMorgan wanted to gain new business by offering loans to companies in the same markets. In contract documents, Brookings emphasized that it would control the conclusions of its reports and said it would “not directly or indirectly communicate with any party” to help get JPMorgan business. Mr. Indyk and executives from JPMorgan said the company and the think tank simply agreed on a worthy agenda. “This was about growing the economy, and we are incredibly proud of the results of this initiative,” said Peter Scher, the head of the corporate responsibility program at JPMorgan. “We believe it’s had a huge impact in more than 30 cities that are involved. ” At the same time, hundreds of pages of memos — status reports to JPMorgan, internal reports by Brookings staff to prepare for meetings with top bank executives, and formal documents soliciting more money — make clear that Brookings saw the Global Cities Initiative as a branding effort that could help JPMorgan bolster its standing in cities. “Bottom line: Growing metro economies is good for the nation and for JPMC also, many U. S. cities are JPMC clients — motivation to support them and their clients,” said one Brookings document dated July 2011, as officials from the think tank met with top bank executives to discuss a planned donation that eventually totaled $15 million. The Global Cities Initiative, another document written by a Brookings senior fellow explained, “must mean a marriage between JPMC corporate interests” and “Brookings continued thought leadership. ” JPMorgan, in a document dated a month before the agreement was signed, said the pending donation to Brookings “ relationships with important client base among business and civic leaders both in the U. S. and abroad. ” And Brookings was ready to do its part. “Our events, which in part target these audiences,” said an internal 2014 Brookings memo, referring to the Global Cities Initiative and federal and state leaders, “have yielded 100+ media hits, with 97% of them referencing GCI and 90% referencing JPMorgan by the end of this year, we will have held events in 13 domestic markets and 9 international markets. ” At times, Brookings officials seemed worried they were not doing enough for the bank. “No one wants to create overt marketing opportunities for JPMC, but we need to carve out roles and thought leadership opportunity for market presidents,” said a 2013 Brookings memo, referring to a dinner with the bank’s executives. “We need to do a better job tying it back to JPMC. ” It remains difficult to assess whether the relationship helped the bank’s business, but Mr. Scher said that was not the goal. “If the Global Cities Initiative strengthens the economic competitiveness of cities, it’s a win for small businesses, job creation and everyone involved in these communities, including us,” Mr. Scher said in a statement. Donations from the corporations to Brookings are tax exempt based on the premise that the think tank’s work benefits the public good, not a company’s bottom line. But two lawyers who specialize in nonprofit law — Miranda Perry Fleischer, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, and Clifford Perlman, a partner at a New firm — said Brookings’s agreements raised questions. “Tax deductions are subsidies that are paid for by all taxpayers,” Ms. Fleischer said. “And the reason the subsidy is provided is that the charitable organization is supposed to be doing something for the public good, not that specifically benefits the private individual or corporation in the form of providing them goods or services. ” Mr. Indyk said that opinion was “totally unfounded,” noting that Brookings had retained its own lawyers to review the documents and found no problems. “Brookings’s conclusion that all of these activities it engaged in with these donors primarily benefited the public rather than the donors is consistent with the applicable federal tax standards,” Douglas Varley, one of the lawyers for Brookings, said in a statement. Other think tanks have been even more closely aligned with corporate agendas. FedEx teamed up with the Atlantic Council — a think tank that focuses on international relations, with annual revenue that has surged to $21 million from $2 million in the last decade — to build support for a agreement the company hoped would increase business. Six months before the Atlantic Council report was issued, FedEx and the think tank worked on plans to use the report as a lobbying tool. “The impact and reach of the report would be maximized by a rollout event” including a “public report launch with member( s) of Congress from one of the relevant committees,” said a summary drafted by the Atlantic Council months before the study was completed. FedEx and the Atlantic Council, working with the European American Chamber of Commerce, also told companies being asked to participate in the study that the goal was to “emphasize the positive impact that a comprehensive agreement would have on American and European small businesses. ” When the report came out in late 2014, its conclusions mirrored arguments FedEx had been aggressively pushing on Capitol Hill, including recommending a reduction in tariffs and allowing more shipments. An executive vice president at FedEx, Rajesh Subramaniam, attended an event at Atlantic Council headquarters in Washington to celebrate the release of the final report. So did a key supporter, Representative Erik Paulsen, Republican of Minnesota. “This is very exciting,” Mr. Subramaniam said at the event, referring to the potential for more trade. “The upside opportunity is quite large. ” Frederick Kempe, the Atlantic Council president, said that FedEx had donated just $20, 000 to help fund the effort and that the staff at the Atlantic Council had handled the research. “There is no doubt the work of think tanks has more credibility than the work of lobbyists, but the only way we preserve it is through intellectual independence,” Mr. Kempe said. General Atomics, the manufacturer of Predator drones, had a clear problem. Prospects for sales were falling as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq wound down. The company wanted the Obama administration to change its policy to allow for sales to other countries, a lucrative proposition. “When the budgets are going down in the U. S. you would like to be able to export more,” Frank Pace, the president of the company’s aircraft systems group, told a Reuters reporter in late 2013 at an air show in Dubai. At about that time, the industry turned to the Center for Strategic and International Studies for help, providing money that the think tank used to conduct a study on drone policy, including exports. While defense contracting giants like Lockheed Martin and Boeing have cumulatively donated at least $77 million since 2010 to two dozen think tanks, disclosure records show, General Atomics’s contribution to the Center for Strategic and International Studies was quite small — in the tens of thousands of dollars. C. S. I. S. set up confidential meetings at its headquarters with company representatives, inviting top officials from the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard, the State Department and the office of the defense secretary, according to emails and other documents obtained by The Times through open records requests. “Our series will be unique in convening a much broader group of stakeholders than is typical,” Samuel J. Brannen, the think tank’s lead scholar, wrote in an email to Aaron W. Jost, one of the State Department officials in charge of regulating drone exports. As a think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies did not file a lobbying report, but the goals of the effort were clear. “Political obstacles to export,” read the agenda of one “working group” meeting organized by Mr. Brannen that included Tom Rice, a lobbyist in General Atomics’s Washington office, on the invitation lists, the emails show. Boeing and Lockheed Martin, drone makers that were major C. S. I. S. contributors, were also invited to attend the sessions, the emails show. The meetings and research culminated with a report released in February 2014 that reflected the industry’s priorities. “I came out strongly in support of export,” Mr. Brannen, the lead author of the study, wrote in an email to Kenneth B. Handelman, the deputy assistant secretary of state for defense trade controls. But the effort did not stop there. Mr. Brannen initiated meetings with Defense Department officials and congressional staff to push for the recommendations, which also included setting up a new Pentagon office to give more focus to acquisition and deployment of drones. The center also stressed the need to ease export limits at a conference it hosted at its headquarters featuring top officials from the Navy, the Air Force and the Marine Corps. Mr. Brannen, who has since left C. S. I. S. declined to comment. The think tank insisted that its efforts to influence administration policy were not lobbying. “C. S. I. S. will not represent any donor before any government office or entity, including congressional lawmakers and executive branch officials,” Mr. Hamre, the chief executive, said in his statement to The Times. “We do not lobby. ” One thing is clear: The result was a victory for General Atomics. In February 2015, almost one year after the C. S. I. S. report was issued, the State Department announced a clarification of its rules, easing final approval that month for General Atomics’s sale of unarmed Predator drones to the United Arab Emirates, the first such sale to a nation. The think tank report was just one of many voices pushing for the change. A State Department spokesman said that while the government officials involved in the review had received opinions from think tanks and industry officials, “at the end of the day, this is a considered U. S. government policy. ” Huntington Ingalls Industries had an equally clear objective: to create an elaborate public relations and lobbying campaign to convince Congress that the nation needed to confront an emerging threat from China by building more aircraft carriers — at a cost of about $11 billion each. The clear beneficiary? Huntington, the lone builder of the ships. As part of a broader communications effort, Huntington helped finance a think tank report that enhanced the company’s argument for more funding. Bryan McGrath, a former naval officer who had commanded a destroyer, approached Huntington Ingalls and offered to write a study on a basis as a private industry expert. The company turned down his offer. Later, after he had joined the Hudson Institute and helped create the Center for American Seapower, he approached Huntington officials again, and they were interested. “A think tank has more prestige,” Mr. McGrath said. Huntington Ingalls paid $100, 000 to fund the work, a critical commitment for Mr. McGrath, who said he was paid by Hudson only if he could successfully solicit donations to support his research. Mr. McGrath said he had always been a strong proponent of aircraft carriers, so the company was not buying his opinion. “The Hudson Center makes no secret about being very power,” he said. “If a company came that wanted us to write a piece that advocated for something other than that, the answer would be no. ” In exchange for Huntington Ingalls’s support, company officials were given regular briefings on the research and the opportunity to suggest revisions to early drafts, Mr. McGrath said. “We have an iterative process already laid out in which we will sit down with them and go through drafts and discuss where we are going,” Mr. McGrath said. He added that he had not accepted all of the company’s suggestions. The report was released in October at the Rayburn House Office Building. Mr. McGrath received an introduction from one of the industry’s most important boosters, Representative J. Randy Forbes, Republican of Virginia, the chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee that oversees the Navy. The report did not mention that Huntington Ingalls had helped pay for it. Asked about the failure to disclose the contribution, John P. Walters, Hudson’s chief operating officer, called it a mistake. The report was subsequently revised — months after it was released and the congressional event held — to disclose the donation. A second report, prepared by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, came out a month later with a similar urgent call for more money to build more ships and to base more ships abroad, although it did not mention that it had been funded by the Navy League of the United States, a nonprofit group whose large corporate donors include Huntington Ingalls. “This report is yet another important tool for Navy Leaguers to use in the field when educating local leaders and lawmakers,” Skip Witunski, the Navy League president, wrote to the group’s members late last year. The strategy — lining up think tank reports as lobbying tools that echoed each other — was backed up with a series of letters to the editor, dozens of posts on Twitter and Facebook, and pieces. Mr. McGrath said he, too, wondered if this storm of work might be threatening the integrity of the process. “I see a lot of stuff that comes out in Washington,” Mr. McGrath said, “and I got to scratch my head and say, ‘That guy must be on the payroll. ’” | 1 |
After months of suspense and typically inscrutable standoffishness, Bob Dylan, the elusive Nobel laureate, will finally accept his literature prize at a meeting with members of the Swedish Academy in Stockholm this weekend. Sara Danius, the Swedish Academy’s permanent secretary, broke the news in a blog post titled “Good News About Dylan” on Wednesday, and a spokeswoman for the Academy confirmed it. A representative for Mr. Dylan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ms. Danius wrote that Mr. Dylan — who greeted news of the prize last fall with two weeks of silence and skipped the December ceremony because of “ commitments” — would meet with members of the Academy while in town to play two concerts at the Stockholm Waterfront. She said that those behind the prize will “show up at one of the performances” and “hand over” Mr. Dylan’s commemorative diploma and medal in person. “The setting will be small and intimate, and no media will be present only Bob Dylan and members of the Academy will attend, all according to Dylan’s wishes,” Ms. Danius added. Yet some uncertainty still remains. Nobel laureates, who are awarded 8 million Swedish krona, or about $900, 000, are required to give a lecture on their subject within six months of the prize ceremony, which was held on Dec. 10. Mr. Dylan will not deliver his this weekend. His deadline is in June. Ms. Danius wrote: “The Academy has reason to believe that a taped version will be sent at a later point. (Taped Nobel lectures are presented now and then, the latest of which was that of Nobel Laureate Alice Munro in 2013.) At this point no further details are known. ” For the ceremony in December, Patti Smith performed a version of Mr. Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s Fall,” while the American ambassador to Sweden, Azita Raji, read a gracious acceptance speech from the singer. “Not once have I ever had the time to ask myself, ‘Are my songs literature?’ ” wrote Mr. Dylan, a controversial pick because his medium is song. “So, I do thank the Swedish Academy, both for taking the time to consider that very question, and, ultimately, for providing such a wonderful answer. ” More recently, the singer, who rarely engages with the public beyond the stage, gave a lengthy interview to the author and music television executive Bill Flanagan. The chat, which was posted to Mr. Dylan’s official website, covered his new album of standards, “Triplicate,” in detail, as well as scattered memories of the music business, but mentioned the Nobel Prize not once. In what has proved to be a busy season for Dylanologists, there is still more to pore over: The singer’s new historical archive in Tulsa, Okla. announced on Tuesday that it was officially open to researchers. Because of high demand, those Dylan scholars interested in viewing the 6, 000 artifacts from across six decades must apply for access, showing that their projects qualify for an appointment. A list of everything in the archive, which was previewed by The New York Times last year, is available to both eager researchers and curious super fans online. Among the contents: Lyrics, written in notebooks, on hotel stationery and matchbook covers, along with personal letters, recording contracts and even Mr. Dylan’s leather wallet from 1966, containing “Johnny Cash’s contact information and three business cards. ” | 0 |
As host of “The Daily Show,” Trevor Noah comes across as a wry, startled and sometimes outraged outsider, commenting on the absurdities of American life. During the presidential campaign, the South comic remarked that Donald J. Trump reminded him of an African dictator, mused over the mystifying complexities of the Electoral College system and pointed out the weirdness of states voting on recreational marijuana. In the countdown to and aftermath of the election, Mr. Noah has grown more comfortable at moving back and forth between jokes and earnest insights, between humor and serious asides — the way he’s done in his act, and now, in his compelling new memoir, “Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood. ” By turns alarming, sad and funny, his book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah’s family, at life in South Africa under apartheid and the country’s lurching entry into a postapartheid era in the 1990s. Some stories will be familiar to fans who have followed the author’s act. But his accounts here are less the polished anecdotes of a comedian underscoring the absurdities of life under apartheid, than raw, deeply personal reminiscences about being “ ” in a country where his birth “violated any number of laws, statutes and regulations. ” The son of a Xhosa mother and a father, Mr. Noah recalls that “the only time I could be with my father was indoors”: “If we left the house, he’d have to walk across the street from us. ” It was dangerous, as a child, to be seen with his mother as well: “She would hold my hand or carry me, but if the police showed up she would have to drop me and pretend I wasn’t hers. ” He spent much of his time at home: “I didn’t have any friends. I didn’t know any kids besides my cousins. I wasn’t a lonely kid — I was good at being alone. I’d read books, play with the toy that I had, make up imaginary worlds. I lived inside my head. To this day you can leave me alone for hours and I’m perfectly happy entertaining myself. I have to remember to be with people. ” Language, he discovered early on, was a way to camouflage his difference. His mother knew Xhosa, Zulu, German, Afrikaans, Sotho and used her knowledge “to cross boundaries, handle situations, navigate the world. ” She made sure that English was the first language her son spoke because “if you’re black in South Africa, speaking English is the one thing that can give you a leg up. ” “English is the language of money,” Mr. Noah goes on. “English comprehension is equated with intelligence. If you’re looking for a job, English is the difference between getting the job or staying unemployed. ” A gifted mimic, Trevor learned to become “a chameleon,” using language to gain acceptance in school and on the streets. “If you spoke to me in Zulu, I replied to you in Zulu,” he writes. “If you spoke to me in Tswana, I replied to you in Tswana. Maybe I didn’t look like you, but if I spoke like you, I was you. ” Mr. Noah offers a series of snapshots of life in the township of Soweto, where his maternal grandmother lived, and where, he recalls, “99. 9 percent” of the residents were black, and his light skin made him a neighborhood curiosity. He remembers: “The township was in a constant state of insurrection someone was always marching or protesting somewhere and had to be suppressed. Playing in my grandmother’s house, I’d hear gunshots, screams, tear gas being fired into crowds. ” To save money, Mr. Noah recalls, his mother perfected the art of coasting their old, rusty Volkswagen downhill “between work and school, between school and home,” and enlisting her son’s help in pushing the car when the gas ran out. One month, he says, money was so short that they were forced to subsist on bowls of wild spinach, cooked with mopane worms, “the cheapest thing that only the poorest of poor people eat. ” By high school, Mr. Noah writes, he had become an enterprising businessman, copying and selling pirated CDs he and his business partners would soon segue into the D. J. business, throwing raucous dance parties in Alexandra, “a tiny, dense pocket of a shantytown,” known as Gomorrah because it had “the wildest parties and the worst crimes. ” After Mr. Noah’s father moved to Cape Town, his mother married an auto mechanic, whose English name, Abel, recalled the good brother in the Bible, but whose Tsonga name, Ngisaveni, says Mr. Noah, meant “Be afraid. ” Those names would turn out to be a harbinger of his stepfather’s dual personality — charming and eager to be liked on the surface, but, as Mr. Noah recalls, highly controlling, and capable of violence. In the end, “Born a Crime” is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother, who grew up in a hut with 14 cousins, and determined that her son would not grow up paying what she called “the black tax” — black families having to “spend all of their time trying to fix the problems of the past,” using their skills and education to bring their relatives “back up to zero,” because “the generations who came before you have been pillaged. ” It’s the story of a fiercely religious woman, who attributes her miraculous survival from a gunshot wound to the head (inflicted by Abel) to her faith a woman who took her son to three churches on Sunday (as well as a prayer meeting on Tuesday, Bible study on Wednesday and youth church on Thursday) even when there were dangerous riots in the streets and few dared to venture out of their homes. The names chosen for Xhosa children traditionally have meanings, Mr. Noah observes: His mother’s name, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, means “She Who Gives Back” his cousin’s name, Mlungisi, means “The Fixer. ” His mother, Mr. Noah writes, deliberately gave him a name, Trevor, with “no meaning whatsoever in South Africa, no precedent in my family. ” “It’s not even a biblical name,” he writes. “It’s just a name. My mother wanted her child beholden to no fate. She wanted me to be free to go anywhere, do anything, be anyone. ” | 1 |
The Archdiocese of New York has established an independent program that will allow victims of sexual abuse by members of the clergy to apply for compensation from the church, even for abuse claims that are decades old, church leaders said on Thursday. The program will be headed by Kenneth R. Feinberg, who ran the federal Sept. 11 victims fund. It will have the authority to determine who is eligible for compensation and how much is awarded, church officials said. The archdiocese said it would borrow the compensation money, which could easily run into the millions. The program initially addresses the claims of some 200 abuse victims who have approached the archdiocese over the last four or five decades, in cases involving some 40 priests. To date, only about 30 of those victims have received compensation, church leaders said. Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said he was inspired by Pope Francis in forming the program and hoped it would become a model for other dioceses to help victims heal. “I wish I would have done this quite a while ago,” he said in an interview. “I just finally thought: ‘Darn it, let’s do it. I’m tired of putting it off. ’” For years, victims’ groups and some state lawmakers have pressed for legislation that would lift the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases to permit lawsuits by more victims. New York currently has among the most restrictive laws for victims in the nation, requiring that they bring criminal or civil charges by the time they turn 23. The church has actively lobbied against the bill, known as the Child Victims Act, which applies not just to priests, but to anyone who sexually abuses a child. The compensation program, in some ways, is the church’s response, which it hopes gives victims a measure of justice and closure. It also limits the potential for future litigation, critics say. David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, an organization critical of the church’s handling of sexual abuse cases, argued that the timing of the program was hardly coincidental. “We’ve seen the pattern time and time again across the country,” he said. “Whenever statute of limitations reform is making real progress, bishops take these steps, in essence, to say to lawmakers, ‘Hey, back off, we’re handling this ourselves. ’” Any victim who agrees to compensation from the fund must sign a release forgoing the right to sue the archdiocese over sexual abuse allegations. That provision drew sharp criticism on Thursday from some victims and their advocates. Anne Barrett Doyle, of BishopAccountablity. org, a watchdog organization that documents abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church, said the program was an attempt to preemptively settle with victims who would be able to sue the archdiocese if the Child Victims Act were to ever pass. “He’s presenting it as mercy, but it’s actually a shrewd strategy,” Ms. Doyle said. Mary Caplan, a former director of the survivors’ network’s New York chapter, who was abused by a New Jersey priest in New York City as a child, said she would “encourage victims to think long and hard before approaching church officials or their representatives. ” Ms. Doyle also criticized the archdiocese’s decision to consider abuse claims only against archdiocesan priests or deacons, not members of religious orders or other priests working in the archdiocese, leaving out a large number of potential abusers. Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said such clergy members were not included because they did not fall under the authority of the archbishop. Such allegations would be referred to the appropriate bishop or religious superior of the order, he said. The program will be administered by Mr. Feinberg and Camille S. Biros, both mediators, and operate in two phases. It will first contact the 170 or so victims known to the church who have not yet received compensation. Beginning early next year, it will encourage claims from victims who have not yet come forward, and will work with law enforcement to investigate any claims against living clergy members. In addition to the victims themselves, the parents of victims who were minors may apply to the fund, as can the legal representatives of deceased victims. While other dioceses have created compensation programs, this one is “rather unique” in the amount of independence it has been given by the archdiocese, Mr. Feinberg said. Direct oversight will be handled by a nonchurch panel: Raymond W. Kelly, the former New York City police commissioner Loretta A. Preska, a federal district judge and Dr. Jeanette Cueva, a Columbia University psychiatry professor. Decisions of the commission cannot be appealed or overturned by the archdiocese or the oversight panel. Mr. Feinberg, who has also overseen compensation for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings and the Pulse Nightclub shootings in Orlando, said some criticism of the archdiocese’s program was to be expected because, like all such programs, it will settle claims out of court, and out of public view. But he defended the effort, stressing that it was voluntary and did not preclude changes in the statute of limitations. “If an individual claimant wants the compensation, that’s a decision the individual should be able to make,” Mr. Feinberg said. | 1 |
in: General Health , Medical & Health , Preparedness\Survival The topic of using expired prescription drugs comes up frequently in survival and preparedness circles. Although there are many articles detailing with the efficacy of outdated meds, one question I get over and over again is “what do I do when the meds run out?” Whereas there is no single clear answer, one thing we can all start to do now is hang on to our old, unused meds. For the most part and with very few exceptions, they will be viable for two to twelve years beyond their expiration date. The secret is to keep them in a cool, dark, location that is not too dissimilar from your food storage. In another exclusive article for Backdoor Survival, Dr. Joe Alton, a medical doctor who is well versed in survival medicine, is here today to give us an update on the use of expired drugs in a survival setting. In addition, for those of you that have asked, he is providing us with links you can use to initiate your own research on this important topic. Of course, as with anything preparedness related, let your own good judgement prevail. An Update on Expired Drugs in Survival Settings By Joe Alton, MD In normal times, replacing expired medicines isn’t a major issue. You call your physician and get a refill for “fresh” meds. Medicine bottle descriptions and those in print and online sources tell you to discard any drug that has gone expired, a recommendation so common that it’s considered standard. You might be surprised to know, however, that expiration dates have only been government-mandated since 1979. The expiration date is simply the last day that the pharmaceutical company will guarantee 100% potency of the product. In other words, you won’t grow a horn in the middle of your forehead or other ill effect if you take the drug the week after it expires. Indeed, it is rare for expired drugs, especially in pill or capsule form, to be any more risky than the non-expired versions. This is an important issue to those preparing medically for survival scenarios. If you believe that some disaster will take society to the brink, then you should also understand that such a scenario also means that it’s unlikely that pharmaceutical companies will be functioning to manufacture drugs. Therefore, at one point or another, a well-supplied survival medic will have to make a decision regarding the use of an expired medication. This is a decision that also must be made by government agencies such as FEMA and the Department of Defense. Federal warehouses store tens of millions of dollars’ worth of drugs meant for use in peacetime disasters. When these drugs expired, the forklifts came out and huge quantities of life-saving medicines were discarded. Over time, even the government began to think, “Wow. This is getting expensive. I wonder if these drugs are still good?”. And with that thought, the Shelf Life Extension Program (SLEP) was developed. The SLEP tested over a hundred drugs in their possession and found that the vast majority were 100% potent 2 to 12 years beyond their listed expiration dates. These findings led the government to put out extensions of expiration dates for certain drugs as needed, such as the 5 year extension given the anti-viral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) during the 2009 swine flu epidemic. These are referred to as “emergency use authorizations”. Despite this research, you’ll see opinions from those in academia or elsewhere that state all medications are dangerous when expired and should be discarded. These opinions are fine in normal times, but members of the preparedness community should at least consider holding on to medications that might no longer be available in times of trouble. Think about this situation: Let’s say that a true catastrophe has occurred that has taken out the grid and modern medical facilities for the foreseeable future. Your daughter is fading from a bacterial infection. You have an expired bottle of antibiotics. She’s dying. Are you going to use the expired drug or not. You decide. Medicines, expired or not, should be stored in cool, dry, dark conditions. Their potency will fade twice as fast if stored at 90 degrees than if stored at 50 degrees. Freezing them, however, is rarely necessary. Even if stored in suboptimal conditions, a capsule or tablet that hasn’t changed color, smell, or consistency is probably still worth keeping for austere settings. Of course, in normal times, seek out qualified medical professionals whenever and wherever they are available. Note: You may have read about kidney and liver toxicity in expired tetracycline products. The majority of these occurred before the formulation was changed some years ago. Having said that, Tetracycline is not on my list of top ten antibiotics to have in your medical storage. It is a first generation drug with reports of widespread resistance, and I would prefer you have doxycycline instead. It’s important to know that all drugs have side effects or restrictions in children, pregnant women, and patients with certain medical conditions. Take time to learn indications, dosage, and side effects of all medicines you keep in your medical supplies. For more information on the Shelf Life Extension Program, click the links below: | 1 |
President Obama delivered his farewell address in Chicago on Tuesday. The following is the complete transcript, as provided by the Federal News Service. OBAMA: Hello Chicago! (APPLAUSE) It’s good to be home! (APPLAUSE) Thank you, everybody! (APPLAUSE) Thank you. (APPLAUSE) Thank you. (APPLAUSE) Thank you so much, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) It’s good to be home. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) We’re on live TV here, I’ve got to move. (APPLAUSE) You can tell that I’m a lame duck, because nobody is following instructions. (LAUGHTER) Everybody have a seat. My fellow Americans, Michelle and I have been so touched by all the that we’ve received over the past few weeks. But tonight it’s my turn to say thanks. Whether we have seen or rarely agreed at all, my conversations with you, the American people — in living rooms and in schools at farms and on factory floors at diners and on distant military outposts — those conversations are what have kept me honest, and kept me inspired, and kept me going. And every day, I have learned from you. You made me a better president, and you made me a better man. So I first came to Chicago when I was in my early twenties, and I was still trying to figure out who I was still searching for a purpose to my life. And it was a neighborhood not far from here where I began working with church groups in the shadows of closed steel mills. It was on these streets where I witnessed the power of faith, and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss. (CROWD CHANTING “FOUR MORE YEARS”) I can’t do that. Now this is where I learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it. After eight years as your president, I still believe that. And it’s not just my belief. It’s the beating heart of our American idea — our bold experiment in . It’s the conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s the insistence that these rights, while have never been that We, the People, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union. What a radical idea, the great gift that our Founders gave to us. The freedom to chase our individual dreams through our sweat, and toil, and imagination — and the imperative to strive together as well, to achieve a common good, a greater good. For 240 years, our nation’s call to citizenship has given work and purpose to each new generation. It’s what led patriots to choose republic over tyranny, pioneers to trek west, slaves to brave that makeshift railroad to freedom. It’s what pulled immigrants and refugees across oceans and the Rio Grande. It’s what pushed women to reach for the ballot. It’s what powered workers to organize. It’s why GIs gave their lives at Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima Iraq and Afghanistan — and why men and women from Selma to Stonewall were prepared to give theirs as well. (APPLAUSE) So that’s what we mean when we say America is exceptional. Not that our nation has been flawless from the start, but that we have shown the capacity to change, and make life better for those who follow. Yes, our progress has been uneven. The work of democracy has always been hard. It has been contentious. Sometimes it has been bloody. For every two steps forward, it often feels we take one step back. But the long sweep of America has been defined by forward motion, a constant widening of our founding creed to embrace all, and not just some. (APPLAUSE) If I had told you eight years ago that America would reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry, and unleash the longest stretch of job creation in our history — if I had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the Cuban people, shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program without firing a shot, take out the mastermind of — if I had told you that we would win marriage equality and secure the right to health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens — if I had told you all that, you might have said our sights were set a little too high. But that’s what we did. That’s what you did. You were the change. The answer to people’s hopes and, because of you, by almost every measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started. In 10 days the world will witness a hallmark of our democracy. No, no, no, no, no. The peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next. I committed to Trump that my administration would ensure the smoothest possible transition, just as President Bush did for me. Because it’s up to all of us to make sure our government can help us meet the many challenges we still face. We have what we need to do so. We have everything we need to meet those challenges. After all, we remain the wealthiest, most powerful, and most respected nation on earth. Our youth, our drive, our diversity and openness, our boundless capacity for risk and reinvention means that the future should be ours. But that potential will only be realized if our democracy works. Only if our politics better reflects the decency of our people. Only if all of us, regardless of party affiliation or particular interests help restore the sense of common purpose that we so badly need right now. And that’s what I want to focus on tonight, the state of our democracy. Understand democracy does not require uniformity. Our founders argued, they quarreled, and eventually they compromised. They expected us to do the same. But they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity. The idea that, for all our outward differences, we’re all in this together, that we rise or fall as one. There have been moments throughout our history that threatened that solidarity. And the beginning of this century has been one of those times. A shrinking world, growing inequality, demographic change, and the specter of terrorism. These forces haven’t just tested our security and our prosperity, but are testing our democracy as well. And how we meet these challenges to our democracy will determine our ability to educate our kids and create good jobs and protect our homeland. In other words, it will determine our future. To begin with, our democracy won’t work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity. (APPLAUSE) And the good news is that today the economy is growing again. Wages, incomes, home values and retirement accounts are all rising again. Poverty is falling again. (APPLAUSE) The wealthy are paying a fair share of taxes. Even as the stock market shatters records, the unemployment rate is near a low. The uninsured rate has never, ever been lower. (APPLAUSE) Health care costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. And I’ve said, and I mean it, anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements we’ve made to our health care system, that covers as many people at less cost, I will publicly support it. (APPLAUSE) Because that, after all, is why we serve. Not to score points or take credit. But to make people’s lives better. (APPLAUSE) But, for all the real progress that we’ve made, we know it’s not enough. Our economy doesn’t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class, and ladders for folks who want to get into the middle class. (APPLAUSE) That’s the economic argument. But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic idea. While the top 1 percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many of our families in inner cities and in rural counties have been left behind. The laid off factory worker, the waitress or health care worker who’s just barely getting by and struggling to pay the bills. Convinced that the game is fixed against them. That their government only serves the interest of the powerful. That’s a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics. Now there’re no quick fixes to this trend. I agree, our trade should be fair and not just free. But the next wave of economic dislocations won’t come from overseas. It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good middle class jobs obsolete. And so we’re going to have to forge a new social compact to guarantee all our kids the education they need. (APPLAUSE) To give workers the power. .. (APPLAUSE) . .. to unionize for better wages. (CHEERS) To update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now. (APPLAUSE) And make more reforms to the tax code so corporations and the individuals who reap the most from this new economy don’t avoid their obligations to the country that’s made their very success possible. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) We can argue about how to best achieve these goals. But we can’t be complacent about the goals themselves. For if we don’t create opportunity for all people, the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come. There’s a second threat to our democracy. And this one is as old as our nation itself. After my election there was talk of a America. And such a vision, however well intended, was never realistic. Race remains a potent. .. (APPLAUSE) . .. and often divisive force in our society. Now I’ve lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say. (APPLAUSE) You can see it not just in statistics. You see it in the attitudes of young Americans across the political spectrum. But we’re not where we need to be. And all of us have more work to do. (APPLAUSE) If every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hardworking white middle class and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private enclaves. (APPLAUSE) If we’re unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants, just because they don’t look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children — because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of America’s workforce. (APPLAUSE) And we have shown that our economy doesn’t have to be a game. Last year, incomes rose for all races, all age groups, for men and for women. So if we’re going to be serious about race going forward, we need to uphold laws against discrimination — in hiring, and in housing, and in education, and in the criminal justice system. (APPLAUSE) That is what our Constitution and highest ideals require. But laws alone won’t be enough. Hearts must change. It won’t change overnight. Social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change. But if our democracy is to work the way it should in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in American fiction, Atticus Finch, who said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. ” For blacks and other minority groups, that means tying our own very real struggles for justice to the challenges that a lot of people in this country face. Not only the refugee or the immigrant or the rural poor or the transgender American, but also the white guy who from the outside may seem like he’s got all the advantages, but has seen his world upended by economic, and cultural, and technological change. We have to pay attention and listen. (APPLAUSE) For white Americans, it means acknowledging that the effects of slavery and Jim Crow didn’t suddenly vanish in the ’60s that when minority groups voice discontent, they’re not just engaging in reverse racism or practicing political correctness when they wage peaceful protest, they’re not demanding special treatment, but the equal treatment that our founders promised. (APPLAUSE) For Americans, it means reminding ourselves that the stereotypes about immigrants today were said, almost word for word, about the Irish, and Italians, and Poles, who it was said were going to destroy the fundamental character of America. And as it turned out, America wasn’t weakened by the presence of these newcomers these newcomers embraced this nation’s creed, and this nation was strengthened. (APPLAUSE) So regardless of the station we occupy we all have to try harder we all have to start with the premise that each of our fellow citizens loves this country just as much as we do that they value hard work and family just like we do that their children are just as curious and hopeful and worthy of love as our own. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) And that’s not easy to do. For too many of us it’s become safer to retreat into our own bubbles, whether in our neighborhoods, or on college campuses, or places of worship, or especially our social media feeds, surrounded by people who look like us and share the same political outlook and never challenge our assumptions. In the rise of naked partisanship and increasing economic and regional stratification, the splintering of our media into a channel for every taste, all this makes this great sorting seem natural, even inevitable. And increasingly we become so secure in our bubbles that we start accepting only information, whether it’s true or not, that fits our opinions, instead of basing our opinions on the evidence that is out there. (APPLAUSE) And this trend represents a third threat to our democracy. Look, politics is a battle of ideas. That’s how our democracy was designed. In the course of a healthy debate, we prioritize different goals, and the different means of reaching them. But without some common baseline of facts, without a willingness to admit new information and concede that your opponent might be making a fair point, and that science and reason matter, then we’re going to keep talking past each other. (CROWD CHEERS) And we’ll make common ground and compromise impossible. And isn’t that part of what so often makes politics dispiriting? How can elected officials rage about deficits when we propose to spend money on for kids, but not when we’re cutting taxes for corporations? How do we excuse ethical lapses in our own party, but pounce when the other party does the same thing? It’s not just dishonest, it’s selective sorting of the facts. It’s because, as my mom used to tell me, reality has a way of catching up with you. Take the challenge of climate change. In just eight years we’ve halved our dependence on foreign oil, we’ve doubled our renewable energy, we’ve led the world to an agreement that (at) the promise to save this planet. (APPLAUSE) But without bolder action, our children won’t have time to debate the existence of climate change. They’ll be busy dealing with its effects. More environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, waves of climate refugees seeking sanctuary. Now we can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem. But to simply deny the problem not only betrays future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country, the essential spirit of innovation and practical that guided our founders. (CROWD CHEERS) It is that spirit — it is that spirit born of the enlightenment that made us an economic powerhouse. The spirit that took flight at Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral, the spirit that cures disease and put a computer in every pocket, it’s that spirit. A faith in reason and enterprise, and the primacy of right over might, that allowed us to resist the lure of fascism and tyranny during the Great Depression, that allowed us to build a War II order with other democracies. An order based not just on military power or national affiliations, but built on principles, the rule of law, human rights, freedom of religion and speech and assembly and an independent press. (APPLAUSE) That order is now being challenged. First by violent fanatics who claim to speak for Islam. More recently by autocrats in foreign capitals who seek free markets in open democracies and civil society itself as a threat to their power. The peril each poses to our democracy is more far reaching than a car bomb or a missile. They represent the fear of change. The fear of people who look or speak or pray differently. A contempt for the rule of law that holds leaders accountable. An intolerance of dissent and free thought. A belief that the sword or the gun or the bomb or the propaganda machine is the ultimate arbiter of what’s true and what’s right. Because of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform. Because of our intelligence officers and law enforcement and diplomats who support our troops. .. (APPLAUSE) . .. no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) And although. .. (APPLAUSE) . .. Boston and Orlando and San Bernardino and Fort Hood remind us of how dangerous radicalization can be, our law enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever. We have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists, including Bin Laden. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) The global coalition we’re leading against ISIL has taken out their leaders and taken away about half their territory. ISIL will be destroyed. And no one who threatens America will ever be safe. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) And all who serve or have served — it has been the honor of my lifetime to be your . (CHEERS) And we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) But, protecting our way of life, that’s not just the job of our military. Democracy can buckle when it gives into fear. So just as we as citizens must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are. (APPLAUSE) And that’s why for the past eight years I’ve worked to put the fight against terrorism on a firmer legal footing. That’s why we’ve ended torture, worked to close Gitmo, reformed our laws governing surveillance to protect privacy and civil liberties. (APPLAUSE) That’s why I reject discrimination against Muslim Americans. .. (CHEERS) . .. who are just as patriotic as we are. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) That’s why. .. (APPLAUSE) That’s why we cannot withdraw. .. (APPLAUSE) That’s why we cannot withdraw from big global fights to expand democracy and human rights and women’s rights and LGBT rights. (APPLAUSE) No matter how imperfect our efforts, no matter how expedient ignoring such values may seem, that’s part of defending America. For the fight against extremism and intolerance and sectarianism and chauvinism are of a piece with the fight against authoritarianism and nationalist aggression. If the scope of freedom and respect for the rule of law shrinks around the world, the likelihood of war within and between nations increases, and our own freedoms will eventually be threatened. So let’s be vigilant, but not afraid. ISIL will try to kill innocent people. But they cannot defeat America unless we betray our Constitution and our principles in the fight. (APPLAUSE) Rivals like Russia or China cannot match our influence around the world — unless we give up what we stand for, and turn ourselves into just another big country that bullies smaller neighbors. Which brings me to my final point — our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted. (APPLAUSE) All of us, regardless of party, should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our democratic institutions. (APPLAUSE) When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote. (APPLAUSE) When trust in our institutions is low, we should reduce the corrosive influence of money in our politics, and insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service. When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes. (APPLAUSE) But remember, none of this happens on its own. All of this depends on our participation on each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging. Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it’s really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning — with our participation, and with the choices that we make and the alliances that we forge. Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law, that’s up to us. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured. In his own farewell address, George Washington wrote that is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity, and liberty, but “from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken. .. to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth. ” And so we have to preserve this truth with “jealous anxiety” that we should reject “the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest or to enfeeble the sacred ties” that make us one. (APPLAUSE) America, we weaken those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren’t even willing to enter into public service. So coarse with rancor that Americans with whom we disagree are seen, not just as misguided, but as malevolent. We weaken those ties when we define some of us as more American than others. (APPLAUSE) When we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt. And when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them. (CROWD CHEERS) It falls to each of us to be those anxious, jealous guardians of our democracy. Embrace the joyous task we have been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours because, for all our outward differences, we in fact all share the same proud type, the most important office in a democracy, citizen. (APPLAUSE) Citizen. So, you see, that’s what our democracy demands. It needs you. Not just when there’s an election, not just when you own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime. If you’re tired of arguing with strangers on the Internet, try talking with one of them in real life. (APPLAUSE) If something needs fixing, then lace up your shoes and do some organizing. (CROWD CHEERS) If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clip board, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. (CROWD CHEERS) Show up, dive in, stay at it. Sometimes you’ll win, sometimes you’ll lose. Presuming a reservoir in goodness, that can be a risk. And there will be times when the process will disappoint you. But for those of us fortunate enough to have been part of this one and to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire. And more often than not, your faith in America and in Americans will be confirmed. Mine sure has been. (APPLAUSE) Over the course of these eight years, I’ve seen the hopeful faces of young graduates and our newest military officers. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers, and found grace in a Charleston church. I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch. I’ve seen Wounded Warriors who at points were given up for dead walk again. I’ve seen our doctors and volunteers rebuild after earthquakes and stop pandemics in their tracks. I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees or work for peace and, above all, to look out for each other. So that faith that I placed all those years ago, not far from here, in the power of ordinary Americans to bring about change, that faith has been rewarded in ways I could not have possibly imagined. And I hope your faith has too. Some of you here tonight or watching at home, you were there with us in 2004 and 2008, 2012. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) Maybe you still can’t believe we pulled this whole thing off. (CHEERS) Let me tell you, you’re not the only ones. (LAUGHTER) Michelle. .. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) Michelle LaVaughn Robinson of the South Side. .. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) . .. for the past 25 years you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) You took on a role you didn’t ask for. And you made it your own with grace and with grit and with style, and good humor. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) You made the White House a place that belongs to everybody. (CHEERS) And a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) You have made me proud, and you have made the country proud. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) Malia and Sasha. .. (CHEERS) . .. under the strangest of circumstances you have become two amazing young women. (CHEERS) You are smart and you are beautiful. But more importantly, you are kind and you are thoughtful and you are full of passion. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) And. .. (APPLAUSE) . .. you wore the burden of years in the spotlight so easily. Of all that I have done in my life, I am most proud to be your dad. (APPLAUSE) To Joe Biden. .. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) . .. the scrappy kid from Scranton. .. (CHEERS) . .. who became Delaware’s favorite son. You were the first decision I made as a nominee, and it was the best. (CHEERS) (APPLAUSE) Not just because you have been a great vice president, but because in the bargain I gained a brother. And we love you and Jill like family. And your friendship has been one of the great joys of our lives. (APPLAUSE) To my remarkable staff, for eight years, and for some of you a whole lot more, I have drawn from your energy. And every day I try to reflect back what you displayed. Heart and character. And idealism. I’ve watched you grow up, get married, have kids, start incredible new journeys of your own. Even when times got tough and frustrating, you never let Washington get the better of you. You guarded against cynicism. And the only thing that makes me prouder than all the good that we’ve done is the thought of all the amazing things that you are going to achieve from here. (APPLAUSE) And to all of you out there — every organizer who moved to an unfamiliar town, every kind family who welcomed them in, every volunteer who knocked on doors, every young person who cast a ballot for the first time, every American who lived and breathed the hard work of change — you are the best supporters and organizers anybody could ever hope for, and I will forever be grateful. Because you did change the world. (APPLAUSE) You did. And that’s why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started. Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans it has inspired so many Americans — especially so many young people out there — to believe that you can make a difference to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves. Let me tell you, this generation coming up — unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic — I’ve seen you in every corner of the country. You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America you know that constant change has been America’s hallmark, that it’s not something to fear but something to embrace, you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. You’ll soon outnumber any of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands. (APPLAUSE) My fellow Americans, it has been the honor of my life to serve you. I won’t stop in fact, I will be right there with you, as a citizen, for all my remaining days. But for now, whether you are young or whether you’re young at heart, I do have one final ask of you as your president — the same thing I asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago. I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change — but in yours. I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists that spirit sung by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice that creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the moon a creed at the core of every American whose story is not yet written: Yes, we can. (APPLAUSE) Yes, we did. (APPLAUSE) Yes, we can. (APPLAUSE) Thank you. God bless you. And may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you. (APPLAUSE) END | 1 |
President Donald Trump’s inaugural address made history in being the first to use a number of words, paramount among them “Islamic” when referring to the threat of international terrorist actors and his plan to eradicate radical Islamic terror groups. [“We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones and unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate from the face of the Earth,” Trump said in his speech Friday morning after completing his oath of office. He noted in his speech that his foreign policy would also strive not to “impose our way of life on anyone else. ” President Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama famously refused to refer to groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State as “radical Islamic terrorists,” claiming the term unfairly maligned Muslims who were not members of jihadist groups. The Washington Post notes that Trump’s inaugural address was also the first to use the words “urban” and “infrastructure,” a nod to the core message of city repair and equality of opportunity in his speech. “Whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator,” Trump told the crowd gathered in the heart of Washington, DC. See all the words President Trump was the first to use in an inaugural address below, and read his full remarks here. Words Donald Trump said for the first time in any U. S. inaugural address pic. twitter. — Post Graphics (@PostGraphics) January 20, 2017, | 0 |
NEWARK — David Wildstein was in the operations center of the George Washington Bridge one morning in March 2011 for a discussion about the number of toll collectors when he noticed there were three lanes leading to the bridge cordoned off where traffic was moving faster than the others. And at that very moment, he had an idea. An awful, wonderful idea. He could create a traffic jam that would not soon be forgotten. On Monday, for the first time in federal court here, Mr. Wildstein explained the origins of the lane closings at the bridge in 2013, a scandal that would help to sink the presidential ambitions of Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. He also said Mr. Christie’s former campaign manager, one of the governor’s closest confidants and now a top adviser to Donald J. Trump, knew about the scheme to close the lanes before it occurred and that the plan was meant as political retribution. The bridge manager explained to Mr. Wildstein that the lanes were used to ease congestion from traffic flowing though the town of Fort Lee. They were the result of a deal between a mayor of the town and a former governor of New Jersey. Mr. Wildstein quickly recognized that the lanes could be a point of leverage for Mr. Christie, who had been wooing the mayor of Fort Lee to endorse his in 2013. If the lanes were closed, Mr. Wildstein realized, “traffic would back up in Fort Lee. ” It would be two more years before Mr. Wildstein, a “bad cop” for Mr. Christie at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs the bridge, carried out the plot to close two of the three lanes, creating gridlock in the town for four days. In between, Mr. Wildstein testified, he told Bill Baroni, his boss and Mr. Christie’s top staff appointee at the Port Authority, about the idea. He told Mr. Christie’s deputy chief of staff, Bill Stepien, who was keeping track of endorsements and would go on to run Mr. Christie’s campaign. He told Bridget Anne Kelly, who replaced Mr. Stepien in Mr. Christie’s office, and is now on trial with Mr. Baroni on charges that they conspired to close the lanes to punish the mayor for not endorsing Mr. Christie, and then covered it up. And when Mr. Wildstein, Ms. Kelly and Mr. Baroni had finally decided to act on the plot and had concocted a story that it had to be done as part of traffic study, Mr. Wildstein testified that he also told a Port Authority commissioner who was seen as “a member of the Christie team,” who “understood” the need to hurt the mayor. Mr. Wildstein, the admitted mastermind of the plot who has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his role in the scheme, is the prosecution’s star witness. His testimony offered the first description of how the bridge scheme was formed and how it escalated from a mayor refusing to endorse Mr. Christie to others deciding that the best way to exact payback was to create a catastrophic traffic jam that would lock commuters, school buses, and emergency vehicles in traffic for hours. Mr. Wildstein testified that he told Mr. Baroni and Mr. Stepien in March 2011 that the lanes could be used to pressure the mayor. “My relationship with Mr. Stepien was that he expected me to give him information that would help him secure endorsements,” Mr. Wildstein said. Mr. Christie’s office was seeking endorsements from those they called “target” Democratic mayors to help the governor, a Republican, win a broad victory that would propel him to the front of the pack of Republican presidential contenders for 2016. The mayor, Mark Sokolich, still had a “good relationship” with Mr. Christie in 2011, Mr. Wildstein testified. The governor and his staff had signaled to him and Mr. Baroni that they wanted the Port Authority to be part of the campaign to woo him for an endorsement. And Mr. Sokolich continued to receive gifts from the Port Authority with the direction and approval of the governor’s office, Mr. Wildstein said. In March 2013, Mr. Wildstein received an email from Mr. Stepien, indicating that Mr. Sokolich had been asked to endorse Mr. Christie, but was a “ for now. ” But they still held out hope for him. Mr. Christie’s office wanted to see what happened after that year’s primary elections. Just after the June primary, Mr. Sokolich fell out of favor. The governor’s office instructed the Port Authority to ignore Mr. Sokolich’s requests for money and help. “Mayor Sokolich was no longer on the favored mayors list, as it was explained to me,” Mr. Wildstein said. “Ms. Kelly wasn’t happy that Mayor Sokolich was not coming on board,” he said, at a time when many other Democratic mayors and officials already had. He reminded her that the Port Authority could “close down those Fort Lee lanes as pressure on Mayor Sokolich,” he said. “I left it and if it was needed, to let me know. ” But Mr. Wildstein said he was taken aback when Ms. Kelly’s blunt email arrived at 7:34 a. m. on Aug. 13: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee. ” “I remember thinking that I was a little surprised it was this late that the point of leverage with Mayor Sokolich would be exercised,” he said. Still, he understood what she meant. “She told me the reason was to send Mayor Sokolich a message,” Mr. Wildstein said. “The indication was that Mayor Sokolich needed to fully understand that life would be more difficult for him in the second Christie term than it had been in the first. ” Lee Cortes, an assistant United States attorney, asked Mr. Wildstein if he had asked Ms. Kelly “what specifically prompted her” to send the email. “I did not,” Mr. Wildstein replied. “I did not question senior officials in the office of the governor. ” He called Mr. Baroni to tell him that the plan was on. He also called Mr. Stepien, he said, who “asked what story we were going to use. ” “I explained that I was going to use the cover story of a traffic study,” he said. But Mr. Stepien, now running Mr. Christie’s campaign, “specifically asked me not to come to him on Port Authority issues. ” “I needed to work through Ms. Kelly,” Mr. Wildstein said. In a statement on Monday, Mr. Stepien’s lawyer, Kevin Marino, called Mr. Wildstein’s testimony “sad and ” noting that his client was never charged in the case. “Despite what Mr. Wildstein apparently feels compelled to say now, Mr. Stepien had no role in planning, approving or concealing his scheme,” Mr. Marino said. Mr. Wildstein told Mr. Baroni that they would not tell local officials, or anyone at the Port Authority, about their plan for punishment. Any calls to complain about traffic would be directed to Mr. Baroni, he said, who would not call anyone back. As they often did, they came up with shorthand, calling this treatment “radio silence. ” It was Mr. Baroni’s idea, he said, to wait until the first day of school, for maximum impact. And they had originally planned to close down all three access lanes from Fort Lee to the bridge, Mr. Wildstein said. But the chief traffic engineer of the Port Authority, whom Mr. Wildstein had asked to come up with a plan for a “traffic study,” warned that without at least one lane open, cars might be sideswiped. So Mr. Wildstein scaled back just a bit, closing two lanes instead of three. | 1 |
October 27, 2016 @ 11:59 am
I’m voting for him – but will be very quiet about it.
I believe there Are many out there who are doing the same. Islam is not gay-friendly. It’s the leftist idiot who would believe that it is despite a mountain of evidence showing the truth about Islam.
However – too many follow the company line. It is getting very demanding these days, and frankly very strange. But doesn’t the left always do that? Whatever problem there is within the right – at least there is enough room, and more than the case now with the left. Well – at least for this ‘cis’ white male. AndyT October 27, 2016 @ 11:39 am
As a gay man I despair of my fellow gays. Here in the UK most have this “poor refugee” mentality. By time the penny finally drops it will be too late BareNakedIslam October 27, 2016 @ 12:34 pm
Andy, while the majority still have that “poor refugee” mentality, I have seen a number of gay people commenting here and/or emailing me who know the truth. They’re just afraid of the ridicule they will get by talking about it in within their liberal circles. Manual Paleologos October 27, 2016 @ 10:56 am
The irony is that the LGBTQWERTY community is almost uniformly liberal. They support the people who are stoning them, throwing them from buildings, and hanging them. They have ceded any influence with the political Right, as no matter what the Right does, they will not get any meaningful Gay support. That means that just or unjust, there is absolutely no upside to supporting Gay issues. There is a small upside from the Christian Right, to pissing on them.
Meanwhile, although we disagree on some major issues, we are probably their best friends. We are the people who would die to protect them. | 0 |
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the .) Good evening. Here’s the latest. 1. The American military strike against Syria threatened relations. President Vladimir Putin said the airstrike on a Syrian air base, in retaliation for this week’s lethal chemical attack, was “a significant blow” to the relationship. He suspended an agreement to coordinate air operations to avoid accidental conflict. U. S. officials faulted Russia for not enforcing a 2013 agreement to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to meet Mr. Putin in Moscow on Tuesday. The attack was the greatest risk so far of Donald Trump’s young presidency. And at the United Nations, the American ambassador, Nikki Haley, above, warned that the country was prepared to take further action. She provided no legal rationale for the attack. Here’s an look at the 63 hours between the chemical attack and the American airstrike. _____ 2. The attack in Syria put President Xi Jinping of China, who was meeting with Mr. Trump in Florida, in a tough spot. The action stole the spotlight, and Mr. Trump pressed Mr. Xi to use China’s leverage to curb another rogue government, in North Korea. Mr. Trump repeated his warning that if China did not do more, the United States would act on its own to constrain the belligerent actions of Kim .. _____ 3. The Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, ending a bitter yearlong standoff over the vacancy created by Antonin Scalia’s death. However rocky the first months of his administration may have been, Mr. Trump now has a lasting legacy: Judge Gorsuch, 49, could serve on the court for 30 years or more. And in our latest roundup of the best political writing from the right and left: How Mr. Trump is like F. D. R. why the left should reject net neutrality, and the “grand bargain” now at risk. _____ 4. The U. S. economy added only 98, 000 jobs in March, suggesting a cooling of the economy after months of strong job growth. Our economics writer says the new numbers show why the White House shouldn’t be focusing on job growth. _____ 5. A man drove a stolen beer truck into a crowd in a popular shopping district in Stockholm, killing three and injuring 15 people. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but officials in Sweden were calling it a terrorist attack. And in London, a Romanian woman who plunged into the Thames during the attack on the Westminster Bridge died of her injuries. European news outlets reported that her boyfriend had been planning to propose on the day of the attack. _____ 6. Alabama’s governor said he would not resign despite allegations of sexual impropriety and misuse of public funds. Robert Bentley faces a state investigation, impeachment proceedings and, now, the possibility of criminal prosecution. Local headline writers have taken to calling him “the Love Gov,” over an accusation of an affair. He seemed an extremely unlikely candidate for that epithet when he took office in 2011. _____ 7. South Africa saw its largest protest in years, as people in four cities took to the streets to demand the resignation of President Jacob Zuma. They were united in their message that Mr. Zuma had lost the moral authority to lead the nation. His dismissal of a respected finance minister has intensified concerns about a government culture of corruption and patronage. _____ 8. To affirm Harvard’s commitment to inclusion, university officials are soliciting rewrites of its alma mater. Specifically, the part of the song that calls on students to be heralds of light and bearers of love “till the stock of the Puritans die. ” The contest is open only to members of the Harvard community. _____ 9. The world’s most historic circus will shut down next month, after failing to sufficiently dazzle the children of the smartphone age — or overcome the fierce opposition of the animal rights movement. Our photographer Doug Mills captured some stunning images behind the scenes at Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus. _____ 10. Finally, some retro TV fare: Jay Leno returned to “The Tonight Show” and told an Anthony Weiner sex scandal joke and new episodes of “The Get Down” are now streaming on Netflix. That’s the director Baz Luhrmann’s sprawling take on the Bronx’s nascent 1970s scene, as seen through the eyes of aspiring D. J. s, rappers and graffiti artists. Also noteworthy: The season finale of “Homeland” will be shown Sunday. See our recap of last week’s episode here. Have a great weekend. _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p. m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a. m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a. m. Sundays. Want to look back? Here’s last night’s briefing. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes. com. | 1 |
TEHRAN — In the past, Iranians looking to mock the United States would burn cardboard effigies of Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty. But in recent months, as the American presidential election took a series of bizarre turns, Iranians seeking to make fun of the “Great Satan” have ditched the arts and crafts and simply switched on their TV sets. Iran’s state television, a bastion of conservative ideologues, for once interrupted its regular programing about the “murders and crimes committed” by the United States and broadcast all three debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump — live. In a country that tightly controls information about the United States and depictions of Western democracy generally, the decision to show the debates was unprecedented but by no means inexplicable: The presidential campaign shows the United States political system in such a poor light, evidently want it to speak for itself. “We only need to sit back and let these candidates show themselves how idiotic they are,” said Hamidreza Taraghi, a conservative analyst and a regular guest on state television. “The best way for us to prove that the U. S. government is corrupt and hideous is by showing these people live on our TV. ” Live, yes, but some parts — especially those criticizing Iran — were not fully translated. After each debate, analysts discussing the outcome were in unanimous agreement that America, in its current state, “cannot do a damn thing. ” To say that Iran’s political establishment has been thoroughly enjoying the campaign is an understatement. Last week, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, called the American election “a spectacle for exposing their crimes and debacles. ” Ayatollah Khamenei seized on the campaign’s tawdriest details: accusations of infidelity and sexual assault. “The remarks made by these two U. S. presidential candidates over the last few weeks on immoral issues — which are, for the most part, not baseless accusations — are enough to disgrace America,” he said during a speech commemorating the 1979 takeover of the United States Embassy in Tehran. His supporters responded enthusiastically by shouting, “Death to America. ” Mr. Trump, the Republican nominee, was not mentioned by name, but the ayatollah seemed to praise his outspokenness, saying: “People pay more attention to him. ” The candidate, he said, is tapping into genuine American dissatisfaction. “Because the people look at what he says and see it is true,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. “They see it in the facts of their lives. ” Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been officially . Many ordinary Iranians have milder feelings for the United States, where over two million of their relatives live. Iran’s leaders, long entangled in a battle for power and influence with the United States in the Middle East, have been emboldened by the American withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan. “America is no longer a superpower in the region. It’s weak in the Middle East. They are now only one of the players,” said Jalal Barzegar, a reformist journalist. “It’s now just a country. ” For Iranians uninterested in watching the debates, Iran’s state television had another option. In recent weeks it has been airing Netflix’s “House of Cards,” called “House of Straw” here because playing cards is considered . Kevin Spacey’s portrayal of the conniving politician Frank Underwood is the perfect embodiment of the “inhumane face” of American politics, state television officials have said. Apparently, Ayatollah Khamenei has also been watching. In his recent speech, he quoted a line uttered by Mr. Spacey in the series. “‘Shake with your right hand, but hold a rock in your left one,’ as they say themselves,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. “This is the kind of people they are. ” | 0 |
Sunday on Sinclair Television Group’s “Full Measure,” when asked about the negative news coverage President Donald Trump gets, first daughter Ivanka Trump said the results of his policies would “ultimately speak for themselves. ” Trump said, “That is, that is true, but results ultimately speak for themselves, and I think you see the results. You’re seeing the result manifesting themselves with record low unemployment rates with a soaring economy and I’m very optimistic that that will continue to happen as, as policies are implemented that are and working family. ” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN | 0 |
Rep. Steve King ( ) blasted the angry left on Wednesday at the scene of a shooting earlier in the day that wounded House Majority Whip Steve Scalise ( ) an aide, and two Capitol Police. [“America has been divided,” King said, according to the Washington Post. “And the center of America is disappearing, and the violence is appearing in the streets, and it’s coming from the left. ” Asked whether the shooting was politically motivated, he said he did not know why the gunman did what he did. However, King pointed at anger and demonstrations against Trump, according to the Post: King, in his remarks at the shooting scene, said it was impossible to separate the hyperpartisan climate in Washington — especially people protesting Trump — with Republican members of Congress being fired upon at a baseball practice. “The divisions within the country, people that can’t accept the results of the election that are determined to try to take this country down, take this organization down,” he said. “This city was filled up with demonstrations the day after the inauguration, where you couldn’t drive down the streets. And we’ve had demonstrations every week since then, sometimes different topics. ” King added: “We do need to focus on what’s happening to the culture in this country. ” The shooter has been identified as James T. Hodgkinson III, 66, of Belleville, Ill. by law enforcement officials. The shooting occurred early Wednesday morning at a park where Republican congressmen and their aides were practicing for an annual baseball charity game played against Democratic colleagues. Democrats were also practicing at the time, but in D. C. An FBI official told reporters at the scene that it was “too early to tell” if the GOP congressmen were targeted or not. Yet, a look at a Facebook page appearing to belong to Hodgkinson showed he was a Sen. Bernie Sanders ( ) supporter who bashed Trump several times and liked an cartoon. | 0 |
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. came under fire on social media Sunday night and Monday morning after he appeared to lift up his American Horror Story Sarah Paulson’s dress during a PaleyFest panel Sunday. [In photos and video that spread online over the weekend, Paulson and her castmates are seen laughing and applauding while welcoming Kathy Bates to the stage, before Gooding Jr. appeared to lift up Paulson’s dress. Sarah Paulson introducing Kathy Bates … .. name a better friendship pic. twitter. — p. c 🍒 (@90sIover) March 27, 2017, Social media users quickly excoriated the actor, calling the dress stunt sexist and disrespectful. Okay, yes I went back to screenshot this. But does he seriously think this is okay? @cubagoodingjr @MsSarahPaulson pic. twitter. — Elle ☪️ (@MistyyyGoode) March 27, 2017, What happened to Sarah Paulson yesterday at #PaleyFest was so disrespectful and definitely NOT OK or funny 😡😡 — Rebecca O’Keeffe (@RebeccaOkeeffe5) March 27, 2017, Um … so is @cubagoodingjr allowed to get away with lifting @MsSarahPaulson skirt at @paleycenter? Total disrespect to a woman, — WinterThreds (@piratepenzan) March 27, 2017, How would @cubagoodingjr react if a man walked up to his daughter, Piper and lifted her dress up behind her back? #itsneverok, — SallyThatTwirl (@SupremelyOne) March 27, 2017, @cubagoodingjr playing OJ was the perfect fit, I see the similarities now. — Elle ☪️ (@MistyyyGoode) March 27, 2017, One Twitter user appeared to blame the political climate in the United States for the actor’s dress stunt. Somebody come get your uncle. WTF is wrong with @cubagoodingjr? No decorun. Stay on some F_boi ish. Reminder: This is Trump’s America. — Eyounguns (@AunteeYo) March 27, 2017, In the photo, Paulson appears to be laughing while Gooding Jr. looks like he’s lifting up her dress. The event took place on Sunday at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles. Also in attendance at the panel were Kathy Bates, Denis O’Hare, Cheyenne Jackson, Adina Porter and more, who spoke about the upcoming season of the show. During the panel, Paulson was asked which of her AHS characters she’d like to see come back. “Probably [Coven‘s] Cordelia. We only got to see her just getting her powers. I just would like to know … if the power might have been something that kind of changed her,” she said. American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy was not present for the panel. The FX show’s stars, which included Denis O’Hare, Cheyenne Jackson, and Adina Porter, discussed past seasons but didn’t offer clues or tidbits for the forthcoming season 7 premiere. The upcoming season is expected to revolve around the 2016 presidential election. Paulson told the Hollywood Reporter on Saturday that she would like to play Donald Trump on the upcoming season of the show, though Murphy has previously said neither Trump nor Clinton would appear as characters. “Why not? That’s an acting challenge to be sure,” she said. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson | 0 |
HONG KONG — Blindfolded and handcuffed, the bookseller was abducted from Hong Kong’s border with mainland China and taken to a cell, where he would spend five months in solitary confinement, watched 24 hours a day by a battery of Chinese guards. Even the simple act of brushing his teeth was monitored by minders, who tied a string to his toothbrush for fear he might try to use it to harm himself. They wanted him to identify anonymous authors and turn over data on customers. “I couldn’t call my family,” the man, Lam said on Thursday. “I could only look up to the sky, all alone. ” Months after he and four other booksellers disappeared from Hong Kong and Thailand, prompting international concern over what critics called a brazen act of extralegal abduction, Mr. Lam stood before a bank of television cameras in Hong Kong and revealed the harrowing details of his time in detention. “It can happen to you, too,” said Mr. Lam, 61, who was the manager of Causeway Bay Books, a store that sold juicy potboilers about the mainland’s Communist Party leadership. “I want to tell the whole world: Hong Kongers will not bow down to brute force. ” Although Mr. Lam’s assertions could not be immediately confirmed, his revelations contradicted Beijing’s claims that the booksellers had voluntarily entered the mainland to cooperate with an investigation by the Chinese authorities. One of the men, Gui Minhai, vanished from his seaside apartment in Pattaya, Thailand, in October. Another, Lee Bo, a British citizen, disappeared from the streets of Hong Kong in December. Mr. Lam’s account highlights the lengths to which the government of President Xi Jinping is willing to go to silence critics outside mainland China — at the risk of damaging its standing on the international stage. To back up the government’s claims that the booksellers had voluntarily entered China, television broadcast confessions by the five men Mr. Gui, for example, tearfully said he had returned to China to face justice for his role in a fatal 2003 car accident in the Chinese coastal city of Ningbo. Mr. Lam said his own words — that he had broken mainland law by publishing salacious books about Chinese leaders — had been crafted by the authorities but that he had no choice but to cooperate. “It was a show, and I accepted it,” he said of his confession. “I had to follow the script. If I did not follow it strictly, they would ask for a retake. ” His revelations open a rare window into the workings of China’s security apparatus, which frequently uses forced confessions by lawyers, rights advocates and even celebrities to sway public opinion and justify the detentions of those who have dared to defy the party. Mr. Lam’s claims are also likely to confirm the worst fears of Hong Kong residents, who say that Beijing has been intensifying efforts to erode the prodigious liberties enjoyed by the former British colony since it was returned to China in 1997. “Lam has blown apart the Chinese authorities’ story,” Mabel Au, Amnesty International’s director in Hong Kong, said in a statement. “He has exposed what many have suspected all along: that this was a concerted operation by the Chinese authorities to go after the booksellers. ” The booksellers were key players in an industry that produces racy, books focused on the sex lives and power games of China’s top leaders. Although such books are banned on the mainland, where the message about politics and politicians is controlled, they are eagerly sought by visitors to Hong Kong, who return home to China with the books stowed in their luggage. In the months since Mr. Lam and his colleagues disappeared, the industry has fallen on hard times. Causeway Bay Books has closed, and many Hong Kong bookstores have pulled titles about Chinese politics from their shelves. The disappearances shocked people in Hong Kong and reverberated internationally. Many saw the episode as an expansion of China’s authoritarian legal system beyond its borders, in clear violation of the “one country, two systems” framework that allows Hong Kong to maintain a high degree of autonomy from Beijing. Thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong to demand the booksellers’ release. Diplomats from Britain, the European Union and the United States also registered concern. Three of the men, including Mr. Lee, have since been allowed to visit Hong Kong but later returned to the mainland. During their visits, they refused to publicly discuss the details of their disappearances. Mr. Gui, who holds a Swedish passport, is the only one still in custody. Mr. Lam’s ordeal began on Oct. 24, during what he said was a routine trip to see his girlfriend on the mainland. As he crossed the border at the Chinese city of Shenzhen, he said he was seized by security personnel. Blindfolded and with his hands bound, he was put on a train that traveled hundreds of miles north to Ningbo. The next few months, he said, were spent in a dingy cell, where he signed away his right to a lawyer and the right to contact his family. He said he was questioned 20 to 30 times about his role in Hong Kong’s publishing industry. At one point, he said he was forced to sign a confession that incriminated Mr. Gui, saying his colleague had orchestrated the unlawful sale of books that harmed Chinese society. He said the cell’s furniture was covered in padded fabric, an apparent attempt to prevent him from committing suicide. After about five months, he was moved to an apartment. “They wanted to lock you up until you go mad,” he said. On Thursday, Mr. Lam told reporters that Mr. Lee had told him privately that he, too, was taken to China against his will. Mr. Lam said Mr. Lee was able to get him the equivalent of about $15, 000, for living expenses and as compensation for the loss of his job after the bookstore closed. Mr. Lee did not respond to a request for comment. The authorities apparently thought that Mr. Lam would continue to cooperate. He said they let him travel to Hong Kong on Tuesday after he promised to return to the mainland with a full of information on customers. Instead, Mr. Lam decided to meet with the news media. “I dare not go back,” he said. “I don’t plan on setting foot in mainland China ever again. ” | 1 |
Do not eat until you are full eat until you are tired,” calls Chief Sielu Avea, a Polynesian entertainer who, according to his bio, is “internationally known as the Coconut Man. ” Making our way to the plastic table, paper plates wilting in our hands, we are tired already. Here at the Chief’s Luau, “Aloha” means last to the buffet. The feeders in the “Royal” service tier ($159 per ticket) got first crack at the chafing dishes. And then team “Paradise” ($119) went at the sheet cake and roast pig. And if we stragglers in the Aloha group are not enraptured with our feast of sweetly lacquered chicken chunks and puffy dinner rolls, the fault is ours for booking steerage at $87 a head. But you do not come to the Chief’s Luau for the food. You come because you have traveled thousands of miles only to fetch up in Waikiki Beach, a concentrated zone of souvenir dealers and hordes that feels like a cultural protectorate of the airport. Hankering after something incontestably Hawaiian, you end up on a charter bus bound for the Chief’s Luau at Sea Life Park 15 miles east on the Kalanianaole Highway. Never mind that what is most purely Hawaiian about the luau is its proficiency at extracting tourists’ dollars. The luau leaves no doubt: You are in Hawaii now. Beyond the buffet, there are traditional activities. Under the instruction of shirtless men in sarongs, you can fling a plastic spear at grass. There is the weaving station, where the spectacle includes a pregnant woman shoving her young daughter for trying to horn in on her work at a frond headband. And there is a clinic where we rub sticks on logs in the hope of making flame. This proves no more possible than it was in the forests of our childhoods, but we go on rubbing in the faith that we are in a magical land where the laws of physics bend toward human satisfaction. And for many of us, it is a magical evening. The magic has to do with the moon, the thud and rustle of the surf. The magic is working on Jed, my son. He is off to the side of the action, trying to seduce a girl of 7 or so. She is engrossed with her tablet. A cultist of the night sky, Jed touches her wrist, points overhead and says, “Stars. ” The girl’s eyes do not flicker from her screen. My wife is similarly resistant to the enchantment. “This luau is making me feel bad about myself, and it is making me feel bad about humanity,” she says. We are now watching an entertainment where Hawaiian women in grass skirts dance the hula, and Hawaiian men with painted faces do a grunting and stick their tongues out tikistyle. To my wife, this smacks uncomfortably of minstrelsy, which, yes, it does. But at least it is a minstrelsy. The dancers pretend to be tiki warriors, and when the chief, in parting, bids us officially welcome to “the land of happy people,” we pretend to believe that such a place exists. Can it be true? The aloha spirit is real? Paradise on earth? An Eden of happy Americans moated from our national ravages of malevolence, contempt, uncertainty and fear? Not until 2017 has Hawaii held for me even a vague temptation. The 50th state has always seemed to me a meretricious luxury product whose visitors bring happiness with them in the form of money. I am not constitutionally geared for paradise. I am not one for cocktails containing patio equipment, for lazing on sand, eyes gone to pinwheels, grinning madly at the sun. Hawaii is notoriously nice, and unremitting niceness is what I do not want out of a vacation. This is because I’m cheap. I want a maximum memory harvest for my travel dollar, and a trip rarely sticks in my storage cache without the sharp edges of mishap and discomfort to snag on. I do not, for example, remember nice meals I have eaten so clearly as the wet duckling I disgorged on a street in the Philippines, and the delight this brought the locals. I cannot recall the nice hotels I’ve stayed in half so well as the New Zealand jungle cabin where I inadvertently slept on the rotting carcass of a rat and woke up with a heart murmur. But in a political moment so well supplied with nastiness, I don’t need to bunk with carrion. Give me a holiday where things are pretty and people are smiling, if only because it’s in their job description. In a gesture of spiritual surrender, I have booked a stay in the Hawaiian Islands with no greater hope for the voyage than that it may be merely nice. Our itinerary is at risk of proving mindlessly splendid: Oahu for two nights, before we board a prop jet for three nights on Hawaii Island to the east. But a as it turns out, is excellent insurance against a frictionless travel experience. Our first morning on Oahu, Jed does me the kindness of waking up at 4 a. m. He insists that we dress and begin making the most of our day. I put on an shirt I have lacked the courage to wear since I bought it years ago in Thailand. We are staying in a room at the Waikiki Beach Hilton, which, with its ocean views and shower head, is dangerously close to nice. But in the corridor I am pleased to meet a fat and saucy cockroach, thoughtfully dispatched, perhaps, by a concierge who has gotten wind of my preferences. In aloha spirit, I do not molest the animal. My wife, however, in consideration of the sleeping guests the roach might visit, bruises the creature with a sack of dirty diapers before it jogs off down the hall. In the lobby, we lay down $12 for two coffees and one banana and browse the morning paper, which proves a clemency from anticipated horrors. The front page of The Honolulu bears not a single presidential headline. “Legislature Considers Funding to Combat Rat Lungworm Disease” is the story of the day. Dawn finds us waterfront on Oahu’s North Shore, downrange of the Banzai Pipeline. The sand has a forthright cornmeal consistency. The water is the blue of telegraph insulators. The waves transmit a feeling with every crash, even after you have watched a thousand of them land. The young and barely clad are out in force, demonstrating physiques that can come only from long and rigorous hours of ignoring national politics. Just up the shore, two young women are seriously engaged in the business of aiming a big professional camera at the tanned, professional butt of a third young woman who, I’m guessing, is a big deal in a modeling niche I didn’t know existed. One thing is sure: No way will I be bathing here. My son gives not a damn. He uncloaks fully his cloudlike body and hits the sand like an oyster in a breading dredge. The day is perfect room temp with a breeze. In the distant shallows, surfers shoot the tube or gleam the curl or whatever that amazing thing is called. My wife and I breakfast on fresh coconut — neither sweet nor flavorful but fun to gnaw, for the feeling that you’ve acquired termite superpowers. Jed squats and tumbles and packs his nethers with . “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” is his ecstatic report on the sensation. I am right there with him. It would be overselling things to claim that I’ve achieved rapturous mind erasure my first morning in Hawaii, but this is, well, rather nice. For lunch we motor clockwise down the coast to the Kahuku Superette. The Superette is a homely liquor store that from the outside is easily pictured in a newscast with police lights flashing on it. Inside, they dish out poké of world renown. Poké is sashimi salad doused in soy and sesame and other things. We get a tub of traditional shoyu poké and a tub of limu poké with crunchy bits of seaweed. The place to gobble the Superette’s poké is in your hot rental car in the muddy parking lot. Gemlike blocks of tuna nearing a full cubic inch are bright and salty as the sea. Back in Honolulu, the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center is out of tickets to the U. S. S. Arizona Memorial site, so we resolve to take in our ration of history with a trudge around the Makiki neighborhood, where Barack Obama grew up. It is an area of buildings and shops well off the luau trail. On the sidewalks, people push baby strollers full of cans and bottles because the redemption center forbids the use of grocery carts. Parking is free on the street, one of Makiki’s practical concessions to the paradise theme. No plaque marks the Punahou Circle Apartments, where Obama lived during his and years, and where, just before the 2008 election, he returned to visit his maternal grandmother as she was dying. It is as regular an apartment building as you could find anywhere in America, a tower whose minute balconies hold garbage bags, golf clubs, a vacuum cleaner and one ( ) American flag. Nearby on King Street, we nip into the Robbins where I heard Obama worked in high school. It is the sort of cramped little parlor that, if you had a job there, would make you sink into despair or go on to be president. I ask the young woman on scooping duty if it’s true that Obama used to dip cones at this very counter, and she says, “Yeah. ” No plaque in there either, just a newspaper clipping taped to the sneeze guard next to the smoothie machine. “ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. ” “FISH AND EELS MAY BECOME AGGRESSIVE. ” “DANGEROUS SHOREBREAK. ” “DO NOT ENTER IF YOU HAVE OPEN WOUNDS DUE TO RISK OF BACTERIAL INFECTION. ” So runs some but not all of the cautionary signage at the Ahalanui Warm Pond. My kind of place! We have fled the Banzai Pipeline and the crowds of Waikiki to spend four aimless days poking around Hawaii Island, a. k. a. the Big Island, the easternmost landmass in the archipelago. The Big Island, which is larger than all the other Hawaiian Islands combined, is big because the volcanoes here (the only active ones in the state) keep making more island every day. The volcanoes also supply natural hot tubs like the Ahalanui Pond. The only trouble is that renegade bacteria like a nice warm soak as much as we do. If you don’t want to go home majorly colonized, the internet advises that you hit the pond early in the day, when the night seas have rinsed the pool and the day’s throng of bathers have not yet added their personal contributions to the stew. We arrive at the pond just after 9 a. m. It is a partly lagoon walled with volcanic rock over which the Pacific spills. Three other folks are breast stroking the green shallows, none of them microbially “hot” in appearance. In we go. Through water, my diver’s mask reveals an aquarium of striped fish and fish with long Hitchcockian faces and tiny minnows hungrily scrumming at a scratch on my boy’s knee. Now my son is shrieking. I surface. Not shrieking but crowing. Jed, a connoisseur of bath water, is sampling the pond by the bulging cheekful and finding it superb. As usual, Jed’s judgment is on point. This pond is excellent, maybe the closest I have ever found to my mind’s ideal of the great American swimming hole. It is a wallopingly beautiful place where admission is free. No “Royal” luxury cabanas, roving pedicurists or sling chairs for rent. It is not up a mountain or deep in a jungle but near enough to a parking lot that the infirm can enjoy it, too. By 10 a. m. a little bit of everybody is shouldering in for a wash. There are local families with babies and senior citizens with foam flotation noodles and tourists with calves the color of Spam. Through modern advances in waterproofing, four young women have brought their telephones with them into the pool, fending off a potentially cloying surplus of timeless splendor. The bacteria deserve credit, too, for their silent encouragement against loitering. After an hour’s swim, still free of visible rashes, we make for dry land. Out in the poolside park, Saturday things are happening. A mom wonders when the Alcoholics Anonymous meeting will clear out from the picnic shanty and make way for her ’s birthday party. A guy is washing his dog in the foot bath, near a sign that says “no animals allowed. ” Over in the parking lot, we are glad to find a man dealing coconuts from his S. U. V. Shirtless, veiny and tan beneath a wicker hat, he puts the nuts down on his tailgate and machetes them with great flair. This coconut man (the second in our mounting tally) seems a little offended when we ask what his coconuts cost. “I prefer donations,” he says. “I don’t think of myself as a business. I’m just out here trying to feed the people. ” My wife worms it out of him that, really, he wants $5 per nut. I hand him a 20 for two. Clutching my money, he goes into a thing about how the green of the coconut is the same green as the dollar. Then he tells me how coconut water is chemically identical to human plasma and how World War II field hospitals would transfuse soldiers with coconuts when they ran out of blood. I have heard this fable before and know it to be hogwash, but I say, “Oh, wow,” and await my $10 change that does not appear to be forthcoming. After a weirdly long interval of communing with my bill, Coconut Man No. 2 looks up at me and says in a sort of way, “Oh, did you want some change?” I allow that I do, and he produces it. I go away full of gratitude for this fellow, not only because his coconuts are very fine, but for nipping a budding and inconvenient fancy that I might like to live here on the Big Island. His brand of coconut palaver is, I suspect, common in these parts. Encountering it on any sort of regular basis, mainlander that I am, would drive me out of my mind. Flouncing on Oahu’s beaches has given our boy a taste for sand, so we pile into the car in search of some. Motoring out, I feel my fondness for the Big Island deepening. Cataracts of blossoming vine pour from the roadside jungle. mongooses make regular appearances on the double yellow line. Even the roadkill here astounds! Real estate in these parts would probably cost you a thumb, yet the houses are unfussy bungalows built in a kind of vernacular. While some citizens keep spectacular gardens, this is also a place where if you want to leave some old mattresses or an engine hoist in your yard, you just go ahead and do it. The internet directs us to Carlsmith Park, just east of Hilo. We are dubious. The approach runs through a district of petrochemical tanks, tire dealerships and facilities. Then, in the middle of all that, hard by the highway, is a waterfront park. It has a couple of nice microbeaches for sand freaks like Jed and undulant, realms for picnicking. Another dumbfounding spot. A coastal shire plunked down in outer Cleveland. And again: It’s free! A stealthy concentration of snorkels prowls the limpid bay. Something must be going on down there. I don my rig. Not only are there rainbow sherbet fish in this water, but a gang of Hawaiian green sea turtles are nodding around in the tide. I mean, whoa. There goes one about eight feet away. I badly want to crowd it, but is forbidden by signs on the bank. So I just sort of mooch about nearby, in a sort of way. In what appears to be the general mode of Hawaiian magnificence, the turtle’s grandeur is even grander for its casualness. Majestic is not the word for this unseaworthy looking creature, which resembles an antique truck hubcap that rolled in off the overpass. The turtles don’t make a big deal of themselves, and topside, no one is making a big deal of them either. Two teenagers are fretting out whether tall guys are preferable to “built” guys. Somebody is cooking hot dogs. A couple of older kids are letting my son hog their football, an appreciated decency after Jed’s frosty luau crush. It bears mentioning how unaffectedly nice people are on this island — from incidental children, to park rangers, to our Airbnb host who for two days lets me brazenly refer to him as Steve, only to let slip, in parting, that his actual name is Sean. The niceness and the beauty have the standard effect. Though the odds of our returning here are minimal, my wife and I keep getting into fantasy conversations about the quality of the local schools and whether maintaining a big greenhouse could get us a subsidy. One gripe about the Big Island: There is reliable 3G coverage, bearing news of an America we’re not eager to get back to. A bigot shot an Indian man in Kansas. The White House is extending its powers into the nation’s bathrooms. Lawmakers in our home state, North Carolina, want to overturn a constitutional ban on secession. Put that phone away. Our last full day in Hawaii we have reserved for Kilauea, the youngest and most effusive volcano on the island. In Hawaiian, “Kilauea” translates to “spewing” or “much spreading. ” Since 1983, it has been continuously spewing to the delectation of tourists and geologists. The spew is distantly glimpsable at the volcano’s caldera in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. But who wants to glimpse lava from afar when you can get close enough to jab it with a stick? Getting to the lava spot is slightly tricky. The terrain is too unstable to support a parking lot, so you have to walk or rent a bike and pedal in. My wife and I agree that toddlers pair badly with molten earth, so she dumps me at the trailhead where we’ll reconnoiter later. It is a pedal through a field of fissured lava that looks like a giant brownie. The road ends at a cordon where lava pilgrims, scores of them, make their way down toward the viewing place. The lava lies in knuckles, folds and challah braids. It creaks hollowly underfoot like frozen snow. And there, not too far but not too close, is the lava pouring into the sea. It is a flaming cliff, exploding every couple of seconds in a grayscale fireworks of liquid rock meeting water. In a concession to our unsubtle political age, the cliff is doing a good impression of Abraham Lincoln in profile with a vicious orange fulmination exploding from his head. Night starts coming on. I should be getting back, but inland, up the grade, there are the city lights of lava from the volcano’s flank. Now this is really something. This lava, you can walk right up to it, get close enough to sweat. It lies in glowing, buxom lobes, ticking glassily as it cools. Tomorrow, we head home. There will be CNN in the airport. But right now, all I can think is, Man, would I like to poke that lava with a stick. “Boy, I wish I had a stick to poke that lava with,” a nearby tourist says at the very instant I am thinking this. Here, perhaps, lies some hope for our divided nation. We would all like to poke lava with a stick. Rain starts falling, an irrelevance in the lava’s . No one moves. The glow is transfixing, a campfire mesmerism of geologic scale. “We are very fortunate,” a woman beside me murmurs. Everybody stands beautifully quiet, watching newborn wads of America bulge and slip toward the sea. Lava at this range is powerful stuff. You can’t get near it and not become a stoned teenager. Whoa — consciousness, language, satellites, ginger snaps — all made possible by this sloppy, tectonic incontinence. I have an idiot hunch that this will somehow turn into a thought worth having if only I can sit out here another hour or two and see how fine the lava looks in the full black of night. I call my wife to say that it is frankly too miraculous out here for me to be leaving anytime soon. She is parked at the trailhead. She is hungry. A Kilauea situation has happened in Jed’s Pampers, and they’re trapped in the car by the rain. She has many valid opinions about spending even one more minute like that. The lava is getting nicer by the instant. I could probably embezzle another moment or two of watching it ripen, but I put my back to the miraculous and get on with life. | 1 |
The Fallacy of a ‘Goldilocks’ War Policy October 27, 2016
Official Washington’s new “group think” is that the next president must pursue a “Goldilocks” foreign policy not as aggressive as George W. Bush but more warlike than Barack Obama, but ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar says that’s nonsense.
By Paul R. Pillar
There is a time-honored technique, familiar to veterans of policymaking in the U.S. Government, for ostensibly giving the boss a choice of options but in effect pre-cooking the decision. That is to present three options, which can be aligned along a continuum of cost or risk or whatever, and to list as the middle option the one that the option-preparers want to have chosen.
Often this option is indeed chosen; as presented, it appears to be the most balanced and reasonable one, avoiding excesses of the alternatives on either side. But the appearance is an artifact of how the issue and the choices are framed. President Barack Obama talking on the phone in the Oval Office , Oct. 5, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
The whole framework may be skewed. The offered alternative on one side may be inherently more extreme than the one on the other side. If a more complete list of options were presented, the additional alternatives may be mostly on one side, and the pre-cooked “middle” option would be revealed to be not in a moderate middle after all.
Similar dynamics apply not just to manipulation of options papers but also to public debate about foreign policy. The nation’s recent history and the sheer volume of argumentation on one side of an issue or another create powerful framing effects. A commonly felt sense of what is extreme and what is reasonable may derive mostly from the framing, detached from any more broadly based standard.
So it has been recently with discussion of how the next U.S. administration should use military force. A common refrain has been that George W. Bush used too much, Barack Obama used too little, and the next U.S. president, like Goldilocks, should use some amount in between. This theme appears, for example, in an article by Peter Baker in the New York Times about the next administration’s choices in the Middle East.
“If Mr. Bush was judged to be too assertive,” writes Baker, “many here consider Mr. Obama too restrained, and hope to see some middle ground.”
Baker quotes James Jeffrey of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy as articulating the same theme: “Bush’s excessive use of military force disillusioned the American political base for engagement. Then Obama’s timid use of military force disillusioned the American regional diplomatic base in allied governments.”
Skewed Debate
All of this loses sight of how much the framing effects have skewed this entire discussion. Bush’s signature use of military force and the defining initiative of his presidency — the invasion of Iraq — was an unusually extreme act as measured either by past U.S. foreign policy or standards of international conduct that the United States expects of others. President George W. Bush in a flight suit after landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln to give his “Mission Accomplished” speech about the Iraq War on May 1, 2003.
The invasion was the first major offensive war that the United States had launched in more than a century. The whole notion of forcefully bumping off regimes one doesn’t happen to like (assuming it is not, like World War II, the denouement of a war started by someone else) has not been part of internationally accepted standards of state behavior since the Peace of Westphalia.
But the frame of discussion in the United States has shifted so much that today “regime change” gets talked about as if it were just another tool available to policymakers in dealing with disagreeable foreign governments.
A full sense of where Bush’s policies fall on a spectrum of alternative ways to use military force cannot be gained by looking only at what his immediate successor has done in struggling to get out from under the ill consequences of those policies. A truer range of alternatives would include other ones more in line with America’s traditions when it was not searching for monsters to destroy [a warning tracing back to President John Quincy Adams].
Such a fuller framework not only would show the extremity of Bush’s approach to military force but also would show President Obama’s policies to be either close to the middle of the spectrum or perhaps even more on the Bush side of the middle than on the other side. For some observers not stuck inside the current framework of American discourse (and observers that matter include more than just an “American regional diplomatic base in allied governments”), “restrained” would not be the first adjective that comes to mind in describing some of Obama’s use of force.
Not Bookends
Decision-making in the Bush and Obama administrations on such issues was so different that they do not appropriately represent bookends on the same spectrum. One of the most extreme and extraordinary things about the decision to invade Iraq was the absence of any policy process leading to that decision. By contrast, decision-making in the Obama administration on issues of national security and military force appears to involve laborious dissection of alternatives, costs, and risks. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the third debate with Republican nominee Donald Trump. (Photo credit: hillaryclinton.com)
Mr. Obama is not “timid” about the use of military force; rather, his decisions reflect a full-spectrum review of what can go right and what can go wrong. His decision-making thus has represented the very consciousness of the pros and cons of alternatives on different parts of the spectrum that the Goldilocks people are ostensibly arguing for.
Given that much of President Obama’s foreign and security policy, and especially the part of it involving use of U.S. military forces, has involved dealing with messes he inherited, there is misunderstanding about cause and effect and what is due to solutions rather than underlying problems. Similar confusion has come up with domestic economic policy, where Mr. Obama also inherited a big mess in the form of the financial crisis and the Great Recession.
An example of such confusion was an ill-formulated question from Chris Wallace (in what was otherwise a mostly competent performance as moderator) in the last presidential candidates’ debate , in which he pressed Hillary Clinton about her economic plan being “similar to the Obama stimulus plan in 2009, which has led to the slowest GDP growth since 1949.”
Ample evidence from both home and abroad indicates that what was most needed to pull out of the recession was stimulation of demand, that the stimulus program that was enacted did a lot of good in accomplishing such a pulling out, and that a substantially bigger stimulus would have led to faster recovery but the plan that was enacted was the most that the political traffic could bear.
As economist and columnist Paul Krugman observes , “When you spend money to fight a terrible slump, weren’t any disappointments in performance arguably caused by whatever caused the slump, not by the rescue operation?”
Similarly with U.S. military expeditions in troublesome regions: when, after scaling back from earlier damaging and costly interventions, there is still trouble in those regions, that is not a reason to reverse course again and do more of what was damaging and costly in the first place.
Obama has done what domestic political traffic would bear in the way of cost-reducing scaling back. That does not mean he ever reached, much less overshot, the optimum level of military force. Goldilocks is looking in the wrong place by searching for some supposedly happy medium between Bush’s policies and Obama’s.
Paul R. Pillar, in his 28 years at the Central Intelligence Agency, rose to be one of the agency’s top analysts. He is author most recently of Why America Misunderstands the World . (This article first appeared as a blog post at The National Interest’s Web site. Reprinted with author’s permission.) | 1 |
The Washington establishment and media elite has gone into a craze over a Senate hearing on Thursday featuring fired FBI Director James Comey. [Broadcast networks ABC, CBS, and NBC have all announced they’ll be carrying the hearing live, and CNN already has a countdown clock to Comey’s testimony — usually reserved for elections and major events. CNN, known for hyping up politics as sports events, compared the hearing to the Superbowl: The Comey hearing is shaping up to be Washington’s Super Bowl | Analysis by CNN’s Chris Cillizza https: . pic. twitter. — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) June 6, 2017, FOX News will also carry the hearing, and MSNBC is expected to announce its plans soon. CNN. com plans to livestream the testimony without requiring a to a cable provider. At least two bars in D. C. have announced they will be opening early for the 10 a. m. hearing, and offering drink specials, some . Shaw’s Tavern is opening at 9:30 a. m. for what it’s billing on Facebook as “The Comey Hearing Covfefe,” with $5 Vodka shots and a $10 “FBI” sandwich and an “FBI” breakfast. All five of their TVs will feature the hearing. Some people commenting on the event page indicated they would work from the bar, and inquired whether there would be wireless internet. Shaw’s Tavern, a bar in DC, is opening early Thursday morning to carry live coverage of the Comey hearing: https: . — Marin Cogan (@marincogan) June 5, 2017, The media coverage is occurring despite a recent showing that Americans care most about the economy and healthcare. In a recent Gallup poll, 21 percent of Americans polled cited economic issues as their top concern — the largest single topic of all concerns. Of concerns, 18 percent cited health care, and 18 percent cited dissatisfaction with leadership. While Washington will be glued to their TV sets and computers on Thursday, Trump will be speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Conference and participating in an infrastructure summit with governors and mayors. The event will highlight his push to modernize American infrastructure, its highways, waterways, electrical and airway systems. This week, the administration stayed focused on other key items in its domestic agenda. On Monday, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin announced the VA would adopt the same medical records system as the Defense Department, to enable streamlining between the two, and speed up the process of veterans receiving care. On Tuesday evening, Trump will host Republican congressional leaders at the White House for a dinner focused on his recent trip overseas. And while the media continued to hype the hearing, some began expressing worry the hearing would not live up to the hype. i’m a little worried about getting for this … . — Dennis Herring (@dcherring) June 6, 2017, Comey may also limit what he wants to say in a public setting, especially when it comes to sensitive or classified material. Increasing that likelihood is the fact that there is also a closed hearing after the open hearing, during which the former FBI director is expected to speak more freely. The Senate Intelligence Committee hearing is slated to begin at 10 a. m. eastern and begin with opening statements from the chairman and vice chairman of the committee. Comey will then deliver an opening statement, and senators will have the opportunity to question Comey, with multiple rounds of questions expected. The hearing is expected to last hours. The closed hearing is scheduled at 1 p. m. eastern. | 0 |
OUTRAGE: College Removes All American Flags, Veterans Protest
All eyes are on notorious Hampshire College located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The Pioneer Valley community well-known for tolerance and social liberalism has many community members up in arms (figuratively speaking) over recent staff decisions and student behaviors surrounding flags.
Following President-elect Trump’s presidential win in the U.S., a group of students at this particular college were so displeased with the final results that their own American flag was lowered to half-staff in an act of expression . The same flag was later maliciously burned and discovered this past Veteran’s Day.
The burnt flag was then replaced by staff with a new flag, but later after “consulting with constituents” an official decision was made to remove not only the American flag, but all flags in order to have a conversation about what the American flag truly represents without simultaneously flying said flag, which was an apparent flag-trigger across an array of viewpoints in regard to flags.
During the ongoing internet and communal static that has ensued thereafter, the President of Hampshire College, Jonathan Lash, has insisted that the school has been “…Periodically flying the flag at half-staff to mourn deaths from violence around the world…”
The statements made by President Lash and the official Facebook page of the campus both strongly imply that the flag was not lowered as a result of the election but rather as a way to generally mourn violence around the globe.
Some outraged citizens are veterans and relatives of veterans, and some are not. Those currently opposed to the school’s and student’s behavior seem to have one thing in common- discontent for what they see as offensive acts and a disgrace to the democratic process and liberty that allows such a college to exist.
A protest has been arranged for veterans and others to show their disapproval of the school’s flag-lowering decision. The protest will take place this coming Sunday 11/27.
Chicopee veteran Delfo Barabani Jr., said in a message that “The idea is to have as many people as possible carry an American Flag near the Hampshire campus.”
The internet has been lively on the school’s Facebook page which has been swarmed by thousands of commenters posting eagle and flag stickers:
You may remember mention of the school when NBC’s SNL and then-skit-comedian Jimmy Fallon poked fun at how liberally-minded the campus was in a weekly skit that depicted Fallon as an ignorant stoner living in an on-campus dorm. It will be interesting to see how the mainstream network spins the character of this same demographic come protest-time Sunday now that their narrative encompasses support for the polar opposite.
It will certainly be telling to witness how cable news approaches such a divided issue during a time when public confidence in mainstream news networks has reached an all time low. This is of course due to distrust following WikiLeaks revelations that indicated many mainstream networks and broadcasters colluded with the Clinton campaign to both shut down Bernie Sanders in the primaries and win the presidential election [sic].
The Hampshire College Facebook posts concerning this matter can be read in full below:
@ November 21 at 3:59pm EST Hampshire College [fb]: A Statement from President Lash: “Some months ago, the Hampshire College Board of Trustees adopted a policy of periodically flying the flag at half-staff to mourn deaths from violence around the world. Last week, in the current environment of escalating hate-based violence, we made the decision to fly Hampshire’s U.S. flag at half-staff for a time while the community delved deeper into the meaning of the flag and its presence on our campus. This was meant as an expression of grief over the violent deaths being suffered in this country and globally, including the many U.S. service members who have lost their lives. Our intention was to create the space for meaningful and respectful dialogue across the many perspectives represented in our community. Unfortunately, our efforts to inclusively convey respect and sorrow have had the opposite effect. We have heard from many on our campus as well as from neighbors in the region that, by flying the flag at half-staff, we were actually causing hurt, distress, and insult. Our decision has been seen as disrespectful of the traditional expression of national mourning, and has been especially painful to our Hampshire campus colleagues who are veterans or families of veterans. Some have perceived the action of lowering the flag as a commentary on the results of the presidential election – this, unequivocally, was not our intent. After some preliminary consultation with campus constituents (much more is needed), we decided on Friday that we will not fly the U.S. flag or any other flags on our college flagpole for the time being. We hope this will enable us in the near term to instead focus our efforts on addressing racist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and behaviors. I ask our campus to join me in a commitment to living up to the ideals of our mission: to insist on diversity, inclusion, and equity from our leaders and in our communities; to constructively resist those who are opposing these values; and to actively and passionately work toward justice and positive change at Hampshire and in the world.”
@ 11/22/16 12:39pm EST [Note this post was edited by the Hampshire College page several times at the time this was published, this was the most recent version that the Facebook page posted] Hampshire College wrote on fb: Hampshire College respects all the feedback on our decision to remove the flag from our college flagpole for a period of time as our campus discusses what the flag represents to all members of our community. This decision is not and was never a commentary on the presidential election; our goal is to make this discussion a learning opportunity by giving voice to the range of viewpoints on campus across cultures, and hopefully find common ground. This is not a campus-wide ban as some media have mistakenly reported, campus members are free to individually display their own flags; this only pertains to our flagpole. As the College closes for Thanksgiving, our social media staff are on holiday break and are unable to respond to questions and to ensure posts adhere to community standards. As a result, we are suspending FB Comments through the Thanksgiving break. Emails may be sent to [email protected] Share: | 1 |
Email
Responding to a chorus of protests and complaints, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has suspended collection of repayments of enlistment bonuses made to members of the California National Guard. Carter has also directed that a review be made of the process that led to members of the California Guard being given bonuses to reenlist, only to have the Department of Defense demand repayment of the bonuses.
Carter called the process “unfair to service members and to taxpayers,” and said he has ordered the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to “suspend all efforts to collect reimbursement from affected California National Guard members, effective as soon as is practical.”
“This suspension,” Carter added, “will continue until I am satisfied that our process is working effectively.”
“I’m glad the Pentagon came to its senses,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said, in response to Carter’s statement. “Congress will continue to work on any reforms necessary to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Jeff Miller, a Florida Republican, and chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was not as charitable as Ryan, however. He denounced Carter’s response as “weak and ham-handed,” pointing out that the moratorium will not cover potential problems outside California.
Miller added, “Carter seems to have no plan to make those who’ve already been forced to pay back their bonuses whole, and by focusing only on the California Guard, he is ignoring what media reports indicate could be a national problem. Once again, it seems Congress will be forced to fix a problem that the Obama administration created but refuses to fully address on its own.”
During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the California National Guard offered soldiers thousands of dollars in bonuses to entice them to re-enlist. It was at a time when the military was having difficulty meeting its recruiting goals. It is estimated that the bonuses were given to almost 10,000 soldiers, in amounts of $15,000, or even more.
David Cloud of the Los Angeles Times explained the problem to National Public Radio (NPR). The bonuses were paid to encourage soldiers to sign up for another tour in the Army, generally for an additional six years. “They were being paid at a time when the California Guard desperately needed soldiers to fill the ranks of units going to Iraq. So they were more generous than usual.”
Unfortunately, many soldiers given bonuses did not qualify under the rules used at the time. Then, many years later, the Pentagon conducted audits and demanded the soldiers who received the payments pay them back — with interest.
“This story has made my blood boil,” said Bill Hahn, vice president for communications with The John Birch Society (parent organization of The New American magazine), making specific reference to a woman — a master sergeant — who went to Afghanistan after getting a $15,000 bonus. Susan Haley’s entire family served in the Army, and she had served 26 years in the military herself. After all of that, she received notice — while caring for her son, another soldier who had lost his leg in Afghanistan — that she owed thousands of dollars to the Pentagon.
“I feel totally betrayed,” said Sergeant Haley, a native of Los Angeles. Haley is presently sending the Pentagon $650 each month — a quarter of her family’s income. Haley is worried that she will have to sell their home to repay the bonuses. “They’ll get their money, but I want those years back,” Haley said, referring to the additional six years she spent in the military as a consequence of the bonus she is now forced to repay.
A former Army captain, Christopher Van Meter, expressed similar sentiments: “People like me just got screwed. These bonuses were used to keep people in.” Van Meter has been forced to refinance his home mortgage to pay the $25,000 in re-enlistment bonuses the Army insists he should not have received. During the extra time he spent in the service, he was thrown from an armored vehicle turret, after the vehicle detonated a buried roadside bomb. He received a Purple Heart for his injuries.
Robert Richmond, an Army sergeant, re-enlisted for $15,000 as a special forces soldier. In 2007, his company was deployed to Hillah, an Iraqi town 60 miles south of Baghdad. In this area — known as the “Triangle of Death” — a roadside bomb exploded, leaving him with permanent injuries to his back and his brain.
With the $15,000 unpaid “debt” on his credit report, he was turned down for a home loan in Texas.
The Army began to experience recruiting shortfalls during the second Bush administration and the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, forcing the Pentagon to resort to the most generous re-enlistment incentives in history. The recruiting and re-enlistment difficulties have continued into the Obama administration, causing some to address causes for the problem, and others to offer solutions.
National Guard units, such as those in California, have been activated more and more frequently in recent years, as the Pentagon has faced difficulty raising enough troops in the regular Army to handle the frequent overseas deployments in the administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. This in turn has led to more difficulty in filling the ranks of the various state units of the National Guard across the country.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are obvious reasons for the reluctance of many to join the national armed forces or the National Guard units. But with the increasing political correctness of the armed forces (with training in such morale-damaging classes as “White Privilege,” the inclusion of women in combat roles and the lowering of physical standards to accommodate them, the push to allow for homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered soldiers, and the like) thousands more soldiers have opted for a different career.
With difficulties in raising enough soldiers through recruitment, some have advocated a return to the military draft. The draft ended in 1973, but at the urging of President Jimmy Carter, draft registration was reinstated in 1980. This became a minor issue in the presidential campaign of 1980, with Governor Ronald Reagan speaking out in opposition to draft registration. Since that time, there has been insufficient national support for reinstating the draft. But with the decline in recruitment, supporters of the draft have blamed the all-volunteer force.
If the country were to return to the draft, the question of whether women should be included in any conscription law would be raised. Recently, the U.S. Senate voted to include women in draft registration, but the Republican-led House of Representatives balked, narrowly defeating the effort by 217-203.
Presently, men must sign up for the draft within 30 days of turning 18. But with falling numbers of young men willing to join today’s military forces, for whatever reason, expect increasing pressure to add women to the draft registration rolls.
In 1940, on the eve of a presidential election, President Franklin D. Roosevelt famously said, “I say to you again, and again, and again — your sons will never be sent to fight in a foreign war.” With the inclusion of young women in both the draft and combat, perhaps this should be updated to “Your sons and your daughters will never be sent to fight in a foreign war — but if they are, expect us to ask for their bonuses back.” | 1 |
Amy Schumer has lashed out at Internet “trolls” she claims launched an online campaign to tank the reviews of her latest comedy special. [One week after its March 6 debut, The Leather Special had received hundreds of reviews from Netflix members. Schumer responded to the backlash Wednesday on her Instagram account, quoting a news report from Splitsider that claims hundreds of trolls purposefully flooded her comedy special with negative reviews. “The alt right organized trolls attack everything I do. Read the @splitsider article,” the Trainwreck star wrote. “They organize to get my ratings down. Meeting in sub Reddit rooms. They tried on my book and movies and tv show. And I want to thank them. ” Schumer also chided journalists for reporting on the news that her Netflix special is a critical dud. “I am only alarmed by the people printing their organized trolling as ‘news.’ [T]his is what the current administration wants,” she said. “Journalists do better it’s embarrassing. ” I am so proud of my special and grateful to all the people spreading love on line about it. I am the first female comic who is selling out arenas all over the world and so grateful for that. I am embarrassed for the ”journalists” who report on trolls activities as if it’s news. It’s indicative of administration right now. Anyone who reported that ”viewers aren’t happy” with my special, it would have been cool if you did a moment of research before posting. The alt right organized trolls attack everything I do. Read the @splitsider article. They organize to get my ratings down. Meeting in sub Reddit rooms. They tried on my book and movies and tv show And I want to thank them. It makes me feel so powerful and dangerous and brave. It reminds me what I’m saying is effective and bring more interest to my work and their obsession with me keeps me going. I am only alarmed by the people printing their organized trolling as ”news” this is what the current administration wants. So this post has nothing against the trolls. I thank you trolls so much. It fills me with hope and power to see you all furiously posting so as always accuse me of whatever lies you want. Call me a whale. Call me a thief and I will continue to rise and fight and lead. I know who I am. I am strong and beautiful and will use my voice my whole time on this earth. Journalists do better it’s embarrassing. Trolls see you on the next one! 😘😘😘 A post shared by @amyschumer on Mar 15, 2017 at 9:28am PDT, “I thank you trolls so much,” the comedian added. “It fills me with hope and power to see you all furiously posting so as always accuse me of whatever lies you want. Call me a whale. Call me a thief and I will continue to rise and fight and lead. I know who I am. I am strong and beautiful and will use my voice my whole time on this earth. ” While Schumer says the Netflix members who called her special “awful,” “unfunny,” and “unwatchable” were organized by Reddit users who mounted a troll campaign against her, negative reviews for The Leather Special could be readily found on other online rating platforms. For example, Schumer’s Netflix special currently holds a 4. 4 out of 10 rating on The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) — down from 5. 5 less than a week ago. The Leather Special is also showing a 22% audience score of viewers who “liked it” on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviews from television critics have also been lukewarm. The Los Angeles Times‘ Lorraine Ali writes that the special features Schumer’s signature brand of dirty humor, but “ironically, the dirtier it gets, the less daring it feels. ” “‘The Leather Special’ not only relies on many of those familiar and explicit themes, but kicks it all up a notch so there’s more of it — with more frequency and extremities. And as it turns out, that’s not a good thing,” she wrote. Meanwhile, Newsday’s Verne Gay gave the special a “C” grade. “It’s all there. She’s all there. Every bit of her,” Gay wrote. “As usual, it’s mostly also all one subject, or variations on that subject, along with every imaginable word to describe that subject, along with some physical pantomime or gesture to add texture and meaning to this subject, just in case the words themselves didn’t quite suffice. As if. ” Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson | 1 |
Topics: Hillary Clinton , Donald Trump , 2016 Presidential Election , Brexit , FBI Director Comey Sunday, 13 November 2016
Despite the continuing wailing and tears and gnashing of teeth from angry Hillary supporters, the Trump Party is officially the winner of the 2016 presidential election.
Foremost now in all the post-election sound and fury is the new United States of Amurkier, according to analyst Dmitri Globulus, of the website Times Die Hard.
Hillary and the Clintonistas are lining up all the culprits for the defeat--since that obviously had nothing to do with Hillary Clinton herself--starting with FBI Director James Comey.
It wasn't her politics of more of the same, including beefing up wars in the middle east, continuing the policies of Obama, and renewing hostility with Russia.
No, it was Comey.
Comey was very nasty in announcing new emails had been discovered in Anthony Weiner's computer, which tipped the balance.
If only he had kept his mouth shut, according to the Clinton DieHards, she would have prevailed.
Her failure to talk Amurexit had nothing to do with it, whereas Trump continually signaled "The System is Rigged!"
But Dmitri Globulus says Trump was on target, not Clinton.
"It's basically a grapes of wrath syndrome. Too much imbalance in wealth distribution, severe economic depression, and Government Pretense of a 'recovery' that fooled nobody."
Add in free trade ideas and shipping jobs to the cheapest labor markets in the world leaving ordinary citizens out of work and you've got a lot of anger.
Add in Obamacare with its premiums going up and the Pharmaceutical Industry leaping up its profit margins--more anger.
Add in stupid wars with the only logic behind them making money for the munitions people and The War Establishment--more anger.
Add in refugees fleeing somewhere, anywhere, with their countries either blasted economically or from continuing, monstrous war--more anger.
Add in Washington-As-Usual with its talking heads and scoffing and labeling its opposition ignorant and stupid--more anger.
The Brexit people across the Atlantic are calling out: "Welcome to the Club! We're done with the Plutocrat Trans-nationalists!"
Many Amurkier people have responded: "So are we! Time to change it!"
The Clintonistas meanwhile continue to enjoy their outrage. Make joseph k winter's day - give this story five thumbs-up (there's no need to register , the thumbs are just down there!) | 0 |
In Utica, a former industrial hub in upstate New York where the near collapse of manufacturing has made for a scarcity of jobs and a rarity of good news, the announcement in August 2015 that an Austrian chip maker had decided to put down roots in a fabrication plant built by the state was cause for jubilation. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo celebrated with an appearance in Utica, promising $585 million in state funds to cement the partnership, which was to create 1, 000 jobs. Some in the crowd wept with emotion. But last week, after months of delays and mismanagement that culminated in September with federal prosecutors revealing a bribery and scheme, state and local officials said that the Austrian chip maker, AMS, had abandoned the project. The Utica project was merely one chunk of the investment with which the Cuomo administration has pledged to seed nanotechnology and industries in upstate cities starved for economic growth. But the corruption scheme outlined by federal prosecutors has strained the entire nanotechnology program, threatening to knock economic progress off course in places like Utica, where growth was never certain in the best of times. The state is now scrambling to salvage the Utica plant with a new corporate partner and state administrator. Related projects in Syracuse and Buffalo are in varying degrees of limbo. And the unraveling of the Utica deal has raised anew questions about whether the state is spending its millions wisely by trying to engineer New York’s Rust Belt into a can’ destination for solar panel makers and chip fabricators. The governor’s office has continued to insist on the initiative’s health, both in Utica and across the state. It has promised that the full $585 million in state funds will remain committed to the Utica area. It has replaced the former architect of the nanotechnology program — a physicist turned economic development guru named Alain E. Kaloyeros, the head of the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, who was indicted in the corruption scheme — with Howard Zemsky, the head of the state’s economic development agency. To hear state officials tell it, a simple leadership switch will do the trick. “People have seen a lot of progress. I think people continue to be optimistic about the future, and I think for good reason,” Mr. Zemsky said in an interview, adding that he has had “active” conversations with other chip makers about moving into the Utica plant. “The problem will turn out to be an opportunity. I’m comfortable, all in all, that we’re moving in the right direction. We’re making up for lost time in many cases. ” For the state, it seems, the strategy developed by Mr. Kaloyeros and trumpeted by Mr. Cuomo — to lavish hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies on corporate partners to create jobs — is unblemished. Yet the model has come in for repeated criticism from government watchdogs, who say an economic policy that tries to create risky new industries virtually from scratch, and that spends millions in taxpayer dollars to create every new job, is folly. “We’re incredibly skeptical of the economic logic behind these projects because they’re too expensive,” said John Kaehny, the executive director of Reinvent Albany, a group. “There is no economic logic to this, really. But there’s a huge political logic to it. The governor desperately needs for this to be a success for his political legacy in New York. ” Local officials have praised Mr. Zemsky as an inclusive and open manager. For those who watched the Utica deal crumble, however, his involvement was a belated acknowledgment that the state could have done better from the beginning — and been better attuned to signs that the program was ailing months before the indictments made it obvious. “Shifting blame to the procurement process at SUNY Poly is drawing attention away from all the missed opportunities the governor’s office had to step in and make sure the AMS project was moving forward,” said Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat from Utica. “I think the governor’s office, essentially, when it came to economic development upstate, turned the keys over to Alain Kaloyeros, and unfortunately in the case of Utica, Alain drove the bus right off the cliff. ” Mr. Cuomo’s aides reject the idea that the state has lost credibility in its efforts to revive the upstate economy, saying their economic development efforts were always much bigger than the ones Mr. Kaloyeros oversaw. “SUNY Poly’s narrowly focused on some very tech projects, but for someone to say economic development, broadly speaking, has been turned over to to someone at SUNY Poly is just incorrect,” Mr. Zemsky said, citing the governor’s efforts to involve regional officials in economic planning and to spread state funds across thousands of smaller economic development projects. He said he was confident that they would ultimately bring the nanotechnology projects to fruition. “That is the only thing, at the end of the day, that can change that taste in people’s mouths,” he said. The chip fabrication project had been mired in traffic for more than a year, local officials said, beginning in November 2015, when the state missed a deadline to begin soliciting bids for a developer to oversee construction of the chip plant. Local officials and the company had expected $585 million in state funding to be included in the governor’s proposed state budget in January it failed to materialize. Weeks and months went by without updates. The chip maker was on edge, frustrated and incredulous that the process had stalled. After two months of asking, local officials were granted a meeting in March with the governor’s top aides, Mr. Kaloyeros and one of Mr. Kaloyeros’s aides, a lobbyist named Todd R. Howe, who had also worked for Mr. Cuomo. Mr. Kaloyeros dismissed their concerns. “How many chip fabs have you built?” he asked, according to Mr. Brindisi, who attended the meeting. As the head of SUNY Poly, Mr. Kaloyeros was in charge of all economic development projects related to nanotechnology, overseeing projects including a solar panel factory in Buffalo and a movie production center in Syracuse. Andrew Kennedy, who was then the governor’s deputy director of state operations, told the members of the Utica group that Mr. Howe would act as their liaison to the governor’s office, Mr. Brindisi said. If they needed anything, they were told, they should go through Mr. Howe. Weeks later, when news leaked that the federal investigation into the state’s economic development contracts had come to center on Mr. Howe and Mr. Kaloyeros, Mr. Kennedy’s instructions ceased to inspire much confidence. For months, Mr. Cuomo’s aides have tried to eke out some distance between his administration and Mr. Howe. “At no time did he represent or speak for the executive chamber,” said Richard Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor. The state budget passed at the end of March included the promised $585 million for the Utica project. But throughout the spring and summer, as Utica officials and the company sent increasingly urgent letters to SUNY Poly and the governor’s office, the project was delayed still further. In August, Mr. Brindisi and Senator Joseph Griffo, a Republican whose district includes Utica, traveled to the state fair in Syracuse solely to corner Mr. Cuomo, believing the delays warranted his personal attention. The governor promised to call personally the next week, Mr. Brindisi said, but never did. Mr. Cuomo’s director of state operations, Jim Malatras, said the governor had called him to relay what the legislators had said immediately after leaving the state fair, prompting the governor’s aides to call Mr. Brindisi and Mr. Griffo the same day. Top economic development officials were in “constant” contact with Utica area officials and AMS after the governor’s office learned of their concerns, even traveling to Utica multiple times, Mr. Malatras said. Mr. Malatras said he had not been aware that the Utica chip plant was stumbling until late summer, despite what local officials said were repeated attempts to bring the problems to the attention of the governor’s office throughout the winter, spring and summer. Not until the federal investigation prompted Mr. Malatras and Mr. Zemsky to delve into Mr. Kaloyeros’s projects did they begin to realize that something was off, he said. Finally, in September, the governor’s office sent word that the Utica project was being transferred from Mr. Kaloyeros’s domain to Empire State Development, the agency led by Mr. Zemsky. A few weeks later, the United States attorney in Manhattan, Preet Bharara, released a criminal complaint charging Mr. Kaloyeros Mr. Howe Joseph Percoco, another former aide to the governor and several upstate developers in a yearslong bribery scheme. The complaint described a pattern of misconduct, mismanagement and corruption in the governor’s signature economic development program. Smarting from the scandal, Mr. Cuomo announced a set of changes last month to the way the state would handle contracts. It was too late for AMS: The company withdrew around Thanksgiving, telling local officials that the delays had made it impossible for the company to begin producing its chip technology on schedule. “I’m very frustrated,” Mr. Griffo said. “Obviously, it was a setback. ” He said he hoped the state would develop a process for regularly reviewing how effective its economic development programs were, but, like Mr. Brindisi and Mr. Zemsky, said he still believed a partnership with a chip maker was the best option for the Utica site. Anthony J. Picente Jr. the Oneida County executive, recalled how the initial announcement of the hub had used the term “” which “created an even greater sense of optimism. ” “We’ve gone through some tough times here in Oneida County over the years,” Mr. Picente said. The collapse of the agreement, he said, “dealt a blow. ” He added, “If this had been in the hands of the right people from the beginning, I don’t think we’d be sitting here right now. ” | 1 |
BRICS muss sich US-Finanzkrieg stellen von Ariel Noyola Rodríguez Um dem von den USA provozierten Finanzkrieg entgegentreten zu können, sollten die BRICS dringend ihre Kooperation im Bereich Wirtschaft und Finanzen verstärken. Die "Neue Entwicklungsbank" der BRICS sollte ihr Kreditvolumen sowie ihren Reservefond erhöhen. Außerdem sollten die BRICS so schnell wie möglich ihre eigene Ratingagentur einrichten. Um den wirtschaftlichen Zusammenhalt zu intensivieren könnte eine Freihandelszone die Wechselkursbarrieren zu Fall bringen und damit den Handel merklich erhöhen. Fazit: Wenn nicht so schnell wie möglich geeignete Maßnahmen ergriffen werden, laufen die BRICS in Gefahr beim nächsten Finanz-Orkan zu sinken.
Voltaire Netzwerk | Mexiko-Stadt (Mexiko) | 29. Oktober 2016 français русский italiano Español Am 15. und 16. Oktober fand im indischen Bundesstaat Goa der achte BRICS-Gipfel statt - Brasilien, Russland, Indien, China und Südafrika. Nun muss eingestanden werden, dass die Zusammenkunft im Kontext einer für die Weltwirtschaft tiefgreifenden Krise stattfand. Indessen haben, aus einem strategischen Blickwinkel gesehen, die BRICS einmal mehr ihre außerordentliche Fähigkeit unter Beweis gestellt, einen schlechten Zeitpunkt umzuwandeln zu einer Gelegenheit ihre Beziehungen zu vertiefen.
Nachdem die Wirtschaftsbeziehungen der BRICS im Lauf der letzten Jahre ein Goldenes Zeitalter genossen haben, sind die Wachstumsraten drastisch eingebrochen. Angesichts dieser schwierigen Lage, müssen die BRICS, mehr denn je, Nutzen aus den Finanzinstitutionen ziehen, welche sie der Welt vor einigen Jahren in Fortaleza (Brasilien) zu ihrem sechsten Gipfel präsentiert haben [ 1 ].
Erst im April diesen Jahres hat die NDB (New Develoment Bank = Neue Entwicklungsbank der BRICS) ihren ersten Kredit über mehr als 800 Mill. Dollar ausgegeben [ 2 ] und man geht davon aus, dass 2017 d Gesamtkreditvolumen 2,5 Mrd Dollar erreichen könnte [ 3 ]. Darüber hinaus hat diese Finanzinstitution im Juli diesen Jahres mit der Ausgabe von "green bonds" - grünen Obligationen - in Yuan im Wert von 450 Mill Dollar eine historische Premiere verwirklichen können [ 4 ]. Diese Finanzierungsinstrumente dienen, wobei sie den Einfluss der chinesischen Währung auf Weltwährungsebene ausweiten, dazu große Investitionsprojekte zu finanzieren.
Währenddessen ist der CRA (Contingent Reserve Arrange = Reservefond der NBD) dotiert mit 100 Mrd Dollar, bereit die ersten Kreditlinien, freizugeben mit dem Ziel, wie es der indische Finanzminister, Arun Jaitley angekündigt hat, die Zahlungsbilanz der BRICS zu stabilisieren [ 5 ]. Jedes Mal, wenn die FED der USA, wie gewöhnlich, eine Zinserhöhung ins Gespräch bringt, die wiederum eine neue Finanzkrise nach sich ziehen würde, ist es dringend geraten, dass die BRICS so schnell wie möglich die monetären Reserven ihres Stabilisations-Fonds erhöhen, damit sie nicht in Gefahr laufen großen Schaden durch die Spekulationen der großen Investitionsbanken zu erleiden.
Gleichzeitig müssen die BRICS neue Fronten eröffnen um offen die Hegemonie der USA und des Dollar im internationalen Finanzsystem herauszufordern [ 6 ], nicht nur indem sie mit den lokalen Währungen handeln, sondern zum Beispiel auch über den Umweg der Erhöhung der Yuan-Reserven ihrer Zentralbanken. Genauso wurde auch die Aufnahme der Volkswährung - des Renminbi in China - am letzten 1. Oktober, in den Währungskorb der Spitzenwährungen genehmigt, wobei sie die Sonderziehungsrechte des Internationalen Währungsfonds (IWF), die Ende der 1960 er Jahre eingeführt wurden, stützen konnte [ 7 ].
Darüber hinaus haben die BRICS die Kapazität, dank mächtiger geopolitischer Verbindungen zwischen Lateinamerika, Asien, Afrika und dem Mittleren Orient eine Finanz-Allianz zu formulieren. Die regionalen Entwicklungsbanken, die in erster Linie von umliegenden Ländern gestaltet wurden, können sehr gut zu diesem Ziel genutzt werden, sei es die Asiatische AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank), sei es die ALBA (Alliance bolivarienne pour les peuples de Notre Amérique) und sogar die Süd-Bank, die endlich noch vor Jahresschluss starten soll.
Auch die Einrichtung einer eigenen Rating-Agentur ist für die BRICS ein dringendes Bedürfnis geworden, um sich endlich von der erdrückenden Dominanz zu befreien, welche von den USA über Fitch, Moody’s und Standard & Poor aufrechterhalten wird [ 8 ]. Diese drei Ratingagenturen, agieren in erster Linie, statt ihre Bewertungen auf technische Kriterien zurück zu führen, aus (ferngesteuerten, NdT) politischen Impulsen. Diese Funktionalität macht daraus eine echte Kriegsmaschine: Die Kurse von Staats-Obligationen werden herabgesetzt und erhöhen auf spektakuläre Weise die Zinssätze für Kredite in Ländern wie Griechenland, Russland oder Venezuela.
Der wirtschaftliche Zusammenhalt ist eine weitere wichtige Herausforderung, obwohl es keinen Zweifel daran gibt, dass er sich im Lauf der letzten Jahre zwischen 2001 und 2015 substanziell entwickelt, da sich der Handel zwischen den BRICS, im Verhältnis zu ihrem Gesamthandelsvolumen, von 6 auf 12% verdoppelt hat [ 9 ]. China ist die weitaus am stärksten in die anderen BRICS-Staaten integrierte Wirtschaft. Dafür sind die Beziehungen zwischen Ländern wie Indien und Südafrika marginal. Dieselbe Wahrheit gilt für Russland und Brasilien. Genau dies weist auf die ungeheure Bedeutung der baldigen Einrichtung einer Freihandelszone für die BRICS [ 10 ]. Indessen müssen, mit dem zunehmenden Abbau der Handelsschranken untereinander, die BRICS zusammen, durch die Integration ihrer Produktionssysteme, den Aufbau neuer Wertschöpfungsketten fördern, mit dem Ziel die Industrialisierung weniger begünstigten Länder zu unterstützen.
Zusammengefasst zeichnen sich zahlreiche Herausforderungen für die fünf aufstrebenden Mächte am Horizont ab. Ich bin überzeugt, dass im Weiteren, der Erfolg der BRICS abhängen wird, von ihrer Fähigkeit sich stets neu zu erfinden und der Kreativität mit welcher sie neue Dimensionen der Kooperation, um ihre Ziele auf längere Zeit zu erreichen, zum Ausdruck bringen können. Gegenüber dem neuen Finanzkrieg, den Amerika vorbereitet, ist es für die BRICS-Staaten erneut an der Zeit zum Angriff überzugehen.
Ariel Noyola Rodríguez Übersetzung
Ralf Hesse
Quelle
Russia Today (Russland) | 1 |
Good morning. Welcome to California Today, a morning update on the stories that matter to Californians (and anyone else interested in the state). Tell us about the issues that matter to you — and what you’d like to see: CAtoday@nytimes. com. Want to receive California Today by email? Sign up. The plastic bag wars, after years in the trenches, are now coming to a head. Voters will get the final word in November on making California the first state to prohibit the bags at grocery checkout lines. Two ballot measures, both industry sponsored, deal with a state law passed in 2014 that barred grocers and other retailers from handing out plastic bags and required them to charge 10 cents for a paper alternative. But the law was delayed before it could be enacted in 2015, when a group of bag manufacturers gathered signatures to put Proposition 67, an referendum, on the ballot. “Yes” keeps the ban. “No” kills it. Ban supporters say the billions of plastic bags used by Californians are a menace, clogging sewers and polluting habitats. They are the fourth most common item collected during the California Coastal Commission’s annual cleanup events. Still, opponents of the ban argue that plastic bags account for less than 1 percent of the total trash stream and can be recycled, even if, in practice, only a fraction are. Among their other arguments: the paper bag fee hurts the poor, and jobs would be killed by a sudden evaporation of bag sales. “Not only is it affecting jobs, it’s over junk science,” said Phil Rozenski, policy chairman for the American Progressive Bag Alliance. Then there’s Proposition 65, which would divert revenue from the bag fees to an environmental fund. You might think many green groups would like that. They don’t. Critics say it is a maneuver intended to discredit the statewide ban by portraying the fees as a windfall for supermarkets. According to the California Grocers Association, which supports the ban, the fee just covers costs. The outcome in November will depend in part on shifting public attitudes. At least 150 California communities have taken steps to limit plastic bags since 2007, when San Francisco kicked things off. Many shoppers, who may have bristled at first, have grown used to the idea of reusable bags, advocates say. “People are realizing we never needed so many bags in the first place,” said Mark Murray, the executive director of Californians Against Waste. See more reporting in The Times on the November ballot: Proposition 51 (school bond) | Propositions 62 and 66 (death penalty). To dig deeper, check out analyses of the measures by the Legislative Analyst’s Office, CALmatters or Ballotpedia. • In San Francisco, the sinking Millennium Tower has raised doubts about whether a spree was properly monitored, writes the city’s bureau chief Thomas Fuller. [The New York Times] • U. C. campuses are scrambling to make room for the largest influx of new students in decades. [Los Angeles Times] • A food critic chose the 30 most important Bay Area restaurants of the last 30 years. [San Francisco Chronicle] • Facing a wave of Haitian migrants at the San Diego border, the Obama administration said it would accelerate deportations. [The New York Times] • A report shows how Proposition 13 has shaped life in California, helping to enrich one generation and impoverish the next. [Slate] • Yahoo said account information of at least 500 million users was stolen by hackers two years ago. [The New York Times] • A man who hit Mayor Kevin Johnson of Sacramento with a pie said he wanted to embarrass the leader. [Sacramento Bee] • Half of Palm Springs sits on rented tribal land, the largest such arrangement in the country. [The Desert Sun] • A report described a “toxic” working environment at Yosemite National Park. Eighteen workers charged harassment and other misconduct. [Washington Post] • A mother’s Alzheimer’s has redefined baseball glory for her son. [The New York Times] • Wallethub, a personal finance site, ranked the best places to raise a family in California. The winner? Folsom. [Wallethub] • Meet the “Sneaker Saint”: A charity has given away nearly 7, 000 to the homeless and youth in Los Angeles. [ ] San Francisco is putting a lot of hope in Jeff Kositsky. This year, the mayor appointed Mr. Kositsky, 50, to lead a new homelessness department to help the nearly 7, 000 people living on the city’s streets. On Thursday, he made an appearance on Reddit, the social news site, where he invited site members to ask him anything. Some of the highlights: On the cause of the city’s homelessness problem: On how much money he needs to achieve his goals: On what the technology industry is doing to help: On what he would give if he could give every homeless person in San Francisco one item (other than a house): See more of the conversation over at Reddit. California Today goes live at 6 a. m. Pacific time weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: CAtoday@nytimes. com. The California Today columnist, Mike McPhate, is a Californian — born outside Sacramento and raised in San Juan Capistrano. He lives in Davis. Follow him on Twitter. California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and attended U. C. Berkeley. | 1 |
MARRAKESH, Morocco — Diplomats from around the world converged here this week with the plan to put details on last year’s Paris climate accord and move the globe closer to controlling the industrial emissions that are heating the planet. Instead, with the election of Donald J. Trump — and his threat to withdraw the United States from the accord — shellshocked negotiators confronted potentially deep fissures developing in the international consensus on climate change. On the sidelines of the negotiations, some diplomats turned from talking of rising seas and climbing temperatures toward how to punish the United States if Mr. Trump follows through, possibly with a tax on imports of goods. “A carbon tariff against the United States is an option for us,” Rodolfo Lacy Tamayo, Mexico’s under secretary for environmental policy and planning, said in an interview here. He added, “We will apply any kind of policy necessary to defend the quality of life for our people, to protect our environment and to protect our industries. ” Forcing United States industries to turn to cleaner energy sources with the hammer of an import tariff is not . Countries imposing costs on their own industries to control carbon emissions could tell the World Trade Organization that United States industries are operating under an unfair trade advantage by avoiding any cost for their pollution. The tax would be calculated based on the amount of carbon pollution associated with the manufacturing of each product. That would impose a painful cost on the heaviest industrial polluters, particularly on exporters of products containing steel and cement. “The Paris Agreement is meant to get everyone on board in one structure where you can address climate change together,” said Dirk Forrister, the president and chief executive of the International Emissions Trading Organization, a nonprofit organization that consults with governments and companies. “But if one big country backs out it could trigger a whole wave of trade responses. ” He added: “There is no need to start a trade war over climate change. But it might happen. ” The Marrakesh summit meeting was expected to conclude late Friday or early Saturday with a declaration that all governments will continue to carry out and strengthen the Paris accord, and a timetable for adopting the details of the pact, such as a global system to monitor and verify carbon emission reductions at the national level. In Washington, the Obama administration has pressed forward with its environmental agenda as if Mr. Trump had not been elected. An offshore drilling plan unveiled Friday assumes continued bans on oil and gas exploration in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans — which the Trump administration could easily reverse. But diplomats are quietly going off their agendas to begin planning how to react if Mr. Trump chooses to reject the Paris Agreement. The pact, as it stands, contains no enforcement measures, such as economic sanctions, for countries that do not comply. But individual governments could put trade sanctions in place on their own or in concert. In Mexico, which is already preparing for a newly adversarial relationship with an American president who has threatened to build a wall along the border, government officials said they have begun considering the idea of a carbon tariff. Canada, the United States’ largest trading partner, is also discussing a tariff. Some Canadian provinces, including Ontario and Quebec, already have carbon tax policies that include fees imposed on energy generated across provincial borders. “I see that extending across the Canadian border if the U. S. pulls out of Paris,” said Lisa DeMarco, a senior partner with DeMarco, Allan, a climate law firm that advises Canadian provinces and international businesses. “If you want to sell your goods in Canada, you’d have to meet the same emissions standards,” she said. In France, Nicolas Sarkozy, the former French president who is campaigning to hold that office again, suggested this week that the European Union impose a carbon tariff on American imports if Washington withdraws. Supporters of Mr. Trump’s climate change policies say they are not worried. “It’s an empty threat,” said Thomas J. Pyle, the president of the Institute for Energy Research, an organization partly funded by the billionaire libertarian brothers Charles and David Koch and which Mr. Trump has cited as influential in shaping his energy and climate proposals. Economists widely agree that the most effective way to attack climate change is to tax or otherwise put a price on pollution. Most of the world’s major economies, including the European Union and China as well as Canada and Mexico, have already begun to put domestic carbon pricing programs in place. The European Union’s “ ” system capped carbon pollution levels and created a market for companies to buy and sell permits to pollute. China plans to implement a similar program next year and Mexico, which already taxes carbon pollution, is on track to put in place its own program by 2018. Canada’s national carbon pricing system, set to go into force by 2019, allows its provinces to mix programs and carbon taxes. With Congress unwilling to pass either a carbon tax or a program, President Obama pushed for climate change regulations to limit carbon emissions while encouraging states to create their own programs to comply. Mr. Trump, who has called climate change a hoax invented by the Chinese, campaigned on a promise to dismantle the Obama administration’s climate rules and put coal miners back to work. But since he was elected, he has not commented publicly on his climate plans. Mr. Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment. While some politicians are already responding belligerently, other European officials are taking a approach. “In the European Union we have a strong climate policy,” said Miguel Arias Cañete, the bloc’s commissioner on climate action. “But we don’t think it is appropriate yet to speak to a U. S. carbon tariff, because the new U. S. president has not yet taken a public position on climate. ” And a trade war may be a price too high for countries whose economies depend on American consumers and suppliers. Asked if Beijing would consider a carbon tariff against the United States, Liu Zhenmin, China’s lead climate negotiator, said, “Addressing climate change should not become an obstacle for trade. China will continue to promote free trade. ” Chinese negotiators appear to be hoping for the best. “A wise leader will follow the global and historical trend,” Xie Zhenhua, a Chinese negotiator, said. The idea that other nations might punish the United States with a pollution import tax is a switch. President Obama’s failed bill in 2010 included a carbon tariff on imports from other countries. The United States hoped to use trade sanctions to punish other countries, particularly China, for polluting and push them toward global climate talks. Now the policy could be reversed and used against the United States, as much of the rest of the world economy moves ahead with pricing carbon, while Washington prepared to roll back its climate change plan. Economists warn that a carbon tariff now could backfire. “Is he the sort of person who would back down or would he retaliate?” Robert N. Stavins, the director of Harvard University’s environmental economics program, asked about Mr. Trump. “He seems like the kind of person who would retaliate. And then you’d have a trade war. ” Mr. Stavins added, “That would be an example of the cure being worse than the disease. ” Other experts agreed that choosing to impose a carbon tariff should be done with care for the consequences. “A carbon tariff is a power tool,” Mr. Forrister said. “It’s not one that any country would use lightly. Things would have to get pretty serious for any country to take it out of the toolbox and use it. But given the current situation it’s a possibility that they would do it. ” Mr. Tamayo, the Mexican official, said that for the moment, Mexico is more focused on linking its forthcoming program with similar programs in California and Quebec. “For now,” he said, “we hope to build bridges, not walls. ” | 1 |
Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback who touched off a national debate when he chose not to stand during the playing of the national anthem before games, has emboldened a handful of other players to follow suit. In a continuing protest against racial injustice, Kaepernick knelt before a game Monday night while other players took a knee or raised their fists. A day earlier, four Miami Dolphins players knelt during the anthem, and a member of the Kansas City Chiefs raised his fist before a separate game, saying later that he had been acting in solidarity with Kaepernick. Two players from the New England Patriots and three from the Tennessee Titans also raised their fists on Sunday. Those actions were considered radical because they happened amid a sports landscape where provocative stances by prominent athletes have been rare, even during surging and searing national discussions over race, justice and politics. According to current and former athletes and sports officials, professional athletes find themselves preoccupied with financial and branding concerns an sports culture and fan bases that expect athletes to “shut up and play. ” “If you don’t know what you’re up against, you’re screwing yourself,” said Ricky Jean Francois, a defensive end for the Washington Redskins. “You may lose your job. You may lose your endorsement. You may lose your relationship with people. Guys don’t want to lose what they worked so hard for throughout their whole career. ” Most athlete advocacy today tends to be in support of established causes. Many influential athletes, on social media or in the occasional forum, have made modest pleas against violence and for better race relations. Others have gone a step further. Miami Heat players posed for a picture wearing hoodies in 2012 after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla. In 2014, basketball players from college to the pros warmed up in that declared, “I Can’t Breathe” — a rallying cry for protesters after a New York police officer’s chokehold led to the death of Eric Garner on Staten Island. The University of Missouri football team last year refused to play until the university system president resigned over the university’s perceived handling of racial tensions. (He resigned two days after the boycott was announced.) In July, several W. N. B. A. players wore during in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and five police officers then recently killed in Dallas. They received fines, later rescinded. That same month, four of the N. B. A. ’s biggest stars — Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade — opened the ESPY Awards by urging fellow athletes to push for change on issues of race, policing and violence. Still, few recent athletes have stuck their necks out as far as Kaepernick has, let alone become firebrands like the ones remembered by previous generations. The brashness of Jack Johnson, a black boxer in the early 20th century, could have gotten him lynched — and, in fact, got him jailed, for having a romantic relationship with a white woman. Muhammad Ali missed some of his prime boxing years because he refused to fight in the Vietnam War. The Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos were suspended and sent home from the 1968 Summer Games after they thrust their fists into the air in a gesture of black solidarity. Smith and Carlos returned home to death threats, and their Olympic careers were effectively over. But Johnson and Ali competed in an individual sport and, because they were acting before professional sports were big business, did not risk losing the kind of huge endorsement deals that exist today. Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall is already feeling the financial impact of kneeling during the national anthem before his team’s opening game last week: He has lost two endorsement deals. But some believe that athletes should push the issue harder. “We are missing a Muhammad athlete in this generation, especially on the men’s side,” said Layshia Clarendon, a guard for the Atlanta Dream of the W. N. B. A. Referring to the protest of some of her fellow W. N. B. A. players, she added, “If LeBron and Wade and all those guys decided to stand up and be like, ‘We’re not going to go for this,’ if they do something like that, it would be tremendous. ” Team owners sometimes send subtle signals that players should avoid rocking the boat, to prevent a blizzard of political and social opinion. Josh Childress, who has played eight seasons in the N. B. A. and spent part of last season with the Texas Legends of the N. B. A. Development League, said there was “definitely a silent pressure” from teams and sponsors for athletes to censor themselves. “The less distractions for teams, the better,” Childress said. “I just think it’s in their best interests to keep you in the athlete box. Unless you just have some quirky personality thing that makes you more likable, or you’re really, really good, they want to just keep business as usual: Do your job on the court, and let’s keep the distractions to a minimum. ” Today’s athletes are “not disruptive enough,” said Brendon Ayanbadejo, a former N. F. L. player who began voicing support for marriage rights in 2008, before they had been affirmed by most states. “I think if you want to be heard and you want to make a difference, you have to be disruptive. That’s the way your story is going to get picked up. ” But such a move can be difficult when athletes find themselves confronting unwritten rules against talking about race, religion and politics. After Ayanbadejo staked his position, some of his teammates made jokes, he said. Officials with his team, the Baltimore Ravens, did not grant some news media interview requests, he said. “Whether it’s an agent, family members or financial advisers, there’s a culture around every athlete that says, Maximize your endorsements, maximize your salary, and connect as best you can to your community,” said Robert Boland, the director of the sports administration program at Ohio University. But is it even fair to expect athletes — especially black ones — to take the lead in fighting social injustices? “Athletes are not trained to be political they’re not trained to be activists,” said Todd Boyd, who holds the Katherine and Frank Price endowed chair for the study of race and popular culture at the University of Southern California. “We don’t hold white athletes to these same standards. ” Nor is it fair, Boyd said, to compare today’s athletes with their predecessors. “What people seem to forget is that Muhammad Ali was going to be drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam — this is a very real thing,” Boyd said. “Ali wasn’t just protesting out of the goodness of his heart. He was trying to avoid going to fight in a war he didn’t agree with. ” Through the 1980s and ’90s, athlete activism seemed to simmer down as, perhaps not coincidentally, sports revenues and salaries rose and careful cultivation of brands became the norm. Perhaps no one embodied the spirit of carefully crafting an image more than Michael Jordan, the biggest sports star of his era. This year, after months of questions, he issued a statement objecting to a North Carolina law that curbed protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people — a law that led the N. B. A. to move its Game out of the state. But Jordan had a longstanding aversion to taking political stances during his playing career, saying, in one telling, “Republicans buy shoes, too. ” Jordan has denied making that statement, attributed to him in the 1995 book “Second Coming: The Strange Odyssey of Michael Jordan,” by Sam Smith. But even if that quotation is false, Jordan has showed little willingness to engage in controversial politics. “I often wondered how that affected other players who thought that Michael was somehow of the view that he did not want to do anything to damage his brand,” said Michele A. Roberts, the executive director of the N. B. A. players’ union. “That is, If Michael can’t do it, I can’t. ” One of Jordan’s teammates with the Chicago Bulls, Craig Hodges, bucked that trend and, he said, paid a price. When the team visited the White House after winning its second straight title in 1992, Hodges handed President George H. W. Bush a letter asking him to do more to end injustices toward . Neither the Bulls nor any other team in the league signed Hodges for the next season, ending his N. B. A. career. Hodges sued the league, claiming it had blackballed him because of his outspokenness, but his lawsuit failed. Recent events, however — particularly the shootings of unarmed black men by the police — have wrought vigorous and often fiery debate over race relations and justice. With the United States’ major sports leagues in some cases dominated by players, some have felt compelled to speak out. But Anthony, a star forward for the Knicks, has expressed frustration that the action often ends at those statements, or the occasional joining of a march. Over the summer, after the police shootings in Baton Rouge, La. and suburban Minneapolis and the killing of five police officers in Dallas, Anthony posted an impassioned plea on Instagram. He called on athletes to do more than march and send messages on Twitter and, instead, “to put the pressure on the people in charge” to get “justice. ” He later organized a forum in Los Angeles, along with members of the men’s and women’s Olympic basketball teams, the Los Angeles Police Department and community leaders. Roberts, the basketball union president, credited Anthony for going beyond the usual expectation that athletes should just play their sport. “If you’re really worried about damaging your brand, you’ll do what a lot of people say: Play ball and shut the hell up, which is, sadly enough, a very popular belief among a significant part of our community,” she said, adding, “So while it was fairly neutral as far as statements go, it still crossed the line that a good number of people think players should never dare cross. ” But no athlete lately has caused more commotion than Kaepernick. Kaepernick first caused an uproar when he was spotted sitting during the national anthem before a 49ers preseason game last month and told NFL. com that he had done so because he was not going “to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. ” Kaepernick, who was born to a white mother and a black father and was adopted, met fierce criticism from people inside and outside the league who said he was disrespecting the military. But his protest has inspired other athletes to do the same and his team to contribute $1 million to a foundation to work toward “improving racial and economic inequality and fostering communication and collaboration between law enforcement and the communities they serve” in the Bay Area, according to a statement from the 49ers’ chief executive, Jed York. Before Monday night’s game between the 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, Kaepernick continued his protest by kneeling with a teammate during the national anthem. Two of his teammates, along with two players on the Rams, raised their fists during the anthem. Although he had been relegated to a backup role entering the 49ers’ season opener Monday night, Kaepernick’s jersey has become the league’s top seller. He has vowed to donate his cut of the sales to organizations that further the cause of ending police brutality. | 1 |
SAN FRANCISCO — For years, one of the main grievances among Twitter users has been the ability of anonymous trolls to send abusive comments to other people on the service. But on Tuesday, Twitter barred one of the most egregious and consistent offenders of its terms of service, Milo Yiannopoulos, in an attempt to show that it is cracking down on abuse. The ban against Mr. Yiannopoulos, a technology editor at the conservative news site Breitbart and known by his Twitter handle, @Nero, follows a campaign of prolonged abuse against Leslie Jones, a comedian and of the recently released “Ghostbusters” movie. The film and its stars have come under fire from various parts of the internet for months, after it was first revealed that the reboot of the 1984 film would feature an cast. Ms. Jones in particular has borne the brunt of the online abuse in recent days, especially since the release of “Ghostbusters” in the United States on Friday. Hundreds of anonymous Twitter commenters hurled racist and sexist remarks at the star’s Twitter account, rallied and directed by Mr. Yiannopoulos this week. The news media picked up on the abuse after Ms. Jones began retweeting screenshots of the litany of comments sent to her over the past few days. On Monday evening, Ms. Jones quit using Twitter with a final message of exasperation after days of abuse. “I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart,” Ms. Jones tweeted. “All this cause I did a movie. ” In a statement, a Twitter spokesman said: “People should be able to express diverse opinions and beliefs on Twitter. But no one deserves to be subjected to targeted abuse online, and our rules prohibit inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others. ” Twitter did not comment directly on Mr. Yiannopoulos’s account or actions of the past 48 hours, but the spokesman said over that period, “We’ve seen an uptick in the number of accounts violating these policies and have taken enforcement actions against these accounts, ranging from warnings that also require the deletion of tweets violating our policies to permanent suspension. ” In a brief interview on Tuesday evening, Mr. Yiannopoulos said, “This is the beginning of the end for Twitter. ” “Some people are going to find this perfectly acceptable,” he said. “Anyone who believes in free speech or is a conservative certainly will not. ” The move stops short of providing Twitter’s users with effective tools to combat trolls and abuse on a much larger scale, an issue that celebrities and everyday users alike deal with on a regular basis. In the past, Twitter, the San social media company, has faced criticism for its handling of the GamerGate controversy, as women in the gaming community were increasingly harassed on Twitter — often to the point of receiving death threats — in the wake of a dispute in the online gaming community. Twitter has said that dealing with abuse and “trust and safety” issues is one of its top priorities, though it has not detailed how it will handle the issues in the future. “We know many people believe we have not done enough to curb this type of behavior on Twitter,” the company said in a statement. “We agree. ” Twitter said it is investing in improving its tools and enforcement systems, and is in the process of reviewing its hateful conduct policies “to prohibit additional types of abusive behavior and allow more types of reporting, with the goal of reducing the burden on the person being targeted,” according to a statement. Twitter said it expected to detail more of that in the coming weeks. | 0 |
9 Shares
8 0 0 1
[ Note: Here "Liberalism" (capitalized) refers to an approach to just governance based on equality and liberty. Within that broader, philosophical ideology there are narrower, political ideologies ranging from libertarianism, to conservatism, to liberalism (lower case), to democratic socialism. Mutual respect beats all of them, separately or together. ]
We humans are by nature social beings. We live together in organized groups. (Let's call our groups, regardless of size, from hamlets to nation-states, "communities.")
Ants and bees are social insects. They, too, live in organized groups.
Ants and bees do not have the capacity to decide what the organization of their groups will be. We do.
In fact, we humans have no choice but to decide how a community will be organized, which largely determines how it will function. So, governance is an unavoidable issue for us.
Not to be a spoiler, but the case for using mutual respect for governing governance ends with maximum practical liberty, reinforced political democracy, and a market-based economy. For the citizens of communities with those forms of social organization already in place, the only noticeable changes in their lives would be the elimination of unemployment, poverty, taxation, and public debt—well, those things plus passively helping with environmental sustainability.
[Curious readers uninterested in slogging through a philosophical tract can go directly to www.ajustsolution.com (Page: real justice /economics).]
Two ubiquitous processes of human communities
Every human community will always have an economy and a political process. The economy is the process of producing and exchanging goods and services. The political process is the process of effecting choices for the community as a whole. [By "effecting choices" I mean choosing among perceived alternatives and taking action to bring that choice to fruition.]
Choosing how the community's economy will be organized is one of the tasks for the political process. (To go with economic laissez faire is to effect a choice.) Choosing how the community's political process will be organized is itself a choice to be effected for the community as a whole.
Organizing principle
The structure and overall functioning of the political process is determined by an organizing principle. That principle can be implicit or explicit, secular or religious, consciously derived or a matter of happenstance. For every human community, though, there is always an organizing principle at work.
History teaches us that there is a 'default value' for the organizing principle of communities. That is to say, there is one organizing principle that will be used if no other one is chosen in its stead. In the absence of any other, the organizing principle of human communities will be 'rule by the most ruthless'.
Understandably, people have sought other organizing principles. The Modern era is defined, socially, by the attempt to use some secular conception of justice as an organizing principle for society. In doing that ideology was invented.
[Karl Marx, whose work has been hugely influential in this era, denied that a principle of justice was at work in his "scientific" account of the 'inevitable' development of human society ("dialectical materialism"), but his work definitely had a moral content. Otherwise, there can be nothing wrong with "exploitation," even to the point of slavery. To apply any conception of morality to governance can be said to be an attempt at justice.]
Enter Locke... John Locke
The most influential account of justice in the Modern era is that of John Locke. In Two Treatises of Government , published in 1689 in England, he made equality and liberty the basis of justice. Every Western philosopher since him has been required to endorse or refute equality and liberty.
Equality was the topic of the first of Locke's treatises. Though the thrust of his philosophy was to make governance more secular and less dependent on religion (ideological as opposed to theological), for him equality came from the Bible. In that treatise of his a fundamental moral equality among men is an underlying condition that must be upheld for there to be justice in the governance of a community.
[A claim of moral equality can be purely secular, but in the England of Locke's time that was no more likely than claiming equality for women was. Also, in that time and place, as among so many others, the topic of governance left women out or treated them as property.]
In Locke's second treatise he made a case for liberty as the predicate of justice. He used two accounts of liberty to make that case.
First, Locke asserted that liberty is a 'Natural Right'. He did not invent the idea of Natural Rights. Like so many ideas in Western culture, it can be traced back to the ancient Greeks. It was also discussed by scholars of the medieval Catholic Church—as grants of a kind ordained by God within the 'Natural Law', i.e. the law 'written on the hearts of men' by the Lord.
The idea of 'rights' was already deeply ingrained in the people populating the British Iles in Locke's time. Natural Rights is one formulation of the idea that there are certain Rights to which all people are entitled merely by virtue of being human (dropping the genderism). Locke said that the Natural Rights are life, liberty, and property. For people who believe in Natural Rights—or any other form of a priori Rights—for any of those Rights to be arbitrarily violated is on the face of it an injustice.
In Locke's other account of liberty as the predicate of justice he started by defining injustice as being "subject to the arbitrary will" of another person. Thus, freedom from the arbitrary will of any other person is justice. To be free of the arbitrary will of any other person is obviously at the same time to enjoy liberty. Locke therefore concluded with perfect logic that justice is liberty.
The problem Locke left us
There are all kinds of problems with liberty as the predicate of justice. On the face of it, can people running around doing whatever they want really be relied upon to result in just outcomes?
If justice is liberty, the answer has to be that whatever results from people doing whatever they want is just. Outcomes are beside the point. To see what that would look like, as my good friend who is a doctor is fond of saying, watch any episode of the T.V. show Deadwood . For my money, that show portrays a rather benign version of a community with unconstrained liberty as its organizing principle.
For Locke, the Natural Rights of life and property trump liberty of that kind. Everyone's liberty is constrained by those Rights. Yet, liberty itself is also a Right. Bertrand Russell said that Locke was a "successful" philosopher because every time he saw a contradiction looming he simply changed the subject.
When constraints are put on liberty to achieve justice, then those constraints become the real determiners of justice. In that case, outcomes do enter into the evaluation of justice. Liberty becomes one possible "social good" (from John Rawls) among others.
Setting aside more philosophical complaints and the chances for violent mayhem ending in rule by the most ruthless, focusing on rights, especially Rights, begets a self-centered approach to life. It's all about ' my right' to do this, have that, etc.
Rights are the basis of governance in the U.S. I blame that approach to governance for the incivility and the loathing to take other people into account that in my observation pervade this nation these days.
Turning to mutual respect
Don't get me wrong. I love liberty. I very much doubt anyone could love it more than I do.
There is a better way, however, to achieve liberty. That way is mutual respect. As a practical matter, mutual respect would maximize the liberty that co-existing people can enjoy simultaneously. "Practical" liberty is (as opposed to some idealized, hypothetical concept) 'real liberty', the liberty we experience in our day-to-day lives.
At bottom, "respect" in this context simply means taking other people into account. As an ethic it can operate on the personal level, in business, for the structure and overall functioning of the economy, and for the political process itself.
[Readers should note that having the economy be passively governed by mutual respect would relieve it of being actively governed, as it is at present, by government and a quasi-governmental central bank.]
Mutual respect has a history in Western philosophy, too. It is present in the moral philosophies of both Immanuel Kant and G.W.F. Hegel (ranked one and two, in one order or the other, on most people's lists of 'greatest Modern philosophers'). It is also present in utilitarianism.
For that matter, any philosophy that includes, explicitly or implicitly, a belief in human equality includes a presumption of mutual respect. Adopting mutual respect for governing governance does not depend on that or any other belief, but a belief in equality does bring a requirement of mutual respect with it.
Back to Locke for mutual respect
The mutual respect implicit in a belief in equality is manifested in Locke's thought as equal respect for people's Natural Rights. When Locke used a dialectical argument to make liberty the predicate of justice he was standing right in front of mutual respect, but was facing the wrong way, as it were.
Recall that he defined injustice as being subject to the arbitrary of any other person. The opposite of being in that condition is justice. Since the opposite of being subject to the arbitrary will of anyone else is at the same time being at liberty, Locke surmised that justice is liberty.
On the other hand, there is a conclusion to be reached from Locke's starting point that is every bit as logical as the one Locke made. Philosophically, this conclusion beats his because it is more immediate, it raises no contradictions, and it does not result in a predicate of justice that itself must be constrained to prevent rule by the most ruthless. Practically, unlike equality per se and unconstrained liberty, taking this route to justice can efficaciously achieve just governance of both the economy and the political process while maximizing liberty.
[The most focused readers will have noticed that Locke's definition of injustice must itself be substantiated, but we can leave that for another day. Besides, I've never seen it disputed except, indirectly, by Frederick Nietzsche and Ayn Rand in their hyper-romantic mode.]
Here it is: if injustice is being subject to the arbitrary will of any other person, then justice requires that everyone refrain from subjecting any other person to one's own arbitrary will.
When people are doing that, justice is the result. No constraints on such behavior are needed.
To refrain from arbitrarily subjecting other people to one's will is to take other people into account. To take other people into account is to respect them. So, most simply the predicate of justice is mutual respect.
Closing
As I said at the beginning of this little essay, using mutual respect to govern governance would maximize practical liberty, reinforce political democracy, and retain the definitive institutions of the market-based economy. Applying it to the economy would allow us to eliminate unemployment, poverty, taxes, and public debt while passively enhancing our chances for environmental sustainability. It would also provide a universal ethic to govern personal interactions and the conduct of business.
How all of that follows from recognizing mutual respect as the predicate of justice is not all that difficult or complicated, but it is more than can be addressed in one essay. Much, much more is available for consideration at www.ajustsolution.com . | 1 |
Toni Airaksinen, College Fix, November 4, 2016
{snip}
The Rutgers University student who hosted anti-feminist provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos for his first U.S. college event says the student newspaper fired him Monday because of his conservative views.
Aviv Khavich published his final column for The Daily Targum Sunday night, arguing that immigration enforcement is not “anti-immigrant.”
He spoke as an immigrant himself, born in Israel after his Ashkenazi Jewish parents fled Belarus in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse.
But the trigger for the firing may have been Khavich’s demand that his column include the phrase “illegal aliens” to describe those in the country illegally.
It was the final straw for the Daily’s editor, who said Khavich repeatedly fought over “stylistic” editing changes to his columns over the past several months.
{snip}
But two of his last three [columns] were about immigration. Khavich opposes accepting Syrian refugees into America as a security threat, and his final column Sunday said flatly: “Justice is mass deportation. Justice is respecting my [legal immigrant] family and millions of others like us.”
Khavich told The College Fix in a phone interview that “every instance of ‘illegal alien’ I wrote was changed to ‘undocumented immigrant’” by his editors. “But I considered it a part of my opinion to not use” the latter term, which he finds “politically correct and also inaccurate.”
When Khavich complained to his editor about the edited draft, she said the “illegal” edit came from the top: Editor in Chief Dan Corey wanted the column to follow Associated Press Style.
The AP Stylebook was revised three years ago to disapprove of using “illegal” to describe a person, as opposed to an action, after having affirmed “illegal immigrant” just a year earlier .
But AP Style also frowns upon “undocumented”–the term used in Khavich’s published column–because the term is “not precise.” Khavich notes that federal law uses the term “alien.”
His editor was “not happy” after being confronted, Khavich said, and he was fired the next day.
{snip}
“At the slightest questioning of their ‘unbiased editing,’ they jump at the excuse to rid themselves of someone who has been challenging their narrative,” he wrote in The Tab.
“I was writing articles that very strongly challenged narratives,” he told The Fix. “I am sure that it was a termination was based on political bias.” | 0 |
WASHINGTON — The tactics were more dramatic, a siege by House Democrats. The words were more urgent, as Senators debated a compromise offered by a Republican. But by day’s end on Thursday, Congress was in the same place: a fierce stalemate over the nation’s gun laws, even with the additional pressure from the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. In the Senate, a bipartisan proposal drafted by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, won a majority of 52 votes in support — including the backing of seven other Republicans and 44 Democrats. But the measure fell short of the 60 votes needed to overcome procedural obstacles and was set aside, with no chance of passage soon. “Eventually we’ll find a compromise because the need is too real,” said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, who supported the Collins measure. But Mr. Graham said that another terrorist attack might have to occur before Congress was spurred to action or, he said, lawmakers might need to get an earful from their constituents. “The only way this movie ends is for people to calm down, go home, chill out and get beat up a little bit,” Mr. Graham said. “I am going to get beat up a little bit. I am going to get praised a little bit. And then we’ll come back and realize we have to do something about this. ” The measure proposed by Ms. Collins would block gun sales to terror suspects on the government’s list or on the selectee list of individuals who are subjected to heightened screening before they are allowed to board a plane. It was far more narrow than proposals broadly favored by Democrats that focused on the much larger terror screening database, but it also put a far lighter burden on law enforcement officials seeking to block a gun sale than a measure put forward by Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican. Ms. Collins said she was encouraged by the outcome. “I am very pleased with the strong vote that we received today,” she said. “It’s a sign that the Senate is serious about passing provisions. ” Others were less optimistic. “It is absolutely not dead,” said Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Democrat of North Dakota, who was a main partner with Ms. Collins in drafting the proposal and selling it to Democrats. But asked if the measure was still alive, Ms. Heitkamp seemed less certain. “Well, we’ll see,” she said. In the House, Democrats on Thursday ended their — a protest Speaker Paul D. Ryan called a stunt that undermined the basic institutions of government. “One of the things that makes our country strong is our institutions,” Mr. Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin, said at a news conference as Democrats continued to lay siege to the House chamber. “No matter how bad things get in this country, we have a basic structure that ensures a functioning democracy. We can disagree on policy, but we do so within the bounds of order and respect for the system. Otherwise, it all falls apart. ” Mr. Ryan said he was “not going to allow stunts like this to stop us from carrying out the people’s business. ” He added, “This is about a publicity stunt and now a scheme. ” But Democrats countered that they had effectively drawn attention to the gun issue and created momentum that would ultimately lead to legislation. “The American people are with us, and people around the world are with us,” Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia and one of the leaders of the protest, said. Indeed, Democrats had amassed a large audience by using social media, primarily Twitter’s Periscope feature, to broadcast their after the official television coverage of proceedings ceased because the House was not formally in session. It was a strategy that was at once effective in gaining an audience while also being an affront to House rules. But on legislative business, Mr. Ryan prevailed. He reclaimed control of the House, pounding his gavel and muscling through a major appropriations bill that included funding for combating the Zika virus. He and the Republicans, who hold the majority, then declared the House adjourned with no votes until after the Fourth of July holiday. Democrats still gave speeches all through the night. And they said they would continue to press their case throughout the recess for votes to tighten the nation’s gun control laws. “We will not rest,” the Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, said in a speech that began at 7 a. m. With barely a dozen colleagues gathered around her, looking like bedraggled travelers who had spent the night in a bus station, Ms. Pelosi politely rebuffed an officer who asked if Democrats might clear the chamber for a daily security sweep. “We’re not going to be able to do that,” she replied. By pushing through the appropriations bill on a largely vote without any debate, Mr. Ryan had to abandon his commitment to regular order in the House. It was a step that he said he had taken with absolutely no remorse, given the Democrats’ efforts at obstruction. “Not in the least,” Mr. Ryan said when asked if he had backed away from his promise to maintain order. “What we’ve learned is that Democrats are not interested in advancing the process. They are interested in stopping the process. Our members want Congress to function. ” He added: “When the Democrats are trying to stop Congress from doing anything, that is not an open process. That is a no process. That is a halting process. ” In fact, Democrats had expressly sought an opportunity to debate the bill before Mr. Ryan pushed it through. Representative Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, voiced surprise that Mr. Ryan had not offered the usual equal time for debate. “I don’t see any time for debate, which kind of surprises me,” Mr. McGovern said. “We’re locked out of everything,” he said, adding, “This is a lousy process, Mr. Speaker. ” The appropriations measure including the money for Zika is almost certain to fail in the Senate. Democrats said the bill had been loaded with provisions they would never accept because they would result in millions of dollars in cuts in other health care spending. The Obama administration also reacted negatively to the legislation, which was the product of negotiations between House and Senate Republicans with no substantial input from Democrats. Democrats have repeatedly accused Republicans of siding with the National Rifle Association rather than with the victims of gun violence. And Democrats picked up a new slogan, saying that the N. R. A. stands for “No Republican Action. ” | 1 |
Members of a Muslim organisation praised by the Prime Minister have been found to have made numerous and homophobic comments on social media. [The charity Odara is believed to have received over £150, 000 of taxpayer money via the government’s Prevent program, for the work it does in running workshops for women. The charity prides itself on providing what it calls a ‘safe environment for discussion on issues like domestic violence, mental health and extremism’. But Aysha Iqbal, leader and of Odara, and outreach worker Tasmiyah Bint Naeem were both found by the Daily Mail to have made numerous comments on Facebook of an and homophobic nature. Iqbal posted a series of videos suggesting that Israel was behind mass shootings in America. Posting a video entitled: Israel did Sandy Hook, Newtown CT School Massacres says Michael Harris, she wrote: “Truth be told. ” Bint Naeem shared in her colleague’s belief in conspiracy theories, posting a video which claimed was an “inside job” with the comment “watch and think”. In other posts to the social media platform, she referred to all Israelis as Zionists, a modern trope, as well as commenting “may Allah destroy Zionists. ” And she expressed homophobic views, saying she would not want to “be in the company of those that are gay” adding that she would not “embrace” homosexuality, she said: “Shoot me for my views … don’t care if times have changed. ” Odara was singled out last year by Theresa May, then as Home Secretary, who said she was “proud” to support the group in “working to stand up against the extremists who seek to divide us”. The group was also singled out by Dame Louise Casey in her recent report — which was highly critical of by British Muslim communities — as an organisation providing an example of how Muslim women with poor English language skills are being encouraged to integrate. Yet sources from two groups who have considered working with Odara told the Mail that they had last year decided against it thanks to the group’s “homophobic and views”. When asked for comment, Iqbal said the posts were from 2013, before she began working on matters. She claimed the comments had been “tongue in cheek” but that she now realised how ‘inappropriate and offensive it appeared without the context’. She added that Bint Naeem had stopped working for Odara last month. Bint Naeem said: “I want to make it very clear I am not homophobic or . What has been picked up on are online profile statuses from a long time ago — since then I have developed personally and professionally and reject any of the views in question. ” Birmingham Labour MP Khalid Mahmood said: “Again this is an example of how the Home Office has been duped into supporting, recommending and funding organisations that spring up from nowhere. “It is wrong that such groups are receiving Government money without first understanding what their role is in the community and whether they have any positive track record. ” | 0 |
On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Inside Politics,” CNN Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta stated that in the last three news conferences President Trump has done “all of the questions to the American news media have been handled by conservative press,” and “there’s no other way to describe it but, the fix is in. ” Acosta said, “[I]n the last three news conferences, Wolf, all of the questions to the American news media have been handled by conservative press, and I think, Wolf, there’s no other way to describe it but, the fix is in. This White House, this president, does not want to answer questions, critical questions, about his associates, his aides’ contacts with the Russians during the course of that campaign, just as his national security adviser is being run out of this White House on a rail. And so, I think that this only, you know — they may think that this is being cute, or they think this is strategic in terms of trying to shield the president from questions, but those questions can only be shielded for so long, Wolf. ” ( Mediaite) Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett | 0 |
Share on Facebook Pressure has started to mount on the president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, even before he takes the presidential oath to become the next leader of the country. Edward Snowden is an American computer professional who previously worked as a contractor for the National Security Agency (NSA). Snowden made headlines around the world in 2013, after he copied and leaked classified information from the NSA, belonging to the United States government. His disclosures revealed how the American government had covertly spied on its citizens – and the rest of the world – in the name of so-called national security. These damning revelations exposed the American government, even among its allies. The Department of Justice later unsealed charges against Snowden, forcing him to seek asylum in Russia. Currently, Snowden is living at an undisclosed location in the vast country and has, so far, spent three years in exile. Since the disclosures, privacy activists in the West have pushed for more anti-spying laws. In the United States, for example, Congress has ordered the NSA to end its bulk phone metadata collection program authorized by a particular portion—Section 215—of the Patriot Act. Under the new guidelines from Congress, the NSA may no longer directly collect and hold data about the domestic phone records of American citizens. In 2013, when Snowden made these revelations, the American public, and even people elsewhere in other countries, shared their opinion on the matter. Where some people, especially those in the Obama administration, believed Snowden should be crucified, privacy activists saw Snowden as a hero. At that time, Trump, of course, was preparing to run for the office of president of the United States. He also shared his opinion on the revelations made by Snowden, which had rocked the country to its core. The billionaire said then, that he would bring Snowden back to the United States with an apology, if only he was the president of the country. Below is Trump's Tweet on the matter on June 18, 2013. All I can say is that if I were President, Snowden would have already been returned to the U.S. (by their fastest jet) and with an apology! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 18 Ιουνίου 2013 When Trump tweeted, many mocked him, saying that he would never become the president of the United States. However, now that he has just been elected, some people are holding him to his words, demanding that he immediately bring Snowden back, as he once said. In another tweet, published on April 19, 2016, Trump said Snowden deserves nothing but the death penalty for damaging the country's reputation with his revelations. Snowden also responded by saying he does not fear death, and that he has done nothing wrong, but only provided help to the people around the world. Before the elections, Trump was accused by Democrats – and even some Republicans – of having ties to the Russian government. Hillary Clinton alleged that the Kremlin, led by President Vladimir Putin, was trying to rig the election in favor of Trump. The concern here is that if it is true, that Trump indeed has links with the Russians, then he might possibly negotiate for the return of Snowden. Of course, Trump cannot order for the execution of Snowden, but he can certainly put him in jail. Snowden himself seems to have preferred Trump over Clinton, during the election. He tweeted before the election that the election was between Trump and Goldman Sachs, referring Goldman Sachs to Clinton. 2016: a choice between Donald Trump and Goldman Sachs. — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) 28 Φεβρουαρίου 2016 For activists, Trump can turn things around by pardoning Snowden . Apart from Snowden, there are also calls for Trump to intervene and free Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange. WikiLeaks has said President Obama has a politically pivitol moment to pardon Manning and Snowden, and if not, he hands Trump a presidency with the freedom to take his prize. Assange and his WikiLeaks organization have come under heavy scrutiny from the Democratic Party for helping Trump to win the election. WikiLeaks published many hacked emails of the party, revealing corruption and malpractices in favor of Clinton getting the nomination of the party. This unhinged the unity of the party, and may have contributed to the voters' choice of the presidential candidates. Related: | 1 |
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A postgame professional football locker room is a primal cave. Massive and bruised men dress and move slowly, their bodies lost to ache. I noticed a curiously ebullient man, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Eli Harold, and wandered over to hear what he had to say. His team had just recorded a dominating victory on Monday night over the Los Angeles Rams in a dull, prolonged nap of a game. But he talked instead of listening last week to ESPN as Trent Dilfer, a yakker and retired quarterback, opined that Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers’ backup quarterback, should remain quiet and stop taking a knee during the national anthem as his way of protesting racial injustice and police brutality. Such actions, Dilfer said, threatened to rip the 49ers apart. Harold shook his head in disbelief. Earlier, during the anthem, he and another teammate, Antoine Bethea, had raised clenched fists in support of Kaepernick. “Dilfer’s comments took me over the edge,” Harold said. “First of all, how do you know?” He added, “If a guy wants to stand up and believe in something, you shouldn’t shoot him down and talk down on him and say he put himself above the team when that wasn’t the issue. ” I had landed in the Bay Area hours before this game, curious to hear what 49ers fans made of Kaepernick, a son whose skills may be eroding but whose political voice is finding flower. Their answers offered a welter of anger and joy, and ambivalence brimming over. But it was most intriguing to stand in that locker room and listen as young men, most often celebrated for their ability to conduct feats of savage excellence, searched for the words to express their nascent political consciousness. Last year, we in New York had a chance to listen and watch as Carmelo Anthony, a basketball star in the middle age of his career, embraced the struggles of Baltimore, his wounded hometown, and the battle for gun control. Here in Santa Clara, Kaepernick has undergone a similar metamorphosis, speaking and donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity. He came out of the shower Monday night and slipped a shirt over his lithe and tattooed torso. He stood in the locker room, his hair in neat cornrows, as reporters surrounded him, a bristling thorn bush of microphones and cameras and recorders. Calmly, he answered question after question. Are you proud of your role in stirring players around the N. F. L. — several knelt or raised fists Sunday during the various anthems — to take a role in protesting police brutality? He shook his head. He is a new emigrant to this land of political activism, and he refuses to take on airs. “No, no,” he said. “This movement wasn’t for me. As I’ve researched these things, as I’ve seen more and more, it’s not right. ” He spoke of social media and its immediacy, and how it put so many deaths of black people at the hands of the police so insistently in his face. “You see things instantly, day after day, and it’s hard,” he told us. “For me, I couldn’t see another hashtag Sandra Bland, hashtag Tamir Rice, hashtag Walter Scott. ” His eyes narrowed. “At what point do we take a stand?” Kaepernick’s question tugs at his team’s fans no less than its players. Their reaction to Kaepernick broke along often uncomprehending lines of race. White fans spoke, often with genuine empathy, of Kaepernick’s right to speak. But few approved of his actions. They spoke of cops who are friends, or relatives in the military, or they said they sympathized with the same. Cody and Shiloh Oden, two bearded, brothers, walked toward the stadium wearing red jerseys emblazoned with the names of former 49ers: Frank Gore and Jerry Rice. They came from Nevada, where Kaepernick had a celebrated college career. “It’s tough, we loved him,” Cody said. “I really appreciate that he’s put up his own money, maybe a million dollars, for his cause. But the anthem, it’s not the right place to use his voice. ” Several white fans asked if I realized Kaepernick, who is biracial, was raised by white parents who adopted him. When I asked why that was significant, our conversations trailed away. Their assumption seemed to be that if he was raised by whites, he must know that they meant well. I put the question of Kaepernick to two black men. They sounded a touch uneasy with Kaepernick’s activism they had relatives and friends in the military. But they harbored no doubt as to his right, and even to the necessity, of speaking up. “People say he’s disrespecting the soldiers,” Dominic Sims said. “But by speaking up, he’s doing what those soldiers fought to protect. ” Sitting, or kneeling, as the case may be, during the national anthem is a means of protest. Long ago, as a high school student during the last years of the Vietnam War, I sometimes remained seated during the anthem at Shea Stadium, and unhappy fans sometimes gave me a shower. Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, was born to fabulous comfort as a young prince he oversaw his father’s real estate empire, which was reliably accused of discriminating against black potential tenants. White racist nationalists are among those who have flocked to his campaign banner, and Trump’s campaign has retweeted some of their messages and symbols. Kaepernick has not hesitated to take on Trump, recently calling him “openly racist. ” (He has also criticized Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, referring to comments she made in the 1990s for which she has since apologized. “You have Hillary,” he said, “who has called black kids, or black teens, ‘superpredators. ’”) Trump replied by administering his own rhetorical of Kaepernick, saying he found something “very sad” about Kaepernick’s protest. “I think it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said on a Seattle radio station. “And you know, maybe he should find a country that works better for him. Let him try. ” This is the state of our land in 2016. Maybe the final words on action and silence should be left to Kaepernick. Reporters asked him what he made of the former quarterback Dilfer’s insistence that as a backup quarterback he should remain in the shadows. Kaepernick, who kept a courtly aspect during the interview, flared for the first time. “That’s one of the most ridiculous comments I’ve heard,” he said. “To me, you’re telling me that my position and being quiet is more important than people’s lives. I would ask him to have conversations with the families of people who have been murdered and see if he still feels that way. ” That was the sound of a young man who has found his voice. | 1 |
FRESNO, Calif. — The wrinkled leading ladies of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey circus, wearing sequined headpieces and holding each other’s tails, performed their last routine in May. It was the end of an era: laws had finally made elephants, the symbol of the American circus, economically unviable as traveling entertainment. Traditionalists were sad. Activists were happy. And Feld Entertainment, which owns Ringling, was left to reinvent one of the hoariest forms of family amusement — a corporate act if there ever was one, as the Feld family learned the hard way in a disastrous 2006 modernization attempt. The new Ringling show, “Out of This World,” produced by Alana Feld, 36, will have its premiere on Thursday in Los Angeles. But it first stopped in this dusty Central Valley city for a test run. Would new elements — an ice floor, an elaborate narrative, a smartphone app — make audiences forget to miss the elephants? Or would the Greatest Show on Earth prove a little less grand without its prancing pachyderms? Judging from the zealous applause during a performance on Saturday and interviews with patrons afterward, Ms. Feld’s vision has its fans. “It didn’t feel like the same old circus that comes every year, and we really liked that,” Amber Ford, 28, said as she left the Selland Arena with her son, Braden, and her mother, Esther Adams. A reporter baited her: Did she find anything missing — something strongly associated with the circus experience, perhaps? “Yes,” Ms. Ford said, emphatically. “There were no acrobats on trampolines. ” The show does, indeed, go on. Work on “Out of This World” began roughly two years ago, long before Feld Entertainment announced in March 2015 that it would phase out elephants nationwide because so many cities (Los Angeles among them) had banned the use of related training equipment. “We saw this as an opportunity to evolve the Ringling Brothers brand,” Ms. Feld said in an interview. “We have always changed our show, adding new themes and bringing in new performers. But this was about doing something drastic. ” She quickly added that the company paid attention “to the tradition of circus, which is about seeing these incredible humans and animals coming together to show audiences what’s possible. ” Modernization efforts are never easy, especially when the product being updated relies on nostalgia for a great deal of its appeal. Ringling’s customers tend to be parents wanting to pass along a rite from their own childhoods — the smell of the sawdust, the drippy snow cone, the booming voice of the ringmaster. Too much change too fast could upend a form of live entertainment that remains an enormous draw, particularly among families. About 10 million people go to a Ringling circus each year. Feld Entertainment, which also produces Disney on Ice, Disney Live and Monster Jam arena shows, knows this tightrope all too well. In 2006, Ms. Feld’s older sister tried a circus update that eliminated the model, added giant video screens and vanquished the tiger tamer and other classic acts. Audiences and critics recoiled, and Ringling quickly backtracked. Perhaps learning from that mistake, “Out of This World” relies on circus acts (clowns having a snowball fight, a trainer kissing a leopard on the lips) while layering on a story line, adding the element of ice and speeding up the pacing. The show begins quietly. There is no ringmaster shouting “Ladies and gentlemen! Children of all ages!” Instead, the darkened arena is made to look like outer space using video of stars and constellations that is projected on the ice and the arena walls. An eerie soundtrack plays as fake fog envelops a contraption in the center ring that slowly spins like a satellite. Aerialists dressed as astronauts (white suits, bubble helmets) soon perform a series of balancing tricks on it. Then comes a opening that sets up the tale: Tatiana, an evil galactic queen, has kidnapped the circus stars and hidden them on fictional planets, requiring the ringmaster and others to race against time to find them. Fireworks pop and comets streak across video screens. Out race nine clowns, 16 ice skaters, 12 stunt riders on horseback, 10 unicyclists and a motorcycle among other performers, including a dwarf. And that’s just the humans. “Out of This World” includes about 80 animals, such as lions, tigers, dogs, pigs and a kangaroo. (Some acts were stronger than others in the Fresno trial run. While the snarling tigers held the audience rapt, a performance by donkeys — they hopped over sedentary llamas — lacked a ? theatricality.) The show, which requires 56 railroad cars to transport, incorporates technology in new ways. A free app has features like push notifications designed to engage the audience before the show and during intermission. Toy swords, telescopes and blasters sold in the arena aisles and corridors before show time change colors during the performance, based on the story line. (Everything turns green, for instance, when Queen Tatiana emerges.) Sensors that create computerized spotlight effects are sewn into costumes, in particular those worn by stunt skaters from China, who zoom across the ice on stilts. “Nothing can replace the elephants,” Ms. Feld said. “This wasn’t about trying. This was about creating a new genre of circus, with acts seamlessly transitioning from floor to air to ice. ” And if anyone misses the elephants, which first joined the circus in 1882 when P. T. Barnum added one named Jumbo to his lineup, there is always the concession stand. Feld sells $16 snow cones in plastic cups shaped like elephants. They sit on yellow, red and blue drums with their trunks and front feet held gamely in the air. The hinged head tilts back to reveal pineapple, cherry and ice. Slurp. | 1 |
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the .) Good evening. Here’s the latest. 1. Donald J. Trump has yet to hold a news conference, but he released what aides said should suffice for now: an YouTube video in which he asserted that his transition was going “very smoothly, efficiently and effectively. ” He outlined his top priorities for his first day in office, including beginning the process of withdrawing from the the Partnership trade deal and revoking President Obama’s environmental regulations on the production of coal and natural gas. Here is the latest on the transition and what he hopes to accomplish in his first 100 days. ____ 2. The right wing’s extremist fringe, the is exulting in Mr. Trump’s victory. At a conference in Washington, its leading ideologue railed against Jews, quoted Nazi propaganda in German and celebrated Mr. Trump’s election. He saw it as a sign that white people were “awakening to their own identity,” and said that now it’s up to the to formulate policies “that have a realistic chance of being implemented. ” A spokeswoman for Mr. Trump said the disapproved of all hate groups. ____ 3. The depth of one of the factors that played into the election is still emerging: the role of fake news. Some of it is produced from people seeking to make money off advertising. But false stories can also build off misinformed social media posts. We look at how one mistaken tweet — by a man with just 40 followers — exploded through the hyperpartisan blogosphere. ____ 4. Law enforcement officials in North Dakota used firehoses in weather against protesters fighting the Dakota Access pipeline. The local sheriff’s office defended its actions, accusing encamped Native Americans and environmental activists of conducting an “ongoing riot” and setting fires. ____ 5. The fallout from revelations of Russia’s doping program is rewriting the record books for the Beijing and London Summer Olympics. The retesting of stored urine samples for specific banned substances has incriminated at least 40 medal winners, the majority from Russia and other Eastern European countries. Medals from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are also likely to be called into question. ____ 6. Jurgen Klinsmann was fired as coach of the U. S. national men’s soccer team, less than a week after a humiliating defeat that damaged the team’s chances of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. U. S. Soccer did not immediately announce a replacement. ____ 7. Pope Francis extended local priests’ authority to grant forgiveness for the “grave sin” of abortion, making permanent the power he gave them on a temporary basis last year. “There is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart,” he wrote. ____ 8. The largest and most authoritative study of dementia rates confirmed that its prevalence is dropping. That is remarkably good news, as an estimated four million to five million Americans develop dementia every year, and it’s very expensive to treat. Researchers will now try to solve the finding’s many mysteries, like why people who are overweight or obese have a 30 percent lower risk. Above, a brain scan showing signs of Alzheimer’s. ____ 9. More than five years into Syria’s chaotic civil war, the capital city, Damascus, is relatively undamaged and functioning, bustling with commuters, markets and restaurants. But the war has warped the city. On a recent visit, our correspondent recorded short video clips, where you can sometimes hear airstrikes on suburbs, and people fear random shells falling. ____ 10. More than 600 people signed up for a yoga class with baby goats on an Oregon farm. “They wander around with their collars and name tags, looking for affection, or a bit of grassy kibble (like many yogis, they are vegetarians) and seem entirely unfazed by the sight of 20 or so people posing in dog,” our correspondent reported after taking a class. ____ 11. Finally, should you quit social media to benefit your career? That’s the advice of a Georgetown professor who says it’s a distraction and harms our ability to concentrate. ”If you’re serious about making an impact in the world,” he says, “power down your smartphone, close your browser tabs, roll up your sleeves and get to work. ” ____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p. m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a. m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a. m. Sundays. Want to look back? Here’s Friday’s briefing. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes. com. | 1 |
Click Here To Learn More About Alexandra's Personalized Essences Psychic Protection Click Here for More Information on Psychic Protection! Implant Removal Series Click here to listen to the IRP and SA/DNA Process Read The Testimonials Click Here To Read What Others Are Experiencing! Copyright © 2012 by Galactic Connection. All Rights Reserved.
Excerpts may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Alexandra Meadors and www.galacticconnection.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of any material on this website without express and written permission from its author and owner is strictly prohibited. Thank you.
Privacy Policy
By subscribing to GalacticConnection.com you acknowledge that your name and e-mail address will be added to our database. As with all other personal information, only working affiliates of GalacticConnection.com have access to this data. We do not give GalacticConnection.com addresses to outside companies, nor will we ever rent or sell your email address. Any e-mail you send to GalacticConnection.com is completely confidential. Therefore, we will not add your name to our e-mail list without your permission. Continue reading... Galactic Connection 2016 | Design & Development by AA at Superluminal Systems Sign Up forOur Newsletter
Join our newsletter to receive exclusive updates, interviews, discounts, and more. Join Us! | 0 |
During a report on former President Obama’s vacation on Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN Newsroom,” anchor Brooke Baldwin asked, “can we say on TV that President Obama is jacked?” Baldwin said, “I mean, can we say on TV that President Obama is jacked?” Brianna Keilar laughed, and replied, “Well, you just said it. He seems to have had some time perhaps to spend some time in the gym, which he did make a regular habit of that as president. ” ( Caleb Howe) Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett | 0 |
By Gordon Duff, Senior Editor on November 4, 2016 Tabloid owner American Media agreed to pay $150,000 for story from 1998 Playmate of the Year, but hasn’t published her account with Bruce Willis MICHAEL ROTHFELD and LUKAS I. ALPERT
The company that owns the National Enquirer, a backer of Donald Trump , agreed to pay $150,000 to a former Playboy centerfold model for her story of an affair a decade ago with the Republican presidential nominee, but then didn’t publish it, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and people familiar with the matter.
The tabloid-newspaper publisher reached an agreement in early August with Karen McDougal, the 1998 Playmate of the Year. American Media Inc., which owns the Enquirer, hasn’t published anything about what she has told friends was a consensual romantic relationship she had with Mr. Trump in 2006. At the time, Mr. Trump was married to his current wife, Melania.
Quashing stories that way is known in the tabloid world as “catch and kill.” In a written statement, the company said it wasn’t buying Ms. McDougal’s story for $150,000, but rather two years’ worth of her fitness columns and magazine covers as well as exclusive life rights to any relationship she has had with a then-married man. “AMI has not paid people to kill damaging stories about Mr. Trump,” the statement said.
Ms. McDougal expected her story about Mr. Trump to be published, people familiar with the matter said. American Media didn’t intend to run it, said another person familiar with the matter. Ms. McDougal didn’t return calls for comment.
Read more at WSJ Related Posts: Afraid of What? The Woman Who Accused Trump of Raping Her at 13 Just Dropped Her Lawsuit The views expressed herein are the views of the author exclusively and not necessarily the views of VT, VT authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, technicians, or the Veterans Today Network and its assigns. LEGAL NOTICE - COMMENT POLICY Posted by Gordon Duff, Senior Editor on November 4, 2016, With 36 Reads Filed under WarZone . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 . You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. FaceBook Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment Login WHAT'S HOT | 0 |
BOMBSHELL: Hillary Clinton’s Leaked Audio Proves She Rigs Elections Posted on October 30, 2016 by Dawn Parabellum in Politics Share This
Astonishing, newly released leaked audio of Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has just surfaced, and what it reveals is damning. In her own voice, we hear the corrupt Democrat telling reporters that elections can and should be rigged to ensure who wins. This throws the validity of every government on earth in the shredder because she isn’t only talking about rigging American presidential elections.
Since the FBI reopened their investigation into the criminal Democrat and Hillary seeks a powerful position to dictate the lives of others, it’s important to hear this audio. She is blatant when she say elections shouldn’t take place unless we make “sure that we did something to determine who was going to win.”
Hear it from her own mouth:
Hillary clearly said, “I do not think we should have pushed for an election in the Palestinian territories. I think that was a big mistake. And if we were going to push for an election, then we should have made sure that we did something to determine who was going to win. ”
This conversation took place in 2006 during a discussion with Eli Chomsky, an editor and staff writer for the Jewish Press. At the time, Hillary Clinton was running for a “shoo-in re-election” as a U.S. senator.
Her trip, making the rounds of editorial boards, brought her to Brooklyn to meet the editorial board of the Jewish Press. Her conversation was secretly recorded, and the audio hasn’t been released until now.
According to Chomsky, this little audio clip has only been heard by the small handful of Jewish Press staffers in the room. He claims his copy is the only copy and no one has heard it since 2006 — until now. Election rigging Democrat, Hillary Clinton
It proves she is willing to do whatever it takes to win. With massive amounts of voter fraud already being reported in favor of the most criminal and corrupt politician of our time, in combination with this audio, it’s hard to deny that Hillary wouldn’t rig the election to win.
Luckily, Americans are wising up to her disturbing antics. We all saw her cheat during the debates , and the proof came out in leaked emails, thanks to WikiLeaks.
It’s important to hear this, coming directly from Hillary herself, and we can all tell that it is her voice. We all know she’s rigging this election to beat Donald Trump, but she obviously has had her hands in rigged elections before.
It is hard to say how many elections across the globe she has influenced or just stolen. Hillary Clinton will stop at nothing to grab even a small amount of power, and she continues to prove she is as corrupt as they come. | 0 |
In the latest twist in a legal issue that has galvanized musicians, Paul McCartney filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the music publisher over ownership of some of the Beatles’ most famous songs. Mr. McCartney’s suit is over what is known as copyright termination: the right of authors — or any creators — to reclaim ownership of their works from publishers after a specific length of time has passed. It was part of the 1976 copyright act and in recent years has become a potent force in the music industry as performers and songwriters have used the law to regain control of their work. In Mr. McCartney’s suit, filed in United States District Court in Manhattan, lawyers for the singer detailed the steps they have taken over the last nine years to reclaim Mr. McCartney’s piece of the copyrights in dozens of Beatles songs he wrote with John Lennon, including “Love Me Do,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “All You Need Is Love. ” That process involved filing numerous legal notices, which, the suit says, should be enough to guarantee that would return the rights to Mr. McCartney, starting in October 2018. But the suit contends that late last year, after the band Duran Duran lost a copyright suit in Britain, executives at began to suggest to Mr. McCartney’s lawyers that the rule might not apply to his songs. In the Duran Duran case, a judge ruled that the band’s original contract was governed by British law, which barred it from reclaiming rights in the United States. Under United States law, this power cannot be waived by contract. As Mr. McCartney’s suit notes, he and Mr. Lennon signed a series of publishing contracts in Britain beginning in 1962. The suit contends that in a series of remarks and emails to Mr. McCartney’s lawyers, executives alluded to the Duran Duran case and refused to confirm that he could reclaim his rights. The suit asks for a declarative judgment that Mr. McCartney would not be violating any contract by exercising his termination rights. In a statement, said that it had “the highest respect for Sir Paul McCartney” and that it worked closely with Mr. McCartney and the Lennon estate. But the company added, “We are disappointed that they have filed this lawsuit, which we believe is both unnecessary and premature. ” For many musicians, especially those who had hits decades ago, copyright termination has become a powerful means to reclaim their work and to gain financial leverage with the record companies and music publishers that represent them. When Prince’s classic albums were nearing the point at which he could reclaim them, he struck a lucrative new deal with his label, Warner Bros. to let the company continue to release his music. And in the music industry, there is no more valuable catalog than the songs of the Beatles. Michael Jackson purchased the rights to those songs in 1985, and 10 years later he formed as a joint venture with Sony. Last year, Sony bought out the share of Mr. Jackson’s estate for $750 million. In a note referring to a standard legal threshold, Mr. McCartney’s lawsuit includes a major understatement. “The copyright interests at issue in this case,” the suit says, “are worth well in excess of $75, 000. ” | 0 |
YORK, England — Having disclosed his “sin” of masturbation, Mark Stibbe, age 17, was ordered to strip naked and lean over a wooden chair in the garden shed of a lavish Hampshire mansion on the southern coast of England. Then came the first blow from a cane, its impact so ferocious that it sent the boy into a state of paralysis that lasted through at least 30 more strokes that left him collapsed on the floor, blood oozing down his legs. “I remember being so appalled by how vicious the first lash was that I couldn’t scream,” Mr. Stibbe, now 56 and an acclaimed Christian author, recalled on a recent afternoon in his Yorkshire home. “You’re in this tiny shed full of canes with this man. I felt utterly powerless. ” Until that day in the late 1970s, the man he says beat him, John Smyth, was known to Mr. Stibbe and his friends as a charismatic lawyer and influential evangelical Christian leader who regularly attended the Christian forum of their nearby boarding school, Winchester College, the oldest in Britain. Now, Mr. Smyth, 75 and keeping a low profile in South Africa, stands at the center of a widening scandal of sadistic abuse of dozens of boys over three decades that has ensnared the leader of the Anglican Church, the Most Rev. Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, though only peripherally. The accusations against Mr. Smyth, which were first reported in February as part of a Channel 4 news investigation, are the latest in a string of child abuse and sex scandals that have embroiled British institutions in recent months, exposing a long history of denial and . The Hampshire police have begun an investigation into Mr. Smyth’s conduct, and more victims are speaking out in the hope that he will come forth in South Africa and face justice. The most recent account was from the bishop of Guildford, Andrew Watson, who said in a statement that he, too, had received a beating in the infamous garden shed that was “violent, excruciating and shocking. ” Mr. Stibbe said, “The sin that seemed to preoccupy him more than anything was masturbation, and he managed to persuade me that I needed to purge my body of that sin. ” Mr. Smyth would explain to the boys why they needed to be punished so severely. “He quoted from the Bible and told me I had to bleed for Jesus,” said another victim, who attempted suicide on his 21st birthday, after Mr. Smyth promised him “a special kind of beating” for the occasion. “When he was done, he would lean in towards me and put his face on my neck telling me how proud he was of me,” said the man, who asked that his name not be used because of the deeply personal nature of his remarks. The scale and severity of the abuses Mr. Smyth is accused of first surfaced in 1982, after the suicide attempt, which prompted an internal investigation by the Iwerne Trust, a Christian charity headed by Mr. Smyth that ran summer camps. He is said to have used his position at camps to win the trust of the boys he was to abuse. Five of the 13 victims who came forward in 1982 told investigators for the trust that they had received 12 beatings and about 650 strokes. The other eight said they had each been hit about 14, 000 times over a period of years. Some of the victims received up to 100 strokes at a time for masturbating, having indecent thoughts or looking at pornography — beatings that caused some to faint or bleed for up to three weeks, the trust found. The trust’s report concluded that all the cases were technically criminal offenses, and yet none were reported to the police. Instead, Mr. Smyth was removed from the trust in 1984 and sent to Zimbabwe, where he set up similar Christian summer camps for privately educated boys, the South African news media have reported. In 1997, Zimbabwe’s prosecuting attorney arrested Mr. Smyth on a charge of culpable homicide in the death of Guide Nyachuru, a boy who was found dead at the bottom of the swimming pool of one of Mr. Smyth’s camps in Zimbabwe. Mr. Smyth denied any involvement in the drowning, calling it a tragic accident, and a year later all charges against him were dropped. In court documents in the case, he was accused of brutally beating five other boys at the camps there. “He would strip us naked and hit us with wooden bats to purge us of sin,” said one of the victims in Zimbabwe, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal by Mr. Smyth. In 2002, Mr. Smyth moved to South Africa, where new accusations of abuse have surfaced in news outlets in recent weeks. Last month, he was removed from the in Cape Town, where there were claims of inappropriate behavior but not proof of criminal acts, the church said in a statement. In Britain, the claims against Mr. Smyth have struck at the heart of the Church of England after Archbishop Welby acknowledged that he had worked at the elite Christian holiday camps run by the Iwerne Trust where Mr. Smyth groomed the boys. The archbishop promptly issued an “unreserved and unequivocal” apology on behalf of the church, saying it should have done more to investigate the accusations that he said he had not been aware of until 2013. But several of the victims who spoke to The New York Times have accused members of the church and boarding school of covering up the scandal. They said the institutions had wanted to protect their reputation and some of their senior members, who had supported some of Mr. Smyth’s theological interpretations that the victims say led to the practice of violent atonement. The victims, now mostly in their 50s, described a pattern in which Mr. Smyth drew them into what seemed at first to be a warm and welcoming inner circle. They said he would select a small group of the brightest and handsomest teenage boys to join him at his nearby mansion for a traditional Sunday roast beef dinner, complete with roast potatoes, peas and gravy. When the meal was over, he allowed them to play games in his garden and swim in his private pool, creating a family environment that had been absent from the boys’ lives since they had been sent away to boarding school at the age of 7 or 8. He spent the summers befriending them in elite Christian camps, training them in his ultraliteralistic interpretation of the Bible and guiding them toward careers in the military and the church. But once he had won their trust and established a bond that many of them said had been akin to a relationship, the nature of the meetings took a sinister turn. The victims said they had fallen so deeply under Mr. Smyth’s thrall that they hadn’t even dared to talk to one another about the horrors they had been subjected to in the shed. Many of them felt deep shame and said they had been resigned to the culture of abuse, which in their minds was a fact of life in the British education system at the time. None of the victims said they had been sexually assaulted, but one of them said Mr. Smyth had occasionally stripped naked and groaned in “spiritual ecstasy” during the lashings. The Smyth case has led other victims of vicious boarding school thrashings to reveal the abuse they endured. “The church’s reaction has been to paint Smyth like a single incident, but it’s not,” said Giles Fraser, a priest and journalist, who recently wrote a column about the beatings he endured at boarding school. “It’s about a that allows this to happen. This sort of muscular Christianity enforced by theology, education and the cane that dominated the public education system and produced your caricature Englishman — strong, emotionally incapable in some ways, reserved and superior,” he added. “I think the idea that this is just about Smyth is in itself a ” Mr. Fraser said, “and it’s because the church is desperate for people not to say how all of this grows out of theology. ” | 1 |
Gefilte fish, of course. Potato kugel, sure. But sushi? Yes, sushi, which you won’t find in most Jewish cookbooks, let alone the Torah, has become a runaway hit in the city’s Hasidic and other Orthodox Jewish precincts. Orthodox Jews are eating dragon rolls, rainbow rolls, tsunami rolls and California rolls (using imitation crab) in sushi bars like Sushi Meshuga in Brooklyn or in more eclectic kosher restaurants and supermarkets. Weddings and bar mitzvahs aren’t complete without a sushi station, and a sushi platter has become the gift of choice for Hanukkah and Purim, or to congratulate parents who are marrying off a child. Pincus Yoel Freund, a managing partner of the firm that runs a leading sushi distributor, Sushi Maven, estimates that there are over 50 sushi bars in restaurants and grocery stores just in Borough Park, the city’s largest Hasidic neighborhood, with at least another 50 in other parts of Brooklyn like Williamsburg, Crown Heights and Midwood. He says most have cropped up in the past five to 10 years. Rabbi Moshe Elefant, chief operating officer of the kosher division of the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certifier, said 80 to 90 percent of the city’s 100 kosher restaurants now serve sushi. “It used to be that what defined a Jewish community was a synagogue and a kosher butcher,” he said. “Then it was a kosher pizza shop. Now it’s a kosher sushi shop. ” Rabbi Elefant said he recently visited the family of his daughter Malkie in Waterbury, Conn. for a traditional Friday night meal. For appetizers she paired gefilte fish with a platter of sushi that she rolled herself. Those were eaten with gusto, as were the Sabbath standards like chicken soup, roast chicken and potato kugel. (“It’s Friday night, it’s a mitzvah to eat,” Rabbi Elefant said, defending the size of the meal.) The reasons for the sudden explosion are not certain. “I can tell you the when and the what,” Rabbi Elefant said, “but not the why. ” Interviews with sushi customers and purveyors suggest that a major motivation is that sushi offers a relatively quick meal that is pareve — neither meat nor dairy, according to ancient Jewish laws that keep those categories of foods strictly separate. Most Orthodox Jews in New York will not eat a dairy product like ice cream for six hours after eating meat, nor eat a meat product for a after consuming dairy. But fish can be eaten with both meat and dairy, as long as it is a kosher species like tuna, salmon and yellowtail, which meet the biblical requirement in Leviticus 11:9 that consumable aquatic creatures have fins and scales. Eel and catfish do not qualify, and all manner of shellfish are verboten. Its dietary flexibility gives sushi a distinct advantage over such fast foods as hamburger or cheesy pizza. “You can eat it anytime,” Chiya Yosopov, owner of the snug Noribar at the corner of 13th Avenue and 54th Street in Borough Park, said as he scribbled down takeout orders through a telephone headset and from groups of bewigged Hasidic women and bearded Hasidic men with ritual fringes hanging below their shirts. All the while, Tony Zhang, a sushi chef, was expertly slicing those orders. Mealtime at Noribar is a phenomenon to behold. At one table, Diane Weinberger, 18, was wielding wooden chopsticks on a salmon avocado roll and chatting with Leah Heiman, also 18. The friends had decided to take a coffee break from classes at Bnos Yaakov High School and to stop in Noribar for a snack. “You don’t have to be hungry to eat it,” Ms. Weinberger said. “It’s very easy you have your protein, carbohydrates and vegetables all in one. ” Another diner, Elliot Schreiber, a vice president of a travel agency in Borough Park, said his office periodically ordered in a lunch for its staff of about 30, and where once a plate of bagels, lox and cream cheese was the pièce de résistance, now it is a sushi platter. His daughter, Ilana, he said, prefers sushi to pizza and French fries. While the Orthodox have grown more fastidious about making sure the products they consume are rigorously kosher, they also increasingly take notice of foods popular in the wider culture, adapting French, Indian, Italian and steakhouse dishes to kosher specifications. Now it’s sushi. “It takes us time to catch up,” said Rabbi Elefant. According to Elan Kornblum, publisher of the trade magazine Great Kosher Restaurants, three kosher restaurants started offering sushi in the . Others slowly added sushi to their menu, but it took many years to assure that all the ingredients used in sushi meals, like rice paper, wasabi and sesame seeds, could be manufactured in volume to kosher standards, said Mr. Freund, of Sushi Maven. His firm, Freund’s, also operates a traditional fish market and a restaurant. Rabbis are sent to inspect the products and practices of suppliers in distant lands like Vietnam, where Freund’s rice paper originates. So passionate are some connoisseurs for their sushi that on Passover — the holiday when grain products are forbidden and Ashkenazi Jews will not eat rice as well because it is seen as too similar to grains — they will use quinoa, a botanical relative of spinach and beets, to satisfy their craving for salmon and tuna rolls. The varieties of sushi eaten in kosher restaurants are not quite the same as those found elsewhere. Sushi restaurant owners acknowledge that many Orthodox Jews have not quite cottoned to raw salmon, tuna or yellowtail. So the restaurants offer smoked salmon or cooked tuna in various combinations with seasoned rice as well as the raw form. “People are still apprehensive,” said Mr. Kornblum, the publisher. “Raw fish was something we’re not used to. We eat herring, but it’s pickled. But people watch the Food Network and you kind of fantasize, ‘If only I could ever have that. ’” There remains much about sushi to make a kosher Jew uncomfortable. Using the word “crab” on a menu has proved controversial even if the substitute is actually shredded Alaskan pollock. So some restaurants refer to mock crab by the Japanese name, kani. Sushi Meshuga even had to change the name of its Borough Park branch to Sushi Meshuna (which means “strange” in Hebrew) because local rabbis did not like the association of kosher food with the Yiddish word for crazy. “Borough Park politics,” Nathan Etgar, manager of the store on 13th Avenue, said with a cynical chuckle. Some restaurants won’t even use the word dragon for their rolls, even though the dragon is a mythical reptile. That’s because actual reptiles are not kosher. Sushi still has the power to surprise. Sushi Maven has been wholesaling fish and sushi supplies for 10 years, with bags of special rice, boxes of ginger and sesame seeds piled high in its warehouse, all certified by rabbis as kosher. “It’s a business now,” said Moshe Stern, the warehouse manager as he looked over the heaping shelves. “Sushi! Who would have imagined years ago?” | 1 |
Joint Drills Between China, Saudis To ‘Fight Terrorism’ 10/31/2016
SPUTNIK NEWS
China is improving its Special Forces combat capability to protect national interests abroad. Sputnik spoke with Russian experts about the first antiterrorist drills of the Special Forces of China and Saudi Arabia.
The joint drills demonstrating combat skills and tactics took place for two weeks on the ground, in the vicinity of the Chinese city of Chungqing.
The drills came to an end on Thursday and according to reports, 25 members of the Special Forces from each side took part in the exercises. Among the observers were Afghan military experts, who drew attention to the training that was focused on hostage rescue and improvement of overall combat training.
Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Arab East with whom China has held bilateral military exercises.
Expert from the Diplomatic Academy of China, Gao Fei, believes that it is natural for China and Saudi Arabia to have a partnership in this sphere.
“Saudi Arabia is a major regional power and the largest oil-producing country. It competes with Russia for the title of the world’s leading oil producer. In regard to oil reserves, it also holds the first place in the world,” Fei said.
He further said that the country plays an important role in economics, politics and security in the whole region. In short, Saudi Arabia is an influential regional power.
According to Fei, “Last month, China surpassed the US as world’s largest importer of oil. Cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia as an importer and supplier of oil shows mutual benefit and common interests.”
In addition, China is already a major player in the international arena; its diplomacy has its own specifics. It not only gives meaning to its own interests, but also in international affairs takes the role of the responsible power.
The expert further said that in the long term “cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia will contribute to solving existing global problems, form a new world order, help search for consensus on specific issues and contribute to expansion joint interest.”
The choice of Saudi Arabia as China’s partner to conduct anti-terrorist exercises is not surprising, according to an expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, Ajdar Kuratov.
Kuratov said that Saudi Arabia is the main economic partner of China in the Middle East, a region where growth of China’s presence is particularly noticeable.
China’s leadership is likely quite concerned with terrorism against the country and its citizens. Cases such as hostage taking on airplanes and other public places and attacks on public buildings are a big concern for the country. | 0 |
Although Hurricane Sandy hit New York on Oct. 29, 2012, the nightmare that came with it has lasted four years for the Rodriguez family. They, like tens of thousands of others in New York and New Jersey, lost their homes in the disaster. The family of five rode out the storm in the early hours of the morning, parked on a hill between the Brighton Beach and Ocean View neighborhoods of Brooklyn, the water rising six feet high below them. The next day, they returned to their home of 15 years. Passing their front yard, they walked up the steps to the front porch and tried to open the front door. It did not budge at first, blocked by the refrigerator, but they managed to push it open. “And that’s when we saw the disaster,” said Maritza DeJesus, 51, who lived in the home with her partner, Rafael Rodriguez his daughter, Samantha Rodriguez his stepson, Mathew Melave and his stepson’s girlfriend, Itzaira Bernardi. “The refrigerator was in the living room. Sofas were everywhere. They’d floated across the house. Everything was rearranged, flipped upside down and all over the place. It was unrecognizable. ” “We lost everything that day,” Mr. Rodriguez, 48, said. “We had nothing left. And what was left, forget it. It was covered in mold and sewer water. ” Their clothes had absorbed the surge of dirty water like sponges. Water seeped from the bottom of the Sheetrock, past the highest levels of the surge, to the ceiling. Then mold began to grow in thick patches on the walls and furniture. “And the smell,” Mr. Rodriguez said, scrunching his nose. “That was the first week of the nightmare. ” Nearly four years later, the couple are among thousands who are still displaced after Hurricane Sandy, living in temporary apartments or leaning on friends and family for assistance, exhausted by unending bureaucratic and financial quagmires. Some, like the Rodriguez family, have drained their life savings only to come up short of what they need to restore their flooded homes. Ms. DeJesus and Mr. Rodriguez are waiting to return home from a basement apartment in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, which has its own problems with flooding and electrical failures. “This isn’t our home,” Ms. DeJesus said, shaking her head, in the dining room of that apartment. “We live here day by day, waiting and wondering what’s going to happen, when we can return to our normal lives. ” Eager to move back in the months after the storm, the family tried to fix their home on their own, withdrawing all of their savings, around $25, 000, for reconstruction as they waited for a stipend from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. They started with the living room, where they laid out cots and cooked with a crockpot. Over the next few months, they fixed four of the rooms, including the bedrooms and bathroom. But several months into the project, the couple ran out of money. Eventually, the couple received $23, 000 from FEMA for repairs and replacement items. They received an additional $10, 000 from the agency for living expenses. It was not enough. Their renovation expenses totaled more than $55, 000. They halted all work on their home they did not know what to do. In June 2013, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York created the Office of Storm Recovery to aid in rebuilding and renovating homes, small businesses and communities across the state. That same month, the city announced the creation of the Build It Back program to help with construction costs. Within five months, some 20, 000 families who had lost their homes had applied to the city’s program. Ms. DeJesus and Mr. Rodriguez enrolled in the first month. At last, they thought, their misery would be over. Two years passed. No help came. Then, in October 2015, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to overhaul the Build It Back program and return families who had applied to their houses by the end of 2016. “We won’t stop pushing forward until every applicant sees relief,” he said. The Rodriguez family believes they will still be waiting to go home in the new year. Elena Trama believes she will be waiting too, mired in a similar agony. She lived in a bungalow community in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, that was under water after the hurricane and without electricity for several weeks. Ms. Trama, 61, who immigrated from Ukraine in 1991, had managed to rebuild and renovate the modest home she had planned to live in for the rest of her life. “My house is new,” Ms. Trama said. “I built it. I finished it. I was happy. ” But in September 2014, she learned that the Built It Back program could elevate her home above the area’s predicted flood level, potentially protecting it in future storms, something she had not done in her rebuilding efforts. She signed the grant agreements in July 2015 and vacated her home that September so that the work could start. She has waited more than a year without any results. Phone calls placed by Ms. Trama to Build It Back have yielded only conflicting answers on whether she can move back into her home and live there until the elevation work begins. The Rodriguez home, which is around 130 years old and includes sections that the family added in the years before the storm, was not structurally sound enough to be elevated. Despite the money and time the family had poured into repairing their home, in 2014 city officials told them that the house needed to be demolished and rebuilt. Ms. DeJesus and Mr. Rodriguez signed paperwork in January for the work to begin. They moved out of their home and into the Dyker Heights apartment in March. Now, despite Mr. Rodriguez’s job as a foreman at a burlap supply company, a job he has held for 30 years, the family has fallen behind on their bills. For the first time, they said, they have had to choose which bills to pay, deciding between their monthly mortgage payment of $1, 769 and their rent of $2, 800 a month. Mr. Rodriguez’s employer has helped by offering loans, he said. With dwindling resources, the couple turned to Shorefront of Beach, a beneficiary of of New York, one of eight organizations supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. The Shorefront Y provided the family with $1, 631 to help pay their July mortgage payment. For help with her mortgage payments, Ms. Trama also went to the Shorefront Y, as well as other groups, including New York Disaster Interfaith Services. The Shorefront Y used $1, 388 in Neediest funds to cover the entirety of her July payment. Some months, she puts rent on her credit card. But the Shorefront Y will not be a source of relief for either family in the future. In September, the center’s Disaster Case Management program closed because of a lack of funding. The center continues to help community members with emergency preparedness. And the blows keep coming. In an October report, the mayor’s office announced that the Build It Back program would not meet its target to rebuild all of the homes that were destroyed. According to the report, more than 2, 100 homes, or about 25 percent of those eligible, will not be rebuilt by the deadline. The Rodriguez and Trama homes are among those where the work will not be completed. “Sites are much more complicated than anyone would think from a layperson’s point of view,” Matt Viggiano, a spokesman for Built It Back, said. Mr. Viggiano cited many reasons for delays, from contractor disputes to housing code violations that must corrected before work begins. In some cases, formidable construction challenges are at play in Ms. Trama’s bungalow development, for example, homes are very close to one another, adding to the complexity of the work. Ms. Trama said she had lost faith in a system she once believed would fix the problem. “I thought, ‘It’s good, the city wants to help people,’” Ms. Trama said. “For 25 years, I lived in this country. I was happy. Now I’m broken. ” In limbo, she said she wondered why she had to move from her renovated home if the city was going to wait a year to elevate it. The Rodriguez family also wonders about the taxing delays. More than four years after the hurricane, their home stands battered, empty and unchanged as a reminder of Hurricane Sandy’s devastation. “It hasn’t ended,” Ms. DeJesus said. “It never ended. There’s always something else. I go to sleep, and all I see is the mess that is our home. I see the papers and the dollar signs. ” Then, after a pause, she held her hands in the air. “I want to wake up. ” | 1 |
posted by Eddie A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a blow to the head. A person can also suffer deleterious effects from sub-concussions, which are repeated minor assaults to the head. These assaults can lead to a TBI. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to prevent damage from concussions before they occur? What about a way to speed up the healing process? Medical scientists point to cannabis as a potential solution. But, can the herb really heal a concussion? Cannabis has shown a wealth of potential in traumatic brain injury. Unique properties of the herb may help the brain repair itself after trauma, including trauma from a concussion. Overall, there are three main characteristics that make cannabis a promising treatment for concussions and other forms of head trauma. These include, 1. Reduced brain inflammation The cannabis plant contains neuroprotective antioxidants. These neuroprotectants have many functions, including preventing stress-related damage and reducing inflammation in the brain. One major impact of a concussion or any sort of head trauma is increased neural inflammation. A 2014 study from Tel Aviv University found that microdoses of psychoactive THC reduced brain swelling in rodent models. The researchers write, Our results suggest that an ultralow dose of THC that lacks any psychotrophic activity protects the brain from neuroinflammation-induced cognitive damage and might be used as an effective drug for the treatment of neuroinflammatory conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. 2. Neuroprotection These same anti-inflammatory effects may prove very useful in treating a concussion. Surprisingly, the US government also thinks that cannabis is a promising treatment for head injury. The Feds currently hold a patent on nonpsychoactive CBD as a neuroprotective agent. In the patent application , they write, The cannabinoids [in cannabis] are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. So, even the US government admits that compounds in the cannabis plant may decrease the damage from head and brain trauma, as well as from strokes, oxygen deprivation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Further, research from 2013 found that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a crucial role in the brain’s ability to repair itself. The ECS is the pathway in which cannabis engages with the body. The study articulates that therapeutic cannabinoids may provide protection against nerve cell damage after acute injury. 3. Pre-treatment with cannabis prevents damage
There is some evidence that pre-treatment with cannabis can help protect against possible concussions associated with certain occupations. This includes professional athletics, horseback riding, and other lifestyle activities that make a person more susceptible to concussions. This doesn’t necessarily mean smoke some herb every day. Rather, this may be a case where having a little CBD oil on hand or using it as a dietary supplement may be beneficial. In an interview with Fox News, Dean Petkanas, CEO of KannaLife Sciences, explains , You have a repository of chemicals in the plant. But, more prominantly we’ve found in some preclinical research that cannabidiol (CBD) acts as a neuroprotectant. So, in the parlence of pharmacutical science, we could be using that as a prophilaxis against repetative concussive injury. Simply stated, pharmaceutical companies are hoping to make drugs that would prevent brain damage from concussions before they happen. While much of the research has focused on CBD, preclinical research shows that psychoactive THC may be helpful as well. A 2014 study found that patients with traumatic brain injury who had detectable levels of THC in their systems at the time of an accident were less likely to die from brain trauma. Post-concussion syndrome (PCS) is a complex condition that sometimes follows a concussion. The symptoms pf PCS can last for months after the initial brain injury. According to the Mayo Clinic , some of the symptoms include, Headaches | 0 |
Taking a stand against Netflix and other video streaming services, the Cannes Film Festival will ban any films that are solely digitally distributed from entering the festival starting next year. [Slate reports that in response to questions as to whether or not the films Okja, directed by Bong Joon Ho, and The Meyerowitz Stories, directed by Noah Baumbach, would be appearing in the festival, organizers released a full statement which says that all films in the future entering the Cannes Film Festival must have been released in French movie theatres. The Cannes Film Festival and Netflix have had a rocky relationship for some time now, leaving many surprised when Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories — both distributed by Netflix — were included in the festival lineup. Many Netflix films had previously been refused entry, and festival officials previously advocated for the “discouraging” of Netflix’s online distribution platform. The two Netflix films in question will be receiving a theatrical release in the US, but festival officials stated that “no agreement has been reached” to release the films in French cinemas and that the effort to reach one was made “in vain. ” Festival Officials did clarify that their new rules will go into effect next year, allowing Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories to enter the competition this year: Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan_ or email him at lnolan@breitbart. com | 0 |
Leave a Reply Click here to get more info on formatting (1) Leave the name field empty if you want to post as Anonymous. It's preferable that you choose a name so it becomes clear who said what. E-mail address is not mandatory either. The website automatically checks for spam. Please refer to our moderation policies for more details. We check to make sure that no comment is mistakenly marked as spam. This takes time and effort, so please be patient until your comment appears. Thanks. (2) 10 replies to a comment are the maximum. (3) Here are formating examples which you can use in your writing:<b>bold text</b> results in bold text <i>italic text</i> results in italic text (You can also combine two formating tags with each other, for example to get bold-italic text.)<em>emphasized text</em> results in emphasized text <strong>strong text</strong> results in strong text <q>a quote text</q> results in a quote text (quotation marks are added automatically) <cite>a phrase or a block of text that needs to be cited</cite> results in: a phrase or a block of text that needs to be cited <blockquote>a heavier version of quoting a block of text...</blockquote> results in: a heavier version of quoting a block of text that can span several lines. Use these possibilities appropriately. They are meant to help you create and follow the discussions in a better way. They can assist in grasping the content value of a comment more quickly. and last but not least:<a href=''http://link-address.com''>Name of your link</a> results in Name of your link (4) No need to use this special character in between paragraphs: ; You do not need it anymore. Just write as you like and your paragraphs will be separated. The "Live Preview" appears automatically when you start typing below the text area and it will show you how your comment will look like before you send it. (5) If you now think that this is too confusing then just ignore the code above and write as you like. Name: | 0 |
SEOUL, South Korea — A popular South Korean singer, Lee recently posted on Twitter what he called a sad joke that reflected public outrage over a scandal involving the country’s president, Park . “If Hillary is elected, the United States will have its first female president. If Trump is elected, it will have its first crazy president,” went the joke, which was widely shared online. “South Korea got both in 2012. ” Ms. Park’s 2012 victory was hailed as a milestone for South Korea’s deeply patriarchal society. But four years later, pressure is mounting across the country and even from within her party for Ms. Park to step down or face impeachment. This week, she became South Korea’s first sitting president to be accused by prosecutors of a criminal conspiracy. The scandal surrounding Ms. Park has left many South Korean women infuriated with the president and fearful that it could be used to argue that women are unfit to lead. They worry that the country, already among the lowest in global rankings, could become even more resistant to elevating women to positions of power. “We have had more than our share of outrageous male politicians,” said Kim 22, who had a placard that said “Park OUT!” at a recent demonstration in Seoul, the capital. “But I feel men now saying, behind our back and with a smirk on their faces: ‘See! This is what we get when we have a woman president for a change. ’” Ms. Park’s troubles stem from her decades of ties to Choi a daughter of Choi the founder of a fringe religious sect who befriended Ms. Park in the 1970s. Ms. Choi was indicted Sunday on charges of using her influence with Ms. Park to extort millions from businesses. Prosecutors said Ms. Park was an accomplice of Ms. Choi, but she is protected by the Constitution from criminal indictment. Ms. Park has agreed to submit to an inquiry. But on Tuesday, her lawyer, Yoo tried to use Ms. Park’s gender as a shield, saying that she was “a woman before being president” and that her “privacy as a woman” should be protected from prosecutors who sought to question her. Women’s groups were having none of it. “They are not investigating her privacy as a woman but her acts of destroying constitutional order as president,” a group of women’s advocacy organizations said in a joint statement. (Mr. Yoo declined to elaborate on what Ms. Park’s privacy had to do with the investigation.) South Korea’s women have been just as loud as its men in denouncing Ms. Park. Recent polls have found her to be deeply unpopular among both men and women. And in the huge protests that have filled central Seoul over the past four weekends, women have often led peaceful marches — an unusual sight in South Korea, where demonstrations often feature men clashing with riot police officers. During a Nov. 12 rally that attracted one million people by some estimates, a student from the Sacred Heart Girls’ High School in Seoul, Ms. Park’s alma mater, took the podium. “You have become an object of shame for us,” the student said of Ms. Park, prompting wild cheers from the crowd. “We can no longer tolerate you representing our nation. ” Although Ms. Park is often called South Korea’s first female president, that label fails to capture the complicated ways in which people here regard her presidency. Ms. Park has never been considered a champion of women’s rights, either as the president or as a legislator before that. According to Kim a leader at the Korean Women’s Associations United, gender inequality has actually worsened under Ms. Park, with sex crimes on the rise and a growing wealth gap taking a harder toll on women. Her presidential campaign was aimed at securing the support of older conservatives who still revered her father, the military dictator Park for leading the country out of poverty in the 1960s and ’70s. Many saw in Ms. Park a modern version of her charismatic father. South Koreans like to say that they see Ms. Park not as a female president but as Park ’s daughter. That places her in a peculiar and precarious position in South Korea, where patriarchy rules the political and corporate worlds. A widely shared Twitter post last year summed up the challenges Ms. Park has faced in the shadow of her father’s legacy and with the cultural misgivings over female leaders: “When President Park does well, she wears the clothes of Park . But when she does badly, she becomes a woman. ” So far, Ms. Park’s gender has not been an outright issue in the scandal, but it has colored the outrage. Older conservative men who have turned against Ms. Park since the scandal often disdainfully refer to her as an “unfilial daughter. ” Online, men have attacked Ms. Park and Ms. Choi by invoking an old Korean diatribe against assertive women: “If a hen crows, the household collapses. ” (When a man used that phrase at a recent protest, it set off both cheers and boos from the crowd.) In the local news media, photographs have emerged that show urinals painted with images of Ms. Park and Ms. Choi. People have derided Ms. Choi, who has no background in government or policy making, as an “ajumma,” or homemaker, “from Gangnam,” a Seoul district often associated with affluence and moral weakness. “President Park is taken as evidence that women are not qualified for politics,” a feminist group said last week, protesting what it called gender prejudices tainting the campaign against Ms. Park. Ms. Park has seldom spoken of her gender. But she has styled herself after her mother, Yuk who is seen as a symbol of feminine sacrifice among older Koreans. The former first lady was fatally shot in 1974 by a Korean assassin who had targeted her husband. For decades, Ms. Park’s hairstyle has reminded people of her mother. She has also built a muscular political reputation in what some analysts have called an attempt to dispel the notion that a female leader would be weak on security issues. She has been hawkish on North Korea, predicting its collapse and promising military retaliation if provoked. At home, she has been a disciplinarian, stressing national order and calling her critics “unclean forces. ” Her upbringing and manners have led critics to accuse her of acting with a sense of entitlement. Those accusations have carried a powerful punch in South Korea, where many have grown disillusioned with imperial male leaders in politics and in the corporate world, and expected a less rigid style from the first female president. Many of the most bitter criticisms have come from other women. Ms. Park once sat motionless in the rain, waiting for an aide to step forward and pull her hood over her head, according to the aide, Jeon who later parted ways with Ms. Park and caused a sensation when she recounted the tale. “She is the kind of woman who would wear her crown to a nightclub,” Ms. Jeon said in 2012. It is not the only time that Ms. Park, who once named Queen Elizabeth I of Britain as her role model, has been accused of behaving like royalty. During a presidential debate in 2012, Lee the head of a small party, accused Ms. Park of trying to become “not a female president but a queen” and denounced what she called her “disconnectedness and arrogance. ” After Ms. Park came to power in early 2013, her government disbanded Ms. Lee’s party on charges of being Korea. Many, including members of Ms. Park’s Saenuri Party, now find Ms. Lee’s criticism to have been prescient. “We have been living in a monarchy,” Kim a Saenuri lawmaker, said during a recent party meeting. “And our party has been loyal vassals for Queen Park . ” | 1 |
WASHINGTON — President Trump began Monday as he has started so many other presidential mornings — by unleashing a blistering Twitter attack on critics who suggested his 2016 campaign colluded with the Russians. By the afternoon the director of the F. B. I. James B. Comey, had systematically demolished his arguments in a remarkable public takedown of a sitting president. Even a close ally of Mr. Trump, Representative Devin Nunes, Republican of California and the House Intelligence Committee chairman, conceded that “a gray cloud” of suspicion now hung over the White House by the end of the day’s hearings. The testimony of Mr. Comey and that of Adm. Michael S. Rogers, his National Security Agency counterpart, will most likely enervate and distract Mr. Trump’s administration for weeks, if not longer, overshadowing good news, like the impressive debut of Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, his Supreme Court nominee, on the first day of his confirmation hearings Monday. But it’s the obsessiveness and ferocity of Mr. Trump’s pushback against the Russian allegations, often untethered from fact or tact, that is making an uncertain situation worse. Mr. Trump’s allies have begun to wonder if his need for often on social media, will exceed his instinct for with disastrous results both for the president and for a party whose fate is now tightly tied to his. “The tweets make it much more difficult for us as we try to build a case against these leakers,” said Representative Peter T. King, a New York Republican who sits on the Intelligence Committee. “We always have to be answering questions about the tweets — it puts us on defense all the time when we could be building a case for the president. ” And Mr. Trump’s fixation on fighting is undermining his credibility at a time when he needs to toggle from executive action to collaborative congressional action on ambitious health care, budget and infrastructure legislation. “I don’t always like what the president is saying,” the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, told The Washington Examiner last month. “I do think he frequently, by wading into other matters, takes attention away” from “the very substantial things we’re already accomplishing. ” A Gallup poll released Monday found Mr. Trump with an abysmal 37 percent approval rating other recent polls place his popularity in the but even that level is among the lowest ever recorded for a president this early in his first term. Over the past several weeks, Republicans in Congress and members of their staffs have privately complained that Mr. Trump’s Twitter comment on March 4 — the one where he called Barack Obama “sick” and suggested that the former president had ordered a “tapp” on his phone — had done more to undermine anything he’s done as president because it called into question his seriousness about governing. The problem, from the perspective of Mr. Trump’s beleaguered political fire brigade, is that the president insists on dealing with crises by creating new ones — so surrogates, repeating talking points the president himself ignores, say they often feel like human shields. Within the White House, a number of Mr. Trump’s advisers — including the press secretary, Sean Spicer, who has himself repeated unsubstantiated claims of British spying on Mr. Trump — have told allies that Mr. Trump’s Twitter habits are making their jobs harder, said administration officials interviewed over the past week. Mr. Spicer said he has no problem with his boss’s tweeting. “It’s just not true. I have not commented on the tweets to anyone including my wife,” he said in an email. Most politicians, perhaps any other politician, would have backed away from the Russia story, and left the defense to surrogates or unexpected validators like Mike Morrell, the former acting director of the C. I. A. who said last week that “there is smoke, but there is no fire at all” in the allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. But this president, a proponent of crisis communications with boundless in his capacity to shape the story, seems determined to hug his Russian hand grenade. Monday morning began not with praise of Judge Gorsuch — or an exhortation of House Republicans to quickly pass a revamped Obamacare repeal — but with six tweets about the Russia investigation. “The Democrats made up and pushed the Russian story as an excuse for running a terrible campaign. Big advantage in Electoral College lost!” Mr. Trump wrote shortly after dawn, using his private Twitter account. Then, a few minutes later: “The real story that Congress, the FBI and all others should be looking into is the leaking of Classified information. Must find leaker now!” People close to the president say Mr. Trump’s Twitter torrent had less to do with fact, strategy or tactic than a sense of persecution bordering on faith: He simply believes that he was bugged in some way, by someone, and that evidence will soon appear to back him up. Plus he just likes to mix it up. He fired off his Saturday tweet complaining of “tapps” of his phones after railing to aides about how poorly Attorney General Jeff Sessions had responded to reports that he had surreptitiously communicated with the Russians, the way Mr. Trump’s former National Security Council adviser, Michael T. Flynn, did. The president, people close to him have said over the last several weeks, has become increasingly frustrated at his inability to control the narrative of his presidency, after being able to dominate the political discourse or divert criticism by launching one of his signature Twitter attacks. “I think that maybe I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Twitter,” Mr. Trump told a sympathetic interviewer, Tucker Carlson of Fox News, last week. Still, there’s some evidence that the president’s magic medium is losing its effectiveness, in part because Mr. Trump’s Twitter persona seems to have shifted from puckish to paranoid. Focus groups and polls conducted by two Democratic strategists this month have shown that many voters, even some who support Mr. Trump, have grown weary of his tweets as president. That was also borne out by a Fox News poll last week, showing that a mere 35 percent of Trump voters approve of his Twitter habits, and that only 16 percent of all voters approve of them. Some 32 percent said they “wish he’d be more careful” with his feed. “His tweeting defines him, and not in a good way,” said Geoff Garin, a veteran Democratic pollster. “Voters not only think Trump’s use of Twitter is unpresidential, they also see the tone and content of his tweets as an indication that he is lacking in . ” Mr. Comey seemed to tacitly agree. In midafternoon came a tweet from Mr. Trump’s official @potus account: “FBI Director Comey refuses to deny he briefed President Obama on calls made by Michael Flynn to Russia. ” A dour and disapproving Mr. Comey instantly the tweet when it was read out loud to him. “No,” he said. “It was not our intention to say that today. ” | 1 |
Sometimes a little tough love is all it takes. [What a father at a Cavaliers game did to his son on Friday night certainly qualified. During the game a fan, or more to the point, a father, held up a sign targeted at a very specific audience: The son is not only denied the chance to see the greatest basketball player on the face of the Earth, but now his harsh lesson on the importance of academia has turned into a cacophony of internet mockery: Still can’t believe this sign that this father was holding up during the Cavs game pic. twitter. — Mike Mugavero (@mi_mug11) March 25, 2017, Awww come on Thomas! Easily the best sign ever #hornets #cavs #nba pic. twitter. — Tyler Mallams (@tyler_mallams) March 24, 2017, Get your grades up Thomas! #parentingwin pic. twitter. — Dan Koo (@danieliskoo) March 25, 2017, Maybe if dad knew how to use punctuation, he’d be able to help Thomas get his grades back up. https: . — Adam Smoot, Tbh. (@adamsmoot) March 25, 2017, Hopefully young Thomas takes all this attention and tough love the right way, and one day looks back on this as the moment which launched his career in neurosurgery. If he doesn’t take it the right way, there will be a lot of very awkward Thanksgivings in the years ahead. Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn | 0 |
Court rules that a medical marijuana card will prevent you from buying a gun Nov 15, 2016 0 0
( Minds ) The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has decided that if you have a medical marijuana card, you can’t buy a gun because it “raises the risk of irrational or unpredictable behavior with which gun use should not be associated.”
Seems somewhat interesting, as you see people stumbling over at the bar from alcohol use.
The court rules in August of 2016 and voted 3-0 to ban the medical users from obtaining the weapons. They claim that it does not violate the 2nd amendment.
The court agreed with guidelines from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, saying that firearms sellers should assume that medical marijuana card holders use the drug, even if they don’t.
“We live in a world where having a medical marijuana card is enough to say you don’t get a gun, but if you’re on the no fly list your constitutional right is still protected,” says Chaz Rainey, attorney representing one woman’s appeal against the verdict.
Marijuana law expert at the San Diego’s Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Alex Kreit, suggests that we will more on the issue, arguing “that they shouldn’t be lumped with other drug users in terms of concerns about violence.”
Marijuana is now fully legal in seven states across the US. Vote Up | 0 |
A group of witches is attempting to use black magic to neutralize U. S. President Donald Trump by casting a “binding spell” to prevent him from governing. [The “mass spell to bind Donald Trump” will be performed at midnight on every waning crescent moon beginning Friday, February 24, “until Donald Trump is removed from office,” the group’s website states. The mass ritual will allegedly be repeated again March 26, April 24, May 23, June 21 (the summer solstice) July 21, and August 19. The spell also invokes evil on “those who abet” Trump, which would seem to appear to cover his staff and political nominees, and perhaps the millions who voted for him as well. The spell involves such items as an unflattering photo of Trump, a tower tarot card, a tiny stub of an orange candle, a pin or small nail, water, salt, a feather and an ashtray. “This binding spell is open source, and may be modified to fit your preferred spiritual practice or magical system,” the site explains. What is critical is “the simultaneity of the working” as well as “the mass energy of participants. ” “Some are doing a variation of this as a group working, while a number of solitary practitioners are planning to connect and livestream via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media,” the site explains. In reaction, a number of Christian groups and individuals have promised to pray for Mr. Trump, asking God’s blessings on his work and on the nation. Witches cast spells tomorrow, We >No weapon formed against you shall prosper . @POTUSAmerica’s praying for you @VP #Pray4DJT ❤️ pic. twitter. — ❤️MAGAMama❤️ (@tteegar) February 24, 2017, The witches’ spell involves a lengthy incantation, calling on spirits and “demons of the infernal realms” to bind Donald J. Trump so that “he may fail utterly, that he may do no harm. ” Calling on the spirits to work the same harm on “all those who enable his wickedness and those whose mouths speak his poisonous lies,” the hex beseeches the spirits to “bind them in chains, bind their tongues, bind their works, bind their wickedness. ” The climax of the spell involves a crescendo “with increasing passion” ending by blowing out the orange candle while “visualizing Trump blowing apart into dust or ash. ” Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter Follow @tdwilliamsrome | 0 |
Email
On Wednesday evening Bill O’Reilly, host of The O’Reilly Factor , offered his solution to gun violence: make all gun crimes federal crimes to be enforced at the federal level. “That way,” he claimed, “American law enforcement everywhere can not only take guns off the streets but people who illegally carry them and/or use them to commit crimes … and the upshot, pardon the pun, is that legal gun owners would be left alone.”
He expanded on this trashing of precious gun rights by federal police: “Anyone committing any crime, any crime with a gun, even simple illegal possession, should be subject to federal mandatory prison sentences. All gun crimes should become federal crimes.”
Translation: Guns as well as the criminals using them will be taken off the streets — without due process, without Second Amendment protections — done presumably by federal law enforcement using federal police officers. State laws would be overridden and ignored.
This is the real Bill O’Reilly. Widely perceived as a “conservative,” O’Reilly has been a master at deception, deflecting attention away from real issues. For example, rarely if ever does O’Reilly, or his carefully selected guests, talk about the threats to national sovereignty posed by the United Nations, a New World Order (whose desired implementation really isn't even hidden by elites anymore), or the Council on Foreign Relations. Never does he allow his audience to hear from the likes of Alex Jones of InfoWars or Jack McManus or Art Thompson of The John Birch Society. Can any viewer remember the last time anyone from Breitbart News appeared with O’Reilly? Or Eric Erickson of Red State ?
O’Reilly feigns conservative stances and then lets his real positions be known. Back in January, following the San Bernardino, California, shooting, O’Reilly could have represented the National Rifle Association when he said: The truth is, terrorists are not going to submit themselves to background checks — neither are dangerous felons or insane people. They are not going to sign any paper when they buy a gun. Do we all get that? They will buy their guns on the black market. And no registration law will prevent that.
Less than six months later, on June 14, O’Reilly blamed gun violence on the “right wing,” calling them responsible for it and then adding: There is too much gun crime in the USA, and high powered weaponry is too easy to get. That's the fact. So let's deal with it. We all have the right to bear arms, but we don't have the right to buy and maintain mortars. Even if you feel threatened by gangsters or a New World Order. No bazookas, no Sherman tanks, no hand grenades. That's because the Second Amendment clearly states the government has a right to regulate militias, made up of individuals. They have that right in the name of public safety.
Ignoring his egregious misunderstanding of what the Second Amendment not only says but what it means, his rant sounded awfully similar to that expressed by the “reverend” Jesse Jackson the same day: Gun control cannot end terror, neither the mass shootings like Orlando nor the daily horror as in Chicago. Omar Mateen, the killer in Orlando, was a security guard, apparently with a record clean enough that he was able to buy guns legally. But surely it is inconceivable that military assault weapons like the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle that he used (and that was also used in Aurora and Newtown and San Bernardino) should be so easily purchased. Reviving the ban on assault weapons that lapsed under President Bush is not a full remedy, but it is simple common sense.
O’Reilly’s “make all gun crimes federal offenses” statement on Wednesday night reflects how his education at liberal Boston University and Harvard and his decades-long employment by CBS News, ABC News, and CBS’ Inside Edition bleeds over from time to time into his comments on gun violence. When he drops his “deflection” shield, one can see who he really is: just one more shill for the totalitarian Left that controls the mainstream media.
An Ivy League graduate and former investment advisor, Bob is a regular contributor to The New American magazine and blogs frequently at LightFromTheRight.com, primarily on economics and politics. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . | 1 |
Leave a reply
Lisa Renee – This month, we learn more about Increasing Sentience and the main collective consciousness forces involved in spiritual warfare on this earth. Currently massive internal power shifts are occurring that reorganize the hierarchy of the main players, in the Controller groups, that have been exerting the dominate world power.
The shake up within the Power Elite network is revealing the darkest underbelly of deception, corruption, bribery and disturbing abuses of power that include clear evidence of Satanic Ritual practices.
For those unprepared for the layers of disclosure and revelations of the greater truth that exists in the highest echelons of the power brokers, such as those players in government, politics, finance, high society, and entertainment, these can be painful and desperate times. If we look to the surface, the deceptions of the 3D façade are crumbling away and those with the eyes to see, are observing how far down the rabbit hole really goes. These are the darkest areas filled with many different narratives of gross abuses of power and deceptions, being carried out through the mainstream media to brainwash people into believing that we live in a free society.
Many are breaking away from the mainstream now, desperate to find some truth or clarity in the alternatives. They have realized that they are being intentionally deceived by those people in power by those in whom they had placed trust. Humans are not living freely on this earth. This thrusts our focus to the unpleasant and painful truths of the crimes committed against humanity, and that as a species we must come to recognize and identify the cause.
If we cannot see what it is and we cannot identify these crimes, this hidden scourge keeps using the same lies and manipulation to cover up the truth. We must do our best to stay awake through the Dark Night of the Planetary Soul, as this is what the stages of disclosure look like. However, as we observe these disturbing dramas, we must not overwhelm our emotions to polarize our consciousness into feeding the victim archetypes of hero, savior or enemy. This is the phase of dismantling the control system, and observing the shake down of what has been hiding behind 3D consciousness. As the internal fighting for control continues, it will reveal more to us every day, about the true nature of this reality.
This is a time to be brave, courageous, calm and self-aware as truth seekers. A time to dedicate ourselves to serve our inner spirit with every breath and know which consciousness we want to co-create. We are in this together.
It is a natural biological process for all human beings to have the ability to constantly evolve themselves and expand their individual consciousness, through experiences that awaken greater self-awareness. As a person grows to perceive levels of awareness beyond the survival needs and desires of the individual self, they begin to perceive the larger collective layers to which they are interconnected, which in turn, increases their level of sentience. Increasing Sentience increases our perceived connection to the whole and continually develops our self-awareness, which is relative to the reflection of the collective consciousness.
When we are Increasing Sentience into greater enlightenment, we have knowing that every thought and action we choose is directly connected to the whole, as we are co-creators of our world. As we gain embodiment of personal truth to expand consciousness, we gain more influence to help shape the collective consciousness we are interconnected with.
When we observe the state of the world today, all of humanity has to reflect on the causal chains and spiritual reasons for the current state of the collective human race consciousness. How did the people on the earth create the conditions to become the global reflection that is shown in the collective consciousness today? How are the World Leaders chosen and how do they remain in power?
How did earthlings, become defined by those in the intergalactic community as mass murderers, war mongers, crucifiers, killers of life and nature, without remorse or empathy? When we ask these questions with a sincere heart, we will be confronted with many unpleasant truths about humanities true history. Sentience Redefined
Science defines sentience in the limited capacity of the personality’s ability to think and to feel, to perceive and directly experience something that exists purely in the realm of the subjective mind and physical senses. In our interpretation, sentience encompasses the consciousness existence of all living things. Whether in form or formless, this includes all beings and forces that have some level of consciousness. Thus, the term sentient beings may constitute many dissimilar classes of species, existing at different levels of consciousness. It will also include many diverse energetic forces, which characterize the nature of multidimensional existence.
As an example the physical body, emotional body, mental body and spiritual body, all encompass multidimensional levels of sentience that correlate to the overall functioning of consciousness that make up an entire person. Each multidimensional layer of a person, whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual, reveals sentient information that is intrinsically connected to the collective consciousness, yet remains energetically unique to that individual.
When we recognize our multidimensional identities, we start to see that all of these layers are energetically connected to larger bodies that make up the forces of collective consciousness memories. When we open the door to multidimensional consciousness, we go beyond individual consciousness or ego. We begin to sense the collective forces of nature; such as the animal collective, race collective, planetary collective, solar system collective, galactic collective and cosmic collective.
All of these layers of collective consciousness and many more, can be contacted telepathically and made accessible from inside of our multidimensional consciousness body layers. When we know that these many layers of collective consciousness co-exist, it opens the dimensional doorway to explore all kinds of sentient beings.
We progressively recognize that we are coexisting with many worlds teaming with life, beyond our wildest imagination. We can learn how to speak and communicate telepathically with any part of this collective consciousness, if we really care to devote the time to train our mind and set our heart based intention to do so. As we discern the existence of the collective consciousness, we learn who we truly are as multidimensional spiritual beings and how we co-create our reality. Discerning Collective Consciousness
Although the untrained mind can only sense direct physical attributes, the true morphogenesis of our multidimensional existence is generated through the multiple levels of sentience. Together these form into the entire collective consciousness identity, or that from which we gather to form the experience of a self. As we grow our capacity to perceive the collective consciousness layers that exist as interconnected to the self, we no longer define as being attached to an individual self. Because ultimately, the realization is reached that there is no individual self. We are multidimensional consciousness connected to many different streams of sentience that generate the entirety of the collective consciousness agreement, which we experience on the earth.
Through continually increasing our sentience to gain enlightenment, we can discern the energetic quality of collective consciousness that we prefer to align with and express through our consciousness body. Thus, in the consciousness evolution process we gain spiritual sovereignty and free will choice. Whereby, removing ourselves from the superimpositional forces of the larger collective consciousness matrix that others have chosen to express, which are no longer congruent to our essential nature.
Without exercising personal choice that comes from developed energetic discernment, an individual is left to express the larger impersonal forces of the collective unconsciousness and the controlled manipulation of impersonal forces in the environment. Through the physics of the energetic reality, the person expresses the core energetic resonance they embody, which harmonizes with the larger collective consciousness body, which they attract.
To have choice beyond the collective unconsciousness matrix, one must develop higher sentience towards greater enlightenment, and begin to perceive how the layers of the collective consciousness function throughout creation. Enlightenment in this context refers to being released from the confines of service to self, suffering, dark ignorance, attachment to material things, and the state of soul disconnection. The same states that reinforce the continued cycles of death and reincarnation into the lower realms, without consciousness memories, identities or spiritual purpose remaining intact. It means we are released from the states of consciousness, which exist in the larger collective unconsciousness.
The collective unconsciousness body of the earth is evolving to reflect the change in the collective consciousness consensus agreement, to shift human consciousness into the next harmonic universe. This consciousness shift reclaims the soul aspects in order to embody the entire collective soul matrix into the matter worlds. Imagine who you would be if you remembered all of your other lifetimes, had direct soul realization and could access that repository of knowledge at will. That is the groundwork being laid for the future direction for the ascending timelines, and the continued evolution of the human race on this planet. Self-Realization by Feeling what Others Feel
Increasing sentience is a sensory quality of higher consciousness intelligence and refined thought, through which one can perceive the emotions, feelings and consciousness state of other living things. When the higher consciousness perception of feelings is sensed and directly experienced, the realized person develops the metaphysical understanding that we are energetically interconnected with all of life.
We begin to feel and experience that which previously appeared separate and inanimate, as an actual living thing and thus, a sentient being. By focusing on increasing personal sentience, we greatly extend our higher sensory experiences, which include deeply feeling or perceiving the consciousness states and experiences of other people, things, animals and nature. When we gain access to our soul and spiritual forces, we start to feel our interconnectedness to the energetic reality of all existence and all things even more. This leads us to the next stage of perceiving information that exists within the sentience of group consciousness intelligence, which make up the many layers of collective consciousness to which we are connected.
Sentience means that as we evolve to gain deeper knowledge about the true nature of our individual consciousness, we also realize that we are intricately and permanently linked into the collective consciousness. These dual states of existence can be observed inside ourselves, as both an individual aspect and collective self, while the body is in motion the observer is always witnessing.
These simultaneous consciousness states are interconnected and forever entwined as a part of what we really are, as multidimensional consciousness. Through dedicated observation of the self and gradually discerning between these functioning aspects of the mind, one can attain the direct experience or gnosis, to gain knowledge of the collective consciousness they are connected with. One has to feel what others are feeling in order to truly know the collective consciousness, and discern the energetic subtleties, which transmit intelligent information. Collective Consciousness Co-Creation of Timelines
Increasing sentience is also directly related to the quality of the energetic content that is recorded as the collective memory in the planetary body. The level of sentience we generally have is interconnected with the quality of memory that is available for us to recall that is recorded in the collective consciousness of the planet. However, humanities DNA has been unplugged and unable to read the information and content that is recorded in the collective consciousness of the planet.
This is one reason Starseeds have come to earth, because many of us can read and sense the contents in the collective consciousness, and we know that which has been programmed with AI machinery to mind control the population, is not organic to creation. The human species blueprint has been undergoing erasure to gradually be replaced with new identities and archetypes created from AI software, that resemble the minds of criminals. The people of earth have been given historical records and religious books that are deceptions based upon the invaders alien approved architecture for takeover.
Essentially, as the result, the whole of the human species cannot remember who they are and where they come from and have adopted the false identity given to them by the invaders. This has generated an extreme amount of accumulated energetic confusion in the human species memories, recorded in the collective consciousness fields. Those memories became the general content for earth human consciousness expression and are organized into spectrums of frequency that form dimensions of time, or timelines.
This overall content in timelines exists through the connection it has to those people, who co-created with these forces, in the fields that make up the collective consciousness. Every person that has lived on the earth is a co-creator with the world of forces that expresses itself in the collective consciousness. We all are responsible for what we co-create with the collective forces, what we express through our consciousness body. The NAA invaders and their human representatives have been working hard to erase their crimes against humanity in the collective consciousness records. However, the consciousness records cannot be erased because there are those from the founder lineages who are able to read them, even when the content has had many attempts to be destroyed.
As we awaken to the reality of group consciousness, the question becomes, what force are we expressing? What are we co-creating with, and what is growing as the collective consciousness on the planet? The unawakened person expresses the forces the collective consciousness programming tells him to, until he awakens the choice, to be in consent with his own spirit.
Thus, the timelines are formed by the blueprints that are created by the collective consciousness matrices and all the variances of co-creators that exist in the entire planetary body. During this cycle, the majority of humanity has been spiritually oppressed and enslaved to express the software machinery programming placed in the collective consciousness fields, thus, the role of right co-creatorship has been essentially stolen.
These collective consciousness matrices include the sum total of unconsciousness, artificial intelligence machinery and software, and that energetic content that has been co-created from human, nonhuman and AI sources. Thus, the collective consciousness matrices have included those influences of genetic modification through mind control that have been shaped and formed by non-humans.
Those entities are not from the gene pool of the human species, and via interdimensional means, their agenda is hidden from the general human population. In order to understand bio-neurological mind control generated through psychotronic warfare and electronic harassment, it is imperative to comprehend the collective consciousness fields and how they operate in the earth as consciousness bodies. The planetary consciousness bodies, or collective consciousness matrices, directly impact the functioning of the individual human being’s consciousness bodies.
Essentially, the planet has been subjected to non-human co-creators that have decided to modify DNA in the morphogenetic fields, in order to use the true co-creators of this planet to shape the collective consciousness, to conform to their anti-human and anti-soul agendas. By controlling the collective consciousness fields on the earth with AI mind control, they manage to gain control over the direction of timelines by controlling what kind of consciousness is being fed into the collective. The bifurcation is splitting apart the areas they have gained AI control over on the earth. Their territory gets smaller as it moves away from the higher ascending regions.
What we can observe in the collective consciousness matrices currently, is the accumulative result of alien hybridization, refugee race migration, cloning, genetic modification and AI experimentation that has been made into the collective consciousness fields and the morphogenetic imprints of the planet. That which impacts the planet impacts the species of inhabitants, and so that interference has directly impacted the functioning of human consciousness and the original human DNA. Humanity has been genetically modified and socially engineered to be slaves, war-mongers, predatorial and violent, in order to remove the empathy and collective spirit that connects us with our own species and interconnects us directly with the Godhead. Collective Consciousness Gnosis
The collective consciousness exists in the many multidimensional layers that can be perceived through spiritual gnosis as the historical events, or the many accumulated memories recorded over cycles of time. These unseen and unwritten historical events can be directly cognized through higher consciousness experiences. When a human expands consciousness through biological spiritual evolution, that person begins to potentially have the sentience to know how people and animals suffer, because they can experience the pain inside themselves that they simultaneously feel existing inside of others.
The person that can identify and feel the pain of others, can feel the same pain inside themself, and thus knows, all humans suffer from the same source of pain and are not separate. This is the early stage of Gnosis, and one cannot know how it feels, until they are able to feel and experience what others are feeling inside themselves. As we gain the spiritual qualities of empathy, which are higher sensory abilities that allow us to feel the consciousness state of others, we may expand our sentient abilities to perceive the intelligent content that encompasses the records in the collective consciousness.
We are only able to gain direct knowledge of the planet through gnosis, which occurs when an awakened person experiences what it feels like to be involved in some kind of event, circumstance or situation, from some vantage point in consciousness. Only people that have developed pure hearts of empathy are truly capable of the gnosis in which they gain intelligent information about the timelines, historical events on planet, and what is happening to the collectives of species, such as people and living things.
As an example, an empathic person can meditate or stand in an area of ley lines, or nodal points on the planetary grid, and feel intelligent information relaying back to them from the collective consciousness records connected to that area. If we stand in an area of the earth that has been filled with tragedy, death and war, we can feel the incredible pain and suffering of all of the people, nature kingdoms and animals involved.
Many times the people that died in painful tragedies in the past are still earthbound and trapped in that pain, unable to evolve their spirit into a future timeline. That person’s soul or energy body has become trapped in time, trapped in the matter realms of the earth body. When an awakened person has empathic experiences and can feel the direct result of massive trauma and emotional pain that is created in the collective consciousness, that person has only one choice, to do what they can to be of service to others.
These spiritual experiences cannot be translated to an unawakened person, because it is all about direct sensory experiences of communications that are held in the context of intelligent energy and sentient beings. These methods of higher sensory perception and telepathic communication are that which still remain invisible to the 3D person’s ego and linear mind.
True spiritual empathy is the key that gives the awakening person access to some layer of the Akashic records, and these memory records exist in every collective entity, structure, and person on the planet.
The collective consciousness of any person, place or thing, will give access to memory records and layers of the Akashic, that are connected to those particular consciousness bodies. As many people awaken on this planet, they do not want to feel what has really happened to themselves and to the planet, because it is painful to witness. However, this is the only path that grants access, where we gain truth and empathy. We must see the truth of what has happened in the past, in order to know what the truth is and feel the impacts. The compassionate witness does not judge what has happened, but deeply feels the consciousness experience that is the truth behind the events. The truth of motivation is always seen in the intention of what event has transpired, and so even in deceptions, great truths can be revealed.
We gain knowledge about ourselves, knowledge about others, knowledge about the history of our planet, knowledge of the Solar System and knowledge about the timelines in the Universe, by experiencing the direct sentient feelings of empathy, which is experienced as the consciousness reality that exists inside of ourselves. Love is the ultimate carrier wave of great knowledge, and through an awakened and open heart, pouring forth love, compassion and empathy for all of life, the esoteric mysteries are revealed to the true and sincere spiritual seeker that embodies empathy and compassion. Living in the Truth We Experience
The process of empathizing with the emotions and the feelings of others, sensing the greater reality to which we are connected, is the process through which we begin to embody the quality of empathy. Empathy is a function of our soul, and as we gain sentience and knowledge about the sensory nature of reality, we connect to both subjective and objective states of our higher consciousness.
If you cannot feel it, if you cannot empathize with an experience or feeling, you will not know it. Thus, that person is unable to embody that memory or knowledge because this has to be experienced directly by our consciousness, in order to gain Gnosis or truth. A person, who increases sentience through the feelings of direct sensory experiences, has gained knowledge through direct feeling, living or experiencing that content at some level in their consciousness.
Once we have experienced Gnosis, we must live by our authentic knowledge and experience of truth, in order to be coherent and live in harmony with the natural laws. If we do not live in congruence with the knowledge we have gained that reveals the truth inside of ourselves not only will personal frequency digress rapidly but sentience will be lost through the disconnection that occurs between the mind and spirit. When we cannot express or live in our spiritual truth, we suffer greatly.
Conceptual or intellectual knowledge taken from linear methods, acquired through books or academics is not true knowing. Once direct knowing is experienced in our higher consciousness, it is a truth. It cannot be permanently erased or taken away from the core body blueprint or Akashic record of that individual.
During the planetary ascension cycle, humanity is ascending into higher consciousness, but is actually descending the intelligent energy that exits within the Akashic blueprint of our higher identity. This is described as raising our frequency vibration, and as we learn how creation works, we connect to our higher consciousness or divinity to embody the purpose of our being into the physical vehicle. Morphogenesis
Morphogenesis means the generation of form, and it is used to describe the biological process that causes any organism or living thing to develop its shape and structure. In our world that is composed of pure vibrating energy, morphogenesis can also be applied to describe the process of resonance that causes any quality of energy to develop into its main form of expression, through its particular frequency. Everything has an energetic signature and is composed of spectrums of frequency that are arranged in form holding blueprints.
Morphogenesis describes the process of how the shape is being formed by the quality of energy being expressed, once the energy starts to become physical or change its form. Morphogenesis depends on the quality and state of the systems of energy that are being organized into the fields. In our context, when any kind of energy or level of consciousness is being generated into the physical, it can be in form or formless, and this is sensed from beyond the main physical senses.
Most people cannot visibly see the light and energy of the human soul entering the first breath of a newly born baby, as much as they cannot visibly see the light and energy of the soul leaving the body during the last breath. Yet, this event of consciousness morphogenesis, energy transitioning into another form, occurs in the natural cycles of life, all of the time.
It is important to understand that in our world, and in all creation, that all systems of energy are connected to larger systems of energy, that help to organize and define what that consciousness energy will become. This means that all microcosmic systems of energy are directly connected to larger macrocosmic systems of energy. As an example, if one desires to change the morphogenesis process (how energy comes into physical) that existed in a microcosmic system of energy, the controller would first make changes to the morphogenesis process that exists in the macrocosmic systems of energy.
To change something being manifested in the microcosm or at the individual creation level, one must first go to the macrocosm or collective creation level that influences it. Smaller systems belong to larger systems, and this applies to all energy and consciousness. Individual consciousness always belongs to some part of the macrocosm of a larger collective consciousness, and that larger collective field will organize, define and influence the person’s identity at the microcosm level.
The collective field influence can easily take over the individual’s behavior and then the group’s behavior, especially when that individual and group has been stripped of their real identity. Without that clarity, the individual has no choice given to them, on which collective consciousness fields they form energetic consent to participate with, especially when their consciousness is being stolen from them and drained. The person believes they are in consent with the earth and the human race, without knowing that there is an alien AI influence siphoning their energy and controlling their mind in the collective consciousness programing.
This is the reiteration of the earlier discussion that there really is no self, as the ego personality believes, because the ego is especially influenced and even controlled through the many assortments of collective consciousness forces, some benevolent, others not. Most people at this time are unaware that all energetic systems obey architecture, that personal and group consciousness function within the macrocosm of much larger energetic hierarchies, to which we are all interconnected. All cells come from other cells and all cells inherit fields of organization. Human bodies are the nerve cells of the planetary body and we inherited the larger fields of organization from the state of the world consciousness or Planetary Logos.
This is also what influences the microcosm of our beliefs systems, archetypal expressions and standards of human behavior that organize into the macrocosm of societal structures. As humans living on this planet, we are inseparable from every single event recorded, as it transpires in the timeline histories, each one of us exist as the cellular memory recorded into the nerve cells of the planet. Thus, when we incarnate, we have the entire planetary history recorded in our nervous system and within the holographic layers of our consciousness body, even when we cannot remember them in our conscious mind. Energy and Intent produces Sentient Beings
Energy is given form in the world through the expressions made in our body, from inner expressions of energy, we externalize the energy that we have created inside of ourselves. Through the level of consciousness and frequency we choose to be, which is defined by our choices moment to moment, the accumulated energy forms itself into a consciousness identity.
We bring energy into matter by giving it some form of expression, through one or more layers of our consciousness bodies. All energy undergoes morphogenesis as it is expressed through our consciousness vehicle. Our energy is given form in matter through our mental thoughts, emotional feelings or through our physical actions. When we give expression to energy, that energy becomes conscious in matter and thus, it becomes a part of the world that we create for ourselves and for others. All humans generate energy expressions that can also become conscious creations, and even sentient beings, whether they are seen in matter or unseen.
Many people do not realize that the energy and intent behind thoughts, emotions and actions can generate things, and even creatures. Depending on the intention, strength of mind and emotion, as well as the power of spiritual intent, those ingredients will dictate the strength of the energy being generated, into some kind of form or creature.
An angry and violent person who is unaware of ritual magik can conjure demonic entities that send negative curses or negative energies to another person, without having full conscious awareness they have done so. While black magicians use ritual magik for the intent of conjuring these types of creatures, out of the collective and individual energy streams that have been expressly created, or were specified by the intent of the ritual.
It doesn’t matter if we are unconscious, awake or asleep, or do not believe spiritual forces or collective energies exist, we are all contributing, collaborating and co-creating with the many forces that exist in this world, in every possible shade and gradation of light and dark. The direction of energy or intent can evolve into some form of sentient being when it is fed into the collective consciousness, which animates it into some kind of form. That animated form can be used against us when we do not understand how we have created it from our own energy.
If we send out the energy intent of hatred to another person, the frequency of hate through morphogenesis can take the form of an etheric weapon. Those etheric weapons will be cast upon the energy field or aura of that person, being directed with the energy of hatred. Further, the world of forces such as satanic or alien forces will see that etheric weapon and twist it into the person even further, to create more pain or etheric damage. This is an example of how our own energy can be used against us, without our awareness of what we are actually participating with.
Through every thought we generate and every action we make, we are giving some form of expression to a quality of energy that exists in our consciousness and simultaneously, exists in the world consciousness. Every person on the earth, now and through all time and space is a nerve cell of this planet that contributed to the co-creation of content, making up the world consciousness. The world consciousness is what has been co-created through what we see reflected through the entirety of all of the collective consciousness expressions in all of the inhabitants of this earth. Discerning Bi-Wave (Polarity) or Tri-Wave Energy (Neutral)
The kind of consciousness energy that we express through our body can be better understood by studying the natural laws that govern the forces of polarity through archetypes. The Natural Law of Polarity is also referred to as the Law of Pairs of Opposites. One will notice the same repeated pattern in absolutely every energetic force or form in matter. Every person, place or thing will have an energetic polarity that is balanced or weighted in one form of energetic polarity or it’s opposite. This is represented also within our gender bodies, which expresses as a polarity in matter form (male or female). While our physical body exists in one polarity form in matter, our internal energies exist in both male and female principles.
As we evolve, we want to transmute the expression of the forces of polarity through our consciousness body, by choosing to unify them by expressing and holding neutrality. When we are conscious of the energetic polarity of forces to which we are being exposed, we can identify and internalize them by choosing the neutral association, which unifies the energy pattern to the most harmonious resonance. However, on the path of gnosis, we want to pay clear attention to what all energy feels like when it is being sensed or felt by our consciousness.
We want to know what our consciousness is feeling when we are exposed to other people, groups or collective consciousness programs. It is very important to pay attention to how you feel when exposed to different qualities of energy, in order to become trained and able to identify how subtle forces of energy feel. As one develops this feeling sensory skill, it leads to more accurate assessments in identifying when energetic forces are either of light, dark or neutral qualities. When this is able to be identified, then one can move to discerning the frequency in the polarity that exists between light and dark, as bi-wave consciousness, or the neutral or zero point that exits in the tri-wave consciousness.
When you identify the quality of energy that you are being exposed to, that means you have a conscious choice of what energy you want to express and collaborate with in the collective consciousness. This is the path to gain spiritual sovereignty through self-awareness by participating with personal choice and responsibility. When a person cannot identify energy and choose the quality of consciousness they want to express, they become a vehicle for expressing the lowest possible frequencies in the collective unconsciousness. Thus, they are easily manipulated and possessed by dark forces, which lead them around in servitude through their base desires and impulses.
Can you feel when energy is artificial, parasitic, deceptive, or negative? Can you feel when energy feels natural, truthful, honest and positive? There is a tremendous complexity with energy signatures that hold both light and dark, however, the most important attribute is to discern personal resonance. What does it feel like, is it resonant or is it discordant to your consciousness?
How much do you value truth and are willing to face the truth even when it’s painful or unpleasant? Unpleasant truths when stating accurate facts neutrally and in the interest of truthful transparency is positive energy. We have to remember that being purposely deceived in any way is negative energy, even when we are being fed lies that seem pretty and make us feel better temporarily. The truth spirit tells the truth no matter how unpleasant it may be, while the deceiving spirit tells lies no matter what the truth is, to gain the advantage.
Being able to discern the quality of energy around us is called cellular telepathy, which is normal not paranormal, and natural not supernatural. Cellular telepathy is also common between people especially people who know each other well. Every human can develop this higher sensory ability by clearing their pain body, disciplining their ego and paying attention to it.
We live in a world that is entirely made up of different qualities of consciousness energy, and that energy moves upwards in a spiral similar to playing musical notes that are written upon a harmonic scale.
Until we develop the context that our world is conscious and alive with many kinds of sentient beings, we will miss the entire meaning of our existence that is interconnected with the collective consciousness. When describing that all energy as intelligent, this means knowing that all energy holds an incredible amount of information, or stored memory and knowledge that can be recalled through its energy signature.
There are people on this earth that can read the energy signature and determine its quality in the spectrum of frequency that makes up a layer of the collective consciousness. While most people are being spiritually oppressed, they are unable to read energy signatures or sense them, because they have not been educated or made aware of how to do so. Morphogenetic Fields
Morphogenetic fields are a layered part of the consciousness architecture of the planet, which include the entire DNA and collective energy of humanities mental and emotional body. Those collective mental and emotional energies are responsible for what the entire planet manifests as its experience and mirrors it to the whole. This is the microcosm relationship to the macrocosm, they are one and the same. This reinforces and influences, belief systems, ego identity roles, memes and every psycho-social and cultural system existing on the planet today.
So when it is discussed that the planetary architecture and DNA has been hijacked by alien forces, it means also that the mental archetypes and emotional symbols that many humans have been using as a belief system to identify with the ego personality, is actually dissonant to their metaphysical nature and harmful to the life force and inner spirit.
All matter forms have a manifestation blueprint which is built upon the scalar standing wave patterns that are immovable. It appears to move but does not move. Like Christmas tree lights, they flash on and off into the expansion of the fission and fusion between the anti-particle and particle units that create the manifestation blueprints of form, as we know them.
From the quantum mechanics of the instruction sets of the blueprint fields, the laws of energy are reversed from the measurements of matter, which current science produces. This is because all matter forms at the quantum level have a projected negative, which is the energetic blueprint form holder of the actual matter form. This is similar to seeing undeveloped camera film, the photo negative of the film before it is processed into an actual photographic picture.
This is actually a blueprint of the developed picture and by looking at the reversed negative one can see how the actual picture will develop. The same happens for all manifested matter bodies, everything that is in a form, has an instruction set or blueprint negative. This is also a construct of the spiritual light bodies, which are collective consciousness bodies holding instruction sets. These instruction sets are also called morphogenetic fields. The War of Bi-Wave Collective Consciousness
The forces of polarity that exist in creation as a gender principle have taken on the bi-wave collective consciousness as the anti-life and fallen aspects of the Universal Mother and Universal Father. These fallen aspects are the Imposters of the original Universal Founders that operate as a trinity.
There is a Reversal Mother alien aspect that works to grow the collective consciousness forces of Satanism to be expressed on the earth. There is a Reversal Father alien aspect that works to grow the collective consciousness forces of Luciferianism to be expressed on the earth.
These larger gestalts of bi-wave consciousness have taken human and nonhuman forms in multiple dimensions of reality, and are dueling for complete control over the consciousness on the planet in order to continue to exist on the earth plane. These many varieties of bi-wave forces attempt to enslave humans to express their quality of anti-life reversals, made through the Satanic or Luciferian collective consciousness. Since humanity has the 12 Strand DNA imprint and potential of uniting with the eternal tri-wave consciousness of the combined Universal Mother and Universal Father Christos Trinity, the war is between bi-wave and tri-wave, or anti-life and eternal life.
Essentially, it is the bi-wave collective consciousness warring for survival by parasitizing the consciousness energy of humanity and the planet earth, seeded with original human 12 strand DNA. The Imposter Spirit forms, which many Negative Aliens have adopted in the role of False Alien Gods that intermediate on the earth, are connected to the False Parent Collective Consciousness that is referred to as Satanism and Luciferianism.
To become Satanic or Luciferian means that consciousness body has lost its eternal connection to the Godhead, thus has to find sources of energy to feed upon to continue to exist. Satanism is a collective consciousness force field, and any kind of entity can embody the anti-Christ, and become an embodied Satan. Reversal Mother = Satanic
The Reversal Mother is the anti-life hatred for the Godhead that exists in the anti-female collective consciousness of the Satanics. The interdimensional aliens in the Orion Group, such as the Black Sun Dragon Moth have primarily used the Reversal Mother principle of Satanism to spread their war and blood sacrifice ideology on the earth.
Those ideologies that endorse religious wars, genocide, eugenics, pedophilia, killing for God as a blood sacrifice, are specifically generated by the satanic collectives. They have accumulated the collective consciousness grids of the earth to be programmed with alien machinery running AI software for mind control, and that siphons energy off the planet to fuel other timelines and phantom realities.
The planetary grid network is harvested by the NAA to gain energetic power from the dark matter of the earth grid, by hijacking and raping the vital essence of the female and mother principle energies. Thus, in order to gain full access to siphon the planetary consciousness energies, as well as the human soul energies, they have set up global misogyny and sexual misery programs, like pedophilia.
Sexual energy harvested in anti-sex reversals are especially used to further spread the satanic forces to take power and control on the earth. Anti-life means reversal of life and reversal of sex. Reversal networks have been placed all over the planetary grid, in order to siphon the life force of the planet and take the creative forces away from the people. Anti-sex is to define the inability of the sexual partners to create the circuit of microcosmic orbit that allows the creative sexual forces to circulate the orgasmic energy into the heart flow, which expands the love that exists between them.
The war over free energy is intrinsic to the war over the consciousness of the earth people. These entropic systems have been put in place by the Controller Pillars of Society, in order to continue to enforce the hijack of the aspects of the female principle consciousness in all of its permutations. The female principle can be extracted of its animating properties and core essence that animates creation in matter, which is called the Aether or Azoth. As a result, the Fallen Goddess consciousness Aether is used in anti-sex rituals to animate sentient beings in the satanic hierarchy. Further, this is enmeshed with the creation of the Baphomet and Leviathan fields used by the Satanics to infiltrate the 2D grail gates.
The access to manipulate and siphon the creational and sexual forces of the earth and humanity, as well as carry out massive blood sacrifice genocidal wars, has allowed Satanic forces to carry out their enslavement agenda while remaining hidden from the masses. The Satanic Attributes and Impostor Spirit Qualities (Bi-Wave or Service to Self-Agenda)
These are general energetic qualities of the Satanic Collective Consciousness Spirit and its archetypes, that one will find driving the motivation behind their predator mind system: Cloaks itself within the authority of False Mother God archetypes in the earth body to manipulate through domination and control, while shapeshifting its outward appearance in both physical genders. Black Magic is a form of Satanism. Until a person has knowledge of what Black Magic actually is and how it is perpetrated and represented in earth elemental energy, and black magic grids, that person is not protected from the effects of black magic. Practicing Rituals based in Service to Self, crafts and methods for personal gain and profit at the expense of others, stealing other people’s energy and resources while taking ownership. Sending Curses, hexes and negative energy patterns to people with intent to harm, such as making them sick, ill or wishing them dead. Practicing blood sacrifice or the killing of a living thing dedicated to blood ritual or cleansing. Practicing Black Arts for conjuring elementals and earthly demons to work for the practitioner. The use of Alien Implants, holographic inserts or etheric weapons to assault and harass another. Black Magic used in sexual acts to conjure forces and bind the soul into servitude through rape or forced sodomy. Any sexual act involving force, violence, or the lack of consent between adult parties and/or a child. Any actions or behaviors in which the Luciferian or Satanic force is called upon, conjured or embodied for possession, or to gain control over another.
Satanics are the barbarians on the planet, they are supreme experts at trauma based mind control SRA, torture disassociation methods, weaving webs of deceit, Gaslighting tactics, sociopathic lying when called out, superiority complexes, and using sodomy and rape to steal life force from their target. They have no respect for esoteric knowledge or hierarchy unless they are beaten into submission or they have something to gain from it. They epitomize blood lust and violence of every type, the gorier and more painful it is, the more they enjoy to feed upon it with delight. Reversal Father = Luciferian
The Reversal Father is the anti-life male collective consciousness of the Luciferians, whose accumulated collective consciousness is harvested by the NAA to gain energetic power from the earth grid and from humanity, by hijacking and raping the male and Father principle energies.
The interdimensional alien Annunaki Gods, Enki, Enlil, Thoth, and Yahweh and Jehovah from Saturn, have primarily used the Reversal Father principle of Luciferianism to establish the world religions on the earth, using patriarchal domination rhetoric to serve the false light, and the bi-wave consciousness, so they could gain full control over humans and exert themselves as the Gods.
Through the energetic enslavement of the Seraphim consciousness, the Fallen Angelics were bound to play out the program of the Luciferian Rebellion as the Sons of Belial. And so they played their part as dictated by the planetary grid structures. This was further capitalized on by off planet Luciferian sources such as the Annunaki who understood what was happening, and many of these Negative Alien groups, such as those from Maldek joined forces.
Luciferianism is a collective consciousness force field, and any kind of entity can embody the anti-Christ through the False White Light of the False Father, and become an embodied Luciferian. A Satanic must evolve into Luciferianism in order to have rights to continue to progress, and many refuse to do so, unless they are absolutely left with no alternative. A person can embody Left path Satanism and Right Path Luciferianism, and express both male-female reversals simultaneously. Luciferian Attributes and Impostor Spirit Qualities (Bi-Wave or Service to Self-Agenda)
These are general energetic qualities of the Luciferian collective consciousness spirit and its archetypes that one will find driving the motivation of the Negative Ego False Light systems: Cloaks itself within the authority of False Father God archetypes to manipulate through domination and control, while shapeshifting its outward appearance in both physical genders. Siphons spiritual light and rapes the Mother’s Holy Spirit through the feminine principle with Vengeance and Self-righteousness, while propping up a false spiritual parent of the Mother to the masses. Through False Parent Archetypes it can only use the Negative Ego constructs to produce false spiritual light for its creations. False Father can appear to be a benevolent God, until you question his authority, then he becomes hostile and violent. False Light is temporary and has to be consistently replenished through stealing from others inner resources of Light, therefore he needs followers and those who give energy to him. Has disdain for the creation power of the Mother’s spiritual principle and resents and blames her Son, Christos for his position, therefore has crucified him/her. Has a superior, hierarchal and elitist mental body belief system that tricks him to believe its position or ability is higher than it really is; self-entitled. Self-aggrandizement of personal leadership role through its negative ego, compels it to abuse power and authority believing the innocent are stupid, to be led deceptively and controlled. Promotes false hierarchy for domination and control through promotion of hive mind mentality. (Hive mind means carry out group-orders and do not question authority). Skillful to use manipulation techniques to avoid transparency, accountability to actions, works to continually deceive others through a divide and conquer strategy of winners or losers. Uses biblical deception and salvation models to promote seed fears of Armageddon software and Victim/Victimizer archetypes, to target any development of unity consciousness including attacking and destroying human values, for achieving unconditional love and peace. Steals access to paranormal ability or supra-luminal intelligence in order to use astral glamour as the way to pretend or provide proof to the enslaved human, in the display of its superior intelligence and authority over those who serve the Luciferian False Light System.
Luciferians value esoteric knowledge, mental intelligence, hierarchy and the Universal Laws much more than Satanics. Luciferians have in earnest created Mystery Schools for higher education.
Humans that have awakened and undergone spiritual battle are held in some kind of respect and given a higher status. Many times, people that have spiritually awakened and progressed in consciousness, the Fallen Angelics and Luciferians will leave them alone and respect their path. In contrast, they hold disdain for ignorance and asleep people – the men of clay. The general consensus seems to be that if a species is stupid enough to believe something ridiculous, then they have the right to gain control and use that person or group as underlings. The Christos Attributes and Truth Spirit Qualities (Tri-Wave or Service to Others Agenda)
Christ Consciousness is a collective consciousness force field of the Trinity Source of the Godhead, and any kind of entity can choose to embody the Inner Christos by becoming a human being, and evolve over time to become an embodied Christ. There are Ascended Christs embodied in male and female forms that have united their inner polarities through spiritual ascension to the zero point.
One must inhabit an ascending planet in order to have the opportunity to spiritually evolve into a Christ and experience Cosmic Christ Consciousness, which is the status of a Cosmic Citizen that travels God-Sovereign-Free throughout the Universes. Eternal Love consciousness that is embodied in a form is unity intelligence, a tri-wave consciousness that is simultaneously recognized as the Inner Light of Christos.
The Inner Light of Christos when actualized in a human form is the embodiment of the tri-wave consciousness that is an Eternal God Human. The practice of the Cosmic Sovereign Law of One and its first practice of unity consciousness directly reflects the image of God’s Love for all creation, and this trinity force is eternally protected in the Godhead. Every soul is taking the same journey, but each soul has evolved at a different level.
The teachings of the Law of One describe the spiritual laws that govern our spiritual evolution for each dimension and it represents the ultimate path to achieve sovereignty in the Cosmic Christ Consciousness. It is a single philosophical system of World Humanism, which merges cosmology, science, human rights and spiritualism. Simply put, the Law of One is the Universal Truth that All Is One. It is the Truth taught by Christ when he proclaimed, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Trinity Source of the Godhead
To understand the tri-wave consciousness, think of the three sources of the original primal sounds of universal creation—The Threefold Flame. The first unit, as an energy matrix unit is a tri-wave, that which contains potentials for all polarities or no polarity. No polarity means this is the neutral charge, or zero point, the Godhead is that central point of all union, which this planet is moving into direct alignment with.
The Three Flames are all One, and yet they are distinct tones on their own. This is the paradox of Trinity Source of the God Head. The Holy Mother, the Holy Father and the Holy Son (Christos-Sophia) are all One as the Godhead, however, the Mother is not the Father, nor the Son. There is an energy matrix comprised of frequency that is a tri-wave tone, and this tone is inter-dimensional and also a part of the core substance of our Universal Time Matrix.
When we come into understanding bipolar radiation; we understand the original trinity and completion of the source projecting out its consciousness units into a bi-wave polarity, which is the pair of opposites that manifest matter creations, through the masculine and feminine principles. The electromagnetic principles reflect the gender pairs, and this helps us understand the core manifestation structure from which all matter manifestation is built. In working with that bi-polar wave, it is the radiation unit that forms the electromagnetic scalar standing wave.
We could say the bi polar wave is the sub tone of the tri-tone wave. Through that bi polar light wave projection, is the electromagnetism that creates the particle and anti-particle template of our universal structure. The particle unit represents the contraction phase of that tri-wave energy unit, thinking of a big circle which contains all potentials, and using the example of in-breath and its out-breath of source.
The particle unit is represented as the in breath of the energy that is contracted and received by that omni-polar or tri-tone state, the complete energy matrix. This is the base magnetic tone of that tri-tone energy unit. The anti-particle unit represents the outbreath or expansion phase of anti-matter or anti particle energy and is considered the base electrical. Together, we know these units function as the female and masculine principles of energy. This is to help us to understand that this is much more than gender as we think of it, and that gender principles have relevance in the core mechanics of creation, that is based on electromagnetic energy.
Gender principles, through the pair of opposites, create the continuing cycle of this tri-wave energy unit, projecting itself into a bi-wave spectrum of light. The energy thrust expands into an anti-particle vibration point, as an electrical force that, contracts into a particle vibration point, creating the magnetic pole. This is the third vibration or tone of the tri-wave that draws the entire composite energy back into the source. When the energy is drawn back into the source, the feedback loop of reciprocal source light is generated and expanded.
Our goal during these end cycle times is to create the tri-wave consciousness that draws the composite energy back into the zero point as a feedback loop, back into the source of all creation. This trinity field creates an eternal and perpetual supply of life force that regenerates the consciousness bodies. This eternal supply of life force is the Cosmic Christos light and the trinity principle that is the Cosmic Christ Consciousness. The Christ Consciousness is the Offspring of Hieros Gamos
What we have come to learn through the Guardian principle of Hieros Gamos is that the Christos Collective Consciousness is the child and offspring of the Holy Mother and Holy Father, and cannot be birthed into the physical world without both male and female principles and polarities equally unified to zero point. These principles of polarity, in both male and female, become unified between the internal and external manifestation, internally with the inner spirit and externally with the physical body.
I hope this is helpful as we try to stay balanced and increase our sentience in order to access truth. Please only take what is useful for your spiritual growth and discard all the rest. Thank you for your courage and bravery to be a truth seeker.
I am God, Sovereign, Free!
Until next, stay in the luminosity of your Avatar Christos Sophia heart path. Please be kind to yourself and each other. GSF!
With a Loving heart, Lisa SF Source Energetic Synthesis | 1 |
October 31, 2016 at 2:01 PM
It’s possible for even the average joe to make a lot of money through running their own IRS approved charity. A while back this scheme was brought to light here in Arizona. I personally know some of the players and I wasn’t surprised to learn how incestuous their organization was. What you do is set up a charity. Then have trusted friends and family do the same. Choose a good name like ‘Feed the Suffering and Starving Babies’ i.e. something that tugs at the heartstrings and then solicit donations. Who wouldn’t want to help starving babies. Then, within your charity network (of maybe ten separately named and owned charities) donate to each others charities over and over again passing around the same money. On your IRS Form 990 it looks like you gave away 10X more than you received. Pay yourself a nice salary and travel expenses. Rinse and repeat. This way all the donated money goes in your pocket and the charity watchdog sites think your golden. | 0 |
Mike Pence’s campaign plane slide off the runway during its landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Thursday, according to several reports. Despite sliding off the runway and barreling through a fence, nobody was injured in the incident.
Video:
— NBC News (@NBCNews) October 28, 2016 Pence campaign plane slid off the runway at LaGuardia Airport; no one injured; Emergency crews are on site, NBC’s @VaughnHillyard reports
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) October 27, 2016
“The plane made a rough impact when it landed. The pilot slammed on the brakes and travelers could smell burning rubber,” according to a CBS report . “Pence says mud splashed on the front windows of the cockpit.”
Once the plane came to a stop, emergency crews were quickly activated.
“It was the craziest landing I’ve ever experienced,” Pence said, according to Fox News.
CBS notes that LaGuardia is “closed until further notice.”
Mike Pence Campaign Plane Slides Off Runway After Landing At LaGuardia Airport added by Sean Colarossi on Thu, Oct 27th, 2016 | 0 |
Home › WORLD NEWS › WHAT EVERYDAY LIFE IS REALLY LIKE IN CUBA UNDER RAÚL CASTRO WHAT EVERYDAY LIFE IS REALLY LIKE IN CUBA UNDER RAÚL CASTRO 0 [10/28/16] Cuba is like going back in time.
It’s old and dirty.
There’s no advertising, probably because there’s nothing to sell. The only billboards are propaganda for the dictatorship, with the faces of Fidel or Raúl Castro, Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos.
You hear on the radio again and again “in 1958,” or “since the Revolution,” followed by news on Venezuela: ” …the monopolization of private supermarkets of the right and their allies…the international press…thanks to public policies of the Venezuelan government…famine has declined…”
Money is the key factor determining how a person is treated. If you are a foreigner, things are great, given that apart from having money, the regime forces Cubans to try to “make a good impression” — though it is difficult to pretend. The government behaves as if foreigners were royalty and Cubans were commoners. The same happens with Cuban-Americans who fled the island and return to visit, because they come back with purchasing power.
Cubans work for practically nothing. The average salary for a Cuban is US $20. A nurse earns $40 per month. A teacher earns $20 per month and a doctor earns $60 per month.
There are two markets in Cuba: the Cuban peso market and the dollar market. The dollar market has decent products, while poor quality products are valued in Cuban pesos. With the salary of a Cuban, the possibilities are limited to buying products in pesos, because only foreigners can buy products in dollars.
Usually, when one goes to the market looking for a food item, it is not available. Sellers say they might have it tomorrow, but they rarely do. Other times, sellers do not have any money for giving change to the customers, or no packaging like napkins, plates, cups, bags, etc.
Each family has its own “sales control for food items” book, which indicates the amount of food that families can buy from the government. Often, they are the only things accessible and reasonably priced for a Cuban salary.
Fruits, vegetables and meat are not part of the Cuban peso system, so not everyone gets to enjoy such things. The sales control book only includes rice, beans, sugar, coffee and pasta. Together, they still aren’t enough to form a healthy diet. Post navigation | 0 |
The Free Alabama Movement (FAM), one of the groups leading the national prison strike against slavery, argues an intentional lack of access to educational and rehabilitative opportunities foments violence and is central to maintaining an exploitative labor system within prisons.
“What is the best way to keep a population of people, where we can exploit them and put them in this system? The best way to do it is to keep us ignorant and uneducated, and thats how its working,” said Bennu Hannibal Ra-Sun, a member of FAM incarcerated at the Donaldson Correctional Facility.
This violence and other related issues, like overcrowding, recently motivated the United States government to announce an investigation into the Alabama prison system. Officers at one facility refused to go to work in recent months in protest against an administration they believe failed to protect them from an unruly population.
According to statistics [ PDF ] from the Alabama Department of Corrections, the number of prisoners graduating General Education Development (GED) courses and completing drug treatment has fallen since 2007-08. Eight hundred and seventy-two people received their GED while incarcerated in Alabama in 2007, a number that was at 412 in 2014 before rising to 694 in 2015.
Alabama Department of Corrections GED recipients, 2007-2015. Data provided by Alabama Department of Corrections; Graph by Shadowproof.
“There’s no intervention between the issues that [a person] had when they came to prison and the time that they’ll spend in prison,” Bennu said.
“Right now, you got a block where, inside of the dorms, you got 100-200 people. There’s not a single bookshelf in there,” he continued. “There’s not a writing table. There’s no magazines. There’s no dictionaries. There’s no pictures on the walls, ABC’s, 1-2-3’s.”
“You remember when we go to school? You know that you’re in an educational environment. There’s pictures and books on the walls, ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste’—these reinforcements. They don’t have any of that. In these blocks, there’s a TV, a microwave, and a coffee pot, and then there’s just a bunch of bodies strewn all over the place,” Bennu said.
Such programs can make a real difference in the environment inside a prison. “In the Convicts Against Violence Program, we had conflict resolution classes, we had mediation classes. We had peer leadership for gang members to teach them not to be leading guys down the wrong path. So we can make them better leaders by teaching them from a book called, ‘The 21 Laws of Leadership.’ We teach from that book and taught guys leadership skills. So we were able to occupy these guys time.”
“These are guys that normally are laying around waiting on the next joint to come through, waiting for the next batch of heroin to fall in, waiting on the next batch of ice to come in,” Bennu said. “But instead of that they’re in class. They’re watching educational DVDs They’re in leadership classes. They’re in group circles.”
Prisons that do not provide much programming and rehabilitation commonly do so for punitive or budgetary reasons (or both). But Bennu argued doing so comes with the cost of a volatile population. “We’re filling that time, creating new habits, creating new patterns, creating new thought processes, and so we’re making people more responsible, more mature. But if they don’t allow us to do that, then they’re time is filled with nothing. Whatever happens, they’re gonna jump in and get involved.”
“They changed the rule now,” Bennu said. “You can’t go to school no more until you’re within 5 years of your [end of sentence] date. So you come to prison, and you can’t read or write and you don’t have a skill or trade, and you got 20 years. You’ll do 15 years in prison before you go to school. So you gonna develop these bad habits for 15 years, and now they think you’re gonna change with five years to go, but you’re going home anyway. So you don’t even need that shit.”
Alabama Department of Corrections Statistics show the number of people completing drug treatment has fallen by more than one half since 2008—from 4,807 to 2,567 in 2016.
Alabama Department of Corrections prisoner completing drug treatment, 2008-2015. Data provided by Alabama Department of Corrections; Graph by Shadowproof.
“If you have heroin problems, you still got it. Now you’ve got 15 more years of heroin addiction and they’re talking about going to GED—how you gonna get a heroin addict, a full blown heroin addict into a GED class? And he’s not 19 now, he’s 34 now,” Bennu said.
Bob Horton, a spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Corrections, responded to questions about declining numbers of GED graduates by stating, “The average [GED] completions over the span of years cited is 617 annually. The report reflects 694 completions in 2015, which is actually a substantial increase. FY 2014, which runs Oct 2013 through September 2014, saw a decline, and it is our understanding the requirements for completion was substantially changed during that timeframe.”
“The drug treatment numbers have declined for a couple of reasons,” Horton said. “One, because of a shortage of counselors, and two, inmates not meeting the criteria by testing positive for drugs while participating in the program.”
Horton said the DOC was short 20 counselors twelve months ago, but through an “intensive effort to hire the needed professionals to administer the program,” that number has improved. The department is working toward filling the twelve remaining counselor positions, he said, while also implementing an “evidenced-based method for evaluating the success rate of the Substance Abuse Treatment program offered to offenders.”
“Effective rehabilitation and education programs have been proven to reduce violence in prisons, which are of course occupied by a large number of inmates in a confined area, and who have documented violent backgrounds,” Horton agreed.
“Beyond the obvious portals of perimeter security elements and building design, construction, and layout, effective classification and segmentation is the primary means to accomplish our primary mission of protecting the public, staff, visitors, and inmates themselves. Also inherent in our mission is the effort to provide rehabilitative tools, which the ADOC has done for decades.”
“There are a plethora of programs,” Horton said, such as psycho-social, educational, religious, and hybrid programs, “which exist in every ADOC prison. They are not all reflected in the statistical reports.”
Bennu agreed the statistics don’t provide the full picture of the options available to those inside Alabama prisons, but not in the same way Horton was suggesting. “Some of these numbers are skewed by the fact that some of these people bought their certificates,” Bennu said. “It’s very easy.”
“Let’s say I go to a prison, and they got a program,” he offered as a hypothetical example. “I go down there, I see one of the people who’s over there in the program. I’m gonna pull up on him and I’m gonna say, ‘Hey man, how’d you get into this program?’ Well you got to fill out these applications. I fill out the applications so I can go on the waiting list.”
“Or, I can pull back up on that guy and say, ‘Man, I got two bags of coffee, now go on and get me in the program.’ Boom, he’s getting me in the program and that’s that.”
“Once I get in the program, they got tutors and stuff looking over classes,” Bennu continued. “So I pull up on the tutor—he might be a heroin addict, he might be a weed head—and I say I’m not gonna come to class, you just mark me present every day for six weeks and then give me the certificate. And I can pay him $25-50, whatever the cost may be, and then I’ve bought my certificate.”
Bennu argued the system works this way intentionally because the state has no incentive to rehabilitate prisoners. The cycle of recidivism that results from not helping prisoners get better is essential to maintaining the labor force.
“As long as we get back out and can force other people into a lifestyle of crime and to keep that culture alive that they’ve created through this rap music and through these movies and this Scarface—As long as they have us to keep this culture alive, it’s a self perpetuating process,” Bennu contended.
An educated prisoner poses a threat to the system, he said, because they have the power to learn about and challenge their conditions of confinement. “I’ll just give you an example. I’m in a cell right now. The lights are out. The vents are full of filth. The cell is small. Well, if I can’t read or write, then I don’t know that there are health codes against this. I don’t know that I have human rights and some of these things.”
“When you have a fully educated and engaged population, you can’t get over on us the way that you can when we don’t know any better. It serves their interest for us not to know what the health department says about the way that they’re serving the food in the kitchen or the labor conditions that we have or how we were violated in court.”
“They don’t want us to get out and become competitive in the job market,” he continued. “They want to keep these jobs in prison where they don’t have to pay us anything so its cheaper for them. It’s just the cost of doing business. That’s what it boils down to for these people, it’s the cost of doing business.”
Bennu said this practice parallels the time of chattel slavery in America, when it was illegal for a slave to learn to read and write.
“In prison today, I’m in solitary confinement. The rules say I cannot receive any books, I got people on this block with me that can’t read and write. They won’t let them even get a GED book back here, but they’re sitting in the cell all day doing nothing,” Bennu suggested. “No books. No newspapers. No magazines. No reading material. No education material. And we’re just sitting in here. So there’s no way, and when I asked them about it they say, ‘Well we don’t want to reward them for bad behavior. We want to make sure they’re punished.'”
“But show me scientifically where punishment has been proven to be an effective method because if punishment worked, we wouldn’t have recidivism. They’re punishing us beyond the pale. So it’s obvious that it doesn’t work. They know it doesn’t work, but it’s rhetoric that has been used so long that even they believe.”
Bennu pushed back on the notion that punishing prisoners by restricting their participation in such programs is in the best interest of society. “It is not mandatory that I get anger management. It is not mandatory that I get treatment for my addictions. It’s not mandatory that I get a GED. It’s not mandatory that I get a trade.”
“It’s only mandatory that I go to work in the kitchen or go to work in the farm or wherever they tell me to. When I get back to society, I still can’t read and write. I still don’t have a skill or trade. I still got an anger problem. I still got a drug problem. How am I better for society?”
“On top of that, if I get a 15-year sentence, I can earn good time in the Alabama Department of Corrections. How can I earn good time and I can’t read or write and it’s not mandatory for me to go to GED school?”
“See, if they wanted to make that person better by the end of their sentence, they’ll say you’re eligible for good time but you can’t get it unless you enroll in school. And when you get your GED you have to go get a trade. But then they’ll be making that person better and they don’t have any incentive to make that person better.”
“It’s little things like that that shows that if the system was concerned about public safety, which person is better? This person earning good time, which means he’ll be out soon, is it making him better to make him get a GED in order to earn that good time? Make him get that trade to get that good time, make him get anger management, make him get drug treatment—Is that gonna be the better person when he gets out?
“Or is that person gonna be better ’cause you’re making him go to work in the kitchen every day and he’s gonna get back out with all of the problems that he had when he went to prison?”
The post Free Alabama Movement Links Prison Slavery To Lack Of Access To Education, Rehabilitation appeared first on Shadowproof .
| 1 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.