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Elasticity of polymers investigated by atomic-force microscopy
Bubendorf, Alexander. Elasticity of polymers investigated by atomic-force microscopy. 2015, Doctoral Thesis, University of Basel, Faculty of Science.
Available under License CC BY-NC-ND (Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives).
Official URL: http://edoc.unibas.ch/diss/DissB_12468
The elasticity of four different polymers, polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS) on a silicon oxide substrate perforated with circular holes prepared by polymer blend lithography was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) by using two different methods: a static and a dynamic method, under nondry-air conditions and at ambient temperature. In the static method based on the method developed by Oliver and Pharr for rigid indenters [J. Mater. Res. 1992, 7, 1564-1583], the elastic modulus is determined from load-displacement curves obtained from indentations of the cantilever tip in the sample surface. The origin of the observed plastic and elastic deformation phases is explained. As indentations performed by cantilever tips differ from those done by rigid indenters, parameters, such as creep of the piezoelectric scanner, cold flow, thermal expansion of the sample and finite stiffness of the cantilever were investigated to make the results fit the theoretical model of Oliver and Pharr. The method was tested on PTFE and PS. In the dynamic method based on the AFM method devised by Herruzo et al. [Nat. Commun. 2014, 5, 3126], a more robust measurement method than the initial one is used to determine the frequency shifts necessary to compute the elastic modulus of samples. This method, that is based on the tracking of the two first flexural contact resonances, is especially well suited when measuring in ambient conditions. The normal force necessary for the measurements was assessed. The origin of the observed plastic and elastic deformation phases and the effect of the spring constant on the relation between the measured normal force and the displacement of the Z piezoelectric scanner in these phases are explained.The method was tested on LLDPE, PP, PS and the SAM. The storage modulus of LLDPE, PP, PS and FDTS was determined. The values for LLDPE, PP, and PS where compared with Young's modulus for bulk material. The value of the storage modulus for FDTS can be used as an estimation for the order of magnitude of Young's modulus of an FDTS monolayer.The measurements were performed with two controllers for scanning probe microscopes (SPM): Nanonis, a commercial controller from Specs (Zurich, Switzerland), and SAPHYR, whose hardware was developed by the Electronics Department of the Department of Physics of the University of Basel (Basel, Switzerland) in collaboration with Nanosurf (Liestal, Switzerland), a company specialized in SPM. The full software for the control of the different modules of SAPHYR was programmed in the LabVIEW environment during this work. The functions necessary to perform elasticity measurements with Oliver and Pharr's methods, but also to perform AFM imaging in general, were implemented. These functions are a Z controller for the control of the tip-sample surface distance, a scanner that can map all the necessary quantities (phase shifts, frequency shifts, dissipation, ...) and a Z spectroscopy function that can measure load-displacement curves.The initial method for the computation of phase shifts between an excitation signal and the cantilever response signal with SAPHYR lockin amplifiers was replaced by a more powerful algorithm developed by the author.
In the initial method, the phase shift was determined from the real-time computation of ratio Y/X of the quadrature Y by the in-phase X components in the SAPHYR controller and the computation of arctan(Y/X) by the software for the control of SAPHYR. This algorithm, can compute arctan(Y/X) directly and precisely in the SAPHYR lockin amplifiers in real time. In addition, the algorithm overcomes the instabilities of the functioning of the initial phase-locked loops (PLLs) in SAPHYR based on the use of the approximation arctan(Y/X)~Y/X as a phase shift value, and due to magnitudes of phase shift and its variations greater than 0°, that occur, for example, when the cantilever tip picks up material or the sample surface elastic properties change. As this method is a good solution for the actual state of the art of the lockin and PLL development for AFM, my proposition for its patenting was accepted by the University of Basel. Finally, an analytical expression for the computation of the normal contact stiffness of a clamped cantilever with its tip in contact with the sample surface was established. This formula, derived from the equations based on Rabe's work and published by Hurley and Turner in J. Appl. Phys. 2007, 102, 033509, avoids the usual numerical determination of normal contact stiffness by the extrapolation method.
Meyer, Ernst and Poggio, Martino
05 Faculty of Science > Departement Physik > Physik > Nanomechanik (Meyer)
Bubendorf, Alexander and Meyer, Ernst and Poggio, Martino
Thesis Subtype:
Thesis no:
Thesis status:
doi: 10.5451/unibas-006777063
urn: urn:nbn:ch:bel-bau-diss124687
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War of the Rebellion: Serial 092 Page 0314 Chapter LVI. OPERATIONS S. C., GA., AND FLA.
December 1, started at 7 a. m. ; marched, as advance guard, about twelve miles and bivouacked at 5 p. m. at Blazed Tree Church. December 2, started at 8 a. m. ; marched bout eleven miles and bivouacked about 6 p. m. near Buck Head Creek. December 3, started at 12. 30 p. m. ; marched until midnight with numerous halts and over a difficult road about eight miles. December 4, continued the march until 4 a. m., having made about three miles, when the regiment bivouacked. At 7. 30 a. m. again started; marched about six miles; the regiment was placed on picket duty for the night, with the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers. December 5, at 7 a. m. drew in the picket guard, and at 9 a. m. moved forward with the column; marched about fifteen miles and bivouacked at 9 p. m. December 6, moved at 8 a. m. ; marched about twelve miles over very marshy roads and bivouacked at 6 p. m. December 7 a. m. ; marched about ten miles over very difficult roads and bivouacked at 6 p. m. near Springfield. December 8, started at 6. 30 a. m. ; marched about nine miles and bivouacked about 4 p. m. at Wadley's Mill. December 9, started at 7 a. m. ; marched about six miles and bivouacked about 6 p. m. near Monteith. December 10, started at 9. 30 a. m. ; shortly after starting the regiment was placed in rear of the first 200 wagons of the corps train as guard for the 100 wagons immediately preceding it; marched about nine miles and bivouacked about 4 p. m. five miles and a half from Savannah, Ga. December 11, at 7 a. m. moved out upon the main road to Savannah with the rest of the brigade; moved forward about three-quarters of a mile thereon and turned off to the left toward the Savannah river. In a short time thereafter the command hour I was ordered by Colonel Branum, commanding the brigade, to move forward the regiment and deploy it as skirmishers, connecting with the left of the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Volunteers, which was already deployed and skirmishing with the enemy, and to continue my line until it reached the river, if possible. When but three companies upon the right had been deployed the river was reached. With the remainder of the regiment s a reserve I ordered the skirmishes forward. They had moved but about twenty-five yards when farther advance was prevented by a deep swamp, and the line had become so shortened as to render two companies sufficient to cover the space between the One hundred and thirty-seventh New York Veteran Volunteers and the river. I therefore ordered Company I to join the reserve. Moved the reserve forward nearly to the skirmish line and went forward with Colonel Barnum to reconnoiter the position. To get over the swamp with any force it was found necessary to cross a narrow dike or road, which was commanded by the enemy's sharpshooter. At this time Captain Maguire had succeeded in crossing with a few skirmishers, and he meeting with but little resistance, I ordered Company K, Captain O. J. Spaulding, to cross the road, to quickly deploy, and with those already across advance toward the enemy's works. This was gallantly done, and the enemy driven into his main line of works. I immediately ordered the reserve forward, when the enemy opened upon the column with artillery, and the force being insufficient to carry the works by assault and unsupported, I ordered the regiment t form in line behind a natural dike, which had been previously occupied by the enemy and which was but 150 yards from their main line. During this attack the regiment had two wounded, Captain Spaulding and one private, both slight. The regiment remained in this position and improved and strengthened the earth-work in their from sufficiently to
‹ Serial 092 Page 0313 Chapter LVI. THE SAVANNAH CAMPAIGN. up Serial 092 Page 0315 Chapter LVI. THE SAVANNAH CAMPAIGN. ›
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Works Le soleil et l’acier Alain Thibault
Le soleil et l’acier
Alain Thibault
Year of composition: 1988, 90
Instrumentation: soprano and stereo fixed medium
Commission: CEE with support from the Ontario Arts Council
The title of this work comes from a book by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Le soleil et l’acier (Sun and Steel) refers to the types and processing of the sounds used in the composition and orchestration but mostly to the contrasts that it can trigger in our mind (such as: organic/synthetic, energy/inertia…). The piece has nothing to do with the book of Mishima and does not use any text; the choice of the phonemes is left to the singer. In fact, this piece is inspired by the first hexagram of the Yi King, “K’ien/The Creator” which is composed of six full lines corresponding to the original power, yang, which is luminous, strong, spiritual and active; its image is the sky. The hexagram includes also the power of time, the power of perseverance in time, the duration (see Yi King, The Book of Transformations by Richard Wilhelm).
[iii-90]
Le soleil et l’acier was produced at the composer’s studio in Montréal and premiered by Pauline Vaillancourt on February 22nd, 1988 at the Du Maurier Theatre in Toronto. The piece was commissioned by the Canadian Electronic Ensemble (CEE) with assistance of the Ontario Arts Council.
February 22, 1988, Pauline Vaillancourt, soprano • Concert, Du Maurier Theatre — Harbourfront Centre, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)
empreintes DIGITALes / IMED 9003, IMED 9003_NUM / 1990
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The Song Grows Up from Ellis Paul, the second edition of his Song Factory series, is where your song crafting skills and perspiration take over from the inspiration and passion that brought your song idea to life (see Ellis’ Birth of a Song edition).
Many songwriters believe that the true art of songwriting doesn't emerge until the editing process begins, and it's here in this edition that Ellis passes on the insight, process, and his highly acclaimed “Editing Wheel” toolset for editing and refining your work to produce a finished song suitable for performance and recording.
Ellis Paul has written over a thousand songs and has co-written with a who’s who list of major artists. Also a passionate educator, Ellis has mentored hundreds of songwriters over the years and his teaching materials and toolkits on Performance, Song Creation, and Song Editing are referenced daily in the writing rooms of thousands of accomplished songwriters all over the globe.
In the first section of The Song Grows Up, Ellis presents his Editing Wheel toolset: The Mission Statement: The Why, The What & The Who, Your Verses: The Story Begins, The Melody: The Staircase, The Senses: Witness the Song, Orchestration: Tension & Release, Narrator & Audience: Are You Talking to Me?, Believability: Speak Your Truth, The Bridge: Fresh View, The Chorus: The Emotional Lift
”We’ll be working with a toolset I call "The Incredible Editing Wheel,” which essentially is a process for refining your song's Mission Statement: the who, what and why of the song. Once you understand what the song is saying, who the audience is, and what you want it to do in the world, you'll have a better time recognizing where it falls flat in meeting those goals.
The Editing Wheel visualizes the process by breaking the song into its various parts - the verse, chorus, melody, orchestration, narrator, the senses, believability, and bridge - and asking, How does each part of the song support the mission statement? What is the tone, the subject, who is the narrator? How can each one of these sections be refined in a way that improves the mission of the song? How can the story be told better, sung more beautifully, more melodically, played with greater emotion?”
In the second section of the course, Ellis presents a series of lessons focused on the The Arc of the Song demonstrating how his own material was crafted using the editing wheel toolkit.
”In the Arc of a Song section, I’m going to show you three of my own songs; Battle of Charlottesville, The Innocence & the Afterlife, and Straight to the Moon. I’ll take you from the birth of the songs from the first draft, all the way to the final draft. All my journal entries and the MP3's of the work tapes will be included, so you can see the process of taking a song into the final stage.”
Ellis will explain and demonstrate all of the key concepts and approaches as you work through the course. In addition, you’ll be able to loop or slow down any of the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace.
Grab your pen and guitar — let’s write songs with Ellis Paul!
Click on the link below to purchase a disc or an instant download.
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Russia, China block UN from saying NKorea violated sanctions
Xi pens friendship letter to N. Korea before rare visit
Not all parties to attend PM’s all-party meeting
With 'Libra,' Facebook takes on the world of cryptocurrency
Lenders file for Jet Airways' bankruptcy, hearing today
Electoral bonds worth Rs 5,029 crore issued till May 4, reveals RTI reply
PTI / May 15, 2019, 5:15 pm
Mumbai: At an average of Rs 48 lakh per bond, the State Bank of India (SBI) has issued 10,494 electoral bonds in nine phases so far, worth over Rs 5,029 crore, an RTI response has revealed.
SBI is the only commercial bank which has been authorised by the Centre to issue electoral bonds ever since it was envisaged last year.
In a response to Mumbai-based RTI activist Manoranjan Roy's query on the total numbers of electoral bonds issued and the names of companies or individuals giving the donations, the bank said it has issued 10,494 bonds worth Rs 5,029 crore till phase nine which was completed on May 4.
Bank, however, did not disclose the names of companies or individuals giving donations to political parties citing it to be "third party" information which is exempted under under Section 8(1)(E)(i) of the RTI Act.
Replying to another query on how many of the electoral bonds issued have been submitted for withdrawal, it replied that (out of 10,494 issued) 10,388 bonds have been withdrawn/redeemed till the phase nine.
"The value of these redeemed bonds amounts to Rs 5,011 crore," CPIO and Deputy General Manager (TB Sales & SME) Naresh Kumar Raheja further stated.
Commenting on the reply, Roy said, "Augmentation of electoral bonds are nothing but a legalised route to have an unholy nexus between political parties and corporate entities and it will lead to the highest level of corruption in the country."
"It can be little less destructive if this is made transparent by revealing the names of bond-seekers," the RTI activist said.
Roy further suggested that corporate entities could spend this huge amount of money through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) schemes or individuals can benefit the needy and marginalized people in the society rather than donating to political parties "who spend the amount to woo voters".
Notably, the Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, notified by the Centre in January last year, has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Only those political parties registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and which secured not less than one per cent of the votes polled in the last general election to the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of the state, shall be eligible to receive the bonds.
The bonds may be purchased by a person who is a citizen of India "or incorporated or established in India," the government had said in a statement last year. These remain valid for 15 days and can be encashed by an eligible political party only through a bank account with the authorized bank within that period only.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a voluntary group working in the field of electoral reforms, has demanded a stay on the sale of electoral bonds while the CPI(M) has challenged it before the Supreme Court in separate petitions.
India to overtake China as world's most populous nation by 2027: UN
Hundreds of US police officers part of hate groups on FB
18 of 'Super 30' students crack IIT-JEE Advance
15 more tax officials facing graft charges forced to retire
Court monitored probe sought in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar incident
Om Birla elected Lok Sabha Speaker unopposed
8 killed, 10 injured in UP road accident
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Sustainability Research Institute External Seminar
School of Earth and Environment event Friday 15 March 2019
Date: Friday 15 March 2019, 16:00 – 17:15
Type: Seminars, Earth and Environment, Sustainability Research Institute
Chris Metcalfe, Trent University Canada
Water-Related Problems and Solutions in First Nation Communities in Canada
Abstract: First Nations are one of the three constitutional Indigenous groups in Canada, and currently the fastest growing demographic within the Canadian population. At any one time among the First Nation communities on Treaty Lands in Canada, there are typically more than 120 drinking water (i.e. “boil water”) advisories and many of these advisories have been in place for several months or even years. Consequently, there are greater incidences of water-related illnesses among First Nation communities relative to non-Indigenous communities in Canada. Although some First Nations have installed new or upgraded water treatment technologies, communities continue to express concerns about the risks of contamination of their drinking water sources from pollution that originates off-reserve. In this presentation, Prof. Metcalfe will describe the many factors that contribute to the lack of Water Security among First Nation communities in Canada, and he will describe some of the solutions to this problem, including “source water protection” planning.
Bio: For over 35 years, Dr. Metcalfe has been a Professor at Trent University in Peterborough, ON, Canada, and he has developed an internationally recognized research program in determining the environmental fate and effects of chemical contaminants. He has utilized a wide range of analytical instrumentation to evaluate the distribution of contaminants in water, soils, sediments, effluents, fish, birds and marine mammals, and he has also used in vivo and in vitro techniques to evaluate the biological and toxicological effects of contaminants to fish and amphibians. Dr. Metcalfe also has extensive experience in water quality problems in countries with emerging and developing economies, including countries in Latin America, the Caribbean and in Southeast Asia. Dr. Metcalfe is the Director of the Institute for Watershed Science at Trent University. This multi-disciplinary centre is involved in research and training on watershed management and recently, has focused its activities on water management in Indigenous communities in Canada. Dr. Metcalfe is also a “Senior Advisor” with the UN University, Institute for Water Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) in Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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Category Archives: eSports
StarCraft ProLeague and Five Top StarCraft Teams Disbanded
The longest active StarCraft competition has come to an end. KeSPA has announced that the StarCraft ProLeague, a Korean team-based league that started in 2003 with Brood War and ran for fourteen years, would discontinue operations effective immediately. This announcement was made simultaneous with the announcement that five top Korean SC2 teams would also disband effective immediately.
Tags: Business of Gaming, eSports, KeSPA, Proleague, SC2, StarCraft 2
Report Suggests that ESPN and Riot Games are in Talks for LCS TV Broadcast Deal
With the explosion in popularity of eSports viewership worldwide, people have been wondering if eSports will make the jump to TV. We’ve seen ESPN take an interest in major eSports competitions of late with broadcasts of The International and Heroes of the Dorm on ESPN2 with the League of Legends World Championship streamed on ESPN3 along with a newly-founded eSports news division.
Now, a report from PVP Live suggests that ESPN’s presence in the eSports community could expand. They’re reporting that Riot Games and ESPN have been talking about a TV broadcast deal for LCS.
Tags: Business of Gaming, ESPN, LCS, League of Legends, Twitch
eSports Weekend Calendar: February 5 – 7, 2016
I’m not sure I could have picked a worse week to get back into the eSports weekend calendar. LPL is taking a short break so it’s a light schedule on the League of Legends front. Dota 2 is mostly qualifiers and small regional events. SC2 is all qualifiers. At least CS:GO and Hearthstone have a couple of big tournaments this weekend.
Tags: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Starcraft II
Former StarCraft Champion, Life, Arrested for Match-Fixing
One of the top stars in professional StarCraft has been arrested under suspicion for match-fixing. Life, who was the 2014 StarCraft World Champion, was formally arrested over the weekend by the Changwon District Prosecutor’s Office and certainly turned the StarCraft world on its head.
Tags: Blizzard, Life, Starcraft II, WCS
Blizzard Makes $4 Million Investment into Heroes of the Storm eSports
When a gaming company gets into the MOBA space, they will inevitably try to grow an eSports community around it. The perception from the developers has always seemed to be that there needs to be a competitive to get interest from gamers. After all, League of Legends is massive and its World Championship has viewership that many sports leagues would be envious of.
While Blizzard has been trying to grow a competitive scene for their MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, since the game was in invitation-only beta, they are making their biggest eSports push ever for Heroes of the Storm in 2016. They announced their Heroes of the Storm Global Championship Circuit which will feature a cumulative prize pool of over $4 million for the year.
Tags: Blizzard, Heroes of the Storm, HOTS
eSports Weekend Calendar: January 15 – 17, 2016
There’s a whole lotta eSports going on this weekend. Chief among the action are the two big MOBAs. Over in Dota 2, the jointly produced StarLadder Star Series and IMBAtv i-League season comes to an end with their playoffs and some top teams still in contention. Meanwhile, League of Legends starts league play this weekend worldwide. All five of the big leagues have games over the weekend so we can see who gets off to a hot start.
Elsewhere, there is various StarCraft action in Korea. The Heroes of the Storm Gold Series continues group play ahead of next weekend’s playoffs. And CS:GO has their first January Minor event in the Americas. That doesn’t sound too impressive but it’s worth $30,000 to the winner and an invite to the final eight qualifier for February’s MLG Columbus Major.
Tags: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Heroes of the Storm, League of Legends, Starcraft II
eSports Weekend Calendar: January 8 – 10, 2016
It’s a quiet weekend in the world of eSports. League isn’t back until next week so MOBA fans will have to make due with the qualifiers for March’s Shanghai Major. Otherwise, there’s a little bit of Hearthstone, SC2 and HOTS for you to take in.
Activision Buys MLG for $46 Million
The biggest name in North American eSports is now the property of the biggest game publisher in North America. Just prior to Christmas, MLG’s Board of Directors approved the sale of “substantially all” of its assets to Activision Blizzard for $46 million.
Tags: Activision, Business of Gaming, MLG
eSports Weekend Calendar: December 18 – 20, 2015
There are a few events happening this weekend to give some of your favourite eSports stars a couple of extra dollars in spending money right before Christmas. The stars of League of Legends are split between China and Germany. The big teams are in Cologne for a stop on the Intel Extreme Masters tour while China plays host to World Cyber Arena. Also at WCA are Hearthstone and Dota 2 which isn’t listed below because I can’t find times for anything beyond the group stage.
My focus will be on StarCraft II this weekend. The semi-annual HomeStory Cup is taking place this weekend. I believe that this one will be the first HSC from Take’s new studio rather than his apartment. Hopefully this won’t change the atmosphere of the event. HomeStory Cup is my favourite tournament series in SC2.
Tags: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Starcraft II
If you’re looking something to watch on Twitch this weekend and are in the Americas, this is a good weekend for you. Dota 2’s The Summit 4 wraps up this weekend with the eight-team playoff. ESL and ESEA conclude their CS:GO pro league. And StarCraft II’s Nation Wars continue this weekend. Canada is in action on Thursday and Friday so I’ll be watching to see if Scarlett, HuK and desRow can bring Canada to the Round of 8.
For those on the West Coast or those up late elsewhere, Riot is holding the 2015 All-Star Event featuring the international regional all-star teams and the 1v1 tournament. Put a pot of coffee on if you want to see the finish of those.
Tags: Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, League of Legends, Starcraft II
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Patrick’s Testimony
James’ Testimony
Theology And General Interest
Famous And The Infamous
Stanzas For God’s Glory
Munich Nights
King James Bible Studies
How To Be Forgiven
Worldwide E-Mails
Ex-Catholics For Christ
Charles Manson: “The Death of Satan’s Creepy Cult Leader”
“Creepy” Charles Manson died today aged 83. He beat the death penalty by a few months. He served five decades in a state prison and showed no remorse.
At just 5 foot 3 inches he symbolised so much of what was wrong with the 1960s. Like so many of his kind they are gone but are sadly not forgotten.
Now he will stand before a higher judgment that awaits the unsaved of this fallen world.
“Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).
On August 9th 1969, three deluded young women with a dangerous man, found an open entrance into the rented home of the actress Sharon Tate, then aged 26-years-old. The building was situated on 10050 (later changed to 1066) Cielo Drive, situated in the prestigious Benedict’s canyon area. The married actress was then eight months pregnant with her unborn son. Soon both would be hideously mutilated and murdered. Before they departed Charles Manson had told them mysteriously, “Now is the time for Helter Skelter.” In other words, death was on its way and for this group of killers there would be no turning back for them ever again
The then self-anointed acolytes or simply a “death squad” placed in the scene of the crime that evening, were allegedly led by Charles Tex Watson with Patricia Krenwinkle, Susan Atkins and Linda Kasabian bringing up the rear and she, incidentally, would later herself became an important witness for the prosecution against the so-called “Manson Family” and of their wicked deeds.
Five people, including the unborn child, were savagely murdered that night, with Sharon Tate herself being attacked sixteen times with the word “Pig” engraved onto her front door, using Sharon’s own blood for this disgusting purpose. Incidentally, hers would be the final death in this nightmare on Cielo Drive, and she may well have been still alive herself. These killings were definitely not performed in the heat of the moment but were logical cold-blooded murders, against innocent people, and an unborn child. Strangely enough into this context are the unusual words Susan Atkins is reported as speaking/whispering to the dying actress, by speaking repeatedly, “Woman, I have no mercy for you.” She later added the following about this, “And I knew at the time I was talking about myself.” Well, this may well be but I do perhaps, speculate, where she found these words from or had she been memorising them before the hideous killings took place.
It is, after all, an odd choice of wording for somebody to repeat and I have to cautiously suggest, almost as if something demonic was “channelling” itself through her damaged personality, a demon perhaps, or as James 1:14 states, “Every man [or woman] is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”
Susan certainly was tempted with terrible results and then quickly succumbed to its snare. Tragically in any moment of madness, a life can be blighted forever, and then wickedness has triumphed until that person seeks repentance of all previous sins, as I believe Susan Atkins later did, in her long prison confinement.
The following night the same group, now numbering six members and probably still high from the night before, arrived at the home of Mr. Leno La Bianco and his wife Rosemary, again both would be systematically murdered, as well with the additional words of, “Death to the pigs,” as well as “Rise” and “Helter Skelter,” used in and around the house for all to see. Mr. La Bianco also had the word “war” carved into his exposed abdomen. He may well have still been breathing during this awful ‘ritual.’ The other slogans had been dipped into the blood for all to see. Mrs La Bianco’s body sustained 41 wounds that night, many being attributed to being performed after her death; it was later stated in the autopsies’ report. The bizarre messages that had apparently puzzled the police had been Manson’s own idea of leaving so-called sick “calling cards,” which emerged later at the trial.
Amazingly, the Los Angeles homicide bureau considered these murders as two separate unrelated crimes, when they began their investigations, perhaps even being drug-related, it was proposed to the media. Yet jerking the coils and orchestrating these savage slaughters, that strangely enough, can still sicken us even today, when viewing the crime scene photographs, was of course Charles Manson, at the time a 35-year-old, ex-convict, soon to become a grinning guru, “ministering” to a group of misfits that became known through the media as, “the family.”
Yet this was no happy family, who may well have, it seems, committed over 40 murders in their brief reign of bloodshed in and around the California area, maybe beyond, in the mid-1960s. (This commune brought very little peace it seems to all who stumbled across their dangerous path).
Manson may not have entered the first selected residence for the ritual killings but he certainly knew its favoured location, having been there himself, previously, when the late son of Doris Day had once occupied the property, and he was Terry Melcher, a successful record producer at the time, who Manson had later previously seduced with gifts of girls and other ‘goodies,’ naturally hoping his musical audition tapes would eventually bring him a lucrative record deal, with Melcher’s record label. It didn’t happen of course, for whatever reason, and by the time the killers entered the house, Melcher had long moved away, and it seems out of Manson’s life. Yet Manson certainly dispatched, it seems, his chosen five acolytes, to perform these macabre murders that evening. But as always it has to be asked what indeed was the motive for these murders and mayhem, that came out of its bloody carnage in the so-called city of “the angels,” or more like “fallen angels,” I suggest!
Yet three aspects have to be seriously considered in these inspired Manson murders, and they are:
A drug-fuelled killing spree used for cheap kicks and easy money to buy and squander on even more delusional drugs, and naturally fornication thrown into this witch’s mix. Remember, “Drop in, drop out” from Tim Leary? He certainly has a lot to answer for in this squalid tragedy that ruined the lives of a generation from the 1960s.
Sinful Satanic influence, which cannot and should not be dismissed, being controlled today and then by the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2). This is in my mind a strong possibility and not to be rejected by the doubtful.
The government prepared and programmed, popularly known as “mind-bending” selected drugs, could also be the cause. Certainly the 1960s surged in like an ill wind from the east, bringing with it the Beatles and the Stones, and all the other pop groups, offering their psychedelic poems, set to so-called “music,” then listened through the popular long-playing records of the era, many sadly arriving from England, the home of the beloved King James Bible, no less. “Free love,” if that’s the correct word, and “free sex” as well as deadly dosing of syphilis, and other disgusting frequently sexually transmitted diseases (STD), as well as herpes and assorted venereal diseases, had finally arrived on the scene, and the free clinics in San Francisco quickly became a second home, it seems to “the Manson girls.” The beat of the above certainly influenced a wannabe future pop hopeful, namely Charles Manson, and he just couldn’t wait to jump on to the pop carousel and enjoy all the “goodies,” naturally at a terrible price of course, because “the wages of sin is death.” Always has been, and always will be.
When Manson was due for release in 1967, after serving 17 years in prisons and reformed schools, Manson had apparently prayed fervently the night before, begging his god not to be released the following morning. However, after those prison gates had slammed behind him, he headed off, after being given permission from his probation officer of course, to where else, but San Francisco, the capital of “the flower children,” the hippies and self-proclaimed bohemians as well, with its then pop culture, as well as assorted self-appointed gurus, suddenly preaching on every street corner, proclaiming “love” and “peace” to whoever would pause and listen. Manson after listening discovered that he liked its effects. Then after some practising himself-he was a quick learner, after all, it seems he had finally found his future vocation, and it is claimed that Manson’s three main sources of “inspiration” then were the Bible, the Beatles and Scientology, as well as shouting about the coming race war intermittently, and just as quickly as those searching kids discovered him and a new way of life for themselves, Manson finally found his own vocation as a leader of the pack, he must have felt he had arrived, at long last.
Then the new buzzwords were also landing from the pop airwaves on to the city like, “acid rain,” “let it rock n’ roll, man” becoming the adopted anthem of the boulevards and of the nation to it seems, with rock n’ roll and revolution in the pot filled psychedelic air. Something was ready to pop and, “Oh boy, let the good times roll,” they chanted hysterically in unison day and night, and anything goes it seems to the thousands of kids seeking a “saviour.” Yet tragically out of this drug-induced nightmare, many would never see the light of a new day again, before death, through an overdose would take them away to the nearest morgue. How sad it all seems today to the lost and unsaved of that lost era, nor would you hear too often, “Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings,” proclaimed with true love and not the loose love of the Haight Ashbury district.
And you know if Scott Fitzgerald’s era was referred to as the “lost generation” of the 1920s, then the “flower-power” puffing pot children of the 1960s, were the dope saturated delinquents of the 1960s, and nothing would ever be the same again in that so-called lost “summer of love,” and not surprisingly lashings of flower-power reigned supreme, for a time, on the west coast.
As Jeff Guinn comments in his well-researched book about Manson, “He was the wrong man in the right place at the right time.” How tragically correct his observation is in these dreadful disasters that claimed so many lives.
Satan’s devotion from the world of “entertainment” has long flourished, waxing worse and worse. Today, however, its evil influence is endemic in the music/film industry. Just view any YouTube video of rock or pop concerts yourself, and spot the blatant Satanic Illuminati symbols. In fact not only can you not miss them (and I’m sure most of the deluded kids, who pay good money to see their idols perform, and purchase the merchandise, do not understand what’s really happening, behind and in front of the stage or auditoriums), but the powers that be, want you to be able to see their wicked symbols. In fact according to ex-members of this Luciferian industry, what these evil entertainers are actually doing, most of the time, with the help of unclean spirits, is not only subtly hypnotizing their unsuspecting victims, but far worse than that, they are being used and guided by unclean spirits to demon-possess their unsaved followers too. (The lyrics to their songs are about as anti-Christ and anti-God as one can get.)
Please remember, this, after all, is Satan’s world (not just the “entertainment” world), and he has many devotees, very eager to follow and obey him, ranging from the fields of organized religion, politics and the press. And again, so much of the court presented evidence in 1970, of the killings associated with Manson, seems rather like an induced semi-dream world of LSD.
The Satanic thread concerning two of Manson’s followers, that runs through the “family,” concerns Susan Atkins and others who had been deceived disciples of Anton LaVey’s Satanic “church” in California, before jumping ship to join Manson. Another fringe “church” practising a false message at the time was “the process church of the final judgement,” that apparently offered hefty doses of pop music in the service, coupled with hideous Satanic chanting, and maybe blood sacrifices. There was also the aptly named “straight Satan’s motorcycle gang” racing around (I do wonder if they are still speeding up and down on the devil’s highways today!), and of course they were always on hand to act as drug couriers for Mason and his “Hellywood” clients, and all for a healthy fee, naturally.
It seems Manson’s early years in reform school, then later safely incarcerated, turned to self-help programmes that the prison then encouraged its inmates to pursue, in, believe it or not, such subjects as Scientology, and the Dale Carnegie postal courses in self-improvement and developing leadership skills, and naturally Mason could certainly use these later on the streets of “Frisco,” when he was released. It is also well known that government psychiatrists were and always are seeking new “recruits,” shall we say to perform on, and act as guinea pigs, and Manson with an IQ of 121 would have been ideal to be used for government manipulation and future projects such as “Operation Phoenix,” being one such undertaking, and then ultra-secretive “Operation Moonbeam” with their later “field” results being delivered into the think tanks of the CIA and the FBI, and other covert cliques, and although many recruits were originally trained for overseas assignations, selected homegrown “test cases” were promoted by the controllers in mind control and how far it could go in realizing and solving a problem on paper, but now put into practice, often in the streets of America, and with thousands of numb-minded kids in California, what better place to practice and achieve the ends of attempted murders of foreign anti-American.
Their controllers must have been rubbing their grimy hands in delight in what was being offered to them, in this shady world of mind control. Governments through the tentacles of the “shadow government,” that every country has but rarely admit to its existence, all are guilty of using their tactics. It’s all pretty frightening really and “Orwellian” as well. But then of course men love the darkness of depravity, driven of course by suspicion and sin, and always to practice their shameful deeds. But of course, it’s all part of the curse of this fallen world that we all have inhabited since Adam’s downfall.
Manson certainly had an unnatural “Rasputin” demonic influence over his so-called worshipping “flock,” and more importantly it should also be remembered that there was in middle America at the time, the real fear on the country’s horizon of a coming cataclysmic race war, that even LBJ was worried and complained about. Manson certainly whipped up some hate hysteria on the subject of race and revolution, if asked too for public or personal consumption.
It should also be taken into very serious consideration to the student of that period, in the turmoil of American history, that the political assassinations and attempted shootings in America in the 20th century, of amongst others, should not be overlooked, such as JFK, LHO, RFK, MLK, MX, G.W, Presidents Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and incidentally the John Lennon shootings. And I must tentatively add the name of the Russian Alexander Litvinenko, to this list of perpetrators as well. The suspect questions and answers are that many of the perpetrators, after a swift arrest, suffered convenient amnesia, concerning the attacks they had performed or later failed to recall anything about committing those acts. So why was this and perhaps was this a sharp diversion from the original “Phoenix project,” that somehow emerged into the “Manchurian candidate” syndrome or other secret black ops practitioners of the dark arts, being used frequently where and when required. And who knows, maybe the recent Malaysian Airline, MH370, Boeing 777, was experimented upon itself into some future “lost” scenario, for a possible future-working scenario of the NWO.
I do not, however, erase anything out of these unanswered aviation questions, concerning this doomed flight because scientists/military corporations are continually developing new ways to manipulate the masses to their own will.
This has always been a part of the Illuminati/Satanic agenda for world domination under the coming antichrist.
From the commencement, after confusing police investigations, the Manson family were arrested for minor offences, but the charges would escalate, when Susan Atkins, confessing to the murder of Sharon Tate to others on remand in prison, did the defence finally begin to feel confident of a guilty verdict, and death to be administered in the gas chamber at San Quentin, the oldest prison in the state. However, on February 18th 1972, the Californian State supreme court dramatically voted by 6-1 to abolish the death penalty in the state, citing that it was “a cruel and unusual punishment.” But shouldn’t the punishment fit the crime?
Interestingly one of the so-called “family” favourites then roaming the Malibu hills was “Didi,” the daughter of the distinguished English Actress, Angela Lansbury. In an interview in March this year, Miss Lansbury commented, “It pains me to say it but at one stage Deidre (Didi) was in with a crowd led by Charles Manson…He was an extraordinary character, charismatic in many ways, no question about it.” A strange choice of words from the future Dame about an evil manipulating man like Manson, and said by her, almost in admiration, it seems.
Now I have frequently read or heard that Miss Lansbury had given her daughter written permission, it seems, to be a follower in the Manson “family,” but reading this statement from Miss Lansbury, and don’t forget to be created a Dame of the British Empire this year by the H.M. the Queen at Windsor castle, no less, it rather seems to me that she too somehow fell for the Mason “charm,” all very bizarre, I suggest. Although Manson must have continually boasted that, “He had beaten the Rap,” concerning capital punishment, there will be a higher Judgment coming for him, and millions of other sinners at the Great White Throne Judgment, then no one will “beat that coming terrible rap.” So my friend, receive Jesus as your Saviour now! Tomorrow may be too late.
After the decision of guilty had been passed down by the judge, Tex Wilson, Susan Atkins and others, and of course, Charles Manson’s previous death sentences were later committed to life sentences. Today Manson is still incarcerated and that’s a good thing. However, both Wilson and Atkins later apparently repented and became born-again Christians, both washed in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as all repenting sinners must be. Tex Wilson is still held in prison today, serving his sentence. Susan Atkins died in 2008 of brain cancer, and it is reported she was sighted uttering a faint “Amen,” after her final prayer left her parched lips. She had served 38 years in prison for her part in this 20th-century high profile crime. So, in conclusion, some good I do believe did eventually emerge out of this terrible tragedy.
Much has been recorded today and still is about this period of the turbulent American history, and the everlasting tragedy of the killings, but it has never been my intention or ever has been to discuss or dissect the details that brought these people eventually to trial and prison, because we at this ministry search for the proof that sinners have repented and found God, then go on to search for a lasting redemption through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. From what I have researched so far it seems that both Tex Williams and the late Susan Atkins did perhaps (hopefully) experience a genuine repentance in their hearts, but only God can understand the complexity of the sinner who seeks forgiveness through His lasting mercy. But sin has to be contemplated and nourished before it can be committed. It rarely arrives unannounced. It is written: “Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
So, take heed, dear reader, he may indeed be seeking to devour you!
But to be born again, however, is the only joyful news in this fallen world of constant dripping bad news, and how wonderful that is to all who have found it, and continue to be kept by its saving grace.
“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
Manson Life and times, Jeff Guinn
Mention should also be made of the informative Dave McGowan website, and his detailed research into the previous and suspicious role of the American military, in the pop music industry, during the 1960s, and beyond.
8th April 2014-November 2017
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FIA Innovation Spark Grant Semi-Finalists Announced 2016-2017
Innovation Spark Grants
FIA Innovation Spark Grant Semi-Finalists Announced 2016-2017 arose
Four of these teams won FIA Innovation Spark Grants after presenting their ideas on December 9, 2016.
Congratulations to the semi-finalist teams!
The 8 semi-finalist teams include 40 students and faculty mentors from 10 UMD colleges and schools. The semi-finalist teams will present their proposals at a public event on December 9 from 9-11 am in Room 1208 (Eaton Theater), Knight Hall, and up to four winning teams will be selected. Learn more about the spark grant competition here.
The semi-finalist teams include:
Ensuring Effectiveness of Environmental and Mental Health Education in Middle School Students
Shabnam Ahmed, Global Public Health and Development, Individual Studies Program
Naomi Harris, Philip Merrill College of Journalism and Anthropology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Samantha Bingaman, Environmental Science and Policy, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Andrea Lopez, Anthropology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (Faculty Mentor)
The Eyes and Ears of Autism: A Virtual Reality Experience
Harry Wandersman, Computer Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering
Harrison Linowes, Computer Science and Math, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Amitai Cohen, Mechanical Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering
Chris Castellano, Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and Psychology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Elizabeth Redcay, Psychology, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (Faculty Mentor)
Kathy Dow-Burger, Hearing and Speech Sciences, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (Faculty Mentor)
Finding Mnemosyne: Encountering Digital Archives Through a Mobile App
Gina Takaoka, Art, College of Arts and Humanities
Catherine Medlock, Art (Graphic Design Concentration), College of Arts and Humanities
Vinita Atre, HCIM, College of Information Studies
Gira Patel, Art (Graphic Design Concentration), College of Arts and Humanities
Liese Zahabi, Art, College of Arts and Humanities (Faculty Mentor)
Inside a Washington, D.C. Food Desert: Developing a Method for Combining Virtual Reality Video with Motion Graphic Data Visualization
Jennie Aguilar, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Naema Ahmed, Computer Science, College of Computer Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Camille Chrysostom, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Kelsey Hughes, College of Information Studies
Josh Davidsburg, Philip Merrill College of Journalism (Faculty Mentor)
Sean Mussenden, Philip Merrill College of Journalism (Faculty Mentor)
Memory Loci: Merging Sionides’ Method of Loci with Virtual Reality
Ashish Uppala, Decisions, Operations and Information Technologies, Robert H. Smith School of Business
Meir Snyder, Economics, Colleges of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Brian Servia, Computer Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering
Vineet Shah, Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Neil Sehgal, Heath Services Administration, School of Public Health (Faculty Mentor)
The Rest of the Story: Credibility and the Three60 Reporter
Tom Hausman, Journalism (Multi-Platform), Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Hannah Klarner, Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Jordan Mess, Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Matthew Regan, Journalism (Broadcast News), Philip Merrill College of Journalism
Evan Golub, Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (Faculty Mentor)
Self-Regulated Therapy Through Virtual Reality and Gamified Feedback Loops
Rohan Dixit, Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Matthew Fan, Mechanical Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Richard Kong, Computer Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
Jay A. Smith, A. James Clark School of Engineering (Faculty Mentor)
Social Training for Autism using Augmented Reality (STAAR)
Swanand Bhave, Telecommunications and Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering
Kimberly Martin, Hearing and Speech Science, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Gregory Schuler, Library and Information Sciences, College of Information Studies
Wenxin You, Special Education, College of Education
Gulnoza Yakubova, Special Education, College of Education (Faculty Mentor)
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Diploma-to-degree pathway renewed with Fleming College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology
December 20, 2018 Sara O'Halloran Media Release
Building on a strong relationship between Fleming College and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, the two institutions have signed an Articulation Agreement that provides access to a wide variety of undergraduate degree programs for Fleming College graduates.
The Agreement was first signed in February 2013, and has been renewed for five years, effective November 2018.
“We are pleased to continue our relationship with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, providing a broader spectrum of opportunity, from diploma-to-degree,” said Maxine Mann, Dean of Fleming College’s School of Business and the School of Trades and Technology. “Diploma-to-degree pathways offer great opportunities for students seeking both applied and theoretical education, and help students meet their personal learning and employment goals.”
The Agreement creates consistent, flexible and seamless pathways to degrees and additional opportunities for students enrolled in approved programs at Fleming and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. The Agreement spans across multiple schools, with the addition of Kinesiology – Advanced Entry for OTA/PTA Graduates and Medical Laboratory Science Bridge opportunities.
“The extension of our partnership with Fleming College opens unparalleled opportunities for student success through access to exciting programs in a wide range of professional streams,” said Robert Bailey, PhD, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, University of Ontario institute of Technology. “We are proud to continue building this vital collaboration between our institutions which supports barrier-free continuous learning from apprenticeship to PhD.”
Programs of study include degree programs in the faculties of Business and Information Technology; Education, Health Sciences; and Social Science and Humanities.
Fleming is proud to partner with colleges, institutes of technologies and universities in Ontario, across Canada and around the world. For more information about Pathways opportunities at Fleming College, visit the 2018/2019 Pathways Book: https://flemingcollege.ca/PDF/pathways/Pathways-booklet-final-Aug-2018.pdf.
About Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 5,900 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 71,000 alumni.
About The University of Ontario Institute of Technology
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology advances the discovery and application of knowledge through a technology-enriched learning environment and the delivery of innovative market-driven programs responsive to the needs of students and industry. With more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in more than 90 programs, the university promotes social engagement, fosters critical thinking and integrates outcomes-based learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. The university’s commitment to accelerating economic growth and social innovation is realized through faculty research collaborations with leading organizations such as Ontario Power Generation, IBM, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Durham Regional Police Service. To find out more, visit uoit.ca.
Media, for more information please contact:
Sara O’Halloran
sara.ohalloran@flemingcollege.ca
Bryan Oliver
Bryan.oliver@uoit.ca
Search Fleming News
Fleming College’s Indigenous Student Services offer graduating students opportunity to acknowledge rights of Indigenous peoples with declaration
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Brooke Ganz
Brooke Schreier Ganz is the founder and president of Reclaim The Records, and the first genealogist to successfully sue a government archive for the return of records to the public. A computer programmer, she is also the creator of LeafSeek, a free open source records management platform and multi-lingual search engine that won second place in the 2012 RootsTech Developer Challenge.
Her work has helped non-profit organizations like the Israel Genealogical Research Association (IGRA) and Gesher Galicia publish over 1.5 million unique genealogical records online for free use. She also designed and built one of the first public API’s for records sharing between non-profit genealogical organizations.
Her personal genealogical interests include Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, and New York City — the last of which was (surprisingly) the most difficult one from which to get basic genealogical records or even just the finding aids! This frustration led to her founding Reclaim The Records as a personal project in January 2015, and transitioning it to a non-profit organization in 2017.
Brooke is also a long-time volunteer for ArchiveTeam, an online preservationist group that pre-emptively crawls at-risk websites to save copies of the data for the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
By Most Viewed
Reclaim The Records: Using Freedom of Information Laws for Genealogy
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by Brooke Ganz
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Hear The Latest Sermon
Here at the First Baptist Church of Plantation, our mission is to glorify God by moving God's people to achieve His purpose by sharing the gospel and ministering to the many peoples of Plantation and and the surrounding community through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our motto is “Tell one more, Lead one more, Bring one more to Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 4:2 says “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” Through sermon messages, live events, ministry and outreach, we seek to share the love of Christ with our community in a way that draws near to Christ. Ready to join a ministry? Click here.
The First Baptist Church of Plantation was constituted on December 25, 1960. On that date, the membership totaled nine, and met in the Fairchild Funeral home, under the leadership of Pastor Sherman W. Swan.
A church building site of 5 ½ acres was secured at 150 NW 46th Avenue in March of 1961. The parsonage at 5490 SW Fifth Street was purchased in 1962. And, during that year, the construction of the small sanctuary and education building was begun. The members met at Peter’s Elementary School while awaiting completion of the building. The completed building was dedicated on March 3, 1963 with membership well over 100. The present sanctuary was built and dedicated in 1968, and was extensively renovated in 1982.
Worship services were held in the sanctuary which seats approximately 400, with additional seating for 75-100 in the balcony and behind the sanctuary. The older, smaller sanctuary, which is now the Chapel, is used for Sunday School classes, bible study, evening services, and small weddings.
A church objective was adopted in June 1973, as follows: “Our objective is to provide a fellowship whose learning and worship of God results in redemptive and responsible Christian living.”
By the end of the 1970’s, First Baptist Church was without a pastor. Dr. Stan Christian stepped in as interim pastor for five months, after which the pulpit was filled by many guest pastors. In September of 1980 the church welcomed Reverend William E. Amos to the pulpit as they considered him for the position of pastor. On November 20, 1980 he delivered his first sermon as pastor of First Baptist Church. By then, the third phase of the long range construction plan was completed, with the addition of the Fellowship Hall and a fully equipped commercial kitchen in 1985. On June 8, 1986 the Library-Media Center was opened. In the late 80’s, in an effort to bridge the gap and welcome the ethnically-diverse influx to the area, a new logo and motto were adopted. The multi color/multi cultural logo was adopted with the acronym LASER ~ Loving And Serving Every Race.
After the departure of Pastor Amos in 1991, the church was under the leadership of Pastor Bob Hylton, who served for six years, until 1997. On May 22, 1992 the First Baptist Church of Plantation purchased 1 ½ acres of land on Broward Boulevard, on which was located a large house. Plans were drawn up to renovate the house into a child care facility. The construction and renovation were completed in December of 1992, and the new Child Enrichment Center opened for service on January 4, 1993, with 4,500 sq. ft. of working space. The Child Enrichment Center was an HRS licensed facility with capacity for 85 children. That ministry experienced many changes over the years, becoming our preschool known as Laser Christian Academy. In May of 2009 the Laser Christian Academy was closed, and the building was subsequently leased to another child care facility.
From 1998 through 2002, Pastor Rick Braswell was appointed as part-time Pastor. 2002-2003 Ben Tallie was interim pastor. In September 2003, Pastor William Blosch was installed as Pastor of First Baptist. In 2008, the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws were revised and approved by the membership. Pastor William Blosch served as Pastor of First Baptist Church for the years 2003 – 2008. In July of 2008, the church went through a four-month transition period after the departure of Pastor Blosch. The pulpit was filled by several guest pastors. On December 1, 2008, Pastor Gerald O. Gallimore Jr., arrived as the Interim Pastor.
On April 1st, 2009, Rev. Gerald O. Gallimore Jr., was officially installed as the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Plantation, and since then, God has granted us the privilege to overcome many challenges. Many outstanding repairs and upgrades have taken place and new ministries are being developed. We have upgraded our Praise and Worship with a live band and have established a Children’s Church.
We thank God we have been able to minister and serve this community for half a century, and pray that with His help, we will continue to prosper for many years to come.
First Baptist Church Of Plantation
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Livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions: impacts and options for policy-makers
(Published in Environmental Science and Policy.) Research shows that livestock account for a significant proportion of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global consumption of livestock products is growing rapidly. This paper reviews the life cycle analysis (LCA) approach to quantifying these emissions and argues that, given the dynamic complexity of our food system, it offers a limited understanding of livestock’s GHG impacts. It is argued that LCA’s conclusions need rather to be considered within a broader conceptual framework that incorporates three key additional perspectives. The first is an understanding of the indirect second order effects of livestock production on land use change and associated CO2 emissions. The second compares the opportunity cost of using land and resources to rear animals with their use for other food or non-food purposes. The third perspective is need—the paper considers how far people need livestock products at all. These perspectives are used as lenses through which to explore both the impacts of livestock production and the mitigation approaches that are being proposed. The discussion is then broadened to consider whether it is possible to substantially reduce livestock emissions through technological measures alone, or whether reductions in livestock consumption will additionally be required. The paper argues for policy strategies that explicitly combine GHG mitigation with measures to improve food security and concludes with suggestions for further research. Please note that there's a small error in the PDF. It says that 60% of Europe's soymeal is used to feed pigs and poultry but the figure should be 90%.
Environmental Science and Policy Livestock paper
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DOD says military health systems Y2K-ready
By Orlando De Bruce
The Defense Department announced today that its medical team spent about $130 million to ensure that health services provided for military personnel and other beneficiaries will not be interrupted by the Year 2000 computer problem.
DOD's Military Health System is Year 2000-compliant, and the system's 12 mission-critical systems have been reinstalled at all military hospitals worldwide, Cmdr. Lyn Hurd said at a press conference in Arlington, Va.
Hurd said systems that had a direct impact on patient care or medical readiness were deemed mission-critical, such as the Defense Blood Standard System, immunization tracking systems and Clinical Information Systems.
In addition to health services, Hurd said 99 percent of DOD's 356,000 units of biomedical equipment, such as X-ray machines, are Year 2000-compliant. Also, medical facilities, such as fire suppression units, heating and elevators, also will correctly compute dates in the new millennium, Hurd said.
Hurd said contractors that process administrative and management claims are expected to have their systems Year 2000-compliant by the end of June.
"We are ready to continue to give uninterrupted health care," Hurd said. "We have the execution to back it up."
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Criminal Law Reaction Essay
The international community pays great attention to the legal framework to combat terrorism and extremism. Since terrorism acquired an international character, the only way to eliminate it should...
Reaction Paper - "The Shining"
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1st Order
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Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Waterfalls
< Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book | Nature
North American Division
Skill Level Unknown
Year of Introduction: 2011
1. Define the following types of waterfalls and give one example of each.Edit
In looking at waterfalls most often there can be different types represented in various stages of the fall. So you could have a plunge in the first 200m then a section of cascade for 30m vertical but 50m horizontal then a further plunge for 30m. A great example of this is the main waterfall in Yosemite National Park. This at my last look was the worlds 3rd highest.
These are the full list of waterfall types with brief descriptions but for the honour you only need to do those asked.
•Block: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
•Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.
•Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall.
•Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with bedrock.
•Horsetail: Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
•Plunge: Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
•Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.
•Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
•Tiered: Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.
•Multi-step: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool.
a. BlockEdit
In a block waterfall, water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
Agua Azul - Chiapas, Mexico
Millstream Falls - Queensland, Australia
Niagara Falls - Ontario, Canada
b. CascadeEdit
In a cascade waterfall, water descends a series of rock steps.
Sutherland Falls is in Fiordland New Zealand. Trampers on the Milford Track usually can walk close to the falls base. NZers use to know this falls as the worlds third tallest falls, but now there is some debate over it.
c. HorsetailEdit
In a horsetail waterfall, descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
d. PlungeEdit
In a plunge waterfall, water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
Plunge - Havasu Falls near Supai, Arizona.
e. SegmentedEdit
In a segmented waterfall, distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
f. TieredEdit
In a tiered waterfall, water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.
Purakaunui
Purakanui falls. Catlins Southland New Zealand. This is a world famous falls visited by tourists from all over the world.
2. Choose 10 waterfalls, including 2 from near the area or state in which you live, and list the following information about them: Name, Total Height, Waterfall Type, Watercourse, Location.Edit
3. Complete two of the following activities.Edit
a. Visit a waterfall and write a paragraph telling about your experience.Edit
There are numerous websites dedicated to helping you find waterfalls near you. Here are some:
http://gowaterfalling.com/ - Mostly covers the Great Lakes region, but covers other areas as well.
http://www.goby.com - You will have to enter some search terms to get data from this site. Try "waterfalls" for "What would you like to do" and then the name of your state or locality for "Where."
http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/ - Covers New England.
If you know of more resources, please add them!
b. Choose a waterfall (other than ones in #2) of interest to you and record facts and interesting information about the falls that you have selected.Edit
c. Watch a video about a waterfall.Edit
d. Make a scrapbook about waterfalls. Include pictures of waterfalls and important information about each one. This may be a group project.Edit
e. Using the information provided, create a crossword or word search puzzleEdit
Angel/Tallest waterfall in the world at 3212 feet.
Browne/Tallest waterfall in New Zealand.
Dettifoss/Waterfall flowing from a glacier in Iceland.
Havasu/Waterfall on an Indian reservation in Arizona.
Huangguoshu/Largest waterfall in China.
Iguazu/275 falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.
Langfoss/Giant cascade in Norway, falling 2008 feet.
Mardalsfossen/Well known tiered waterfall in Norway.
Multnomah/Tiered waterfall along the Columbia Gorge in Oregon.
Niagara/Most powerful waterfall in North America.
Shomyo/Tallest year-round falls in Japan.
Takkakaw/Cree Indian name for a waterfall in British Columbia.
Tugela/2nd tallest waterfall in the world, found in South Africa.
Victoria/Largest waterfall in the world.
Yosemite/Popular tourist attraction in a National Park in California.
Yumbilla/5th tallest waterfall in the world, 2nd tallest in Peru.
4. Water is mentioned in each of the following verses. Describe what is happening in each verse, then tell what the water symbolizes.Edit
a. John 9:11Edit
b. John 13:5Edit
c. Matthew 3:16Edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=Adventist_Youth_Honors_Answer_Book/Nature/Waterfalls&oldid=3250944"
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Ghanaian Times
The Ghanaian Times is a government-owned daily newspaper published in Accra, Ghana. The newspaper was established in 1957.[2] It has a circulation of 80,000 copies and is published six times per week.[3]
Daily newspaper
The New Times Corporation[1]
80,000 (2009)
www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh
The newspaper was formerly known as the Guinea Press Limited. It was established by the first President of Ghana, the late President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1957, as a printing press for The Convention People's Party. After his overthrow in military coup in 1966, The Guinea Press was taken over as a state property by the National Liberation Council Decree 130 of 1968. By an instrument of Incorporation-Act 363, 1971, Guinea Press was changed to the New Times Corporation. The Act also repealed the National Newspapers (Guinea Press Limited – Interim Reconstitution Decree) which acquired it as state property. That Act was given further recognition by the provision of Provisional National Defence Council Law 42.[4]
^ "About Us", The Ghanaian Times. The New Times Corporation, n.d. Web. 28 Aug. 2012. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2012-08-28. CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link).
^ Daniel Miles McFarland, Historical Dictionary of Ghana, 1985, p. 90.
^ Kuehnhenrich, Daniel (2012). Entwicklung oder Profit? Die staatliche und private Presse in Ghana. ibidem. ISBN 978-3-8382-0304-1 (online)
^ "history". www.ghanaiantimes.com.gh. ghanaiantimes. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
This Ghana-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
This African newspaper-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ghanaian_Times&oldid=805437344"
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Manhattan College
This article is about the college in the Bronx, New York. For the college in Manhattan, Kansas, see Manhattan Christian College.
Coordinates: 40°53′22″N 73°54′7″W / 40.88944°N 73.90194°W / 40.88944; -73.90194
Manhattan College is a private, Roman Catholic, liberal arts college in the Bronx in New York City. After originally being established in 1853 by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers) as an academy for day students, Manhattan College was officially incorporated as an institution of higher education through a charter granted by the New York State Board of Regents. In 1922, the College moved from Manhattan to the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 6.4 miles (10.3 km) north of its original location on 131st Street in the Manhattanville section of Manhattan. Manhattan College offers undergraduate programs in the arts, business, education, health, engineering, and science. Graduate programs are offered for education, business, and engineering.
Signum Fidei (Latin)
Motto in English
Sign of the Faith
Private Liberal Arts College
Roman Catholic (Lasallian)
$79.4 million (2016)[1]
Brennan O'Donnell
William Clyde
Urban, 22 acres (8.9 ha)
Kelly green and white[3]
NCAA Division I – MAAC
Jaspers / Lady Jaspers
NAICU
Annapolis Group
CLAC
Oberlin Group
www.manhattan.edu
Broadway and 131st St, early 1890s
The Quad in 1923
Manhattan College was founded as the Academy of the Holy Infancy in 1853 by five French De La Salle Christian Brothers in a small building on Canal Street. When the need to expand forced them from Lower Manhattan, the college moved to 131st Street and Broadway, in the Manhattanville section of Harlem. The school's name was changed to Manhattan College when it received its state charter in 1863, and moved to its present location in the Riverdale section of the Bronx in 1922 as it outgrew its facilities in Manhattanville. This is often the cause of some confusion as the college is located outside of Manhattan but still within the city limits of New York City.
Originally exclusive to men, Manhattan College established a cooperative program with the College of Mount Saint Vincent after the pair became coeducational in 1973 and 1974, respectively. This partnership lasted until 2008. Since then, Manhattan College and the College of Mount Saint Vincent have been completely separate.
Manhattan PrepEdit
For 118 years, a boys' secondary school, Manhattan College High School, known to students, parents, and rivals as Manhattan Prep was located on campus. Founded in 1854, the school educated its young men in a Catholic college preparatory curriculum geared toward eventual university matriculation. It was, indeed, a "prep" school in the classic sense: coats and ties were mandatory for class attendance; strict standards of behavior were enforced. The curriculum included 3 years of Latin (with an optional 4th year); foreign language study, including Greek, French, and Spanish; 4 years each of theology, mathematics, English rhetoric and literary forms, history and social studies.
Throughout its existence, Manhattan Prep was a partner of its host institution with a significant percentage of its graduates continuing on to study at Manhattan College. The High School was located in De La Salle Hall. Students shared the college chapel, cafeteria, auditorium, and athletic facilities, and its sports teams bore the nickname, "the Jaspers" just as the Manhattan College teams. The "Prep" supported varsity teams in swimming, tennis, crew, canoe and kayak, cross country and indoor/outdoor track, and of course, basketball and baseball as members of the Catholic High School Athletic Association. There were also junior varsity and intramural sports. The school newspaper, published monthly, was called The Prepster.
After admitting a small class of 1971, Manhattan Prep closed its doors in 1972 due to rising costs and a decline in Lasallian Brothers' vocations. The members of the class of 1972 either accelerated to graduate in 3 years with the class of 1971 or left for other area Catholic high schools. Despite the closure of the high school, the Brothers continue to maintain a presence on the college campus as members of the faculty and support staff. In 2014, as part of the College's Homecoming celebration, a plaque acknowledging the Prep's contribution to the College's growth, history and spirit was erected on the wall of de la Salle Hall on the Quadrangle. The plaque was dedicated by Brother C. George Berrian FSC, one of the Prep's last principals, in a ceremony attended by about 50 Prep alumni.
CampusEdit
O'Malley Library
Manhattan College occupies a relatively compact campus. The college is divided into a north and south campus, in the residential Riverdale section of the Bronx. The North campus overlooks Van Cortlandt Park, and has as its focal point "the Quad", which sits at the center of the campus's four main buildings. Memorial Hall is the main entry onto campus and houses the office of the president as well as most of the other administrative offices on campus. Miguel Hall and De La Salle Hall are the main academic halls that border each side of the Quad. Miguel hosts the arts department and classes, while De La Salle is primarily used by the business school. The fourth side of the Quad is bordered by the chapel building, which houses Smith Auditorium (used to host receptions, speakers, and performances) on the first floor and the Chapel of De La Salle and His Brothers on the second floor, which features a painting of De La Salle and Brothers behind the altar, a large performing area where musical events and concerts take place on the altar, a grand piano, and a pipe organ in the balcony.
Thomas Hall, one of the college's student life building, houses the offices of the Dean of Students, the student government, the musical ensembles, and others. The college's two dining halls, Locke's Loft and Cafe 1853 are also located in Thomas Hall.
The brand new Kelly Commons, named after notable alumnus Raymond Kelly, is another student life building that was completed in 2014. It holds a Starbucks, a Marketplace, a state-of-the-art gym for student and faculty use, the Multicultural Center, halls for lectures and events, the student bookstore and the office for the student-run newspaper, The Quadrangle.
The O'Malley Library is a six-story structure that was joined with the previous library, the Cardinal Hayes Pavilion. Built on a hill, the new library was built directly next to and above the old one, essentially combining the two and creating more floors, while enhancing technology and adding group study spaces. The Office of Admissions is on the sixth floor of O'Malley.
Hayden Hall is on the east side of campus and houses the sciences as well as the department of fine arts.
On the South campus, across 240th street, is the Leo Engineering Building and the Research and Learning Center (RLC). The two are home to all of the engineering departments: electrical, computer, civil, chemical, mechanical, and environmental, along with the math and computer science departments and all communication classrooms, computer labs, and broadcasting studios. Laboratories and classes for these disciplines take place in both buildings. Both biology and chemistry laboratories are also located in Leo. This building once contained a working nuclear reactor, which was decommissioned and stripped of its nuclear fuel and power generating capabilities in 1999.
New construction is taking place on the South campus, with plans to renovate and expand the Leo Engineering Building along with a sixth resident hall. It is expected to be complete by 2020.
Horan Hall
Kelly Student Commons
There are currently four on-campus residence halls at Manhattan College. Jasper Hall and Chrysostom Hall are both traditional-style dorms, while Horan Hall and Lee Hall offer suite-style living. Overlook Manor is an off-campus residence hall that offers apartment style living.
Draddy Gymnasium is the home of the basketball and volleyball teams, and also features the largest indoor track in New York City. Gaelic Park, on 240th Street, has recently been renovated with an artificial turf and is where soccer, lacrosse, and softball teams play. The college also utilizes adjacent Van Cortlandt Park for baseball, outdoor track and field, golf, and cross country as well as intramural activities. Alumni Hall is the home of the college's workout facilities as well as the athletic administration.
The Broadway Garage is a five floor parking garage, approved in 2006[4] and completed soon afterward, located on Broadway. The garage offers parking to students and faculty, as well as visitors. The garage is also connected to Hayden hall via a pedestrian bridge that connects to one of Hayden's top floors, allowing pedestrians to bypass crossing Manhattan College Parkway.
AcademicsEdit
Manhattan College offers degrees in six undergraduate schools: the School of Liberal Arts, the O'Malley School of Business, the School of Education and Health, the School of Engineering, the School of Science, and the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. The School for Liberal Arts is the largest school overall at the college, however the School of Engineering is the college's most well-known program. Manhattan currently hosts over 60 programs.
Students are required to take college-wide general education requirements (such as math, college writing, and religion) as well as core requirements in their respective school. For example, the School of Arts maintains a core curriculum called The Roots of Modern Learning which includes courses such as "Classical Origins of Western Culture."
Classes operate on a semester schedule. The first semester begins in late August and runs to December. The second semester begins in mid-January and runs to mid-May. Winter intersession and summer courses are also offered, but not required.
The college offers a number of Pre-Professional Programs such as Pre-Dental, Pre-Law, Pre-Medical, Pre-Physical Therapy, and Pre-veterinary; and graduate programs in mathematics, education, engineering and business. The graduate School of Engineering allows students studying engineering as an undergraduate the opportunity to continue on to get their master's degree without having to switch colleges, as is the case at colleges with a 3 + 2 Engineering program. The B.S. Business / Masters of Business Administration Program offers students an option to complete a five-year multiple award program. The successful completion of the five-year program leads to two awards: a B.S. in Business (in one of six majors) and an MBA.
Manhattan College contains chapters of various honor societies as Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Pi, Pi Mu Epsilon, a national mathematics honor society. A newly established chapter of Lambda Pi Eta communication honorary has also been added. Manhattan participates in the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges and in the New York Cluster of seven colleges and universities supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts for undergraduate science education.
AthleticsEdit
Manhattan versus rival Fordham University during the annual Battle of the Bronx
Main article: Manhattan Jaspers
Manhattan College fields 19 Division–I athletic teams for men and women, including basketball, golf, soccer, baseball and softball, lacrosse, volleyball and rowing. The school's men's sports teams are called the Jaspers; women are known as Manhattan Jaspers. Historically track and field has been the school's strongest sport.[5] Manhattan is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
In the modern era, basketball is the most popular sport at the school. The current coach is Steve Masiello who has been with Manhattan since 2011 as head coach. During the 2013–2014 season, the Jaspers beat Iona in the MAAC Conference Final and went on to play the University of Louisville in the first round of the NCAA tournament in a controversial game where Masiello was set up to face his old mentor Rick Pitino. During the 2014-15 season, the Jaspers again defeated Iona in the MAAC Conference Final to earn their second straight trip to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Hampton University in the play-in game, or first round.
The Manhattan College Track and Field program is the richest athletic tradition in the school, amassing a total of 31 out of a possible 32 MAAC Indoor/Outdoor Track titles. In 1973, Manhattan College won the Indoor NCAA Championship along with setting a new world record in the distance medley relay. Manhattan was also home to former American Record holder in the 5,000m Matthew Centrowitz Sr. The Program was run by legendary coach/runner Fred Dwyer who ran an astounding 4:00.3 mile while at his time at Manhattan. Manhattan still remains a power house on the east coast as one of the top programs around, under the direction of Dan Mecca.
The college annually played the New York Giants in the late 1880s and into the 1890s at the Polo Grounds and Manhattan is credited by the Baseball Hall of Fame with the practice of the "seventh inning stretch" spreading from there into major league baseball.[6] It is written in the Baseball Hall of Fame that "During one particularly warm and humid day when Manhattan College was playing a semi-pro baseball team called the Metropolitans, Brother Jasper noticed the Manhattan students were becoming restless and edgy as Manhattan came to bat in the seventh inning of a close game. To relieve the tension, Brother Jasper called time-out and told the students to stand up and stretch for a few minutes until the game resumed."
Luis Castro, a Manhattan College alumnus, was the first Latin American-born player to play in Major League Baseball in the United States, and the first Latin American since Cuban player Esteban Bellán in 1873 to play professional baseball.
Manhattan College had a football program from 1924 until 1942. The college team posted an all-time record of 194 wins, 198 losses and 22 ties.[7] The final coach for the school's football team was Herbert M. Kopf. After the 1942 season, the school suspended intercollegiate football competition for World War II and then did not reactivate the program after completion of the war. The team was invited to the first ever Miami Palm Festival Game, predecessor to the Orange Bowl, played on January 2, 1933, University of Miami defeated Manhattan College, 7–0. The team was revived in the 1965 in the form of a club team, and existed until 1987.
Manhattan College's rowing program holds much history, as well. The school is one of the original 8 founding members of the Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta, the largest Collegiate Regatta in the United States. The race attracts over one hundred Colleges and Universities from the U.S. and Canada and thousands of Student-Athletes on the second Saturday of May. The team's coach, Allen Walz, along with the school's football coach at the time, Herbert M. Kopf, served as stewards to the regatta. In 1936 and 1938, Manhattan was one of two teams competing in the regatta, the other being Rutgers, on the Harlem River. Both the men's and women's teams still compete in the Dad Vail Regatta today, as well as in the MAAC Championships, N.Y. State Championships, and Knecht Cup. The women's team became Division I in 2015 while the men's team has remained at the club level. The women's team currently trains out of Overpeck County Park while the men's team has moved to Glen Island Park, where the school's long-time rivals the Iona Gaels also train. The women's rowing team won the Fall Metropolitan Championship (hosted by Iona College) in the fall of 2018, making it the first time in program history that the Jaspers have won the title.
Manhattan's men's lacrosse program became Division I in 1997. They have qualified for the MAAC tournament 7 times (2000, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008–2010). In 2002 the Jaspers went undefeated in the MAAC (9–0), and won the MAAC Championship. They finished with an 11–6 record.[8] The Jaspers earned a bid to the NCAA Playoffs in 2002, playing Georgetown. They fell to Georgetown 12–7 in the first round of the NCAAs.[9] They have produced many ALL-MAAC players throughout the 15 years of the program.
Performing artsEdit
Pipe Band on Fifth Avenue
Manhattan College Pipes & DrumsEdit
Manhattan College Pipes & Drums was established in 1981 by Brother Kenneth Fitzgerald, FSC with the musical assistance of Captain Robert Hogan, of the New York City Police Department Emerald Society Pipes & Drums. The band's members are students, faculty, and alumni of the college.[10]
The band marches in many local parades including the famed New York City Saint Patricks Day Parade.
Pep BandEdit
Also known as the JasperBand, the Manhattan College Pep Band provides musical inspiration to get the Jasper crowds going at Men's and Women's basketball games. The Pep Band travels with teams to important away games to provide support away from home as well. In addition to performances at sporting events, the band also performs in concerts and events such as the MAAC Band Jam prior to the MAAC Basketball tournament. The band performs a variety of music from an expansive repertoire, ranging from Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes and You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon, to modern day hits such as High Hopes by Panic! at the Disco and Mo Bamba by Sheck Wes. In 2016, New York City drummer Jake Robinson was appointed the director of the band. Under Robinson' direction, the band's size and repertoire continues to grow. [11]
Performing Arts EnsemblesEdit
Manhattan College has eight recognized Performing Arts groups. In addition to the aforementioned Manhattan College Pipes & Drums and Pep Band, they have a Jazz Band, a choir called Singers, a theater club called Players, an improv troupe called Scatterbomb, an Orchestra and an a cappella group called Manhattones.[12]
The college is located between two major New York City arteries: the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Major Deegan Expressway. The Van Cortlandt Park – 242nd Street subway station (1 train) provides access to the rest of the city via transfers to other subway services. The nearby Riverdale Metro-North Railroad station provides transportation to and from the northern suburbs and connection to Amtrak service.
AlumniEdit
Main article: List of Manhattan College people
Manhattan has approximately 50,000 living alumni worldwide. Manhattan alumni are distinguishing themselves in the fields of academics, arts, engineering, literature, business, entertainment, government, and law.
In the field of academia, Manhattan graduates include: Joseph A. Alutto, executive vice president and provost of The Ohio State University; L. Jay Oliva, 14th President of New York University; Henry Petroski, professor of civil engineering at Duke University.
In arts and literature, Manhattan graduates include: William Edmund Barrett, author of The Left Hand of God and Lilies of the Field; James Patterson, Edgar Award-winning novelist; Al Sarrantonio, Bram Stoker Award-winning author; and George A. Sheehan, author of Running & Being: The Total Experience
In the field of business, Manhattan graduates include Sam Belnavis, NASCAR owner; Vincent dePaul Draddy, football player who introduced Izod and Lacoste brands;[13] John M. Fahey, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society; Frank M. Folsom, former president of RCA Victor; John Horan '40, former chairman & CEO of Merck & Co.; Eugene R. McGrath, former chairman and CEO of Con Edison; Eileen Murray, co-CEO of Bridgewater Associates; Joseph M. Tucci, chairman, president and CEO of the EMC Corporation and Steven J. Squeri,Chairman and CEO of American Express.
In entertainment, Manhattan graduates include: Frank Campanella, TV and motion picture actor on Captain Video; Joseph Campanella, TV, stage, and motion picture actor on Mannix; Alexandra Chando, TV actress known for role as Maddie on As The World Turns; Dennis Day, TV and radio personality on The Jack Benny Program; Barnard Hughes, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor on Hugh Leonard's Da; Mike Mazurki, professional wrestler and character actor; Hugo Montenegro, TV and movie soundtrack composer known for theme song for I Dream of Jeannie and The Outcasts; and Glenn Hughes, founding member of The Village People.
In law and government, Manhattan graduates include: John S. Martin, former U.S. Attorney and U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Hugh J. Grant, 91st Mayor of New York City; Rudy Giuliani, 107th Mayor of New York City; Raymond W. Kelly, New York City Police Commissioner; Chang Myon, 2nd and 7th Prime Minister of South Korea; and U.S Representatives from New York: John J. Boylan, John J. Delaney, John J. Fitzgerald, Ambassador Thomas E. McNamara, Bill Owens, Angelo D. Roncallo, Thomas Francis Smith, Andrew Lawrence Somers, and James J. Walsh.
Other notable Manhattan graduates include: James W. Cooley, mathematician, co-author of the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm used in digital processing; Austin Dowling, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis; Patrick Joseph Hayes, Cardinal Archbishop of New York; George Mundelein, Cardinal Archbishop of Chicago; Olympic track gold medalists Lindy Remigino and Lou Jones.
Hugh J. Grant,
91st Mayor of New York City
James Patterson,
Rudy Giuliani,
107th Mayor of New York City
Raymond Kelly,
New York City Police Commissioner
Chang Myon,
Prime Minister, Vice President of South Korea
^ As of June 30, 2016. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2015 to FY 2016" (PDF). National Association of College and University Business Officers and Commonfund Institute. 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-15. Retrieved 2017-02-14.
^ a b "Facts & Figures". Archived from the original on 2012-01-03. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
^ Manhattan College Athletic Colors (PDF). Retrieved 2016-04-16.
^ "Manhattan College gets market/parking garage - CityLand CityLand". Citylandnyc.org. 2006-07-15. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
^ 2009-10 Men's & Women's Cross Country/Track & Field Media Guide (PDF). New York: Manhattan College. 2010. p. 22.
^ "What Is a Jasper?". Manhattan College. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
^ Manhattan College all-time football records by opponent
^ "Manhattan Lacrosse 2002 Roster, Schedule, and Stats". Lax.com. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
^ NCAA Division I lacrosse results, schedule – College Sports – ESPN
^ [1] Archived 2014-03-10 at the Wayback Machine, Manhattan College (www.manhattan.edu)
^ "[2] Archived 2012-06-28 at the Wayback Machine", Manhattan College Performing Arts Webpage
^ "Clubs & Organizations". Manhattan College. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
^ Vincent Draddy, accessed March 20, 2011.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manhattan College.
Manhattan College Athletics website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Manhattan_College&oldid=901675492"
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2011 Moroccan constitutional referendum
(Redirected from Moroccan constitutional referendum, 2011)
A referendum on constitutional reforms was held in Morocco on 1 July 2011. It was called in response to a series of protests across Morocco that began on 20 February 2011 when over ten thousand Moroccans participated in demonstrations demanding democratic reforms. A commission was to draft proposals by June 2011.[1] A draft released on 17 June foresaw the following changes:[2][3][4]
requiring the King to name a Prime Minister from the largest party in Parliament;
handing a number of rights from the monarch to the PM, including dissolution of parliament;
allowing parliament to grant amnesty, previously a privilege of the monarch;
making Berber an official language alongside Arabic
The changes were reportedly approved by 98.49% of voters. Despite protest movements calling for a boycott of the referendum, government officials claimed turnout was 72.65%.[5][6]
Following the referendum, early parliamentary elections were held on 25 November 2011.
DetailsEdit
The set of political reforms approved consisted of the following:[7]
The Amazigh language[8] is an official state language along with Arabic.[9]
The state preserves and protects the Hassānīya language and all the linguistic components of the Moroccan culture as a heritage of the nation.[9]
The king has the obligation to appoint a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in the parliamentary elections. Previously, he could nominate a technocrat in this position if no party has a decisive advantage over the other parties in terms of the number of seats in the parliament.[5][10][11]
The king is no longer "sacred" but the "integrity of his person" is "inviolable".[12]
Placard for "yes" in Moroccan referendum on constitution change of 1st of July 2011 (decided as a reaction to protests of Arab spring), still present on July 3 (it should have been removed on 30 of June). The "yes" is associated with a picture of King Mohammed VI who announced he would vote for the new constitution. The add is supported by inhabitants of the old Portuguese district of El Jadida.
High administrative and diplomatic posts (including ambassadors, CEOs of state-owned companies, provincial and regional governors), are now appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the ministerial council which is presided by the king, previously the latter exclusively held this power.[13][14]
The prime minister is the head of government and president of the council of government, he has the power to dissolve the parliament.[15]
The prime minister will preside over the council of Government, which prepares the general policy of the state. Previously the king held this position.[15]
The parliament has the power of granting amnesty. Previously this was exclusively held by the king.[16]
The judiciary system is independent from the legislative and executive branch, the king guarantees this independence.[15][17]
Women are guaranteed "civic and social" equality with men. Previously, only "political" equality was guaranteed, though the 1996 constitution grants all citizens equality in terms of rights and before the law.[11]
The King would retain complete control of the armed forces, foreign policy, the judiciary; and matters pertaining to religion, and would also retain authority for choosing and dismissing prime ministers[18]
All citizens have the freedom of: thought, ideas, artistic expression and creation. Previously only free-speech and the freedom of circulation and association were guaranteed.[11][19]
ResultsEdit
Moroccan constitutional referendum, 2011[20]
Yes 9,653,492 98.50
No 146,718 1.50
Valid votes 9,800,210 99.17
Invalid or blank votes 81,712 0.83
Total votes 9,881,922 100.00
Registered voters and turnout 13,451,404 73.46
^ "Morocco to vote on new constitution". Google News. AFP. 9 March 2011. Archived from the original on 8 December 2012.
^ "König will Teil seiner Macht abgeben" [King wants to give up part of his power]. Der Standard (in German). APA. 18 June 2011.
^ "Moroccan Islamists 'could reject constitution'". Google News. AFP. 13 June 2011. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012.
^ Karam, Souhail (17 June 2011). "Morocco King to lose some powers, remain key figure". Reuters. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
^ a b "Morocco approves King Mohammed's constitutional reforms". BBC News. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
^ "Moroccans approve new constitution by sweeping majority". People's Daily Online. Xinhua. 2 July 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012.
^ "Q&A: Morocco's referendum on reform". BBC News. 29 June 2011.
^ A standardized version of the 3 native Berber languages of Morocco: Tachelhit, Central Atlas Tamazight and Tarifit.
^ a b Article 5 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
^ Article 47 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
^ a b c 1996 Moroccan constitution
^ a b c AFP. "Maroc: la réforme constitutionnelle préconise de limiter certains pouvoirs du roi". Parisien. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
^ Article 107 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
^ "Moroccan King Calls for Prompt Parliamentary Elections". Voice of America. 30 July 2011.
^ Driss Bennani, Mohammed Boudarham and Fahd Iraqi. "nouvelle constitution. plus roi que jamais". Telquel. Archived from the original on 26 June 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
^ "Morocco: Referendum Results". Morocco Board News Service. 3 July 2011. Archived from the original on 29 July 2011.
Full text of the proposed new Constitution: Arabic, French
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Moroccan_constitutional_referendum&oldid=904258525"
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This section contains too many or overly lengthy quotations for an encyclopedic entry. Please help improve the article by presenting facts as a neutrally-worded summary with appropriate citations. Consider transferring direct quotations to Wikiquote. (February 2016)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, abbreviated as RSS (IAST: Rāṣṭrīya Svayamsevaka Saṅgha, IPA: [rɑːʂˈʈriːj(ə) swəjəmˈseːvək ˈsəŋɡʱ], lit. "National Volunteer Organisation"[14] or "National Patriotic Organisation"[15]), is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation that is widely regarded as the parent organisation of the ruling party of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party.[5][2][6][16] The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (the "family of the RSS"), which pervade all facets of the Indian society. Founded on 27 September 1925, the RSS is the world's largest voluntary organisation.[17] It is the largest NGO in the world[18] while the BJP is the largest political party in the world.[19]
27 September 1925 (93 years ago) (1925-09-27)
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar
Right-wing,[1] volunteer,[2] paramilitary[3][4][5][6][7]
Hindu nationalism and Hindutva[8][9]
Dr. Hedgewar Bhawan, Sangh Building Road, Nagpur-440032, Maharashtra
21°08′46″N 79°06′40″E / 21.146°N 79.111°E / 21.146; 79.111Coordinates: 21°08′46″N 79°06′40″E / 21.146°N 79.111°E / 21.146; 79.111
5-6 million[10][11][12]
56,859 shakhas (2016)[13]
Sarsanghchalak (Chief)
Sangh Parivar
rss.org
The initial impetus was to provide character training through Hindu discipline and to unite the Hindu community to form a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation).[20][21] The organisation promotes the ideals of upholding Indian culture and the values of a civil society and spreads the ideology of Hindutva, to "strengthen" the Hindu community.[22][9] It drew initial inspiration from European right-wing groups during World War II.[21] Gradually, RSS grew into a prominent Hindu nationalist umbrella organisation, spawning several affiliated organisations that established numerous schools, charities, and clubs to spread its ideological beliefs.[21]
The RSS was banned once during British rule,[21] and then thrice by the post-independence Indian government – first in 1948 when a former RSS member[23] assassinated Mahatma Gandhi;[21][24][25] then during the emergency (1975–77); and for a third time after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
RSS was founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a doctor in the city of Nagpur, British India.[3]
Hedgewar was a political protege of B. S. Moonje, a Tilakite Congressman, Hindu Mahasabha politician and social activist from Nagpur. Moonje had sent Hedgewar to Calcutta to pursue his medical studies and to learn combat techniques from the revolutionary secret societies of the Bengalis. Hedgewar became a member of the Anushilan Samiti, an anti-British revolutionary group, getting into its inner circle. The secretive methods of these societies were eventually used by him in organising the RSS.[26][27][28]
After returning to Nagpur, Hedgewar organized anti-British activities through the Kranti Dal (Party of Revolution) and participated in independence activist Tilak's Home Rule campaign in 1918. According to the official RSS history,[29] he came to realize that revolutionary activities alone were not enough to overthrow the British. After reading V. D. Savarkar's Hindutva, published in Nagpur in 1923, and meeting Savarkar in the Ratnagiri prison in 1925, Hedgewar was extremely influenced by him, and he founded the RSS with the objective of strengthening the Hindu society.[26][27][28][30]
A rare group photo of six initial swayamsevaks taken on the occasion of a RSS meeting held in 1939[31]
Hedgewar believed that a handful of British were able to rule over the vast country of India because Hindus were disunited, lacked valour (pararkram) and lacked a civic character. He recruited energetic Hindu youth with revolutionary fervour, gave them a uniform of a black forage cap, khaki shirt (later white shirt) and khaki shorts—emulating the British police—and taught them paramilitary techniques with lathi (bamboo staff), sword, javelin, and dagger. Hindu ceremonies and rituals played a large role in the organisation, not so much for religious observance, but to provide awareness of India's glorious past and to bind the members in a religious communion. Hedgewar also held weekly sessions of what he called baudhik (ideological education), consisting of simple questions to the novices concerning the Hindu nation and its history and heroes, especially warrior king Shivaji. The saffron flag of Shivaji, the Bhagwa Dhwaj, was used as the emblem for the new organisation. Its public tasks involved protecting Hindu pilgrims at festivals and confronting Muslim resistance against Hindu processions near mosques.[26][27][28]
Two years into the life of the organisation, in 1927, Hedgewar organised an "Officers' Training Camp" with the objective of forming a corps of key workers, whom he called pracharaks. He asked the volunteers to become sadhus first, renouncing professional and family lives and dedicating themselves to the cause of the RSS. According to scholar Christophe Jaffrelot, Hedgewar embraced this doctrine after it had been reinterpreted by nationalists such as Aurobindo. The tradition of renunciation gave the RSS the character of a `Hindu sect'.[32] Development of the shakha network of the RSS was the main preoccupation for Hedgewar throughout his career as the RSS chief. The first pracharaks were responsible for establishing as many shakhas as possible, first in Nagpur, then across Maharashtra and eventually in the rest of India. P. B. Dani was sent to establish a shakha at the Benaras Hindu University and other Universities were similarly targeted to recruit new followers among the student population. Three pracharaks went to Punjab: Appaji Joshi to Sialkot, Moreshwar Munje to the DAV College in Rawalpindi and Raja Bhau Paturkar to the DAV College in Lahore. In 1940, Madhavrao Muley was appointed as the prant pracharak (regional missionary) in Lahore.[33]
Scholars differ on Hedgewar's motivations for forming the RSS, especially because he never involved the RSS in fighting the British rule. Jaffrelot says that the RSS was intended to propagate the ideology of Hindutva and to provide "new physical strength" to the majority community.[9] An alternative interpretation is that he formed it to fight the Indian Muslims.[34]
Tilakite ideology
After Tilak's demise in 1920, like other followers of Tilak in Nagpur, Hedgewar was opposed to some of the programmes adopted by Gandhi. Gandhi's stance on the Indian Muslim Khilafat issue was a cause for concern to Hedgewar, and so was the fact that the 'cow protection' was not on the Congress agenda. This led Hedgewar, along with other Tilakities, to part ways with Gandhi. In 1921, Hedgewar delivered a series of lectures in Maharashtra with slogans such as "Freedom within a year" and "boycott". He deliberately broke the law, for which he was imprisoned for a year. After being released in 1922, Hedgewar was distressed at the lack of organisation among the Congress volunteers for the independence struggle. Without proper mobilisation and organisation, he felt that the patriotic youth of India could never get independence for the country. Subsequently, he felt the need to create an independent organisation that was based on the country’s traditions and history.[35]
Hindu-Muslim relations
The decade of 1920's witnessed a significant deterioration in the relations between Hindus and Muslims. The Muslim masses were mobilised by the Khilafat movement, demanding the reinstatement of the Caliphate in Turkey, and Gandhi made an alliance with it for conducting his own Non-cooperation movement. Gandhi aimed to create Hindu-Muslim unity in forming the alliance. However, the alliance saw a "common enemy", not a "common enmity".[36] When Gandhi called off the Non-cooperation movement due to outbreaks of violence, Muslims disagreed with his strategy. Once the movements failed, the mobilised Muslims turned their anger towards Hindus.[37] The first major incident of religious violence was the Moplah rebellion in August 1921, which ended in large-scale violence against Hindus and their displacement in Malabar. A cycle of inter-communal violence throughout India followed for several years.[38] In 1923, there were riots in Nagpur, called "Muslim riots" by Hedgewar, where Hindus were felt to be "totally disorganized and panicky." These incidents made a major impression on Hedgewar and convinced him of the need to organize the Hindu society.[30][39]
After acquiring about 100 swayamsevaks (volunteers) to the RSS in 1927, Hedgewar took the issue to the Muslim domain. He led the Hindu religious procession for Ganesha, beating the drums in defiance of the usual practice not to pass in front of a mosque with music.[40] On the day of Lakshmi Puja on 4 September, Muslims are said to have retaliated. When the Hindu procession reached a mosque in the Mahal area of Nagpur, Muslims blocked it. Later in the afternoon, they attacked the Hindu residences in the Mahal area. It is said that the RSS cadres were prepared for the attack and beat the Muslim rioters back. Riots continued for 3 days and the army had to be called in to quell the violence. RSS organized the Hindu resistance and protected the Hindu households while the Muslim households had to leave Nagpur en masse for safety.[41][42][30][43] Tapan Basu et al. note the accounts of "Muslim aggressiveness" and the "Hindu self-defence" in the RSS descriptions of the incident. The above incident vastly enhanced the prestige of the RSS and enabled its subsequent expansion.[42]
Stigmatisation and emulation
Christophe Jaffrelot points out the theme of "stigmatisation and emulation" in the ideology of the RSS along with other Hindu nationalist movements such as the Arya Samaj and the Hindu Mahasabha. Muslims, Christians and the British were thought of as "foreign bodies" implanted in the Hindu nation, who were able to exploit the disunity and absence of valour among the Hindus in order to subdue them. The solution lay in emulating the characteristics of these "Threatening Others" that were perceived to give them strength, such as paramilitary organisation, emphasis on unity and nationalism. The Hindu nationalists combined these emulatory aspects with a selective borrowing of traditions from the Hindu past to achieve a synthesis that was uniquely Indian and Hindu.[44]
Hindu Mahasabha influence
The Hindu Mahasabha, which was initially a special interest group within the Indian National Congress and later an independent party, was an important influence on the RSS, even though it is rarely acknowledged. In 1923, prominent Hindu leaders like Madan Mohan Malaviya met together on this platform and voiced their concerns on the 'division in the Hindu community'. In his presidential speech to Mahasabha, Malaviya stated: "Friendship could exist between equals. If the Hindus made themselves strong and the rowdy section among the Mahomedans were convinced they could not safely rob and dishonour Hindus, unity would be established on a stable basis." He wanted the activists 'to educate all boys and girls, establish akharas (gymnasiums), establish a volunteer corps to persuade people to comply with decisions of the Hindu Mahasabha, to accept untouchables as Hindus and grant them the right to use wells, enter temples, get an education.' Later, Hindu Mahasabha leader V. D. Savarkar's 'Hindutva' ideology also had a profound impact on Hedgewar's thinking about the 'Hindu nation'.[35]
The initial meeting for the formation of the Sangh on the Vijaya Dashami day of 1925 was held between Hedgewar and four Hindu Mahasabha leaders: B. S. Moonje, Ganesh Savarkar, L. V. Paranjpe and B. B. Tholkar. RSS took part as a volunteer force in organising the Hindu Mahasabha annual meeting in Akola in 1931. Moonje remained a patron of the RSS throughout his life. Both he and Ganesh Savarkar worked to spread the RSS shakhas in Maharashtra, Panjab, Delhi, and the princely states by initiating contacts with local leaders. Savarkar merged his own youth organisation Tarun Hindu Sabha with the RSS and helped its expansion. V. D. Savarkar, after his release in 1937, joined them in spreading the RSS and giving speeches in its support. Officials in the Home Department called the RSS the "volunteer organisation of the Hindu Mahasabha."[45][46]
Indian Independence Movement
After the formation of the RSS, which portrays itself as a social movement, Hedgewar kept the organisation from having any direct affiliation with the political organisations then fighting British rule.[47] RSS rejected Gandhi's willingness to cooperate with the Muslims.[48][49]
In accordance with Hedgewar's tradition of keeping the RSS away from the Indian Independence movement, any political activity that could be construed as being anti-British was carefully avoided. According to the RSS biographer C. P. Bhishikar, Hedgewar talked only about Hindu organisations and avoided any direct comment on the Government.[50] The "Independence Day" announced by the Indian National Congress for 26 January 1930 was celebrated by the RSS that year but was subsequently avoided. The Tricolor of the Indian national movement was shunned.[51][52][53][54] Hedgewar personally participated in the 'Satyagraha' launched by Gandhi in April 1930, but he did not get the RSS involved in the movement. He sent information everywhere that the RSS would not participate in the Satyagraha. However, those wishing to participate individually were not prohibited.[55][56] In 1934 Congress passed a resolution prohibiting its members from joining RSS, Hindu Mahasabha, or the Muslim League.[51]
M. S. Golwalkar
M. S. Golwalkar, who became the leader of the RSS in 1940, continued and further strengthened the isolation from the independence movement. In his view, the RSS had pledged to achieve freedom through "defending religion and culture", not by fighting the British.[57][58][59] Golwalkar lamented the anti-British nationalism, calling it a "reactionary view" that, he claimed, had disastrous effects upon the entire course of the freedom struggle.[60][61] It is believed that Golwalkar did not want to give the British an excuse to ban the RSS. He complied with all the strictures imposed by the Government during the Second World War, even announcing the termination of the RSS military department.[62][63] The British Government believed that the RSS was not supporting any civil disobedience against them, and their other political activities could thus be overlooked. The British Home Department took note of the fact that the speakers at the RSS meetings urged the members to keep aloof from the anti-British movements of the Indian National Congress, which was duly followed.[64]The Home Department did not see the RSS as a problem for law and order in British India.[62][63]The Bombay government appreciated the RSS by noting that the Sangh had scrupulously kept itself within the law and refrained from taking part in the disturbances (Quit India Movement) that broke out in August 1942.[65][66][67] It also reported that the RSS had not, in any way, infringed upon government orders and had always shown a willingness to comply with the law. The Bombay Government report further noted that in December 1940, orders had been issued to the provincial RSS leaders to desist from any activities that the British Government considered objectionable, and the RSS, in turn, had assured the British authorities that "it had no intentions of offending against the orders of the Government".[68][69]
Golwalkar later openly admitted the fact that the RSS did not participate in the Quit India Movement. He agreed that such a stance led to a perception of the RSS as an inactive organisation, whose statements had no substance in reality.[57][70]
The RSS neither supported nor joined in the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny against the British in 1945.[49]
During World War II, the RSS leaders openly admired Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.[21][71] Golwalkar took inspiration from Adolf Hitler's ideology of racial purity.[72] This did not imply any antipathy towards Jews. The RSS leaders were supportive of the Jewish State of Israel, including Savarkar himself.[73] Golwalkar admired the Jews for maintaining their "religion, culture and language".[74]
The Partition of India affected millions of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims attempting to escape the violence and carnage that followed.[75] During the partition, the RSS helped the Hindu refugees fleeing West Punjab; its activists also played an active role in the communal violence during Hindu-Muslim riots in North India, though this was officially not sanctioned by the leadership. To the RSS activists, the partition was a result of mistaken soft-line towards the Muslims, which only confirmed the natural moral weaknesses and corruptibility of the politicians. The RSS blamed Gandhi, Nehru and Patel for their 'naivety which resulted in the partition', and held them responsible for the mass killings and displacement of the millions of people.[76][77][78]
First ban
The first ban on the RSS was imposed in Punjab Province (British India) on 24 January 1947 by Malik Khizar Hayat Tiwana, the premier of the ruling Unionist Party, a party that represented the interests of the landed gentry and landlords of Punjab, which included Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs. Along with the RSS, the Muslim National Guard was also banned.[79][80] The ban was lifted on 28 January 1947.[79]
Opposition to the National Flag of India
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh initially did not recognise the Tricolor as the National Flag of India. The RSS-inspired publication, the Organiser,[81] demanded, in an editorial titled "National Flag", that the Bhagwa Dhwaj (Saffron Flag) be adopted as the National Flag of India.[82] After the Tricolor was adopted as the National Flag by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947, the Organiser viciously attacked the Tricolor and the Constituent Assembly's decision. In an article titled "Mystery behind the Bhagwa Dhwaj", the Organiser stated
The people who have come to power by the kick of fate may give in our hands the Tricolor but it [will] never be respected and owned by Hindus. The word three is in itself an evil, and a flag having three colours will certainly produce a very bad psychological effect and is injurious to a country.
— [83][84]
In an essay titled "Drifting and Drafting" published in Bunch of Thoughts, Golwalkar lamented the choice of the Tricolor as the National Flag, and compared it to an intellectual vacuum/void. In his words,
Our leaders have set up a new flag for the country. Why did they do so? It just is a case of drifting and imitating ... Ours is an ancient and great nation with a glorious past. Then, had we no flag of our own? Had we no national emblem at all these thousands of years? Undoubtedly we had. Then why this utter void, this utter vacuum in our minds.
— [85][86][87][88]
The RSS hoisted the National Flag of India at its Nagpur headquarters only twice, on 14 August 1947 and on 26 January 1950, but stopped doing so after that.[89] This issue has always been a source of controversy. In 2001 three activists of Rashtrapremi Yuwa Dal – president Baba Mendhe, and members Ramesh Kalambe and Dilip Chattani, along with others – allegedly entered the RSS headquarters in Reshimbagh, Nagpur, on 26 January, the Republic Day of India, and forcibly hoisted the national flag there amid patriotic slogans. They contended that the RSS had never before or after independence, ever hoisted the tri-colour in their premises. Offences were registered by the Bombay Police against the trio, who were then jailed. They were discharged by the court of Justice R. R. Lohia after eleven years in 2013.[90][91] The arrests and the flag-hoisting issue stoked a controversy, which was raised in the Parliament as well. Hoisting of flag was very restrictive till the formation of the Flag code of India (2002).[92][93][94] Subsequently, in 2002 the National Flag was raised in the RSS headquarters on the occasion of Republic Day for the first time in 52 years.[89]
Opposition to the Constitution of India
The Rashtriya Swaysevak Sangh initially did not recognize the Constitution of India, strongly criticising it because the Indian Constitution made no mention of "Manu's laws" – from the ancient Hindu text Manusmriti.[95] When the Constituent Assembly finalized the constitution, the RSS mouthpiece, the Organiser, complained in an editorial dated 30 November 1949:
But in our constitution, there is no mention of that unique constitutional development in ancient Bharat... To this day his laws as enunciated in the Manusmriti excite the admiration of the world and elicit spontaneous obedience and conformity. But to our constitutional pundits that means nothing"[53]
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh did not stop its unrelenting attacks on this issue, and criticised B. R. Ambedkar's public pronouncements that the new constitution would give equality to all castes. On 6 February 1950 the Organizer carried another article, titled "Manu Rules our Hearts", written by a retired High Court Judge named Sankar Subba Aiyar, that reaffirmed their support for the Manusmriti as the final lawgiving authority for Hindus, rather than the Constitution of India. It stated:
Even though Dr. Ambedkar is reported to have recently stated in Bombay that the days of Manu have ended it is nevertheless a fact that the daily lives of Hindus are even at present-day affected by the principles and injunctions contained in the Manusmrithi and other Smritis. Even an unorthodox Hindu feels himself bound at least in some matters by the rules contained in the Smrithis and he feels powerless to give up altogether his adherence to them.[96]
The RSS' opposition to, and vitriolic attacks against, the Constitution of India continued post-independence. In 1966 Golwalkar, in his book titled Bunch of Thoughts asserted:
Our Constitution too is just a cumbersome and heterogeneous piecing together of various articles from various Constitutions of Western countries. It has absolutely nothing, which can be called our own. Is there a single word of reference in its guiding principles as to what our national mission is and what our keynote in life is? No![53][86]
Second ban and acquittal
Following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in January 1948 by a former member of the RSS,[25] Nathuram Godse, many prominent leaders of the RSS were arrested, and RSS as an organisation was banned on 4 February 1948. A Commission of Inquiry into Conspiracy to the murder of Gandhi was set, and its report was published by India's Ministry of Home Affairs in the year 1970. Accordingly, the Justice Kapur Commission[97] noted that the "RSS as such were not responsible for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi, meaning thereby that one could not name the organisation as such as being responsible for that most diabolical crime, the murder of the apostle of peace. It has not been proved that they (the accused) were members of the RSS."[97]:165 However, the then Indian Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had remarked that the "RSS men expressed joy and distributed sweets after Gandhi's death".[98]
RSS leaders were acquitted of the conspiracy charge by the Supreme Court of India. Following his release in August 1948, Golwalkar wrote to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to lift the ban on RSS. After Nehru replied that the matter was the responsibility of the Home Minister, Golwalkar consulted Vallabhai Patel regarding the same. Patel then demanded an absolute pre-condition that the RSS adopt a formal written constitution and make it public, where Patel expected RSS to pledge its loyalty to the Constitution of India, accept the Tricolor as the National Flag of India, define the power of the head of the organisation, make the organisation democratic by holding internal elections, authorisation of their parents before enrolling the pre-adolescents into the movement, and to renounce violence and secrecy.[99][100][101]:42– Golwalkar launched a huge agitation against this demand during which he was imprisoned again. Later, a constitution was drafted for RSS, which, however, initially did not meet any of Patel's demands. After a failed attempt to agitate again, eventually the RSS's constitution was amended according to Patel's wishes with the exception of the procedure for selecting the head of the organisation and the enrollment of pre-adolescents. However, the organisation's internal democracy which was written into its constitution, remained a 'dead letter'.[102]
On 11 July 1949 the Government of India lifted the ban on the RSS by issuing a communique stating that the decision to lift the ban on the RSS had been taken in view of the RSS leader Golwalkar's undertaking to make the group's loyalty towards the Constitution of India and acceptance and respect towards the National Flag of India more explicit in the Constitution of the RSS, which was to be worked out in a democratic manner.[3][101]
Decolonisation of Dadra, Nagar Haveli, and Goa
After India had achieved independence, the RSS was one of the socio-political organisations that supported and participated in movements to decolonise Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which at that time was ruled by Portugal. In early 1954 volunteers Raja Wakankar and Nana Kajrekar of the RSS visited the area round about Dadra, Nagar Haveli, and Daman several times to study the topography and get acquainted with locals who wanted the area to change from being a Portuguese colony to being an Indian union territory. In April 1954 the RSS formed a coalition with the National Movement Liberation Organisation (NMLO) and the Azad Gomantak Dal (AGD) for the annexation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli into the Republic of India.[103] On the night of 21 July, United Front of Goans, a group working independently of the coalition, captured the Portuguese police station at Dadra and declared Dadra independent. Subsequently, on 28 July, volunteer teams from the RSS and AGD captured the territories of Naroli and Phiparia and ultimately the capital of Silvassa. The Portuguese forces that had escaped and moved towards Nagar Haveli, were assaulted at Khandvel and forced to retreat until they surrendered to the Indian border police at Udava on 11 August 1954. A native administration was set up with Appasaheb Karmalkar of the NMLO as the Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli on 11 August 1954.[103]
The capture of Dadra and Nagar Haveli gave a boost to the movement against Portuguese colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent.[103] In 1955 RSS leaders demanded the end of Portuguese rule in Goa and its integration into India. When Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru refused to provide an armed intervention, RSS leader Jagannath Rao Joshi led the Satyagraha agitation straight into Goa. He was imprisoned with his followers by the Portuguese police. The nonviolent protests continued but met with repression. On 15 August 1955, the Portuguese police opened fire on the satyagrahis, killing thirty or so civilians.[104]
Goa was later annexed into the Indian union in 1961 through an army operation, codenamed 'Operation Vijay', that was carried out by the Nehru government.
War-time activities
After the declaration of 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence by Indira Gandhi, RSS provided support to the government, by offering its services to maintain law and order in Delhi and its volunteers were apparently the first to donate blood.[105]
Movement against the Emergency
In 1975 the Indira Gandhi government proclaimed emergency rule in India, thereby suspending fundamental rights and curtailing the freedom of the press.[106] This action was taken after the Supreme Court of India cancelled her election to the Indian Parliament on charges of malpractices in the election.[106] Democratic institutions were suspended and prominent opposition leaders, including Gandhian Jayaprakash Narayan, were arrested whilst thousands of people were detained without any charges taken up against them.[107] RSS, which was seen as being close to opposition leaders, and with its large organisational base was seen to have the capability of organising protests against the government, was also banned.[108]
Deoras, the then chief of RSS, wrote letters to Indira Gandhi, promising her to extend the organisation's co-operation in return for the lifting of the ban, asserting that RSS had no connection with the movement in Bihar and that in Gujarat. He tried to persuade Vinoba Bhave to mediate between the RSS and the government and also sought the offices of Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi's son.[109][110] Later, when there was no response, volunteers of the RSS formed underground movements against the Emergency.[111] Literature that was censored in the media was clandestinely published and distributed on a large scale, and funds were collected for the movement. Networks were established between leaders of different political parties in the jail and outside for the coordination of the movement.[112] RSS claimed that the movement was "dominated by tens of thousands of RSS cadres, though more and more young recruits are coming". Talking about its objectives, RSS said, "its platform at the moment has only one plank: to bring democracy back to India".[113] The Emergency was lifted in 1977, and as a consequence the ban on the RSS was also lifted.
The Emergency is said to have legitimized the role of RSS in Indian politics, which had not been possible ever since the stain the organisation had acquired following the Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948, thereby 'sowing the seeds' for the Hindutva politics of the following decade.[111]
Involvement in politics
Several Sangh Parivar politicians such as Balraj Madhok in the 1960s and 1970s to the BJP leaders like L. K. Advani have complained about the RSS's interference in party politics. Though some former Hindu nationalists believed that Sangh should take part in politics, they failed to draw the RSS, which was intended to be a purely cultural movement, into the political arena until the 1950s. Savarkar tried to convince Hedgewar and later Golwalkar, to tie up with Hindu Mahasabha, but failed to do so.[114]
Under pressure from other swayamsevaks, Golwalkar gradually changed his mind after independence under unusual circumstances during the ban on RSS in 1948 after the assassination of Gandhi. After the first wave of arrests of RSS activists at that time, some of its members who had gone underground recommended that their movement be involved in politics, seeing that no political force was present to advocate the cause of RSS in parliament or anywhere else. One such member who significantly suggested this cause was K.R. Malkani, who wrote in 1949:[114]
"Sangh must take part in politics not only to protect itself against the greedy design of politicians, but to stop the un-Bharatiya and anti-Bharatiya policies of the Government and to advance and expedite the cause of Bharatiya through state machinery side by side with official effort in the same direction. [...] Sangh must continue as it is, an ashram for the national cultural education of the entire citizenry, but it must develop a political wing for the more effective and early achievement of its ideals."
Golwalkar approved of Malkani's and others' views regarding the formation of a new party in 1950. Jaffrelot says that the death of Sardar Patel influenced this change since Golwalkar opined that Patel could have transformed the Congress party by emphasizing its affinities with Hindu nationalism, while after Patel, Nehru became strong enough to impose his 'anti-communal' line within his party. Accordingly, Golwalkar met Syama Prasad Mukherjee and agreed for endorsing senior swayamsevaks, who included Deendayal Upadhyaya, Balraj Madhok and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, a newly formed political party by Mukherjee. These men, who took their orders in Nagpur, captured power in the party after Mukherjee’s death.[114]
Balasaheb Deoras, who succeeded Golwalkar as the chief of RSS, got very much involved in politics. In 1965, when he was the general secretary of the RSS, he addressed the annual meeting of Jana Sangh, which is seen as an "unprecedented move" by an RSS dignitary that reflected his strong interest in politics and his will to make the movement play a larger part in the public sphere. Jaffrelot says that he exemplified the specific kind of swayamsevaks known as 'activists', giving expression to his leanings towards political activism by having the RSS support the JP Movement.[114] The importance that RSS began to give to the electoral politics is demonstrated when its units (shakhas) were made constituency-based in the early 1970s, from which the RSS shakhas began to involve directly in elections, not only of legislatures, but also of trade unions, student and cultural organisations.[109]
As soon as the RSS men took over the Jana Sangh party, the Hindu traditionalists who previously joined the party because of S.P. Mukherjee were sidelined. The organisation of the party was restructured and all its organisational secretaries, who were the pillars of the party, came from the RSS, both at the district and state level. The party also took the vision of RSS in its mission, where its ultimate objective, in the long run, was the reform of society, but not the conquest of power, since the 'state' was not viewed as a prominent institution. Hence the Jana Sangh initially remained reluctant to join any alliance that was not fully in harmony with its ideology. In 1962, Deendayal Upadhyaya, who was the party's chief, explained this approach by saying that "coalitions were bound to degenerate into a struggle for power by opportunist elements coming together in the interest of expediency". He wanted to build the party as an alternative party to the Congress and saw the elections as an ‘opportunity to educate the people on political issues and to challenge the right of the Congress to be in power.’ Jaffrelot says that this indifferent approach of party politics was in accordance with its lack of interest in the 'state' and the wish to make it weaker, or more decentralized.[114] After India's defeat in the 1962 Sino Indian war, the RSS and other right-wing forces in India were strengthened since the leftist and centrist opinions, sometimes even Nehru himself, could then be blamed for being 'soft' towards China. The RSS and Jana Sangh also took complete advantage of the 1965 war with Pakistan to 'deepen suspicion about Muslims', and also en-cashed the growing unpopularity of Congress, particularly in the Hindi-belt, where a left-wing alternative was weak or non-existent.[109] The major themes on the party's agenda during this period were banning cow slaughter, abolishing the special status given to Jammu and Kashmir and legislating a uniform civil code. Explaining the Jana Sangh's failure to become a major political force despite claiming to represent the national interests of the Hindus, scholar Bruce Desmond Graham states that the party's close initial ties with the Hindi-belt and its preoccupation with the issues of North India such as promotion of Hindi, energetic resistance to Pakistan etc., had become a serious disadvantage to the party in the long run. He also adds that its interpretation of Hinduism was 'restrictive and exclusive', arguing that "its doctrines were inspired by an activist version of Hindu nationalism and, indirectly, by the values of Brahmanism rather than the devotional and quietist values of popular Hinduism."[115] Desmond says that, if the Jana Sangh had carefully moderated its Hindu nationalism, it could have been able to well-exploit any strong increase in support for the traditional and nationalist Hindu opinion, and hence to compete on equal terms with the Congress in the northern states. He also remarks that if it had adopted a less harsh attitude towards Pakistan and Muslims, "it would have been much more acceptable to Hindu traditionalists in the central and southern states, where partition had left fewer emotional scars."[116]
The Jana Sangh started making alliances by entering the anti-Congress coalitions since 1960s. It became part of the 1971 Grand Alliance and finally merged itself with the Janata Party in 1977.[114] The success of Janata Party in 1977 elections made the RSS members central ministers for the first time (Vajpayee, Advani and Brij Lal Verma),[109] and provided the RSS with an opportunity to avail the state and its instruments to further its ends, through the resources of various state governments as well as the central government.[117] However, this merge, which was seen as a dilution of its original doctrine, was viewed by the ex-Jana Sanghis as submersion of their initial identity. Meanwhile, the other components of the Janata Party denounced the allegiance the ex-Jana Sanghis continued to pay to the RSS. This led to a 'dual membership' controversy, regarding the links the former Jana Sangh members were retaining with the RSS, and it led to the split of Janata Party in 1979.[114]
The former Jana Sangh elements formed a new party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in 1980. However, BJP originated more as a successor to the Janata Party and did not return to the beginning stages of the Hindu nationalist identity and Jana Sangh doctrines. The RSS resented this dilution of ideology — the new slogans promoted by the then BJP president Vajpayee like ‘Gandhian socialism’ and ‘positive secularism’. By early 1980s, RSS is said to have established its political strategy of "never keeping all its eggs in one basket". It even decided to support Congress in some states, for instance, to create the Hindu Munnani in Tamil Nadu in the backdrop of the 1981 Meenakshipuram mass conversion to Islam, and to support one of its offshoots, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), to launch an enthno-religious movement on the Ayodhya dispute. BJP did not have much electoral success in its initial years and was able to win only two seats in the 1984 elections. After L.K. Advani replaced Vajpayee as party president in 1986, the BJP also began to rally around the Ayodhya campaign. In 1990, the party organised the Ram Rath Yatra to advance this campaign in large-scale.[114][109] Advani also attacked the then ruling Congress party with the slogans such as 'pseudo secularism', accusing Congress of misusing secularism for the political appeasement of minorities, and established an explicit and unambiguous path of Hindu revival.[111]
The 'instrumentalization' of the Ayodhya issue and the related communal riots which polarised the electorate along religious lines helped the BJP make good progress in the subsequent elections of 1989, 1991 and 1996. However, in the mid-1990s, BJP adopted a more moderate approach to politics in order to make allies. As Jaffrelot remarks, it was because the party realised during then that it would not be in a position to form the government on its own in the near future. In 1998, it built a major coalition, National Democratic Alliance (NDA), in the Lok Sabha and succeeded in the general election in 1998, and was able to succeed again in the mid-term elections of 1999, with Vajpayee as their Prime Ministerial candidate. Though the RSS and other Sangh Parivar components appreciated some of the steps taken by the Vajpayee government, like the testing of a nuclear bomb, they felt disappointed with the government's overall performance. The fact that no solid step was taken towards building the Ram temple in Ayodhya was resented by the VHP. The liberalization policy of the government faced objection from the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, a trade union controlled by the RSS. Jaffrelot says, RSS and the other Sangh Parivar elements had come to the view that the "BJP leaders had been victims of their thirst for power: they had preferred to compromise to remain in office instead of sticking to their principles."[114]
After the end of Vajpayee's tenure in 2004, BJP remained as a major opposition party in the subsequent years; and again in the year 2014, the NDA came to power after BJP gained an overwhelming majority in the 2014 general elections, with Narendra Modi, a former RSS member who previously served as Gujarat's chief minister for three tenures, as their prime ministerial candidate. Modi was able to project himself as a person who could bring about "development", without focus on any specific policies,[118] through the "Gujarat development model" which was frequently used to counter the allegations of communalism.[119] Voter dissatisfaction with the Congress, as well as the support from RSS are also stated as reasons for the BJP's success in the 2014 elections.[118]
An RSS volunteer taking the oath dressed in an earlier uniform
RSS does not have any formal membership. According to the official website, men and boys can become members by joining the nearest shakha, which is the basic unit. Although the RSS claims not to keep membership records, it is estimated to have had 2.5 to 6.0 million members in 2001.[120]
Sarsanghchalaks
Main article: List of Sarsanghchalaks of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
The Sarsanghchalak is the head of the RSS organisation; the position is decided through nomination by the predecessor. The individuals who have held the post of Sarsanghchalak in this organisation are:
K. B. Hedgewar (1925–1930. 1931–1940)
Laxman Vaman Paranjpe (1930–1931)
M. S. Golwalkar (1940–1973)
Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras (1973–1993)
Rajendra Singh (1993–2000)
K. S. Sudarshan (2000–2009)
Mohan Bhagwat (incumbent since 21 March 2009)
Shakhas
Sangh shakha at Nagpur headquarters
The term shakha is Hindi for "branch". Most of the organisational work of the RSS is done through the coordination of the various shakhas, or branches. These shakhas are run for one hour in public places. The number of shakhas increased from 8500 in 1975 to 11,000 in 1977, and became 20,000 by 1982.[109] In 2004 more than 51,000 shakhas were run throughout India. The number of shakas had fallen by over 10,000 since the fall of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in 2004. However, by mid-2014, the number had again increased to about 40,000 after the return of BJP to power in Delhi in the same year.[121][122][123] This number stood at 51,335 in August 2015.[124]
The shakhas conduct various activities for its volunteers such as physical fitness through yoga, exercises, and games, and activities that encourage civic awareness, social service, community living, and patriotism.[125] Volunteers are trained in first aid and in rescue and rehabilitation operations, and are encouraged to become involved in community development.[125][126]
Most of the shakhas are located in the Hindi-speaking regions. As of 2016 Delhi had 1,898 shakhas.[127] There are more than 8,000 shakhas in UP, 5,000+ in Kerala, 4,000 in Maharashtra, and around 1,000 in Gujarat.[128] In northeast India, there are more than 1,000 shakhas, including 903 in Assam, 107 in Manipur, 36 in Arunachal, and 4 in Nagaland.[129][130] In Punjab, there are more than 900 shakhas as of 2016.[131] As of late 2015 there were a total of 1,421 shakhas in Bihar,[132] 4,870 in Rajasthan,[133] 1,252 in Uttarakhand,[134] and 1,492 in West Bengal.[135] There are close to 500 shakhas in Jammu and Kashmir,[136] 130 in Tripura, and 46 in Meghalaya.[137]
As per the RSS Annual Report of 2019, there were a total of 84,877 shakhas of which 59,266 are being held daily; 17,229 are weekly shakhas (58,967 in 2018, 57165 shakhas in 2017, and 56,569 in 2016)[138][139]
Golwalkar describes the mission of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as the revitalisation of the Indian value system based on universalism and peace and prosperity to all.[140] Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the worldview that the whole world is one family, propounded by the ancient thinkers of India, is considered as one of the ideologies of the organisation.[141]
But the immediate focus, the leaders believe, is on the Hindu renaissance, which would build an egalitarian society and a strong India that could propound this philosophy. Hence, the focus is on social reform, economic upliftment of the downtrodden, and the protection of the cultural diversity of the natives in India.[141] The organisation says it aspires to unite all Hindus and build a strong India that can contribute to the welfare of the world. In the words of RSS ideologue and the second head of the RSS, Golwalkar, "in order to be able to contribute our unique knowledge to mankind, in order to be able to live and strive for the unity and welfare of the world, we stand before the world as a self-confident, resurgent and mighty nation".[140]
In Vichardhara (ideology), Golwalkar affirms the RSS mission of integration as:[140]
RSS has been making determined efforts to inculcate in our people the burning devotion for Bharat and its national ethos; kindle in them the spirit of dedication and sterling qualities and character; rouse social consciousness, mutual good-will, love and cooperation among them all; to make them realise that casts, creeds, and languages are secondary and that service to the nation is the supreme end and to mold their behaviour accordingly; instill in them a sense of true humility and discipline and train their bodies to be strong and robust so as to shoulder any social responsibility; and thus to create all-round Anushasana (Instructions) in all walks of life and build together all our people into a unified harmonious national whole, extending from Himalayas to Kanyakumari.
— M. S. Golwalkar
Golwalkar and Balasaheb Deoras, the second and third supreme leaders of the RSS, spoke against the caste system, though they did not support its abolition.[142]
Golwalkar also explains that RSS does not intend to compete in electioneering politics or share power. The movement considers Hindus as inclusive of Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, tribals, untouchables, Veerashaivism, Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission, and other groups as a community, a view similar to the inclusive referencing of the term Hindu in the Indian Constitution Article 25 (2)(b).[143][144][145]
When it came to non-Hindu religions, the view of Golwalkar (who once supported Hitler's creation of a supreme race by suppression of minorities)[146] on minorities was that of extreme intolerance. In a 1998 magazine article, some RSS and BJP members were been said to have distanced themselves from Golwalkar's views, though not entirely.[147]
The non-Hindu people of Hindustan must either adopt Hindu culture and languages, must learn and respect and hold in reverence the Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but of those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture ... in a word they must cease to be foreigners; or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment—not even citizens' rights.
— M. S. Golwalkar[148]
Further information: Sangh Parivar
Organisations that are inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's ideology refer to themselves as members of the Sangh Parivar.[120] In most cases, pracharaks (full-time volunteers of the RSS) were deputed to start up and manage these organisations in their initial years.
The affiliated organisations include:[149]
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), literally, Indian People's Party (23m)[150]
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, literally, Indian Farmers' Association (8m)[150]
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, literally, Indian Labour Association (10 million as of 2009)[150]
Seva Bharti, Organisation for service of the needy.
Rashtra Sevika Samiti, literally, National Volunteer Association for Women (1.8m)[150]
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, literally, All India Students' Forum (2.8m)[150]
Shiksha Bharati (2.1m)[150]
Vishwa Hindu Parishad, World Hindu Council (2.8m)[150]
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, literally, Hindu Volunteer Association – overseas wing
Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Nativist Awakening Front[151]
Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Nursery
Vidya Bharati, Educational Institutes
Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram (Ashram for the Tribal Welfare), Organisations for the improvement of tribals; and Friends of Tribals Society
Muslim Rashtriya Manch (Muslim National Forum), Organisation for the improvement of Muslims
Bajrang Dal, Army of Hanuman (2m)
Anusuchit Jati-Jamati Arakshan Bachao Parishad, Organisation for the improvement of Dalits
Laghu Udyog Bharati, an extensive network of small industries.[152][153]
Bharatiya Vichara Kendra, Think Tank
Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Communication Wing, spread all over India for media related work, having a team of IT professionals (samvada.org)
Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, National Sikh Association, a sociocultural organisation with the aim to spread the knowledge of Gurbani to the Indian society.[154]
Vivekananda Kendra, promotion of Swami Vivekananda's ideas with Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi as a public policy think tank with six centres of study
Although RSS has never directly contested elections, it supports parties that are similar ideologically. Although RSS generally endorses the BJP, it has at times refused to do so due to the difference of opinion with the party.[citation needed]
Social service and reform
Participation in land reforms
The RSS volunteers participated in the Bhoodan movement organised by Gandhian leader Vinobha Bhave, who had met RSS leader Golwalkar in Meerut in November 1951. Golwalkar had been inspired by the movement that encouraged land reform through voluntary means. He pledged the support of the RSS for this movement.[155] Consequently, many RSS volunteers, led by Nanaji Deshmukh, participated in the movement.[2] But Golwalkar was also critical of the Bhoodan movement on other occasions for being reactionary and for working "merely with a view to counteracting Communism". He believed that the movement should inculcate a faith in the masses that would make them rise above the base appeal of Communism.[140]
Reform in 'caste'
The RSS has advocated the training of Dalits and other backward classes as temple high priests (a position traditionally reserved for Caste Brahmins and denied to lower castes). They argue that the social divisiveness of the caste system is responsible for the lack of adherence to Hindu values and traditions, and that reaching out to the lower castes in this manner will be a remedy to the problem.[156] The RSS has also condemned upper-caste Hindus for preventing Dalits from worshipping at temples, saying that "even God will desert the temple in which Dalits cannot enter".[157]
Jaffrelot says that "there is insufficient data available to carry out a statistical analysis of social origins of the early RSS leaders" but goes on to conclude that, based on some known profiles, most of the RSS founders and its leading organisers, with a few exceptions, were Maharashtrian Brahmins from the middle or lower class[158] and argues that the pervasiveness of the Brahminical ethic in the organisation was probably the main reason why it failed to attract support from the low castes. He argues that the "RSS resorted to instrumentalist techniques of ethnoreligious mobilisation—in which its Brahminism was diluted—to overcome this handicap".[159] However, Anderson and Damle (1987) find that members of all castes have been welcomed into the organisation and are treated as equals.[2]
During a visit in 1934 to an RSS camp at Wardha accompanied by Mahadev Desai and Mirabehn, Mahatma Gandhi said, "When I visited the RSS Camp, I was very much surprised by your discipline and absence of untouchablity." He personally inquired about this to Swayamsevaks and found that volunteers were living and eating together in the camp without bothering to know each other's castes.[160]
Relief and rehabilitation
The RSS was instrumental in relief efforts after the 1971 Orissa Cyclone, 1977 Andhra Pradesh Cyclone[161] and in the 1984 Bhopal disaster.[162][163] It assisted in relief efforts during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, and helped rebuild villages.[161][164] Approximately 35,000 RSS members in uniform were engaged in the relief efforts,[165] and many of their critics acknowledged their role.[166] An RSS-affiliated NGO, Seva Bharati, conducted relief operations in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Activities included building shelters for the victims and providing food, clothes, and medical necessities.[167] The RSS assisted relief efforts during the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.[168] Seva Bharati also adopted 57 children (38 Muslims and 19 Hindus) from militancy affected areas of Jammu and Kashmir to provide them education at least up to Higher Secondary level.[169][170] They also took care of victims of the Kargil War of 1999.[171]
In 2006 RSS participated in relief efforts to provide basic necessities such as food, milk, and potable water to the people of Surat, Gujarat, who were affected by floods in the region.[172][non-primary source needed] The RSS volunteers carried out relief and rehabilitation work after the floods affected North Karnataka and some districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh.[173] In 2013, following the Uttarakhand floods, RSS volunteers were involved in flood relief work through its offices set up at affected areas.[174][175]
India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had been vigilant towards RSS since he had taken charge. When Golwalkar wrote to Nehru asking for the lifting of the ban on RSS after Gandhi's assassination, Nehru replied that the government had proof that RSS activities were 'anti-national' by virtue of being 'communalist'. In his letter to the heads of provincial governments in December 1947, Nehru wrote that "we have a great deal of evidence to show that RSS is an organisation which is in the nature of a private army and which is definitely proceeding on the strictest Nazi lines, even following the techniques of the organisation".[176]
Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India, said in early January 1948 that the RSS activists were "patriots who love their country". He asked the Congressmen to 'win over' the RSS by love, instead of trying to 'crush' them. He also appealed to the RSS to join the Congress instead of opposing it. Jaffrelot says that this attitude of Patel can be partly explained by the assistance the RSS gave the Indian administration in maintaining public order in September 1947, and that his expression of 'qualified sympathy' towards RSS reflected the long-standing inclination of several Hindu traditionalists in Congress. However, after Gandhi's assassination on 30 January 1948, Patel began to view that the activities of RSS were a danger to public security.[177][178] In his reply letter to Golwalkar on 11 September 1948 regarding the lifting of ban on RSS, Patel stated that though RSS did service to the Hindu society by helping and protecting the Hindus when in need during partition violence, they also began attacking Muslims with revenge and went against "innocent men, women and children". He said that the speeches of RSS were "full of communal poison", and as a result of that 'poison', he remarked, India had to lose Gandhi, noting that the RSS men had celebrated Gandhi's death. Patel was also apprehensive of the secrecy in the working manner of RSS, and complained that all of its provincial heads were Maratha Brahmins. He criticised the RSS for having its own army inside India, which he said, cannot be permitted as "it was a potential danger to the State". He also remarked: "The members of RSS claimed to be the defenders of Hinduism. But they must understand that Hinduism would not be saved by rowdyism."[98]
Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, did not approve of RSS. In 1948, he criticised RSS for carrying out 'loot, arson, rioting and killing of Muslims' in Delhi and other Hindu majority areas. In his letter to home minister Patel on 14 May 1948, he stated that RSS men had planned to dress up as Muslims in Hindu majority areas and attack Muslims in Muslim majority areas to create trouble. He asked Patel to take strict action against RSS for aiming to create enmity among Hindus and Muslims. He called RSS a Maharashtrian Brahmin movement, and viewed it as a secret organisation which used violence and promoted fascism, without any regard to truthful means and constitutional methods. He stated that RSS was "definitely a menace to public peace".[179]
Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa in his speech to RSS volunteers said "RSS is my heart's work. My dear young men, don't be disturbed by uncharitable comments of interested persons. Look ahead! Go ahead! The country is standing in need of your services."[180]
Zakir Hussain, former President of India, told Milad Mehfil in Monghyar on 20 November 1949, "The allegations against RSS of violence and hatred against Muslims are wholly false. Muslims should learn the lesson of mutual love, cooperation and organisation from RSS."[181][182]
Gandhian leader and the leader of Sarvodaya movement, Jayaprakash Narayan, who earlier had been a vocal opponent of RSS, had the following to say about it in 1977:
RSS is a revolutionary organisation. No other organisation in the country comes anywhere near it. It alone has the capacity to transform society, end casteism and wipe the tears from the eyes of the poor.
He further added, "I have great expectations from this revolutionary organisation which has taken up the challenge of creating a new India."[108]
Welcome from City of Milpitas California, USA to K Sudarshan
Criticisms and accusations
Jaffrelot observes that although the RSS with its paramilitary style of functioning and its emphasis on discipline has sometimes been seen by some as "an Indian version of fascism",[183] he argues that "RSS's ideology treats society as an organism with a secular spirit, which is implanted not so much in the race as in a socio-cultural system and which will be regenerated over the course of time by patient work at the grassroots". He writes that "ideology of the RSS did not develop a theory of the state and the race, a crucial element in European nationalisms: Nazism and Fascism"[183] and that the RSS leaders were interested in culture as opposed to racial sameness.[184]
The likening of the Sangh Parivar to fascism by Western critics has also been countered by Jyotirmaya Sharma, who labelled it as an attempt by them to "make sense of the growth of extremist politics and intolerance within their society," and that such "simplistic transference" has done great injustice to our knowledge of Hindu nationalist politics.[185]
RSS has been criticised as an extremist organisation and as a paramilitary group.[3][4][7] It has also been criticised when its members have participated in anti-Muslim violence;[186] it has since formed in 1984, a militant wing called the Bajrang Dal.[21][187] Along with other extremist organisations, the RSS has been involved in riots, often inciting and organising violence against Christians[188] and Muslims.[6]
Involvement with riots
The RSS has been censured for its involvement in communal riots.
After giving careful and serious consideration to all the materials that are on record, the Commission is of the view that the RSS with its extensive organisation in Jamshedpur and which had close links with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh had a positive hand in creating a climate which was most propitious for the outbreak of communal disturbances. In the first instance, the speech of Shri Deoras (delivered just five days before the Ram Navami festival) tended to encourage the Hindu extremists to be unyielding in their demands regarding Road No. 14. Secondly, his speech amounted to communal propaganda. Thirdly, the shakhas and the camps that were held during the divisional conference presented a militant atmosphere to the Hindu public. In the circumstances, the commission cannot but hold the RSS responsible for creating a climate for the disturbances that took place on the 11th of April, 1979
— From Jitendra Narayan Commission report on Jamshedpur riots of 1979[189]
Human Rights Watch, a non-governmental organisation for human rights based in New York, has claimed that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council, VHP), the Bajrang Dal, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, and the BJP have been party to the Gujarat violence that erupted after the Godhra train burning.[190] Local VHP, BJP, and BD leaders have been named in many police reports filed by eyewitnesses.[191] RSS and VHP claimed that they made appeals to put an end to the violence and that they asked their supporters and volunteer staff to prevent any activity that might disrupt peace.[192][193]
Religious violence in Odisha
Christian groups accuse the RSS alongside its close affiliates, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Bajrang Dal (BD), and the Hindu Jagaran Sammukhya (HJS), of participation in the 2008 religious violence in Odisha.[194]
Involvement in the Babri Masjid demolition
According to the 2009 report of the Liberhan Commission, the Sangh Parivar organised the destruction of the Babri Mosque.[186][195] The Commission said: "The blame or the credit for the entire temple construction movement at Ayodhya must necessarily be attributed to Sangh Parivar."[196] It also noted that the Sangh Parivar is an "extensive and widespread organic body" that encompasses organisations that address and bring together just about every type of social, professional, and other demographic groupings of individuals. The RSS has denied responsibility and questioned the objectivity of the report. Former RSS chief K. S. Sudarshan alleged that the mosque had been demolished by government men as opposed to the Karsevak volunteers.[197] On the other hand, a government of India white paper dismissed the idea that the demolition was pre-organised.[198] The RSS was banned after the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, when the government of the time considered it a threat to the state. The ban was subsequently lifted in 1993 when no evidence of any unlawful activity was found by the tribunal constituted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.[199]
Notable Swayamsevaks
Main article: RSS swayamsevak
Deendayal Upadhyaya
L. K. Advani
Ram Madhav
Shankersinh Vaghela
Keshubhai Patel
Pramod Mahajan
Gopinath Munde
Pracharak
Eknath Ranade
Dattopant Thengadi - Trade Union leader
Ashok Singhal - VHP president
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, first swayamsevak to become the Prime Minister of India
Narendra Modi, second swayamsevak to become the Prime Minister of India
Ram Nath Kovind, first swayamsevak to become the President of India
Venkaiah Naidu, first swayamsevak to become the Vice President of India
Rashtra Sevika Samiti
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
^ Johnson, Matthew; Garnett, Mark; Walker, David M (2017), Conservatism and Ideology, Taylor & Francis, p. 77, ISBN 978-1-317-52899-9
^ a b c d Andersen & Damle 1987, p. 111.
^ a b c d Curran, Jean A. (17 May 1950). "The RSS: Militant Hinduism". Far Eastern Survey. 19 (10): 93–98. doi:10.2307/3023941. JSTOR 3023941.
^ a b Bhatt, Chetan (2013). "Democracy and Hindu nationalism". In John Anderson (ed.). Religion, Democracy and Democratization. Routledge. p. 140.
^ a b McLeod, John (2002). The history of India. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 209–. ISBN 978-0-313-31459-9. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
^ a b c Horowitz, Donald L. (2001). The Deadly Ethnic Riot. University of California Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-0520224476.
^ a b Eric S. Margolis (2000). War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet. Taylor & Francis Group. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-415-93062-8. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
^ Embree, Ainslie T. (2005). "Who speaks for India? The Role of Civil Society". In Rafiq Dossani; Henry S. Rowen (eds.). Prospects for Peace in South Asia. Stanford University Press. pp. 141–184. ISBN 0804750858.
^ a b c Jaffrelot, Christophe (2010). Religion, Caste, and Politics in India. Primus Books. p. 46. ISBN 9789380607047.
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Larijani Re-elected As Parliament Speaker; Motahari Keeps His Post
Iranian Parliament speaker Ali Larijani (2nd R) shaking hand with his second deputy Ali Motahari, After both re-elected in parliament session on Wednesday May 31, 2017.
After days of wrangling and leaked reports by reformists and conservatives in Iran, the parliament finally voted to elect its leadership on Wednesday, May 31.
The re-election of Ali Larijani, who has been Speaker of Parliament for the last eight years was generally expected. He received 204 votes from a total of 268 cast. No other candidate opposed Larijani for the post.
However, the re-election of Ali Motahari as second deputy speaker ended speculations that the conservatives were trying to oust him. Motahari, who is a conservative on social issues, has become a maverick critic of the hardliners on political and civic rights matters.
His outspoken and frequent criticisms of the heavy-handed policies and tactics of security forces, the judiciary and even pillars of power controlled by Iran’s Supreme Leader, have made him one of the few voices of dissent still enjoying an official position in the Islamic Republic.
Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, was re-lected as first deputy speaker. It is said that he also enjoys the backing of ethnic groups, such as Azeris and Turkmens. Pezeshkian himself comes from Tabriz, capital of Eastern Azerbaijan province.
Reformists were trying to have a Sunni and a female deputy also elected to the parliament’s presidium, but they failed.
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Sightseeing map
Central composition of the Technopolis GS memorial park
Technopolis GS: a hi-tech environment that is great to live or visit
The Kaliningrad Region is rich in unique nature reserves and places of historic interest. The GS Technopolis innovation cluster is a new draw for residents and visitors to the area alike. It is the only privately owned hi-tech cluster in Russia, which is becoming a great place where qualified specialists can further develop their skills creating world-class innovative products.
The investor in the project is the Russian investment and industrial holding GS Group.
Construction started in 2008.
The total area involved is 230 hectares.
Today, GS Technopolis brings together five manufacturing sites with everything that those who work in the cluster need to live nearby, and to develop and blossom creatively.
The concept to improve the residential quarter of the cluster has been developed by city planners and architects from St. Petersburg. Creating it, they worked to the most contemporary principles for the development of a comfortable urban environment to a European standard.
The Technopolis GS Memorial Park
In 2014, to mark the centenary of the commencement of the World War I, a Memorial Park was opened at the cluster.
The area of the park is 3 hectares.
The city of Gusev (formerly Gumbinnen) is one of the few cities in the modern Russian Federation that saw military action in the World War I. On August 20, 1914, the Battle of Gumbinnen took place, ending in one of the first victories for the Russian Imperial Army.
The Memorial Park is the site of the only sculptural composition in the Kaliningrad Region made by the famous Russian and American sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin, To the Memory of the Forgotten War that Changed the Course of History. The figures of the haggard soldier racked on the “wheel of fate” and two women, his widow and his mother, are the embodiment of grief for those killed in battle. The central composition is complemented by groups created by young sculptors from St. Petersburg, figures of soldiers from the Russian and German armies and a “ball of war” rolling around the world.
On April 11, 2015, to commemorate his visit to the GS Technopolis, Zhores Alferov, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Nobel laureate for physics, planted an oak here.
The Memorial Park contains a number of recreational areas. Cultural and sporting events for both visitors and those who live in Gusev are held here regularly.
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Information about the city
The city of Gusev (known as Gumbinnen until 1946) is situated in the east of Kaliningrad Region, at the confluence of Pissa River and Krasnaya River, at an altitude of 46 metres above sea level. Its geographical coordinates are 54 degrees north latitude and 22 degrees east longitude. The city covers an area of 16.3 sq. km; the total district area is 642.7 sq.km. The population of the region is 38,000 people, including 29,000 city inhabitants and 9,000 rural area inhabitants.
The economy is dominated by industrial activity, with more than 40 businesses located there, as well as services and agriculture.
Archaeological finds show that the territory was first populated ten to twelve centuries B.C., in the Stone Age. Settlements of hunters and anglers grew up at the confluence of the Pissa and Krasnaya rivers on land, which was called Ndroviya.
The first documented reference to a settlement called Gumbinnen dates from the middle of the 16th century, as the first Lutheran church was built in the region. The next period in the history of the city is linked with the names of the King of Prussia, Friedrich I and his son, Friedrich Wilhelm I. Gumbinnen was awarded city status on May 24, 1724, making Eastern Prussia more attractive for settlers. So by invitation of King Friedrich Wilhelm I, more than 12,000 people from Salzburg moved to Gumbinnen between 1732 and 1734.
In 1812, Gumbinnen became an unusual gateway for the invasion by the French Army into the territory of the Russian empire. June 18 to June 21, 1812, Napoleon stayed there in the Zolotaya Lira hotel in order to carry out the last combat review of his troops. Remarkably, it is also through Gumbinnen that the remnants of the routed French Army retreated to their homeland.
There is a legend that the Emperor Alexander I also stayed in the city. He was returning from Europe to St. Petersburg after attending celebrations dedicated to the victory over Napoleon, and stayed in the postmaster’s house. Delighted by his warm welcome, the Emperor gave his host a ring set with an enormous diamond.
In 1914, Gumbinnen found itself at the epicentre of the World War I. On 20th August, a major battle took place near Gumbinnen, weakening the German strike force during the battle on the Marne, and contributing to the breakdown of the German attack on Paris and the collapse of the Schlieffen Plan. The Battle of Gumbinnen entered into the history of the World War I as an example of the courage and heroism of the Russian troops.
During the Great Patriotic War, Gumbinnen was almost completely destroyed. On January 21, 1945, the city was successfully stormed by the troops of the 28th army of the Third Belarusian Front under the command of Lieutenant General A.A. Luchinsky. Those events entered into military history as the Gumbinnen Breakthrough. At the end of the Second World War Eastern Prussia was dismantled. To the north, it became part of the USSR.
An order from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated September 7, 1946 established Gusev District with its centre in the city of Gusev. The city was given the name of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Captain Sergei Ivanovich Gusev, who was mortally wounded in the battle near Gumbinnen on January 18, 1945.
Resolution No. 12 of the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR dated 19.02.1992 added Gusev to the list of Russian heritage cities because of its architectural attractions.
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Type of supposed alien spacecraft, or UFO
For other uses, see Flying saucer (disambiguation).
Find sources: "Flying saucer" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
An alleged flying saucer seen over Passaic, New Jersey in 1952
October 1957 issue of Amazing Stories magazine devoted to flying saucers. The sightings starting in 1947 ignited an obsession with flying saucers that lasted a decade.
A flying saucer (also referred to as "a flying disc") is a descriptive term for a supposed type of flying craft having a disc or saucer-shaped body, commonly used generically to refer to an anomalous flying object. The term was coined in 1930[1] but has generally been supplanted since 1952 by the United States Air Force term unidentified flying objects (or UFOs for short). Early reported sightings of unknown "flying saucers" usually described them as silver or metallic, sometimes reported as covered with navigation lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly, either alone or in tight formations with other similar craft, and exhibiting high maneuverability.
2 Sightings
3 Explanations
3.1 Fata Morgana (mirages) and flying saucers
4 Manmade flying saucer aircraft
While disc-shaped flying objects have been interpreted as being sporadically recorded since the Middle Ages, the first recorded use of the term "flying saucer" for an unidentified flying object was to describe a probable meteor that fell over Texas and Oklahoma on June 17, 1930. "Some who saw the weird light described it as a huge comet, a flaming flying saucer, a great red glow, a ball of fire."[1] The term "flying saucer" had been in use since 1890 to describe a clay pigeon shooting target,[2] which resembles a classic UFO shape.
The highly publicized sighting by Kenneth Arnold on June 24, 1947, resulted in the popularity of the term "flying saucer" by U.S. newspapers. Although Arnold never specifically used the term "flying saucer", he was quoted at the time saying the shape of the objects he saw was like a "saucer", "disc", or "pie-plate", and several years later added he had also said "the objects moved like saucers skipping across the water." Both the terms flying saucer and flying disc were used commonly and interchangeably in the media until the early 1950s.
Arnold's sighting was followed by thousands of similar sightings across the world. Such sightings were once very common, to such an extent that "flying saucer" was a synonym for UFO through the 1960s before it began to fall out of favor. A lot of sightings of the cigar-shaped UFO were reported following it.[3] More recently, the flying saucer has been largely supplanted by other alleged UFO-related vehicles, such as the black triangle.[citation needed] In fact, the term UFO was invented in 1952, to try to reflect the wider diversity of shapes being seen. However, unknown saucer-like objects are still reported, such as in the widely publicized 2006 sighting over Chicago-O'Hare airport.
Many of the alleged flying saucer photographs of the era are now believed to be hoaxes. The flying saucer is now considered largely an icon of the 1950s and of B movies in particular, and is a popular subject in comic science fiction.[4]
Beyond the common usage of the phrase, there have also been man-made saucer-like craft. The first flying disc craft was called the Discopter and was patented by Alexander Weygers in 1944. Other designs have followed, such as the American Vought V-173 / XF5U "Flying Flapjack", the British GFS Projects flying saucer, or the British "S.A.U.C.E.R." ("Saucer Aircraft Utilising Coanda Effect Reactions") flying saucer, by inventor Alf Beharie.
Sightings[edit]
News notice printed in Nuremberg, describing 4 April 1561 Nuremberg mass sighting. Discs and spheres were said to emerge from large cylinders. From Wickiana collection in Zurich.
A manuscript illustration of the 10th-century Japanese narrative, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, depicts a round flying machine similar to a flying saucer.[5][6]
A record of a saucer-shaped object is from 1290 of a silver disc flying over a village in Yorkshire.[7] Disc-like flying objects were occasionally reported throughout the millennium. For example, in a mass sighting over Nuremberg in 1561, discs and spheres were reported emerging from large cylinders (see woodcut at left). They are also claimed by ufologists to frequently show up in religious artwork.[8][9]
Another well-documented specific comparison of the objects to saucers was the Kenneth Arnold sighting on June 24, 1947, while Arnold was flying near Mount Rainier.[7] He reported seeing 9 brightly reflecting vehicles, one shaped like a crescent but the others more disc- or saucer-shaped, flying in an echelon formation, weaving like the tail of a kite, flipping and flashing in the sun, and traveling with a speed of at least 1,200 miles per hour (1,900 km/h).[10] In addition to the saucer or disc shape (Arnold also used the terms "pie plate" and half-moon shaped), he also later said he described the motion of the craft as "like a saucer if you skip it across water", leading to the term "flying saucer" and also "flying disc" (which were synonymous for a number of years).
Immediately following the report, hundreds of sightings of usually saucer-like objects were reported across the United States and also in some other countries. The most widely publicized of these was the sighting by a United Airlines crew on July 4 of nine more disc-like objects pacing their plane over Idaho, not far from Arnold's initial sighting. On July 8, the Army Air Force base at Roswell, New Mexico issued a press release saying that they had recovered a "flying disc" from a nearby ranch, the so-called Roswell UFO incident, which was front-page news until the military issued a retraction saying that it was a weather balloon.
On July 9, the Army Air Force Directorate of Intelligence, assisted by the FBI, began a secret study of the best of the flying saucer reports, including Arnold's and the United Airlines' crew. Three weeks later they issued an intelligence estimate describing the typical characteristics reported (including that they were often reported as disc-like and metallic) and concluded that something was really flying around. A follow-up investigation by the Air Materiel Command at Wright Field, Ohio arrived at the same conclusion. A widespread official government study of the saucers was urged by General Nathan Twining. This led to the formation of Project Sign (also known as Project Saucer) at the end of 1947, the first public Air Force UFO study. This evolved into Project Grudge (1949–1951) and then Project Blue Book (1952–1970).
The term "flying saucer" quickly became deeply ingrained in the English vernacular. A Gallup poll from August 1947 found that 90% had heard about the mysterious flying saucers or flying discs, and a 1950 Gallup poll found that 94% of those polled had heard the term, easily beating out all other mentioned commonly used terms in the news such as "Cold War", "universal military training", and "bookie".
Air Force statistics indicated that the basic saucer-shape continued to be the most commonly reported one through the 1950s and 1960s until Project Blue Book ended in 1970. There have been some claims, still undocumented by scientific study, that reports of saucers began to decline in the 1970s, being supplanted by other craft such as black triangles, cylinders, and amorphous shapes. It has also been asserted that despite the increase in portable cameras, photographs dwindled as Cold War and Space Race interest decreased and a number of notable images were exposed as fakes.[citation needed]
Explanations[edit]
A lenticular cloud. Studies show such clouds account for less than 1% of flying saucer reports.[citation needed]
In addition to the extraterrestrial hypothesis, a variety of possible explanations for flying saucers have been put forward. One of the most common states that most photos of saucers were hoaxes; cylindrical metal objects such as pie tins, hubcaps and dustbin lids were easy to obtain, and the poor focus seen in UFO images makes the true scale of the object difficult to ascertain.[citation needed] However, some photos and movies were deemed authentic after intensive study. An example was the saucer-like object photographed by farmer Paul Trent near Portland, Oregon in 1950, which passed all tests when studied by the Condon Committee in the 1960s.[11]
Another theory states that most are natural phenomena such as lenticular clouds and balloons, which appear disc-like in some lighting conditions.[12]
A third theory puts all saucer sightings down to a form of mass hysteria. Arnold described the craft he saw as saucer-like but not perfectly round (he described them as thin, flat, rounded in front but chopped in back and coming to a point), but the image of the circular saucer was fixed in the public consciousness. The theory posits that as the use of the term flying saucer in popular culture decreased, so too did sightings.[13]
One of the first depictions of a "flying saucer", by illustrator Frank R. Paul on the October 1929 issue of Hugo Gernsback's pulp science fiction magazine Science Wonder Stories. Although the term wasn't used before 1947, fantasy artwork in pulp magazines prepared the American mind to be receptive to the idea of "flying saucers".
Long before the Kenneth Arnold sighting of 1947 and the adoption of the term "flying saucer" by the public, depictions of streamlined saucer-shaped aircraft or spacecraft had appeared in the popular press, dating back to at least 1911.[14] In particular, commentators like Milton Rothman have noted the appearance of the "flying saucers" concept in the fantasy artwork of the 1930s pulp science fiction magazines, by artists like Frank R. Paul.[15][16] Frank Wu, a notable contemporary science fiction illustrator, has written:[15]
The point is that the idea of space vehicles shaped like flying saucers was imprinted in the national psyche for many years prior to 1947, when the Roswell incident took place. It didn't take much stretching for the first observers of UFOs to assume that the unknown objects hovering in the sky had the same disk shape as the science fictional vehicles.
A scientific and statistical analysis of 3200 Air Force UFO cases by the Battelle Memorial Institute from 1952 to 1954 found that most were indeed due to natural phenomena, about 2% were due to hoaxes or psychological effects and only 0.4% were thought due to clouds. Other very minor contributors were birds, light phenomena such as mirages or searchlights, and various miscellany such as flares or kites. The vast majority of identified objects (about 84%) were explained as balloons, aircraft, or astronomical objects. However, about 22% of all sightings still defied any plausible explanation by the team of scientists, and percentage of unidentifieds rose to 33% for the best witnesses and cases. Thus when carefully studied, a substantial fraction of reports (given the available data) is currently not understood.
Fata Morgana (mirages) and flying saucers[edit]
Main article: Fata Morgana (mirage)
Fata Morgana of distant islands distorted images beyond recognition
Fata Morgana, a type of mirage, may be responsible for some flying saucers sightings, by displaying objects located below the astronomical horizon hovering in the sky, and magnifying and distorting them.
Similarly some unidentifieds seen on radar might also be due to Fata Morgana-type atmospheric phenomena, though more technically known as "anomalous propagation" and more commonly as "radar ghosts". Official UFO investigations in France suggest:
As is well known, atmospheric ducting is the explanation for certain optical mirages, and in particular the arctic illusion called "fata morgana" where distant ocean or surface ice, which is essentially flat, appears to the viewer in the form of vertical columns and spires, or "castles in the air."
People often assume that mirages occur only rarely. This may be true of optical mirages, but conditions for radar mirages are more common, due to the role played by water vapor which strongly affects the atmospheric refractivity in relation to radio waves. Since clouds are closely associated with high levels of water vapor, optical mirages due to water vapor are often rendered undetectable by the accompanying opaque cloud. On the other hand, radar propagation is essentially unaffected by the water droplets of the cloud so that changes in water vapor content with altitude are very effective in producing atmospheric ducting and radar mirages.
Fata Morgana was named as a hypothesis for the mysterious Australian phenomenon Min Min light.[17]
Manmade flying saucer aircraft[edit]
The Avrocar, a one-man flying saucer style aircraft
See also: Circular wing
The first documented patent for a lenticular flying machine was submitted by Romanian inventor Henri Coanda.[citation needed] He made a functional small scale model which was flown in 1932 and a patent was granted in 1935.[18] In 1967, Coanda told a symposium organized by the Romanian Academy:
"These airplanes we have today are no more than a perfection of a toy made of paper children use to play with. My opinion is we should search for a completely different flying machine, based on other flying principles. I consider the aircraft of the future, that which will take off vertically, fly as usual and land vertically. This flying machine should have no parts in movement. The idea came from the huge power of the cyclons" [19]
Other attempts have been made, with limited success, to produce manned vehicles based on the flying saucer design. While some, such as the Avrocar and M200G Volantor have been produced in limited numbers, most fail to leave the drawing board. The Avrocar, with vertical takeoff and landing, was originally intended to replace both the Jeep and the helicopter in combat situations, but proved to be inadequate for both. In spite of a powerful turbojet, it could not rise more than four or five feet off the ground, i.e., out of ground effect.[20] Thus, the Avrocar could be seen as a prototype for the early generations of hovercraft, lacking only a 'skirt' to make it a truly effective example of the type. Unmanned saucers have had more success; the Sikorsky Cypher is a saucer-like UAV which uses the disc-shaped shroud to protect rotor blades.
Some more advanced flying saucers capable of spaceflight have been proposed, often as black projects by aeronautics companies. The Lenticular Reentry Vehicle was a secret project run by Convair for a saucer device which could carry both astronauts and nuclear weapons into orbit; the nuclear-powered system was planned in depth, but is not believed to have ever flown. More exotically, British Rail worked on plans for the British Rail "Space Vehicle" a proposed, saucer-shaped craft based on so far undiscovered technologies such as nuclear fusion and superconductivity, which was supposed to have been able to transport multiple passenger between planets, but never went beyond the patent stage.[21]
There is at least one design that received a US patent in 2005: U.S. Patent 6,960,975 It claims to be "propelled by the pressure of inflationary vacuum state".
Additionally, a professor at the University of Florida has begun work on a Wingless Electromagnetic Air Vehicle (WEAV) for NASA which has received public interest because of its coincidental resemblance to a flying saucer.[22][23][24]
A small flying saucer leaves its larger mothership in Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959).
After 1947, the flying saucer quickly became a stereotypical symbol of both extraterrestrials and science fiction, and features in many films of mid-20th century science fiction, including The Atomic Submarine (1959), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), as well as the television series The Invaders. As the flying saucer was surpassed by other designs and concepts, it fell out of favor with straight science-fiction moviemakers, but continued to be used ironically in comedy movies, especially in reference to the low-budget B movies which often featured saucer-shaped alien craft.
However, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave its high production value film Forbidden Planet (1956) a flying saucer called the United Planets Cruiser C-57D, presenting a plausible human exploration, faster-than-light starship of the 23rd century. In the television series Lost in Space (1965-1968), the Robinson family had a disc-shaped spaceship. Saucers appeared in the television series Babylon 5 (1994-1998) as the standard ship design used by a race called the Vree. Aliens in the film Independence Day (1996) attacked humanity in giant city-sized saucer-shaped spaceships.
The sleek, silver flying saucer in particular is seen as a symbol of 1950s culture; the motif is common in Googie architecture and in Atomic Age décor.[25] The image is often invoked retrofuturistically to produce a nostalgic feel in period works, especially in comic science fiction; both Mars Attacks! (1996)[26] and Destroy All Humans![27] draw on the flying saucer as part of the larger satire of 1950s B movie tropes.
The Twilight Zone episodes "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street", "Third from the Sun", "Death Ship", "To Serve Man", "The Invaders" and "On Thursday We Leave for Home" all make use of the iconic saucer from Forbidden Planet.
^ a b Associated Press (19 June 1930). "Whicitan Among those Who Saw Meteor". Wichita Daily Times. p. 28.
^ "Shooting Notes". Dayton Herald (p. 4). 19 February 1890. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
^ Essay: A FRESH LOOK AT FLYING SAUCERS. TIME. Aug 4, 1967./ 1975-Loring Air Force Base UFO Sightings Archived 19 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. about. com./ NASA Helioviewer: Giant Cigar-Shaped UFO Spotted Moving Close To The Speed Of Light?. INQUISITR. January 21, 2015./ 'Cigar-shaped' UFO spotted hovering over erupting Mexican volcano. the Daily and Sunday Express. May 5, 2015./ Retrieved all June 19, 2015.
^ "Sir Patrick Moore's Irish UFO film identified". BBC. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ Richardson, Matthew (2001). The Halstead Treasury of Ancient Science Fiction. Rushcutters Bay, New South Wales: Halstead Press. ISBN 1-875684-64-6.
^ "Once Upon a Time". Emerald City (85). September 2002. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ a b "Invaders from Elsewhere". Strange Magazine. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Historical artwork and UFOs by Matthew Hurley" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "ART and UFO – Intro". Sprezzatura.it. 12 November 2002. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ Bloecher, Ted (2005) [1967]. Report on the UFO Wave of 1947 (PDF). National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena. Retrieved 7 January 2013.
^ Maccabee, Bruce. "The Trent Farm Photos". Bruce Maccabee. Archived from the original on 21 March 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Lenticular cloud UFOs". UFO Mistakes. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ Law, Stephen (2003). The Outer Limits: More Mysteries from the Philosophy Files. Orion Books. ISBN 1-84255-062-4.
^ "Early 20th Century magazine covers with "flying saucer"-like craft". Ufopop.org. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ a b Wu, Frank (1998). "Gallery of Frank R. Paul's Science Fiction Artwork". Frank Wu personal website. Retrieved 1 April 2015. External link in |publisher= (help)
^ Darr, Jennifer (3 July 1997). "Coming To A Sky Near You". Philadelphia Citypaper. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
^ Pettigrew, JD. (2003). "The Min Min light and the Fata Morgana. An optical account of a mysterious Australian phenomenon". Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 86 (2): 109–20. doi:10.1111/j.1444-0938.2003.tb03069.x. PMID 12643807.
^ "OZN-ul lui Coandă, fascinanta creație care a înlemnit America!". Go4it.ro. 3 September 2010. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Aeronautics – Henri Coanda". Allstar.fiu.edu. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ Winchester, Jim (2005). American Military Aircraft. Grange Books PLC. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-84013-753-8. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "British Rail flying saucer plan". BBC. 13 March 2006. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "New Flying Saucer Runs on Plasma". LiveScience. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "WEAV – Patent Application For A Plasma-Propelled Flying Saucer". science20.com. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "The World's First Flying Saucer: Made Right Here on Earth: Scientific American". Sciam.com. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Astronomers and the Space Needle". Astroprof's. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Alien Notions". Metroactive. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
^ "Destroy All Humans! for PS2". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
Adamski, George (1953). Flying Saucers Have Landed. London: Spearman.
Adamski, George (1955). Inside the Space Ships. New York: Abelard-Schuman.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to UFO.
FBI Special Agent Guy Hottel's memo
Index of ufology articles
Claimed sightings
List of reported UFO sightings
Sightings in outer space
Pre-20th century
Tulli Papyrus (possibly 15th century B.C.)
Ezekiel's Wheel (circa 622–570 B.C.)
1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg
1566 celestial phenomenon over Basel
José Bonilla observation (1883)
Aurora (1897)
Los Angeles (1942)
Kenneth Arnold (1947)
Roswell (1947)
Mantell (1948)
Chiles-Whitted (1948)
Gorman Dogfight (1948)
Mariana (1950)
McMinnville photographs (1950)
Sperry (1950)
Lubbock Lights (1951)
Carson Sink (1952)
Nash-Fortenberry (1952)
Washington, D.C. (1952)
Flatwoods monster (1952)
Ellsworth (1953)
Kelly–Hopkinsville (1955)
Lakenheath-Bentwaters (1956)
Antônio Vilas Boas (1957)
Levelland (1957)
Trindade Island (1958)
Barney and Betty Hill abduction (1961)
Lonnie Zamora incident (1964)
Solway Firth Spaceman (1964)
Exeter (1965)
Kecksburg (1965)
Westall (1966)
Shag Harbour (1967)
Pascagoula Abduction (1973)
Travis Walton incident (1975)
Allagash (1976)
Tehran (1976)
Petrozavodsk phenomenon (1977)
Operação Prato (1977)
Valentich disappearance (1978)
Kaikoura Lights (1978)
Robert Taylor incident (1979)
Val Johnson incident (1979)
Cash-Landrum incident (1980)
Rendlesham Forest (1980)
Trans-en-Provence (1981)
Japan Air Lines (1986)
Voronezh UFO incident (1989)
Belgian UFO wave (1990)
Varginha (1996)
Phoenix Lights (1997)
USS Nimitz UFO incident (2004)
Campeche, Mexico (2004)
O'Hare Airport (2006)
Alderney (2007)
Norway (2009)
Confirmed hoaxes
Maury Island incident
Aztec, New Mexico, UFO incident
Morristown UFO hoax
Sightings by country
Spain (Canary Islands)
Types of UFOs
Ghost rockets
Green fireballs
Mystery airship
Space jellyfish
Types of alleged
extraterrestrial beings
Energy beings
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Insectoids
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Reptilian humanoids
The Flying Saucers Are Real (1947–1950)
Project Sign (1948)
Estimate of the Situation
Project Grudge (1949)
Flying Saucer Working Party (1950)
Project Magnet (1950–1962)
Project Blue Book (1952–1970)
Robertson Panel (1953)
Condon Report (1966–1968)
Institute 22 (1978–?)
Project Condign (1997–2000)
Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (2007-2012)
Identification studies of UFOs
Cryptoterrestrial
Interdimensional
Nazi UFOs
Trotskyist-Posadism
Bob Lazar
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flying_saucer&oldid=905361650"
Unidentified flying objects
Words coined in the 1940s
Fictional spacecraft by type
Use dmy dates from January 2015
Articles with unsourced statements from January 2011
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The Way of Zen
Zen Buddhism, Philosophy, Mahayana Buddhism
The Way of Zen is a 1957 non-fiction book on Zen Buddhism and Eastern philosophy by philosopher and religious scholar Alan Watts. It was a bestseller and played a major role in introducing Buddhism to a mostly young, Western audience.[1][2]
Content[edit]
The Way of Zen is divided into two sections, the first which deals with the background and historical development of Zen Buddhism, and the latter which focuses on the principles and practices. The second half has sections that include "Empty and Marvelous," "Sitting Quietly, Doing Nothing," "Za-zen and the Koan," and "Zen and the Arts." [3]
Watts traces the origin of Zen Buddhism as a synthesis of Chinese Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism. Watts introduces the reader to a variety of Eastern philosophical concepts such as wuwei, Middle Way and anatman. Watts portrays the western philosophical tradition as being intrinsically limited by the strict adherence to logical structures as opposed to eastern philosophy which is not bound by these structures.
^ Timothy Miller, ed. (1995). America's Alternative Religions. State University of New York Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-1438430935.
^ Kevin Starr (2009). Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950-1963. Oxford University Press. p. 420. ISBN 978-0195153774.
^ Watts, Alan (1957). The Way of Zen. New York City: Pantheon Books.
This article about a philosophy-related book is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Way_of_Zen&oldid=902785368"
Philosophy books
Zen studies books
Books by Alan Watts
Philosophy book stubs
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Talk:Last words
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1 George Bernard Shaw
2 Sara Teasdale
3 Leon Trotsky
4 John Sedgwick
5 Goethe
7 Ernesto "Che Guevara"
8 Oscar Wilde
9 von Goethe
10 where to ooo or ooo
11 Mussolini
12 Vote?
12.1 to Wikiquote
12.2 to Wikipedia
12.3 other
13 Inconsistency with Franz Ferdinand
14 Format
15 John Lennon
16 HAL
17 Caesar
18 Richard Loeb
19 Move Fictional Last Words
20 Adolf Hitler
21 Spoiler warning
22 Orwell?
23 Chaplin
24 Brandon Vedas
25 Julius Streicher
26 Kennedys
27 Saddam Hussein
28 Art Buchwald
29 Johannes Brahms
30 Anonymous quotes
31 Eva Peron
32 Maximilian I of Mexico
33 Split out suicide notes?
34 Important Missing Lines
36 Christopher Grace
37 Ataturk
38 AJ Kenson
39 Anonymous
40 Jose Rizal
41 John Jacob Astor
42 U. S. Executions Since 1976
43 Kaczynski
44 How "Last" are these words to be?
45 Frederick II
48 Roald Dahl
49 Proposal to split the page.
50 Mark Sandman
51 Greedwell
52 James Allen Red Dog
53 William Wallace
54 'Josep Bernades'?
55 Alexander III...
George Bernard Shaw[edit]
The last words recorded here ("Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.") are usually attributed to actor Edmund Gwenn. In fact, I've never seen this quote linked to Shaw before. CyranoR 14:22, 18 Feb 2007 (UTC)
Sara Teasdale[edit]
The Sara Teasdale poem previously listed was published in 1915, and Sara died in 1933.
Leon Trotsky[edit]
Trotsky's last words are incorrect. While they may have been the last thing he said before being mortally wounded, they were certainly not his last words. As he lay dying he wrote quite a bit and was able to talk before finally dying when his blood pressure got too low. What he did write was pretty profound so you might want to put that in. Other sources claim his last words were actually "I've been shot". Although it is probably not true, it may still be worth a mention.
John Sedgwick[edit]
Removed the following:
"They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."
Who: General John Sedgwick, Union Commander in the US Civil War
While General John Sedgwick is indeed known to have said this at his last battle, he was not shot while saying it, as the article implies. Rather, he didn't die until several minutes later, and was deep in conversation at the time. It would make for a good ironic entry, but accuracy should not be sacrificed in favor of humor. (My source). --Etaoin 22:38, 20 Apr 2004 (UTC)
None of these should be listed without a proper source. Attributing "famous last words" to people has always been a popular pastime, and 70-90% of these are likely to be complete inventions. If Wikiquote does not want to be just another quote website but an accurate directory, there should be clear criteria for inclusion of quotes.--Eloquence 23:28 1 Aug 2003 (UTC)
Goethe[edit]
The "Mehr Licht!" (More Light) quote from Goethe is disputed. It's also claimed to be "Mehr nicht!" (No more). // Liftarn
Order[edit]
Do we want these sorted in any particular order -- alphabetically by quote or by speaker? Chronologically? Scarequotes 23:35, 24 Sep 2003 (UTC)
So far we having been sorting alphabetically by quote. I don't know that any particular order is better than any other, as long as we have some order (to help prevent duplicates). Nanobug 16:28, 25 Sep 2003 (UTC)
Ernesto "Che Guevara"[edit]
"I know you've come to kill me. Shoot, coward, you're only going to kill a man."
Oscar Wilde[edit]
Amazingly, the man seems to have left two subtly different sets of last words...
"My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go." "These curtains are killing me, one of us has got to go."
von Goethe[edit]
Anyone else notice we have two for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe? "Mehr Licht" wins in Google hits. - Calmypal 04:08, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
where to ooo or ooo[edit]
There is no consistency on where the person's name should link to, ex:
[[w:Alexander the Great|Alexander the Great]] VS [[Alexander the Great]]
I think we should have the names link to wikiquote, it's simpler for the user to read more quotes from that person, and once they are directed to the proper quotes page, they can find a link to wikipedia for further information.
We should expand from within...I'll volunteer in going through the list an correct the wikipedia's to be wikiquote's...
Mussolini[edit]
"Shoot me in the chest!"--Benito Mussolini, should we add it? http://www.celebritymorgue.com/benito-mussolini/
Vote?[edit]
to Wikiquote[edit]
RoboAction 23:28, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC) -- B/C it won't confuse the user to find out where they're at...w or q?...(too much back and forth)
Alight (thanks for the discussion) I will be bold and link to wikiquote ~ RoboAction 04:07, 14 Dec 2004 (UTC)
to Wikipedia[edit]
Inconsistency with Franz Ferdinand[edit]
This page claims Archduke Franz Ferdinand's last words were "Es ist gar nichts!" while the article Franz Ferdinand (and Google) has "Sophie dear, Sophie dear, don't die! Stay alive for our children." Which version is correct? Or are these quotes from two different people, somehow mixed up? jni 07:07, 26 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Both lines were reported by Count Franz Harrach, who reached the couple after they were shot. Apparently, Princess Sophie saw the Archduke's blood, cried "My God! What has happened to you?" (presumably in German), then collapsed herself. The Archduke then said "Sopherl! Sopherl! Sterbe nicht! Bleib am Leben für unsere Kinder!" ("Sophie! Sophie! Don't die! Stay alive for our children!"). Harrach asked the Archduke if he was in pain, and he replied "Es ist gar nichts... es ist gar nichts..." repeatedly ("six or seven times") until he fell unconscious, dying later without ever regaining consciousness. I've revised both lines in the Franz Ferdinand article and listed my sources for this information there. — Jeff Q (talk) 21:49, 12 May 2005 (UTC)
He died shortly without ever regaining consciousness
I'd like to suggest we reformat this article. It is currently sorted by person quoted, but the main bulleted items are the famous last words themselves. This makes some sense, but it also causes some problems. First, there is the awkwardness of sorting by something that isn't the primary listed item. More recently, however, is the problem of controversial last word citations. Specifically, there appears to be no definitive quotation of last words for Che Guevara. The one thing that seems to be certain is that some of the published quotes serve the interests of the publishers (or their sponsors) more than they do the goal of accuracy. Therefore, it is difficult to present one quotation as the most likely last words of Guevara. (The current version, which I added based on the only printed work I had available, seems wholly inadequate and very likely wrong.)
I recommend that we restructure this to list the person, then the last words. It's not an unreasonable structure, it makes sorting more obvious, and it allows for unpreferential treatment of various purported last words for figures like Guevara. Any thoughts? — Jeff Q (talk) 17:33, 15 May 2005 (UTC)
my god what has happened to you in german is=MEIN GOTT, WAS IHNEN FRANZ GESCHAH*
John Lennon[edit]
"Yeah" was apparently the last word uttered by John Lennon, according to an interview with one of the two policemen rushing him to Roosevelt Hospital.
"I'm Shot!" he exclaimed just after the bullets hit him in the side and back. Lennon was then able to walk the five or six steps into what is known as the "security office" just inside the archway of the building. One has to open a door and go up a few steps to enter this room, which John managed to do. Upon stepping into the room, he collapsed.
John was attended to by doorman Jay Hastings as the police were called. Hastings removed the man's glasses, which were pushing into his face (he'd fallen face-first, scattering the tapes he had been holding). Lennon then vomited up what seemed to be a "bloody, fleshy mass" according to the doorman. No words were reported to have been exchanged with John during this time. The doorman removed his coat to cover Lennon then removed his tie, looking for a place to tie off the bleeding, but he could not locate the source or location of the wound.
Hearing the sirens, Hastings rushed out to summon the police inside. The officers first began to restrain the doorman - who had become covered in Lennon's blood. "Not him - he works here! THAT guy!" screamed Hastings' co-employee. The first cops then rushed to restrain the shooter, Mark David Chapman, who had been standing by calmly. Hastings hurried two other policemen inside to the victim, who he identified to them as being John Lennon. Inspecting John, the officers determined that there was no time to wait for an ambulance and gingerly lifted the singer in order to carry him to their car. They reportedly heard bones breaking as they carried him back outside, sliding him into the backseat of a patrol car, front-side down.
Quickly taking off, the driving officer radioed ahead to Roosevelt to indicate that they were bringing in a critical gunshot victim. The other office had turned to keep an eye on their charge and to try and keep him as alert as possible. John nodded yes to many of the questions he was asked, including "are you in pain?" When the officer asked "are you John Lennon?" John reportedly offered a weak "yeah" in response. John apparently died in the moments after this exchange, as he had arrived to Roosevelt with no pulse and was declared DOA upon arriving at the Emergency Room. --TobiasGarey
"Yes I am" weren't Lennon's last reported words. After the police reached the Dakota building, one of them asked "What is your name?" which drew the reply "Lennon". En route to the hospital, he asked "Are you sure you're John Lennon?" to which Lennon replied "Yes I am" - the policeman then asked "How do you feel?" and was told "I'm in pain". As far as I can ascertain, these were the last words of John Lennon.--Paolo Meccano 16:49, 30 October 2005 (UTC)
No. His last words were "I'm Shot" which he said to the receptionist of the building he was entering. He got shot several times in the back so he was out of concious within seconds.
The Death of John Lennon
Lennon wasn't shot in the neck, he was shot in the back and the shoulder. There are conflicting accounts of his last words, although "I'm shot" would seem to be a good candidate according to most reports.. --SleepyHead 20:29, 29 October 2010 (UTC)
HAL[edit]
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.
Who: HAL 9000, in 2001: A Space Odyssey
These are not the last words of HAL, in the second, third or etc. part of the film Dr. Chandra switches HAL back and HAL and Dawid Bowman see the Jupiter becoming a star. Gubbubu 09:37, 7 December 2005 (UTC)
Caesar[edit]
Translation: And you, Brutus?
Who: Julius Caesar
Attributed to him by Shakespeare's famous play; his real last words are unknown. Brutus, one of Caesar's assassins, was his adopted son. According to Suetonius, Caesar's last words were Ista quidem vis est! ("This is violence!").
This translation is incorrect, as "et" can also be a short form of "etiam" ("also", "as well", "too").. And I'm pretty sure that it should thus be translated as "You, too, Brutus?"...
The idea expressed in the article, that "Then fall, Caesar" means that Caesar saw he was outnumbered and could not count on Brutus' support is an interpretation and an unsophisticated one at that. Many would argue that Caesar says this because he realizes in his last moments, that if his beloved Brutus is against him, then he must be a tyrant, and his opposition to the senators is wrong.
Richard Loeb[edit]
From this article:
* I think I'm going to make it!
o Who: Richard Loeb, half of the famous murderers Leopold and Loeb; said after being slashed ninety times with a razor by a fellow inmate
The Wikipedia Article on famous last words says he was slashed 56 times, and the article doesn't mention anything. Which of these (if either) is true?
Move Fictional Last Words[edit]
I think the Fictional last words should be moved to it's own article. It's getting rather long and hard to navigate. We should also arrange it alphabetically like the current article. Any objections? Donnie 14:16, 2 February 2006 (UTC)
Seems like a good idea to me (on both counts - new page and alpha sorted). ~ UDScott 15:12, 2 February 2006 (UTC)
Is there still any interest in moving and categorizing fictional last words? And if so, should it be done by character name, or by source title? ~ JT706 19:29, 31 March 2006 (UTC)
In keeping with discussion here, I've created a new page for fictional last words (it seemed a good a time as any to do it, since someone deleted them all - along with the info at the bottom of the page, which I've restored :-). --Joseph Q Publique 09:47, 22 April 2006 (UTC)
Adolf Hitler[edit]
Adolf Hitler: "When the music's over, turn off the lights." What's the source? Those words are from a Doors lyric.
These are of course spurious, and I believe they may have been removed before, either from here or the Adolf Hitler page. ~ Kalki 23:59, 23 February 2006 (UTC)
Spoiler warning[edit]
I have edited the article in order to advise people about spoilers, in the "Last Words in Fiction" Section.
I'm spanish, and because of the article, "you" have just ruined my lecture of the last Harry-Potter series book. I feel the argue to kill someone, but I think this would be more productive.
I'm very upset!!!
I've changed the insertion of the aforementioned spoiler warning, inappropriately added to the section heading, to a standard spoiler message. ~ Jeff Q (talk) 12:49, 20 March 2006 (UTC)
Orwell?[edit]
I take it we don't know George Orwell's last words.--acebrock(wikipedia)
Chaplin[edit]
The sentence recorded as Chaplin's last words is actually one of the last phrases spoken by Hneri Verdoux in Monsieur Verdoux, not something said by Chaplin in real life. Chaplin's actual last words are unrecorded: he died in his sleep. --62.255.232.28 22:57, 16 April 2006 (UTC)
Brandon Vedas[edit]
I've heard "Ripper"'s quote "I told u I was hardcore" (one of the last few intelligible messages that he left on an IRC channel before dying of a drugs overdose. Wikipedia) a few times on the internet. While not technically his last words, would these be eligible for inclusion? --81.111.221.130 22:53, 2 July 2006 (UTC)
Julius Streicher[edit]
The note says 'Of all the comdemned Nazis, he was the only one to salute Hitler before his own execution'. However, most biographies of Amon Goeth have him doing so as well. Change the note? 80.177.175.128 14:57, 22 September 2006 (UTC)
Kennedys[edit]
Many of these quotes have been taken from sites that obvioulsy feature "humourous " retellings rather than quotes. I just saw a documentary on Robert F, and wondereed if that quote was here. On the way I happened by a few references to John F's last words. Haven't found a suitable web source but both seem a lot more believable to me. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Andreuu (talk • contribs) 08:57, 5 November 2006 (UTC)
This is why quotes should always be sourced. Articles like this one are of virtually no use to Wikiquote because they fail to source their claims. What seems "believable" to an editor is completely irrelevant, except in how it encourages that editor to find and cite a specific source. Unsourced quotes are subject to removal by any editor at any time, so I urge editors of this article to try to find reliable sources for any "last words" they wish to keep. ~ Jeff Q (talk) 08:07, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
Saddam Hussein[edit]
I plan to remove attempts to add Saddam Hussein's last words to this article unless and until someone can provide citations from reliable sources for these. As with so many hot topics in the world, I expect there will be far more people willing to put words into his mouth than dig up reliable information. At the moment, I have the following information from a reliable source:
Then Saddam began reciting the "Shahada", a Muslim prayer that says there is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger, according to an unabridged copy of the same tape, apparently shot with a camera phone and posted on a website. Saddam made it to midway through his second recitation of the verse. His last word was Muhammad.
"Saddam had feisty exchange at the gallows". USA Today. 2006-12-31. Retrieved on 2006-12-31.
This would seem to indicate that it will be hard to get his exact "last words", but that they will be part of the Shahada. Of course, this report is third-hand, via an unidentified person and unidentified website, and light on details, so it's not particularly satisfying. I imagine this will be the state of the question until we achieve some distance from the event itself, allowing more reasoned analysis of the available information to provide us with more solid information.
By the way, this is an excellent example of why we need sources for the quotes in this article. As it stands, it's not much better than a rumor collection page. ~ Jeff Q (talk) 02:23, 1 January 2007 (UTC)
Art Buchwald[edit]
Can his New York Times video obit (from summer 2006) be used? Not technically last words, but it was only shown after his death. Anyway, his line is "Hi. I'm Art Buchwald and I just died."
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_chl=6efd2cf88059d849bf303c6e8a1cd09c635bfb08&rf=bm —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 24.210.168.38 (talk • contribs) 23:36, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
I can't speak to the specific source, as I can't seem to get it to play at the moment. But if Buchwald created this specifically to be his last words, it makes some sense. Somehow it seems fitting for such a popular humorist to make a final wry comment in such an unusual manner. ~ Jeff Q (talk) 23:48, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
Johannes Brahms[edit]
His last words were, "Ah, that tastes nice. Thank you." Does anyone have any information on what Brahms was eating right before he died?
He was given a taste of red wine.
Anonymous quotes[edit]
This site doesn't say who: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5049082.stm -- is it still possible to add it in the list?
Eva Peron[edit]
Eva Peron's last words were definitely not "Don't cry for me Argentina," however appropriate that would be! -Paul W
Maximilian I of Mexico[edit]
He has a page, I'm too much of a novice at this to correct why it remains red tagged.
Split out suicide notes?[edit]
This is an awfully long page, and it's only going to grow - I think it would be appropriate to split out the suicide notes into a separate entry. Thoughts? BD2412 T 01:34, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
Before we do that, I think we should try to get sources for these quotes. Frankly, in order to push the need for sourcing quotes, I'm in favor of going through each section, finding what sources we can, then deleting any unsourced quotes. Theme articles are notorious for their failure to source anything, and sooner or later we'll have to get more serious about this anyway. ~ Jeff Q (talk) 03:20, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
Even so, I see no harm in creating a separate entry for the notes. They are not exactly "last words" in the more common meaning of those thoughts that people gasp out with their dying breath. Cheers! BD2412 T 05:11, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
I see your point. It's a little morbid, but arguably useful. It might also focus some attention on what kind of inclusion guidelines we'd want for suicide notes. We certainly wouldn't want to include entire notes, as Wikiquote is focused on pithy statements and is not designed to collect documents for their own sake. But there would also be the question of whether some of these quotes are worth citing at all on Wikiquote because they aren't especially original or memorable on their own, only as sad footnotes to the peoples' lives. In any case, I doubt I'll get involved in that intriguing debate for now, so I'll shut up and let others chime in. ☺ ~ Jeff Q (talk) 06:34, 19 October 2007 (UTC)
Suicide notes is done (or at least begun) - there are a few that I've found that are clearly not the "last words" of the person. BD2412 T 16:47, 5 December 2007 (UTC)
Important Missing Lines[edit]
"Take your time old man" - serial killer H. H. Holmes to executioner He died after hanging for 15 minutes.
Rudyard Kipling- "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."
Humphrey Bogart[edit]
I couldn't help noticing that there are two "last words" from him...I'm sure there's a mistake here, I'm not editing though, I apoligize if this is correct somehow.
Christopher Grace[edit]
The last words of Christopher Grace? The only actor listed in Wikipedia by that name is Christopher John Grace, better known as Topher Grace - and he's still alive, according to Wikipedia and Imdb.com! Esaons 20:51, 13 May 2008 (UTC)
Ataturk[edit]
I removed the Ataturk quote as I couldn't verify it was said, and the words as quoted are mangled ("Alaykum As-Salām" instead of "As-Salām Alaykum"). Could someone perhaps verify the quote and re-add the correct form it to the index? --健次(derumi)talk 20:40, 28 July 2008 (UTC)
Ataturk' last words were "Aleykum Selam".
This was a bit delayed response to his doctor when he said "let me see your tongue sir".
Typically the person who starts the greeting says "As Selam Aleykum" to everyone there. Response to this would be "Aleykum Selam". This was interpreted as death angel said to him "As Selam Aleykum" and he responded as "Aleykum Selam".
AJ Kenson[edit]
This does not make any sense.
Anonymous[edit]
I have looked for more information on this quote and story. Does anyone have anymore info?
Jose Rizal[edit]
"Consummatum Est" were the last words of Dr. Jose Rizal... Philippine's nat'l hero.. which means "It is done". Said after he was shot by a firing squad in Bagumbayan, now called Luneta Park, Manila.
John Jacob Astor[edit]
Not sure if anyone actually cares, but the link is not pointing to the "right" John Jacob Astor. It should be pointing to John Jacob Astor IV... On a side note, is this even verified? The account on this page conflicts with the account on [1].
Yep, we sure do care! I'll research the question. BD2412 T 18:04, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
U. S. Executions Since 1976[edit]
With this hyperlink you can find the last words or final statement of most of these victims: [2].
Kaczynski[edit]
Transcripts of conversations in the cockpit of the Tupolev Tu-154 that crashed near Smolensk in April killing Polish President Lech Kaczynski and many other Polish government officials
Kurwa! [3]
How "Last" are these words to be?[edit]
Just perusing this page, and I see several entries that were clearly not the speaker's last words. In most cases, e.g. last radio transmissions, this seems ok. Then there are ones like Michael Jackson, which lists what he said as he exited his limo the previous day, or Alexander Litvinenko, which listed one sentence from an interview he gave prior to his death. Do these really apply for this page? They may be significant, of course, but the whole "last words" notion implies something more than these examples provide. Just a thought. Prompt Critical 01:03, 12 June 2011 (UTC)
Frederick II[edit]
There's only the translation of the last words of Frederick II, the original quote is missing.
Archimedes[edit]
The wikiquote article mentions that the soldier that killed Archimedes was executed, but the main wikipedia article has no mention of the soldier's fate. I can find no source to back up the claim. This article: http://www.math.nyu.edu/~crorres/Archimedes/Death/Histories.html , linked to from the wikipedia article, lists the known accounts, and mentions that "Marcellus ever after regarded him that killed him as a murderer", but does not imply that the soldier was executed.
Augustus[edit]
I noticed that there is a quote listed for Emperor Augustus under 'A', and one for Augustus Caesar under 'C'. I understand that Augustus was a title given to Roman Emperors beginning with Augustus Caesar, but these quotes seem to be referring to the same man. Is this a mistake, or can someone clear this up for me? Shardwing (talk) 00:23, 23 March 2012 (UTC)
Roald Dahl[edit]
The quote given is unsourced. Other sources suggest a different story: [4]. The story as it stands does sound unlikely.
Proposal to split the page.[edit]
This page is rather long (170kb right now), and is susceptible to growth, both through the as-yet unspoken last words of those still living, and through the addition of many more last words from the already dead. I propose splitting by the century in which the subject's death occurred, at least for the past few centuries. For the smaller number of recorded last words before, say, 1500, we can have a single page. Cheers! BD2412 T 16:18, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
Alternatively, if one were to simply remove all of the unsourced attributions the page would be very much smaller. ~ Ningauble (talk)
Ideally, the unsourced attributions would eventually be sourced, leading to the same problem. BD2412 T 17:07, 2 December 2012 (UTC)
I agree that the unsourced quotes should be all moved to the Talk page. ~ DanielTom (talk) 13:05, 12 April 2013 (UTC)
Mark Sandman[edit]
I added the last words of Mark Sandman, famous for being the singer of the jazz band Morphine. Here's the source. http://www.rollogrady.com/mark-sandman-morphine-treat-her-right/ AvalancheMaster (talk) 20:33, 5 February 2013 (GMT)
Greedwell[edit]
As this is a videogame character, and not a real person,I request that it be moved to the "fictional last words" section.
James Allen Red Dog[edit]
I didn't find sources for "the rest of you can kiss my ass" except for a book that said someone else said that and that Red Dog said "pretty much" the same thing. The only last words I found are at w:James Allen Red Dog#Execution; I'm not sure what exactly would be best here. Ekips39 (talk) 05:38, 7 March 2015 (UTC)
William Wallace[edit]
His last words before being executed "I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject". 201.255.190.160 10:30, 13 February 2016 (UTC)
'Josep Bernades'?[edit]
Passi-ho bé, senyor Bernades (Catalan)
Translation: Goodbye, Mr. Bernades
Who: Josep Bernades
This quote has been in the article since July 2005, yet when you google that name, there are literally no results. Even if you google that pair of 'last words', the only result you get are for other lists of last words, that have obviously just copy/pasted from Wikiquote.
Is this really a fake quote that's just been unnoticed for over 10 years? Or is this just a really obscure person?
64.5.147.200 16:18, 19 May 2016 (UTC)
Alexander III...[edit]
...can't have said Για το ισχυρότερο! That's modern Greek. Alexander spoke Ancient Greek or Ancient Macedonian. Steinbach (talk) 18:35, 31 August 2018 (UTC)
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Headlines Influence
Anthony Sabatini registered as Democrat for nine years
Suspended financial regulator seeks whistleblower status
No sanctuary city violations reported in state
What's up? Someone just registered 'MargaretGoodforCongress.com'
State shrinks teacher bonuses, lawsuit alleges
Anthony Sabatini
He did register Republican before launching his political career.
Jacob Ogles
Did a Florida Republican who once wore blackface in high school also vote for Barack Obama?
State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, a Howey-in-the-Hills Republican, initially registered as a Democrat, according to Lake County Supervisor of Elections records.
Sabatini pre-registered to vote in Lake County in 2006, right before his 18th birthday, and signed up as a Democrat. He voted for the first time in the mid-terms that November.
A Eustis High School graduate, he maintained his registration in Lake County for years. In 2008, he voted on a Democratic ballot in the Presidential Preference Primary. That’s the year Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama fought it out for the presidential nomination.
Sabatini has not responded to inquiries from Florida Politics about who he voted for or why he registered as a Democrat.
He also voted in the state primary and general election that year, both times sending in votes by mail as a military overseas voter. That’s the same year Sabatini joined the Florida Army National Guard.
Sabatini only voted in the general election in 2010 and 2012, and kept his registration in Lake the entire time. He was also working toward a bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida in Alachua County around that period, and he earned his degree in 2012.
It’s not uncommon for undergraduates to keep registration and their home address in a home county while attending school.
But in 2015, he registered in Alachua County. That’s the first time he registered as a Republican. The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office says he maintained that until moving back to Lake County in 2016.
The time period lines up with when Sabatini studied law at Florida. He graduated from law school in 2017.
The Republican spent nine years registered to vote as a Democrat, and less than four as a Republican. He’s now 30 years old.
Sabatini has regularly cited President Donald Trump as a political role model, and he had become a Republican to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary in 2016, while still in Alachua.
Lake County hasn’t elected a Republican state Representative in any part of the county since 2002.
But Sabatini’s affiliation with the GOP certainly started before his first election to office. He served as a Eustis City Commissioner from 2016 until 2018. During that time, he developed conservative credentials and a statewide reputation with actions like calling for America’s discarded Confederate statues to be sent to Eustis.
That’s when he resigned from office and moved to Florida House District 32. He ran in the district, and easily won a Republican primary over Shannon Elswick and Monica Wofford despite being outspent.
A week before the general election, news broke of an image of Sabatini dressed in blackface while still a student at Eustis High.
Sabatini said he’d dressed on Celebrity Day as friend Brandon Evans, a running back for the football team, who in turn dressed as Sabatini. Evans confirmed that story, and said he wasn’t offended then or now by Sabatini darkening his skin for the look.
The story didn’t stop Sabatini from winning the heavily Republican district by 13 percent.
The pictures became hot news again after Secretary of State Mike Ertel resigned amid a separate blackface scandal, and as Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam came under heavy fire his mishandling a blackface story of his own.
In this article:Anthony Sabatini, Army National Guard, blackface, Democrat, Featured Post, Monica Wofford, Shannon Elswick, University of Florida
Written By Jacob Ogles
Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at jacobogles@hotmail.com.
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Why Dr. Leana Wen Was Forced Out of Planned Parenthood After 8 Months
MPWMost Powerful Women
CBS’s Susan Zirinsky on the #MeToo Movement: ‘This Will Never Be Over’
Emma Hinchliffe
CBS has been one of the businesses that’s experienced the most tumult in the wake of the #MeToo movement, with executives Les Moonves and Jeff Fager and star Charlie Rose all ousted amid charges of misconduct. But “this will never be over,” new CBS News president Susan Zirinsky says of the #MeToo movement—though not with the tone of dismay you might expect from the leader tasked with overseeing the next chapter of the storied news division.
“We’ve all gone through the #MeToo movement in whatever business we’ve been in,” Zirinsky, known as the inspiration for Holly Hunter’s hardworking producer in 1987’s Broadcast News, said at a Fortune Most Powerful Women dinner in New York Thursday night. “When something happens—even wars—it’s over. This will never be over. This is a point in culture, in society—no person can come out of the last year and treat people the same way.”
Sign up: Click here to subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.
In her first sit-down, public interview since taking over the CBS News mantle in January, Zirinsky spoke to Fortune‘s Pattie Sellers about her career, which started at CBS in Washington, D.C. two weeks after the Watergate burglary. She even brought out her favorite memento: Walter Cronkite’s original script from the night President Richard Nixon resigned, with Cronkite’s handwritten scribbles across the pages.
Zirinsky was introduced by CBS This Morning‘s Gayle King, who highlighted what she says is overwhelming support for Zirinsky within the CBS offices—”We all feel it’s a brand new day at CBS”—and a milestone in morning news: all three networks’ morning shows are now led by women.
Ever the newswoman, Zirinsky has retained her title of executive producer even after moving into the C-suite. “If it doesn’t work out, I don’t even need to get new business cards—I can just cross it out,” she says of her new president title.
But she’s committed to maintaining the CBS News legacy—and building a new one based around listening to and acting on feedback from employees—as the network recovers from the actions of its past leaders. “The tectonic plates have shifted,” she says, “and they’re never going to lock again.”
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Bodybuilding.com Forums > More General Categories > Misc. > Sports > The Stack Attack is back in black
View Full Version : The Stack Attack is back in black
BrawnySwoleman
http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/8156482/2012-nba-free-agency-brooklyn-nets-add-jerry-stackhouse-bench-sources-say
The Brooklyn Nets reached a verbal commitment with veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse on a one-year deal worth $1.3 million, sources close to the process told ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
The 17-year veteran played last season with the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 3.6 points in 30 games.
Stackhouse spent the past season as a veteran presence off the bench for the Hawks. The Nets will look to him to be a veteran stabilizing force in the locker room more than the impact player he used to be on the court.
Stackhouse, 37, has career averages of 17.4 points, 3.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds. He was the league's second-leading scorer in 2000-01, averaging a career-best 29.8 points, but he hasn't played more than 40 games since the 2009-10 season, when he averaged 8.5 points in 42 games with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Nets on Wednesday also announced they had re-signed forward Gerald Wallace to a four-year deal. The team had verbally agreed to a contract with Wallace shortly after free agency began on July 1.
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Rock formations in the Cederberg
Home Destinations South Africa Cederberg
The Cederberg mountains lie about three-hours’ drive out of Cape Town. Fantastic hiking trails, clear mountain streams, sandstone rock formations and ancient rock art make this area truly spectacular. Lying within the Cape Floral Kingdom, the seemingly barren Cederberg explodes with colour in late winter and early spring as the flower season begins.
Highlights in Cederberg
Hike to rockpools and waterfalls
See rock art dating back 10,000 years
Learn about the area’s unique fynbos
Enjoy incredible stargazing in the clear night sky
Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve
Type: Safari LodgeLocation: South AfricaRooms: 16Rating: (TGCSA)
Bushmans Kloof has a spectacular setting deep in the Cederberg Mountains, a leisurely 3-hour drive from Cape Town. This Relais & Chateaux lodge has 16 rooms and suites with fantastic attention to detail, and lovely touches like watercolour paints and yoga mats in the rooms. Go on guided nature drives…
View all accommodation in Cederberg
Other regions in South AfricaExplore
South Africa’s Garden Route is holiday perfect: long sandy beaches, magnificent forests, lagoons, rivers and a million things to do. Although the official start of the Garden Route is Mossel Bay, you know you’ve arrived somewhere really special when you round the coastal pass down to the small seaside town of…
Cape Town is one of the world’s best-loved and most beautiful cities. Set against the instantly recognisable backdrop of Table Mountain, this laidback seaside town has something for everyone: mountains, beaches, buzzing outdoor markets, world-class restaurants, a fascinating mix of cultures and plenty of adventure activities.
The city’s most popular attraction…
South Africa’s largest reserve, the Kruger National Park spans nearly two million hectares (roughly the size of Israel or Wales!). To the west of the park lies the Sabi Sands and other privately owned Kruger reserves, while within the park are exclusive-use areas such as the Singita concession.
The Kruger Park…
An hour’s drive northeast of Cape Town is an expanse of the most beautiful countryside in South Africa, with jagged mountain peaks and lush valleys lined with vineyards. Historic towns, quaint villages and gracious Cape Dutch homesteads are to be found in the Cape Winelands.
Stellenbosch is South Africa’s oldest town…
Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve
The Sabi Sand Reserve borders the southwestern part of the Kruger National Park and is arguably South Africa’s most exclusive private reserve. There are no restricting fences between this 65,000-hectare reserve and the Kruger National Park, allowing the game to roam freely between the two.
Known for its extraordinary leopard sightings,…
Whale Coast
The well-named Cape Whale Coast runs from the hamlet of Rooi-Els to the De Hoop Nature Reserve. Backed by fynbos-covered mountains, this magnificent stretch of coastline is the winter playground for southern right whales. Every year, from June to November, whales gathered in these waters to calve and mate – putting…
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
Timbavati Private Nature Reserve shares a common, unfenced border with Kruger Park and is home to many exclusive lodges. It’s home to the Big Five, and famous for ‘the white lions of Timbavati’. The reserve is brimming with abundant wildlife, birdlife and lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo roam freely as…
Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest city and the commercial heart of the country. Until recently, most travellers viewed Johannesburg as nothing more than transit city. But that view has changed and Jozi (as it’s is affectionately known to locals) is rapidly becoming a travel destination in its own right.
Joburg has…
Bordering Botswana, Madikwe Game Reserve is one of South Africa’s largest game reserves. This is prime big game territory set against rugged landscapes with rocky hills, woodlands and rich, red earth. Madikwe is not open to the general public, and visitors must be accommodated in one of the luxury lodges within…
Thornybush Game Reserve
Named one of the best Big Five reserves in South Africa, Thornybush is next to the Kruger Park and shares a fenceless border with Timbavati Game Reserve. Surrounded by prime game habitat it’s no wonder that this is a prime safari location. You can go on early morning and late afternoon…
Kwandwe Private Game Reserve
Kwandwe Game Reserve flanks both the north and south banks of the Great Fish River, in the rugged Eastern Cape Province. The 22,000 hectare (54 000 acre) reserve is a sanctuary for thousands of animals including lion, black and white rhino, buffalo, elephant and cheetah. Meaning “Place of the Blue Crane”…
andBeyond Phinda Private Game Reserve
Cradled between the Lebombo Mountains and the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Phinda Game Reserve is Big 5 country and home to healthy populations of other classic African mammals such as black rhino and cheetah. The bird watching here ranks among the best in South Africa with 415 recorded species,…
Shamwari Private Game Reserve
This private reserve is 25 000 hectares of wildlife terrain in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Perfect for malaria-free safaris, Shamwari is an excellent destination for families, groups, and solo travelers. In the local language, Shamwari means friend, and this translates into the lodges’ hospitality and top notch service. Conservation…
When travelling from Cape Town to the Garden Route, why not skip South Africa’s N2 national highway and opt instead for Route 62. This incredibly scenic road trip takes you through the wine-growing areas of Wellington and Robertson, over spectacular mountain passes and across the semi-desert plains of the Klein Karoo….
Charming fishing villages and delectable seafood is what the West Coast is famous for. Enjoy whale watching outings, hiking, golf courses, nature walks and amazing views! Visitors can also enjoy carpets of flowers in spring, ancient San cave paintings in the Cederberg Mountains, and fantastic bird watching, to name only a…
Pretoria is South Africa’s administrative capital – with its colonial buildings and Jacaranda trees lining the streets, has a far more sedate pace. It’s located just 50 kilometers north of Johannesburg. Pretoria is often the first or last stop in the journey for luxury trains like the Blue Train and the…
Located on Durban’s coastline, the resort town of Umhlanga is known for its warm waters, beautiful beaches, and tropical weather. Most of the luxury hotels are situated on the beach front, overlooking the Indian Ocean. The town attracts holidaymakers and is a great destination to enjoy Durban’s warm waters, relax and…
Central Drakensberg
Known to the Zulus as the Barrier of Spears, the Drakensberg is a formidable mountain range with peaks rising to 3,000m. The uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park has been granted World Heritage Status in recognition of its awesome natural beauty and rich collection of San rock art dating back 3,000 years. Our favourite…
Amakhala Game Reserve
Amakhala lies in the dramatic landscape of the Eastern Cape, and is home to the Big 5 as well as cheetah, giraffe, zebra, and wildebeest, all of which can be viewed on guided day and night game drives. The Bushman’s River cuts through the reserve and offers water-based game-viewing and excellent…
De Hoop Nature Reserve
Just 3 hours’ drive out of Cape Town, on the Cape Whale Coast, lies De Hoop Nature Reserve. This beautiful reserve is a fantastic choice for hikers, cyclists, bird watchers and anybody who loves being out in nature. The reserve extends out to the De Hoop Marine Protected Area. Every year,…
Mpumalanga’s Lowveld region lies between the northern reaches of the Drakensberg mountains and the Kruger National Park. The largest Lowveld town, and the capital of Mpumalanga, is Nelspruit which is where you’ll find Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (KMIA) – the gateway to the Kruger Park.
Hazyview and White River both make…
Maputaland Marine Protected Area
Maputaland Marine Protected Area comprises three protected areas, Lake Sibaya Nature Reserve, Kosi Bay Nature Reserve and Rocktail Bay. The reserve extends all the way from the northern Mozambican border to Sodwana Bay in the south. This gorgeous sub-tropical paradise includes immaculate forests and wetlands dotted with lakes and marshes as…
Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve
The uniqueness of the safari experience at Tswalu is in the beauty of the 100 000-hectare southern Kalahari wilderness. With a variety of interactive safari experiences, the reserve offers wide open spaces, rolling savannah landscapes and the Korranaberg mountains. Guests can view game on foot, on horseback or in 4×4 game…
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Interview with Brand Consultant and Author Marty Neumeier
The Post2Post bus has just pulled in!
The Fresh Peel is pleased to welcome Marty Neumeier, brand consultant author of a number of the popular whiteboard overview business books, The Brand Gap, Zag, and now The Designful Company, which is the featured book for April’s stop on the Post2Post Virtual Book Tour.
It’s been very exciting for me to interview Marty because his work has done a lot to shape my own thoughts and methods when working with clients. Not only that, one quick search for on this blog for “Marty Neumeier” will show you how often ideas from his books and from content produced by his company, Neutron, inspires and shapes my thoughts here.
In this interview with Marty, we touch on a few of concepts from The Designful Company.
Q: You open up The Designful Company with the idea that, “We’ve been getting better and better at a management model that’s getting wronger and wronger.” What’s wrong with the way companies are managed?
Marty: The management model we’ve been using is based on the cold mechanics of the assembly line. The assembly line was successful partly because it turned a blind eye to morality, emotions, and human aspiration—all the better to make your competitors and customers lose, so you can win. We’ve spent the last century making minor tweaks to this same narrow idea of success.
But now we’re finding that innovation without emotion is uninteresting, products without aesthetics are uncompelling, brands without meaning are undesirable, and companies without ethics are unsustainable. We need a new management model that replaces the win-lose nature of the assembly line with the win-win nature of the network. I call the new model “the designful company.” It harnesses broad-based creativity to build a culture of nonstop innovation.
Q: How must the traditional views of design and designer be redefined in order for a company to build a culture of nonstop innovation?
Marty: We need to get past our view of the designer as a shaper of objects. The dictionary defines a designer as someone who plans an artifact or system of artifacts—in other words, the “posters and toasters” of the 20th century. This is too narrow. I prefer Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon’s definition: “Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.” In this definition, design is a way of thinking, and anyone in the company can be a designer, including the CEO.
Design thinking is about refusing to accept the easy answer. It’s about imagining new possibilities that weren’t on the table before, and prototyping those possibilities so they can be tested. It’s the difference between “deciding” the way forward and “designing” the way forward. Deciding only works in a stable market where innovation is a low priority.
Q: In what areas of business can design thinking be leveraged?
Marty: Well, of course, communications and products—the aforementioned posters and toasters—are still important, and can be designed a lot better. But we can move design thinking up the ladder to more important levels, such as brand strategy, end-to-end customer experience, organizational design, decision-making, business models, and corporate vision. When we apply design thinking to these questions, we get even more bang for the buck.
Q: How does design thinking lead to a culture of innovation?
Marty: Design thinking creates the process and vocabulary for a designful company. It runs on human qualities such as empathy, intuition, imagination, and idealism, which in turn lead to customer focus, holistic problem solving, innovative ideas, and extraordinary quality. The overall advantage that a culture of innovation gives you is enterprise agility. It allows the company to maneuver as a single entity.
Q: Looking at Interbrand’s Best Global Brands list, are there any that standout as designful, innovative companies?
Marty: Not as many as there should be. I would say IBM, Disney, Google, BMW, Apple, Nike, and IKEA are designful companies. But Coca-Cola, Microsoft, GE, and Cisco are not so designful.
Interbrand’s formula seems to be a rear-view assessment of brand value. I’d like to see a formula that gives more weight to the momentum of a brand, which would offer a better predictor for a brand’s future value. Y&R, for example, has a formula called the Brand Asset Valuator, which takes into consideration a brand’s “energy.” Designful companies are full of energy.
Q: What will the fate be for brands that fail to fully embrace design thinking?
Marty: Generally speaking, they’ll find their products and services will become increasingly commoditized and even obsolete as their competitors race ahead.
Q: You discuss the importance of collaboration within companies, but what opportunities do you see for companies to collaborate with groups (i.e., consumers) outside the company walls? What about online collaboration?
Marty: The web is actually the technology that unleashed collaboration. I’ve always said that we don’t live in the Information Age—we live in the Collaboration Age. The web has allowed people to work together across distances in real time for almost no money.
This new connectedness has also made it necessary to work together, because there’s no place to hide in a network. Customers now know things about brands and companies that even their employees don’t know. Customers are literally running the show. So it makes sense to enlist them as a functioning part of the brand machinery. I love how Skittles has turned their website into a forum for customer opinion. What they get in return for their transparency is a direct view into their customers’ brains, plus extra credit for having confidence in their brand.
Q: In a designful company what is the attitude towards failure?
Marty: Designful companies embrace failure as a learning step. Companies with a traditional “deciding” mindset are uncomfortable with failure, since they expect to be successful immediately. The only way be successful immediately, however, is to make small, safe moves.
Q: Please explain the stage-gate innovation model and its purpose.
Marty: Stage-gate innovation allows you to make big, bold moves by turning innovation into a journey. It was pioneered years ago by oil-drilling companies to minimize investment risk. Later it was adopted by venture capitalists for the same reason. The concept is that you start with a large crop of bold ideas, then invest increasing amounts at each stage for the ones that pass muster. Only one or two ideas make it through the funnel, but they’ve been de-risked without having to compromise their boldness.
(Click to view a larger version)
Q: When it comes to measuring a potentially innovative project as it moves through the stage-gate process, what metrics should we use to determine if it should move to the next stage?
Marty: It depends on whether it’s a product, a business model, a strategy, and whatever. For the sake of argument, let’s say it’s a product. In the first stage, you might create a prototype and measure customer excitement. At the next stage you could measure usability. At the next stage you could test various price points. And so on, until you’re satisfied that you have a winner.
The beauty of the design process is that you can test assumptions quickly and cheaply, so that you never have to play it safe. Playing it safe is the most dangerous thing you can do in a time of fast-moving markets and leap-frogging innovation.
Going forward, the bottom line is this: If you want to innovate, you’ve got to design.
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Paul Williams on April 23, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Spike,
Don’t they say great minds think alike?
You also used Marty’s quote – which I love…
…The gap is the distance between “what is” and “what could be.” Traditional business has placed “what is” in the drivers seat while strapping “what could be” in the kiddie seat where it can’t disturb the driver.
I love the image of ‘what could be’ being watched through the rear-view mirror… made sure it is not misbehaving.
This comment was originally posted on Marketing Profs Daily Fix Blog
Spike Jones on April 23, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Nice post. Here’s our riff on it back in February:
http://tinyurl.com/d7nt6m
dirkvl on August 16, 2009 at 7:24 am
design ful company interview with @martyneumeier http://tinyurl.com/cd5bn3
osacargo on February 2, 2015 at 8:42 am
Nice interview, some really good topics.
Leave a Reply to dirkvl Cancel reply
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GamesRepublic.com RTS Games Iceberg Interactive
RTS Games Iceberg Interactive
RTS games (also known as the Real-Time Strategy games) is a subgenre of strategy video games which doesn’t utilize the turn-based gameplay. In a good RTS games, players are trying to maneuver and position their units and structures to secure specific areas of the map (and/or destroy the assets of their opponents). In a typical RTS, players can create additional units and structures during the game. This is usually limited by a requirement to spend gathered resources. Said resources are gathered via controlling special points on the map and possessing certain types of units and structures which also serve this purpose. All the best RTS games feature base building, resource gathering, technological development and indirect unit control. RTS games are historically one of the most popular genres in competitive gaming. Franchises like StarCraft, Warhammer 40 000: Dawn of War, Age of Empires and Command & Conquer are widely considered the best of all time. Here on Games Republic you will find only the best RTS games. They’re every true PC gamer’s dream.
Iceberg Interactive RTS Games
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Pachter: The Last of Us Part II Could Debut This Year
The Last of Us Part II is one of the most anticipated games in recent years and the eyes of millions of players will be focused on the presentation of PlayStation in E3 2018, because there will be a new trailer. Of course, in addition to seeing the current status of the project, fans expect to know information about the release date and Michael Pachter gave his prognosis about it.
In an interview for GamingBolt, Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, spoke about the next major releases coming on the way to PS4, in particular, The Last of Us Part II.
According to the analyst, although Naughty Dog has been very secretive as to what is happening with the development and progress of the project, its proven quality makes it contemplate 2019 as the furthest year for those waiting for the new title; however, this would not be final and the studio could give a resounding surprise: “You know, Death Stranding, who knows when that will come out? That might be 2025. And I gotta say, that is the weirdest looking game I have ever seen. The Last of Us 2, those guys are really prolific, I’d say that game is coming out no later than 2019, and it could surprise us this year as well. Sony has been good.”
Regarding its debut forecast of The Last of Us Part II in 2019, Pachter said: “You never know, those guys surprised us the last time. They’re pretty prolific, they’re pretty competent, Naughty Dog. I don’t know when it is coming out, but it would surprise me if it came out later than 2019.”
When will The Last of Us Part II arrive to PS4? Will we see a release date in E3 2018? Tell us in the comments below.
PS4The Last of Us Part IIvideo game
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The Man Behind Shredder: An Interview With Kevin Michael Richardson
Posted on August 7, 2013 by Dakster Sullivan • 0 Comments
TMNT Season One Image courtesy of Nickelodeon © 2012 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved
In honor of this week’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season one finale, I was given the geektastic opportunity to interview the voice of Shredder himself, Daytime Emmy Award Winner Kevin Michael Richardson.
Richardson is known for many characters, including some of my favorites like the Joker in The Batman (2004 series), Bulkhead in Transformers Prime, Kilowog on Green Lantern, Maurice in Penguins of Madagascar, and Cleveland Jr. on The Cleveland Show. We talked about everything from the Turtles to The Batman to his three-part guest spot as the mentally challenged patient, Patrick, on ER back in 1994.
Kevin gave me some insight into what it’s like recording with such a great group and it’s hard to imagine the Shredder and the Turtles hanging out in a green room goofing off in between recordings. As a hardcore Batman fan, I also loved hearing how he was initially disappointed about replacing Mark Hamill as the Joker and how he used that frustration to come up with the Joker’s unique voice.
GeekMom [Dakster]: How did you come up with the voice for Shredder?
Kevin Michael Richardson: Once they said Shredder, I automatically had an idea of what they really wanted for this guy. I just went in there and figured they wanted a powerful voice and I realized he’s more of a no-nonsense character.
He has an edgy, and a serious edge and a vendetta, especially for Splinter. I kept that seething energy throughout his dialogue, because he doesn’t really yell too much, unless he really wants his point across. So, he’s a character that maintains power and power in his mind without really yelling. I felt that this guy was just a no-nonsense, straightforward, powerful, “he will slice you and dice you,” kind of character—if you cross him at all.
It came forth in the dialogue and Sara Newman, the rep at the time, helped direct me into that direction too as we were recording, so that’s how it worked out.
GM: Cool. Well, what do you think Shredder’s biggest downfall was this season?
KMR: Well, anytime the Turtles get away was big, or anytime he gets jacked by the Turtles or sideswiped or something, the only downfall is that and maybe…maybe his soft-spot for his daughter Karai.
GM: Do you think Shredder actually cares for his daughter or is she just another one of his thugs that he’s trained?
KMR: Both actually. Shredder would probably want more of a son than a daughter, but he realizes this kid is his offspring, and this kid has to learn to be kind of a bad-ass like him.
GM: What’s been the most challenging thing about playing Shredder?
KMR: Well, personally, I’m not like that. I’m not like Shredder, so getting into that dark place whenever we record and basically just getting focused and staying there, because the cast members are just great and we have so much fun between records. When we’re on break we’re always goofing off and playing around. Between Rob Paulson (Donatello), Clancy Brown (Dogpound), it’s really like a laugh off, so it’s kind of hard for me to get focused and serious and like “Look! It’s time for me to cut you!” [laughs]
You know, it’s definitely a challenge when we record, which is fun.
GM: Since you’ve had the opportunity to play the hero (Transformers, Bulkhead) and the bad guy, which do you prefer? Is there something about one that you like more than the other?
KMR: It’s fun to play both. It keeps you on your toes really. I’ve found that there are fans out there that like bad guys and that’s cool. Personally, I love playing the heroes, but I’m not going to lie to you, there’s also fun in playing the bad guys too, because I don’t look at them as bad guys. I look at them as misunderstood people if you will.
GM: I read somewhere that the Joker is one of your favorite voice acting roles. Is that true?
KMR: Yes, he is one of my favorite characters to play along with Cleveland Jr. and Shredder is up there now too. The Joker is probably one of my favorite characters to play, because I really liked playing him, actually, I loved playing him.
At first I must say it was difficult, because Mark Hamill had played the character for a while before and Mark is just fantastic. I was rather of upset when they came to me and said they were going in a new direction, with completely different producers, a different version of the Batman, different version of the Joker. I was like, “Well, why? Why would you want me? Why not have Mark do it?” And they said, “No. This is how it’s going down. They want to go a different direction.”
So, I was rather upset actually, because myself being a die-hard fan of the previous one (Batman: The Animated Series) that I told other people I was so upset that when I recorded the audition, I put all my anger and frustration into the voice and literally a day or two later, I got the call that I was playing the Joker and I was like, “Oh boy.”
The reason I loved playing him was, because there was such freedom. There was very little direction from voice casting director Andrea Romano. I was allowed this complete freedom to deliver my lines the way I felt the character would fit and that freedom, when you get to play any role, and have the producers and directors like it, is very rewarding.
[Joker] was all over the place, talking manic, bipolar, just craziness. He was like a crazy sick sandwich. He had his highs and lows and the laugh, I almost passed out every time doing that laugh, but I would love to do it again. I really loved playing that character.
GM: What do you think the Joker would say about the Shredder?
KMR: What the Joker would say about the Shredder? [laughs] He would probably say something like:
[switching to Joker voice] “Oh please, the Shredder could lick my green underwear.” [/Joker]
I have no idea. He would give him a run for his money, I know that.
GM: Yeah, I thought it would be interesting in a fight to see a crossover between the two and see who would win, the crazy or the skill.
KMR: Oh yea, it would be an epic battle. They’re both clever, but the Joker’s tricky. I think it could be a really good fight.
GM: Do you have a favorite line from the Joker or another character you’ve done in the past?
KMR: One of my favorite lines would be by Cleveland Jr. of The Cleveland Show. Basically he would say something like, “Daddy would you wipe me?” or something similar, because a fourteen year old boy asking his dad to wipe him, and it’s something kind of strange that’s stuck with me. All of my characters have something though that has stuck with me.
GM: Do you feel like any of the characters you’ve ever done got too much hype or not enough hype when it came to their popularity?
KMR: That’s interesting. There are a couple characters out there. One of them I liked playing and I felt bad for him was Maurice in Madagascar; he’s the lemur who’s the assistant to King Julian. This poor guy, he was basically a gopher really and I don’t think he got any credit. I liked playing him and it makes me a little sad that nobody really cares, but they knew who he was and they laughed even though Julian basically treated him like animal fodder, so I guess that’s cool.
GM: Have you ever auditioned for a role on a project, but then were handed a different role on the same project?
KMR: Oh, that’s interesting. Originally for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I auditioned for Baxter Stockman, now played by Phil LaMarr, a very talented actor. So of course I found out about that and I was like, “Oh. Okay.” It was about a month or two later I was approached for Shredder, so that was a wild surprise and I was very happy with that decision.
GM: A couple of the shows you were on such as Thundercats (Panthro) and Young Justice (Martian Manhunter) are no longer with us. How many other projects do you have going on? Is there one coming up that you’re looking forward to?
KMR: Well, I will be doing another TV show that’s coming out, I can’t say the name, but I’m really excited about. I’m also going to be doing a new show for Disney Junior called 7D, which is a new version of the Seven Dwarfs and I’ll be playing the character of Happy, and that’s a lot of fun. I’m also going to be appearing on Black Dynamite as Don Cornelius from Soul Train. I’ll be doing a few other characters, and honestly my plate is really full, so they are definitely keeping me busy. Things are good.
GM: Do you feel you ever get typecast because of your voice?
KMR: Sometimes, from what I’ve done, people want similar sounds relative to those characters. What I admire are people who cast me for range. Knowing that I can do highs and lows and stuff like that, like when I was Cleveland Jr. and Barney Rubble, that’s pretty cool. To not be set in one specific area is nice. It’s nice to know that people are aware of what I can do.
GM: Have you ever done a voice that caused you discomfort? For instance, you mentioned that the Joker laugh wears you out.
KMR: At the moment I can’t think of one. The Joker, I would be so into it and I would laugh so hard that I nearly fell off the stool recording. I almost passed out because nobody said “cut the laugh” or “stop the laugh” and they wanted me to keep laughing and I realized I needed to stop because I’d start blacking out. I’m telling you that was fun to actually do and then I realized I had to stop from laughing too hard.
GM: Have you ever lost a role to a named actor? I know in Flashpoint, in which you play President Barack Obama, they have some screen actors coming in to do the Flash as well as other characters.
KMR: Well, you know, let me see. Sometimes producers don’t go straight for the name first. I don’t want to name names, but I’ve be fortunate enough to be in a position to replace named actors, like well-known actors. It’s kind of a reverse for me. I’m sure that in other cases, a lot of other cases that they wanted to go to a named actor first before they would choose me.
God rest his soul, Michael Clark Duncan, a good friend, who was a great guy, every time we would run into each other and talk whether it was on a job or between auditions, he would always yell out, “That’s the one who’s taking my jobs. That’s the one who’s taking my jobs.” And I’d be like, “I’m sorry, man.” He was a really great guy and I’m sad that he’s gone. That’s what he would say and we would joke with each other.
GM: Now that Transformers Prime is wrapping up, which makes me really sad, would you like to continue to voice the Transformers? Is that something you are open to?
KMR: Oh, no. I would love to play Bulkhead again. A special character like that, he’s never really done. I run into fans who would ask me to “do that voice” and or “do this guy” do that character. They [characters] kind of stick with you wherever you go. I hear some kind of rumors about the future, so who knows, I wouldn’t give up hope yet. Absolutely, I would love to play again if things change.
Oh, I forgot to mention I’m going to play Mr. Gus on Uncle Grandpa on Cartoon Network, so that will be coming out. He’s a dinosaur that wears a t-shirt and nothing else.
GM: Just a t-shirt. No pants?
KMR: [Laughs] No pants. If you could use that visual, there you go.
GM: Do you have a dream role that you would love to be asked to do one day?
KMR: Believe it or not, I run into Seth Green every once and a while and I keep telling him I would love to do a Robot Chicken. I’ve always wanted to do Robot Chicken, but as far as other dream roles, I feel honored to have played characters on The Simpsons, which is something I never ever thought I would do. I can talk about living the American Dream, because I’m very happy in that regard.
GM: I read that you portrayed someone on ER once, I believe the character’s name was Patrick, but I could never find anywhere. What was it about this role that meant so much to you?
KMR: Oh my gosh. Well, that character meant a lot to me, because I had a friend at a very young age, around ten years old, who was mentally challenged. I remembered him when I played that role and I tried to incorporate what he would be like at that age when I was playing the role, which would have been in his twenties. It was touching and very emotional for me because I could see the struggles that someone like him went through socially and it was very hard and very sad. I took it on emotionally, physically and it was actually like it became a part of me.
I was also very emotionally attached to that character because when I was younger, certain teachers thought I was autistic. It brought back a lot of memories for me as a child and playing that character just meant a lot. To see the families and fans of the show that approached me afterwards that just said, “Thank you so much,” because it meant a lot to them and their children who were mentally challenged or had some disability, to watch the show and to see a character played like that and it wasn’t made fun of. The character wasn’t made to be a fool. I played it with complete heart as much as I possibly could.
To see how it’s reached out to so many has meant a lot to me. It was a personal journey to me at the time that I can’t really find the words. It was something I just really enjoyed playing.
GM: Thank you for answering that. It sounds like it brought up some memories for you.
KMR: Yea. It was interesting too, because on break when I would sit there between shots, the stage manager would come back to me and say, “Okay….we…break…for…lunch…at…2….” and I would look at them and they’d realize, “Oh my gosh! I’m sorry!” I guess a lot of the people on set thought I was really mentally challenged. It was good to know I was doing my job. I remember driving around in Hollywood at the time and people would look at me and say, “Oh my gosh, he’s driving,” so it was kind of fun.
I wish you all could have heard the interview, because Kevin Michael Richardson kept cracking me up going from his normal speaking voice to various characters he’s done. I especially enjoyed when he spoke as The Joker and Shredder. The range of the characters he can do is really impressive and I look forward to hearing where his voice will pop up next.
To see Shredder take action in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season One finale, tune into Nickelodeon this Thursday night at 8pm ET.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles season one finale airs this Friday on Nickelodeon. Check your local listings for showtime and availability.
Liked it? Take a second to support Dakster Sullivan on Patreon!
Filed Under: Featured, GeekMom, TV and Movies
Tags: batman, interview, Joker, Nickelodeon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Dakster Sullivan
Dakster Sullivan is a network administrator by day and a cosplayer by night. She loves discovering new books to read, tech to play with, and ways to express her herself. She has anxiety and depression and strives to educate others about these invisible illnesses.
← Fund This: Jurassic Park The Musical – in 3D!
GeekMom: Comic Book Corner — August 7th, 2013 →
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Prepare for ‘difficult’ Tottenham, Willian warns teammates
Tunisia must find the motivation to beat Nigeria, says Drager
9 hours ago Sport
Barca offers Dembele, Coutinho in exchange for Neymar
Chelsea’s Nigerian midfielder Victor Moses (L) is chased by Tottenham Hotspur’s Belgian midfielder Mousa Dembele (2L) and Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean striker Son Heung-Min (R) during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in London on November 26, 2016. Ian KINGTON / AFP
Willian has called on Chelsea to respect the threat Tottenham pose to ending Antonio Conte’s Premier League winning streak.
Chelsea beat Stoke 4-2 at Stamford Bridge on New Year’s Eve – with two goals from Brazilian winger Willian – to extend their run to 13 straight top-flight victories, with Conte’s Blues six points ahead of second-placed Liverpool.
Spurs are desperate to cut into Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table heading into Wednesday’s London derby at White Hart Lane, and Willian says his team-mates must keep up the effort in order to collect another win which would set a new Premier League record.
“It will be a very difficult game, we are playing away so we have to prepare to make sure we keep going in the same way,” he told Chelsea’s official website.
“We are going there to try to win the game.
“We did a great job because it was a very difficult game for us against Stoke.
“It’s now 13 victories in a row but we have to continue working hard. We feel very confident.
“We conceded two goals but we continued to play, which was the most important thing for us, and we did well.”
Willian was an unexpected casualty of Conte’s switch to a 3-4-3 formation, but has started to find form after winning Chelsea’s Player of the Year award last term.
The 28-year-old added: “There is no doubt about [it]. I feel much better now, I scored two goals and I’m very happy.”
Antonio ConteChelsea NewsEPL NewsTottenham NewsWillian
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Immerse yourself in the beauty of Chichén Itzá, Mexico, the “seventh wonder of the modern world.” Listen to the story of the ancient Maya civilization.
With unprecedented realism, “Tales of the Maya Skies” immerses us in Maya science, art and mythology, using full-dome digital technology to transport us back into the world of the Maya. The show inspires and educates through its description of the Maya’s accurate astronomical achievements and how astronomy connected them to the universe.
Grammy Award winner and Oscar nominee Lila Downs, narrates as “Tales of the Maya Skies” brings us back to the ancient jungles of Mexico where the Maya built cities and temples aligned to movements of the sun, moon and planets. Over many years they observed and documented astronomical events with great accuracy.
The Maya made sense of an ever-changing world by observing, recording and predicting natural events such as solstices, solar eclipses, weather patterns and planetary movements. These observations, in combination with a sophisticated mathematical system, allowed them to develop a precise calendar system. Their measurements of the length of the solar year were more accurate than measurements the Europeans used as the basis of the Gregorian calendar. The Maya also predicted eclipses, were able to forecast seasonal change and developed the concept of mathematical zero enabling them to predict events into the future.
Recent deciphering of the Maya hieroglyphics is providing archeologists with new and exciting discoveries. Using three dimensional laser scanning and advanced graphic techniques, the virtual reconstruction of architecture in “Tales of the Maya Skies” also supports these archeologists in interpreting the ancient sites and contributes to their conservation
other events by this organization
www.glastonburyplanetarium.org
95 Oak Street Glastonbury, CT 06033
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Photo by Jon Craig
Bristol Old Vic
Soak up over 250 year of history at the oldest continually-working theatre in the English-speaking world
Bristol Old Vic has been at the centre of the city's creative life for over 250 years and its recent multi-million pound renovation has opened up a new, interactive heritage offering to audiences. Boasting an award-winning programme of pioneering theatre and performance, as well as regular productions from the prestigious Young Company (one of the largest regional youth theatres in the UK), Bristol Old Vic remains a place of joy, discovery and adventure to this day.
Most recently, the theatre has opened a new bar and kitchen, 1766 (named after the year the theatre opened), which offers pre-theatre dining, teas and coffees, and highly lauded Sunday roasts.
The Thunder Run is an 18th century stage effect which replicates peals of thunder above the heads of the audience. One of only three remaining in operation in the country, it is now open to the public alongside interactive exhibitions and tours which uncover the theatre’s history dating back to 1766.
Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol, BS1 4ED
Follow Bristol Old Vic
Tweets by Bristol Old Vic
Tobacco Factory Theatres
The Wardrobe Theatre
Redgrave Theatre
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Tag: AMC
Entertainment, Movies, Music, Pop/R&B/Dance April 22, 2016
Prince’s 1st Film ‘Purple Rain’ Returning to U.S. Theaters This Weekend
article via Variety.com
The movie that catapulted Prince to stardom is rolling back into U.S. theaters this weekend.
“Purple Rain,” starring the late rock star, was first released in 1984 and earned Prince an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. The accompanying album also produced two #1 singles –“When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy–and went platinum 13 times over.
AMC, the nation’s largest theater chain, is teaming with Warner Bros. to screen “Purple Rain” in 87 AMC locations this Saturday, April 22, through Thursday, April 27. Carmike Theaters will also screen the cult favorite in 80 theaters.
Prince, 57, was found dead at his Paisley Park residence on Thursday. An autopsy was performed Friday to determine the exact cause of death.
Below is a list of participating theaters:
AMC THEATERS:
AMC North Dekalb Mall 16
AMC Phipps Plaza 14
AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18
AMC White Marsh 16
AMC Baton Rouge 16
AMC Loews Boston Common 19
AMC Liberty Tree Mall 20
AMC Methuen 20
Continue reading “Prince’s 1st Film ‘Purple Rain’ Returning to U.S. Theaters This Weekend” →
Filed under: "Purple Rain", "Purple Rain" rerelease, AMC, AMC Theaters, Carmike Theaters, Prince, Prince movies, Warner Bros.
Books, Entertainment, Graphic Novels, TV March 23, 2015 March 22, 2015
Ruth Negga Lands Female Lead in AMC Pilot “Preacher”
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Ruth Negga has been cast as the female lead in Preacher, AMC’s drama pilot based on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s cult 1990s comic. The project, from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, is about Jesse Custer, a conflicted Preacher in a small Texas town who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven and develops the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Along with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip (Negga) — Jesse’s former and only true love — and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, the three embark on a journey to literally find God. Tulip is described as a volatile, action-packed, sexified force of nature, a capable, unrepentant criminal with a love of fashion and ability to construct helicopter-downing bazookas out of coffee cans and corn shine who’s not afraid to steal, kill or corn cob-stab her way out of a bad situation.
Negga is the first actor cast in Preacher, from Sony TV and AMC Studios. Agent Carter’s Dominic Cooper has been rumored for the lead, Jesse. Rogen and Goldberg developed the project for television and will direct the pilot, written by Sam Catlin who serves as showrunner.
RELATED: Networks Casting More Actors of Color This Pilot Season
Negga has comic book credentials with her recurring role as Raina on ABC’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. In features, she shot the titular role of the Irish drama Iona, directed by Scott Graham. Negga was recently seen in the Jimi Hendrix biopic All Is By My Side and next plays Lady Taria in another high-profile genre project, Warcraft.
This marks the second consecutive comic book-based drama project, in which Sony has cast a minority actress as the female lead, drawn as Caucasian in the comics.Preacher joins the studio’s Playstation series Powers co-starring Susan Heyward.
article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com
Filed under: "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", "All is By My Side", "Preacher", "Warcraft", ABC, AMC, Evan Goldberg, Garth Ennis, Jimi Hendrix, Ruth Negga, Sam Catlin, Seth Rogen, Sony, Steve Dillon
Entertainment, TV April 29, 2013
AMC’s ‘Mad Men’ Tackles Race Relations, Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Calling it a day: Joan sends Don’s secretary home for the day
AMC’s Emmy Award-winning drama series Mad Men, about advertising executives in the 1960s, though critically-acclaimed, has often taken flak in its six seasons for not acknowledging or dealing with the racial tensions of the times. This season, which takes place during the tumultuous year of 1968, has already devoted more airtime to its most prominent African-American character, Dawn, the lead character Don Draper’s secretary. And last night, in an episode titled “The Flood,” the show recreated perhaps the most historic moment in the civil rights struggle — the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The show’s characters learn of King’s death over the radio and in an advertising awards show crowd. Meanwhile, panic spreads as rioting takes hold in major cities across the country. Vintage Walter Cronkite reports play as police and ambulance sirens blare. In one scene, a character is upbraided for lamenting the loss of TV advertising profits in the wake of MLK’s death. In another, a black character calls out rioters for not living up to King’s example. Additionally, the African-American secretaries are all suddenly treated with kid gloves by their white supervisors — aware that the civil right’s leader’s death is perceived as a blow to the fight against racial prejudice.
To read more about this Mad Men episode, check out the links below:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2316401/Its-somber-day-Mad-Men-tackles-assassination-Martin-Luther-King-Jr.html#ixzz2RtmdqyNY
http://thegrio.com/2013/04/28/mad-men-recreates-day-martin-luther-king-died/
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2013/04/why-mad-men-got-the-martin-luther-king-jr-assassination-so-very-right-and-why-the-newsroom-would-have-failed
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson; additional reporting by Lesa Lakin
Filed under: "Mad Men", AMC, cable television, Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination, race relations, television, Walter Cronkite
Awards/Honors, Books, Commemorations, Entertainment, Non-Fiction, Theater, TV October 24, 2012
“Walking Dead” Actress Danai Gurira Wins Whiting Writing Award
Danai Gurira, best known for her role of Michonne on AMC’s The Walking Dead, has been awarded the Whiting Writers Award.
For those who may not be familiar, Danai Gurira, who made her Broadway debut in 2010 in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone by August Wilson, is an accomplished playwright in her own right. She co-wrote In the Continuum with Nikkole Salter which received the Obie Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for writing. Gurira also received a Helen Hayes Award for her performance in In The Contiuum. Other work written by Gurira includes Eclipsed and The Convert.
Another woman of color honored was Sharifa Rhodes-Pitt a non-fiction writer. She graduated from Harvard and was a Fulbright Scholar.
Continue reading ““Walking Dead” Actress Danai Gurira Wins Whiting Writing Award” →
Filed under: "Harlem Is Nowhere: A Journey To The Mecca Of Black America", "The Walking Dead", AMC, August Wilson, Danai Gurira, Fulbright Scholar, Harvard, National Book Critics Circle Award, NY Times Book Review, Playwright, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitt, Whiting Writers Award
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Possible City
Pitch A Story & Tips
In Germantown, The Work Of Henry Houston Lives On
September 14, 2016 | by Joshua Bevan | Vantage | Germantown, Henry Houston, National Register of Historic Places, residential architecture, Tulpehocken Station
6135 Wayne Avenue, built 1886. Commissioned by developer Henry Houston, architectural firm G. W. & W. D. Hewitt executed five designs playing off of similar floor plans, while providing a variety of details and bold geometry. | Photo: Joshua Bevan
The stretch of Wayne Avenue that runs roughly east to west between Rittenhouse Street and Washington Lane in Germantown features one of Philadelphia’s greatest pockets of Queen Anne and late-Victorian homes. Down perpendicular streets Tulpehocken, Walnut, and Harvey, additional examples of Italianate, Second Empire, Gothic and Tudor Revival houses complete what is undoubtedly one of the city’s most architecturally diverse neighborhoods. The area, typically referred to as Tulpehocken, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district in 1985. The neighborhood derives its name from the SEPTA Regional Rail train station located along the Chestnut Hill West Line. The station was established in 1884 when the Philadelphia Germantown & Chestnut Hill Railroad was a subsidiary branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. When the line was extended through northwest Philadelphia it brought with it community planning developer Henry H. Houston and a second wave of suburban growth.
Houston Takes Germantown
Henry Houston was a general freight agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad during the Civil War and was a member of the company’s prestigious board of directors and deeply influential in growing the Pennsylvania Railroad during and after the Civil War. His real estate holdings in Germantown evolved over two decades, representing the transformation of a community with an historic, architectural presence that is largely intact today.
Houston’s Germantown properties were centered on Wayne Avenue, bound to the east by Rittenhouse Street, and the west by Washington Lane. Beyond this main corridor, Houston-owned land extended south toward Wissahickon Avenue, bordering land owned by descendants of the storied Rittenhouse family and George Thomas (for whom Thomas Mansion at 6245 Wissahickon Avenue is named). A comparison of historic atlases spanning the era of Houston’s residency in Germantown shows a decade-by-decade increase in real estate activity between 1860 and 1890. Pairing these atlases with transactions listed in Houston’s personal deed books and PRR records, reveals Houston’s significance. As his wealth grew and his navigation of Philadelphia’s upper-class echelon progressed, his portfolio of investments in oil, gold, and land proliferated, enabling a man with a high aptitude for logistical organization to bridge transportation success and community planning. Houston’s plan was simple and brilliant: first acquire land, then influence the extension of a commuter railroad through that land, and, finally, construct high-quality housing on lots adjacent to rail stations.
6129 Wayne Street. Built 1886. Former home of merchant Orlando Crease. Note the canted square bay window on the left and faceted dormer with hipped roof. These elements combined with decorative wood molding and fish scale shingles created a signature aesthetic of G. W. & W. D. Hewitt’s designs. | Photo: Joshua Bevan
In the summer of 1860, Houston, his wife, Sallie, and young son moved from the city’s center to 223 W. Tulpehocken Street, an Italianate twin they rented over the next two-and-a-half years. In 1863, Houston and his family moved into a different Italianate villa, at 9 W. Tulpehocken Street, where they resided for 23 years. (The property remained in the possession of Houston’s extended family until 1922 when it was sold to developers who demolished the villa and subdivided the then 1.5 acre parcel into twenty-plus lots.) During his first 16 years at 9 W. Tulpehocken Street, Houston acquired roughly half the land he eventually held title to in Germantown. He began by acquiring vacant parcels and largely undeveloped land along and to the south of Wayne Avenue in 1865, a pattern that continued through the mid-1880s. He also purchased the former land holdings of the then-defunct Germantown Water Company, whose main infrastructure was located around the intersection of W. Tulpehocken Street and Wayne Avenue. As Houston’s portfolio expanded, he maximized his estate’s position along the southward sloping topography to oversee what was becoming his domain within the Wissahickon Valley.
Houston continued to acquire property despite the economic depression of 1873. He provided financing to the Episcopal diocese for the construction of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on land Houston owned at Wayne Avenue and Harvey Street. Houston chose the firm of Frank Furness and G.W. Hewitt to design the church, completed in 1874, and served as Rector’s Warden of the church until his death in 1895.
One of six twins Houston built in 1834 along the south side of Wayne Avenue between W. Rittenhouse and Harvey Streets. These twins were the most restrained of G. W. & W. D. Hewitt’s contributions to Houston’s portfolio of rental properties. Octagonal bay windows and incorporation of local Wissahickon schist stone found their way into subsequent Hewitt designs for Houston. Originally all 6 of these cottages were 2 1/2 stories in height. | Photo: Joshua Bevan
Houston’s investment in the community he lived in, as evidenced by the establishment of St. Peter’s and his role as a landlord beginning in the early 1880s, separated him from being purely a speculative developer, who perhaps would otherwise have acquired land, constructed housing or other improvements, and then sold hoping for a quick profit. Instead, Houston leased properties to personally selected tenants in order to maintain the character of his Germantown development over the course of several decades. It was during 1850 to 1900 that neighborhoods throughout Germantown joined the broader trend of suburban expansion, which ultimately reshaped the city and the region. Architecture and community development both factored into the sense of place of the neighborhood Houston was creating and simultaneously residing in.
Five years after the establishment of St. Peter’s Church, Houston, and a covert contingent of attorneys, conveyancers, and real estate agents–including Houston’s own brother in-law–initiated what became one of the largest land grabs in the city’s history–over 3,000 acres within the city limits–turning the railroad magnate’s wealth derived from speculative investment into wealth manifested in land ownership. Prior to 1884, most of the expansive acreage acquired was farmland. Houston then used his influence within the Philadelphia transportation sphere to ensure the extension of the PRR’s Philadelphia Germantown & Chestnut Hill Railroad line, today SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill West line, through land he owned in Germantown and Chestnut Hill. In 1881, “A Petition to Demonstrate Support for the Proposed Extension of Rail Service to Phoenixville through Germantown, and Chestnut Hill,” circulated among the owners of property along the rail’s proposed right-of-way and neighboring streets. The petition was most likely initiated by Houston.
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, now the Waldorf School. The only property with association to Houston’s development on both local and national historic registers. Designed by Furness & Hewitt. | Photo: Joshua Bevan
With a critical mass of residents eager for a new rail line, acquisition of parcels subject to right-of-way damages became a priority for Houston. Once properties were obtained, he had to allow the PRR to run its proposed route through his property, which he accomplished through the donation of right-of-ways, which were donated on paper in October of 1884, three months after the branch’s inaugural run.
When it came time to build on the many parcels acquired between 1865 and 1884, Houston relied on the venerable architectural firm of Hewitt and Hewitt to design his Germantown housing, just as he did in Wissahickon Heights where the Hewitt brothers designed at least 80 dwellings, some with striking similarity to those in Germantown. Brothers George and William Hewitt’s previous work with Frank Furness on St. Peter’s Episcopal may have been the impetus for the formation of the Houston-Hewitt commission relationship that resulted in the Anglo-centric aesthetic seen in Houston’s properties. Their partnership is firmly established in buildings like the Wissahickon Inn, Houston’s Wissahickon Heights mansion, the Druim Moir estate in Chestnut Hill, St. Martin-in-Fields Church, and many others.
Preserving Houston’s Legacy
Although Houston’s vision for the neighborhoods he developed was never officially plotted on paper beyond a few surviving deed maps of Chestnut Hill, what is evident from the remaining buildings is that Houston favored a variety of housing types for potential tenants of varying economic stature. From single-detached to semi-detached houses, with a variety of footprints, Houston’s properties created residential opportunities in what was surely a desirable, if not exclusive Germantown neighborhood in the mid-1880s. These dwellings designed by the Hewitt brothers infused the neighborhood with an emerging architectural vocabulary, signaling a rise in popularity of the Queen Anne style after its introduction to Philadelphia during the 1876 Centennial Exposition. Houston’s houses in Germantown, linked together by material and style, also signaled to prospective tenants and potential buyers that the neighborhood provided high-quality housing and the advantages of rail connection for traveling between Center City and beyond.
266 W. Tulpehocken Street. Built 1886. Designed by G. W. & W. D. Hewitt. Houston’s high-end homes were located at the highest elevation of all the houses he commissioned in Germantown, while being within eyeshot of Tulpehocken Station. Stacked and balustraded porches, dormers piercing through hipped roofs, and complex gable arrangements along secondary elevations made these homes attractive from several approaching perspectives. | Photo: Joshua Bevan
The transformation of the neighborhood in the years leading up to and immediately after the extension of the PGCH rail line was acknowledged in the National Register District designation. After an update to the nomination in 2001, the district still did not include any Houston-commissioned buildings east of Harvey Street as either contributing or significant. Even if the narrative of Houston’s role in bringing the railroad through was removed, there would still be over 40 houses designed by the same architect with a notable significance in Philadelphia in the late 19th century. A Houston-Hewitt Historic Residential District could stand on its own.
Largely well-maintained save for a missing bracket under a cornice, some shingles in need of replacement, and peeling paint, Houston’s Germantown development endures largely under the radar. Most of the buildings in the Tulpehocken section are not listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places, leaving an exceedingly rare collection of thematically-connected, late 19th century homes vulnerable to redevelopment.
Josh Bevan is an architectural historian and graduate of Penn’s Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. Bevan, a Springfield, Delaware County native, grew up with stories of his family’s beginnings in Southwest Philadelphia and Juniata Park and further afield in Berks County, spurring an interest in discovering cities neighborhood-by-neighborhood. He worked in residential real estate and for Fairmount Park Conservancy prior to pursuing a full-time career in historic preservation. His interests in roadside architecture, photography, and cycling are currently keeping him busy in and around San Francisco.
This is a wonderful piece. Thank you for highlighting this marvelous neighborhood. I believe Houston was also warden at St Martin in the Fields, Chestnut Hill.
Jeffrey A Smith
The Tulpehocken National Historic District names at least 25 homes as significant and another 25 or so as contributing. They are preserved from that point of view aren’t they?
Why hasn’t the City of Philadelphia Register of Historical Places recognized the district?
Josh Bevan
National Register designation, whether on an individual property basis or within a district, does not guarantee against alteration that potentially compromises historic integrity, or demolition. The current NR nomination includes many structures as contributing or significant, spanning the 1850s through the 1920s. Some of course were commissioned by Houston, however, many buildings that could at the very least be considered contributing are not included.
Local designation to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places offers a more robust system for protection of designated properties, including a stay of demolition and design review for properties that contribute to, or are significant to, historic districts. To see these properties still standing in 2016 is wonderful, but it’s important to know that as of 2016, many are not locally designated and ultimately not locally protected.
Edward L Feldman
You left out Andrew Jackson Downing. He designed the neighborhood. Houston bought property to get rich. Leave out the artist, immortalize the capitalist.
I’m not positive that Jackson Downing designed the neighborhood, but his work was certainly influential to the Fallon brothers(John and Christopher)who were responsible for the growth of the neighborhood around the Germantown Water Company, and other speculative suburban developers of the time. An important aspect of Houston’s properties, namely his residential rental properties was that he was not making a great deal of profit off of his tenants. Houston’s wealth was largely derived from investments in Standard Oil and gold, which he later used to acquire vast amount of land. David Contosta’s, A Philadelphia Family: The Houstons and Woodwards of Chestnut Hill, provides great insight into Houston’s real estate practices.
Want to share with you that the family of Henry Houston donated about 90 acres of land for the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (PSD) to build its new stone clad campus in 1892. Today, a bible college sits on the site and PSD has move don to its campus on School House Street.
James, thank you for sharing that information. Another interesting facet of Houston’s Germantown story was the Italianate villa that currently stands at 5909-5919 Wayne Avenue. The Athenaeum’s, Philadelphia Architects & Buildings site attributes the design to Samuel Sloan from c. 1850. Houston acquired the property in 1885 from the estate of Samuel Harvey, Jr. and later donated space within the building to used as the Home for Aged Episcopalians. According to Houston’s rental ledger and property appraisals from the 1930s, the building was rented for free.
MickR
Wow – thank you – this is all I needed to hear; Houston is my hero, as I went to Spring Garden College in the 1980’s until it’s demise in 1992. I love that campus dearly.
Jeff, the National Register provides NO protection to buildings it lists. Only listing on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places does that.
Thanks Josh – this is a great article about a really incredible part of the city. I’ll tell everybody I show the area that we are touring the Houston-Hewitt Historic Residential District 🙂
That book by David Concosta – I hope it is at the Free Library – I’m adding it to my list.
Thank you, MickR! The best place to start such a tour could be the statue of Houston located at Harvey Street and Lincoln Drive. Good Luck!
Elizabeth Solomon
It’s a wonderful statue which is almost impossible to see unless you walk down Harvey street to Lincoln drive. So glad you mentioned it.
Virginia Denham
Can anyone provide information about the row and twin houses built in the Germantown section in the latter half of the 19th century. Such as the twin houses with turrets that still exist on Washington Lane. I’m particularly interested in Chew Avenue.
There is plenty of info on line about the mansions but my peeps did not live in mansions.
Ira is right. National Register designation does little or nothing to protect when demolition permits are requested. It’s already too late, unless a property is listed on the PHILADELPHIA register. (As witness, what’s going on with Jeweler’s Row) Not fair, you say? It’s the law–until we change it. Meanwhile, let’s get busy! Check out what Paul Steinke of the Preservation Alliance has to say on the subject. –rf
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New Record Pressing Plant Drops The Needle In Old Bread Factory
July 15, 2019 | News
The vinyl revival is coming to Lawncrest where a new record pressing plant is setting up shop in the old Bond Bread building. Bryan Bierman has the scoop > more
After The Trocadero’s Closing, Preservationists Ponder Saving The Interior
Philly's famous Trocadero Theater closed in May after 149 years of continuous use. Protections are already in place for the facade of the building, but can the interior be saved too? Kimberly Haas takes a look > more
Op-Ed: Painted Bride Art Center Mosaic A Lesson In Limits To Historic Designation
July 10, 2019 | Soapbox
Last fall the Philadelphia Historical Commission declined to legally protect a colorful mosaic, nominated by Philadelphia's Magic Garden, on the exterior of Painted Bride Arts Center in Old City. In this editorial Sharon Barr opines that the decision was the right one and unpacks the thorny issues of designating public artwork and ownership rights > more
A Crude Awakening: Explosion On The Schuylkill Brings Philly’s History Of Oil Refineries Into Focus
July 8, 2019 | Vantage
Ed Duffy gives us a history lesson on Philadelphia's 150-year-old oil industry following the explosion, fire, and pending closure of Philadelphia Energy Solutions' oil refinery in Southwest Philly > more
July 1, 2019 | News
Hidden City Daily is taking a short summer vacation. We'll be back on Monday, July 8. Have a great Fourth of July! > more
Rare Collection Of Early American Flags Explores The Evolution Of Old Glory
An antique flag dealer teamed up with the Museum of the American Revolution to put our nation's Stars and Stripes into perspective with "A New Constellation: A Collection of 13 Star Flags." Virginia Lindak has the details > more
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.. ion of radiation is. Luminosity (L) is the total power emitted by a body. The Stefan-Boltzmann law states that the total energy radiated per unit time by a black body is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature; it also depends on the surface area (A): L = s A T4 Stefans constant (s) = 5.67 x 10-8 W m-2 K-4 The amount of power received per unit area is flux (equal to power / area). Light emitted from an object spreads out in all directions, the further away it gets the less intense it becomes according to the inverse square law: L = d-2 E.g., As Saturn is ten times the distance from the Sun as Earth, the intensity of radiation is receives is 1/100 th of that for Earth.
The light reaching Earth from the sun can be analysed using a technique called spectroscopy. It is used to identify the chemical composition of stars (which is mostly hydrogen and helium), and their surface temperature. Once these are known, stars can be classified accurately. An emission spectrum is the spectrum of wavelengths of light emitted from atoms or molecules. They do this when they lose energy, which corresponds to a specific frequency of the electromagnetic spectrum. An atom or molecule may become electronically excited, electrons transfer to higher energy levels, and then later drop back to their normal, lower energy states, emitting this extra energy as photons of light in the process.
Molecules gain translational, rotational, vibrational or electronic energy, depending on how much energy they first absorb. They must emit this quantised amount of energy again. Different elements and have different energy levels, this is why we can associate certain wavelengths with the physical behaviour of a particular atom. Even small molecules cannot withstand the high temperatures of stars, their spectra are only visible for cool stars. An absorption spectrum is apparent when wavelengths of light are missing against the continuous background of emitted light.
These missing wavelengths have firstly been emitted from atoms in the inner layers of the star, but then absorbed by different chemicals in the outer layers. Thus we can identify the elements in the outer layers of a star. The Balmer series refers to the emission spectrum of hydrogen, specifically for high energy level electrons dropping back to the second energy level (n=2). Light emitted falls in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the intensity of this light is an indication of a stars surface temperature. The Balmer series is due to atoms being excited by kinetic collisions.
The electrons of cool atoms occupy their ground state (n=1), as there are few collisions to excite the electrons. The hotter the atoms, the more energetic the collisions; more electrons are excited to even higher levels (n=3, 4,.etc). These electrons now absorb wavelengths beyond the Balmer series. The most intense Balmer emission spectra are from stars with intermediate surface temperatures at around 10 000K. Most electrons can absorb and re-emit wavelengths of the visible spectrum at this temperature.
The light from stars travels very great distances, taking a long time, to reach Earth. Unsurprisingly, it can be affected by the time it reaches us. Of course, our nearest star is the Sun, and our nearest neighbour is the moon. However, near in space is nowhere near close enough to actually measure by hand. The first logical estimates used simple trigonometry in a method called parallax. This is where a distant object will appear at a different spot when viewed from a different angle. Simply, the position of a star is measured relative to the background, at the two times when the apparent distance between these viewing positions is as great as possible. As the Earth rotates around the Sun, with a radius of 1 astronomical unit (1AU = 1.496 x 1011 m), the greatest possible angle between two different views of a star is achieved at six month intervals, when the distance between these two times is 2AU: The further away the object, the smaller the parallax angle would be, as: Distance (d) = 1AU Tan (r) Distance (d) in parsec (pc) = 1 Parallax angle (r) in arc-seconds Measuring parallax in this way is called annual parallax.
It is suitable for objects up to about a distance of 100pc from us. Earth based instruments are less reliable as the parallax angle being measured gets smaller, greater measurements have been made by Earth orbiting telescopes such as 1989 ESA Hipparcus which avoid atmospheric limitations. We can only estimate the distances of more distant objects such as supernovae. One method is called spectroscopic parallax, where we can make the assumption that all stars are equally bright (although we know of course that they are not), and so the brighter a star the closer it is. The apparent magnitude (m) of a star is related to its intensity (I); its is an observational logarithmic scale.
The absolute magnitude is a comparative scale based on the assumption that all objects are at a distance (d) of 10 pc. The two measurements are related: d = 10pc x 10 (m M) / 5 The distance of an object is related to its intensity (using the inverse square law): I = L 4pD2 For objects further away than 10 megaparsecs, astronomers have made use of more unusual objects as reference points in the sky. Cepheid variable stars have luminosity which varies periodically. They vary in brightness as their surface temperature rises and falls. The absolute magnitude is directly proportional to the period, and using the above formula the distance of these stars can be calculated.
These stars are present in distant galaxies, we can deduce how far away these are. Some supernovae behave in the same way. We know that stars and galaxies are moving away from us, because the spectra lines from some are shown to have been shifted. This is the Doppler effect, where the spectrum lines are displaced, because their wavelengths have been changed. The change in wavelength is related to the velocity: Df = Dl = v f l c The Doppler shift can occur when something is moving towards or away from us, however receding galaxies is evidence that our Universe is expanding (their light is shifted towards the red / longer wavelength part of the spectrum). It can also be used to determine the distance of an object from us.
Hubble made the important finding that the further away a galaxy is, the greater its velocity. Also, all galaxies are generally moving apart from each other, including ours. Hubbles law depends on the Hubble constant (Ho), but there is no accurate value for this, due to the inaccurate estimates for distances by other methods. v = Ho x d It is speculated that Ho lies between 40 and 100 km s-1 Mpc-1 The Doppler effect is also used to measure how fast stars and galaxies are rotating, and the orbital period of binary stars. A pair of binary stars each orbit a common centre of mass, as they are attracted by each others gravity.
The stars usually have different masses, and will have different orbits (the radius of which is inversely proportional to the mass). When the stars are close to each other, it is difficult to distinguish between them, except by their different spectra (these are spectroscopic binary stars). Each is identified to be receding or approaching as they rotate, by Doppler shifting. We can find the combined mass of the two stars (M), based on Keplers third law of planetary motion: M = 4p2r3 GT2 G = Universal gravitational constant = 6.67 x 10-11 N m2 kg-2 The mass of each star can be calculated, as they are known to be in ratio of the distance to the centre of mass. We can see that there is so much to be discovered about the sky, over the years physicists have somewhat overcome the problem of sheer distance across the Universe. We have catalogued data about many stars, and crucially we can compare other stars to ones we already know about.
We can learn how stars evolve from our observations, however we can only view a tiny part of history. Star populations are mapped on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, basically a graph of luminosity against surface temperature: From it we can examine the life sequences of a star, deduce a stars absolute magnitude, and then their spectral class according to their surface temperature and other properties. We can identify what stage in its life a star it. Bibliography : Astrophysics, Nigel Ingham ; Physics Passcards, Graham Booth, Letts.
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Women In Combat The idea of women in combat is not unusual anymore. Although American women have, for a long time, served as nurses, and as other roles during wartime, they were not officially enrolled in the armed forces until World War I. “During this time women served as clerks and secretaries, some being assigned to translation, recruitment, and other tasks which were usually assigned to men” (Wekesser, 2). The women were not given rank or benefits, and after the war was over they were not allowed to remain in the military. More than 350,000 women served in World War II.
During this war, the military once again encouraged the recruitment of women. They established the Womens Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), the Navy Womens Reserve, and the Marine Corps Womens Reserve. Any of the women in these organizations were given benefits and military rank. “As in World War I, the women served as clerks, secretaries, ..” (Wekesser, 2). “In 1948, a congressional law banned women from direct combat” (Wekesser, 3). They were not allowed in any jobs that were viewed as hazardously close to combat, where the risk of capture is high.
Until the late 1960s, the status of women in the military remained unchanged. It was then when the armed forces began to open up more positions for women. The first women generals in American history were appointed in 1970. By 1976, military academies were beginning to open their doors to women. By the end of the 1970, all of the womens organizations were discontinued; women and men were officially integrated with the military.
During the Persian Gulf War, women were sent to the Middle East to”fly helicopters, service combat, refuel tankers, and load laser-guided guns” (Johnson, 31). They were assigned to battleships, aircraft carriers, and marine support groups. Their performance has led the world to realize that women are extremely useful in combat, and “they brought home their changing role in the military” (Priest, AO1). “In 1994, the Defense Department ordered all the services to open up thousands of combat-related support jobs to women” (Priest, AO1). Today women represent more than fourteen percent of the Armys 495,000 soldiers (Newman).
The times have definitely changed over the years, and much more will probably come. Who knows what lies ahead? Bibliography Johnson, Julie. “The New Top Guns: In the wake of Desert Storm, the Senate clears women pilots for combat.” Time 12 Aug. 1991: 31. Newman, Richard J.
“Army Sex Ed. 101.” U.S. News 11 Aug. 1997. Priest, Dana. “In a Crunch, Ban on Women Bends.” Washington Post 30 Dec.
1997: AO1. Wekesser, Carol, et al. Women in the Military. Greenhaven Press, Inc, 1991.
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Tag: Heroes
“Heroes Reborn: Event Series” is finally coming to Blu-ray Disc in late October
September 14, 2018 ~ Justin Sluss
The 2015 TV mini-series “Heroes Reborn” is finally getting a Blu-ray Disc release in the form of “Heroes Reborn: Event Series“ on October 23rd via Universal. The 13 episode series was created by Tim Kring, responsible for the original TV series “Heroes” that originally aired on NBC and ran for a total of four seasons (2006-2010). This mini-series served as a continuation of (of sorts) to the original “Heroes” TV series and featured some of the original cast members from that TV show including Jack Coleman, Zachary Levi, Greg Grunberg, Masi Oka, and Sendhil Ramamurthy. This “Heroes Reborn” event series ran from 2015 through 2016 and aired on NBC. This Blu-ray release was actually originally slated for release way earlier in this year, but it seems that was pushed back, and now it’s seeing release.
Tech specs for the release include full 1080p HD video in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio sound. The Blu-ray is available for PRE-ORDER over at Amazon. Bonus materials set to be included on the release are listed below.
Heroes Reborn: Reliving the Legacy
Heroes Reborn: Dark Matters
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Home / Tips and Tricks / iPhone XS & XS Max are IP68 waterproof – here's what it really means «iOS & iPhone :: Gadget Hacks
iPhone XS & XS Max are IP68 waterproof – here's what it really means «iOS & iPhone :: Gadget Hacks
They are finally here. Apple announced three new iPhone models at their Gather Round event in Cupertino, and they are all absolutely beautiful phones. With frameless bezels and polished titanium edges, the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR are true marvels of engineering – but perhaps the most impressive design piece Apple has produced is the fact that two of these models have IP68 60529 standards. [19659002] The two that have received the higher IP68 rating are the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. The iPhone XR is IP67 water resistant.
First, let's talk about IEC 60529. It's simply a standard that was published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association ̵
1; in short, a test that checks how well a device resists the elements. After a device has been subjected to this test, it receives an IP rating for dust and water resistance. Cite the standard:
This standard describes a system for classifying the degrees of protection of housings of electrical equipment for two conditions: 1) the protection of persons from access to dangerous parts and the protection of equipment against the ingress of solid foreign objects and 2 ) the ingress of water. The degree of protection against these two conditions is indicated by an IP code.
– National Electrical Manufacturers Association, IEC 60529
The above-mentioned "IP Code" technically stands for "International Protection Marking", but has been colloquially introduced to mean "Ingress Protection". To put it simply, it shows how well a device is protected against elements such as water and dust.
But the interesting part is how the numbers that come after the "IP" prefix are actually two separate ratings. It tells you how well the device can protect against dust and solids, and the other shows you how well it can prevent water from entering the main body. In other words, the first number indicates that a device is "dustproof" and the second number indicates how water resistant it is.
All three of Apple's latest phones received the IP68 rating. This means that they are water resistant, but no water proof . But it's actually one of the highest scores for a smartphone to date, so let's break it all down:
IP: This stands for "Ingress Protection", the dust and water resistance rating system of electronic devices [19659010] 6: This number stands for the dust protection class. In the case of the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, "6" means that the phones are completely dustproof.
8: This number is the watertightness. An "8" here means that the new iPhone models can be completely submerged in up to two meters deep water for up to 30 minutes.
Ultimately, this means that the new iPhones should survive if they spill their drink, throw them in the toilet, or even if you were standing outside in a rainstorm. But other factors such as wear or the dissolution of chlorine or salt in the water mean that you should still be careful.
The IP rating only tells you how well a device protects against water and dust, but it does not do so without chemicals or particles that could be dissolved in this water. If you leave your phone in a pool or in the sea, salt water and chlorine can damage the surface of your phone and even corrode the rubber seals that allow the IP68 rating of the new iPhone models. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, you should not allow your phone to float, as the resulting damage is unlikely to be covered.
Speaking of warranty, Apple makes clear in the fine print that they will not cover any water or dust damage. Citing the fact that the watertight seals on the new iPhone models may fail due to normal wear and tear, they state that fluid damage is not covered under warranty, in unclear terms.
XS and iPhone XS Max are splash, water and dust resistant and tested under controlled laboratory conditions with IP68 protection to IEC 60529 (maximum depth from 2 meters to 30 minutes). Splash water, water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and the resistance may decrease due to normal wear and tear. Do not try to load a wet iPhone; For cleaning and drying, refer to the instruction manual. Fluid Damage Not Covered by Warranty
– Apple's iPhone XS Max. Water-Resistant Fine (Emphasized by me)
Another important note in this statement is, as Apple has expressly stated, that you should not Charge your iPhone XS, XS Max or XR while it's wet. Sure, it's common sense, but there is something to keep in mind.
It's a bit easier for you to rest, because you know that your next iPhone will endure a few spills and even complete dives in most situations. But in the end, you should still be careful not to test the limits of this IP68 certification.
Do not miss: Can you upgrade to the latest iPhone? How to check out
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Archives for posts with tag: Boswell
Oppress not the Stranger
Sermon for Evensong on the Second Sunday after Trinity, 14th June 2015
Jeremiah 7:1-16, Romans 9:14-26
On Wednesday night the Leatherhead Deanery Synod met in our church hall. It was a very interesting meeting, addressed by the Revd Canon Dr Hazel Whitehead, who is director for Discipleship Vocation and Ministry in our Guildford Diocese. Hazel is dynamic and somewhat formidable. Her topic was so-called ‘Faith Sharing’.
Among other things, she asked us to come up with about 20 words which would sum up the Good News, the Gospel message, which we would want to share with any heathens that we might meet in our ordinary lives. There was discussion about how one could approach people who were not Christians in a way which might open their minds to knowing more about the Gospel.
We all were nervous about possibly seeming like Jehovah’s Witnesses or those earnest people with clip-boards who tackle you at the least suitable time when you are out and about. I think that it’s probably true to say that many of us are not naturally ‘God Squad’ people, but nevertheless we are sincere in our belief, and if we could find a way of doing it, which didn’t make us look like lunatics, we would be very happy to share the Good News with people who don’t yet know about it.
How would I speak to the ‘man on the Clapham omnibus’, to use the old lawyer’s phrase, about the work of a prophet like Jeremiah, who was at work 400 years after the kingdom of David and Solomon had split into two, a northern kingdom called Israel and a southern kingdom called Judah, including Jerusalem.
Israel had been conquered by the Assyrians in 721 BC-
‘The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold’
as you will remember, in Lord Byron’s poem: and in 587 BC the remainder of the Chosen People, the people of Judah, were deported to Babylon:
By the waters of Babylon, we sat down and wept (Psalm 137).
400 years before, there had been the time of the Exodus, and Moses had received the Ten Commandments from the Lord. Jeremiah was reminding the people of Judah that they would only be able to continue to live in the Promised Land if they kept God’s commandments: to love the Lord your God, and not to worship other gods, and to keep the other moral laws, not to steal, not to do murder, not to commit adultery, and so on.
Interestingly, when he is going through the various commandments, Jeremiah doesn’t recite the commandments about stealing, murdering and committing adultery, until he has emphasised, they would only be able to continue to live in the Promised Land, ‘If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless and the widow.’
We tend to think of Old Testament morality as being centred around ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’. Not a bit of it – practical care for the weaker members of society was very important indeed. We perhaps don’t think of it as being part of the Law of Moses – it was not actually part of the Ten Commandments not to oppress the fatherless, the stranger and the widow. But it is part of the Jewish Law: you’ll find it in Deuteronomy (24:17) and in Exodus (22:22). There’s a real strain of socially-directed morality in the Jewish Law.
The Italians and the Maltese today, throwing their navy and their coast guard into rescuing all the refugees embarking from North Africa in unseaworthy craft, are carrying out the Law of Moses. They are saving the strangers, the refugees. Jesus affirmed that Jewish Law. He said, ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets. I have come not to abolish, but to fulfil’ (Matt. 5:17).
It surprises me that, although they have committed the Royal Navy, our government so readily rejects the proposals of the European Commission, that all the nations of Europe should take a fair share of the refugees. In this our government’s attitude seems to me not only to be contrary to the Law of Moses, but also to the precepts of Christ Himself.
But if even the government is so deaf to God’s commands, how do I get through to the man on the Clapham omnibus about the ‘law and the prophets’? How can I get him to think about whether keeping to the Law and following the prophets would keep him in the Promised Land, as Jeremiah was saying to the people of Judah? Alas, I have a feeling that the chap on the bus will look at me as though I’d just stepped off a spaceship from Mars.
What about what St Paul says? In Romans 9, ‘Is there unrighteousness with God?’ Is God unfair? Is God unjust? St Paul goes back to the original giving of the Ten Commandments, God saying to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ In other words, nothing that humans can do will necessarily influence the will of God.
But does that make God good, or bad? Again, it looks quite difficult to explain to our chap on the bus. (Perhaps not on the actual number 88 from Clapham, but maybe I might be listened to on a number 9 coming along Pall Mall – a Boris Bus – what do you think?)
It was relatively simple in the time of Jeremiah. Behave decently, look after those who are weak and disadvantaged in your society – and God will look favourably on you. He will not turf you out of the Promised Land.
But St. Paul points out that things aren’t quite so simple. In the passage which comes immediately after that terrific passage which we often have at funerals – ‘I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’,[Rom. 8:38-39], Paul agonises about whether the Israelites, the Jews, are still the chosen people.
Of course much of the Old Testament is a kind of epic love-hate story between the chosen people and God. When the chosen people obeyed God, worshipped the One True God, then they were able to escape from captivity in Egypt and go into the Promised Land.
But then when they mixed with the Canaanites, whose land they had occupied, and started to worship the Baals, the gods that the Canaanites worshipped, and no longer exclusively worshipped the One True God, then God was angry with them, and eventually they lost the Promised Land.
What St Paul points out is that God is not some kind of cosmic prizegiver. God is far greater than that. As it says at the beginning of St. John’s Gospel, ‘To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become Children of God’. St Paul says, ‘As Hosea prophesied, I will call them my people which were not my people; and it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there shall they be called the children of the living God’.
God is omnipotent, so of course He can do this: and there’s no point answering back and complaining, railing against God if He doesn’t do what we want.
Back to my 20 words of message to my heathen friend on the top deck of the Number 9 bus. What would he make of a prophet like Jeremiah, and what would he make of a Jewish convert to Christianity like St Paul? Our heathen friend is, by definition, in this context, not an Israelite, not one of the chosen people.
So he won’t be familiar with the terms of art, with the language, of Christianity and Judaism before it. What does a prophet do? Could there be prophets today? In the Old Testament, at the crucial moment, God will speak through a prophet, to His chosen people: ‘Do this. Do that, and you will be able to enjoy the promised land.’
In today’s world, after the New Testament, it may be a bit different. Be alert to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Try to discern what God has in mind for you, and what God is calling you to do. ‘Amend your ways and your doings. If you truly act justly one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, and the widow’, says God through the prophet Jeremiah, ‘then I will dwell with you in this place.’
So what are we to make of all this? How would we share it with our heathen friend? How does God speak to us these days? Do we still have prophets, and if we don’t, how do we know if what we are doing is in line with the will of God?
St Paul doesn’t say straightforwardly that God only does good things. He asks, ‘Is there injustice on God’s part?’ He answers his own question, By no means – or, ‘God forbid.’ But he then goes on to say that God ‘will have mercy on whom [he] has mercy and [he] will have compassion on whom [he] has compassion.’ In other words, justice seems to depend on God’s whim, not on whether something is right or wrong.
It’s an old philosophical problem, and it’s possible that it was something that Paul knew about, from his study of Ancient Greek philosophy, and in particular, Plato. 400 years before the time of Christ, Plato wrote about the teaching of Socrates. Socrates himself didn’t write anything down, but he was reported faithfully, just as Boswell reported Dr Johnson, by Plato.
Socrates’ philosophical investigations usually took the form of dialogues, of conversations that he had with various people, which brought out the issues that he wanted to explore.
One of these dialogues is called Euthyphro. It takes the form of a conversation between Socrates and a man called Euthyphro. In the course of the dialogue, the famous Euthyphro Dilemma comes up. It is this: is something good because it is good in itself or is it good because God makes it good? St Paul seems to come down on the side of the second: something is good because God makes it good. The Ten Commandments are expressions of the will of God not because they are good in themselves but because God has laid them down by giving them to Moses.
It does seem clear, nevertheless, that most of the things that are recommended in the Jewish law are, almost self-evidently, good in themselves. But what about the refugee, and the widow and the orphan? What about the immigrants? Is God telling us to look after them? And if He is, what are we doing about it?
Tags alien, Assyrian, Baal, Babylon, Boris bus, Boswell, Byron, Canaanites, Canon Hazel Whitehead, Church of England, Clapham Omnibus, David and Solomon, deanery, Deuteronomy, Dr Johnson, Egypt, European Commission, Euthyphro, Exodus, Faith Sharing, God Squad, Good News, gospel, Guildford diocese, Hosea, immigrant, immigration, Israel, Italian Coast Guard, Italian Navy, Jeremiah, Jewish Law, Judah, Leatherhead, Moses, No 88 bus, No 9 bus, orphan, Pall Mall, Pentateuch, Plato, Promised Land, Psalm 137, refugee, Romans 8, Romans 9, Sennacherib, St Paul, widow
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Anita Earls
Anita Earls, Founder and Executive Director, Southern Coalition for Social Justice
Anita Earls is the founder and Executive Director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Growing up in a mixed-race family, Earls recognized early on the racial inequalities that were present in her own community, watching her father earn less as a urological technician than his white counterparts. Anita went on to attend Williams College, where she became involved in the Student Anti-Apartheid Coalition, the Center for Development Economics and other organizations that nourished her commitment to social equality and civil rights. Since then, Earls has become an experienced civil rights attorney. After a stint working for the Department of Justice, Earls returned to NC, eventually founding the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, an organization that believes that families and communities engaged in social justice struggles need a team of lawyers, social scientists, community organizers and media specialists to support them in their efforts to dismantle structural racism and oppression.
The entire interview is available in the Duke Human Rights Archive. The Story of Anita Earls: A Short Video by Ester Kim
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Hoggan & Associates
Public Speaking Publications Media Contact
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Integrity. Influence. Experience. Results.
Integrity, intelligence and courage. I am one of Jim Hoggan’s biggest fans.
— David Suzuki, Co-Founder, David Suzuki Foundation
Our team is experienced in all aspects of public relations: stakeholder consultation, engagement and dialogue, media relations, media training, issues and crisis management, marketing, business-to-business communications, community dialogue, high profile event management and execution, investor communications and social media.
The Hoggan agency works on a distributed associates model, which allows us to expand and contract teams of highly experienced communications advisors to suit client needs. We maintain a roster of diverse highly experienced consultants and service providers, as well as associate advertising agencies, research firms and other PR agencies. Many of our consultants have worked together for close to two decades.
Jim Hoggan
Over three decades, James Hoggan has developed a reputation as the guy to call in a public relations crisis.
Highly sought-after by the media for his expert commentary, insight and advice, Jim has navigated executives and high profile clients through the glare of TV cameras, social media and front page investigations resulting in awards including the industry’s prestigious Silver Anvil for the best crisis management campaign in North America as well as awards for ethics in public relations.
In addition to crisis management, Jim develops long term communications strategies for Canadian and international clients and has become a globally renowned advocate for honesty, ethics and integrity in public discourse.
The extraordinary range of organizations that Jim has helped speaks volumes: from Shell Canada and Shell Global to the David Suzuki Foundation; from Ballard Power Systems and Canadian Pacific Railway to the Dalai Lama Center. Jim led the Province of British Columbia’s Green Energy Task Force on Community Relations and First Nations Partnerships and works with clients such as the BC Law Society, BC Hydro, QLT Therapeutics, the Government of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver International Airport among many others.
James Hoggan is the author of three books, Do the Right Thing: PR Tips for Skeptical Public (2009), Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming (2009) and I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It Up (May 2016). Jim has a strong interest in public relations as a force for honest public conversation and founded the influential website DeSmogBlog, chosen as one of Time Magazine’s Best Blogs in 2011.
Nancy McHarg
strategic council
Nancy McHarg has worked in media and public relations for 25 years, counseling clients in energy, real-estate, entertainment, sports, and retail as well as public and private education, academic administration and governments. Nancy’s areas of expertise include strategic communications; stakeholder engagement and dialogue; crisis and issues management; research; community relations; and media relations.
Nancy has a passion for sustainability and environmental issues and led the team at Hoggan & Associates (where she was Vice President and maintains a working relationship) in the design and implementation of the most comprehensive research ever conducted on Canadians' views on sustainability. First initiated in 2005 and repeated nationally since, the Hoggan Sustainability research has established a rich compendium of insights into Canadians’ views in the context of the shifting and challenging economic, environmental and societal circumstances that define modern society.
Nancy runs a boutique communications agency whose focus is to use communications to bring people together and contribute to positive change. Recent clients include TransLink and the City of Vancouver related to the Millennium SkyTrain Line Broadway Extension project; UBC’s rapid transit communications planning; the Vancouver Women’s Forum on Peace and Security on the Korean Peninsula, an international delegation of 16 women advocating for civil society and feminist group involvement in negotiations for peace in the two Koreas; and Metro Vancouver’s Biosolids team, among many others.
Brenda Jones
MEDIA RELATIONS COUNCIL
Brenda Jones, APR has worked in communications and media relations for two decades and is accredited by the Canadian Public Relations Society. As a public relations professional, she works with highly ethical, often eco-friendly, organizations to create messages that resonate with their audience and develop a connection based on shared values. Brenda’s services include strategic public relations planning, media relations, communications, community relations, and crisis communications.
Prior to entering public relations, Brenda worked for a few years as a newspaper reporter. The experience Brenda gained as a journalist is key to the success she achieves for organizations when performing media relations. Brenda has a large network of media contacts.
Brenda has a BA in Sociology, a post-graduate certificate in Journalism, and is currently working on a Master’s in English Rhetoric.
Ken Coach
SENIOR COUNSEL / MEDIA STRATEGY
Ken Coach is a widely respected media trainer, public speaking coach and communications consultant. He also specializes in corporate messaging and crisis management. He is a former journalist and spent more than 20 years working in virtually all aspects of news and current affairs, including both print and broadcast journalism.
After years of being a reporter and editor, Ken was named the Senior Producer in charge of domestic news coverage for CTV National News. He also served as Executive Producer of CBC network and regional TV news programs in Calgary and Vancouver. So he understands the media from the street level to the boardrooms where media coverage decisions are made.
For the past many years, Ken has worked with Jim Hoggan to provide strategic advice and media training for most of Jim’s clients in some very high profile crisis management situations.
Ken has provided presentation and media training to corporate and academic leaders, politicians, government and non-profit organizations – more than a thousand individuals in all.
Kevin Grandia
Kevin Grandia is the Founder and President of Spake Media House Inc., and a co-founder of the smartphone and tablet app development agency Zappz Studios.
Kevin has over a decade of experience in digital marketing, search engine optimization and communications strategy.
For his work globally on the issues of climate change and energy, Kevin was called a “Green Hero” by Rolling Stone Magazine and one of the “Top 50 Tweeters” on climate change and environment issues.
Kevin has appeared in major news media outlets around the world for his work on digital campaigning and online strategy.
Kevin is the first person to be designated a “Certified Expert” on the political and community organizing platform NationBuilder.
1228 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 6L2
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The Benefits International Students Bring to the Workplace
by Kate Neilson
Published 1 May 2019 by Kate Neilson
As someone who is looking to enter the Australian job market, you’d be forgiven for thinking it might be a slightly scary task. But there’s actually a lot of evidence that backs the benefits that international students bring to an organisation, not least for employees themselves. In fact, if you work within a team that’s openly inclusive (meaning it welcomes diversity in all shapes and sizes: diversity of culture, religion, gender and the like), you are 19 times more likely to be very satisfied with your job, according to the Inclusion@Work Index by the Diversity Council of Australia.
There are plenty of industries with major skills gaps that are waiting to be filled by talented, innovative and creative workers – and that might just be you. Here are a few reasons to be encouraged to enter the Australian workforce.
Fresh perspectives
Employees from different countries provide new perspectives, and these are what drive a business forward.
“International students bring fresh and different perspectives to existing challenges if they are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas,” says Professor Shanton Chang, Associate Dean (International) at the University of Melbourne’s School of Engineering and IT. “They tend to understand that there are different ways of doing things [and that] there are multiple perspectives that one can take in solving problems.”
Oskar Santos from Ducere Business School agrees: “We have found that international students bring a global perspective to our business,” he says. “As a company that already operates internationally, but has plans for further expansion, being able to leverage off an in-house resource has been really valuable for future growth.”
Greater creativity
It’s believed that Picasso, Handel, Hemingway and Stravinsky created their best work while living overseas. This could happen to you as well. In fact, studies suggest this is the case. It’s thought that when you enter a new culture and are exposed to a new way of living, you’re encouraged to think in a more creative way in order to navigate the peculiarities of your new home.
The Inclusion@Work report also found that as a member of an inclusive team, you’re nine times more likely to innovate and five times more likely to provide excellent customer service/client service experiences than non-inclusive teams. Again, this benefits both you and your colleagues. These are the types of employees that Australian businesses want to be hiring.
Unique skills
International students possess unique skills that are great additions to most workplaces. Given international students usually speak two or more languages and have cross-cultural experience, they can take up multilingual roles or positions that require global connectivity.
“International students have language abilities to work with clients from different language bases,” says Professor Chang. “This also includes the ability to help with basic translations of material from overseas – including social media engagements, and websites. Companies that are looking at expanding globally, are servicing international clients, and are working with teams overseas, would benefit from having an international student presence within their organisation.”
More money
A McKinsey report found that organisations with ethnic and racial diversity in their management teams were 33% more likely to have financial returns above their industry average.
This is supported by a separate report from the Boston Consulting Group, which surveyed 1,700 organisations across eight countries and found that those with above-average diversity within management teams had a 19% higher revenue rate than companies with below-average diversity.
While you’re not likely to jump into a management position as soon as you graduate, this is good information to keep in the back of your mind, because employers think about the long-term benefits when making hires.
Entrepreneurial success
If you’re a highly motivated individual who is just bursting at the seams with good ideas, it’s likely that you will only further flourish in a local business.
In the United States, studies show that immigrant workers make up 27.5% of all entrepreneurs, yet they only account for 13% of the whole population. This is the case in many other countries too. What’s the reason for this? One researcher, William Kerr, says that immigrant workers just know how to get the job done.
“The very act of someone moving around the world, often leaving family behind, might select those who are very determined or more tolerant of business risk,” says Kerr.
Both Professor Chang and Santos echo this idea.
“Many international students have succeeded in an independent environment where they have had to thrive under a different framework, and this has enabled some growth and maturity,” says Professor Chang.
“I have found many [international students] to be risk-takers,” says Santos. “Leaving your home and family to study overseas takes guts to begin with. Particularly, as in many cases, when English is also a second language.”
If we’ve assured you that there are plenty of good reasons to enter the Australian workforce, what should you do to prepare?
Professor Chang offers this advice:
Volunteer, network and engage with the wider community. From there, you will find opportunities. Do this from the start of your degree and maintain your studies, while engaging with the community and industry. Employers in Australia often look for excellent communicators who are ready and have a balanced CV.
Understand the trends within the industries you want to enter. So many international students are ‘technically’ competent but have little idea about what the industry expects of graduates. Yet, all the information is there online and on the websites of these companies. Students make the mistake of listening to ‘friends’ who often hear it from other ‘friends’ instead of networking directly with the companies.
Build resilience. While it is true that some companies do not take international students, there are lots that do as well. Students get caught up with the negatives and forget that networking is more important and that there are multiple paths to success. Networking with the wider community is particularly important in Australia – including through volunteering.
Have the ability to understand work and client culture in the country you want to work in. Whether students want to work in Australia or in a third country or home country, they need to keep up with what the culture is like in those countries.
And when it comes to choosing a company to work for? Santos says you should channel what excites you.
“Find a company with a vision that inspires you,” he says. “It will always be easier in a job interview or when writing a cover letter if you can truly say that you are inspired and aligned with the vision of the company and be able to articulate this well.”
If you’re in the process of looking or applying for jobs, make sure to check out our guide to getting a job in Australia. To find out more about what to do when you graduate, including applying for a work visa, have a read of our guide. Good luck!
Careers of the Future
Top 5 Mistakes Students Make on Resumes
Planning For Life After Graduation
Test Run Your Future Career
How to Find Volunteer Experience
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Film Room: New Cowboys OL Marcus Martin Brings Versatility
The Dallas Cowboys continued their recent free agency binge of sorts over the weekend, signing offensive lineman Marcus Martin. The Cowboys have begun plugging their holes one-by-one, and Martin's addition directly fills a need for the 2018 team.
The former third round pick of the 49ers has had a bit of a rocky career thus far. After starting 14 games for the 49ers in 2015, Martin was only able to appear in four games in 2016 due to injuries. He then joined the Cleveland Browns in 2017, but did not see any action.
Marcus Martin's appeal to the Cowboys is clear, however, and it has to do with his position-flex. Though listed as a guard, Martin has shown the ability to play both left guard and center during his NFL career.
His movement skills and versatility make him a strong candidate to fill the swing center/guard role on the 2018 roster, despite some clear deficiencies on tape.
When watching Martin I often found myself impressed with his movement and athleticism, especially when he worked to the second level to meet linebackers. The problem I had was, once he got to the point of contact, he struggled with his technique. I'd like to see Martin play more under control at the second level, breaking down and making his blocks in a more consistent fashion. Still, he clearly has the traits to work in the Cowboys' run blocking scheme.
marcus martin blitz pick up - Streamable
Check out this video on Streamable using your phone, tablet or desktop.
In pass protection I saw many of the same inconsistencies with Marcus Martin. At times he made blocks such as these (left guard, number 66), though. Here Martin is quick out of his stance and fluid in his footwork. He is violent with his hands when meeting the rusher, and slides down nicely to counter the inside move.
marcus martin - Streamable
Too often, however, his pass protection efforts look like they did on this play against Sheldon Richardson. Here, Martin's initial step and set are fine, but he gets no punch on Richardson and allows himself to get bullied around.
Richardson hits him with the long arm, completely turns his shoulders, and sheds him for an easy quarterback pressure. Martin needs to be stronger with his hands on reps like these, and has to find the balance between patience and violence.
Later in the game, Martin made the adjustment to jump-set Richardson and stopped him at the line of scrimmage. It was good to see Martin recognize how he was getting beat, adjust accordingly, and then execute the block.
Overall, I don't have any real issues with the signing of Marcus Martin. He has shown he can play both guard and center, and has the movement skills the Cowboys look for in their offensive linemen. Bringing in Martin to compete for the swing interior lineman role with Joe Looney is a smart move.
If they believe Martin is the answer to their starting left guard woes, however, then I would have an issue with the move. Hopefully the Cowboys still look to one of the guards in this very strong draft class to fill that starting role going forward.
Related Topics:Dallas CowboysGuardMarcus MartinOffensive LineScouting Report
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George Walker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It's been nearly a year since Dallas Cowboys Center Travis Frederick was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), an autoimmune disease. And although all signs are pointing towards him making a full recovery and regaining his starting job, there are still some lingering concerns about his health.
Travis Frederick didn't miss a start in his previous five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before being diagnosed with GBS. He was an Ironman and was the anchor for the Cowboys talented offensive line. But battling injuries and an autoimmune disease in which there is a lot of unknown about still are two different animals. It's the unknown here that still carries some concern.
What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
According to the Mayo Clinic, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) occurs when the body mistakenly attacks its own nerves, specifically the peripheral nervous system, which connects the brain and the spinal cord to the rest of the body. This can result in a wide range the nerve-related symptoms, including tingling, prickling, or pins and needles sensations; muscle weakness; difficulty walking, talking, chewing, or swallowing; pain; and, in severe cases paralysis, which can become life-threatening if breathing is affected.
As with many autoimmune diseases, experts don't fully understand what causes GBS. There is still a lot of unknown about this disease, and that includes how to treat it and recover from it. However, when diagnosed early, like in Frederick's case, the chances of stabilizing sooner rather than later are pretty good. Although, the recovery process can be a slow one, anywhere from a few weeks to a few years.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome Cure and Recovery Time?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for GBS at this current time. There are a couple of treatments which has shown some success, although patients respond differently which makes determining a person's recovery time nearly impossible.
According to the Mayo Clinic, most people recover within 6 to 12 months. However, about 30% of people still experience lingering weakness three years after a diagnosis, reports the Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and about 15% continue to have weakness long after that. Hence, the lingering concern about Travis Frederick and his future health.
Travis Frederick's Optimism
Despite all the unknown with GBS and how it's affected Travis Frederick's life, he sounds pretty optimistic his health is trending in the right direction.
"I feel really good about where I am at. Both in recovery from Guillain-Barre syndrome and the offseason surgeries that I had done. We are just starting to get to the end of the shoulder rehab. That will start to free up a little bit of my activities. But as far as (Guillain-Barre syndrome) goes, I feel really, really good. It's gonna be hard to tell whether I'm back exactly 100 percent until I can go against another player at full speed in full pads. I don't think we're actually going to know until training camp. But all signs are currently pointing to really good things."
As if we didn't already have enough to keep an eye on once the Dallas Cowboys start training, Travis Frederick certainly jumps to the top of the list. How he is able to respond in some "live-action" practices should help determine where he's at healthwise. Hopefully for his sake, and the sake of the Cowboys, he's back to 100% or as close to it as possible.
Are you concerned about Travis Frederick's health heading into 2019?
All offseason, the possibility of a new contract for Dallas Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott has been a hot button issue among media and fans alike. Not because Ezekiel Elliott isn't a great player and worthy of top running back money, but because the idea of paying running backs north of $15 million a year isn't as simple as, "Is he worth it?"
There is significant evidence that the running back position experiences a significant decline in production around their age 28 season and few running backs play into their 30's with good to elite production. Ezekiel Elliott, though he's experienced heavy usage in his first three seasons, could be the exception to the rule.
Well, knowing his worth to the Dallas Cowboys he's expecting a heavy payday at some point in the next couple of seasons. Elliott is under contract through 2019 and the Cowboys picked up his rookie option for 2020. So, technically, Elliott wouldn't be a free agent until the 2021 offseason. However, much like in the case of Todd Gurley, Elliott's looking to get paid early to maximize his prime years as the Dallas Cowboys running back.
Within the last hour, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk released a report that Ezekiel Elliott is planning on holding out of training camp if he doesn't receive a new contract, per a "league source." It should be noted that Mike Florio has had some missteps in his reporting of Dallas Cowboys news, most notably the perpetuating a rumor that Dez Bryant was caught on videotape doing something at a Wal-Mart, that would have a "Ray Rice type of impact." A tape that has never been discovered or produced and a story that's completely died off since it was originally reported in 2015.
Given the recent news that Melvin Gordon is planning a training camp hold out, it should come as no surprise that Elliott is being mentioned similarly. ESPN even mentioned the idea of Elliott and a looming contractual holdout in a piece earlier today, but their prediction pointed to 2021 and wasn't a report based on fact or a source, but a prediction for next year.
The two-time NFL rushing champ is scheduled to count $7.9 million in 2019 and just over $9 million in 2020 against the salary cap. His salary for 2019 is only $3.8 million. Elliott certainly has earned the right to be paid like Todd Gurley ($14.37 million per year), Le'Veon Bell ($13.13 million per year), and David Johnson ($13 million per year) despite having two more years on his deal.
In looking at the long-term impact of Elliott's contract, I've advocated that if the Dallas Cowboys intend to pay Elliott, now's the time to do it. A contract extension now, that adds three or four more years onto his existing deal would get Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys to his age 28 or 29 season. In a well-structured contract, they'd have opportunities to get out at the back end if Elliott experienced a significant decline in production.
Ezekiel Elliott's contract is going to continue to be a hot button issue until he's either signed to an extension or it's made known that the Dallas Cowboys have no intention of extending him. Currently, there aren't any other sources confirming Elliott's plan to hold out of training camp, which starts July 27th, but it's a story that we'll continue to follow here on InsideTheStar.com.
Update: 7/16/2019 10:42 am.
Charles Robinson, Senior Reporter for Yahoo! Sports provided some insight into the thinking of Elliott and his representation.
1. Elliott hasn’t made a decision to hold out of #Cowboys camp...yet. But he’s absolutely thinking it through and definitely wants an extension in the works. This was going to be a week where he and his people laid out their options and made continued overtures to the Cowboys.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) July 15, 2019
2. #Cowboys Elliott knows his value is at a high point right now and wants to protect himself with a long term deal, because he’s expecting to carry the load in a big way this season. He absolutely want some longer term security from a new deal.
3. Elliott’s extension push wouldn’t be a surprise to the #Cowboys. The lines of communication have been open with Zeke’s camp for more than a month. There has been a continuing dialogue about a Zeke deal in ownership and a team source told me Stephen is running point in talks.
4. From what I‘ve gathered about where this is headed, a big part of this is whether the two sides are feeling good about the progress of talks. If #Cowboys are making a serious push to get an extension worked, I believe that would impact whether Zeke shows for the start of camp.
5. Bottom line: Zeke hasn’t settled on holding out (yet) and #Cowboys haven’t shut down extension talks (yet). But it’s going to be fluid this week. If Cowboys aren’t proactive about a deal, I think this could go sideways fast. It hasn’t yet. This will be an important week.
It certainly seems like holding out is on the table for Ezekiel Elliott and his representation, but no decision has been made at this point.
Check back with us for updates on Ezekiel Elliott's contract extension.
The Dallas Cowboys' safeties may have the been the team's most-talked-about position during the 2019 offseason. Dallas declined making a splashy free agent signing, or even a high draft pick, and that means safety is still a hot topic headed into this year's training camp.
Fans hoping for an Earl Thomas signing or a Juan Thornhill drafting have had to settle for veteran George Iloka and 6th-round rookie Donovan Wilson. These new arrivals don't bring the sizzle that many wanted, but they do add intrigue to the battle for roster spots and depth chart positioning.
Here's the projected safety depth chart right now for the 2019 season:
Xavier Woods, Jeff Heath
George Iloka, Kavon Frazier
Darian Thompson, Donovan Wilson
Jameill Showers
A big reason the Cowboys didn't spend big at safety is Xavier Woods, who is a rising star on defense entering just his third season. Dallas' strategy appears centered around Woods' development, hoping he will anchor the position and make everyone look better.
Woods' fellow starter could be Iloka or the returning Jeff Heath. It is assumed that these two veterans will battle it out for the strong safety job, with the loser being a versatile and experienced backup.
Heath has the advantage of experience with the Cowboys but Iloka has more starting experience overall with 79 games to just 41 for Jeff. You also have to think that Defensive Backs Coach Kris Richard had a hand in selecting Iloka from the free agent pool, likely coveting his 6'4" size.
Even if Iloka does win the starting job Heath should remain a valued reserve and special teams leader. His $2.95 million cap hit for 2019 isn't that high for someone who fills those roles.
Regardless of starting jobs, we expect all three of those players to make the roster. It's below them where actual roster spots are on the line.
Dallas Cowboys safety Kavon Frazier (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
After three years at backup safety, Kavon Frazier is facing some real competition for his job in 2019. Not only is there the aforementioned rookie Donovan Wilson, but reserve Darian Thompson may already be moving ahead of Frazier on the depth chart.
Thompson was a 3rd-round pick of the Giants in 2016, the same year that Dallas drafted Frazier in the 6th round. He was named a starter in Week 2 as a rookie, but got hurt that game and missed the rest of they ear. He started all 16 games in 2017, but then was injured again and released prior to the start of the 2018 season.
After less than a week on the Cardinals' practice squad, Thompson got signed to the Cowboys' roster last October as a reserve. They re-signed him this offseason, and reports from mini-camps and OTAs had Darian getting second-team reps in practice over Kavon Frazier and other prospects.
If Thompson has ascended, the biggest concern for Frazier and Donovan Wilson is just how many safeties the Cowboys keep. They've kept five before but could easily go with just four, and that might leave two talented players out in the cold.
If Frazier and Wilson do wind up battling for that fifth and final spot, the rookie may have the edge thanks to youth and his four-year contract. Kavon is a free agent next year, so Dallas might elect to keep the younger, cheaper option for further development.
From starting jobs to just keeping The Star on their helmets, these safeties have a lot to fight for in 2019. It's been one of our most interesting positions to watch all offseason, and that won't change when we head into training camp.
OTHER 2019 CAMP PREVIEWS
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Battery pack overcharge protection system
Filed: 10/29/2010
Issued: 02/25/2014
Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
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1. A method of protecting a battery pack from overcharging during a battery pack charging cycle, wherein said battery pack is comprised of a plurality of individual batteries, wherein during said battery pack charging cycle a source of charging power is coupled to the battery pack and provides charging power to the battery pack, said method comprising the steps of:
electrically connecting a first lead of a doped silicon junction device to a first output terminal of said battery pack, wherein said doped silicon junction device is configured to break down and conduct current at a predetermined threshold voltage;
locating an electrical contactor between a junction of said first lead of said doped silicon junction device and said first output terminal of said battery pack and said source of charging power; and
electrically connecting a second lead of said doped silicon junction device to a second output terminal of said battery pack, wherein said second output terminal represents an oppositely charged terminal of said battery pack, and wherein when a voltage corresponding to said charging power during said battery pack charging cycle exceeds said predetermined threshold voltage said doped silicon junction device breaks down and creates a short between said first and second output terminals of said battery pack, wherein said short causes a fuse corresponding to said battery pack to blow and interrupt a current path between said battery pack and said source of charging power.
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An overcharge protection device (OPD) is provided that may be used alone, or in combination with conventional charging protection systems, to protect a battery pack from the occurrence of a potentially damaging overcharging event. The OPD is designed to be coupled to, and interposed between, the terminals of the battery pack. During normal system operation, the OPD has no effect on the operation of the charging system or the battery pack. During an overcharging event, if overcharging is not prevented by another conventional system, the OPD of the invention creates a short across the terminals of the battery pack causing a battery pack fuse designed to provide battery pack short circuit protection to blow, thereby interrupting the current path from the charger to the battery pack and preventing the battery pack from being overcharged.
View as Search Results
9 Forward Citations
16 References Cited
DISPLAYING APPARATUS AND MOBILE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND DISPLAYING FRAME THEREOF
Patent #
US 20140098511A1
Filed 10/04/2013
Current Assignee
Inventec Appliances Company Limited, Inventec Appliances Corporation
Sponsoring Entity
Energy transfer with vehicles
Failing Bryan Marc
POWER STORAGE SYSTEM AND CELL PROTECTION METHOD
ENVISION AESC ENERGY DEVICES LTD.
Increasing vehicle security
Power storage system and cell protection method which protects the cell by both cutting from the cell pack and the cell pack from the system
NEC Energy Devices Ltd.
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Controlling charge levels of vehicle batteries based on battery charge states and vehicle operating modes
Ford Global Technologies LLC
BATTERY PACK AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME
Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
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HUBBELL INDUSTRIAL CONTROLS INC.
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Dell Products LP
Protection methods, protection circuits and protective devices for secondary batteries, a power tool, charger and battery pack adapted to provide protection against fault conditions in the battery pack
Black Decker Incorporated
Portable drawn arc stud welding apparatus and method providing high current output in short time intervals
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Fail safe circuit and battery pack using same
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Chloride Group Limited
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United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
POWER SUPPLY FOR AN ELECTRONIC PABX
Alcatel-Lucent USA Inc.
International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
28 Claims
View Dependent Claims (2)
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of locating a second electrical contactor between a junction of said second lead of said doped silicon junction device and said second output terminal of said battery pack and said source of charging power.
locating an electrical contactor between a junction of said first lead of said doped silicon junction device and said first output terminal of said battery pack and said first output terminal of said battery pack; and
View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of locating a second electrical contactor between a junction of said second lead of said doped silicon junction device and said second output terminal of said battery pack and said second output terminal of said battery pack.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of selecting an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) for said doped silicon junction device, wherein said IGBT passes current and shorts said battery pack when said voltage exceeds said predetermined threshold voltage.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of thermally coupling said IGBT to a heat sink to increase the I2t value of the IGBT.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting a crowbar circuit with a trip voltage corresponding to said predetermined threshold voltage for said doped silicon junction device, wherein said crowbar circuit passes current and shorts said battery pack when said voltage exceeds said trip voltage.
8. A system that provides overcharge protection for a battery pack during a battery pack charging cycle, wherein during said battery pack charging cycle a source of charging power is coupled to the battery pack and provides charging power to the battery pack, the system comprising a doped silicon junction device electrically connected between a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the battery pack, said battery pack comprised of a plurality of individual batteries, wherein a first lead of said doped silicon junction device is electrically connected to said first output terminal and a second lead of said doped silicon junction device is electrically connected to said second output terminal, wherein said doped silicon junction device is electrically coupled to said first output terminal at a location between said source of charging power and a first terminal contactor, wherein said first terminal contactor corresponds to said source of charging power, wherein said doped silicon junction device is configured to break down and conduct current at a predetermined threshold voltage and create a short between said first and second output terminals if a charging voltage corresponding to said charging power exceeds said predetermined threshold voltage, and wherein said doped silicon junction device has a sufficiently large I2t to cause a fuse corresponding to the battery pack to blow and interrupt a current path between said battery pack and said source of charging power.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein said doped silicon junction device is electrically coupled to said second output terminal at a location between said source of charging power and a second terminal contactor, wherein said second terminal contactor corresponds to said source of charging power.
10. A system that provides overcharge protection for a battery pack during a battery pack charging cycle, wherein during said battery pack charging cycle a source of charging power is coupled to the battery pack and provides charging power to the battery pack, the system comprising a doped silicon junction device electrically connected between a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the battery pack, said battery pack comprised of a plurality of individual batteries, wherein a first lead of said doped silicon junction device is electrically connected to said first output terminal and a second lead of said doped silicon junction device is electrically connected to said second output terminal, wherein said doped silicon junction device is electrically coupled to said first output terminal at a location between a first terminal contactor and said first output terminal, wherein said first terminal contactor corresponds to said source of charging power, wherein said doped silicon junction device is configured to break down and conduct current at a predetermined threshold voltage and create a short between said first and second output terminals if a charging voltage corresponding to said charging power exceeds said predetermined threshold voltage, and wherein said doped silicon junction device has a sufficiently large I2t to cause a fuse corresponding to the battery pack to blow and interrupt a current path between said battery pack and said source of charging power.
View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
11. The system of claim 10, wherein said doped silicon junction device is electrically coupled to said second output terminal at a location between a second terminal contactor and said second output terminal, wherein said second terminal contactor corresponds to said source of charging power.
12. The system of claim 8, further comprised of an RC circuit electrically interposed between said doped silicon junction device and said first output terminal.
13. The system of claim 8, wherein said doped silicon junction device does not include a processor and does not include a secondary source of power separate from the battery pack.
14. The system of claim 8, wherein said doped silicon junction device is comprised of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).
15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a heat sink in thermal contact with said IGBT.
16. The system of claim 8, wherein said doped silicon junction device is comprised of a crowbar circuit.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein said crowbar circuit is comprised of at least a zener diode and a silicon controlled rectifier.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of connecting a low pass RC circuit in series with said doped silicon junction device.
19. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of selecting an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) for said doped silicon junction device, wherein said IGBT passes current and shorts said battery pack when said voltage exceeds said predetermined threshold voltage.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of thermally coupling said IGBT to a heat sink to increase the I2t value of the IGBT.
21. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of selecting a crowbar circuit with a trip voltage corresponding to said predetermined threshold voltage for said doped silicon junction device, wherein said crowbar circuit passes current and shorts said battery pack when said voltage exceeds said trip voltage.
23. The system of claim 10, further comprised of an RC circuit electrically interposed between said doped silicon junction device and said first output terminal.
24. The system of claim 10, wherein said doped silicon junction device does not include a processor and does not include a secondary source of power separate from the battery pack.
25. The system of claim 10, wherein said doped silicon junction device is comprised of an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).
27. The system of claim 10, wherein said doped silicon junction device is comprised of a crowbar circuit.
The present invention relates generally to battery packs and charging systems and, more particularly, to a system for protecting a battery pack from overcharging.
Battery overcharging is one of the most destructive events that can occur in the life of a battery, an event that leads to undesirable reactions occurring within the battery and the generation of excessive heat. If these reactions go unchecked, the increase in heat generation quickly reaches the point at which more heat is being generated than can be withdrawn, leading to the condition commonly referred to as thermal runaway. At this point, the amount of heat being generated is great enough to lead to the combustion of the battery as well as materials in proximity to the battery.
To reduce the risk of thermal runaway, most rechargeable cells include one or more built-in safety mechanisms that are designed to automatically take effect during an abusive situation (e.g., overcharging, internal short circuit, physical abuse, manufacturing defects, etc.). For example, a conventional cell will often include an internal positive temperature coefficient (PTC) current limiting device, a current interrupt device (CID), and a venting mechanism, the venting mechanism designed to rupture at high pressures and provide a pathway for cell contents to escape. The PTC element is designed to exhibit a very high impedance when the current density exceeds a predetermined level while the CID is designed to break the electrical connection between the electrode assembly and the cell terminal if the pressure within the cell exceeds a predetermined level.
While individual cells may include one or more built-in safety mechanisms, as noted above, these safety mechanisms are not always effective when the cell is one of a large group of cells. For example, the CID within a cell typically has a relatively low voltage rating and, as a result, may be subject to arcing and fire when it attempts to open in a high voltage battery pack. Accordingly, many conventional rechargeable battery packs may include one or more overcharge protection systems at the system level, each of which is designed to prevent the battery or batteries within a battery pack from being overcharged. These systems can be divided into those associated with the battery pack itself, and those associated with the charger/charging circuit. On the battery side, usually one or more voltage sensing circuits are used to monitor the condition of the batteries, either individually or as a group of cells. When these circuits sense overcharging, they disrupt the connection between the battery pack and the charging system, typically by opening the contactor or pair of contactors that couple the battery terminals to the charging circuit. The use of a pair of contactors, one coupled to either terminal, versus a single contactor, provides an additional level of protection. On the charger side, sensing circuits are used to monitor the load, i.e., the battery pack, coupled to the charging circuit. When the charging system determines that overcharging is occurring, or about to occur, the charging system is designed to terminate charging.
While one or more levels of overcharge protection are included in most systems utilizing rechargeable batteries, there is still a risk of an overcharging event occurring, for example due to the failure of both a charging circuit and a contactor. If such a failure were to occur in a system utilizing a large battery pack, overcharging could lead to all of the cells within the pack undergoing nearly simultaneous thermal runaway. While the collateral damage of such an event could be huge, if it were to occur in a safety sensitive application such as an electric vehicle, the consequences could be catastrophic. Accordingly, although the prior art discloses various systems that provide protection from an overcharging event, an additional layer of protection that is independent of the contactors and the charging circuit is desirable. The present invention provides such an additional layer of protection.
The present invention provides an overcharge protection device (OPD) that may be used alone, or in combination with conventional charging protection systems, to protect a battery pack from the occurrence of a potentially damaging overcharging event. The OPD is designed to be coupled to, and interposed between, the terminals of the battery pack. During normal system operation, it has no effect on the operation of the charging system or the battery pack. During an overcharging event, if overcharging is not prevented by another conventional system, the OPD of the invention creates a short across the terminals of the battery pack causing a battery pack fuse designed to provide battery pack short circuit protection to blow, thereby interrupting the current path from the charger to the battery pack and preventing the battery pack from being overcharged.
In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of protecting a battery pack from overcharging during a battery pack charging cycle is provided. The method includes the steps of electrically connecting a first lead of an overcharge protection device (OPD) to a first output terminal of the battery pack; connecting a second lead of the OPD to a second output terminal of the battery pack; and monitoring the charger output voltage, wherein if the voltage exceeds a predetermined trigger voltage the OPD performs the step of creating a short between the first and second output terminals of the battery pack, causing a fuse corresponding to the battery pack to blow. The OPD may be connected to the battery pack output terminals on either side of the terminal contactors. The method may further comprise the step(s) of (i) selecting a solid state device such as an IGBT for the OPD, where the threshold voltage corresponds to the predetermined trigger voltage; (ii) selecting a crowbar circuit for the OPD, where the trip voltage for the crowbar circuit corresponds to the predetermined trigger voltage; or (iii) selecting a solenoid relay switch for the OPD, where the threshold voltage for the relay switch corresponds to the predetermined trigger voltage.
In at least one other embodiment of the invention, a system that provides overcharge protection for a battery pack during charging is provided, the system comprised of an overcharge protection device (OPD) that is electrically coupled to, and interposed between, the first and second output terminals of the battery pack. During charging, if the voltage corresponding to the charging power exceeds a predetermined OPD trigger voltage, the OPD creates a short across the battery output terminals, the short having a large enough I2t value to cause a battery pack fuse to blow. The OPD may be connected to the battery pack output terminals on either side of the terminal contactors. The system may include an RC circuit electrically interposed between the OPD and one battery output terminal. Preferably the OPD does not include a processor and does not include a secondary power source separate from the battery pack. The OPD may be comprised, for example, of an IGBT, a crowbar circuit, a solenoid relay switch, or other means.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.
FIG. 1 provides a simplified block diagram illustrating the present invention;
FIG. 2 provides an alternate system configuration;
FIG. 7 illustrates a configuration of an overcharge protection device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 8 illustrates a modification of the overcharge protection device shown in FIG. 7, the modification including an RC circuit to limit the risk of a false trigger;
FIG. 9 illustrates an alternate configuration of an overcharge protection device in accordance with another embodiment;
FIG. 10 illustrates an alternate configuration of an overcharge protection device in accordance with yet another embodiment;
FIG. 11 illustrates a modification of the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the illustrated embodiment using a pair of solenoid relay switches; and
FIG. 12 illustrates a modification of the system shown in FIG. 10.
In the following text, the terms “battery”, “cell”, and “battery cell” may be used interchangeably and may refer to any of a variety of different cell types, chemistries and configurations including, but not limited to, lithium ion (e.g., lithium iron phosphate, lithium cobalt oxide, other lithium metal oxides, etc.), lithium ion polymer, nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, nickel hydrogen, nickel zinc, silver zinc, or other battery type/configuration. The term “battery pack” as used herein refers to multiple individual batteries contained within a single piece or multi-piece housing, the individual batteries electrically interconnected to achieve the desired voltage and capacity for a particular application. The term “electric vehicle” as used herein refers to either an all-electric vehicle, also referred to as an EV, plug-in hybrid vehicles, also referred to as a PHEV, or a hybrid vehicle (HEV), a hybrid vehicle utilizing multiple propulsion sources one of which is an electric drive system. The terms “overcharge protection device” and “OPD” may be used interchangeably. It should be understood that identical element symbols used on multiple figures refer to the same component, or components of equal functionality. Additionally, the accompanying figures are only meant to illustrate, not limit, the scope of the invention and should not be considered to be to scale.
FIG. 1 provides a simplified block diagram illustrating the present invention. As shown, a charging system 101 is coupled to a battery pack 103 via leads 105/106. Charging system 101 may be permanently integrated within system 100, the regenerative braking system used on some EVs being an example of such an on-board charging system. Alternately, charging system 101 may be a separate, independent system such as the home and work charging stations used by EV owners to charge their vehicles. Regardless of whether the charging system is integral to or separate from system 100, at least one, and preferably two, terminal contactors 107 (also referred to herein as simply contactors) are used to couple and decouple the charging system from the battery pack. In the case of a charging system 101 that is separate from system 100, contactors 107 may be integral to the coupling system used to couple (i.e., plug-in) battery pack 103 to charging system 101. In most integrated systems, however, contactors 107 are separate from the charging system plug.
In the simplest case, contactor or contactors 107 are controlled by a switch that allows the user to couple/decouple the charging system 101 to the battery 103 when desired. In most applications, however, contactors 107 are regulated by a control subsystem 109. Controller 109 is often coupled to one or more sensors (not shown) that monitor the condition (e.g., SOC, temperature, etc.) of the batteries within battery pack 103 and decouple, via contactor(s) 107, the charging system from the batteries before overcharging or other cell damage may occur. Typically controller 109 and contactor(s) 107 are under the control of the overall system or the battery pack control subsystem, thus providing greater flexibility with respect to the various charging systems that may be used to charge the battery pack. In addition, as the overcharging protection circuitry integrated within the charging system can easily power down, or utilize a dummy load, if it appears that overcharging may occur, it is typically unnecessary to provide the charging system with direct control over the contactor(s) via controller 109.
Contactors 107 are typically comprised of mechanical relay switches, thus allowing them to handle the current levels associated with most large battery packs. In some applications, however, such as those employing low current levels, solid state contactor assemblies may be used. Although not required, the use of a pair of contactors, as shown, is preferred in order to provide system redundancy.
In accordance with the present invention, in addition to the other overcharging protection mechanisms in place in a conventional charging system, an additional overcharge protection device (OPD) 111 is included in system 100. In order to provide overcharging protection that is less vulnerable to traditional system failures, OPD 111 does not utilize a microprocessor or other controller-based system, thereby eliminating the risk of a software/firmware failure leading to the inoperability of the protection device. Similarly, OPD 111 does not utilize a secondary power source, e.g., a secondary battery, thus avoiding device failure due to a dead power source. Lastly, OPD 111 is not in line with any high voltage lines such as the high voltage leads 105/106 that are used to couple charger 101 to battery pack 103. As a result, OPD 111 is less susceptible to failure due to high current spikes.
OPD 111 is designed to be coupled to, and interposed between, the terminals of battery pack 103. During normal system operation, it has no effect on the operation of charging system 101 or battery pack 103. Nor does it interfere with the normal operation of any of the conventional overcharging systems that may be in use in the system, overcharging systems such as those described above. During an overcharging event, if overcharging is not prevented by one of the other systems, OPD 111 creates a short across the terminals of the battery pack. Assuming that the short created by OPD 111 is of sufficient I2t, a fast-acting, high voltage fuse 113 is blown, thereby interrupting the current path to battery pack 103 and preventing it from being overcharged by charging system 101. Preferably fuse 113 is a fuse already in place and designed to provide short circuit protection to battery pack 103. While fuse 113 is shown separate from battery pack 103, it should be understood that in most applications fuse 113 is integrated within battery pack 103. As battery pack short circuit protection fuses are well known by those of skill in the art, further description is not provided herein.
While FIG. 1 provides the basic integration of OPD 111 into a system in order to protect a battery pack from overcharging, it will be appreciated that there are other, equally applicable, configurations that may be used to integrate OPD 111 into a rechargeable battery system. Some of the preferred configurations are shown in FIGS. 2-6. As FIGS. 1-6 are only intended to illustrate various OPD integration configurations, these figures do not include the conventional overcharging protection systems that may, or may not, be in use. As previously noted, a conventional system will typically include one or more of these systems, e.g., systems integrated within the charger, systems that monitor battery pack conditions and control the battery pack contactors, and systems that may be integrated within the individual batteries comprising the battery pack. OPD 111 may be used alone, or in combination with any or all of these conventional overcharging protection systems. Preferably, and as previously noted, a system includes all of these overcharging protection systems and OPD 111 simply provides one more level of protection. Additionally, while FIGS. 1-6 show a pair of contactors coupling the battery pack to each charging system as well as each battery pack application (e.g., drive inverter for an EV), OPD 111 does not require the use of contactor pairs. As previously noted, during an overcharging event OPD 111 does not rely on the contactors, rather it shorts the battery pack.
FIG. 2 illustrates a minor variation of system 100. As shown, in system 200 OPD 111 is connected across the battery pack terminals on the battery side of contactors 107. Preferably, however, the OPD is connected to the leads on the charging system's side of the contactors (e.g., as shown in FIG. 1), thus isolating the OPD from the battery pack and other system components except when the charging system is coupled to the battery pack. Such isolation is preferred as it limits any additional load, and thus drain, placed on the battery pack by the OPD as well as further reducing the risk of the occurrence of false events (e.g., the OPD shorting the battery pack under non-overcharging conditions).
FIG. 3 illustrates a configuration for integrating an OPD into a system 300 that includes a drive inverter 301. Drive inverter 301 is used to convert the output of battery pack 103 to a form compatible with one or more electrical systems that are coupled to system 300. For example, in a preferred embodiment, system 300 is associated with an electric vehicle (EV) and drive inverter 301 is coupled to an electric motor (not shown) that provides propulsion power to the EV. It will be appreciated that the invention may be used with battery systems utilized by other systems, and that the use of an inverter is simply to illustrate the integration of OPD 111 into a preferred system application.
As the system application illustrated in FIG. 3 is an EV, system 300 includes a pair of charging systems 303 and 305 as is common. Charging system 303 is an off-board charging system that is external to the vehicle. Accordingly, charger 303 represents a home-based charger, a work-based charger, or other charging system available to charge battery pack 103. As such, charger 303 is coupled to battery pack 103 via a removable plug. Charging system 305 is an on-board charging system that is internal to the vehicle. For example, charger 305 may be a regenerative braking system charger, a solar panel(s) mounted to the vehicle, or other on-board charging system.
In system 300, each subsystem that is coupled to battery pack 103 is coupled via a pair of contactors. Specifically, inverter 301 is coupled to battery pack 103 via contactors 307/308; off-board charging system 303 is coupled to battery pack 103 via contactors 309/310; and on-board charging system 305 is coupled to battery pack 103 via contactors 311/312. As previously noted, although the redundancy provided by dual contactors is preferred, a single contactor can be used in each instance to make/break the electrical connection between the subsystem in question (e.g., inverter 301, off-board charging system 303 and on-board charging system 305) and the battery pack. Also as previously noted, fuse 113 represents the fast-blow, high voltage fuse (or fuses) that protect a conventional battery pack from shorts and it will appreciated that one or more fuses may be used, and the fuses may be internal to the battery pack, or external to the battery pack as shown.
As shown in FIG. 3, interposed between the leads coupling each charging system to the battery pack is an OPD. Specifically, OPD 313 is connected to, and interposed between, the leads coupling off-board charging system 303 to battery pack 103. Similarly, OPD 315 is connected to, and interposed between, the leads coupling on-board charging system 305 to battery pack 103. As previously noted, while not preferred, OPD 313 may be connected to the leads on the other side of contactors 309/310, and OPD 315 may be connected to the leads on the other side of contactors 311/312. It will be appreciated that by locating the OPD on the battery side of the contactors, a single OPD can be used for both the on-board and off-board charging systems. Such an implementation is shown in FIG. 4, which shows an OPD 401 located on the battery side of the charging system contactors.
In system 500, shown in FIG. 5, on-board charging system 305 and drive inverter 301 share a pair of contactors 501/502. OPD 503 is preferably located on the application side, i.e., the non-battery side, of contactors 501/502. As in system 300, OPD 313 is preferably located between off-board charging system 303 and corresponding contactors 309/310.
System 600, shown in FIG. 6, is the same as system 500 except for the elimination of the off-board charging system and related contactors and OPD. It is envisioned that a system such as system 600 would be used with a hybrid vehicle that does not allow the battery pack to be charged via an external charging system. In such a vehicle, all charging is via on-board charging system 305.
Overcharge Protection Device (OPD)
Regardless of the manner in which the OPD of the invention is implemented within a vehicle, for example as illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the purpose of the OPD is the same: to interrupt the charging current in response to a voltage that is higher than the maximum allowed charging voltage, this interruption occurring before the cell or cells within the battery pack can drastically overheat. Although it may be used alone, preferably the OPD of the invention is used in combination with other, conventional, overcharge protection systems, thereby providing another level of protection, rather than a substitute system. Additionally and as previously noted, the OPD of the invention is less susceptible to failure than a conventional system as it does not utilize a microprocessor or other controller, does not utilize a secondary power source, and is not located directly within a high voltage line.
The presently disclosed OPD is designed to short the battery during an overcharging event, thus blowing the fast, high voltage fuse typically integrated into the battery pack. While the present invention assumes that the system, and preferably the battery pack itself, includes such a fuse, it will be appreciated that if a fuse is not included, it is simply added to the system. Fuse 113 shown in FIGS. 1-6 is representative of such a fuse. As the design and implementation of battery pack fuses are well known by those of skill in the art, further discussion is not provided herein.
Included herein are several designs for an OPD in accordance with the invention. It will be appreciated that the specifics for each design depend upon the characteristics of the system and the battery pack to which it is to be coupled. In particular, the voltage at which the OPD creates a battery short depends upon the desired charging voltage of the battery pack and charging system, and more importantly, the maximum voltage that is to be allowed before the OPD shorts the battery pack. In general, the voltage selected for activation of the OPD is set high enough to allow any conventional systems, either on-board or integrated into the charger, to be triggered by the overcharging event. Setting the maximum voltage in this manner is preferred since the OPD of the invention is designed to operate only once before needing to be replaced, while most conventional overcharging protection systems are designed to reset after the overcharging event has passed. At the same time, however, the maximum allowed voltage for the OPD must be set low enough to insure that the battery or batteries within the battery pack do not reach a dangerous level of self-heating that would potentially lead to the initiation of thermal runaway.
As previously noted, the OPD of the invention creates a short across the leads of the battery pack when the voltage supplied by a charging system exceeds a preset level, thereby causing the fast-blow, high voltage fuse associated with the battery pack to interrupt the flow of power to the battery pack. The disclosed OPD is designed to operate only once, i.e., it is not resettable, and therefore once it is activated it must be replaced, along with the battery pack fuse(s). As the intent of the OPD is to short out the battery pack, causing the pack's fuse to blow, the OPD must conduct current long enough to provide the necessary energy (i.e., the I2t) to insure that the fuse blows. Additionally, the I2 rating of the OPD must be high enough to insure that the fuse blows throughout the expected operational range of the battery pack, i.e., from the maximum battery impedance to the minimum battery impedance.
It will be appreciated that there are many types of devices that may be coupled to, and interposed between, the terminals of a battery that will perform the functions of an OPD as described above. In general, and as previously described, an OPD in accordance with the invention (i) must have minimal, or no, effect on the normal operation of the battery and the charging system; (ii) will create a short across the terminals of the battery when the charging voltage exceeds a preset threshold value; and (iii) will provide a low impedance electrical connection between the battery terminals once the preset threshold voltage is exceeded, the low impedance connection conducting current long enough to provide the required I2t value to blow the battery pack fuse. In addition, preferably the OPD has a high enough threshold voltage to allow any conventional overcharge protection systems to be triggered, thereby avoiding the need to trigger the OPD of the invention in order to protect the battery pack. Additionally, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the OPD (i) is not microprocessor controlled; (ii) does not utilize a controller; (iii) does not include its own power source; and (iv) is not in-line with a high voltage line.
While there are a variety of devices that may be used for the OPD of the invention, and used within a system as described above relative to systems 100-600 (e.g., for OPD 111, OPD 313, OPD 315, OPD 401, or OPD 503), several preferred embodiments are shown and described below. FIG. 7 illustrates one preferred embodiment of an OPD 700 consisting of a doped silicon junction device 701 that breaks down and conducts current at the predetermined voltage. The invention is not limited to a specific device 701, rather any semiconductor device or devices with a sufficiently large I2t value to short out the battery pack fuse, when tripped, may be used. For example, in illustrated OPD 700 device 701 is comprised of an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) although other devices that provide similar functionality may also be used (e.g., the combination of a power MOSFET and a bipolar power transistor). Note that in FIG. 7, as well as in FIGS. 8-12, the OPD is shown connected to “battery terminal #1” and “battery terminal #2”. It will be appreciated that these connections refer to placing the OPD across the battery output terminals as previously described, regardless of where in the circuit the OPD is positioned.
In OPD 700, the emitter and the collector of IGBT 701 are connected to battery terminals 1 and 2 as shown. The gate is tied to the collector and the device is selected such that the threshold voltage is at an appropriate level given the characteristics of the battery pack. For example, assuming a battery pack with 100 cells in series with each cell having a voltage maximum of 4.2 volts, an appropriate threshold voltage for device 701 would be 445 volts+/−15 volts. Below the threshold voltage, only a small leakage current will flow through the device. Once the voltage at the gate reaches or exceeds the threshold, or breakdown, voltage, current passes through the device, thereby shorting the battery pack to which the device is connected. This, in turn, blows the battery pack fuse and disrupts the flow of current into the pack, thereby preventing thermal runaway.
As previously noted, the I2t value for device 701 must be larger than that of the battery pack fuse by a sufficient amount to insure that the current will flow through the OPD long enough to provide the necessary energy to blow the fuse. If the I2t value of device 701 is too low, it can been increased by simply thermally coupling the device to an appropriately sized heat sink 703, as shown, or by increasing the size and current rating of the device.
Since overcharging is a process that occurs over a period of time of several minutes, preferably a simple low-pass RC circuit is connected in series with device 701, as illustrated in FIG. 8, thus eliminating the risk of voltage noise on the bus exceeding the threshold voltage and activating device 701.
As noted above, the OPD of the invention is not limited to the use of an IGBT. Other devices that meet the afore-described characteristics may also be used. For example, FIG. 9 shows an OPD 900 that utilizes a crowbar circuit to short out the battery pack when the voltage increases to a dangerous level. As shown, the crowbar circuit interposed between the battery terminals consists of a zener diode 901, a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) 903, a pair of resistors 905/907 and a capacitor 909, all rated to handle the desired trip voltage for the intended battery pack. Note that thyristor 903 may be replaced with a trisil or thyratron. The zener diode voltage is that of the trip voltage and therefore for a 100 series cell pack, each cell having a 4.2 volt maximum rating, the trip (i.e., trigger) voltage would be set at approximately 445 volts+/−15 volts. When zener diode 901 reaches the trip voltage, current flows through the diode and triggers SCR 903, thereby shorting the battery and blowing the battery pack fuse. As in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the RC circuit is included to prevent noise or spikes from accidentally triggering the OPD. Also as in the prior embodiment, a heat sink (not shown) may be used to tune the I2t value of the device.
In addition to the use of a circuit, in particular a semiconductor-based circuit, for the OPD of the invention, an electro-mechanical device may also be used. For example, FIG. 10 shows an OPD 1000 that includes a solenoid relay switch 1001. When the voltage exceeds the threshold (i.e., trigger) voltage, the solenoid is activated, thereby closing the relay and shorting out the battery pack. In at least one embodiment of OPD 1000, the windings of the solenoid are comprised of a temperature-neutral material such as Manganin® or similar. Depending upon the design of the system for which OPD 1000 is to used (i.e., the voltage of the battery pack and the trigger voltage, the characteristics of the battery pack fuse, etc.), it may be necessary to alter the characteristics of switch 1001, thus insuring that the duration of the short and the inductance provided by the switch are sufficient to insure that the battery pack fuse blows. Accordingly, in some embodiments OPD 1000 may include an inductor 1003 in series with relay 1001, and/or a reverse-connected diode 1005 across the coil of the relay. If these modifications are insufficient for the particular system application in question, relay 1001 may be comprised of a latching relay. Additionally, and as described above relative to other OPD embodiments, an RC circuit (not shown) may be used to minimize the risk of a false trigger due to a voltage spike.
It will be appreciated that the design and configuration of the device used in the OPD must take into account the expected operating conditions of the OPD. Accordingly, if the intended application for the OPD of the invention is an electric vehicle, the OPD must be configured to handle the temperature range, vibration levels, and acceleration/deceleration/turning forces associated with a typical vehicle. Therefore for such an application non-mechanical OPDs are preferred, for example an OPD such as those shown in FIGS. 7-9. If an electro-mechanical OPD is to be used, such as OPD 1000, preferably it is modified to decrease the chance of a false event, for example due to the high vibration levels that may result from driving on an excessively bumpy road. One way of modifying the relay switch shown in FIG. 10 is to include two of them, but oriented such that the contactors move in opposite directions. This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 11 in which solenoid relay switch 1101 is oriented in the opposite direction from solenoid relay switch 1103. As a result of this configuration, a force that might create a false trigger in one of the relays is unlikely to create a false trigger in the other relay. As both relays must be triggered to create a short across the battery, the likelihood of a false event is reduced. Note that as opposed to orienting the solenoids in opposite directions, they may be oriented at ninety degrees from one another. If desired, more than two relays may be used. It will be appreciated that an OPD utilizing multiple solenoid relays may also inductor 1003 (not shown in FIG. 11), diode 1005 (not shown in FIG. 11), or RC circuit 1007 (not shown in FIG. 11).
In addition to increasing the number and varying the orientation of each solenoid, other means may be used to reduce the risk of false triggers in an OPD utilizing a solenoid relay switch. For example, a mechanical damper (e.g., fluid or gas filled damper) may be attached to the contactor of the relay switch, thereby preventing shocks from accidentally triggering the OPD. This modification of system 1000 is shown in FIG. 12 where a damper 1201 is coupled to connector 1203 of solenoid relay 1205.
As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the disclosures and descriptions herein are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention which is set forth in the following claims.
Tesla Motors Incorporated
Hermann, Weston Arthur, Kohn, Scott Ira, Cole, Philip David, Kalayjian, Nicholas Robert
Primary Examiner(s)
Muralidar, Richard V
Assistant Examiner(s)
Chung, Steve T
Time in USPTO
Field of Search
320/118, 320/134, 320/162, 320/164, 320/163, 363/50, 363 5603- 5612, 361/86, 361/91.1, 361/91.5
US Class Current
CPC Class Codes
H02J2007/0037 : Overcharge protection
H02J7/0031 : using battery or load disco...
1 Family Member
Issued 02/25/2014
Current Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated
Sponsoring Entity: Tesla Motors Incorporated
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Hidden Health Care Provisions in the “Stimulus Package”: the Ghost of Daschle Lives On and Will Haunt Us All, Especially Seniors…This is BAD NEWS!! (Link to Bill Language Here)
Posted on February 11, 2009 by insightanalytical
~~By InsightAnalytical-GRL
There are some health care issues buried in the now-passed “stimulus package” that could have very detrimental ramifications for health care in the U.S, particularly for seniors. FOX News has reported on this subject (but I don’t know if it was on any other “news” outlet) and Betsy McCaughey Ross, former Lt. Governor of NY during George Pataki’s first term (1994-1998), has issued a scathing assessment of the health provisions buried in the bill.
Who is Betsy McCaughey Ross? Well, she was dumped by Pataki after publicly clashing with him on issues like education and day care and unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for governor and then on the Liberal line in 1998.
McCaughey Ross spoke at the 1998 Women’s Rights Convention and Vision Summit. Her her bio for the event:
Betsy McCaughey Ross
Currently lieutenant governor of New York, Betsy McCaughey Ross is running for the state governorship in the November elections. During her tenure as second-in-command of the state government, McCaughey Ross has advocated for improvements in the early education system in New York and led the fight for patient rights and increased awareness of HMO abuses. Among her successes were the campaign for full state funding for prekindergarten for all children, effective early reading programs to ensure that all children can read by third grade and the Patient Fair Appeals Act which gives patients a right to appeal outside their insurance company. McCaughey Ross unequivocally supports women’s reproductive freedom, leads the fight against “drive-through” mastectomies and deliveries and champions lesbian and gay rights. She entered public service after successful careers as a university professor at Columbia and as a public policy researcher at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and the Manhattan Institute. McCaughey Ross has many publications, academic awards and prizes, but is most proud of her Mother of the Year Award.
McCaughey Ross left the Manhattan Institute and joined the Hudson Institute in 1999 where she planned to focus on Medicare issues. One thing she gained notoriety for was her criticism of the Clinton health plan. McCaughey Ross is currently an adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, according to the squib below her current commentary.
Here an excerpt of McCaughey Ross’ essay that appeared on February 9 at Bloomberg.com: Opinion.:
Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan: Betsy McCaughey
Commentary by Betsy McCaughey
Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.
Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.
Senators should read these provisions and vote against them because they are dangerous to your health. (Page numbers refer to H.R. 1 EH, pdf version).
The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” (445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.
But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”
Keeping doctors informed of the newest medical findings is important, but enforcing uniformity goes too far.
I urge you to read the whole piece to learn about what Daschle has left behind even though he ws dropped as the nominee for HHS. McCaughey Ross includes the specific pages in Daschle’s book that will send chills down your spine. Bill Clinton began the discussion of keeping medical records by “electronic” means as a cost-saving measure; and it’s back on steroids as a hidden monster in this bill. Read how all this follows the model of what has happened in the U.K. and the ramifications, including this example:
In 2006, a U.K. health board decreed that elderly patients with macular degeneration had to wait until they went blind in one eye before they could get a costly new drug to save the other eye. It took almost three years of public protests before the board reversed its decision.
Some key points in McCaughey Ross’ essay:
“Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties”
“The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make. The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal, Daschle’s book explained, is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs.”
“Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt. Medicare now pays for treatments deemed safe and effective. The stimulus bill would change that and apply a cost- effectiveness standard set by the Federal Council (464).”
“Hidden Provisions: If the Obama administration’s economic stimulus bill passes the Senate in its current form, seniors in the U.S. will face similar rationing. Defenders of the system say that individuals benefit in younger years and sacrifice later. The stimulus bill will affect every part of health care, from medical and nursing education, to how patients are treated and how much hospitals get paid. The bill allocates more funding for this bureaucracy than for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force combined (90-92, 174-177, 181). Hiding health legislation in a stimulus bill is intentional.“
Well, the Senate passed the bill and now it goes to reconciliation with the House version. Get ready for rationing…
New York Times archive of articles — Betsy McCaughey Ross
1/23/09 Obama’s Entitlement “Reform”– the Social Security-Medicare Nexus and Health Freedom
12/8/08 “Healthcare Reform” PR Blitz, Screw Job on the Way–And YOU Can Join In!
Filed under: Current Politics | Tagged: "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-care Crisis", "stimulus package", 1998 Women's Rights Convention and Vision Summit, Barack Obama, Betsy McCaughey Ross, Bill Clinton, Clinton health plan, Columbia University, day care, gay rights, George Pataki, H.R. 1 EH, Health and Human Services Department, health care, health care rationing, HHS, lesbian rights, macular degeneration, medical education, Medicare, nursing education, Patient Appeals Act, reproductive freedom, the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research, the Hudson Institute, the Manhattan Institute, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, Tom Daschele, U.K. | 12 Comments »
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Revisiting Gandhihttps://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/mahatma-gandhi-ideals-exhibition-india-today-5809718/
Revisiting Gandhi
The series sets the tone for the exhibition “Mahatma: Self or Nation?” at Art Heritage in Delhi. “Now more than ever before, we need to rediscover Gandhi — these are times when freedom of all kinds are limited or snatched away.
Written by Vandana Kalra | New Delhi | Updated: July 2, 2019 8:35:59 am
PM Modi asks BJP MPs to embark on ‘padayatra’ on Gandhi birth anniversary
The teachings of educator Gijubhai Badheka are being celebrated in a book
First editions of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography to go under the hammer at Saffronart sale
Unlike today, where we are forced to accept irrationality as a norm, Gandhi inspires us to think freely and rationally, because he categorically believed that people should have the freedom of choice.
A resident of Bagadehalli village in Kadur, Karnataka, Bagadehalli Basavaraj discovered a rather unique way of reminding people about Gandhi and his ideas. The school teacher would dress up as Gandhi and walk the streets. Some years ago, he caught the eye of Bengaluru-based photographer Cop Shiva, who decided to document his life, leading to one of his own acclaimed series, “Being Gandhi”. The protagonist is 40-something Basavaraj, doused in silver paint and dressed as Gandhi — bare-chested, dhoti-clad, spectacled, with a walking stick.
The series sets the tone for the exhibition “Mahatma: Self or Nation?” at Art Heritage in Delhi. “Now more than ever before, we need to rediscover Gandhi — these are times when freedom of all kinds are limited or snatched away. Heinous crimes are committed in the name of nationalism. Gandhi’s kind, gentle visage soothes us, as it stands in opposition to the angry, distorted faces of today’s politicians.
Unlike today, where we are forced to accept irrationality as a norm, Gandhi inspires us to think freely and rationally, because he categorically believed that people should have the freedom of choice. As the politics of the day, both nationally and internationally, call to divide people, suppress voices that seek equality and freedom for the oppressed, the works in the exhibition bring to the fore the artist’s depictions of protest, leadership and resistance — and ask the viewer to ponder these themes as they navigate the exhibition space,” says curator Amal Allana.
Cop Shiva decided to document his life, leading to one of his own acclaimed series, “Being Gandhi”. The protagonist is 40-something Basavaraj, doused in silver paint and dressed as Gandhi — bare-chested, dhoti-clad, spectacled, with a walking stick.
At the entrance of the gallery is a set of 100 postcards designed by some of India’s most prominent artists — including Nalini Malani, Atul Dodiya and Arpana Caur — put together by Sahmat to celebrate 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth in 2018. On the opposite wall is the late artist Yusuf Arakkal’s mixed media work with Gandhi urging for peace in the center of its frame. If a screen is playing episodes of the Gandhi-Broomfield trial from the critically acclaimed television mini-series, Raj Se Swaraj, directed by Allana, Vidya Sagar Singh’s light sculptures Tree of Life instill hope. “Given the curatorial impetus for this exhibition, artists’ works thematically examine equality, justice and protest,” says Allana.
In Visakhapatnam-based artist, Jagadeesh Tammineni’s woodcuts titled Birth of a Nation we see Gandhi working on nation-building. Making metaphorical references, the series has a mechanised peacock, cow, and tiger, with Gandhi seated alongside, tackling the complexities of the nation, where there is an emphasis on the traditional and the modern as well as technological advancement. “I believe his ideas of non-violence, as well as nation building, are still valid in the 21st century, racked as we are by sectarian violence.
In Visakhapatnam-based artist, Jagadeesh Tammineni’s woodcuts titled Birth of a Nation we see Gandhi working on nation-building. Making metaphorical references, the series has a mechanised peacock, cow, and tiger, with Gandhi seated alongside, tackling the complexities of the nation.
The act of building in a democratic liberal nation has its own pitfalls and the path is strewn with difficulties. Gandhiji still holds the key,” says Tammineni, a graduate from MS University. We also see the citizens of India, with their aspirations and fight for justice. Ronney Sen’s greyscale photographs capture Gandhi’s spirit of Satyagraha, adopted by thousands of protesters on the streets of Kolkata in 2014, who had assembled to show solidarity with students of Jadavpur University attacked by the police when they were demanding justice after a girl was molested on campus.
The common man comes to the forefront, as he also does in Suresh Punjabi’s set of photographs from the ’70s and ’80s, shot in Studio Suhag, a photo studio in Nagda, a small town in Madhya Pradesh. “Looked at closely, these seemingly innocuous photos, reveal the need for an assertion of identity by those photographed. Using props and costumes, men, women and entire families seem eager to appear upwardly mobile, making a statement through their poses and gestures that mimic popular film stars,” reads a gallery note.
The exhibition is at Art Heritage, Triveni Kala Sangam, from July 1 to 31
1 Afghan-American writer Nemat Sadat on weaving a gay love story, living in a homeless shelter in the US and why he feels at home in India
2 Artist Sultana Zana on her new project in the Himalayas that focuses on the conflict between man and nature
3 Modern Music for Medieval Saints
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Google turns 18; Here is what Google achieved since September 1997https://indianexpress.com/photo-news/technology/google-turns-18-here-is-what-google-achieved-since-september-1997/
Google turns 18; Here is what Google achieved since September 1997
18 years of transforming the Internet, Google expects 600 million online users by 2020.
By Tech Desk | Updated: September 15, 2015 7:49:37 pm
[caption id="attachment_2497128" align="alignleft" width="759"] 18 years of transforming the Internet, Google expects 600 million online users by 2020[/caption] Google.com was registered as a domain on September 15, 1997. Eighteen years back co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin had begun their mission to organise a “seemingly infinite amount of information on the web”. The name—a play on the word "googol," a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros. Google.com since then has seen tremendous growth and expansion touching lives of millions of users around the world. In 2004, Google started its India office with five people and now has more than 2,000 staff across Mumbai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Happy Birthday Google. Here’s a quick- look at Google’s journey...
September 15, 1997: Google.com domain registered August 30, 1998: First Google-doodle inspired by Burning Man Festival in US April 1, 2000: Google Mentalplex Circle - 1st April fool trick by Google May 9, 2000: The first 10 language versions of Google.com are released: French, German, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian and Danish. Today, search is available in 150+ languages. June 2000: In June 2000, Google became the world’s largest search engine. October 23, 2000: Launch of Google AdWords with 350 customers December 2000: Google Toolbar is released—a browser plugin that makes it possible to search without visiting the Google homepage. July 2001: Google Images launches, initially offering access to 250 million images. Today it offers the most comprehensive image search on the web. August 2001: Google’s opens its first international office in Tokyo December 2001: First annual Google Zeitgeist, a visual look at what millions of people searched for over the year just ending. September 2002: Google News launches with 4,000 news sources. Today Google News includes 50,000+ news sources, with 70 regional editions in different languages. Click to know what Google achieved in the next five years (2003- 2008)
February 2003: Google acquires Blogger, includes synonyms in search December 2003: Launch of Google Print (now known as Google Books), indexing small excerpts from books to appear in search results. In 2004, the program expands through digital scanning partnerships with libraries. To date, Google has scanned more than 20 million books. January 2004: Google launches Orkut; in its heyday the most important social network in several countries. February 2004: Google’s first-ever Twitter post was in February 2004. It was binary for “I’m feeling lucky. April 01, 2004: Google launched Gmail on April Fools' Day. At first invite-only, today it boasts more than 425 million users. October 2004: Google opens its new offices in Bangalore and Hyderabad, India. Googlers in India have worked on products ranging from Map Maker to ads to Chrome. February 2005: Google Maps goes live. Just two months later, we added satellite views and directions to the product. April 2005: First video uploaded on YouTube. Today, 100+ hours of video are uploaded every minute and people watch 6 billion hours of video per month! June 2005: Google Mobile Web Search is released, specially formulated for viewing search results on mobile phones. June 2005: Google unveil Google Earth, a satellite imagery-based mapping service that lets you take a virtual journey to any location in the world. Google Earth has since been downloaded more than 1 billion times. November 2005: Launch of Google Analytics November 2005: The first Doodle 4 Google contest takes place in the United Kingdom. Since then, we've run Doodle 4 Google contests in countries across six continents, with more than 1 million doodles submitted by students eager for the chance to see their artwork on the Google homepage. April 2006: Google Translate launches, offering translations between Arabic and English. Today Google machine translation service provides translations between 80+ different languages. The latest updates provides for real-time visual translations. May 2006: Google release Google Trends, a way to visualize the popularity of searches over time. May 2006: Google Earth launched letting users take a virtual journey to any place in the world February 2007: Google adds traffic information to Google Maps for 30+ cities around the U.S. Today, live traffic data is available in 50+ countries, covering highways, streets and more in 600+ major cities including India. May 2007: Google announced new strides taken towards universal search. Now video, news, books, image and local results are all integrated together in one search result. May 2007: Google street view debuts on Google Maps in five cities in US November 2007: Android is announced; the first open platform for mobile devices—and a collaboration with other companies in the Open Handset Alliance. May 2008: Google host the first Google I/O, its annual developer conference, in San Francisco. I/O has grown since then; in addition to the thousands of developers who join in person every year, millions of people tune in via live stream to hear the latest news on products. September 2008: The G1, the first Android based smartphone is released. September 02, 2008: Google Chrome becomes available for download. Chrome boasts more than 750 million users. The Android journey has just started. Click to know what Google did in the next five years. (2009- 2014)
February 2009: Google launch Voice Search on Android. Android users can start searching by voice with the touch of a button, making mobile web surfing easy and fast. Today voice search works in 38+ languages. July 2009: Google starts developing Google Chrome OS, an open source, lightweight operating system initially targeted at laptops. October 2009: Introduction of Google Maps Navigation; a turn-by-turn GPS navigation system with 3D views, voice guidance and live traffic data. January 2010: Google introduced the Nexus One to show what's possible on Android devices. The Nexus line of devices has since grown and now includes tablets as well as phones. May 2010: Google launches its first ever playable doodle in celebration of PAC-Man’s 30th birthday September 2010: Launch of Google Instant; shows you search results as you type so you can quickly get to the information you’re looking for. February 2011: Google Art Project (now Google Cultural Institute) goes live. Since then it has digitised and archived millions of artefacts from multiple partners across 40 countries with the stories that bring them to life, in a virtual museum February 2011: In one week Google received a record 75,000 job applications for 6,000 openings in US. May 2011: In May 2011, over 1 billion unique visitors visited the Google website June 2011: Google added speech recognition into search on desktop for Chrome users. Simply click the microphone in the Google search box, and you can speak your search. July 2011: Talented young scientist’s wow the judges at the inaugural Google Science Fair, an online science competition open to students aged 13-18 from around the world. August 2011: Google brought offline access to Gmail, Calendar and Docs for people using Chrome. June 2011: The Google+ project—real-life sharing, rethought for the web—launches. October 2011: In October 2011, Google Earth reached its 1 billion download milestone December 2011: Android Market (now Google Play) exceeds 10 billion app downloads—with a growth rate of one billion app downloads per month. February 2012: Chrome launches on Android, so you can take the same simple, fast and secure web browsing experience with you wherever you go, across devices. Three months later we launch Chrome on iOS. April 2012: Google Drive launches, enabling you to create, share, collaborate and keep your files—including videos, photos, Google Docs and PDFs—all in one place. May 2012: The Knowledge Graph in Search is launched, which makes it easier for you to discover information about real-world things—landmarks, celebrities, cities, sports teams, movies, work of art and more. June 2012: Google announced Google Now, which brings you the information you need, before you even ask, like what today’s weather will be like, how much traffic to expect on your way to work or your favorite team's score while they’re playing. June 2013: Google unveils Project Loon (balloon-powered Internet access), an option for connecting rural, remote and underserved areas, and for crisis response communications. July 2013: Google releases the updated Google Maps app for smartphones and tablets. September 2013: Android passes 1 billion device activations—reflecting the work of the entire Android ecosystem and also a reflection of the enthusiasm of users all around the world. July 2014: Google Maps made available in Hindi language; added Hindi voice navigation September 2014: Introduction of Android One in India October 2014: Google Voice search now accepts Indian accents What's next? Click to know
Feb 2015: Google Maps completed 10 years June 2015: Launch of Google Photos, Google Weblight and Google real time visual Translation August 2015: Google announced a restructuring process wherein a new holding company Alphabet has been formed. Google will now be subsidiary of Alphabet. Alphabet will also be the parent company under which erstwhile Google ventures like Calico, X Labs will now come. September 01, 2015: Google adopts new logo logo and branding, to reckon with a world of seamless computing reflecting how Google is working for users across an endless number of devices and different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk). By 2020, Google expects 600 million online users with online videos being accessed by 500 million people. Happy Birthday! Feel free to share your Google experience in the comment section below. Also, don't forget to wish Google.
1 Physical closeness eases stress by emotional ‘load sharing’
2 Jackie Shroff’s daughter Krishna says her ‘bold’ photoshoot was just for fun
3 Deepika is so beautiful that I will wait all my life for her: Ranveer Singh
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Trey Songz - Top 10 (feat. Jeremih) [Official Audio]
The official audio for "Top 10" by Trey Songz feat. feat. Jeremih from his '11.28 Project' - Available now:
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Welcome to the official YouTube Channel of Trey Songz. The Atlantic Records’ contemporary R&B with a blend of Hip-Hop actor, singer, songwriter, and producer debuted on the scene with his smash hit “Gotta Make It” in 2005. Within the first decade of his career, he released five albums that peaked within the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 chart, including "Ready", "Pain Passion & Pleasure," "Chapter V," and "Trigga" as well as 15 solo singles that hit the Top Ten of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart.
Songz’s top hits include platinum “Na Na”, platinum “Say Ahh”, RIAA-certified “Bottoms Up” featuring Nicki Minaj, gold “2 Reasons” featuring T.I., platinum “Slow Motion” and as well as platinum “Heart Attack." Songz lends his soulful vocals on featured hits from Twista’s "Girl Tonight" to J. Cole’s “Can’t Get Enough."
Subscribe for the latest official music videos, official audio videos, performances, bts and more from Trey Songz.
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Trey Songz - Rotation (feat. Dave East)
No Guidance
Tank - Dirty- LYRICS
Trey Songz - Closed Mouths [Official Aud
Ty Dolla $ign - Purple Emoji feat. J. Co
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Jhené Aiko - Triggered (freestyle)
Trey Songz - Top 10 x She’Meka Ann Cho
Trey Songz - Let Me Know [Official Audio
Rotimi - Love Riddim (Official Video)
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This job is no longer available. Search additional jobs
Postdoctoral Fellow position
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Based on experince and/or papers published. Discussed at interview
Life Sciences, Cancer Research, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology
Postdoctoral Fellow positions are immediately available in Dr. Li Ma’s lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center. This lab studies metastasis (Nature Medicine 2012), tumor radioresistance (Nature Cell Biology 2014; Nature Communications 2014), and regulation of key breast cancer proteins and pathways (Nature Cell Biology 2013; Nature Cell Biology 2014).
Current projects include: (1) studying the role of non-coding RNAs and developmental regulators in malignant progression; (2) screening for deubiquitinating enzymes that promote tumorigenesis, metastasis, or therapy resistance.
MD Anderson is ranked No.1 in cancer care in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The cancer center ranks first in the number of National Cancer Institute grants and invested more than $510 million in research in 2009; it offers active graduate and postdoctoral training programs, and the unmatched scientific environment of the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest biomedical center.
We consider candidates with a doctoral degree and strong first-author publications. Fresh PhDs are encouraged to apply. For those interested, please send a CV, three letters of recommendation, and a research statement to YSun2@mdanderson.org.
MD Anderson Cancer Center is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability or veteran status except where such distinction is required by law. All positions at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center are security sensitive and subject to examination of criminal history record information. Smoke-free and drug-free environment.
Li Ma, Ph.D.
UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Experimental Radiation Oncology – Unit 066
1515 Holcombe Blvd.
Post doctoral fellow
Commensurate with experience - NIH scale
University of Texas Heatlh Science Center at San Antonio
Postdoctoral Fellow- Immuno Therapy Research
Houston, Texas (US)
Up to $54,756 plus benefits
Houston Methodist Research Institute
Postdoctoral Scientist
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
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Three Lessons For Sustainable Growth From Maccas’ First Employee
Lessons For Sustainable Growth
I had the delight of my colleague Jemma (Redii GM) sharing with me her insights from the former CEO of McDonalds Australia, Peter Ritchie, who started back in 1973 as McDonald’s Australia’s first ever employee and the first employee outside of North America. He shared with us a long journey (32 years with the brand) and the lessons for sustainable growth he learned along the way.
She tells me he had a wonderful and very simple story about the growth of the brand in Australia and how investing in people was key to their success. He shared his three key lessons.
When Peter chose to bring McDonald’s to Australia, he had no idea how it was going to go. He had backing from the US Chairman at the time in 1973, but it took him 7 years of losses before McDonald’s Australia started turning a profit and were accepted as a brand.
Very early in his career, Peter learned his first and most valuable lesson in business;
1. “There ain’t no such thing as instant success.”
Pressured from the US executive teams he, on many occasions, wanted to give up. But, he built a great relationship with the chairman at the time, who told him that it would take the American operation more time to turn a profit – something not widely discussed before that stage.
In 1985 the Australian McDonald’s chain was starting to show signs of potential but still nowhere near where it needed to be.
They have a measure that at any time in any McDonald’s store globally, they can compare the number of customers served directly to the number of staff rostered on in the store. Australia at this time ranked in the bottom 5% for productivity.
After a trip with his team to investigate the best of the global McDonald’s operations, Peter realised that the Australian stores could never compete at the same level as the efficiency of stores in Asia, where the labour was more accessible, cheaper and they had three staff on the restaurant floor to Australia’s one.
So in 1986, he made the decision to invest 30% of the company net profit into training.
The results were dramatic.
In 1987 Australia went from being ranked in the bottom 5% to being #1 in the world on the customers served to staff ratio. And it still is to this day.
Not only did productivity increase, but the profitability went up dramatically. He believes they are still in this position because he created a culture of training which leads to his second most valuable lesson;
2. “Training is absolutely vital in any organisation”.
His third lesson was about how training can really turn people into leaders. He has watched plenty of fresh-faced 15-year-olds go through the McDonald’s training program.
He’s watched them grow in confidence and trust in their own abilities. Peter believes that “you can absolutely learn to be a leader” and that “if you think you are a good leader now, have another think and ask yourself, ‘what is being a leader really about? What do people think of me and what do people expect from me?’”
3. “You can absolutely learn to be a leader”
It’s a simple set of lessons from a former CEO who’s seen a few things in his time. I appreciate your insights Jemma.
I found this story fascinating – especially the absolute commitment to the team. When McDonald’s came to Australia I was a child – one of the first restaurants was not far from our home in Nunawading. My sister and I wanted our parents to take us there. It is hard to believe now, but these fast food restaurants had to convince Australians (over a long period of time) to change eating habits. The only option for a cheap meal we had had until this was the local fish and chip shop.
If McDonald’s had not have arrived, then I suppose some one else would have created this mid-market.
Tags: Best Places to Work/ Business Growth/ Business Leadership/ Business Vision/ Employee Engagement/ Productivity
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New in Student Ministries!
BY KRISTEN RAVES, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS
Kathy Craig
We are thrilled to welcome Kathy as our Associate Pastor of Student Ministries at 146th Street. Kathy joined us a little while back when she and her family and began attending our Fishers campus. She befriended the one-and-only Joey Christianson (well, that’s a pretty common name so maybe not the “one-and-only”) through her role with Hamilton Southeastern Young Life. Joey boldly shared with Kathy that she and her family should consider calling Grace home after getting to know them. Kathy said, “We were quite moved by that so we decided to stay and I’m sure glad we did.”
Kathy finished my undergraduate work at Stony Brook University in New York and then moved on to get her Master’s Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She’s been married to her awesome husband Steve for 17 years and they have two kids: Alexandria (Alex) who is a freshman at Fishers HS and Jesse who is a 1st grader at New Britton Elementary.
Before joining Grace, Kathy was an English Teacher for 18 years in various middle schools and high schools in both urban/multicultural and suburban settings. After that, she felt called to full-time ministry and was serving as the WyldLife Director with Hamilton Southeastern Young Life before coming on staff full time with us.
In her off time, Kathy enjoys reading, writing, learning, eating (share your local faves in the comments below), going to movies her husband, mowing the lawn, exploring museums, taking walks, and chasing her crazy (she said that, not us) kids around.
How did we know Kathy would be a great fit for this role? Because she loves to laugh and share that freedom with others. She’s definitely been given a gift to create a culture and atmosphere where others, from all different backgrounds and cultures, feel the freedom to be real and know that she is in it with them.
When asking Kathy what one of her biggest hopes is, “I hope to create a culture where our team can feel the Holy Spirit and move accordingly. I pray that everyone feels the freedom to take risks, try new things, and know that I am their biggest cheerleader. As a result, I believe this will pass onto our students, and help them build the foundation of a dynamic relationship with Christ that lasts for a lifetime.”
Kim Gossard
Let’s all welcome, Kim, our new Director of High School Small Groups at 146th Street. Kim may be new to staff, but she’s no stranger to Grace. Here’s a bit more of her story and how she came to join us…
Kim is originally from Zionsville, IN. After graduating, she went to Indiana University where she met her amazing husband, Marc. They have two beautiful children, Braedon, a junior at Noblesville High School, and Taylor, an 8 th grader at Noblesville West Middle School. Up until about 5 years ago, they were attending the Family Worship Center in Kokomo, IN (that’s where we want to go, way down in Kokomo… Fun Fact: the Beach Boys totally made this up because Kokomo is not actually an island off of Key West). So, back to Kim. They wanted to find a place in their own community, closer to home, where their kids could attend a youth group and flourish. They all knew from the first time they attended Grace that it would be their new home. Kim started serving in Merge over a year ago and now volunteers as a small group leader for freshman girls. Kim said she was so drawn to Merge “because it is the most rewarding and fun ministry to be a part of,” and that she absolutely loves her girls and has grown just as much as they have. Kim told us that she is, “grateful every single day to be a part of this life-changing ministry.”
In her off time, Kim loves doing Crossfit, boating with her family, walking, playing with her dogs, reading and traveling. Kim is a lot of fun, so we’re guessing she has a lot of 7 in her (Enneagram folks, you get it).
Kim has a unique story. In fact, we’d call her a walking miracle…literally. Six years ago, she was working for a general contractor in a rickety old apartment when she fell from the second story all the way to the concrete floor in the basement. So many awful things could have happened and she was inches away from hitting her head on the cast iron tub, but she fell in the best way possible for this scenario. Unfortunately, she broke her back and tailbone and spent many months in the hospital and in rehab. She says that God not only spared her life that day, but He completely healed her! Her daughter, just 7 at the time, said, “Mommy, God carried you while you were falling.” Wow, He sure did!
When asked what she hopes to achieve as a new staff member, Kim says, “I just want to accomplish God’s will. I know that may sound like a generic answer, but I am trying to be an open vessel and I want Him to use me for whatever He wants. I can’t wait to see what He has planned. My favorite verse is Psalm 31:3: Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. That’s the posture I want to have and I can’t wait to see what God does.”
Please take a moment to leave (comment below) Kim and/or Kathy a note of love and encouragement to welcome them in their new roles.
Feel Moved to Serve?
If you are excited by what our newest Student Ministry staffers have to say and want to be a part of it, we invite you to learn more about our Middle School Ministry here and High School Ministry here. You can also sign up to serve at any time! Even if you're not sure what your fit could be, contact Kim or Kathy and they'd love to help you find it!
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Category Archives: Syrian Arab Republic
US-Led Military Strikes in Syria Were a Success: Was a Correlative Political Warfare Success Achieved, Too?
Posted on April 30, 2018 by greatcharlie
Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad (left) and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (right). Given all that transpired in Syria surrounding the US, United Kingdom, and French military strikes, Putin, Assad and their respective senior advisers may very well have begun to ask questions about future of relations between their countries. Relations between Moscow and Damascus may have begun moving in a new direction to the dissatisfaction and disappointment of Putin, and the dismay and anger of Assad.
Correlative effects can result from airstrikes, cruise missile strikes, drone strikes, and artillery attacks. Those effects could include damage to surrounding structures, or could mean unfortunate harm to civilians, in or near a target struck. Correlative effects can sometimes include shaping the attitude and behavior of an opponent targeted, his ability think, what he thinks, his ability to fight, and even his interactions with individuals with which he is allied or tenuously unified can be others. A correlative result of the April 13, 2018 US, United Kingdom, and French military strikes in Syria may have been a hard blow upon the ties between Russia and Syria. Indeed, perhaps far more was accomplished by that US-led coalition than the Trump administration could have imagined. On April 13, 2018, US military forces, acting in coordination with military forces from the United Kingdom and France, took decisive action against the chemical weapons infrastructure of the Syria Arab Republic. It was in response to an April 7, 2018 chemical weapons attack against his own citizens in Douma. According to the Trump administration, the US has vital national interests in averting a worsening catastrophe in Syria, and specifically deterring the use and proliferation of chemical weapons. The military strikes took out “the heart” of the Syrian chemical weapons enterprise, but there were other facilities that were not struck due to concerns about civilian casualties. He declined to say exactly how much of the chemical weapons program was taken out. US Defense Secretary James Mattis explained that the strikes were “a one-time shot.” US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie, the director of the Joint Staff, explained in an April 18, 2018 press conference at the Pentagon that the US carefully plotted out the strength, length of time, and target set of the strikes. Efforts were made to minimize the potential for chemical weapons to leak out of the facilities, with McKenzie saying “we believe we successfully mitigated” the risk. He explained that while it is possible that some material and people were moved from the site in the lead-up to the attack, there were certain pieces of equipment that the regime would not have been able to relocate. McKenzie acknowledged that the three sites did not represent the totality of the Syrian chemical weapons program known to the US. However, McKenzie and Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White emphasized that future strikes in the region could not be ruled out, saying that it is entirely up to the Assad regime. They went on to explain that the use of chemical weapons in the future could lead to more strikes.
After everything, Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad sits ostensibly in relative safety and comfort in Damascus as the leader of all of Syria, even though he only controls a small part of the country’s territory. He only holds on to that with the assistance of Russia and Iran. Even more, he wields as much power as Russia will grant him to wield. To observers, there appears to be a blindness in Moscow about Assad. Yet, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin is well aware of his Syrian counterpart’s merits and deficits. He has an intellectual understanding of Assad, his habits, his ways. Indeed, at this point, Putin, with albeit some effort, very likely can track his thoughts, and likely has intimations about his moves whenever he thinks about Syria. For some, the optics of their interactions would support the idea that Assad is something akin to a ventriloquist’s dummy for Putin. Others would insist that they have a strong personal bond. Imdeed, there are Western foreign policy analysts and scholars would go as far as to say the relationship with Assad is indissoluble. Putin would likely assert that the two men simply have a better than average friendly rapport based on mutual interests and military, diplomatic, and economic arrangements. It would be practically impossible for the truly experienced not to see that in their relationship, Putin is the top, the leader, the senior party and Assad is the bottom, the follower, the junior party. Often, Putin displays choreographed support for Assad. When relationships are built on mutual interests and useful arrangements, and not a higher bond, sometimes conditions can change to such a degree that the relationship might be altered or ended.
Given all that transpired in Syria surrounding the US, United Kingdom, and French military strikes. Putin, Assad and their senior advisers may very well have begun to ask questions about future of relations between their countries. The interior thoughts, emotions officials in Moscow and Damascus play an important role in all that is happening with Syria. There was nothing but negative feedback for Assad regarding Putin. Assad likely had no doubt that Putin would stand with him against the West. Yet, as the Western military strikes were executed on April 13, 2018, Assad watched as Putin did nothing. The lesson for Assad was that he should not be so trusting of Russia and his other somewhat powerful allies. After all, when desires action from them, he has almost no way to aafely shape their behavior. While Assad did not publicly brood over what transpired on April 13th, he was likely resentful and bitter about it. Postulating that the military strikes in Syria were designed to have the effect of sowing seeds of mistrust and dissent between Russia and Syria would go a bit beyond conjecture. However, there may have been coincidental, correlative political warfare effects resulting from the April 13th military strikes. A glut of information about Assad is held by the intelligence services of the US, United Kingdom, and France. Amid what has been collected is undoubtedly information about the dynamics of Assad’s relationship with Putin. It may confirm that their relationship is now a bit different. The tons of information coming in from Syria may be at a constipation point. Information of that sort may not have been synthesised yet. Nothing has been made public or provided newsmedia reports on whether the April 13, 2018 military strikes had either a deliberate or correlative effect of rocking the boat between Moscow and Damascus has been produced. Still, one can ruminate, outside of the box, that a ball may have begun rolling in a new direction to the dissatisfaction and disappointment of Putin, and the dismay and anger of Assad. The possibility that the relationship may take a new direction is briefly examined here. Opinionis enim commenta delet dies, naturae judicia confirmat. (Time destroys the figments of the imagination, while confirming judgments of nature [God].)
Assad (left) and Putin (right). From all that is publicly known, scoring a political warfare victory was not part of the concept and intent of the US. Unless one was involved in the planning of the military strike, it would be impossible to posit with certainty that some consideration was given to how the military strikes would affect the Russia-Syria relationship. Still the features of a political warfare effort, even if coincidental, are discernible.
Detecting Political Warfare
Again, from all that is publicly known, scoring a political warfare victory was not part of the concept and intent of the US and did not factor into the planning of the military strikes in Syria. Unless one was involved in the planning of the military strike, it would be impossible to posit with certainty that some consideration was given to how the military strikes would affect the Russia-Syria relationship. Still the features of a political warfare effort, even if coincidental, are discernible. Under a definition offered by the RAND Corporation, political warfare consists of the international use of one or more of the implements of power–diplomatic, information, military, and economic–to affect the political composition of decision making within a state. Political warfare is often, yet not necessarily, carried out covertly, but must be carried out outside the context of traditional war. In the broadest sense, it could take the form of anything other than military operations. It could for example include: economic subversion, propaganda–not tied to the military effort, psychological warfare–as part of a military effort; conditional aid to a state; aid to political parties; aid to resistance groups; political accommodation; and, assassination. Renown security affairs analyst Brian Jenkins of the RAND Corporation explains that political warfare reverses the famous dictum of the 19th century Prussian military theorist Carl von Clausewitz that “war is the extension of politics by other means,” political warfare is the extension of armed conflict by other means. Political warfare does not focus exclusively on enemies who are at large or end with their capture. It targets those on their way in to enemy ranks, those who might be persuaded to quit, and those in custody. Political warfare sees the enemy not as a monolithic force, but as a dynamic population of individuals whose grievances, sense of humiliation, and desire for revenge, honor, status, meaning, or mere adventure propel them into jihad and resistance. Political warfare accepts no foe as having irrevocably crossed a line, but sees enemy combatants as constantly calibrating and recalibrating their commitment. It sees every prisoner not merely as a source of operational intelligence, but as a potential convert. Political warfare is infinitely flexible and ferociously pragmatic. It accepts local accommodations to reduce violence, offers amnesties to induce divisions and defections, and cuts deals to co-opt enemies.
Until recently, things have typically gone relatively well between Putin and Assad. There has rarely been reason for them to think too negatively of one another. However, as circumstances develop in which their perspectives grow in variance on matters of mutual concern. The atmosphere has already changed a bit. It will change even more if Assad decides to use chemical weapons again. Common wisdom in the West is that Assad would unlikely use chemical weapons again, not because his known chemical capability has been denigrated, not because he has been punished him excessively, but because Assad, according to Western thinking, Assad has already won the war with the assistance of Russia and Iran. Dropping more chemical weapons would have no strategic value any Western military analysts can think of. Moreover, it would not make sense to incur the wrath of the US and other Western powers as a result of using such weapons. All of that being stated, it appears the West must learn over and over again that Assad thinks differently than most national leaders, and military analysts as well. Assad has embraced his role as a tyrant. He is concerned mainly with holding power. In his conscious or unconscious mind, he may be haunted by the fear of facing retribution for violent acts ordered in defense of his power and atrocities committed against his own people. Everyone does not think the same and Assad is a perfect example of that. Putin, however, is certainly aware of how different Assad is.
The chief foreign linkage of Syria under Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad, before him, have been the Russian Federation and the Soviet Union, respectively. The present Assaf has been useful to Russia as a figurehead, a symbol of resistance to the Syrian opposition, ISIS and Islamic terrorist groups and the West. He is undoubtedly viewed in Moscow as Putin’s man, and his ball to play with. It was the strength and realities of those ties between Damascus and Moscow that were poorly considered when the US injected itself in Syria in support of the anti-Assad opposition movement during the Arab Spring in 2011. By the Fall 2015, Assad appeared to lack the ability to remain in power against ISIS and perhaps US-backed Syrian Opposition forces. The military situation began recurvate after Russia, with the urging of Iran, moved its forces into Syria in September 2015 and supported Syrian military operations.
It is interesting how Putin and Assad, two men from desperate backgrounds have established a very positive relationship that goes beyond mutual courtesy and civility. Putin rose from humble beginnings, raised by a mother and father who respectively managed to survive the siege of Leningrad and violent battles during World War II. Assad, on the other hand, was the privileged, eldest son of the former President of Syria, General Hafez Al-Assad, who ruled from 1971 to 2000. Putin completed his studies in law at Leningrad University before embarking on a successful career in the Soviet Union’s Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (the Committee for State Security) known better as the KGB—the agency responsible for intelligence, counterintelligence, and internal security. Along with the well-earned praise of his colleagues and positive evaluations from his superiors, he had a record of service that led others to support his rise to the pinnacle of power in Russia. Assad was educated as a doctor, trained as a surgeon, and lived a comforrable life in London before being called home to take the reigns in Syria after his father’s death. Indeed, one man, Putin, was self-made, with his knowledge and capabilities shaped and polished by every obstacle and adversity he managed to overcome. The other man, Assad, had everything in life laid out in front of him, and there were few character shaping struggles. Ignis aurum probat, miseria fortes viros. (Fire provides proof of gold, misery, proof of strong men.)
In crafting a fruitful relationship with Assad, Putin seems to have handled him much as he would have handled an operative during his days in the intelligence industry. During his one-on-one contacts with Assad he has likely spent time motivating, befriending, briefing, advising, counselling, debriefing, and perhaps paying and welfaring him. It has served to establish the bridge between them. It is the sort of interaction to which Putin is attracted. It has helped to shape the dynamic and apparent congenial nature of their exchanges. It is likely that somewhere, Putin keeps notes that are part of a personal study of Assad. At age 65, Putin as a man and a leader, and in terms of capabilities and shrewdness, is far more advanced than Assad who is 52. For Putin, there certainly would be advantage in maintaining the relationship as is, if he can. There is an expediency in working with something, someone that you understand, who has been predictable. It is hard to imagine Putin might be overly concerned with Assad’s feelings. Yet, while Putin might only relate to other leaders much as strangers on a train, his relationship with Assad has been something more. In all the years until this point, whenever he met with Assad, they likely simply picked up wherever they leave off. Assad was granted a ticket to the high table international affairs by Putin. Contrarily, Assad cannot do much independently to enhance Putin’s life.
Putin (left) and Assad (right). In crafting a fruitful relationship with Assad, Putin seems to have handled him much as he would have handled an operative during his days in the intelligence industry. During his one-on-one contacts with Assad, he has likely spent time motivating, befriending, briefing, advising, counselling, debriefing, and perhaps paying him. It has served to establish a bridge between them.
Putin almost never fails to publicly cover Assad’s actions that reach the world’s gaze. He has supported Assad with strong words, diplomatic maneuvering at the UN and bilaterally with a handful of receptive countries, mostly it neighbors. He has of course, supported him by deploying Russian military forces to his country to protect his regime. Moscow’s initial response to the Assad’s chemical attacks in Douma was a grand denial that the Assad regime had anything to do with it. Russia, a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council, sought to fight fire with oil, giving credence to the idea that Assad did not and would not use chemical weapons and the entire matter was a hoax. This was made worse by Russia’s futile attempt make the investigation of the chemical attacks a joint venture in which Russia would work alongside the UN Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) at the site of the attack and in their research labs. It must not be forgotten that Assad should not have access to chemical weapons at all, but an intriguing diplomatic tact taken by Moscow in 2013 left the door open to that. On September 14, 2013, Moscow and Washington reached an agreement under which Russia guaranteed Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile and all equipment for producing, mixing, and filing chemical weapons would be destroyed before the end of the first half of 2014. The OPCW would implement the agreement. The genesis of the agreement was an August 21, 2013 chemical attack by the Assad regime against several towns of the Ghouta agricultural belt to the West and East of Damascus. Reportedly the administration of US President Barack Obama was nearing a decision to launch US-led punitive strikes against Syria. A suggestion was made by the US Secretary of State John Kerry stated offhandedly at a press conference on September 9, 2013 that the US might not conduct military strikes if Assad placed Syria’s enture chemical weapons stockpile under international control within a week. Hours after that statement, Russian Federation Foreign Minister managed to have Syrian Arab Republic Foreign Minister Walid Muallem agree to the idea. On April 13, 2018, and back on April 6, 2017, the Trump administration, based on clear and convincing evidence took action against Assad contrary to decision of the Obama administration when it had the opportunity. Most importantly, however, action had to be taken because both Russia and Syria clearly failed to meet their responsibility under the 2013 agreement. There has been little no mention of the September 14, 2013 agreement by Moscow or Damascus after the April 13, 2018 chemical attacks. Moreover, rather expressing of concern over the use of chemical weapons, as could be expected, prevarications emanated from Moscow and Damascus concerning the attacks.
Moscow also made false claims that the majority of cruise missiles fired into Syria were shot down. Russian news outlets, as well as social media from the region, had claimed as many as 70 percent of coalition weapons were shot down by Syrian or Russian air defenses. But the Russian systems did not attempt to intercept the incoming weaponry, and the Syrian system launched around 40 surface to air missiles after the last targeted weapon hit its target, Referring to this type of activity by Moscow as information warfare perhaps gives it too much respectability as its purpose is to position it as master of the mob: anti-US, anti-EU, anti-West, and pro-Russian elements worldwide. Even Moscow must realize that in each case, all of its falsehoods would be overcome by the truth over time. Assad clearly had no concern over having frightful clouds hang over himself for atrocities committed before and during the Syrian War. There is not much that could further vulgarize his reputation. From experience of the Soviet Union as well as that of their own Russian Federation, officials in Moscow should have learned that the wounds Russia’s image suffers from such antics are all self-inflicted, deleterious, and all very unnecessary. Russia is reduced to a level akin to a “Fourth World” dictatorship, a so-called “Banana Republic”, when it prevaricates on matters concerning the US.
Every time Moscow distorts the truth, it confirms the worst about itself. The ugly image many policy makers, decision makers, and analyst in the West long since have had seared in their minds about Russia are reinforced. Few anywhere in the world can be confident what’ Moscow says is true, except those willing to be deceived. When Putin and his officials make claims on other occasions to the effect that Russia is a land of the mind, this questionable behavior, along with a lot of other things, puts that notion in doubt.
Intriguingly, Moscow puts significant effort into improving its image as a world leader, yet undermines that effort by backing Assad and destroying its image in the minds of many. There are consequences to the way one lives. He who walks with wise men will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed. On April 11, 2018, Trump wrote on Twitter: “You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”, referring to Moscow’s alliance with Assad. Assad, by his actions, has repeatedly immobilized Putin. He is left unable to smoothly move on to better things. If there are future chemical attacks by Assad, it is uncertain what the future of his relationship with Putin will be. A number possible scenarios exist based on questions Putin and Assad might ask themselves as well as steps they might take as the situation between them develops. Those steps would likely fall under the category of political warfare.
US President Donald Trump (above). It is intriguing to observe Moscow put significant effort into improving its image as a world leader, and then undermine that effort by lending unwavering support to Assad after he has acted against the norms of civilized world. On April 11, 2018, Trump wrote on Twitter: “You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!”, referring to Moscow’s tie with Assad. By his actions, Assad immobilizes Putin, leaving him unable to move on to better things.
Is Assad Worth the Trouble?: Scenario for Putin
Due to flaws in his government, his own deficiencies as a leader, and perhaps a lack of empathy, Assad failed to spare the people of the old ills of war and crime. Without the support of Putin and Russia, one could reasonably conclude that Assad would have been brushed aside awhile ago. Indeed, in 2015, Assad appeared to lack the ability to remain in power against both ISIS and other Islamic terrorist groups and the US-backed Syrian Opposition forces. Policy makers and decision makers in Moscow and Tehran doubted Assad could hold on to power in Damascus without assistance. They mainly feared the real possibility that Syria would fall in the hands of ISIS. One could only imagine what would have been needed to regain and retain control of the country if ISIS had forced the regime out of Damascus. Putin provided a rational for Russia’s intervention in Syria in a speech at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Dushanbe Tajikistan, on September 15, 2015. In response to Western criticism of Russia’s move, Putin explained, “We support the government of Syria in its opposition to terrorist aggression. We have provided and will provide necessary military and technical support and call on other nations to join us.” Putin noted the exodus of refugees toward Europe and the crisis in Syria was a result of the support foreign powers provided the Syria opposition rebels. He said, “I would like to note that people are fleeing Syria because of the military actions that were largely imposed externally by deliveries of weapons and other special equipment. People are fleeing to escape the atrocities committed by terrorists.” Putin went on to state, “[The refugees] are fleeing from radicals, above all. And if Russia had not supported Syria, the situation in this country would have been worse than in Libya, and the stream of refugees would have been even greater.”
Speaking to Western and Arab capitals, Putin declared, “We must sideline geopolitical ambitions, refrain from so-called double standards, from the policy of direct use of separate terrorist groups to achieve opportunistic goals, including the change of governments and regime that may be disagreeable to whomever.” Concerning Assad, Putin relayed that he might be willing to enter a power-sharing agreement with opposition but that the fight against terrorism was the priority. To that extent, Putin explained, “The Islamic State is providing ideological indoctrination and training to fighters from different countries including, unfortunately European countries and the Russian Federation, and many former Soviet republics. And of course, we are worried with the possibility of them returning to our territories.” As explained in a December 30, 2015 greatcharlie post, commanders of the Russian Federation Armed Forces reportedly believed the military objective of any ground operations in Syria should first be to create a regime stronghold in what is referred to as “Useful Syria” (Suriya al-Mufida) from Damascus up to Aleppo through Homs. That would require Russia and its allies to sweep up the Western part of Syria. The objective was to take pressure off Latakia, a pro-Assad, Alawite heartland and locale of an important airfield and take pressure off Tartus, a long-time Soviet Naval port passed on to the Russian Federation Navy. It is key for the delivery of military material to Russian and Syrian forces and important for the conduct of military operations in support of Syria. After reaching Latakia, Russia and its allies would turn toward Idlib. Part of the force could have pushed farther north to gain control of the Syrian-Turkish border west of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party’s (PYD) territory, blocking the US coalition and ISIS from access to it. In an additional phase of their offensive, Russia and its allies would press eastward. A key objective was to take Palmyra from ISIS and the oil and gas resources around it. Russia began to gain control of the situation on the ground in Syria soon after deploying significant forces there in September 2015. At this point, the fight to secure “Useful Syria” has essentially been won. Syria, however, is still reliant upon a military and security umbilical cord tied from Moscow to Damascus.
Discord obtains when things get mixed up. Assad would likely disagree with any assessment that described him as a follower, or stated that his existence is contingent upon Russian power. He would likely describe himself as partner with Putin and other leaders and that Syria is working jointly with its allies. It is imaginable that Assad believes he is delegating part of the job of using military power to defeat Syria’s enemies to Russia and others. For Assad, all arrows point his way, for he almost always thinks and acts in terms of self-interest. Assad would likely proffer that Syria in the aggregate has the capability and capacity fend off threats to its security. Trouble comes when Assad sets out to confirm his thinking with heinous acts of violence, such as the chemical weapons attacks, which he knows are antithetical to norms of the civilized world, counter international law, and in defiance of demands made of his regime by the UN Security Council through resolutions. Assad apparently has much to prove to his fellow countryman, to other regional leaders, to his allies such as Russia, and the rest of the world. When he has lashed out, and he has done so regularly during the war, he proves that he is truly a despot. Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum. (To err is human, to persist in it, is diabolical.)
Assad (left), Putin (center), and Russian Federation Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (right). Commanders of the Russian Federation Armed Forces reportedly believed the military objective of any ground operations in Syria should first be to create a regime stronghold in what is referred to as “Useful Syria.” Once Russian forces moved into Syria in September 2015, the military situation began to recurvate. The fight to secure “Useful Syria” has essentially been won. Syria, however, is still reliant upon a military and security umbilical cord with Russia.
In Syria, the Assad regime, through an unending propaganda campaign, projects an image of its president in a way in which he is in firm control. That image also serves to assure the Syrian people that they still live in a sovereign state and that they have control over their own destiny. That image is completely inaccurate. Yet, there is little in Syria to interfere with that imaginative process as the government has strict control over media. True, Syrians can see that Putin has provided thousands of Russian advisers, troops and airmen who are engaged in daily operations to fend off and destroy the regimes adversaries. Yet, Syrians supportive of the Assad regime would likely assure that the tie between their leader and Putin was unbreakable. Rather than feel threatened, they, in fact, welcome Russia’s presence and taken refuge in the umbrella of the added security provided by the Russians. They are happy to believe they need not fear for their survival as long Putin and Russia are working hand in hand with their country. Simultaneously, those same Syrian’s would argue that Assad is still the real power in Syria. Moreover, they are likely ignorant or unconcerned with the problems Assad’s actions have caused Russia. Vivit et est vitae nescius ipse suae. (Man lives in ignorance of his own life.)
Assad very likely believes his self-crafted, virtual image truly mirrors his real life. Looking at newsmedia video clips of Assad in Damascus, one might be bemused by the artificial size of his life. Syria is an authoritarian regime ruled by Assad much as, but albeit far less orderly and competently than his father before him. Politically, Syria is an odd hybrid, a quasi-national socialist, Islamic state. Assad is accepted by his beloved Alawites as well as elites from his own Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, other like-minded political groupings, business leaders, and leadership of the Armed forces and the security services. The People’s Council–the national legislature of Syria–and the Syrian judicial system cannot even provide a fig leaf of democracy for Assad regime. Syria’s elites appear satisfied with conditions in “Useful Syria”. It is something akin to a kingdom of gold for them. The coffers of Syria have serve the purposes of the elites and Assad. It is a type of larceny Assad inherited from his father. Those in Syria who have money, power are celebrities, heroes of the society, having what the majority can never attain. The Presidential Palace on Mount Mezzah is emblematic of Assad’s efforts to provide a venir of prosperity and power over a broken country in unimaginable suffering has visited countless homes.
None could doubt at this point that the life, happiness of the common man means nothing in Assad’s Syria. Assad does not have the type of government that elevates human beings. Assad has never used his words or events in the outside world to encourage Syrian to raise themselves up, to be more, to accomplish more. Assad uses words to stimulate nationalism, to cause Syrians to accept that the source of their country’s problems is the aggressive, greedy, external world, the West as opposed to any cause that comes from within, such as himself. An appropriate understanding among all Syrians about of what is happening in Syria will never be obtained as long as they are fed contradictory or insufficient facts. Even if the “have nots” in proximity of elites demanded some changes, an almost inexhaustible number of agencies among the security services would subdue them, punish those who do not revere the masters of their society. When the war is over, Syrians who can, would like to love the simpler lives they had once before. Syrians want to return to Assad’s version of peace and tranquility: the peace of submission to the regime; the tranquility of working in a secure position within the narrow confines of the regime’s dictates. Assad’s vision for future of Syria is most likely based on self-interest, his own well-being. The hope that anchors him is that he will remain in power, and the problems that have seized him since the civil war in Syria began in 2011 would eventually go away. Est enim unum ius quo deuincta est hominum societas et quod lex constituit una, quae lex est recta ratio imperandi atque prohibendi. Quam qui ignorat, is est iniusta s, siue est illa scripta uspiam siue nusquam. (For there is but one essential justice which cements society, and one law which establishes this justice. This law is right reason, which is the true rule of all commandments and prohibitions. Whoever neglects this law, whether written or unwritten, is necessarily unjust and wicked.)
Perhaps it would not be judged as a fair comparison, but compared with countries in the West, Syria could hardly be viewed as a normal, functioning, sovereign country. A sovereign country that cannot defend its borders is not authentically sovereign. Moreover, Syria could be labelled derelict given the condition of most of its towns and cities. To Putin, who, unlike Assad, is thinking realistically about the future of Syria, it is very apparent that reconstruction in Syria will be another huge hurdle to overcome. The bellwether of Syria’s future condition can be observed in South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria, Donetsk People’s Republic, and the Luhansk People’s Republic. Lacking any significant resources from the US and the rest of the international community to rebuild, that would be the only viable long-term condition that Syria could reach with Moscow’s assistance alone. Syria would simply become a larger version of those political, economic, and social disasters. Few other countries or international organizations appear willing to dive in to help Syria with signigicant financial assistance or investment. Few countries are in a rush to reopen or fully staff their embassies in Syria. They most lilely believe there would no benefit, but only difficulties in working with Assad. As a result, the Syrian people are shut off from those in the rest of the world who might be able to truly help them.
Optimists would hold out some hope that the situation would improve. However, no international conference, no guarantees from Russia to keep him in check, no surgical procedure even, could make Assad palatable to the West at this point, or to any government in the Middle East other than Iran. Manipulations that might ordinarily knock things back on track with Assad would likely have been exhausted or be seen as useless. It may be safe to say the Assad will never develop, never change. Luckily for Moscow, Assad is actually at its disposition. Given the strong influence Russia has on the Assad regime’s main elements of his power, the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and the security services, at the very least, the effort might be made to remder Assad’s presidency symbolic. In a more virile approach, Russia, perhaps in sync with Syria’s foreign benefactors, might seek to replace Assad with a leader who would be more acceptable among the Syrians, more palatable for themselves. As far as Assad’s well-being was concerned, the basing arrangements for Russian naval, air, and ground forces, and the relationship developed with Putin would no longer have meaning.
Assad would likely disagree with any assessment that would describe him as a follower, or that his existence is contingent upon Russian power. He would likely describe himself as partner with Putin and other leaders and that Syria is working jointly with its allies. It is imaginable that Assad believes he is delegating part of the job of using military power to defeat Syria’s enemies to Russia and others. For Assad, all arrows point his way, as he nearly always thinks and acts in self-interest.
Keep the Status Quo or Assert Himself?: Scenario re Assad
So far, Assad has been able to have his cake and eat it, too! He has defiantly launched chemical weapons against his own people, while savoring the general protection and support of Russia and others. How long this situation will last is uncertain. Surely, the Russians will have a say in that. There are still a lot of hand shakes and pats on the back from Putin meant to encourage. Yet, a handshake or pat on the back cannot supplant rejection. It cannot correct a problem or resolve a serious disagreement.
If Assad were to sense an undercurrent of dissention toward him inside Syria, he would undoubtedly physically thin out the ranks of those he would deem potential plotters and replace them immediately with a more loyal sort. He would do so taking care not disturb the defined ecosystem of power elites, sending the message that he demands loyalty but avoid starting another uprising particularly among those who have supported him.
Such events would certainly catch the attention of the Russians. Assad might conclude that Moscow may see some benefit in aiding an group of Syrian elites willing to remove him. An “organic rebellion” that could remove Assad would be more agreeable to Putin and elites in Russia who might have already concluded that his removal will lead to more beneficial outcome of Russia’s investment there. He may fear that removing him under such conditions might be more understandable to tyrants in rogue regimes worldwide who may also rely upon Russia to back them with military force, some level of economic wherewithal or payments. However, Assad would not willingly step aside for a successor albeit selected by friendly, outside power, even if he had some say in who would replace him. He surely would not sit idly by as the plot developed to put his reign to an end.
Looking at the US, United Kingdom, and French military strikes in the aggregate, it somewhat understandable that some analysts doubt that Assad and his advisers in Damascus would be so spun up by them. The US-led coalition has conducted airstrikes in Syria against ISIS and targets threatening coalition ground forces for many months. The Israeli Air Force has conducted regular strikes in Syria so precise and effective and with impunity, that one could say with some humor that the Israelis were using parts of Syria as a bombing range. The issue is that the military strikes of April 13th were the second time the US has deliberately attacked Syrian targets and the second time Russia did not act. That is the rub. Prior to the Western military strikes, Russia urged the US to avoid taking military action in response to an alleged chemical attack in Syria. On April 10, 2018, the Russian Federation Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia stated: “I would once again beseech you to refrain from the plans that you’re currently developing.” He warned Washington that it will “bear responsibility” for any “illegal military adventure.” A threat from Moscow to down US missiles came from the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin, who said his comments were based on previous statements by Putin and the Chief of Staff of the Russian Federation Armed Forces General Valery Gerasimov. The Russian Federation Armed Forces stated on March 13, 2018, that it would respond to any US strike on Syria by targeting any missiles and launchers involved. However, Russian air defense systems did not attempt to intercept the incoming weaponry, and the Syrian system launched around 40 surface to air missiles after the last targeted weapon hit its target, according to the Pentagon. The Pentagon noted that the S-400 systems were not turned off, simply not activated, leaving open the option their radar systems were used to tracking incoming threats but the weapons systems were not fired. The fact that those systems were active but not used may serve as evidence that the deconfliction line between the US and Russia, which was used to urge Russia not to escalate the situation, had been effective.
Within his own close circle in Damascus, it may very well be that Assad’s grievances are well-expressed. There may be lung busting exertions of his sense of being betrayed once again by Putin, driven by a nagging sense at this juncture that his relationship with him does not have much future. Assad may wish to take matters into his own hands. Seeing Assad interact with Russian emissaries in Damascus, he left little evidence of being riled emotionally by actions by his benefactors. The Interfax News Agency quoted Natalya Komarova, governor of Russia’s autonomous Khanty-Mansiysk district, made it a point to state: “President Assad was in absolutely positive spirits. He is in a good mood.,” To date, Assad has not publicly proffered any fevered dreams of conspiracy about the military strikes. His own officials and advisers are likely impressed by a type of controlled schizophrenia he displays. Nevertheless, the April 13th military strikes, and events surrounding them, may have set the stage for counteractions by Assad. It may very well be that Assad will launch additional chemical attacks to demonstrate that his regime does not feel threatened by US power, prove to himself that he is not being led by the nose by Putin, and ironically to pull Russia deeper into the situation as it has sought to full back by failing to act April 13th. To foreign policy and military analyst, it may all seem irrational, and that would be a reasonable response. Still, everyone does not think the same. Assad, the trained surgeon, has done so much that would be deemed improbable, it would seem counterintuitive to assume he will act in accord within any norms in the future. Scenarios for other ways in which Assad might seek retribution might include the following:
1) Assad might decide to establish some simulacrum of the US Lend-Lease arrangements of World War with China. Under it, China could possibly build its own military base or port. Assad could receive guarantees of significant assistance from China in Syria’s reconstruction efforts. China could also agree to provide Syria advanced command, control, communication and surveillance systems and agree to allow Syrian forces create garrisons and store Syrian military hardware on its new bases. Assad’s goal in that hypothetical situation would not be to allow a build-up in Syria by China that would establish it as a counterbalance to Russian military power. Assad’s goal in allowing a enough of a build-up that would lead Putin to better the value and importance of his ties to Syria. A decision by Assad to reach out to China might be viewed as injudicious given the possible consequences. Chinese ambitions in Syria might be difficult for Damascus to tame. The opportunity to build bases so close to Europe would present an I exhaustive list of possibilities for Chinese military planners. Putin may overreact to the decision and strongly suggest that Assad to rescind the invitation to China creating a genuine, visible rift between the two countries. Under circumstance, for Assad it would simply be a existential choice to create some counterbalance to Russia power in his country or at least convince Putin that he was willing to do so in order to better position himself with the Russian leader.
2) Assad may attempt to strike US or other Western troops with chemical weapons. Assad may seek to do this even if a suicide mission is required. While he and his advisers may view the operation as risky. Yet, they may also wrongfully believe that as long as the US-led coalition’s response does not result in a direct attack against him, they may view it as a calculated risk. If Russia decides not to respond in defense of it ally, Syria, Assad might be able to convince himself that he has proved at least to the Syrian people in Useful Syria that he is strong and that he can do powerful things. The US has about 2,000 troops on the ground in Syria, supporting the ongoing US-led Coalition mission to defeat ISIS militants that remain in the region. The April 13th military strikes have created some concern at the Pentagon that those troops could be vulnerable to retaliation from Syrian forces. Efforts by Assad to put his forces in a position near US-led coalition ground forces must be scrutinized and keep in the coalition’s cross-hairs. If multiple streams of intelligence indicate those forces pose a danger, they should be pushed back or destroyed. There is always the possibility and the danger of miscalculation by Assad. As long as Assad thinks rationally, logically, this scenario could never materialize, as he would be deterred by the thought that an attack on US or another coalition ground forces would be met by an immediate, devastating military response. The targets of the US attacks would hardly be limited to the forces that launched them. Attempts at deconfliction for such attacks might be made, but they would take place regardless of whose forces might be nearby or mixed in with Syrian forces. Depending the response of Russia if its forces were caught in the middle of it all, Assad might manage to drag Moscow into what was likely the worst nightmare it thought of when it deployed its forces to Syria.
If Assad wants to maintain conditions that will allow the march of time to move forward in his favor, he should be reluctant to bother Putin about matters surrounding the April 13th chemical attacks. Doing so would very likely raise even greater concern in Putin. Assad’s circumspection itself may have already awakened Putin’s curiosity. Putin, after all, is super observant. It is a quality that stirs admiration from some and or elicits terror in others. If any one could detect a hint of anger or dissention in the eyes, in mannerisms, in bearing and deportment, in the words of another, it would be Putin. If he manages to discern a new uneasiness in Assad, that might trigger Putin to take steps against him or at least begin peering into the regime with a nearly zoological interest in its main players, searching for a plot against its main ally. Yet again, it may be that Assad is not worried at all about Putin’s reaction. Rather, Assad’s primary concern may be managing Putin’s behavior. Assad may believe that he has been successfully doing that. A mistake in that possible “management effort”, however, would be to attempt to convince Putin that he can count on him. It would be an even bigger mistake for Assad to try to get the pulse of Putin, to find out what he is thinking about him. No one should ever ask Putin if he loves them. The answer in nearly every case would be “No!”
If Assad wants to maintain conditions that will allow the march of time to move forward in his favor, he should be reluctant to bother Putin about matters surrounding the April 13th chemical attacks. Doing so would very likely raise even greater concern in Putin. Assad’s circumspection itself may have already garnered Putin’s curiosity. Putin, after all, is super observant. If he manages to discern a new uneasiness in Assad, intimate trouble, it might cause him to take steps against him.
Is It Time to Wrap Things Up with Assad?: Scenario re Putin
Fata volentem, ducunt, nolentem trahunt. (Destiny carries the willing man, and drags the unwilling.) Moscow entered into all of its deals with Assad, strengthened links to him, with its eyes open. Putin would unlikely have engaged with Assad in a search for areas of common ground on handling chemical weapons. Putin is not conciliatory. He very likely set rules for Assad on the matter. However, leaving the door open for Assad somehow to use the weapons has come back to haunt him. Given what has transpired, Putin surely can reasonably be viewed as being complicit in Assad’s use of chemical weapons. Yet, while Putin may find Assad’s attitude toward those in the West, in the Middle East, and in his own country who oppose him to be understandable, he may also view his approach as reckless.
Syria is broken, and with someone such as Assad at its helm, hardly any outside of the country, capable of supporting its reconstruction, would be willing to do so. In Moscow, there must be some authenticity in its examination of Assad and what it will be able to do with him in the future. Putin most likely sees that there is nothing about Assad that would indicate he can be transformative, creative, or productive. After the April 2017 cruise missile strikes by the Trump administration, a discourse should have been initiated in Moscow on how to better handle the remnants of Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal and how to defeat their use against Russian Federation Armed Forces in Syria. If Putin can truly discern what billows in Assad’s mind, he may have already made the decision to move against him. Finding a leader or group of very senior leaders among elements of power in Syria may not be too difficult. Most in Damascus who are in the best position to know what is happening in Syria understand they live in privileged times. They may not speak of, or whisper, about being called on to be part of a change in leadership. Still, they may be considering where they will stand and how they will act if the situation arose.
To this point, nothing has been stated to indicate that there was anything time sensitive about Putin’s relationship with Assad. Syria’s standing internationally has not been good to say the least. Assad has not used any time or exploited any opportunities to make improvements in his situation. It is unknown whether Assad is ignorant, willfully ignores, or perhaps even suppresses thoughts about reconstruction, something Russia, by jumping into Syria may have committed itself to as a duty. Assad does not appear emotionally devastated by what has befallen his country. This was observed in his very congenial newsmedia appearances the day after the April 13, 2018 military strikes.
Assad is not a shy man, and is unlikely frozen in fear contemplating what Putin might respond the fact that he has rocked the boat so thoroughly. Even if only unconsciously, though, he likely has felt an elevated level of concern over his future since April 7, 2018 chemical attacks. Putting himself in Assad’s shoes, perhaps Putin could imagine that Assad is feeling a bit betrayed by his unwillingness to deter or defeat the Western military strikes in Syria, no matter how unreasonable that would have been. Putin can be sure Assad knows him well enough to realize that expressing his disappointment through impotent snarling will accomplished nothing useful or good. Yet, he also may sense that in the long run that Assad may not be truly able to move on. Putin might consider that when one is angry for a long time, one in a way becomes comfortable with that anger. Soon that anger becomes so familiar that the individual forgets feeling any other way. Assad is a calculator, although he albeit uses an odd calculus. Sed tamen ira procul absit, cum qua nihil recte fiery nec, considerate potest. (But still anger ought be far from us, for nothing is able to be done rightly not judiciously with anger.)
Putting himself in Assad’s shoes, perhaps Putin could imagine that Assad is feeling a bit betrayed by his unwillingness to deter or defeat the Western military strikes in Syria, no matter how unreasonable that would have been. Putin can be sure Assad knows him well enough to realize that expressing his disappointment through impotent snarling would have accomplished nothing useful or good.
Putin may eventually need to make a decision if Assad cannot restrain himself from using chemical weapons again. As mentioned earlier, It is possible that Putin has already has plan for responding to Assad’s future actions. Big issues likely remaining are exactly when and how to set things up. It is also possible that given the gravity of the decision to remove Assad from power, he has not made a final decision. He may prefer to mull things over until he is left with no choice. To decide exactly how to proceed, Putin would unlikely need to refer to any notes or look among huge piles of information collected from Syria to find pieces that answered his questions. He would only need his knowledge, experience, insights, intuition, and instincts. Putin would review what Russia really wants with Syria, what its goals are. He would then need to thoroughly consider how exactly removing Assad will better able Russia to reach those goals. Putin may decide to give Assad the benefit of doubt. He knows the margin between being very clever and being very stupid is very thin. If in some odd way, alien to most reasonable thinkers, the goal of Assad’s behavior only been to strengthen his position with Putin and ensure Russia’s investment and commitment to his well-being and the well-being of the country.
However, if Assad seems to be on the road to doing something spectacular, going astray and lashing out against its long time ally, Putin would invariably choose to act first and decisively. Assad would not have any lobby available to advocate for him in the Kremlin. Money is short in Russia. Decision makers would hardly sign on to allowing Syria to languish without end in a difficult and dangerous situation given the moves of its leadership. While Assad created an image of himself as a strong leader in Damascus, in Moscow, a portrait has most likely been painted that depicts him a being bad for the long-term interests of Russia and Syria. Russia never had the intention of sacrificing its own image to make Assad look good. As mentioned earlier, Assad has no problem with acting in a way that makes Russia look bad. Among likely steps Putin would consider are the following three:
1) After some convincing, have Assad voluntary depart Syria to begin exile somewhere in Russia. The Syrian people would be informed via a video recording that Assad is completely fine and well-aware for, and it was necessary to move him to Russia due to an imminent threat from Western powers to capture him and usher him to the Hague for War Crimes trial. Once, in Russia, it could be said Assad would never be surrendered to anyone and, that he would indeed be returned to Syria once Russia resolves the matter. In the meantime, the Syrian people would have an interim, acting president. In fact, Assad would never return to Syria. If Putin were to ask Assad to leave Damascus, he would have no need to ask twice. Damascus would become a far more dangerous place for him if he does not go.
2) Through a coup de main, Putin could have Assad suddenly captured and relocated to an undisclosed site in Russia. This would be done after making appropriate arrangements furtively with Syrian military officers, security service officials, and other elites in Damascus. Again, he could be brought to an undisclosed location in Russia. After some He would be strongly encouraged to made a video recording for broadcast in Syria indicating that he is safe, doing well, and was brought to Syria’s main ally, Russia, temporarily for his own safety. The specific threat Assad would not need to be disclosed. For security reasons, the source of the information would not revealed. Forcing Assad to leave would be an alternative to having him eliminated.
3) There is the possibility that after appropriate arrangements have been made again with Syrian military officers, security service officials, and other elites, Assad might be assassinated. Russia would be the arbiter of the matter with likely nods from Iran and Turkey,
With Assad removed, Putin would move quickly to install his successor. It would be necessary for Russia to have a central figure, a strongman, one in charge in Syria to assure it has a central conduit through which it could impose its will. Assad’s successor, certainly an Alawite, would be enabled to hold a degree of power similar to that Assad held as long as Russia remains in strength in Syria, and is willing to mitigate pressure placed on the regime from Islamic extremist groups as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, and the battered and tattered Syria Opposition forces as well. The change, no matter how necessary or expected, would be traumatizing to many in Damascus and in every capital that has supported him. It would be the end of a sad story concerning the misuse of power, the poor stewardship of a country. Moscow would likely dub the successor’s acting presidency as a caretaker government. Only with the insistence of the US and other P5 Members, would new elections be held.to replace him. The acting Leader’s presidency would be tainted by the irregular nature of his installment. At the UN Security Council, there would be reminders of Resolution 2254 (2015) concerning free and fair elections in Syria. Moscow would dance around it claiming there that new constitution had not been drafted as also required under the resolution. Moreover, Moscow would explain that conditions were not right for elections as the war was not over. Meanwhile, it would argue Syria was on the right path and seek aid for its reconstruction.
A more tense relationship may eventually ensue if possible future military strikes from a US-led coalition, or even Israel, are met with inaction by Russia. If Assad is able to detect real trouble from his benefactor, he might draw back, and walk back any statements. However, if he fears for his life, anything is possible.
Will He Bite the Hand That Saved Him?: Scenario re Assad
Although Putin has not heard grumblings from Mount Mezzah, he surely recognizes that his relationship with Assad has not been not perfect since the April 13th missile strikes. Putin cannot be sure that Assad accepts that he is concerned with him or Syria or that he has any real compassion for what has befallen his regime. Putin knows that he too would feel somewhat betrayed by any ally who promised to stand by him against an adversary, yet did nothing during an attack. Putin may sense that Assad, after constantly hearing rhetoric from Moscow about curbing the power and defeating its adversary, the US, has not seen any significant efforts in that direction even when opportunities present themselves, such as the April 13th military strikes. Putin cannot deny that he completely and correctly, abandoned his ally in the face of US diplomatic pressure and military power. Under such circumstances, Putin’s promise after the April 13th missile strikes to provide Assad with new, high performance weapons amounted to a bromide. It could not resolve problems facing the Russia-Syria relationship.
It seems unlikely that Assad will remain quiet if there were future Western military strikes in response to his further use of chemical weapons or other dark moves, and as on April 13th, Russia fails to act. Conspiracy theories are an element as ubiquitous as rumors in statements of officials and common conversation among citizens within rogue, authoritarian regimes. It is a corrupted version of thinking out of box preferred mostly because it typically points to behavior of external elements, enemies and false friends, as causality for a regimes disappointments and failures. Assad and his advisers may be discussing whether Russia even considered defending Syria from the military strikes of the US, the United Kingdom, and France. Some might postulate in confidential meetings that Russia may have been hoping the US would destroy Syria’s remaining chemical weapons inventory. Assad and his advisers know that Moscow was in contact with Washington in the days and hours before the military strike. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff USMC General James Dunford explained that normal deconfliction channels were used to deconflict the airspace that we were using. Dunford further explained that the US did not coordinate targets or any plans with the Russians. Yet, in Moscow, the head of a Russian parliamentary defense committee, Vladimir Shamanov, said Russia was in direct contact with the US Joint Chiefs of Staff about the situation. Hearing this view from Russia would likely satisfy Damascus as it would support surmisals there that Russia assisted the US in identifying targets as the Russians certainly did not use any countermeasures interfere with US efforts to target sites. In an inner monologue, Assad may ponder whether the failure of Russia to act may mean that there was some truth to expressions made by Moscow and Washington in 2017 that there was a new, cooperative era in US-Russia relations. That would contradict what Russia insists in private, and what is strongly hinted public statements, that the US is its adversary. Assad could conclude that in the crafting of the April 13th military strikes, Russia had a figurative vote!
A more tense relationship may eventually ensue if possible future military strikes are met with more inaction by Russia. It is in that environment that Putin would very likely consider moving against Assad. He would most likely act without warning. If Assad is able to detect trouble, he would draw back, and walk back any statements. However, if he fears for his life, he will likely act. Indeed, there could be a final demonstration of his power. He will make a stand or lash out with vigor before he goes. His concealed stockpiles of chemical weapons might even allow him to strike any erstwhile allies with some effect.
Surely, Assad comprehends that Russia commands great power. However, Assad may also feel that there are limits to Putin’s ability to respond to his aggressive moves. Putin would be remiss not to explore whether that is Assad’s thinking. Assad may believe even now that as long as he has chemical weapons and has demonstrated a willingness to use them, he can deter the few allies he has from turning against him. People with the most absolute power in history have tried to hold on by their fingernails knowing when they let go, all will be gone. They have often self-destructed. Misused power is always built upon lies. Tyrannical figures redefine what exists into projections of their egos. There are no noble thoughts. They become wrapped up in themselves. Assad seems to find pleasure in what is evil. As time goes on, the more tragic he becomes as a figure.
Surely, Assad comprehends that Russia commands great power. However, Assad may also feel that there are limits to Putin’s ability to respond to his aggressive moves. Assad may believe that as long as he has and has demonstrated a willingness to use chemical weapons, he can deter the allies he has from turning against him. He could also use them in a final self-destructive act. Putin would be remiss not to consider that possibility.
In Act I, scene iv, of William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, Generals Macbeth and Banquo have already defeated two separate invading armies, from Ireland and Norway. Following that, they encounter three witches as they cross a moor. The witches prophecy that Macbeth will be made thane of Cawdor and eventually King of Scotland, and Banquo, will beget a line of Scottish kings. Once the witches vanish, Macbeth and Banquo speak skeptically of their prophecies. However, some of King Duncan’s men arrive to thank the generals for their victories and tell Macbeth, just as the witches prophesized, that he has been named thane of Cawdor. The previous thane was executed for betraying Scotland by fighting for the Norwegians. Arriving at King Duncan’s castle, Macbeth and Banquo profess their loyalty and gratitude toward him. King Duncan announces Malcolm will be named heir to his throne. Macbeth declares his joy but notes to himself that Malcolm, the Prince of Cumberland, stood between him and the crown the witches also said he would have. Standing aside, Macbeth says to himself: “The Prince of Cumberland! that is a step On which I must fall down, or else o’erleap, For in my way it lies. Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires: The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be, Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see.” Regarding the military strikes from the US, United Kingdom, and France, the most effective way for Assad to deal with the matter and maintain the status quo is accept that what happened, has happened, and no matter how upsetting it might be, it cannot be changed. Retribution is not a reasonable or rational option. Creating difficulties in Syria’s relationship with Russia by advancing the idea will only lead to additional problems does not need. Negative feedback from the Assad regime’s experience when it fought alone in Syria without Russia assistance may have helped convinced Assad not to make waves. Still, as the situation on the ground has changed somewhat with the US-led coalition’s efforts against ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other Islamic militant groups, he may feel that regime forces are in a better position to do more by themselves. Syrian elites and some average citizens may be welcoming, supportive of the Russian partnership and presence at the moment. However, after observing the effects of few months of rain and wind on the ruins of cities and towns, they may eventually recognize that Moscow cannot support “Useful Syria” in a way that would allow for its rebuilding. The situation would only worsen if pressure was placed on Russia over Syria through future sanctions.
If Assad continues launching chemical attacks, Russia will need to keep justifying his actions and its failure to control him. It may very well be that Putin has developed a negative outlook on Assad, particularly concerning his reliability and trustworthiness. Given Assad’s nature, perhaps Putin has foreseen that the time will come to wrap things up with him. Assad’s wrongs have been too big to successfully cover up using the usual public relations methods. His inadequacies have become stark. Russia is not dealing with a brush fires in Syria, but a serial arsonist in Assad. Syria exists in a condition that the Syrian people would not have too much difficulty moving forward and getting past Assad’s loss. They have been doing that for seven years now. They have faced one tragedy after another. Many Syrians may have been concerned about Assad’s safety after the April 13th military strikes. They only knew he was safe when they saw him on national television the next morning. If the Syrian people were to learn that Assad was gone, those outside of the regime’s good graces in Syria, those displaced, and those who live as refugees worldwide would likely roar and dance in celebration. Those in Useful Syria would be very likely be disappointed, distraught, and likely some in the North Mezzah and Ar Rabwah neighborhoods where he has resided, would be devastated. Still, the old, Assad, would be replaced by the new. With little choice otherwise, all Syrians would move on to the next phase. Omnia autem quae secundum naturam fiunt sunt habenda in bonis. (Whatever befalls in accordance with Nature [God’s will] should be accounted good.)
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Trump Backtracks on Cyber Unit With Russia: His Proposal Was Flawed, But His Thinking Is on Target
Posted on July 16, 2017 by greatcharlie
US President Donald Trump (above). Trump has engaged in negotiations for decades. In his face to face bilateral meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, Trump was allowed the chance to adjust to circumstances, become more fluid in his thinking, more creative in his approach. His proposal for a joint cyber security unit, while scoffed at, and albeit, not viable under US law, appeared to be a product of his willingness to consider the full range of options. Moreover, as a confidence building measure, it may have had a positive impact on Putin.
According to a July 10, 2017 New York Times article entitled, “Trump Backtracks on Cyber Unit With Russia After Harsh Criticism”, US President Donald Trump, on July 10, 2017, backtracked on his push for a cyber security unit with Russia, tweeting that he did not think it could happen, hours after his proposal was harshly criticized by Republicans who said Moscow could not be trusted. The New York Times article explained the idea was a political non-starter. It was immediately scorned by several of Trump’s fellow Republicans, who questioned why the US would work with Russia after Moscow’s reported meddling in the 2016 US Presidential Election. The episode over the proposal unfolded on July 9, 2017 after his bilateral meeting with Putin in Hamburg, Germany during the G-20 Economic Summit. Trump emphasised that he raised allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election with Putin. Reuters reported on July 9, 2017 that Trump stated: “I strongly pressed President Putin twice about Russian meddling in our election. He vehemently denied it. I’ve already given my opinion…..” As an immediate response to Putin’s denials on the matter, Trump then proposed forming a cyber security unit. According to Reuters on July 9, 2017, Trump wrote in the actual tweet about the cyber security unit: “Putin & I discussed forming an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded and safe.”
When Trump broached the the issue of the Russia’s hacking of the 2016 Presidential Election and his discussion with Putin apparently became a bit scratchy. Putin’s denial of the facts presented most likely signalled to Trump that he would be engaged in a argument without end on the hacking. Trump had to either move away from the issue or move laterally on it in some way. Surely, Trump did not want to abandon the matter. The proposal for a joint cyber security unit apparently stemmed from an intense discussion between Trump and Putin on how to remit Russian cyber warfare programs directed at the US and perhaps similar US programs aimed at Russia. It may have been the product of brainstorming by the two leaders. Trump’s proposal was never supposed to serve as a form retribution against Russia for its intrusions into the US democratic process. Surely, it was not created to be a final solution to the threat of hacking US election. Immediately after the bilateral meeting in Germany, it was revealed that forming such a joint cyber security unit with Russia was prohibited under US law. Yet, although creating an actual cyber security unit was out of bounds, the concept of bringing US and Russian cyber experts together in some way to talk about some cyber matters was not. Trump’s likely aim with the proposal was to create a situation in which US and Russian officials were talking about hacking. Ostensibly, those conversations would create goodwill, perhaps stimulate a more open discussion about the issue, and promote more fulsome, honest talks about the issue among senior officials. In that way, the proposal certainly would have served as an effective confidence building measure.
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines an apologist as a person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial. That is not the intent here. The OED defines an analyst as someone who conducts analyses. Foreign policy analysts scrutinize facts and data and interpret them, often in different ways. Given what is publicly known about Trump’s proposal for a joint US-Russian cyber security unit, the analysis here explains that although flawed, it is the sort of unconventional product that can result from intense negotiations aimed at coping with a seemingly intractable issue. The troublesome issue in this case is Russia’s intrusions into the 2016 US Presidential Election with all of its considerable security and political implications. It is also explained here that Trump’s proposal reveals a bit about his negotiating style. Trump clearly becomes target-oriented in his talks, and will make smaller agreements to build his interlocutor’s trust in him. From congruences Trump discerns in his interlocutor’s thinking and his own, he will try to craft a mutually satisfying agreement that, of course, ensures he will get what he wants. At this stage, Trump is still trying to get answers from Russia about the election issue and mollify the anxieties of various constituencies in the US over the negotiations, while hard at work trying to improve relations with Russia. Using his skills and experience, he seems to be swimming in the right direction. Audacibus annue coeptis. (Look with favor upon a bold beginning.)
Over the past decade, Russia has mounted more than a dozen significant cyber attacks against foreign countries, sometimes to help or harm a specific political candidate, sometimes to sow chaos, but always to project Russian power. From June 2015 to November 2016, Russian hackers penetrated Democratic Party computers in the US, and gained access to the personal emails of Democratic Party officials. Russian officials deny engaging in such operations. Russian officials almost never open up their covert intelligence efforts.
Russian Cyber Attacks during the 2016 US Presidential Election
As it was discussed in the July 6, 2017 greatcharlie post entitled “Trump to Meet with Putin at G-20 Gathering: Trump Seeks an Authentic Relationship with Russia”, over the past decade, Russia has mounted more than a dozen significant cyber attacks against foreign countries, sometimes to help or harm a specific political candidate, sometimes to sow chaos, but always to project Russian power. The Russian strategy is typically to pair cyber attacks with online propaganda. That approach has been refined and expanded by Russian intelligence. From June 2015 to November 2016, Russian hackers penetrated Democratic Party computers in the US, and gained access to the personal emails of Democratic officials, which in turn were distributed to the global media by WikiLeaks. Both the CIA and the FBI report the intrusions were intended to undermine the US election. Cyber gives Russia a usable strategic capability. If benefits from its use appear great enough, Moscow may want to risk additional attacks. Russian officials will normally vehemently deny launching cyber attacks. Russian officials almost never open up their covert intelligence operations. Putin has never publicly discussed them.
The report of the January 16, 2017 US Office of the Director of National Intelligence entitled, “Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Election” presents the best publicized assessment by the US Intelligence Community of the Russian cyber attack during the 2016 US Presidential Election. The Russian operation to influence the 2016 US Presidential Election demonstrated a marked escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of Moscow’s longstanding desire and effort to undermine the US-led liberal democratic order. US Intelligence Community assesses that Putin, himself, ordered the influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election. Russia’s objectives were: to undermine public faith in the US democratic process; to denigrate former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and, to harm her electability and potential presidency. The US Intelligence Community further assessed that Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for then President-elect Trump. In following, it also assessed Putin and the Russian Government aspired to aid President-elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him. The approach the Russia took to operation reportedly evolved over the course of the campaign given its understanding of the US electoral prospects of the two main candidates. The Intelligence Community concluded that once it appeared to Moscow that Clinton would likely win the election, the Russian operation began to focus more on undermining her future presidency. It was uncovered by Intelligence Community that the influence campaign followed a Russian messaging strategy that blended covert intelligence operations—such as cyber activity—with overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or “trolls.”
The Intelligence Community has declared that much as its Soviet predecessor, Russia has a history of conducting covert influence campaigns focused on US presidential elections, using Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Foreign Intelligence Service) or SVR intelligence officers and agents and press placements to disparage candidates perceived as hostile to the Kremlin. Russia’s intelligence services conducted cyber operations against targets associated with the 2016 US were Presidential Election, including targets associated with both major US political parties, were conducted by Russian intelligence services. The Intelligence Community assessed with high confidence that the Glavnoye Razvedyvatel’noye Upravleniye Generalnovo Shtaba (Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff-Military Intelligence) or GRU used the Guccifer 2.0 persona and DCLeaks.com to release US victim data collected in cyber operations publicly, in exclusives to media outlets, and transmitted material to WikiLeaks. Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards. US Department of Homeland Security assessments in the report explain that the types of systems Russian actors targeted or compromised were not involved in vote tallying. The Russia’s state-run propaganda machine Russia Today contributed to the influence campaign by serving as a platform for Kremlin messaging to Russian and international audiences. The US Intelligence Community concluded that Moscow will apply lessons learned from its “Putin-ordered campaign” directed at the 2016 US Presidential Election to future influence efforts worldwide, including against US allies and their election processes.
Testifying before the US Senate Intelligence Committee on June21, 2017, Jeanette Manfra, the US Department of Homeland Security’s acting deputy Undersecretary of Cyber Security revealed that 21 US state election systems were targeted as part of Russia’s wide-ranging operation to influence the 2016 elections. She explained that a small number state election systems were also breached but there was no evidence any votes were manipulated. Manfra noted that the elections are resilient to hacking in part because they are decentralized and largely operated on the state and local level. Nevertheless, the hacking of state and local election databases in 2016 was more extensive than previously reported. According to Time, there was at least one successful attempt to alter voter information. Reportedly in Illinois, more than 90% of the nearly 90,000 records stolen by Russian state actors contained driver’s’ license numbers, and a quarter contained the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers.
According to the US Intelligence Community, 21 US state election systems were targeted as part of Russia’s wide-ranging operation to influence the 2016 elections. A small number state election systems were also breached but there was no evidence any votes were manipulated. However, there was at least one successful attempt to alter voter information. In Illinois, more than 90% of the nearly 90,000 records stolen by Russian state actors contained driver’s license numbers, and a quarter contained the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers.
Reaching Agreements: Easier Said than Done
Before the Trump-Putin bilateral meeting, what had been observed in diplomatic exchanges between the US and Russia is a type of modus vivendi, a way of living, working together, between leaders and chief diplomats. After Putin granted US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a meeting in Moscow after his talks with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Trump granted Lavrov a meeting in Washington during a visit to meeting with Tillerson. It also indicated a willingness to establish a balance in negotiations or quid pro quo on issues when possible. US State Department and Russian Foreign Ministry officials are also working together to resolve nagging issues that could serve to harm efforts to foster good relations. Such seemingly small steps helped to build confidence in both Washington and Moscow that the prospect for change was real, and it lead to the arrangement of a meeting between presidents. Those small steps also supported an open line of communication between chief diplomats which is all importance as US and Russian military forces work in close proximity in Syria, fighting continues in Ukraine, and aerial and naval intrusions remain constant in skies and waters in NATO, Canadian and US territory. If all went well, there will certainly be more to follow.
All of that being stated, the successful formulation and execution of such small steps is a daunting in public. When Putin initially took power on January 1, 2000, the West expected him to give it nothing less than his unequivocal cooperation in a manner similar to his predecessor, Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin. Western capitals also expected Putin to be a bit wobbly taking on so much responsibility at a relatively early age. Yet, Putin knew his shoulders could bear the burden. He had no desire to be just a man of the moment in Russia. Much as Yeltsin, Putin, too, showed patience toward the West for a while, but he did not procrastinate. He took on the mission of breathing fresh breath into a country that was dying. He pushed ahead with plans “to save” Russia from disintegration and frustrate what he sensed were Western efforts to weaken it. Indeed, Putin did not believe congenial relations with the West were authentic given the many years of geopolitical struggle. Putin believed then, and believes now, that the greatest danger to Russia comes from the West. He believes Western governments are driven to create disorder in Russia and make it dependent of Western technologies. Still, Putin has shown that would prefer to outthink his rivals in the West rather than fight them. That notion has influenced his responses in contentious situations. After the period of a term away from the presidency during which he served as his country’s prime minister, Putin was reelected for a third term on March 4, 2012. He clased repeatedly with US President Barack Obama and seemed to act more aggressively. The Russian military move that stood out was the annexation of the Crimea.
The US and EU took Putin to task for that bold military operation. Harsh sanctions were levied and Russia was cast out of the Group of 8 industrialized democracies. Putin has held on to the territory and has continued to do so in the face of even tougher sanctions against Russian interests. He levied his own sanctions against US and EU products and even began heavily supporting separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine. In a March 18, 2014 speech declaring Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Putin vented his anger at the US and EU, enumerating some Western actions that fostered contempt in Moscow. He mentioned: Russia’s economic collapse, which many Russians recall was worsened by destructive advice and false philanthropy of Western business and economic experts that did more to cripple their country; the expansion of NATO to include members of the Soviet Union’s own alliance, the Warsaw Pact; the erroneous Russian decision to agree to the treaty limiting conventional forces in Europe, which he refers to as the “colonial treaty”; the West’s dismissal of Russia’s interests in Serbia and elsewhere; attempts to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO and the EU; and, Western efforts to instruct Russia on how to conduct its affairs domestically and internationally. Ulterius ne tende odiis. (Go no further down the road of hatred.)
Given the many years of geopolitical struggle, Putin was unconvinced congenial relations between Russia and the West could exist authentically. He believed the greatest danger to Russia comes from the West. After Putin was reelected for a third term, he clashed repeatedly with US President Barack Obama. Putin became more aggressive; took more military action. After traveling a bumpy road with the Obama administration, Moscow hoped Trump’s approach to Russia in any direction would reflect the desire not just for new deals, but a new US-Russia relationship.
Trump’s Negotiating Style: It’s Similar to the “Harvard Way”
Parva scintilla saepe magnam flamam excitat. (The sparkle often initiates a large flame.) Given Trump’s gift for agile maneuver against opposite parties in negotiations and his ability to mask his approach, if he chooses to do so, his decisions cannot be forecasted with exactitude. Trump, a self-admitted master of the art of the deal. His negotiating “tactics, techniques, procedures and methods” Trump appears to have used that were likely developed a tad via his graduate business education at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania along with heavy dose of experience gained after nearly five decades of business negotiations. His concepts appear similar to those promoted by Harvard University’s Program on Negotiation. Such concepts ostensibly guided him in his first “business meeting” with Putin. They include the following: promoting creativity by breaking problems into smaller components; by doing so, you can build a multi-issue business negotiation out of what might appear to be a single-issue deal; using multiple issues to make valuable tradeoffs and facilitate a good-faith negotiation; collecting important information by asking lots of questions and listening carefully to the answers; impressing the other side with your flexibility by putting forth several different proposals at the same time; contemplate unconventional deal-structuring arrangements to bridge the gap between what the seller wants and what the buyer can afford; exploring a contingent contract to help overcome differences in beliefs about future events and outcomes; creating even more value in business negotiations by adding conditions to your deal such as “I’ll do X if you do Y”; and, engaging in “mind games” like brainstorming to facilitate creative problem solving and unexpected solutions.
Trump surely had high hopes before and during his meeting with Putin. He likely would argue then, and would argue now, that bold action, when appropriate, would be the very thing to turn situations around. Ideally, if big agreements were reached, they could help modify Russian behavior, and get relations moving forward. Yet, Trump is also pragmatic and recognizes that plans must fit circumstances and circumstances cannot be created or imagined to fit plans. Trump understood that there would likely need to be initial, relatively small steps perhaps to unlock the diplomatic process on big issues. He would also seek to gauge actions and reactions of his interlocutor, Putin. If he discerned a positive way forward, his sense of possibility would broaden and he would open his mind up to more options. When Trump broached the issue of Russian cyber attacks and eventually presented his proposal, his goal was not to mollify Putin, but rather provide an opportunity for all sides to “clear the air” on the issue of Russia’s hacking of 2016 US Presidential Election but he was unable to receive anything other than denials. Trump is not happy about Russia’s interference with the 2016 Presidential Election both as a patriotic citizen and as a candidate in that election. He may not completely agree that Russia’s action greatly impacted his election victory, but he recognizes that the aesthetics of the intrusion over time could diminish his accomplishment in some minds, particularly among his supporters. Trump understood Putin would likely deny Russia had any connection to the election intrusion, but he undoubtedly believed it was worth a try to have him confirm what most in the US believe.
As Trump and Putin did not have a relationship established prior to the meeting, they did not possess the requisite degree of trust that would allow them to relax and explore the territory outside their formal negotiating positions. They could not talk about their assumptions, strategies, and even fears. They had to work in the abstract from reports of others’ observations and analyses about their respective interlocutors.
The ability of Trump in his negotiations with Putin, to restrain the expression of emotion, in this case anger, perhaps even rage, and not to publish to the world by changes of countenance those thoughts and feelings, was critical if relations were to move forward. To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to recreate oneself endlessly. Admitting errors, missteps, is a sign of maturity and wisdom. One evolves as a result of recognizing ones mistakes. The mature one has moved from the passive voice to the active voice–that is when one stops saying, “It got lost” and begins saying, “I lost it.” The bilateral meeting between Trump and Putin was a promising moment in relations between the US and Russia. In an advanced, mature way of thinking, a presidential way of thinking in 2017, Trump sought some temporary step on the issue of Russia’s intrusion into the 2016 US Presidential Election by taking into consideration the relative strengths of the positions and capabilities of all sides. Trump understands the peace that can be achieved must be the focus. The focus must not be how much each side can destroy the other through cyber warfare but rather how to end cyber as a mutual threat. One cannot solve a problem with the same thinking one used when one created the problem. Mens sibi conscia recti. (A mind conscious of its own rectitude.)
The Flawed Cyber Proposal: A Telling Product of the Negotiation Process
Six building blocks for diplomatic negotiations were superbly outlined by the renowned US statesman, former US Secretary of State James Baker over a decade ago. Baker explained that the building blocks worked well when properly applied through solid preparation and hard work. The building blocks included: 1) Understanding an opponent’s position; 2) Gaining trust through personal relationships; 3) Reciprocal confidence building; 4) Taking a pragmatic approach that does not sacrifice principles; 5) Being aware of timing; and 6) Maintaining a deep respect for the politics of the situation.
As Trump and Putin did not have a relationship established prior to the meeting, they did not possess the requisite degree of trust that would allow them to relax and explore the territory outside their formal negotiating positions. They could not talk about their assumptions, strategies, and even fears. They had to work in the abstract from reports that presented observations and analyses of others about their respective interlocutors. With specific regard to reciprocal confidence building, both leaders demonstrated that they could negotiate. Baker suggested that at the earliest stage, one could arrange a series small negotiations on issues that could be resolved quickly, reasonably, and amicably to assist in developing a dialogue. Baker explained that finding even a minor, common point of agreement, for example on the shape of the negotiating table, can serve to set the tone of the relationship. It also helps develop a dialogue, which is one of the most important aspects of negotiations.
Former US Secretary of State James Baker (above). Six excellent building blocks for diplomatic negotiations were outlined by former US Secretary of State James Baker over a decade ago. Baker explained that they worked well when properly applied through solid preparation and hard work. Included among them were: 1) Understanding an opponent’s position; 2) Gaining trust through personal relationships; 3) Reciprocal confidence building; 4) Taking a pragmatic approach that does not sacrifice principles; 5) Being aware of timing; and 6) Maintaining a deep respect for the politics of the situation.
Confidence Building Measures: In Brief
Perhaps the best definition for confidence building measures was provided by Simon Mason and Siegfried Matthias, in their seminal article, “Confidence Building Measures (CBMS) in Peace Processes” published in Managing Peace Processes: Process Related Questions. A Handbook for AU Practitioners, Volume 1 (African Union and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, 2013). They define confidence building measures as series of actions that are negotiated, agreed, and implemented by parties in a dispute in order to build confidence without specifically focusing on the root causes of the dispute.
Confidence building measures are designed to build confidence. Confidence is a psychological state, whereby actors make themselves vulnerable and ready to take risks based on the expectation of goodwill and positive behavior from a counterpart. Confidence building measures can prevent a dispute or larger problem from escalating even if the negotiating process is to be started in the short term. Preventing escalation has value in itself and may also allow the negotiation process to begin again later on. Mason and Matthias intriguingly note that confidence building measures can prevent parties from escalating even when there is a denial of any problems or tensions that could escalate. Successful negotiations require risk taking by the parties. That is why a minimum degree of confidence is needed for negotiations to even start. For negotiating parties, confidence building measures are attractive because they are seen as a low-cost and low-risk activities, since they can be implemented with limited resources and calculated risks. The negotiating parties, themselves, must craft confidence building measures to fit their specific case. If not, what is agreed to will not be owned by the parties, and will not serve to build trust. Confidence building measures must also be reciprocal in nature. One party should not feel that it is going out on a limb without the other also doing so. To assist in ensuring confidence is sustained and agreements are appropriately implemented, confidence building measures concerning communication should be put in place.
In an incremental approach to confidence building measures, a series of agreements are used to slowly tackle the more difficult core issues later on. Under this approach, confidence building measures become stepping stones or a pathway to greater agreements. Indeed, agreements on confidence building measures early on generally build trust and interest in negotiating more complex agreements at a later stage. In this sense, confidence building measures create opportunities for parties to collaborate on something that is not strategically important to them and, in so doing, build the trust needed to subsequently discuss important strategic issues. Confidence building measures pull parties away from the obstacle they are blocked on. Once confidence exists, it is then easier to address the obstacles. Mason and Matthias use the metaphor of steps of a ladder also highlights the incremental nature of building trust which takes time and an accumulation of small steps. That is referred to by some as the confidence building process.
Mason and Matthias caution parties negotiating confidence building measures that wider constituencies may view a negotiation process with suspicion before, during, and after negotiations, and may not be willing to accept deals made. Individuals from those constituencies typically will not be present at the negotiation or understand how agreements were arrived at. Plans for responding to the wider constituencies’ concerns must be considered. A mutual understanding that one party made need to break away from a confidence building measure must exist. An agreement could be negotiated that allows the parties an amount of time in which they could communicate to one another about the need to break away from a confidence building measure. Working together on such a matter in itself could build confidence, create some degree of trust.
US military personnel in Cyber Command (above). There is no doubt with regard to the legal barriers to Trump’s proposal for a joint US-Russian cyber security unit. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the US Department of Defense, which is the parent organization of the US National Security Agency and the US Cyber Command, from using any funds for bilateral military cooperation with Russia. However, the mere fact that Trump offered to work jointly with Russia to sort out a cyber matter, and thought of creating an organization for that, seems to have had a positive impact on Putin.
Even though Trump’s proposal for a joint US-Russian cyber security unit was flawed, the dialogue among US and Russian cyber experts that might have resulted from it could have helped to develop a mutual understanding about the harmful effects of cyber activities and potential consequences, to include proportional asymmetric responses. Experts from the US side in any hypothetical liaison team would have likely been very experienced, highly qualified US personnel from the US National Security Agency and Cyber Command, and perhaps the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State, the primary US agency most major cyber negotiations. They might have caused Russia to halt its cyber operations against the US by helping to establish a modus vivendi, or way both countries could live together while possessing this significant strategic capability. One could speculate even further that talks may have even resulted in the very near-term suspension of any cyber attacks underway, or a reduction in the intensity or tempo of such attacks that have been sourced to Russia and perhaps some that have not as yet been identified as such. Trump’s proposal, encouraging talks, although flawed legally, ideally could have inspired both countries to move forward toward a greater agreement.
A Bad Reaction
As it was explained earlier, wider constituencies represented by negotiating parties may view the process with suspicion. In that vein, political allies and adversaries alike in the US rejected Trump’s proposal for a joint cyber security unit. There was an immediate rebuff from several Republicans, who questioned why the US would work at all with Russia after Moscow’s alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican, stated on the US Sunday morning news program “Meet the Press”: “It’s not the dumbest idea I have ever heard but it’s pretty close.” On Twitter, US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a Republican, immediately criticized Trump’s cyber proposal. Rubio wrote: “While reality and pragmatism requires that we engage Vladimir Putin, he will never be ally or reliable constructive partner.” He further stated: “Partnering with Putin on a ‘Cyber Security Unit’ is akin to partnering with [Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-] Assad on a “Chemical Weapons Unit.” US Senator John McCain of Arizona, a Republican who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, recognized Trump’s desire to move forward with Russia. However , McCain further explained on the US Sunday morning talk show “Face the Nation”: “There has to be a price to pay.” McCain went on to state: “Vladimir Putin … got away with literally trying to change the outcome … of our election.” He also added: “There has been no penalty.” US Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told CNN’s Sunday morning program, “State of the Union”, that Russia could not be a credible partner in a cyber security unit. Schiff stated: “If that’s our best election defense, we might as well just mail our ballot boxes to Moscow,” Schiff added. A former US Secretary of Defense in the administration of US President Barack Obama, Ashton Carter, told CNN: “This is like the guy who robbed your house proposing a working group on burglary.”
There is no doubt with regard to the legal barriers to Trump’s proposal for a joint US-Russian cyber security unit. The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the US Department of Defense, which is the parent organization of the US National Security Agency and the US Cyber Command, from using any funds for bilateral military cooperation with Russia. The purpose of the law is avoid providing Moscow with insight into US cyber capabilities. In the US, it has been long-believed that Moscow is averse to revealing any of its cyber capabilities.
Multiple proposals will be presented in the process of improving US-Russian relations. Trump’s cyber proposal was one of many tabled by him during his bilateral meeting with Putin. As Trump tweeted, success was achieved in other areas. For example, Trump and Putin agreed over a ceasefire for southwest Syria that was set to begin on midday, July 9, 2017. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said it showed the US and Russia were able to work together in Syria and that they would continue to do so.
Dumping the Cyber Security Unit Proposal
It was only hours after Trump’s proposal for the joint US-Russian cyber security unit was harshly criticized by Republicans who said Moscow could not be trusted that he backtracked on it. He tweeted: “The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn’t mean I think it can happen. It can’t.”
Even without being implemented, the fact that Trump offered to work jointly with Russia to sort out a cyber matter, and thought of creating an organization to do so, may have had a positive impact on Putin’s thinking. Putin can choose cautious cooperation or subterfuge, which many in foreign policy circles would call his penchant. In his dealings with Trump, it seems to some degree Putin has chosen cooperation. Indeed, it must be noted that Putin discussed Trump’s proposal and was apparently open to some type of interaction between cyber experts of both countries. Recall also that Trump initially tweeted that Putin entertained the proposal. As Putin has the final say on all foreign policy matters in Russia, he established that Russia at the moment has an interest in reaching an understanding on cyber. Trump’s July 7, 2017 cyber proposal is dead. However, as the process of building relations between the US and Russia, there is a real chance that a new, better crafted proposal on cyber, within bounds legally, may surface, perhaps even from Moscow. Only time will tell.
Multiple proposals will be presented in the process of improving US-Russian relations. Trump’s cyber proposal was one of many tabled by him during his bilateral meeting with Putin. As Trump tweeted, success was achieved in other areas For example, Trump and Putin agreed over a ceasefire for southwest Syria that started on midday, July 9, 2017. Tillerson said it showed the US and Russia were able to work together in Syria and that they would continue to do so. Tillerson announced some key understandings brokered in the meeting amounted to success. He explained: “We had a very lengthy discussion regarding other areas in Syria that we can continue to work together on to de-escalate the areas and the violence, once we defeat ISIS.” Tillerson also said the US and Russia would “work together towards a political process that will secure the future of the Syrian people.”
In William Shakespeare’s play, The Third Part of King Henry the Sixth, while King Henry away from the throne, the Duke of York, urged by Warwick, sat on it. Just then, Henry arrives with followers. Henry tells York to step away, but York announces an alleged claim to the crown against the King’s hereditary possession. Henry convinces York to wait to be crowned after he dies. Henry’s nobles are astonished that he disinherited his own son. Queen Margaret arrives and is struck by the news. York, at home, is convinced by Richard’s sons Edward and Richard, and his follower Montague to take the throne right away. A war for succession ensues. After several horrific battles, the opposing sides massed for a final engagement. In Act V, Scene iv of the play, Margaret leading Henry’s supporters gives a final stirring speech, summoning courage and the fighting spirit. On the plains near Teaksbury she states: “Great lords, wise men ne’er sit and wail their loss, but cheerly seek how to redress their harms. What though the mast be now blown overboard, the cable broke, the holding-anchor lost and half our sailors swallow’d in the flood? Yet lives our pilot still. Is’t meet that he should leave the helm and like a fearful lad with tearful eyes add water to the sea and give more strength to that which hath too much, whiles, in his moan, the ship splits on the rock, which industry and courage might have saved? Ah, what a shame! Ah, what a fault were this!” As Trump engages in efforts to improve relations with Putin and Russia, his opponents and a few fellow Republicans seem to feel the US is staring into a dangerous, dark abyss. They place little faith in Trump, and no trust or hope in Putin. Conversely, Trump, in thinking about the potential for improving relations, likely conjures panoramic views of endless vistas. While Trump’s critics would associate the disturbing sound of a dissonant flute with Trump’s effort to rebuild relations with Russia, Trump seeks to create a harmony between the US and Russia that even Johann Sebastian Bach would find sublime. The entire matter seems to enthral him. He remains optimistic and is pushing ahead in the face of considerable obstacles, the majority of which are actually unrelated to his efforts with Putin.
Trump has engaged in negotiations for decades. In his face to face bilateral meeting with Putin, Trump was allowed the chance to adjust to circumstances, become more fluid in his thinking, and more creative in his approach. Trump’s sense of possibilities was broadened. His proposal for a joint cyber security unit, while scoffed at, and, albeit, not viable under US law, undoubtedly resulted from his willingness to consider the full range of options. As a confidence building measure, it may very well have had a positive impact on Putin’s thinking without even being implemented. Reports about the actual Trump-Putin meeting indicate both leaders had a good sense of one another’s positions but they also sought find out more about one another’s approaches. By doing so, both provided themselves with a better chance of reaching a successful conclusion. Both were attentive to how the other perceived issues, no matter alien that view may have been to their own. They noticed patterns of behavior, some perhaps influenced by history and culture, and recognized political constraints the other faced. Both Trump and Putin tried to crawl into one another’s shoes. As time moves on, that effort may very well assist the two leaders in building a relations that will facilitate the building of ties between the US and Russia. Durate, et vosmet rebus servate secundis. (Endure, and keep yourselves for days of happiness.)
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Trump to Meet With Putin at G-20 Gathering: Trump Seeks an Authentic Relationship with Russia
Posted on July 6, 2017 by greatcharlie
US President Donald Trump (above). On July 7, 2017 at the Group of 20 economic summit meeting in Hamburg, Trump will have a bilateral meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. Finding a way to establish an authentic, positive relationship with Russia is a struggle US administrations have engaged in for decades. Trump feels he can find the solution.Trump does not want to settle on a long-term stand-off in which peace, particularly in Europe, remains at risk. He believes the US and Russia can be good neighbors on the same planet.
According to a June 29, 2017 New York Times article entitled, “Trump to Meet With Putin at G-20 Gathering Next Week,” it was formally announced by US National Security Adviser US Army Lieutenant General H.R McMaster that US President Donald Trump would meet Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on July 7, 2017 on the sidelines of the Group of 20 economic summit meeting in Hamburg, Germany. The article noted that the meeting would be the first between the two since Trump took office and would be the focal point of his second international trip. However, a subsequent July 5, 2017 New York Times article explained that a day before Trump was to leave Washington, the White House announced that the meeting with Putin would be a formal bilateral discussion, rather than a quick pull-aside at the economic summit that some had expected. The July 5th New York Times article went on to explain that the bilateral format benefitted both Trump and Putin. It called Putin a canny one-on-one operator who once brought a Labrador to a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel because he knew she was afraid of dogs. The article proffered Trump’s aides sought structure and predictability, and hoped that a formal meeting, with aides present and an agenda, will leave less room for improvisation and put the focus on pressing policy concerns that Trump is eager to address.
Ignis aurum probat, miseria fortes viros. (Fire provides proof of gold, misery, proof of strong men.) Both Trump and Putin clearly believe the moment to create positive change in US-Russia relations is now. In the face of all the opprobrium, both have shown a new determination to get on with making things right between the two countries. Trump plans to triumph over his skeptics, putting no power in their words. Of course, that process of building relations between their countries will take time. Still, each step brings the two sides closer together and improving one’s understanding of the other. The bilateral talks with Russia at the Group of 20 economic summit will mark a point of flexure in communications between the US and Russia. Finding a way to establish an authentic, positive relationship with Russia is a struggle US administrations have engaged in for a couple of decades. Trump feels he can find the solution. True, the meeting between Trump and Putin will unlikely be a catalytic moment when opponents of Trump, political or otherwise, will see the method in his madness and appreciate his accomplishment. Moreover, when Russia behaves in ways that tear others from peace, it must still face consequences. However, Trump’s efforts evince his desire not to isolate Russia, or allow engagement with it to fall off. He does not want to settle on a long-term stand-off in which peace, particularly in Europe, remains at risk. He believes the US and Russia can be good neighbors on the same planet. For this he should hardly be faulted. Pars magna bonitatis est veile fieri bonum. (Much of goodness consists in wanting to be good.)
US President Barack Obama and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (above). The Obama administration’s actions and reactions to Putin obscured what was already a difficult path to travel. The Obama administration never put together the right recipe for working well with Putin. When Putin began his third term as Russia’s president on May 7, 2012, the Obama administration responded to him as if he were a neophyte and not a seasoned national leader. A war of words and rebuffs emerged between Washington and Moscow.
Background on US and Russia Relations
Infandum, regina, jubes renovare dolorem. (Sorrow too deep to tell, your majesty, you order me to feel and tell once more.) The Obama administration’s actions and reactions to Russia did much to further pollute and obscure what was already a difficult path to travel. The Obama administration never put together the right recipe for working well with Putin. When Putin began his third term as Russia’s president on May 7, 2012, the Obama administration responded to him as if he were a neophyte and not a seasoned national leader. Old ills that were part of US-Russian relations resurfaced, and new ones arose, to include: Putin’s decision to allow US National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden to reside in Russia; ongoing espionage efforts between Russia and the US, including the activities of Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Foreign Intelligence Service) or SVR officer Anna Chapman and other Russian “illegals” captured by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2010, and the allegations of US spying on Russia revealed by Snowden and Wikileaks; and the US admonishment of Russia on human rights issues. Putin was still fuming over Operation Unified Protector, during which in 2011, multinational forces including the US, were placed under NATO command and imposed a no-fly zone and destroyed government forces loyal to then-Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi. Putin felt NATO-led forces went beyond UN Security Council Resolution 1973’s mandate by helping local forces overthrow Gaddafi. Gaddafi had been a friend of the Soviet Union and Russia.
Perhaps the administration did not fully grasp just how poorly things were going with Putin. The Obama administration was confident enough to push agendas for nuclear arms reductions with Russia and the expansion of the EU and NATO just as the administration of US President George W. Bush had. Obama administration officials referred to the effort to attain further nuclear arms cuts before leaving office as a “signature effort.” The reduction of nuclear forces and reductions in conventional forces have been issues US and Russian leaders have dealt with for decades, but Obama was not going to resolve any nuclear issues with Putin. Russia’s strategic nuclear forces are not a mere policy issue or bargaining chip for Putin, but a means of survival for Russia. Putin had no intentions of acceding to proposals for deep cuts in its nuclear arsenal repeatedly sent to Moscow by the administration. The insistence of Obama administration officials to take such an aggressive approach in talks with Russia more than anything served to disrupt the US-Russia relationship. Efforts by US officials diplomats and officials to threaten and cajole, as Moscow perceived talks, were more than just displays of a lack of diplomatic tact and maturity, they were viewed as threatening. Relations with Putin and Russia fell to a very low point when the Obama administration cancelled a September summit meeting between Obama and Putin in 2013. The cancellation was in retaliation over Putin’s decision to reject the administration’s nuclear proposals. Administration officials lamented that Putin’s decision ended the president’s “signature effort to transform Russian-American relations and potentially dooming his aspirations for further nuclear arms cuts before leaving office.”
A spate of public rebuffs to Putin sullied ties further. The next year, during preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, there was a constant drum beat of doubt expressed by US security experts on the capability of the Russian security services to protect Sochi from terrorism. A leader’s public declaration of his decision not to attend has practically been a tradition among US and Russian leaders during a period of disagreement in international affairs. In addition to the Olympics, Obama would later decide not to attend the 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s surrender to the Allies, ending World War II in Europe. The celebration, hosted by Putin, was a time to recall the legacy of cooperation established during the war and a real example of what US-Russian cooperation could be in a common cause. It offered a chance for Obama to privately address his dispute with Putin. It was the best time for him to say that as with the alliance between their countries in World War II, relations between their countries now were important, bigger than both of them. Attending would have required Obama, as Rudyard Kipling would say, to “bite the bullet,” in terms of personal pride, but not in terms of his role as US president. By being absent, that day became one more reminder of the two leaders differences and their uncongenial relationship. A war of words between US and Russian officials was also problematic. Words of anger, mockery, hate, and aggression, do damage that is often difficult to repair. In the last days of his presidency, Obama ordered the expulsion of 35 Russian suspected spies and imposed sanctions on two Russian intelligence agencies over their involvement in hacking U.S. political groups in the 2016 election.
All of this and more has made for a very rocky road for the Trump administration to travel. Initially, Moscow took the view that the Trump administration’s approach to Russia in any direction must reflect the desire to forge a new relationship, not just hammer out a deal. However, in the nascent days of the Trump administration, Moscow faced the predicament of not having a formal articulation of US foreign policy and immediate approaches from the Trump White House or State Department from which it could work, Moscow’s policy decisions concerning the US were based on assessments developed from the abstract by Russian foreign policy analysts of the Trump administration’s most likely Syria policy or greater Middle East policy. If anything,, Russian analysts might have gleaned and constructed his likely key foreign and national security policy concepts on which his decisions might be based from what Trump has stated. Even without a formal articulation of policy, The Trump administration has tried to be reasonable in its approach to Russia.
Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (right). A decisive point in US-Russian relations came when Tillerson went into Russia on April 12, 2017 to talk with Putin and Lavrov. A significant achievement of those talks was an agreement to establish a working group of US State Department and Russian Federation Foreign Ministry officials charged with addressing smaller issues, which Lavrov called “irritants.” That has allowed Tillerson and Lavrov a freer hand to make progress in stabilizing relations.
The decisive point in relations between the Trump administration and Russia came when Tillerson went into Russia on April 12, 2017 to express concerns over the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons and Moscow’s continued insouciance toward Assad’s actions against his own people, non combatants. He wanted to learn firsthand the rationale behind Moscow’s willingness to endure international ridicule and rebuke in response to its friendship with the Assad regime, and what might prompt a decision to end that era. The Kremlin’s attitude toward the situation was manifested by the games played by the Russians before the meetings. For hours after Tillerson’s arrival in Moscow, it was uncertain if Putin would even meet with him because of the tense state of relations. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, held out the possibility of a meeting once Tillerson arrived, saying any meeting would depend on the nature of Tillerson’s talks at the Foreign Ministry. Tillerson, unfazed by any of those developments, went forward with his meeting Lavrov, the metronome of Russian foreign policy and diplomacy. The meeting lasted for three hours. Tillerson eventually got the call to come meet with Putin, and left the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for Red Square around 5:00PM local time. That meeting lasted for two hours. A significant achievement of those talks was an agreement to establish a working group of US State Department and Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials charged with addressing smaller issues, which Lavrov called “irritants which have dogged our relations over the last couple of years,” and make progress toward stabilizing the relationship. That would allow Tillerson and Lavrov a freer hand to address urgent issues. They agreed to consider further proposals concerning the way forward in Syria; the respective allies and coalition partners of both countries would be consulted on the matter. There would be continued discussions directed at finding a solution to the Syrian conflict. Lavrov said Putin had agreed to reactivate an air-safety agreement, a de-confliction memorandum, concerning Russian Federation and US-led coalition air operations over Syria. Moscow suspended it after the US cruise missile strikes.
On June 18, 2017, a US FA-18 fighter (as above) shot down a Syrian Arab Army Su-22 fighter over Raqqa. After Russia said it would terminate deconfliction activity over the shoot down, Lavrov and Tillerson quelled the matter. Lavrov urged Tillerson to use his influence to prevent “provocations” against Syrian government forces in the conflict. The incident evinced how fickle Russia can be over cooperation. Joint activity can be held hostage to Moscow’s reactions to events. Cooperation must be established with protocols or a modus vivendi.
Is This Is the Moment?
Both Trump and Putin understand that the process of building a new US-Russia relationship will take time. Yet, Trump left little doubt that he is eager to meet Putin when the two visit Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit on June 7-8, 2017. Trump’s positive thinking has appeared to broaden his sense of possibility and open his mind up to more options. Trump and some others within his administration sense a great opportunity is being presented by his meeting with Putin and sought from the start to establish a full bilateral meeting. Trump wanted media access and all the typical protocol associated with such sessions. It was allegedly leaked to the US newsmedia that other officials at the State Department and National Security Counci sought to pared down that idea, recommending instead that Trump engage in a brief, informal “pull-aside” on the sidelines of the summit, or that the US and Russian delegations hold “strategic stability talks,” which would not include the presidents. In the end, Trump got what he wanted, a bilateral meeting with the Russians, formally organized. Trump and Putin talked informally by phone. During a May 2, 2017 phone conversation, they agreed to speed up diplomatic efforts designed to end the war in Syria. The White House described the phone call between the two leaders as a “very good one” and said they discussed the possibility of forming safe zones to shelter civilians fleeing the conflict. The US also agreed to send representatives to cease-fire talks the following month. Reportedly, Trump and Putin “agreed that the suffering in Syria has gone on for far too long and that all parties must do all they can to end the violence,” the White House said. It was their first conversation since the US launched a barrage of cruise missiles at a Syrian air base last month in response to a chemical attack that the Trump administration has said was carried out by Syrian forces. It was during the same phone conversation that Putin reportedly offered an olive branch to Trump: Both chief diplomats spoke then about arranging a meeting tied to a Group of 20 summit meeting in Germany this summer, the Kremlin said, according to the Russia-based Interfax news agency.
Both Trump and Putin understand that the process building a new US-Russia relationship will take time.Trump left little doubt that he is eager to meet Putin when the two visit Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 summit on June 7-8, 2017. Trump’s positive thinking has appeared to broaden his sense of possibility and open his mind up to more options. Trump senses he has been presented with a great opportunity. He seized that chance to establish a full bilateral meeting with hope of accomplishing a few things.
Following a May 11, 2017 meeting between Trump and Lavrov at the White House, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on first face, expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for an improvement in U.S.-Russian, saying: “The conversation itself is extremely positive.” He further explained: “We have a lot of work ahead of us.” Progress seemed to have been derailed when on June 18, 2017, a US FA-18E Super Hornet fighter shot down a Syrian Arab Army Su-22 fighter in the southern Raqqa countryside, with Washington saying the jet had dropped bombs near US-led Coalition-friendly forces in Tabqh. On several occasions in weeks before, US-led Coalition fighter jets also struck pro-government forces to prevent them advancing from a U.S.-controlled garrison in southeastern Syria at a spot where the country’s borders join with Iraq and Jordan. By telephone on May 11, 2017, Lavrov and Tillerson discussed the need to cement the ceasefire regime in Syria, in particular on the basis of peace talks conducted in the Kazakh capital Astana. The Russian Federation Foreign Ministry explained Lavrov had urged Tillerson to use his influence to prevent “provocations” against Syrian government forces in the conflict. Lavrov and Tillerson agreed to continue contacts, particularly with regard to their bilateral agenda.
Putin would eventually fully express his own views on possible face-to-face meeting with Trump. In a call in program, “Direct Line with Vladimir Putin” that was broadcast on June15, 2017, Putin offered relatively anodyne statements about the Trump administration and a possible meeting with Trump. It was a big change from the aggressive statements of the past. It seemed that Putin was no longer nursing any wounds resulting from his combative relationship Obama. During the program, Putin responded to a question about engagement with the US on Syria as follows: “On the Syrian problem and the Middle East in general, it is clear to all that no progress will be made without joint constructive work. We hope greatly too for the United States’ constructive role in settling the crisis in southeast Ukraine. A constructive role, as I said. We see then that there are many areas in which we must work together, but this depends not only on us. We see what is happening in the United States today. I have said before and say again now that this is clearly a sign of an increasingly intense domestic political struggle, and there is nothing that we can do here. We cannot influence this process. But we are ready for constructive dialogue.” Putin continued by acknowledging that there were “areas in which we can work together with the United States. This includes, above all, control over non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We are the biggest nuclear powers and so our cooperation in this area is absolutely natural. This is an area of crucial importance and concerns not just the North Korean issue but other regions too.” The call-in program was meant for Russian viewers, however, Putin, seeking to reach international viewers, turned suddenly to the subjects of the Paris Agreement on climate change and poverty, tying them to US-Russian relations and insinuating that he would garner Trump’s cooperation on those issues. Putin explained: “Then there is the fight against poverty, fighting environmental damage and so on. We know the position the current US administration has taken on the Paris Agreement, but President Trump is not rejecting discussion on the issue. Cursing and trading barbs and insults with the US administration would be the worst road to take because we would reach no agreement at all in this case, but it makes no sense to seek agreements without the US, which is one of the biggest emitter countries. We must work together to fight poverty in the world. The number of people earning a minimum income has increased in Russia, but there is a disastrous situation in many parts of the world, and this is one of the sources of radicalism and terrorism, this poverty around the world, and we must decide together how to address this problem. Here, we must work with our other partners too, work with China, India and Europe.”
The aesthetics of Putin’s words on Russian television, welcoming interaction with Trump and expressing to the Russian public that he highly desired such talks, were astounding. Putin’s modus operandi in any exchange is to ensure he is the last man standing. So far, that has not been the case here. The change in temperament and dialogue perhaps evinces that the desire for positive change in relations among Putin and his cabinet is analogous, mutatis mutandis, with that of the Trump and his administration.
The aesthetics of Putin’s words welcoming interaction with Trump and expressing to the Russian public that he highly desired such talks, were astounding. Putin’s modus operandi in any exchange is to ensure he is the last man standing. So far, that has not been the case here. The change in temperament and dialogue perhaps evinces that the desire for positive change in relations among Putin and his cabinet is analogous, mutatis mutandis, with that of the Trump and his administration. Trump’s positive thinking has appeared to broaden his sense of possibility and open his mind up to more options. Indeed, constructive, successful talks with Putin will allow Trump adjust to circumstances and perhaps become more fluid, more creative in his approach. It will certainly further diplomatic contacts between the US with Russia.
Summit Discussion Topics: A Few Samples (A Few Guesses)
Speaking initially about the planned meeting, McMaster expressed the president’s concept behind his effort which is to establish better relations with Russia by stating: “As the president has made clear, he’d like the United States and the entire West to develop a more constructive relationship with Russia but he has also made clear that we will do what is necessary to confront Russia’s destabilizing behavior.” Former Obama administration officials have offered their opinions about the Trump-Putin meeting. Among the more prominent were comments by Obama’s chief Russia specialist at the National Security Council in 2009 and his Ambassador to the Russian Federation Michael McFaul, in the familiar vein of seeking confrontation with Russia, told the New York Times that the meeting was a vital opportunity for Trump to show strength by calling out Putin sharply for the election meddling and to make it clear he is not fooled by Moscow’s misbehavior. McFaul was quoted as saying: “There is a sense in Moscow that Trump is kind of naïve about these things and just doesn’t understand.” He went on to instruct: “You don’t want your first meeting with Putin to create the appearance that you’re weak and naïve, and with some short, direct talking points, he could correct the record.” Veritatis simplex oratio est. (The language of truth is simple.)
Trump managed to become US president doing what he wanted to do, having truly dominant knowledge of the desires of the US public and overall US political environment. He knows what he wants and what he can really do. Ideally, if agreements are reached, they will be initial steps perhaps to unlock the diplomatic process on big issues. Already US State Department and Russian Foreign Ministry officials are working on nagging issues. The two leaders will likely acknowledge good existing agreements and make promises to continue to adhere to them. Where possible, it may be agreed to strengthen those good agreements. What has been observed in diplomatic exchanges so far between the US and Russia is a type of modus vivendi, a way of living, working together, between leaders and chief diplomats. After Putin granted Tillerson a meeting in Moscow after his talks with Lavrov, Trump granted Lavrov a meeting in Washington during a visit to meeting with Tillerson. It also indicated a willingness to establish a balance in negotiations or quid pro quo on issues when possible. Such seemingly small steps have been confidence building measures that have help lead to the meeting between presidents. Those small steps also supported an open line of communication between chief diplomats which is all importance as US and Russian military forces work in close proximity in Syria, Ukraine, and skies and waters in NATO, Canadian and US territory. If all goes well, there will certainly be more to follow. Sic utere tuo ut alienum non laedas. (Use what is yours without harming others.)
Russian Federation Army spetsnaz in Syria (above). Ostensibly, Russia went into Syria both to prop up Assad’s regime and engage in counterterrorism operations against ISIS, Al-Qaeda affiliates, and other Islamic militant groups. Putin has stated regarding Syria and the Middle East in general that progress would not be made without joint constructive work with the US. Genuine cooperation on counterterrorism requires information sharing and joint operations, but again, Russia can be fickle over cooperation.
1. Counterterrorism and a Joint US-Russia Counter ISIS Strategy
On counterterrorism specifically, Moscow apparently wanted to secure a pledge from the Trump administration that it would work directly with Russia to destroy Islamic militant groups in Syria and wherever Russian interests are concerned. Russia claims it has been able to put significant pressure on ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and other Islamic militant groups using its special operations forces–Spetsnaz–and airpower. Russia’s dedication to counterterrorism was demonstrated by the strengthening of its terrorism laws in 2016. Genuine cooperation on counterterrorism requires not only information sharing, but joint operations. Yet, as evinced on military deconfliction in Syria, Russia can be fickle over cooperation. Joint activity has been held hostage to political reactions in Moscow due to other events. Establishing such cooperation must be based on protocols or modus vivendi, shielding it from such reactions.
2. Syria: Assad
In September 2015, Putin took the option of solving the conflict in Syria on his terms using a strong military hand. He explained that Russian Federation forces were sent into Syria both to “stabilize the legitimate authority” of Assad and to fight ISIS. On Syria, relations between the US and Russia are improving. By 2015, Assad appeared to lack the ability to remain in power against ISIS and perhaps US-backed Syrian Opposition forces, but the military situation began to turn after Russia, with the urging of Iran, moved its forces into Syria in September of that year and supported Syrian military operations. Assad can only be useful to Russia as a figurehead, a symbol of resistance to the opposition and ISIS. In time, it may make sense to Moscow to replace him with a leader who would be more acceptable among the Syrians. The transition from Assad regime to new politically inclusive government is the standing US policy. Assad is at Russia’s disposition. A final decision on how to handle him will need to be made soon. Concerns over Russia’s thoughts on Assad and US concerns about the dangers posed by him must be broached.
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov (seated left) and Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad (seated right). Currently, Assad is useful to Russia as a figurehead, a symbol of resistance to the opposition and ISIS. In time, it may make sense to Moscow to replace him with a leader who would be more acceptable among the Syrians. The transition from Assad regime to new politically inclusive government is the standing US policy. Assad is at Russia’s disposition.
3. Syria: Deconfliction
After the US launched cruise missile strikes against Assad regime airbase on April 7, 2017 following the regime’s chemical attack on Syrian civilians, Moscow suspended air-safety a de-confliction memorandum. Following Tillerson’s meeting with Lavrov said Putin in April 2017, Russia agreed to reactivate air safety hotline created under the air-safety agreement concerning Russian Federation and US-led coalition air operations over Syria. When a US fighter jet shot down a Syrian fighter over the southern Raqqa countryside, the Russian Federation Defense Ministry said it would halt its use of the incident-prevention hotline. The hotline was established between US officers monitoring the war from an operations center at a base in Qatar and their Russian counterparts operating in Syria has been a lifesaving tool since it was set up soon after Russia entered Syria’s civil war in late 2015 to prop up President Bashar al-Assad. However, as with any prospective joint counterterrorism activity with Russia, deconfliction operations cannot be held hostage to political reactions in Moscow to other events. There must be some protocol or modus vivendi established which shields deconfliction operations to the whims of either country.
4. Syria: Reconstruction, Peace-enforcement, and Peace-building via Negotiations
Reconstruction will be another huge hurdle for Russia to overcome in Syria. Even if a modicum of economic aid were granted from the Western countries and international organizations as the UN, the World Bank, or international Monetary Fund, Syria may never see significant rebuilding or economic improvement. Russia has sought stronger ties with Arab countries, bolstering economic ties with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait and diplomatic overtures with Algeria, Iraq, and Egypt. Russia’s hope is by courting those countries they would become more receptive to its’ calls for a political solution in Syria and responsive to an eventual campaign by Russia to gain financial support for Syria’s reconstruction. However, US participation in those efforts may do much to encourage participation from those Arab countries and Western countries as well. Russia must negotiate US assistance in the reconstruction and peace-enforcement effort.
US Army Rangers moving through Syria (above). Reconstruction will be another huge hurdle for Russia to overcome in Syria. Even if a modicum of economic aid were granted from the Western countries and international organizations as the UN, the World Bank, or international Monetary Fund, Syria may never see significant rebuilding or economic improvement. US participation in those efforts may do much to encourage participation from Arab countries and Western countries as well.
5. Syria: Safe Zones and Immigration
Syrian refugees and the displaced fear returning to a society of arbitrary detentions, beatings, house searches, and robberies. Most have lost heart that there will ever be a Syria of any good condition to which they can return. Talks between US and Russian special envoys for Syria and other officials are at an early stage of discussing the boundaries of the proposed de-escalation zone in Deraa province, on the border with Jordan, and Quneitra, which borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Washington has misgivings about the Astana talks and wants to forge a bilateral understanding with Moscow in an area of strategic interest to the US and its allies, Jordan and Israel. For Washington to back a deal, Russia would need have Iranian-backed militias to leave the area. It may be difficult for Russia to rein in the growing involvement in the region of Iran and its allies. Russia must weigh that difficulty against US assistance with reconstruction.
6. North Korea
North Korea has vowed to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. Most recently it tested what it claimed was an intercontinental ballistic missile. The US has explained to North Korean that it must stop its nuclear activity. The US has no interest in regime change. While the Trump administration has urged countries to downgrade ties with Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, a cross-border ferry service was launched in May 2017 between North Korea and neighboring Russia. Indeed, in recent years, Russia has rebuilt a close relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. In May, 2014, less than two months after the Crimea annexation and with Western nations seeking to punish Russia, Putin signed away 90 percent of North Korea’s $11 billion debt to Russia, an amount comparable with the debtor state’s GDP. The other 10 percent could be used for joint Russian-North Korean projects. That same year, Russia delivered 50,000 tons of wheat as humanitarian aid to North Korea. Clarification must be sought on Russia’s failure to cooperate with the international community on North Korea. Russia’s cooperation will likely need to be negotiated.
A North Korean missile test (above). North Korea has vowed to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. Most recently it tested what it claimed was an intercontinental ballistic missile. While the Trump administration has urged countries to downgrade ties with Pyongyang over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Russia has continued to build a close relationship with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
7. Afghanistan: Russia’s Activities
There have been reports from northern Afghanistan that Russia is supporting the Taliban by providing weapons and financing. Russia’s activities in Afghanistan is ostensibly intended to counter the spread of ISIS-affiliated militants in Central Asia and further challenge the US. Still, Russia is aware that the militant group has fought US and international forces since 2001. In April 2017, the commander of the US Central Command US Army General Joseph Votel told Congress that it was “fair to assume” Russia was [militarily] supporting the Taliban. The National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence agency, reports Russian intelligence agents have provided the Taliban with strategic advice, money and arms, including old anti-aircraft rockets. Russian support played a role in the Taliban’s advances in Kunduz, where they have twice briefly seized the provincial capital. Clarification on Russia’s activity in Afghanistan must be provided. Russia’s cooperation in defeating US adversaries will likely need to be negotiated.
8. Ukraine: Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk
As the EU and NATO expanded eastward, Putin decided to pull independent states that were once part of the Soviet Union back into Russia’s orbit. Accomplishing that required Putin to create something that did not preexist in most near abroad countries: ethnic-Russian communities forcefully demanding secession and sovereignty. That process usually begins with contemptuous murmurs against home country’s identity, language, and national symbols and then becomes a “rebel yell” for secession. It was seen in Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, Transnistria in Moldova, and more recently in Crimea, the Luhansk and Donetsk in Ukraine. Each time an ethnic-Russian space was carved out of a country, Putin gained a base from which he can exert his influence in that country. European countries no longer appear ambivalent about committing to the costly requirements of collective security. The US may be able to influence Russia’s behavior, but Russia will likely want any negotiations to be part of comprehensive talks on Europe between the superpowers.
Satellite imagery of two tanks (125mm caliber) and 12 armored vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles ostensibly supplied by Russia in the Donetsk region of Ukraine (above). Russia’s annexing of Crimea and deployment of its military forces in Ukraine without Kiev’s consent was in violation of Article IV, paragraph 5 of the treaty. The US, NATO allies, and all other parties to the agreement recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine. The US has also called on Russia to remove its forces and equipment from eastern Ukraine.
9. Ukraine: Sanctions
Sanctions from the US and Europeans have put relations between Russia and the West at considerable risk. Putin rejects the idea that the Trump administration is pushing for additional sanction against Russia and has explained new sanctions are the result of an ongoing domestic political struggle in the US. He has proffered that if it had not been Crimea or some other issue, they would still have come up with some other way to restrain Russia. Putin has admitted that the restrictions do not produce anything good, and he wants to work towards a global economy that functions without these restrictions. However, repetitive threats of further sanctions from the US and EU could prompt Putin to consider means to shift the power equation. He may eventually feel his back is against the wall and may encourage him to act covertly to harm US and Western interests despite denials of doing so. When Russia behaves in ways that tear others from peace, it must still face consequences. However, the modification of that behavior could be rewarded. Sanctions could be used a powerful bargaining chip or a carrot in negotiations.
10. Russian Violations of Open Skies Treaty
The Treaty on Open Skies allows for states party to the treaty to conduct unarmed observation flights over the territory of other states to foster inter-military transparency and cooperation. The US, Canada, and 22 European countries including Russia signed the treaty in Helsinki on March 24, 1992. The US Senate ratified the treaty on November 3, 1993, and it entered into force on January 1, 2002. Today 34 countries are members of the Treaty on Open Skies. Russia has been accused of violating the spirit of the Treaty on Open Skies by restricting access to some sections of its territory. These limits include the denial of overflights over Chechnya or within 10 kilometers of its southern border with Georgia, a limitation on the maximum distances of flights over Kaliningrad, and altitude restrictions over Moscow. Russia has requested to upgrade to certain electro-optical sensors on its surveillance aircraft. The US could threaten to reject Russia’s requests until it again complies with the Open Skies Treaty.
A Russian Federation Tu-214R Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance plane (above). The Treaty on Open Skies allows for countries party to the treaty to conduct unarmed observation flights over the territory of other countries to foster inter-military transparency and cooperation. The US has complied with the treaty. Russia has violated the spirit of the treaty by restricting access to its territory. It has prohibited overflights over Chechnya or within 10 kilometers of its southern border with Georgia, set a limitation on the maximum distances of flights over Kaliningrad, and set altitude restrictions over Moscow.
11. Russian Violations of Conventional Nuclear Forces Treaty
In 2007, Russia suspended its implementation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Russia has continued to violate its treaty obligations and has made clear that it will not resume implementation of the treaty. On November 22, 2011, the US announced in Vienna, Austria that it was ceasing implementation of certain obligations under the treaty with regard to Russia. Similar announcements were made by NATO’s other members as well as Georgia and Moldova, but it did not impact Russian behavior. Russia continues to station its military forces in Georgia and Moldova without the consent of those countries. Russia’s annexing of Crimea and deployment of its military forces in Ukraine without Kiev’s consent was in violation of Article IV, paragraph 5 of the treaty. The US, NATO allies, and all other parties to the agreement recognize Crimea as part of Ukraine. The US has also called on Russia to remove its forces and equipment from eastern Ukraine. Clarification on Russia’s actions adverse to the treaty must be sought. Any possibility of its future compliance with the treaty can be discussed.
12. Russian Violations of the Intermediiate Nuclear Forces Treaty
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) eliminated and prohibits an entire class of missiles: nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. The US remains in compliance with the INF. Reportedly, Russia has been developing missile systems in violation of the INF Treaty. As a counter move, the US has positioned weapons systems that are not prohibited by the INF Treaty in Europe. The US Air Force has deployed conventional B-52 and B-1 bombers periodically to Royal Air Force Fairford, a forward airbase in Britain. It has been suggested that Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles could be stockpiled there for potential use by the aircraft. Moscow would not like that. The US Navy could increase the presence of surface ships and submarines carrying conventionally armed sea-launched cruise missiles in the North Sea and other waters around northern Europe. The US Navy could consider home-porting several sea-launched cruise missile-capable warships at a European port, as it has done with Aegis-class destroyers based in Rota, Spain. The threat from Russian intermediate-range ground-launched cruise missiles to US allies in Europe and Asia is destabilizing. An effort to negotiate Russia’s return to compliance should be made.
A Russian Federation Iskander-M (SS-26) intermediate range missile (above). The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) eliminated and prohibits an entire class of missiles: nuclear and conventional ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Reportedly, Russia has been developing missile systems in violation of the INF Treaty. The threat from Russian intermediate-range ground-launched cruise missiles to US allies in Europe and Asia is destabilizing.
13. Nuclear Forces: New Deterrence Systems
The Russian Federation deploys an estimated 307 ICBMs which can carry approximately 1040 warheads. They represent only 40 percent of the country’s total arsenal of thermonuclear warheads. Russia has been developing an upgraded Topol-M variant, the more advanced Topol MR or SR-24 Yars. The Yars, is reportedly fitted with more advanced decoys and countermeasures than the Topol-M, and featuring a higher speed, has been specifically designed to evade Western anti-ballistic missile defense systems.Both Topol-M variants can be deployed from either missile silos or transporter-erector launchers. The more advanced Yars can reportedly be fitted with four to six multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles.The RS-28 Sarmat is the newest heavy liquid-propelled ICBM under development for the Russian Federation Armed Forces. In 2018, the Sarmat will replace older Soviet R-36M missiles, dubbed “Satan” by NATO, as the heavy silo-based component of the Russian nuclear forces.The Sarmat will have a dozen heavy thermonuclear warheads, each individually steerable during reentry. Those warheads are said to have advanced anti-missile countermeasures meant to beat the US Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense Shield. Both the US and Russia could discuss their intentions regarding nuclear force enhancement.
Russian Federation RT-2PM2 or “Topol-M” intercontinental ballistic missile (above). Russia has been developing an upgraded Topol-M variant, the more advanced Topol MR or SR-24 Yars. The more advanced Yars can evade Western anti-ballistic missile defense systems and can reportedly be fitted with four to six multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles. In 2018, the Sarmat will replace older Soviet R-36M (SS-18) missiles as the heavy silo-based component of the Russian nuclear forces. The Sarmat will have a dozen heavy thermonuclear warheads, each individually steerable during reentry.
14. Russian Aerial and Naval Intrusions
Among steps taken by Sergei Shoigu upon becoming Russian Federation Defense Minister April 5, 2012, he created a new corps, the Airspace Forces, and ordered and steadily increased Airspace Force bomber flights and Navy combat patrols. As a result, near the Baltic Sea, for example, Russian military aircraft near were intercepted by NATO jets 110 times in 2016. According to NATO, that number was lower than the 160 intercepts recorded in 2015 and the 140 in 2014. Still, this greatly exceeds the number of aerial encounters above the Baltic Sea before Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. In 2013, NATO fighter jets intercepted Russian aircraft 43 times. NATO has explained Russian buzzing of Baltic airspace creates the risk for deadly mistakes. Russian military planes have been flying too close for comfort in Baltic and Nordic skies. The tension created could lead to dangerous accidents or initiate an escalation spiral. Russia must be convinced to halt its provocative aerial and Naval Intrusions as they serve little purpose if its true intent is to move toward peaceful relations with US.
15. Russian Cyber Attacks
In the past decade the Russian government has mounted more than a dozen significant cyber attacks against foreign countries, sometimes to help or harm a specific political candidate, sometimes to sow chaos, but always to project Russian power. The strategy of Russian intelligence, particularly Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Foreign Intelligence Service) or SVR and its military counterpart Glavnoye Razvedyvatel’noye Upravleniye Generalnovo Shtaba (Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff-Military Intelligence) or GRU, has been to pair cyber attacks with online propaganda. It has since been refined and expanded by Russian intelligence. From June 2015 to November 2016, Russian hackers penetrated Democratic Party computers in the US, and gained access to the personal emails of Democratic Party officials, which in turn were distributed to the global media by WikiLeaks. Both the CIA and the FBI report the intrusions were intended to undermine the US election. Cyber gives Russia a usable strategic capability for active measures. If Russia sought to weaken NATO or harm US relations with Europe, cyber attacks could be launched. If potential benefits are great enough, the head of Russia’s SVR, Mikhail Naryshkin, may want to take the risk. Inquiries with Russia about cyber attacks will elicit denials. Russia must be convinced that future cyber attacks could derail efforts to build relations and will result in severe retaliation.
The head of Sluzhba Vneshney Razvedki (Foreign Intelligence Service) or SVR, Mikhail Naryshkin (above). In the past decade the Russian government has mounted more than a dozen significant cyber attacks against foreign countries to project Russian power. From June 2015 to November 2016, Russian hackers penetrated Democratic party computers in the US, and gained access to the personal emails of Democratic officials. Cyber gives Russia a usable strategic capacity. If potential benefits are great enough, Naryshkin may want to take the risk.
16. Russian Interference with US Satellites
Russia is developing the ability to approach, inspect and potentially sabotage or destroy satellites in orbit. For over two years, it has included three mysterious payloads in normal commercial satellite launches. Radar observations by the US Air Force and by amateur hobbyists revealed that after each commercial satellite was deployed, an additional small object would travel far away from the jettisoned rocket booster and later turn around and travel back. Some believe the objects named Kosmos-2491, Kosmos-2499 and Kosmos-2504, may not be a benign program. For years Russia and China have pushed for the ratification of a UN treaty banning space weapons. US officials and outside experts have rejected that treaty as a “disingenuous nonstarter.” The US has supported a European-led initiative to establish norms for appropriate behavior through the creation of a voluntary International Code of Conduct for Outer Space. It would be a first step, to be followed by a binding agreement. Concern over Russia’s development and deployment of capabilities to harm US satellites must be broached. Russia should be invited to sign on to the Code of Conduct for Outer Space or join an effort to develop a new treaty incorporating the most useful aspects of all proposed approaches and additional terms.Russia must be told that it will face consequences if it interferes with US satellites.
17. Russian Arctic Military Build-up
Russia assesses the Arctic is one of the most economically promising regions in the world. The Arctic Circle holds enormous reserves of hydrocarbons and other minerals; the region also provides the shortest path for transporting goods from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans. Russia claims that under international law norms, a substantial part of the territory in Arctic waters belongs to it. Russia observes that in addition to US Navy and US Air Force units, the US fields three ‘Arctic’ brigades in Alaska and special purpose Marines Corps units can be rapidly deployed to the north. The Canadian Army is viewed by Russia as being well-trained for action in the Arctic. Russia has taken note of Ottawa’s reorganization and reequipping its ranger units responsible for security in the Arctic region, and it recognizes Joint Task Force 2, an elite special operations unit of the Canadian Forces, is also prepared to conduct tasks in the Arctic. Further, Russia views the Norwegian Special Force “Rangers” as being especially honed for action in the Arctic. Russia notes that Oslo recently announced its creation of a new unit of special forces practically on the border with Russia. In response, Russia has deployed and specially equipped the 200th and 80th brigades to the Arctic. In 2015, Russia also opened the refurbished Soviet-era Alakurtti base located near the border with Finland in the Murmansk Region. A number of abandoned Soviet-era bases are being reopened and new one are being built. Russia’s fleet of nuclear-powered icebreaker’s is also being bolstered. Clarification on Russia’s activity in the Arctic must be provided. The Arctic units could be viewed as a maneuver force to support potential operations in northern Europe.
A Russian Federation Arctic units in training (above). Russia assesses the Arctic is one of the most economically promising regions in the world. Russia has deployed and specially equipped the 200th and 80th brigades to the Arctic. In 2015, Russia also opened the refurbished Soviet-era Alakurtti base located near the border with Finland in the Murmansk Region. A number of abandoned Soviet-era bases are being reopened and new one are being built. Russia’s fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers is also being bolstered.
Facilitating Deal Making
Issues on which presidential action could immediately resolve matters may be hashed out at the table or it could be mutually agreed to give some additional consideration such matters before giving a response. Both Trump and Putin could make mutual peace offerings. That certainly does not mean emptying oneself akin to oblation, but to do something to encourage good-faith bargaining and compromise. There are several bargaining chips of differing value to both parties. Cooperation on counterterrorism, ISIS, climate change, and poverty may serve as a bargaining chips to get agreements on other issues. However, greater bargaining chips might include: the return of Russian properties in the US, types of reconstruction assistance in Syria, peace-enforcement in Syria, making the Group of 7 the Group of 8 again with inclusion of Russia, some economic sanctions, leaving sanction loopholes open, and lifting restrictions on the Exxon-Rosneft agreement through an exemption. Some of these actions may not appear plausible and could have a deleterious effect on international consensus on sanctions against Russia over its actions in Ukraine and create an uproar among the Europeans. However, Trump undoubtedly believes bold action may be the very thing that can pump blood into negotiations, modify Russian behavior, and get relations moving forward. Conversely, Putin may offer much, if he feels secure enough, to loosen the US grip on Russia’s figurative economic throat. Perhaps some of this might be left for meetings down the road.
Aliquis latet error. (Some trickery lies hidden.) There are those in the Trump administration that will not welcome a warming of ties with Russia such as US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff US Marine Corps General James Dunford. They perceive Russia as the “enemy at the gates” and a great concern. They are advocates for vigilance and extreme caution with regard to diplomacy with it. Needless to say, McMaster would not be remiss and let Trump begin the meeting without reviewing the “what ifs” and contingencies resulting from what could possibly be unexpectedly difficult meeting. Trump must be able to recognize when it is definitely time to look for the door. If along with success, there are big questions or complaints, it will important not to “cry foul” or even grunt. That might be perceived as weakness by Putin. If a matter is worthy of review, Tillerson will likely be able to sort it out with Lavrov. Indeed, Trump’s meeting with Putin could be a fulsome discussion of issues or an exchange of views on issues much of which senior diplomats could be tasked resolve over time.
Trump must put “America First” but keep firmly in mind how his decisions and actions regarding Russia might impact European allies and partners.There has been considerable anguish and disappointment over Trump’s prior statements on collective security in European capitals. Some European leaders, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, perhaps unwittingly, have promoted such doubts with statements driven by political expedience. She has expressed the will to remain in a combative mode, promising days before the G-20 Summit to fight for free trade, press on with multilateral efforts to combat climate change and challenge Trump’s “America First” policies. Merkel stated: “These will not be easy talks,” She went further by explaining: “The differences are obvious and it would be wrong to pretend they aren’t there. I simply won’t do this.” Asked by journalists about Merkel’s comments, McMaster remarked that the US relationship with Germany was “as strong as ever” and played down the discord. He also noted: “Of course there are going to be differences in relations with any country, and we’ll talk frankly about those differences. The president enjoys those conversations.” For the moment, many Europeans will likely stand a bit uneasy and apprehensive about US intentions and actions until trust and confidence are eventually rebuilt. Europe is not just an acquaintance of the US. For decades, the US has served as Europe’s defacto guardian, key to its security. While Europe may not be Trump’s primary focus it is a prime concern.
William Shakespeare’s Sonnet XCIV explains that the ability to restrain the expression of emotion, and refrain from revealing to the world via visage one’s authentic thoughts and true feelings were regarded as virtue or at least useful ability in that day. Such persons–often found in positions of leadership–tend to isolate their true selves, but Shakespeare indicates that does not diminish the virtue. Using a flowers sweet scent as a metaphor, he explains it’s scent is still sweet when wasted on the desert air. However, he explains that such virtue when corrupted is far worse than depraved behavior. It reads: “They that have power to hurt and will do none, / That do not do the thing they most do show, / Who, moving others, are themselves as stone, / Unmoved, cold, and to temptation show, / They rightly do inherit heaven’s graces / And husband nature’s riches from expense; / They are the lords and owners of their faces, / Others but stewards of their excellence. / the summer’s flower is to the summer sweet, / Though to itself it only live and die, / But if that flower with base infection meet, / The basest weed outbraves his dignity: / For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds; / Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.” Trump has “advanced in age and wisdom and in grace with God and man.” Much as he may amuse himself through tweets to intemperate younger journalist, who, while projecting venomous comments toward him at the same time more often tickle him with their countenance, he is more than aware of his responsibility as the steward of his country’s security. He wants to establish peace and security for future generations: for his grandchildren and their posterity. Trump wants to do big things for his country, he sought the job of president for that reason. His efforts concerning Russia relations are noble.
Time, words, opportunity are things that in many circumstances come once, and never come back. One must make use of time available. It does not mean rush into things, but to be mindful that limits for preparation and action exist. Words can open doors and lead to resolution but can also damage. Banality and boastfulness so far has been avoided by the two sides. The similitude between the words of engagement used by Trump and Putin indicate there is reason for hope. Both time and words have served to create the opportunity for a positive connection between Trump and Putin. Surely, Trump cannot know what is in Putin’s heart. Putin is a calculator. Yet, Trump is unthreatened, and unmoved by notions proffered that Putin serves all things evil. If the ultimate goal of Moscow is to have the US submit to its will, Trump will not allow that to happen. He transmits no hint of doubt. Conversely, Putin must cope with his own uncertainties about Trump. One’s will acts upon what reason discerns. It is not self-justifying. Will is guided by intellect. To that extent, a genuine effort is being made and both sides appear to have the requisite he will. One would unlikely say everything has been elegantly done so far. However, some things can be smoothed out at the coming meeting, and a few more at all the subsequent ones. Success with Russia will change international affairs globally. Variatio detectat. (There is nothing like change.)
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US Takes Sharper Tone on Russia’s Role in Syria: Despite Such Reports, the Future Holds Promise
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) and Russian Federation Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov (right). Reportedly, US President Donald Trump and Tillerson have sought to isolate Russia for backing the Syrian government after its chemical weapons attack in Idlib. They were also allegedly working to put international pressure on Moscow to change course. Yet, since the cruise missile strikes and bilateral talks, the situation regarding the US and Russia on Syria has actually improved. Change may be possible on US and Russian positions on more issues, but only through bold, determined diplomacy.
According to an April 12, 2017 New York Times article entitled “US Takes Sharper Tone on Russia’s Role in Syria,” US President Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have sought to isolate Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin for backing the Syrian government in the wake of its lethal chemical weapons attack on civilians. They were also reportedly working to build international pressure on Moscow to change course. In support of that conclusion, the article reports that on April 12, 2017, Tillerson came away from his meeting with Putin without reaching agreement on facts involving the chemical weapons assault in Syria or alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential Election. In describing the joint news conference with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following the meeting with Putin, the April 12th New York Times article quotes Tillerson as saying, “There is a low level of trust between our countries.” It reports he further stated, “The world’s two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this kind of relationship.” Noting the level of tension surrounding the aftermath of the Syrian chemical weapons attack, the article asserts, a quick détente seemed a remote possibility. Further supporting that suggestion, the article reported that during a thirty minute news conference at the White House, Trump declared, “Right now, we’re not getting along with Russia at all–we may be at an all-time low in terms of a relationship with Russia.” The point was additionally made in the article that events have sharply diverged from the meeting of the minds between the US and Russia that Trump frequently aspired to when he was campaigning, and there was no visible warming of the relationship. Yet, conversely, the same article explains that although Trump said the US-Russia relationship was failing, he held out hope that the two countries could come to terms, suggesting that Tillerson’s talks with Putin had gone better than expected. Although it highlighted occasions when the Trump administration in Washington, Moscow and New York, publicly chastised Putin, the article also indicated that the administration was privately working hard to “hash out” differences with him.
As greatcharlie affirmed in a previous post, the press, the news media, serves a free, effective democracy best, and is at its very best, when it unearths what is concealed or clarifies what may be confusing to the public about government actions. The press ensures power in a democracy remains in the hands of the people. Such efforts by the press are in great variance with reporting on Trump’s actions and intentions concerning the April 6, 2017 Tomahawk cruise missile strikes and relations with Russia on Syria. In the US, in particular, newsmedia pundits and policy analysts have meted out judgments of Trump’s decisions and actions akin to those once made “on the drumhead” for soldiers, an archaic type of summary military trial where only sentences were given and no interest was paid to evidence or arguments. (A drum is turned on its head and used as “the seat of justice.”) Another disquieting trend of news media criticism of Trump is to insist that he should follow some schedule and make certain decisions based on some template they apparently have in mind of how US presidents should act. (They would likely prefer a carbon copy of what they have found comfortable for nearly a decade.) A point of attack upon Trump’s actions is the idea that nothing he does can have real meaning or encourage a favorable outcome for US foreign policy because his administration’s actions have not been based on a coherent national policy or strategy, an articulated policy on the Middle East, and consequently, an identifiable policy on Syria.
The truth will always dispel falsehoods and misunderstandings. The reality is that following the US cruise missile strikes and Tillerson’s bilateral talks in Moscow, the situation in Syria was made somewhat better, and more importantly, US-Russia relations had turned in a positive direction. As the April 12th New York Times article alluded, Tillerson and Lavrov acknowledged in Moscow that actions have been taken by their respective countries which have irritated the other and they are taking steps to address that. Change may very well be possible in the respective positions of the US and Russia on certain issues, including Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad. However, that will only happen through bold, determined diplomacy. Details of recent events and the Moscow talks are analyzed here to provide a better understanding of what has developed and what may come next. Ratio me ducet, non fortuna. (Reason, not luck, will lead me.)
Trump’s Alleged Policy Troubles
Festinare nocet, nocet cunctatio saepe; tempore quaeque suo qui facit, ille sapit. (It is bad to hurry, and delay is often as bad; the wise person is the one who does everything in its proper time.) Despite reports otherwise, Trump has actually taken a logical, prudent approach to foreign and national security policy. He is determined to make decisions that are true to promises he made during the campaign. He has initially sought to develop a firm understanding of what realistically can be done rather than have his team rapidly produce policies from analyses based on the abstract as a matter of political expedience. The source for Trump’s unorthodox exercise of due diligence on policy may likely be his experience as a builder. In that field of endeavor, Trump often may have greatly admired architectural designs of structures proposed to him, but he would invariably wait for engineering reports, cost estimates, and analyses of his business team before deciding on anything. It is an evolutionary process. The result of that approach has been the construction of some very impressive properties worldwide. Current and former generals serving in the Trump administration, well-versed in military history, might find parallel with this apparent concept very likely guiding their president’s thinking and the words of US General George Patton, Jr.: “One does not plan and then try to make circumstances fit the plans. One tries to make plans firmly the circumstances.” Out of necessity, Trump has energetically taken action on urgent issues; the strike in Syria is a prime example of that. Further, Trump, along with other senior administration officials, have held bilateral and multilateral talks with other countries in international organizations.
The practice of two prior presidential administrations was to make pronouncements on what could be done, poorly considering and matching possibilities with capabilities. They would then take action, the results of which were often failed foreign policy initiatives. An example of such an outcome was the notion promoted by the administration of US President George Bush in 2003 that US forces would enter Iraq and be greeted with cheers, open arms, and candy by Iraqis. Another example is the notion proffered by the administration of US President Barack Obama a decade later, that pronouncing “Assad must go” and supporting the Syrian Opposition Movement on the margins, would bring the Assad regime to negotiating table and its orderly release of the reigns of power would be arranged. Some might say their approaches were conventional. Nevertheless, they were wrong.
When Trump stated “America First” during his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, he was presenting the term as a concept, a guiding principle indicating his administration would consider the interest of the US over anything else. Still, it would be fallacious to apply this concept to Trump’s actions if he has witnessed grave harm come to any long-time ally, partner or friend of the US, or innocent civilians of Syria, who he has suggested he would protect in safe zones if they returned home. Trump has a moral center, the values from which have a place in his foreign policy decision making.
The Better Angels of Trump’s Nature?
To liberally paraphrase the early Christian theologian and philosopher St. Augustine of Hippo, the defense of war is that it is using lethal force to stop others from committing evil or from inflicting evil upon people. The moral dilemma remains for us: as people who are ourselves sinful and living in a fallen world, our motivations for doing things can be misguided. Our sinful passions can control our behaviors which can lead us to act for wrong reasons and to accomplish sinful ends. Self-neglectful virtue melts all physical and ideological boundaries with a charity that gives hope to those perceived as the most helpless. After the chemical weapon attack in Idlib, Trump felt compelled to make a strong decision. Some policy analysts and news media pundits insist that it was made at the cost of contradicting certain principles, as America First, that he has firmly espoused. True, when Trump stated “America First” during his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, he was presenting the term as a concept, a guiding principle indicating that his administration would consider the interest of the US over anything else. Trump will unlikely be disposed to subordinating the interests of the US to the needs, wishes, or demands of any country. However, it would be fallacious for anyone to apply this concept to his actions if he has witnessed grave harm come to any long-time ally, partner, or friend of the US, or innocent Syrian civilians, who Trump has suggested he would protect in safe zones if they returned home. Trump has a moral center, the values from which have a place in his foreign policy decision making, a most recently his response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria. The better angels of his human nature took over. Trump’s words on the evening of the strikes in Syria signalled all of this. Trump explained: “My fellow Americans: On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women, and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.”
The cruise missile strikes launched on April 6, 2017 by the Trump administration were calibrated to do only what was prescribed in response to Assad’s actions. Those engaged in its planning and execution can certainly hold their heads high. Yet, no paean, no song of praise or triumph, was heard from Trump at his residence Mar-a-Lago that evening. No celebrations took place at the White House or the Pentagon for that matter. Rather, Trump said: “Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types. We ask for God’s wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world. We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed. And we hope that as long as America stands for justice, then peace and harmony will, in the end, prevail.”
Trump’s Military Experts Take Action
Undoubtedly, after learning of the Assad regime’s chemical attack, Trump undoubtedly asked his national security team to provide concrete answers on what to do in response. Trump did not simply vow to do something. He surely kept in mind Obama’s slow reaction in response to the Assad regime’s August 2013 crossing of a red line he drew on the use of chemical weapons. There was a chemical attack in a Damascus suburb and considerable evidence existed to support the accusation that Assad’s forces lainched it. Indeed, three days prior to the 2013 attack, the US had collected continuous streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence, revealing regime military activities allegedly associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack. Information gathered by the US from multiple streams clearly indicated that after those preparations were made, the regime executed a rocket and artillery attack against the Damascus suburbs in the early hours of August 21st. Satellite detections, specifically, corroborated that attacks from a regime-controlled area struck neighborhoods where the chemical attacks reportedly occurred–to include Kafr Batna, Jawbar, ‘Ayn Tarma, Darayya, and Mu’addamiyah. There was also the detection of rocket launches from regime controlled territory early in the morning, about ninety minutes before the first report of a chemical attack appeared in social media. The lack of flight activity or missile launches also led the US to conclude that the regime used rockets in the attack.
Immediately following the cruise missile strike, US National Security Adviser, US Army Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster left open the possibility that Trump will take further military action in Syria. Still, McMaster emphasized on “Fox News Sunday” on April 9, 2017: “We need some kind of political solution to that very complex problem.” He made it clear that finding a “political solution” to the Syrian crisis was what Trump wanted. McMaster further explained that Trump wants a worldwide response to Assad’s action that would include Assad allies Russia and Iran. Yet, McMaster clarified that remark by stating: “I’m not saying we are the ones to effect that change.” He then pointed to the fact that Russia and Iran “somehow think it’s OK to align with a murderous regime.” McMaster also affirmed on April 9th that the administration will try to simultaneously change the Assad regime and destroy the Islamic State terror group, entrenched in Syria. In an effort to clarify Trump’s foreign policy, McMaster said, “There has to be a degree of simultaneous action with some sequencing.”
US National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster (above) has left open the possibility of further US military action in Syria. Perhaps members of Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center who provide combat service support for units that launch chemical attacks could be targeted by US strikes. The Trump administration could also let Assad feel “personal discomfort” for his actions. For example, an attack could damage facilities providing electric power to the neighborhood in which Assad lives through the use of non-lethal technologies such as electromagnetic pulse weapons.
Chemical Weapons and the Assad Regime
Syrian chemical weapons personnel who prepared chemical ordinance for the August 21, 2013, and the April 4, 2017 chemical weapons attack included members of the Syrian Scientific Studies Research Center. The Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, which is subordinate to the Syrian Arab Republic Ministry of Defense, is tasked with managing Syria’s chemical weapons program. According to French Intelligence, the organization is responsible for producing toxic agents for use in war, pinpointing Branch 450 as responsible for filling munitions with chemicals and ensuring the security of sites where chemical agents are stockpiled. Syrian chemical weapons personnel were operating in the Damascus suburb of ‘Adra from August 18, 2013 until early in the morning on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 near an area that the regime was known to mix chemical weapons, including sarin. On August 21st, a Syrian regime element was surveilled preparing for a chemical weapons attack in the Damascus area. That element was using gas masks. US intelligence sources in the Damascus area did not detect any indications in the days prior to the attack that any Syrian Opposition forces were planning to use chemical weapons.
A publicly released summary of the US intelligence community’s assessment of the April 4, 2017 chemical attack explains the Syrian regime maintains the capability and intent to use chemical weapons against the opposition prevent the loss of territory deemed critical to survival. It assessed that Damascus launched this chemical attack in response to a Syrian Opposition offensive in Northern Hamah Province that threatened key infrastructure. Senior regime military leaders were probably involved in planning the attack. According to the summary, a significant body of pro-opposition social media reports indicated that the chemical attack began in Khan Shaykhun at 6:55AM local time on April 4, 2017. The summary claimed further that the chemical agent was delivered by regime Su-22 fixed wing aircraft that took off from the regime controlled Shayrat Airfield. Reportedly, These aircraft were in the vicinity of Khan Shaykhun nearly 20 minutes before reports of the chemical attack began and were seen flying away from the area shortly after the attack. Additionally, the summary indicates personnel historically associated with Syria’s chemical weapons program were at Shayrat Airfield in late March making preparations for an upcoming attack in Northern Syria, and they were present at the airfield on the day of the attack.
A Possible Next Military Step
Much as the facilities, air assets, and personnel of Shayrat Airfield were targeted for cruise missile strikes, members of Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center who provided combat service support for units that launched the chemical attacks should be targeted by US strikes. Strikes on them should be executed not only as a consequence to their participation in the operation, but with the goal of removing them from the equation in Syria and obviating the Assad regime’s ability to use chemical weapons in the future. The facilities and equipment of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, from bases and offices, to trucks and gas masks should be destroyed to severely curtail the organization’s ability to support any chemical attacks in the future. US should be confident enough after attacks to assess numbers of remaining personnel only of a size enough to maintain stores of the ordinance until the time that perhaps an international body entering Syria at a later date might become engaged in its management. Under no circumstances should the US allow attacks to create a circumstance where Islamic militant forces could gain control of the chemical weapons at any site.
Further, according to US intelligence, Assad is the ultimate decision maker for Syria’s chemical weapons program. If a direct attack upon is not a viable option, the Trump administration could as a minimum let Assad feel some “discomfort” for his actions and let him know how vulnerable he truly is. For example, a precision attack could be launched on the Syrian infrastructure designed to severely damage electric power in the neighborhood in which Assad lives. It could mean the use of non-lethal technologies such as electromagnetic pulse weapons that can seize all electric equipment of any kind in the vicinity. While the well-being of Assad and his family members should not be placed in danger, the attack should impact their daily lives. Such calibrated attacks would bring the consequences of Assad’s chemical attacks literally to his home. Assad’s neighbors will also know that the strike against their electricity and their normally well-protected living space came as a result of Assad’s use of chemical weapons. It is human nature to follow. It is human destruction that results from following the wrong leader.
Tillerson had previously met with Putin and senior Russian officials to secure oil deals while serving as the Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil. On June 21, 2013, Putin awarded Tillerson the Order of Friendship, one of the highest honors a foreigner can be bestowed by Russia after brokering a deal with the Russian state-owned energy giant Rosneft. However, Tillerson cannot, and will not, give any of that much importance now. At the April 12, 2017 meeting, Moscow discovered that as US Secretary of State, Tillerson is still very professional and he will approach issues with a businesslike pragmatism.
Can Tillerson Get a Handle on Russia?
Quid debemos cogitare? (What ought we think?) The Trump administration recognizes the Russian Federation’s significant presence in Syria and its influence with the Assad regime as well aa other countries that support it there. Its strong connection to the regime was enough to convince the Obama administration to accept Russia’s proposal to remove and destroy the Assad regime’s chemical weapons arsenal to avoid threatened military action by the US. Assad long ago was relegated to cameo appearances on the world stage via news media interviews. His cooperation could never be assured, and his treachery was assumed. Tillerson went into Russia to express concerns over Moscow’s continued insouciance toward Assad’s actions against his own people, non combatants. He wanted to learn firsthand the rationale behind Moscow’s willingness to endure international ridicule and rebuke in response to its friendship with the Assad regime, and what might prompt a decision to end that era. From Moscow’s perspective, the Trump administration’s approach to Russia in any direction must reflect the desire to hammer out a deal, not demand one. The insistence of Obama administration officials to take such an aggressive approach in talks with Russia more than anything served to disrupt the US-Russia relationship. Efforts by US officials diplomats and officials to threaten and cajole, as Moscow perceived talks, were more than just displays of a lack of diplomatic tact and maturity, they were viewed as threatening. Opinions expressed by former Obama administration officials on how the cruise missile strikes could be used as leverage in diplomatic talks with the Russian Federation appear to reflect the approach which Moscow found so unappealing. Antony Blinken, former US Deputy Secretary of State and Principal Deputy National Security Adviser in the Obama White House, reportedly told Reuters: “The US strike–ordered less than three days after the gas attack–could make it clear to Russia that the United States will hold Moscow accountable for Assad.” Reuters also quoted Blinken as saying, “Tillerson ought to be ‘very matter of fact’ in his meetings, sending Russia a message that: “If you don’t rein him in, we will take further action.” Evelyn Farkas, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia/Ukraine/Eurasia, assured Reuters that “Securing a Russian commitment on eliminating Assad’s chemical weapons is likely to be first on his agenda.”
For hours after Tillerson’s arrival in Moscow, it was uncertain if Putin would even meet with him because of the tense state of relations. Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, held out the possibility of a meeting once Tillerson arrived, saying any meeting would depend on the nature of Tillerson’s talks at the Foreign Ministry. Tillerson, unfazed by any of those developments, went forward with his meeting Lavrov, the metronome of Russian foreign policy and diplomacy. The meeting lasted for three hours. Tillerson eventually got the call to come meet with Putin, and left the Ritz-Carlton Hotel for Red Square around 5:00PM local time. That meeting lasted for two hours. All that is publicly known about the content of Tillerson’s April 12, 2017 meetings with Lavrov and Putin, has been gleaned from remarks and responses heard at the post meeting press conference. On April 6, 2017, Tillerson expressed the view that Russia had “failed in its responsibility” to remove Syria’s chemical weapons under a 2013 agreement, which he argued showed Russia was either complicit with the gas attacks or “simply incompetent.” At the April 12th press conference, a journalist’s’ question on the matter enabled Tillerson to clarify that statement. He replied: “With respect to Russia’s complicity or knowledge of the chemical weapons attack, we have no firm information to indicate that there was any involvement by Russia, Russian forces, into this attack. What we do know–and we have very firm and high confidence in our conclusion–is that the attack was planned and carried out by the regime forces at the direction of Bashar al-Assad.” When Tillerson was asked about his conversations with President Putin on Syria, he replied: “Well, we did discuss at length the future role for Assad, whether it be in a future political process or not. Clearly, our view is that the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end, and they have again brought this on themselves with their conduct of the war these past few years. We discussed our view that Russia, as their closest ally in the conflict, perhaps has the best means of helping Assad recognize this reality. We do think it’s important that Assad’s departure is done in an orderly way so that certain interests and constituencies that he represents feel they have been represented at the negotiating table for a political solution. How that occurs, we leave that to the process going forward. We do not think one has to occur before the other can begin. And it will take a pace of its own. But the final outcome in our view does not provide for a role for the Assad–for Assad or for the Assad family in the future governance of Syria. We do not think the international community will accept that. We do not think the world will accept that.” Tillerson without question made it clear in his meetings that it would not be business as usual in US-Russian relations. His hope is to make things much better.
This was not Tillerson’s first meeting with Lavrov. On February 20, 2017, during the G-20 Meeting in Bonn, Germany, they met briefly and discussed what Tillerson referred to as “a range of issues of mutual concern.” Tillerson had met with Putin and senior Russian officials previously to secure oil deals while serving as the Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil. In appreciation of his efforts to broker a deal between ExxonMobil as the state-owned Russian oil company Rosneft, on June 21, 2013, Putin awarded Tillerson the Order of Friendship, one of the highest honors a foreigner can be bestowed by Russia. (He was presented the award in St. Petersburg, Russia, along with the Chairman of ENI, an Italian multinational oil and gas company.) However, that occurred in the past. Tillerson is not, and will not, give any of that much importance now. At the April 12, 2017 meeting, Moscow discovered that as US Secretary of State, he is certainly not a Trump apparatchik. He approaches foreign policy issues with a businesslike pragmatism. He is very professional, very disciplined. He speaks frankly with a no-nonsense demeanor that might discomfit some. Tillerson barely registered a reaction when he was initially greeted by Lavrov with remarks denouncing the US missile strike on Syria as illegal and the accusation that the US was behaving unpredictably. When later asked by a Russian reporter how he would characterize the talks, Lavrov replied with a hint of both satisfaction and curiosity: “The State Secretary did not threaten me with sanctions. He didn’t threaten me with anything, actually. We frankly discussed the questions which were on our agenda . . . .”
A significant achievement of the talks was an agreement to establish a working group of US State Department and Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials charged with addressing smaller issues, which Lavrov called “irritants which have dogged our relations over the last couple of years,” and make progress toward stabilizing the relationship. That will allow Tillerson and Lavrov a freer hand to address urgent issues. They agreed to consider further proposals concerning the way forward in Syria; the respective allies and coalition partners of both countries would be consulted on the matter. There would be continued discussions directed at finding a solution to the Syrian conflict. Lavrov said Putin had agreed to reactivate an air-safety agreement, a de-confliction memorandum, concerning Russian Federation and US-led coalition air operations over Syria. Moscow suspended it after the US cruise missile strikes. Before its next contact with the Trump administration, Moscow will undoubtedly consider what cooperative role the US could play that would allow for the full exploitation of its capabilities in the anti-ISIS effort. Yet, if Moscow wants to cooperate with the Trump administration on Syria, it must create an environment that will facilitate such cooperation. For the moment, the transition of Assad regime to new politically inclusive government is the standing US policy. If the Trump administration ever decided to cooperate with Russia on Syria, it would signal its acceptance of Assad’s presidency as it is Russia’s policy to fully support it. However, to believe that might happen is to deny reality. Assad is at Russia’s disposition. A final decision on how to handle him will need to be made soon.
Through the April 12, 2017 talks, an agreement to establish a working group of US State Department and Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials charged with addressing smaller issues of concern and help stabilize the relationship. They agreed to consider further proposals concerning the way forward in Syria and consult respective allies and coalition partners of both countries on the matter. Discussions directed at finding a solution to the Syrian conflict would be continued. Putin agreed to reactivate an air-safety agreement concerning Russian and US-led coalition air operations over Syria.
Russia: Beware of Assad
Secrete amicos admone, lauda palam. (Admonish your friends in secret, praise [them] openly.) No international conference, no guarantees from Russia to keep him in check, no surgical procedure even, could make Assad palatable to the West at this point, or to any government in the Middle East other than Iran. Assad should not be seen as Russia’s proxy. By 2015, Assad appeared to lack the ability to remain in power against ISIS and perhaps US-backed Syrian Opposition forces. The military situation began recurvate after Russia, with the urging of Iran, moved its forces into Syria in September 2015 and supported Syrian military operations. Assad can only be useful to Russia as a figurehead, a symbol of resistance to the opposition and ISIS. In time, it may make sense to his benefactors to him with a leader who would be more acceptable among the Syrians.
Reconstruction will be another huge hurdle for Russia to overcome. Lacking any significant resources from the US and the rest of the international community to rebuild, the only viable long-term goal in Moscow would likely be to convert Syria into a very large version of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Transnistria, Donetsk People’s Republic, and the Luhansk People’s Republic. It would receive the recognition of very few countries, but not the US or major powers of Europe. Syria would in many ways would be shut off from the rest of the world. Even if it received a decent amount of economic aid from the Western countries and international organizations as the UN, the World Bank, or international Monetary Fund, Syria may never see an economic upturn. After observing the effects of few months of rain and wind on the ruins of cities and towns, Damascus might recognize that Moscow truly cannot support Syria in a way that would allow for its rebuilding. The situation would only worsen if pressure was placed on Russia over Syria through future sanctions.
Looking at the situation through Assad’s prism, it clear that he does not like or accept the idea that he is a factotum, a convenient tool for Moscow and Tehran. He may very well be able to convince himself that his regime and his sect, the Alawites, are large enough and strong enough to deter any possible attempt by current power friends and military allies time remove him from power. Assad will not allow his reign to come to an ignominious end. There would be a final demonstration of his power. He will make a stand or lash out before he goes. His concealed stockpiles of chemical weapons would even allow him to strike his allies with some effect. Indeed, Assad may believe that having those weapons at hand may be playing a role in deterring the few allies he has from turning against him. People with the most absolute power in history have tried to hold on by their fingernails knowing when they let go, all will be gone. They have often self-destructed. Misused power is always built upon lies. Tyrannical figures redefine what exists into projections of their egos. There are no noble thoughts. They become wrapped up in themselves. Assad seems to find pleasure in what is evil. As time goes on, the more tragic he becomes as a figure. The cruise missile strikes by the Trump administration may very well have initiated a discourse in Moscow on how to: better handle the remnants of Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal and how to defeat their use against Russian Federation Armed Forces in Syria. Such discussions would likely take place in tandem with any on preventing burgeoning, positive relations with the US from being ruined by Assad’s continued use of chemical weapons. Mali sunt in nostro numero et de exilo bonorum virorum cogitant. (There are evil men in our number [our midst] and they are thinking about the destruction of good men.)
Assad (above) will not allow his reign to come to an ignominious end. He will make a stand before he goes. Concealed stockpiles of chemical weapons would allow him strike out even at his allies with some effect. He may believe as long as he has such weapons at hand, he is able to deter the few allies that he has from turning against him. Given the threat his chemical weapons actually pose to Russian Federation Armed Forces in Syria, Trump’s action may have started a discourse in Moscow on how to handle Assad weapons and prevent him from poisoning burgeoning relations with the US by using them.
In Act I, Scene i of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, elderly King Lear in ancient Britain is deciding to give up his power and divide his realm amongst his three daughters, Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril. He declares the daughter who can profess her love for him the most will receive the largest share. While he hoped Cordelia, his favorite would win, she refuses to play, offering a desultory response. Enraged, Lear disowns Cordelia accepting the soupy, excessive declarations of Reagan and Goneril who consequently set out to kill him. Before leaving the palace with the King of France, Cordelia having an intimation of the danger her sisters posed to Lear, states: “Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides: Who cover faults, at last shame them derides. Well may you prosper!” The prognosis for the long-term survival of Assad’s presidency is not good. Today, many still believe Putin’s relationship with Assad is indissoluble. Quite often, Putin displays choreographed support for Assad. However, sometimes conditions can change to such a degree that one’s position must be altered. Patriotism permeates everything that Putin does. While not actually articulated, Putin has subtly promoted the concept of “Russia First”, a guiding principle similar in many ways to Trump’s “America First”. Putin will not subordinate the interests of the Russian people to those of another country, regardless of friendships, partnerships, or alliances. Putin would be remiss if he ignored big opportunities that would benefit Russia’s long-term interests. Assad would unlikely react well to even the prospect of a “shift” in his relationship with Russia.
Moscow apparently sought to steal a march on the incoming Trump administration by getting to know its likely senior officials, understanding Trump’s intentions, and predicting the administration’s movements in advance. Yet, deciphering Trump proved to be a difficult task. It appears what Moscow knew about the administration as it took the reigns of power amounted to guesswork or nonsense from poor sources. Much of what Moscow observed and encountered from the administration came as a surprise. Praise for Trump initially heard from certain political quarters in Moscow transformed into rebuke. Yet, through contacts between officials of both countries an authentic understanding of Trump began to take shape among Russian foreign policy decision makers and Putin. Those in Moscow au courant with the public discourse in the US on Trump know that harsh criticism is the “popular” reaction. They may also have discerned that the psychology of defective pride was in play when hearing those in the US considered foreign policy experts reproach Trump. Trump is not the imprudent actor those experts want him to be. Trump’s intellect is the type that builds modern cities. Moscow must ignore all the approbation in the background and prevent it from insinuating itself into analyses. That will facilitate Moscow’s efforts to sort things out regarding the Trump administration and become more comfortable in dealing with it. On Syria, relations between the US and Russia are improving. The US approach is not to elbow a better position for itself on the matter, but rather to have Russia acknowledge its responsibilities regarding the war-torn country. It is the most prestigious and powerful player fighting in support of the Syrian Government. As such, it must take on the role of guiding Syria to peace. Russia is not on the sidelines and not in a position to retreat in that direction. Although only Trump and and Putin can respectively prescribe duties to Tillerson and Lavrov, this is a matter that demands their cooperation. Whenever some resolution to the matter might be found, it is nearly certain that Assad will be the last to know about it. Haec omnia vulnera belli tibi nunc sananda sunt. (All these wounds of war must be healed by you now.)
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Russia, Turkey and Others Agree on Syria Truce Monitoring: Moscow Asks US to Join Its Efforts, But How It Will Respond Is Unclear
Posted on February 2, 2017 by greatcharlie
War-torn Damascus (above). Following Russian Federation-led peace talks between representatives of Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Opposition Movement on January 24, 2017 in Astana, Kazakhstan, Moscow’s envoy, Alexander Lavrentyev, welcomed the US to take a more active role in efforts to resolve the conflict. The administration of US President Donald Trump will act regarding Syria when it chooses, in an appropriate, measured way. Moscow appears eager to know Trump’s plans for Syria. It seems to be engaging in a bit of guessing on it.
According to a January 24, 2017 Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Russia, Turkey and Iran Agree on Syria Truce Monitoring,” officials from the Russian Federation, Turkey, and Iran met in Astana, Kazakhstan for two days with representatives of Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Opposition Movement. On the second day, January 24, 2017, the officials agreed to jointly monitor a fragile ceasefire between the warring parties established on December 30, 2016. The latest deal was called a possible step toward a political solution to end the six-year war. The UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura was also present at the January talks. At a news conference in Astana, de Mistura said, “When we came here to Astana, our immediate priority was to ensure the consolidation of the ceasefire.” He went on to say that in the past that previous cease-fires broke down because of a lack of monitoring and agreement on how to implement them. Under the new agreement, the monitors are to ensure full compliance with the truce and prevent provocations, according to a joint statement issued by three sponsors. The arrangements for monitoring the cease-fire and enforcing it would be decided at later meetings. The Assad regime and Syrian opposition both said they supported the plan. However, significantly different views were expressed by the Assad regime and opposition rebels over what those systems to monitor and enforce should be. The parties planned to reconvene a month later in Geneva for UN-sponsored talks.
Russia, which supports the Assad regime, and Turkey, which supports some rebel groups, explained last week they hoped the talks would begin to map the outlines of a political settlement to end the conflict. As the talks progressed, however, both sides tempered expectations, saying the aim in Astana was to buttress the fragile truce as a foundation for more political talks later. The administration of former US President Barack Obama was a primary supporter of Syrian Opposition Movement and the effort by its armed rebels to shape events on the ground to force Assad regime to talks to discuss the transition to a new government. That effort has largely been unsuccessful. The new administration of US President Donald Trump did not push for a role in what were albeit at the Russian-led talks. Instead, the Trump administration chose not to send a delegation, and the US was represented by the US ambassador to Kazakhstan. Moscow’s envoy to the talks, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters that Russia would welcome the US taking a more active role in attempts to resolve the conflict. This was ostensibly an invitation for the Trump administration to fully participate in what Russia hopes will be on-going talks. Russia’s invitation “to take a more active role” on Syria appears to reveal a change of heart in the Kremlin on the US with the advent of the Trump administration. Perhaps it may even serve as evidence that at least on some foreign policy issues, Putin is not locked into a single intent, immutable. By the end of the Obama administration, the US-Russia relationship stood in ruins. So enervated was former US Secretary of State John Kerry, and other officials, with the search for common ground with Russia on Syria that the effort was essentially suspended.
While the invitation from Lavrentyev is laudable and was likely appreciated by the Trump administration, there is far more involved in repairing the broken relationship between the US and Russia than opening the door with an invitation to participate in Russian-led Syria talks. There is also far more to Syria than the talks. US administrations do not formulate their policies and action based on invitations or exchanges of short public statements but through the work of federal employees engaged in the daily task of analyzing situations, the development of policies and policy approaches, and the formal implementation of those policies through diplomacy, and when appropriate, the utilization of other tools of national power. That process has been somewhat disrupted by the resignation of the entire senior level of management officials at the US Department of State during the last week of January 2017. Reportedly, it was part of a spate of retirements by senior Foreign Service officers. There was boldness going forward with Syria peace talks without the US and working with Turkey and others instead to secure a sustainable peace. However, it seems Russia has found that the dynamics of bringing the warring parties in Syria together for anything is daunting. What Russia may really be doing is inviting the Trump administration to further tie the US to the morass in Syria beyond the anti-ISIS fight. That would be a step of significant consequence, requiring considerable review. There has been some mumbling in the US news media and in social networks about an unverified draft executive order that indicates Trump plans to use the US military, in tandem with the State Department, to establish and protect refugee camps in Syria and neighboring countries. Syria was genuinely broached in a telephone conversation on January 28, 2017 between Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. According to the Kremlin, the most tangible outcome of the phone call was an understanding that jointly fighting international terrorism was a priority and that the two countries should cooperate in Syria. While admitting that Syria was discussed, the White House characterized the call more casually as “a congratulatory call” initiated by Putin. The Trump administration will act regarding Syria, but it will do so when it chooses, in an appropriate, measured way. A policy with varied approaches to the many aspects of the Syria issue will eventually be articulated. However, most intriguing has been Russia’s interest in connecting with Trump on Syria rather than any other faced by both countries. That is the focus of the discussion here.
Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (above). It should have behooved Putin to consider how significant cooperation between the US and Russia in the fight against Islamic militant groups during the administration of US President Barack Obama then might set the stage for close and effective cooperation between the two countries in the next administration, especially regarding the peace talks and postwar reconstruction in Syria. Now cooperation is somewhat uncertain.
Russia in Syria
On September 15, 2015, at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in Dushanbe Tajikistan, Putin explained Russia’s military support and intervention in Syria. He stated, “We support the government of Syria in its opposition to terrorist aggression. We have provided and will provide necessary military and technical support and call on other nations to join us.” Putin explained the exodus of refugees toward Europe and the crisis in Syria was a result of the support foreign powers provided the Syrian Opposition rebels. He said, “I would like to note that people are fleeing Syria because of the military actions that were largely imposed externally by deliveries of weapons and other special equipment. People are fleeing to escape the atrocities committed by terrorists.” Putin went on to state, “[The refugees] are fleeing from radicals, above all. And if Russia had not supported Syria, the situation in this country would have been worse than in Libya, and the stream of refugees would have been even greater.” Encouraged by advisers, Putin sensed not only a chance for Russia to shore up one of its remaining allies in the Middle East, but the chance to reassert Russia’s role as a global power. He was able to demonstrate that Russia could succeed where the Obama administration had floundered.
Since September 2015, Russia, along with its allies, have destroyed ISIS units, material, command, control, communication and intelligence and training facilities and has returned a considerable amount of Syrian territory back into the hands of Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad. True, there are many foreign military forces operating in Syria, but the effort of Russia and its allies is a very visible, full-scale, multidimensional military operation. Russia has managed to shape events on the ground in Syria in order to “stabilize the legitimate authority” of Assad. Russia also seeks to defeat ISIS by annihilating its military formations in the field, eliminating its leadership, and eviscerating its so-called Islamic Caliphate to the extent that the organization will never be able to resurrect itself. In the process, the fighting has claimed some of the Russian Federation Armed Forces’ most capable soldiers. Most recently, Russian Federation Army Colonel Ruslan Galitsky was killed in Aleppo, Syria. Putin personally announced that Galitsky had suffered fatal wounds when a Russian military field hospital in Aleppo’s al-Furqan neighborhood was struck by artillery fire on December 2, 2016. According to the Russian state-owned RIA Novosti news agency, Galitsky was acting as a military adviser to the Syrian Arab Army during its rapid three-week advance through about 75 percent of East Aleppo. It was reported that Galitsky was due to be promoted to the rank of major-general on December 12, 2016.
Since September 2015, Russia, along with its allies, have destroyed ISIS units, materiél, command, control, communication and intelligence and training facilities and has returned a considerable amount territory back into the hands of Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad. In the process, the fighting has claimed some of the Russian Federation Armed Forces’ most capable soldiers. Counted among those lost is Russian Federation Army Colonel Ruslan Galitsky (above).
A Russian Invitation for Cooperation on Syria: A Lot to Consider
Praeterita mutare non possumus, sed futura providere debemos. (We cannot change the past, but we anticipate the future.) Certainly, Moscow would be very pleased if its interactions with the Trump administration could begin at a point where it had any positive, constructive interactions the administration of former US President Barack Obama. That would require ignoring the overall tenor of the relationship it has had with Washington on Syria and many other urgent and important issues. The Obama administration was unsupportive of Russia’s intervention from the get-go. On September 30, 2015, then US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter forecasted about Moscow’s military involvement in Syria, “The Russian approach here is doomed to fail.” Obama stated on October 2, 2015: “An attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up Assad and try to pacify the population is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire and it won’t work.” Almost immediately after Russia began military operations in Syria in September 2015, Obama administration officials were already regularly reproaching Russia over its repeated airstrikes upon “moderate” anti-Assad groups while ostensibly seeking to attack ISIS. Obama’s disappointment could be discerned in his statements. Concerning Syria, on August 6, 2016, Obama went as far as to say about Putin and Russia: “I’m not confident that we can trust the Russians or Vladimir Putin.” He continued: “Whenever you are trying to broker any kind of deal with an individual like that or a country like that, you have got to go in there with some skepticism.”
In diplomacy, words and behavior matter absolutely, and there must be a certain amiability and gentleness in communications and interactions in order to create the environment for the development of mutual respect and understanding. It seems very uncharacteristic of Moscow in the midst of what Russian officials touted as a foreign policy success to invite the Trump administration to become more engaged with it on Syria. Still, even knowing it would mean sharing the limelight with the US, Russia appeared to have the desire to include the US in the process. To make perfunctory or platitudinous gesture for the US to become more engaged in Syria without any real desire for such cooperation could have potentially created a negative situation. The Russia could have convince the US to work with it, only to discover that the approaches of the two countries were not compatible. Far worse than both of those possibility would be the discovery that the invitation was a hoax. Certainly, Moscow had to expect that although Lavrentyev spoke with such comfortable words, it could not be acted upon immediately. Trump administration undoubtedly has it own thoughts and plans for Syria, but at the same time, it would very likely want to discern the full meaning of Russia’s “suggestion.” The decision was based on some rationale.
There is the possibility that Moscow’s invitation for the US join the Syria talks was a trial balloon floated off with the hope that if the Trump Administration might be interested in investing itself in Syria as part of its policy planning on the Middle East, counter terrorism, and possibly its Russia policy. Moscow seems very open to engagement. On counterterrorism, specifically, perhaps it would like to secure a pledge from the Trump administration that it would work directly with Russia to destroy Islamic militant groups in Syria. Russia has been able to put significant pressure on ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and other Islamic militant groups using its special operations forces–Spetsnaz–and airpower.
A Russian Federation Tupolev Tu-22M3 bomber (above). Moscow appears very open to engagement with the Trump administration on counter terrorism. It seems Moscow would like to secure a pledge from the Trump administration that it would work directly with Russia to destroy Islamic militant groups in Syria. The Russian Federation Armed Forces have already been able to put significant pressure on ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and other Islamic militant groups using its special operations forces and airpower.
Leap of Faith?: No Firm Basis for Moscow’s Hopes on Trump and Syria
On one occasion, Putin has mentioned the 1973 comedy, science-fiction film from the Soviet Union, “Ivan Vasilyevich Changes Profession.” Putin would quote one of the film’s characters as saying to another: “How am I supposed to understand what you’re saying if you don’t say anything?” This really is the case with Moscow and Trump administration. To an extent, the January 28, 2017 telephone conversation between Trump and Putin confirmed essence of Lavrentyev’s statement in Astana. Yet, there were no details discussed that would indicate cooperation on Russia’s terms. More specifically, the statement generated by the White House after the conversation noted that “The positive call was a significant start to improving the relationship between the United States and Russia that is in need of repair.” It stated further simply, “Both President Trump and President Putin are hopeful after today’s call the two sides can move quickly to tackle terrorism and other important issues of mutual concern.”
There has been no formal articulation of a Syria policy and immediate approaches for its implementation by the Trump White House or State Department. That makes it difficult to see what could have impelled Russia to suggest greater US involvement in Syria. Lacking any formal statements from the Trump administration on Syria to analyze, it could very well be that some in the Kremlin have turned to US news media interpretations of political events and decisions of the Trump Administration. For example, on January 26, 2017, the Guardian reported: “Trump had earlier also appeared to fall into line with Russia’s approach towards Syria, which had been to bomb the anti-Assad opposition into submission, before turning its attention towards a mutual foe, ISIS.” As for taking an unconventional, high profile approach to diplomacy, it may have been an effort to match the idea popularly promoted in the US media that it is the Trump administration’s preferred foreign policy tack. When one is less certain about the objective truth, the possibility that one might be drawn elsewhere for answers increases.
In addition to the fact that no formal policy documents exist that could have caused Moscow to believe the Trump administration’s policy on Syria, once articulated, would be compatible with its own. No publicized contact has taken place between Trump administration and the Kremlin, particularly one that would even approximate a complex conversation on bilateral relations. As mentioned, there was the late-January 28, 2017 Trump-Putin telephone call. However, no other conversations during the campaign or in the period before Trump’s inauguration could have reasonably caused Moscow to be certain of what his administration’s policy approaches would be on Syria. Additionally, decisions that might be made by the Trump administration on Syria at this point would be made with every fact, every judgment, the US government has available. Eventually, a formal policy on Syria will be presented. Verba volant, scripta manent. (Spoken words fly away, written words remain.)
Diplomacy via Public Statements: Russia’s Effort to Bypass the US Policymaking Process
It is unclear how Moscow thought Lavrentyev’s invitation would be processed within the US foreign policy apparatus. Most recently, there have been significant changes in the US Department of State. According to the Washington Post, on January 25, 2017, Patrick Kennedy, Undersecretary for Management, Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond, and the Director of the Office of Foreign Missions, Ambassador Gentry Smith resigned from their posts. In addition, Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gregory Starr retired January 20, 2017, and the director of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations, Lydia Muniz, departed the same day. While the Trump might have eventually replaced these officials, career Foreign Service officers as them are crucial to the State Department’s many functions, particularly the implementation of an administration’s agenda.
Officials in the Kremlin or the Russian Federation Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not hope to impact US foreign policy by just making statements and expecting a reaction. Foreign policy is still formulated at the White House and US Department of State as a result of a thorough examination of facts by policy analysts.In the current environment, the analytical process on Russia must be akin to a crucible in which social media rumors, falsehoods, and fake news must be burned off. Those facts are analyzed, with the concepts and intent of senior department officials and those of national leaders firmly in mind. Then others, enlightened with truths, based on real facts presented by the analysts, formulate policy options. US Department of State uses diplomacy to implement policies. Employees in other departments whose work concerns US external relations engage in a similar processes utilizing their particular tools of national power. For example, in the US Department of Defense, employees formulate policies entailing the possible use of the military power. It is a daily enterprise in which thousands of federal employees are engaged. In verbis etiam tenuis cautusque serendis dixeris egregie, notum si callida verbum reddiderit iunctura novum. (When putting words together it is good to do it with nicety and caution, your elegance and talent will be evident if by putting ordinary words together you create a new voice.)
When Trump stated “America First” during his inaugural address, he was not presenting a policy plan for any region. Rather, he presented “America First” as a concept, a guiding principle, indicating that his administration would consider the interest of the US over anything else. An explanation of the concept was posted on the White House website on January 20, 2017 as the “America First Foreign Policy.”
A US-Russia Relationship on Syria:Thinking It Through in Moscow
Faced with the predicament of having no formal articulation of a Syria policy and immediate approaches for its implementation by the Trump White House or State Department from which it could work, Moscow’s decision to authorize Lavrentyev’s invitation may have been based on assessments developed from the abstract by Russian foreign policy analysts of the Trump administration’s most likely Syria policy or greater Middle East policy. If anything, from what Trump has stated, analysts admittedly might have gleaned and constructed his likely key foreign and national security policy concepts on which his decisions might be based. True, when Trump stated “America First” during his inaugural address, he was not presenting a policy plan for any region. Rather, he presented, “America First” as a concept, a guiding principle indicating that his administration would consider the interest of the US over anything else. An explanation of the concept was posted on the White House website on January 20, 2017 as the “America First Foreign Policy.” It reads in part: “Peace through strength will be at the center of that foreign policy. This principle will make possible a stable, more peaceful world with less conflict and more common ground.” It further states: “Defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority. To defeat and destroy these groups, we will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary. In addition, the Trump Administration will work with international partners to cut off funding for terrorist groups, to expand intelligence sharing, and to engage in cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable propaganda and recruiting.”
It could very well be that policy analysts in Moscow, as much as policy analysts in other national capitals, may have used their analysis of the “America First Foreign Policy” to base conclusions on prospective Trump administration policies. Judgments made would need to have been deemed satisfactory enough to take action on. Given the statement’s mention of counterterrorism and the determination to pursue the issue vigorously, it would naturally follow that the judgments on which Russian analysts would have been most confident would concern counterterrorism and how it might relate to Syria. Absent this possibility, what impelled Russia to suggest greater US involvement in Syria truly becomes a mystery.
Ut desint vires tamen est laudanda voluntas. (Even if it is beyond one’s power, the will [to try] is still worthy of praise.) Surely, Moscow would prefer that Western foreign policy analysts saved their ministrations for officials of their own countries. Nevertheless, how Moscow may have perceived relations with the Trump administration on Syria before authorizing Lavrentyev’s invitation, what it perceived the US footprint in Syria would be following a renewed investment there, and how the US role might impact Russia, as well as its current partners on Syria is worth considering. If Russia’s decision on cooperating with the US on Syria was based on conclusions reached by Russian analyst as postulated here, it would be interesting to consider gaps that likely existed in their understanding of Trump’s concepts and prospective decisions on US foreign policy. The list of issues which Russian analysts would need to consider and for which they would need the right answers would be lengthy. Some of the important considerations for Moscow would likely have been: 1) bridging the diplomacy gap on Syria; 2) connecting on counterterrorism and safe zone; 3) establishing an understanding on Assad; 4) handling the Syrian rebels; 5) managing the peace talks; 6) getting the US to accept Iran’s role in Syria; 7) discerning US-Turkey cooperation; and, 8) postwar peace-enforcement and reconstruction.
1) Bridging the diplomacy gap on Syria
One could postulate that Russia’s interest in including the US in its Syria peace talks now is a display of newly found respect for the US Presidency, a very congenial welcome to the new administration with hope it would be perceived a sign of Moscow’s desire for improved relations, or an attempted appeal to the pride and ego of new US officials. While on the outside, Trump may appear to some as audacious, unpredictable, aggressive, on the inside Trump is thoughtful, disciplined, under control, and tough. The Kremlin might keep in mind is that much as Putin, Trump will hardly interested in diffusing tension by amiability, a hug or a slap on the back, an affected joviality to initiate dialogue. Trying to diffuse tension with Trump in this way is to play the minstrel. It will signal insecurity.
Russia has not provided a useful articulation of its hopes for relations with the Trump administration which would be helpful to the White House on some policy planning. It would also be helpful if Moscow articulated a reasonable cause for Russia’s decision to break contact with the Obama administration on Syria, or exclude the US in its talks in Astana. Anger is not an acceptable rationale but very often the basis for poor decisions. Moscow should realize that the Trump administration indeed represents a new beginning. It will seek better ties with other countries and better deals on anything negotiated by the Obama administration. Still, that does not necessarily mean everything that was Obama’s must be deracinated. Trump is very patriotic, and while he may not have agreed with Obama’s policies and approaches, he would certainly want other governments to display respect for a sitting US president. The reality is Russian behavior toward Obama Presidency at some level may factor into his perceptions of Russia.
It is unclear whether there are any other steps other than Lavrentyev’s invitation, planned to help bridge diplomatic gap between the US and Russia on Syria. Having taken the uncongenial and provocative step of excluding the US from its peace talks in Astana, and terminating discussions on Syria with the US, Russia’s attempt to revive what has been broken is being attempted with almost no diplomatic foundation to build upon. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry very likely explained to his counterpart Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Putin, himself, that reaching an agreement during the Obama administration on Syria and coordinating effectively under that agreement and others that might have been reached, would increase the possibility that US-Russian coordination at that level would be preserved by the next US administration. It would have been a simple statement of truth as much as an effort at fence mending. It should have behooved Putin to consider how significant cooperation between the US and Russia in the fight against Islamic militant groups then might set the stage for close and effective cooperation between the two countries in the next administration, especially on a postwar reconstruction and peace-enforcement mission in Syria.
A feasible point on which Russia might build new diplomatic relations on Syria would be US-Russian military coordination cooperation on Syria to ensure that the two countries’ air forces operate safely and that the risk of accidental confrontation or collision is minimized. Those talks were set up as a result of a proposal proffered by US Secretary of State John Kerry to share intelligence with Russia and coordinate airstrikes against ISIS and other Islamic militant groups. Russia might want to provide a positive assessment of the status of US-Russia air coordination on Syria.
A US B-52H bomber (above) Even without a formal articulation of its foreign and national security policies, the Trump administration’s intentions regarding counterterrorism have been explicit. Trump is ready to respond to terrorists groups with varied means to include stealthy, covert special operations raid executed with surgical precision to airstrikes of unimaginable destructive power.
2) Connecting on counterrorism and safe zones
Given that diplomatic efforts between the US and Russia on Syria near the Obama administration’s terminus were discontinuous, it is difficult to see how Moscow would have any confidence that the Trump administration would be interested in diplomatic efforts on Syria that would bridge the gap. Prospective diplomatic efforts might include talks on the US role in the Russian-led Syria peace talks, a new US-Russia partnership in Middle East, or counterterrorism. The draft executive order circulating on social media in January 2017 was first obtained and published by the Huffington Post, Trump envisioned establishing “safe zones” both inside Syria and in neighboring countries that will be used to “protect vulnerable Syrian populations” while they “await firm settlement” either elsewhere in Syria or in other countries. The document alludes to Trump’s controversial calls to prevent people fleeing the war-torn country from entering the US. It further explained that according to a draft executive order along with other steps with the goal of preventing future terrorist attacks in the US. Trump indicates he wants to see a plan by late April. The draft executive order was unverified. Some believe Trump will likely withdraw the matter due to tough logistical and political challenges associated with it.
Even without a formal articulation of its foreign and national security policies, the Trump administration’s intentions with regard to counterterrorism may have been explicit enough. He appears ready to respond to terrorists groups with varied means to include stealthy, covert special operations raid executed with surgical precision to airstrikes of unimaginable destructive power. As the capital of ISIS’ now dwindling Islamic Caliphate is located in Syria, it could be postulated that the country should hold some relevance regarding the administration’s foreign policy. It could seen as prospective rationale for Trump administration to invest time and effort on the political situation in Syria. Still, it would be difficult to discern solely from that angle what the administration’s interest and approaches to other aspects of the Syria issue might be.
It is uncertain whether Russia could establish a purely anti-ISIS linkage with the US on Syria or whether such a tie would be desirable. While the Trump-Putin telephone call albeit occurred after Lavrentyev made his statement,Moscow’s desire to make counterterrorism the foundation for establishing US-Russian relationship focus was reflected by the conversation. The aspect of the call that the Kremlin primarily focused on was counterterrorism. The Kremlin noted, “The presidents spoke in favor of setting up genuine coordination between Russian and American actions with the aim of destroying Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Syria.”
3) Handling the Syrian Opposition Rebels
It is uncertain how the Trump administration will respond to Syrian Opposition Movement rebels on the ground. The Obama administration in 2012 to provide the Syrian Opposition Movement with its support in the hope that Assad could be pressured to the negotiating table by Free Syrian Army advances and eventually agree to step down under a settlement. However, the US effort in Syria was designed and recognized by many as work on the margins. For nearly five years, the rebels were, for the most part, a disappointment as a military force. Indeed, after the Obama administration took on what proved to be the thankless task of supporting the Syrian Opposition rebels on the ground, complaints were frequently heard from senior commanders of the Supreme Military Council, the opposition’s military wing and commanders of their forces in the field, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), as well. Their grievances belie the fact that the Syrian opposition military leaders, after four years of war, have failed to unify the many groups in the Free Syrian Army into a cohesive fighting force and have been unable, without foreign assistance, to enhance their fighters capabilities. Only with US direction were FSA units and People’s Protection Units (YPG) of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party in the northeast Syria able to unite as the Syrian Democratic Forces. The rebels’ leaders had been remiss in devising their own plans for the effective use of their forces against ISIS and the Syrian Arab Armed Forces. From the beginning of their movement, Syrian opposition leaders should have been mature enough, and worldly wise enough, to understand that neither US nor any other country owed them anything. The Syrian Opposition’s Supreme Military Council, and senior FSA commanders should have expected more from themselves before demanding so much of others. The chance that Syrian Opposition Movement rebels on the ground in Syria and its political leaders would gain and retain the support of the Trump administration will be slim if their predilection toward being demanding and difficult to coordinate politically persists.
There are presently 500 US Special Operations troops in Syria training, equipping, and assisting Syrian Opposition rebels. Their help has allowed the rebels achieve some big things. The rebels march toward Raqqa is an example of that. Through the assistance of US Special Operations advisers, the rebels have been able to coordinate their movements with planners of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition air campaign. However, there is still no evidence that the rebels possess any capability to shape the overall struggle in a way now that would put real pressure on Assad. For many rebels scattered around Syria, everyday is fight for survival as they hope for a miracle.
ISIS and other Islamic militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda, such as the former Jabhat al-Nusra and its reported offshoot Khorasan, have managed find advantage in the Syrian opposition’s failings throughout the war. By attacking mainstream FSA units that were trying to defeat Assad’s troops and allies, the Islamic militants have succeeded in making the Syrian opposition’s situation far worse. On top of the damage caused by their attacks on the FSA, Islamic militant groups continue to commit countless atrocities against the Syrian people. The Islamic militant groups were never oriented toward Syria’s transition to a democratic form of government. ISIS has included territory they hold in Syria as part of a massive Islamic State, an Islamic Caliphate, crossing into Iraq that is solely under their control, ruled under Sharia law. A syncretistic merger of mainstream opposition and Islamic militant ideas on governance was never going to occur. Meanwhile, ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and other Islamic militant groups became stronger almost daily. Their strength has long since passed the point at which mainstream Syrian Opposition forces could independently contend with them.
US Special Operations troops in Syria (above). With the help of 500 US Special Operations troops who were sent into Syria to train, equip, and assist them, the Syrian Opposition rebels have managed to achieve some things. Their march toward Raqqa is an example of that. However, there is still no evidence of a capability to shape the conflict in a way now that would put real pressure on Assad. For many Syrian Opposition rebels, everyday is fight for survival as they hope for a miracle.
An authentic Russian assessment of the Syrian opposition rebels at this point could only be that they will not be able to shape the military situation on ground in a way to force Assad to talks for arranging his removal from office and setting up a transitional government. The rebels have lost many fighters, and a significant portion of their territorial gain. They clearly have not influenced Assad’s thinking or decision-making. From a Russian military perspective, there is not too much for the Trump administration to go into Syria to support. Russia has been effective at halting rebels efforts on the ground. In reality, the US has been the only obstacle to ensuring the rebels’ destruction by Russian Federation and Syrian Arab air power. Some analysts believe the Battle of Aleppo truly signaled the end for rebels. Russia apparently plans to remain in Syria at relatively high levels and continue to provide military assistance to Assad’s forces. Without any US assistance, there is no chance whatsoever that the rebels could keep fighting at all. Given that, the Moscow may find it difficult to believe that Trump administration would pump more time, blood, and money into the rebel effort.
4) Managing the Peace Talks
As there is no path for the Syrian Opposition Movement to secure a role in the Damascus government, Moscow may doubt that the Trump administration would be willing to negotiate for them at the Syrian peace talks. Pressing for the demand of the Obama administration that a transition government be created in Damascus and that Assad commit to stepping down would be unreasonable. Likewise, it might be considered unnecessary for the Trump administration to seek a settlement on territory. The Syrian Opposition Movement was a political movement not territorial one, in which an autonomous state is sought. The movement of the Kurdish Democratic Unity Party, however, is a struggle for autonomy. To that extent, it may be an issue which the Trump administration could get behind.
On the other hand, despite glowing reports on what had been achieved in Astana, Moscow discovered in December 2016 and January 2017 that managing peace talks with the warring parties was not easy. There was difficulty getting the Syrian Opposition to agree to anyrhing. This was repeatedly the case when the Obama administration was involved. Moreover, during previous talks, foreign diplomats were required to devote a significant amount of time acting as mediators to hold the Syrian Opposition’s diverse groups together. While the opposition delegation was formed mostly of rebel commanders rather than political leaders, it was still quick to reject proposal for direct talks with the Assad regime because of its continued bombardment of opposition-held areas. Russia drummed up political support for the talks in Astana, which appeared aimed at leveraging its rejuvenated ties with Turkey and to simply give Moscow a greater voice in efforts to broker a settlement. However, Russian officials have lowered expectations that a major breakthrough would result from its efforts. Making things worse, during the talks, fierce infighting between rebel groups erupted in Syria, pitting at least one faction that supported the talks against another that was excluded. The rebels went into the talks at their weakest point so far in the war and this new eruption of violence threatened to fracture the opposition even further. Moscow may very well sense that it needs the assistance of the US to manage the talks.
5) Establishing an Understanding on Assad
Before its next contact with the Trump administration, Moscow will undoubtedly consider what cooperative role the US could play that would allow for the full exploitation of its capabilities in the anti-ISIS effort. However, if Moscow wants to cooperate with the administration on Syria, it must create an environment that will facilitate such cooperation. There is the likelihood that Trump administration will not accept Assad. For the moment, the transition of Assad regime to new politically inclusive government is the standing US policy. If the Trump administration by chance decided to cooperate with Russia on Syria at the moment, it would signal its acceptance of Assad’s presidency as it is Russia’s policy to fully support it. To believe that might happen is to deny reality. Russia must decide how it will negotiate on Assad before it discusses anything about Syria with the Trump administration.
If the Trump administration has no interest in working with Assad, it could hardly be expected that the administration would provide US financial assistance for Syria’s reconstruction, helping to rebuild his regime. Russia needs to assess whether there any strong motivation might exist for the Trump administration to be involved. At best, the administration would only give reconstruction consideration if it was presented with some opportunity, a role of clear benefit to the US. Alternatively, Moscow could make itself completely open to responding to the Trump administration’s wishes on Syria. Absent either, there would hardly be any point to pursuing the matter. Russian analysts should have assessed that Assad’s future would need to be an important factor in the Kremlin’s calculus on reconstruction.
Despite glowing reports on what had been achieved in Astana, Moscow actually found that managing the peace talks was not easy. It faced particular difficulty keeping the Syrian Opposition together. It has repeatedly been the case during Syrian peace talks that foreign diplomats were required to devote much time acting as mediators to hold the Syrian Opposition’s diverse groups together. Moscow may very well sense that it needs the assistance of the US to manage the talks.
6) Getting the US to Accept Iran’s Role in Syria
Russian analysts should have assessed that the Trump administration may not want to work in conjunction with Iran on Syria. The Trump administration has explicitly indicated that it is an avid supporter of Israel, whose leaders have referred to Iran as an existential threat. Further, during the 2016 Presidential Campaign, Trump expressed the desire to alter or scrap the Iran nuclear deal. His administration’s thinking and approach to the nuclear deal may impact its desire to participate in the Syria peace talks while Iran was present. Russia would also need to establish what Iran’s reaction would be to possible US involvement in the talks. Reportedly, Iran has made huge sacrifices in blood and money in Syria, and is still doing so. Its leaders will most likely feel that their country deserves standing greater, but certainly no less than the US on any issues concerning Syria. It is unclear whether the Russians would want to do anything to negatively affect the strong ties it has developed with Iran in order to establish cooperation with the US.
There are other matters that might greatly concern the Trump administration. At a UN meeting in Vienna on November 14, 2015, Kerry is said to have proposed allowing all Syrians, “including members of the diaspora” participate in the vote. He was betting that if Syrians around the world can participate in the vote, Assad will not be able to win, his regime likely has a limited degree of influence within Syria and the Syrian diaspora worldwide, including among refugees in massive camps in Jordan and Turkey or on their own elsewhere. As December 30, 2015 greatcharlie post explained, Russia and Iran would hardly allow the situation to slip from their hands so easily. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), IRGC-Quds Force, the Iranian Army, and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security would do much to influence the outcome on the battlefield but also will likely do much to help the Assad regime influence the result of elections despite UN monitors, by helping to “create support” for Assad and “coping” with regime opponents. Reportedly, the Assad regime and the Iranians have engaged in a bit of ethnic cleansing. For example, Sunnis in West Damascus were forced to resettle in Kefraya and Fua. Iraqi and Lebanese Shias among those who replace them. Shia residents in Kefraya and Fua have been moved to formerly Sunni areas near Damascus. The Trump administration will likely point to this matter and will unlikely approve of Iran’s actions. Moscow will need to develop responses to Trump administration questions about that.
7) Discerning US-Turkey Cooperation
Russia analysts would likely assess for Moscow that if the US enters the fray on Syria, Turkey would be forced to establish a balance between the relations with Russia and the US. While Turkey has a new linkage with Russia on Syria, it has a strong linkage with the US, its long-time NATO ally, on Syria as a result of an agreement with the Obama administration to take on the role of supporting US-backed Syrian Opposition rebels. Moreover, how Turkey intended to proceed regarding its support of those US-backed rebels’ campaign is unknown. This issue will take on even greater importance if the Trump administration decided to reduce or halt financial support to Ankara that may have assisted Turkish military forces and intelligence services working with Syrian Opposition rebels.
Safe zones have been a core demand of the Syrian opposition and were central to Turkey’s Syria policy for much of the past five years. However, Ankara is apparently lukewarm about idea of new safe zones, believing that under its auspices, a sufficient safe zone has already created. Indeed, Turkey has set up its own zone of influence, a de facto safe zone, between the Kurdish enclaves of Jarablus and Irfin, which is aimed primarily at keeping Syrian Kurds from forming a presence along the entire length of its border with Syria, but is also being used as a refuge by some fleeing civilians. Russian analysts may have already assessed that if the US receives significant push back from Turkey on creating new safe zones in Syria, it may temper the Trump administration’s interest in investing the US further in the Syria situation. Countries as Turkey and Jordan would be critical to any plan to create safe zones in country because they would need a steady line of support in order to be sustained.
Aleppo (above). US cooperation on reconstruction would be most desirable after any conflict.There would hardly be any motivation for the Trump administration to provide US financial assistance for reconstruction of Syria for Assad. At best, Trump would only give reconstruction consideration if there was a clear benefit to the US. Unless Russia would be open to responding to US wishes on Syria, it is hard see what would draw the US to the enterprise.
8) Postwar Peace-Enforcement and Reconstruction
Russian analysts may have assessed that convincing US to cooperate on the Syria peace talks could create a possible path for for US participation at an important level in the country’s postwar peace-enforcement mission and possibly reconstruction. It is a monumental task that lies ahead. Leaving Syria without at least initiating some complex comprehensive plan for reconstruction and peace-enforcement would be a mistake. That would create ideal conditions for the rejuvenation of ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, or the establishment of another Islamic militant group to fill the vacuum of power around the country. That was what occurred in Iraq after US forces departed, the problem in Libya with the removal of the regime of Muammar El-Ghaddafi, and it is a growing problem in Afghanistan.
US cooperation on reconstruction would be most desirable after any conflict. Surely, Russian Federation EMERCOM, developed and led by the current Russian Federation Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu for many years, would have an significant impact on that effort. However, without the financial wherewithal and expertise of the US, Russia’s investment in Syria might amount to nothing in the end. In the international reconstruction effort launched in Bosnia in 1995 under the Dayton Peace Agreement and the creation of the multinational peace-enforcement force in support of the agreement’s implementation, I-FOR (Implementation Force). The US and Russia cooperated as members of that force and the follow-on force, S-FOR (Stabilization Force). US participation in the peace-enforcement and reconstruction effort may also do much to encourage participation from those Arab countries and Western countries as well. Russia, itself, has sought stronger ties with Arab countries, bolstering economic ties with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait and diplomatic overtures with Algeria, Iraq, and Egypt. Russia’s hope was that courting those countries would make them more receptive to its’ calls to assist in finding a political solution for Syria. It was also hoped those countries would eventually be responsive to a campaign by Russia to gain financial support for Syria’s reconstruction. Still, there is sense of stability that may come from US participation in the Syria effort. Knowing the US and Russia were cooperating on the ground might create a sense of security among the other countries.
The Trump administration, in its nascent days, has set out to accomplish many things, but approaches matters in a way a bit different from previous administrations. Its intent is not to reject or break the US policymaking process, but the change still worries many. Government professionals will soon be put to work implementing numerous administration policies. Once cabinet members and senior executives of the various departments are seated, policy statements on Syria and other issues will be produced.
In William Shakespeare’s play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Polonius is a Danish Lord and chief counselor to the king. In Act I Scene iii, his son Laertes is leaving home for France. While sending his son off, Polonius offers him advice on how to behave with integrity and practicality overseas. At the end of a long list of guidelines, Polonius tells Laertes: “This above all: to thine ownself be true. And it must follow, as the night the day. Thou canst not then be false to any man.” Taking an unconventional approach can be called creative, but when it leads to successful outcomes, it must be considered effective. The Trump administration, in its nascent days, has set out to accomplish many things and it is doing them in a way different from that of previous administrations. Change can be disturbing. On foreign policy, it is not the intent of the Trump administration to reject or break the policymaking process. Inevitably, professionals serving in government departments will be put to work implementing numerous administration policies. Trump is aware of the very large foreign affairs and national security apparatus made available to a US president, and knows it is very capable. As its cabinet members and senior executives of the various departments are seated, the Trump administration will begin to produce policy statements not only on Syria, but many other issues as well. Moscow’s invitation for the Trump administration to join the Syria effort seems to indicate that Russia would prefer, and if possible encourage, the White House to circumvent the normal policymaking process. Taking approach will put Moscow on nothing but a bad road. Indeed, accomplishing anything that way will be impossible. Despite what may become a persistent voice from overseas, the administration will formulate its policies and advance them at its own pace.
Posted in 2016 US Presidential Campaign, 2016 US Presidential Election, Al-Nusra Front, Aleppo, Alexander Lavrentyev, America First, America First Foreign Policy, Astana, Collective Security Treaty Organization, Damascus, Donald Trump, Free Syrian Army, FSA, Fua, God, Iran, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, IRGC, ISIS, Islamic Caliphate, Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Jaysh al-Fateh, Kazakhstan, Kefraya, Kerry, Kremlin, Kurdish Democratic Unity Party, Kurdish fighters, Kurds, Lavrov, Mark Edmond Clark, Moscow, NATO, Obama, People's Protection Units, Prince of Denmark, Putin, PYD, Raqqa, Russia, Russian Defense Minister, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation Army Colonel Ruslan Galitsky, Russian Federation Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, Russian Federation Special Operations Command, Russian Federation Tupolev Tu22M3 Strategic Bomber, Russian Foreign Minister, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Sergei Shoigu, Shi'a, Spetsnaz, Sunni, Supreme Military Council, Syria, Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian Armed Forces, Syrian Army, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian National Council, Syrian Opposition Movement, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Trump, Tupolev Tu22M3 Strategic Bomber, Turkey, Ukraine, UN, Uncategorized, United Nations, United States, US President Barack Obama, US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State John Kerry, YPG | Leave a reply
Unintentional Human Error Led to Airstrikes on Syrian Troops, Pentagon Says: Greater Care Is Required in Many Areas
Posted on December 15, 2016 by greatcharlie
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar (above). It is comprised of a joint US military and Coalition team that executes day-by-day combined air and space operations and provides rapid reaction, positive control, coordination, and deconfliction of weapons systems. On September 17, 2016, CAOC was monitoring a Coalition airstrike over Deir Ezzor when Russian Federation forces informed it that the attack was hitting a Syrian military position. The attack impacted a US diplomatic effort with Russia on Syria.
According to a November 29, 2016 New York Times article entitled, “Unintentional Human Error Led to Airstrikes on Syrian Troops, Pentagon Says,” the US Department of Defense identified “unintentional” human mistakes as the causality for the US-led airstrikes that killed dozens of Syrian government troops in September 17, 2016. The strikes occurred as a deal to ease hostilities in Syria, brokered by the US and Russia, was unraveling. They particularly undercut US Secretary of State John Kerry’s diplomatic efforts with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to coordinate the US and Russian air campaigns over Syria. Russian Federation military units, which were working closely with the forces of Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad to fight ISIS and other rebels, said the attack had killed 62 Syrian troops and wounded more than 100. The attack marked the first time the US had engaged the Syrian military since it began targeting the ISIS in Syria and Iraq two years ago. It was determined as result of the investigation, led by US Air Force Brigadier General Richard Coe, that the attack was conducted under the “good-faith belief” that the targets were ISIS militants. It also concluded that the strikes did not violate the law of armed conflict or the rules for the US military. Danish, British and Australian forces also participated in the airstrike. Coe said, “In my opinion, these were a number of people all doing their best to do a good job.”
As Kerry was engaged in a crucial effort to persuade Russia to coordinate its air campaign in Syria with similar US efforts when the airstrike occurred, greatcharlie has been fogged-in over why the risky attack was ever ordered. In a previous post, greatcharlie stated that Russian Federation military commanders could benefit greatly from working alongside US air commanders and planners. It was also suggested that the US might provide a demonstration of its targeting and operational capabilities to encourage Russia’s cooperation. However, the errant attack was certainly not the sort of demonstration greatcharlie had in mind. On better days, US air commanders and planners have demonstrated a practically unmatched acumen in using air assets of the US-led coalition’s anti-ISIS air campaign to shape events on the ground in support of the goals of US civilian leaders. US air commanders and planners have very successfully conducted No-Fly Zones and sustained air campaigns over the past three decades, in Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, where political goals endured, and in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.
Those experienced enough in life fully understand that it has its promises and disappointments. Whether events go well or negatively for one, an authentic truth is revealed in the outcome from which valuable, edifying lessons as well as new ideas can be extrapolated. The errant bombing of September 17, 2016 and findings of the investigation of it have come late in the administration of US President Barack Obama. Too little time is really available for lessons from the incident to influence any remaining decisions that the administration might make on Syria or military coordination and cooperation with Russia. The subsequent collapse of the negotiations on military coordination may have assured such decisions would not be required. Yet, for the incoming US administration, they may offer some useful hints on negotiating military coordination and cooperation with Russia on Syria or other countries on other issues if the opportunity arises. A few of those lessons are presented here with the hope they might mitigate the potential of an unfortunate military incident as witnessed in Syria that might also derail a crucial diplomatic effort. The overall hope is that the next administration will be tended by an honorable peace. Quidquid ages, prudenter agas et respice finem! (Whatever you do, do cautiously, and look to the end!)
The airstrike undercut US Secretary of State John Kerry’s (right) diplomatic effort with Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) to coordinate the US and Russian air campaigns over Syria. Bringing Russia over to the US view was already dicey. A few days before the incident, the US and Russia exchanged charges of noncompliance with a ceasefire agreement reached on September 12th in Geneva.
This Was Not the Demonstration of US Capabilities Imagined
The Obama administration may not have actually been enthused about working with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin on Syria, but it recognized that Russia, with its considerable military investment in Syria, can play an important role in ending the war. To that extent, it sought to have Putin agree to have agreement crafted by Kerry and Lavrov to cooperate militarily. The agreement called for formation of a US-Russia Joint Implementation Center to coordinate strikes against ISIS as well as Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic militant forces after there had been seven consecutive days of reduced violence in the civil war and humanitarian aid had begun to flow to besieged communities in Syria. Bringing Russia over to the US view was already dicey enough. A few days before the incident, the US and Russia exchanged charges of noncompliance with the ceasefire agreement that Kerry and Lavrov reached on September 12, 2016 in Geneva.
On August 20, 2016, greatcharlie suggested the US could increase the value of its assistance through an actual demonstration of US capabilities to further encourage a change in Putin’s perspective on Kerry’s proposal on military cooperation. Included among recommendations was providing Putin with a complete US military analysis of the setbacks Russia and its allies have faced in Syria, and the relative strengths and weakness versus their Islamic militant opponents. The exact manner in which intelligence resources the US proposed to share with Russia and US military resources would have been of value to Russia could have been demonstrated by targeting and destroying a number battle positions of ISIS and other Islamic militant groups in Syria. Where possible, US airstrikes could have disrupted and destroyed developing attacks and counterattacks against Russia’s allies. Through a video of the attacks, Putin could have been shown how the unique capabilities of US weapons systems could enhance the quality of Russian airstrikes. He might also have been provided with US military assessments of those attacks.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, told the Russians in advance about the planned strike on an airfield in Deir Ezzor Province, calling it a “professional courtesy.” A senior US official said the Russians had acknowledged the message, thereby assuring they would the audience for the US attack. However, after the attack, the Russians had no reason to express appreciation or compliments to CENTCOM. The strike began in the early evening of the next day. According to Russia, two A-10s, two F-16 fighters, and drones of the US-led Coalition were deployed to attack the airfield. They began hitting tanks and armored vehicles. In all, 34 precision guided missiles were erroneously fired on a Syrian Arab Army unit. The attack went on for about 20 minutes, with the planes destroying the vehicles and gunning down dozens of people in the open desert, the official said. Then, an urgent call came into CENTCOM’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which provides command and control of air power throughout Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and 17 other nations. The Russians relayed to the CAOC the disappointing news that the US strike was hitting Syrian forces. Four minutes later, the strikes were halted.
A “bombed up” A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter (above). In the early evening of September 17, 2016, two pairs of Coalition A-10 and F-16 fighters along with drones were deployed to attack an airfield in Deir Ezzor. They began hitting tanks and armored vehicles. In all, 34 precision guided missiles were erroneously fired on a Syrian Arab Army position. The attack lasted about 20 minutes, with the fighters destroying the vehicles and gunning down dozens of Syrian troops in the open desert. If not halted, the entire Syrian unit might have been wiped out.
In Syria over 95 percent of Russian Federation Air Force sorties are flown at 15,000 to 20,000 feet primarily to evade enemy air defenses. As aircrews cannot identify targets, bombs are dropped in areas where air intelligence reports the enemy is located. In attacking urban centers, that can result in collateral damage in the form of civilian deaths and injuries and the destruction of nonmilitary structures. US Permanent Representative to the UN, Samantha Power pointed to the issue of targetting by Russian Federation Air Force and Syrian Arab Air Force jets. On September 17, 2016, Power stated the Syrian government, assisted by Russia, has tortured and bombed its people. She added, “And, yet, in the face of none of these atrocities has Russia expressed outrage, nor has it demanded investigations, nor has it ever called for . . . an emergency meeting of the Security Council” on a Saturday night or any other night.
Air intelligence provides commanders with information on enemy targets to the extent that visual searches of enemy targets is no longer required. Given the speed of fighters and the need to protect aircrews and aircraft from anti-aircraft weapons and other arms, flying at lower altitudes with the goal of identifying targets by visual search is no longer feasible. Even friendly forces are often required to mark targets with flags or smoke for their own safety. US air commanders ordered the attack in the proximity of Syrian forces, calculating that the conclusions of air intelligence about the target were accurate. Informing aircrews that they would be operating in close proximity to Syrian troops did not create any requirement for them to engage in a time consuming, very hazardous, visual search of the target before going into their attack. Nevertheless, as US Air Force Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigian, the commander of US Air Forces and Combined Forces Air Component in CENTCOM aptly explained, “In this instance, we did not rise to the high standard we hold ourselves to, and we must do better than this each and every time.”
The Russian Federation armed forces and intelligence services use their intelligence tactics, techniques, procedures, and methods to meet the needs of air commanders and planners. However, over 95 percent of Russian Federation Air Force sorties in Syria are flown at 15,000 to 20,000 feet primarily to evade air defenses. Bombs are dropped where air intelligence reports state the enemy is located. Attacks in urban centers have resulted in civilian deaths and injuries and the destruction of nonmilitary structures.
Intelligence Analysts Erred
The Russian Federation armed forces and intelligence services proudly use their own intelligence tactics, techniques, procedures, and methods to meet the needs of commanders and planners. Russian Federation commanders and planners would certainly like to believe that by intensifying their own intelligence gathering activities, they can achieve success without US assistance. However, the summer of 2016 proved to be particularly difficult for Russian Federation forces and their allies as progress eastward toward Raqqa and Deir Ezzor was slowed. ISIS was able to apply pressure, infiltrating into areas retaken by the allies and launching counterattacks. The fight for Aleppo became a greater strain than anticipated. Beyond human intelligence collection–spies, the US gathers continuous signal and geospatial intelligence over Syria. Those multiple streams of intelligence could assist Russian Federation commanders and planners in pinpointing ISIS and other Islamic militant groups on the ground even if they are dispersed. Air assets of the Russian Federation and its allies could destroy them, disrupt their attacks, and support ground maneuver to defeat them. In support of the proposal, Kerry and Lavrov already agreed that a map could be drawn up indicating where Islamic militant forces are positioned. They also agreed that US and Russian military personnel working in the same tactical room would jointly analyze the intelligence and select targets for airstrikes.
Reportedly, US surveillance aircraft had been watching the erroneously-labelled Syrian unit for several days. According to a redacted copy of a report that summarized the investigation, a drone examined an area near an airfield in Deir Ezzor Province in eastern Syria on September 16, 2016, identifying a tunnel entrance, two tents and 10 men. The investigation found that those forces were not wearing recognizable military uniforms or identification flags, and there were no other signs of their ties to the Syrian government. On September 17, 2016, a CENTCOM official, who at the time requested anonymity because the incident was still being investigated, said military intelligence had already identified a cluster of vehicles, which included at least one tank, as belonging to ISIS. Coe stated, “In many ways, these forces looked and acted like the Daesh forces the coalition has been targeting for the last two years,” using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State.
In a statement on the investigation of the incident, CENTCOM outlined a number of factors that distorted the intelligence picture for the airstrike. Included among them were “human factors” such as “confirmation bias”; “improper labelling”; and invalid assumptions. The Syrian Arab Army unit observed at Deir Ezzor was wrongly identified or labelled as ISIS early in the analytical process. CENTCOM’s statement indicated that incorrect labelling colored later analysis and resulted in the continued misidentification of the Syrian unit on the ground as ISIS. Further, the statement laid out a series of changes to the targeting process that the Defense Department has already made to include more information-sharing among analysts. The US Air Force has independently placed its process for identifying targets under review.
Qui modeste paret, videtur qui aliquando imperet dignus esse. (The one who obeys with modesty appears worthy of being some day a commander.) What appears to have been needed at the time beyond issues concerning tactics, techniques, procedures and methods for conducting air operations was better coordination of its own diplomatic and military activities regarding Syria. As a sensible precaution, US air commanders and planners should have been informed that operations conducted at that time could have considerable positive or negative impact on US diplomatic efforts in Syria. (The publicized record of the investigation does not touch on this point.) The delicate nature of diplomacy would have been factored into planning, not shrugged off. Interference by civilian leaders in military units’ tactical operations is surely not desired by commanders. Yet, by failing to call attention to the unique political and diplomatic environment in which they were operating over Syria, the matter was left open to chance.
MQ-1 Predator drone (above). Reportedly, US surveillance aircraft had been watching the erroneously-labelled Syrian military position for several days. A drone examined an area near an airfield in Deir Ezzor Province on September 16, 2016, identifying a tunnel entrance, two tents and 10 men. The investigation found that those forces were not wearing recognizable military uniforms or identification flags, and there were no other signs of their ties to the Syrian government.
Confirmation Bias and Hormones: Decisionmaking on the Airstrikes
Decipimur specte recti. (We are deceived by the appearance of right.) In the conclusions of the US Defense Department’s investigation, causality for the incident was found to be in part the thinking of US air commanders and planners. It was determined to have been a bit off-kilter and confirmation bias was pointed to specifically. Confirmation bias is a result of the direct influence of desire on beliefs. When individuals desire a certain idea or concept to be true, they end up believing it to be true. They are driven by wishful thinking. This error leads the individual to cease collecting information when the evidence gathered at a certain point confirms the prejudices one would like to be true. After an individual has developed a view, the individual embraces any information that confirms it while ignoring, or rejecting, information that makes it unlikely. Confirmation bias suggests that individuals do not perceive circumstances objectively. An individual extrapolates bits of data that are satisfying because they confirm the individual’s prejudices. Therefore, one becomes a prisoner of one’s assumptions. The Roman dictator Gaius Julius Caesar has been quoted as saying “Fene libenter homines id quod volunt credunt,” which means, “Men readily believe what they want to believe.” Under confirmation bias, this is exactly the case. Attempting to confirm beliefs comes naturally to most individuals, while conversely it feels less desirable and counterintuitive for them to seek out evidence that contradicts their beliefs. This explains why opinions survive and spread. Disconfirming instances must be far more powerful in establishing truth. Disconfirmation requires searching for evidence to disprove a firmly held opinion.
Cogitationem sobrii hominis punctum temporis suscipe. (Take for a moment the reasoning of a quiet man.) For the intelligence analyst, appropriately verifying one’s conclusions is paramount. One approach is to postulate facts and then consider instances to prove they are incorrect. This has been pointed to as a true manifestation of self-confidence: the ability to look at the world without the need to look for instances that pleases one’s ego. For group decision-making, one can serve a hypothesis and then gather information from each member in a way that allows the expression of independent assessments. A good example can found in police procedure. In order to derive the most reliable information from multiple witnesses to a crime, witnesses are not allowed to discuss it prior to giving their testimony. The goal is to prevent unbiased witnesses from influencing each other. US President Abraham Lincoln intentionally filled his cabinet with rival politicians who had extremely different ideologies. At decision points, Lincoln encouraged passionate debate and discussion.
At the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, research is being done to better understand the biological basis for decisionmaking using lab experiments and biological data. Some of the findings of research scientist, Gideon Nave, who came to Wharton from the university’s neuroscience department, prove as relevant to this case as much as confirmation bias. Nave explains that the process of decision-making is influenced by their biological state. Factors that can influence that biological state naturally include hunger, sleep deprivation and stress. However, Nave is also looking deeper at the influence of hormones on decision-making. In dominant situations, different hormones fluctuate in people. For example, stress creates a clearly measurable biological stress response that consists of elevation of several hormones in our body. Nave has focused on noradrenaline and cortisol. Cortisol specifically affects decisionmaking.
In examining decisionmaking, Nave recognizes that people trade-off by people accuracy and speed when making decisions. Cortisol, Nave has found, influences people’s will to give the simple heuristic, or “gut answer” faster, as if they were under time pressure. There is a simple test Nave uses through which one can observe their own responses. It come in the form of a math word problem. There is a bat and a ball for the US sport baseball. Together, they cost $1.10. Now, the bat costs a dollar more than the ball. What’s the price of the ball? More often than not, individuals tested will give their intuitive answer. Indeed, as the ball is 10 cents, and the bat is $1 more, they typically believe it means that the bat is $1.10, so together the bat and ball would be $1.20. However, that would be incorrect. The correct answer is 5 cents and $1.05. When the answer 10 cents is given, it usually has not been thought through. There is no time limit set for providing an answer. There is no incentive offered by the tester for answering with speed. It seems the only real pressure is the desire of an adult, who may be paid for being correct at his or her job, and may be achievement oriented, to correctly answer what is an elementary school-level math woth word problem with speed and confidence.
In analysis at the tactical level, target identification can require splitting-hairs. Much as a bank teller dispensing cash, a mistake by an intelligence can lead to a crisis. Doubt and uncertainty can be mitigated with sufficient, timely redundant assessments. In a sensitive political and diplomatic environment as the one faced in Syria, the slightest uncertainty should have been cause enough to deliberate and think through a target’s identification. While normally action-oriented, in a sensitive political and diplomatic environment, the commander, for that brief period, could order unit commanders and planners exercising caution in targeting and launching attacks.
In anew initial statement (above), CENTCOM, still uncertain, recognized the possibility that Syrian forces were hit in Deir Ezzor. For the intelligence analyst, verifying one’s conclusions is paramount. One approach is to postulate facts and then consider instances to prove they are incorrect. It requires the ability to look at the world without the need to look for instances that pleases one’s ego. For group decision-making, one can set a hypothesis and gather information from each member, allowing for the expression of independent assessments.
Ensuring the Right-hand and the Left-hand Know What the Head Wants
Perhaps civilian leaders in the Obama administration failed to fully consider or comprehend issues concerning measures used to identify and decide upon targets. Perhaps they were unaware that it was more important in that period of intense negotiations with Russia to minimize or simply avoid attacks on targets in close proximity to the forces of Russia and its allies. Under ordinary circumstances, the matter could reasonably be left for Russia commanders in the field to handle without concern for any implications in doing so. If in the future, an effort is made to demonstrate to Russia the best aspects of US capabilities and the benefits enjoyed by US-led Coalition partners in operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic militant forces, some guidance regarding urgent political goals for that period, and the need for enhanced diligence and perhaps restraint in the conduct of operations must be issued. It was either determined or no thought was given to reviewing and approving relevant procedures and initiatives at a time when crucial diplomatic efforts needed to be, and should have been, supported.
Historia magistra vitae et testis temporum. (History is the teacher and witness of times.) During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, civilian leaders recognized the need for enhanced diligence and perhaps restraint in the conduct of a Naval blockade of Cuba. The effort US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara to inform US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral George Anderson of that resulted in a renowned angry exchange between them. The sources on which Graham Allison relied upon in the original edition of his seminal work on the crisis, Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis (Little, Brown and Company,1971), claimed that the US Navy failed to implement the President John Kennedy’s orders to draw the blockade like we closer to Cuba ostensibly to give the Soviet Union’s calculating Chairman of the Council of Ministers, Nikita Khrushchev, more time to decide to half Soviet ships, and that Anderson resisted explaining to McNamara what procedures the Navy would use when intercepting the first Soviet ship to approach the line.
According to Allison’s account of the confrontation between McNamara and Anderson, US President John Kennedy was worried that the US Navy, already restive over the controls imposed on how the blockade of Cuba was to be executed, might “blunder into an incident.” McNamara was closely attuned to Kennedy’s worries and resolved to press the Navy leadership for additional information on its modus operandi. Confronting Anderson, McNamara minced no words: “Precisely what would the Navy do when the first interception occurred?” Anderson told him that he had already covered that same ground before the National Security Council, and the further explanation was unnecessary. This answer angered McNamara, proceeded to lecture Anderson on the political realities: “It was not the President’s design to shoot Russians but rather to deliver a political signal to Chairman Khrushchev. He did not want to push the Soviet leader into a corner; he did not want to humiliate him; he did not want to risk provoking him into a nuclear reprisal. Executing the blockade is a an act of war, one that involved the risk of sinking a Soviet vessel. The sole purpose of taking such a risk would be to achieve a political objective. But rather than let it come to that extreme end, we must persuade Chairman Khrushchev to pull back. He must not be ‘goaded into retaliation’.” Getting the feeling that his lecture did not sink in, McNamara resumed his detailed questioning. Whereupon Anderson, picked up the Manual of Naval Regulations, waved it in McNamara face and shouted, “It’s all in there!” McNamara retorted, “I don’t give a damn what John Paul Jones would have done. I want to know what you are going to do, now!”
Other sources that Allison utilized claimed that civilian leaders believed US antisubmarine warfare operations included using depth charges to force Soviet submarines to surface, raising the risk of inadvertent war. According to Richard Betts in American Force: Dangers, Delusions and Dilemmas in National Security (Columbia University Press, 2011). Subsequent research indicated that these stories were false. Indeed, Joseph Bouchard explains in Command in Crisis: Four Case Studies (Columbia University Press, 1991) that McNamara actually ordered antisubmarine procedures that were more aggressive than those standard in peacetime. Harried civilian leaders may not have fully comprehended the implications of all these technical measures, or may have had second thoughts. Nevertheless, the relevant procedures and initiatives did not escape their review and approval.
US President John Kennedy (left) with US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (right). During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, civilian leaders recognized the need for enhanced diligence in the conduct of a Naval blockade of Cuba. McNamara’s effort to inform the US Navy of that resulted in a renowned exchange between himself and the Chief of Naval Operations, US Navy Admiral George Anderson. Well before the errant Syria airstrike, civilian leaders should have told US air commanders and planners of their operations’ potential to impact crucial, ongoing US diplomatic efforts.
In William Shakespeare’s comedy, The Tempest, Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, although forced to take refuge on an island for twelve years after his brother Antonio seized his title and property, refused to use his extraordinary powers, magic, to take revenge when the opportunity presented itself. Prosperous remarks, “The rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.” The best definitions of virtue can be found among teachings of various religions. However, to avoid being impolitic by choosing one religion and its tenants over others, its definition can be drawn from philosophy. From a philosophical perspective, virtue is well-defined by the “Golden Mean” proffered by Cleobulos of Lindos, one of the Seven Sages of Greece. The Golden Mean manifested an understanding that life is not lived well without following the straight and narrow path of integrity. That life of moderation is not what is popularly meant by moderation. The classical Golden Mean is the choice of good over what is convenient and commitment to the true instead of the plausible. Virtue is then the desire to observe the Golden Mean. Between Obama and Putin, no confidence, no trust, no love existed, and relations between the US and Russia have been less than ideal. Regarding the errant Syria airstrike, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said it perhaps served as evidence of US support for ISIS and an al-Qaeda affiliate fighting the Syrian government which the US sought to remove. Churkin’s statement could be viewed as indicaing that insinuated into his thinking was the notion commonly held worldwide of the US as virtuous country, a notion proffered, promoted, and purportedly fashioned into its foreign policy. It appears that he, too, would have liked to believe US actions and intentions are guided by virtue. Yet, it would seem that was a hope unfulfilled as a result of the bombing Syrian troops, coupled with all the disagreements and disputes, trials and tribulations between the US and Russia, and led to his expression of so much disappointment and discouragement. Nihil est virtute pulchrius. (There is nothing more beautiful than virtue.)
The US must be a role model, a moral paragon as the world’s leader acting as virtuously as it speaks. The US leaders must act virtuously not just because others worldwide expect it, but rather because they should expect it of themselves. Diplomatic relations with Russia must be transformed in line with a new policy necessitating efforts to end misunderstandings and to exploit opportunities in which the two countries can coordinate and cooperate. However, achieving that will require the effective stewardship of US diplomatic, military, political, and economic activities by US leaders. Micromanagement can often result in mismanagement in certain situations. Still, in the midst of on-going efforts to resolve urgent and important issues, US leaders must take steps to ensure that all acting on behalf of the US. They must thoroughly understand the concept and intent of the president, the implications of any actions taken individually or by their organizations, and perform their tasks with considerable diligence. All must make a reasonable effort to ensure errant actions are prevented. Melius est praevenire quad praeveniri. (Better to forestall than to be forestalled.)
Posted in #Obama, 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Aleppo, CAOC, CENTCOM, CENTCOM Combined Air Operations Center, Cleobulos of Lindos, Confirmation Bias, Deir al-Zor, Deir Ezzor, Gaius Julius Caesar, God, Golden Mean, ISIL, ISIS, Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria, Kerry, Lavrov, Mark Edmond Clark, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-1 Predator drone, National Security Council, Obama, Putin, Raqqa, Robert McNamara, Russia, Russian Federation, Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, Syria, Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad, Syrian Army, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, The Seven Sages of Greece, Uncategorized, University of Pennsylvania, US A-10 Thunderbolt II fighter, US Air Force Brigadier General Robert Coe, US Air Force Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigan, US Central Command, US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral George Anderson, US National Security Council, US Navy Admiral George Anderson, US President Abraham Lincoln, US President John F. Kennedy, US Secretary of Defense, US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, US Secretary of State, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Wharton School of Business, William Shakespeare | Leave a reply
Under Pressure Over Aleppo Siege, Russia Hints at Seeking Deal with US: Can Either Country Compromise?
US Secretary of State John Kerry (right) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) are the central points of diplomatic interaction between the US and Russia. They have worked together on a variety of urgent and important issues concerning their countries. They are now slogging away trying to find a way for the US and Russia to jointly end the Syria War and establish peace. Kerry has proposed US-Russian military coordination with preconditions. However, to secure an agreement on it, Kerry must convince Putin, not Lavrov, to change Russia’s positions.
According to an August 15, 2016 New York Times article entitled, “Under Pressure over Aleppo Siege, Russia Hints at Seeking Deal with US,” Russia suggested that it was close to an agreement on a military collaboration with the US to attack ISIS fighters in Aleppo, Syria as part of a solution to the unfolding humanitarian disaster there. US officials had no immediate comment on that claim. That joint effort would represent a new level of cooperation between the two countries which seek an end to the five-year-old Syria War. They support opposing sides. The New York Times reported foreign policy analysts believe Russia was negotiating in an attempt to avoid the appearance of blocking humanitarian aid to civilians in war-torn Aleppo by its airstrikes in Syria, Russian Federation Foreign Minister noted however, “It is of utmost importance that terrorists would not be getting reinforced with militants, guns, and munition [sic] supplies under the humanitarian aid disguise.” Russian Federation Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was the official who made the statement on the possible agreement. He explained in a measured way: “We are moving step by step closer to a plan—and I’m only talking about Aleppo here—that would really allow us to start fighting together to bring peace so that people can return to their homes in this troubled land.”
Russia and its Syrian, Iranian, and Iranian-led allies have faced significant setbacks on the battlefield as a result of their opponents’ abilities to capitalize on their inadequacies and mistakes. Russia will need to decide whether its actions will remain in the gap between contributing significantly to the efforts of allies fighting in support of the regime of Syrian Arab Republic President Bashar al-Assad and working with the US to act more effectively and more decisively against mutual Islamic militant opponents. The prospective agreement, to which Shoigu referred, would stem from military talks underway in Geneva. Those talks were set up as a result of a proposal proffered by US Secretary of State John Kerry to share intelligence with Russia and coordinate airstrikes against ISIS and other Islamic militant groups. However, Putin and senior Russian officials seem to view the proposal less from how it will help end the war than how it may present the chance to get compromise from the US on Syria and promote Russia’s immediate objectives there. Kerry’s proposal has been put forward as the administration of US President Barack Obama comes to a close. Still, after eight years of contacts, a inordinate amount of obloquy has recently been hurled back and forth from officials in Washington to Moscow. Failure to get an agreement on coordination will undoubtedly make it more difficult for Russia to get an agreement from the US on reconstruction and peace-enforcement which would be important for Russia to have. Reconstruction in Syria will be a decades-long, very expensive effort. Russia will need to gather partners to help with its costs and its execution. A peace-enforcement mission, perhaps under UN auspices, will likely be needed to ensure that peace would be given a chance to take hold. Russia should keep in mind that the US has proven to be an invaluable partner in such complex reconstruction efforts and peace-enforcement missions worldwide in past years.
The Obama administration may not be enthused about working with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Syria, but it seems to recognize that Russia, with its considerable military investment in Syria, can play an important role in ending the war. Putin must recognize that much could be accomplished with US know-how and resources in both efforts. If he cannot recognize the good that cooperation would bring at first glance or simply refuses to make mutual compromises with the US to gain its assistance, what is left for the US is to get him to understand via diplomacy. US Secretary of State John Kerry has slogged away seeking the right approach to make that possible. A few recommendations are offered here. The Syria War appears to be getting worse. Experience may make US and Russian officials averse to finding compromise on military coordination on Syria. Pride and ego can also harden attitudes. If such influences cannot be set aside, the two sides may remain locked into their relative positions for a long while. Praeterita mutare non possumus, sed futuraprovidere debemos. (We cannot change the past, but we can anticipate the future.)
Often poker faced in talks, US Secretary of State John Kerry, a statesman, speaks in a manner that is easy, comfortable, assuring, and logical. He is an agile thinker who seeks creative solutions to problems, often requiring him to be discreet. He worked well with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the removal of chemical weapons from Syria in 2013. They worked on the same side during the Iran Nuclear Talks during two years of negotiations from 2013 to 2015. He may achieve similar success with Lavrov on Syria.
US Inaction Leads to Russian Action
Obama made it clear from the start that he was skeptical of using US military force in Syria. In a notable August 18, 2011 speech, Obama made the direct statement, “the time has come for President Assad to step aside.” There were many additional declarations, insisting that Assad step down. Yet, having taken that maximalist position, there was an unwillingness to act. Within the Obama administration, it was truly believed that Assad would simply fall away, but that did not occur. That led the Obama administration in 2012 to provide the Syrian Opposition Movement with its support in the hope that Assad could be pressured to the negotiating table by Free Syrian Army advances and eventually agree to step down under a settlement. However, the US effort in Syria was designed and recognized by many as work on the margins. Obama would begrudgingly authorize the creation of a US-led coalition to airstrikes against the ISIS juggernaut that ran through Iraq in 2014. Those operations against ISIS were expanded to include ISIS targets in Syria. Obama sent US special operations forces to Iraq to advise and train Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi Kurd military formations. Still, there would be no US combat units sent to fight ISIS in Syria.
Putin, however, did what Obama said he never wanted to do in Syria. In September 2015, Putin took the option of solving the conflict in Syria on his terms using a strong military hand. He explained that Russian Federation forces were sent into Syria both to “stabilize the legitimate authority” of Assad and to fight ISIS. He put a limited number of troops on the ground to protect Russia Federation military sites, and to serve as advisers and instructors for Syrian Arab Army units and volunteer units loyal to the regime. He would join Syrian, Iranian, and Iranian-led ground forces in battle against opponents using Russian Federation air power. Putin’s actions were mulled over, well-plotted, and implemented as to apply a calibrated amount of pressure on opponents of the Assad regime using measured amounts of military resources and controlling expenses. He was willing to accept a certain amount of risk in operations and was prepared to contend with some loss of personnel. Russia’s succor has benefitted Syrian, Iranian, and Iranian-led forces fighting on the ground not only in terms of military resources but also through guidance in the use of them.
Russia’s intervention did not mean an end to US-Russia diplomacy on Syria. Russia has supported talks between the Syrian Opposition and the Assad regime. Even before Russia went into Syria, Lavrov engaged in talks with the US to episodically establish a variety of cease-fires, nationwide and in specific provinces and negotiate humanitarian corridors. When Russian Federation military operations began, Moscow initially sought cooperation with Washington on Syria, but it was sought, however, solely on Russia’s terms. Those terms, in line with Putin’s concept for intervening in Syria, included providing diplomatic and military shelter to Assad and attacking, not only ISIS, but Western-backed rebel groups of the Free Syrian Army that oppose the Assad regime. Obama and other Western leaders sought to bring Putin into a US-led coalition. However, that would occur with the understanding that the goal of the coalition was the removal of Assad from power. Given the disparity between their positions, on November 27, 2015, Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, played down the idea of cooperation at a Kremlin press conference. That announcement was surprisingly slow in coming given that the Obama administration was unsupportive of Russia’s intervention from the get-go. On September 30, 2015, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter forecasted about Moscow’s military involvement in Syria, “The Russian approach here is doomed to fail.” Obama stated on October 2, 2015: “An attempt by Russia and Iran to prop up Assad and try to pacify the population is just going to get them stuck in a quagmire and it won’t work.” Interestingly, Kerry was still authorized and ordered by Obama to negotiate some arrangement in which the US and Russia would coordinate in the ISIS fight.
Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has prying eyes that rarely turn away. He has masterfully used diplomacy to turn policy into action in accord with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s concepts and intent. At this point, the Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry are well-versed on each other’s idiosyncrasies. They are able to gain insight from every inflexion, tone, and or change in voice.
Kerry-Lavrov Diplomacy
Diplomacy requires finding some middle ground, typically through some compromise, upon which an agreement can be reached and better relations can hopefully be built. Despite a divergence in interests, the US and Russia achieved early diplomatic success on Syria when an agreement was reached on a list of rules to ensure military aircraft from the US and Russia would not mistakenly run into or fire on one another as they conducted airstrikes. However, Kerry and Lavrov are the central points of diplomatic interaction between the US and Russia. Diplomatic success on Syria would eventually be achieved by them. They have worked together on a variety of urgent and important issues concerning their countries. They worked well together on the removal of chemical weapons from Syria in 2013. They worked on the same side during the Iran Nuclear Talks as the P5+1, the UN Security Council’s Permanent Five Members (the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China) plus Germany managed to construct an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program after nearly two years of negotiations from 2013 to 2015. Often poker faced in talks, Kerry, a statesman, speaks in a manner that is easy, comfortable, assuring, and logical. He is an agile thinker who seeks creative solutions to problems, often requiring him to be discreet. Lavrov has prying eyes that rarely turn away. He has masterfully used diplomacy to turn policy into action in accord with Putin’s concepts and intent. At this point, the two diplomats are well-versed on each other’s idiosyncrasies. They are able to develop insight from every inflexion, tone, and or change in voice. In oculis animus habitat. (In the eyes their character lives.)
A product of efforts by Kerry and Lavrov to find common interests among the warring parties in order to stop the violence in Syria was the December 18, 2015 UN Security Council vote on Resolution 2254 on Syria. It called for a ceasefire and a peace process that held the prospect of ending the Syria War. The resolution was agreed upon unanimously, 15-0, but sharp differences remained between the US and Russian positions. Russia’s key demand was that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be allowed to remain in power. It is a position also supported by China and Iran. Removing Assad from power in Damascus remained a US requirement. Yet, the resolution made no mention of whether Assad would be able to remain in power or run in any future elections. UN Security Council Resolution on Syria 2254 essentially called for the following: a ceasefire had to be established and formal talks on a political transition had to start in early January 2016; groups seen as “terrorists,” including ISIS and the erstwhile Jabhat al-Nusra were excluded; “offensive and defensive actions” against such groups, referring to US-led and Russia airstrikes, could continue; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was asked to report by January 18, 2016 on how to monitor the ceasefire; “credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance “ should be established within 6 months; free and fair elections” under UN supervision to be held within 18 months; and, the political transition should be Syrian led.
What followed Resolution 2254 was UN Security Council Resolution 2268, unanimously adopted on February 26, 2016. The new resolution, brokered by Kerry and Lavrov, called for an immediate “cessation of hostilities” in Syria upon which the Assad regime and the Syrian Opposition agreed. Countries with influence on the parties agreed to press them to adhere to their commitments.. Then, on March 14, 2016, the Geneva Talks resumed. They were the first talks in two years and came at a time when a marked reduction in fighting was perceived. Still, what created real hope that the war might soon end was the surprise announcement by Putin on the same day as the resumption of the peace talks in Geneva that he was “ordering the withdrawal of the main part of our [Russia’s] military contingent” from Syria. Putin explained: “The effective work of our military created the conditions for the start of the peace process.” He continued, “I believe that the task put before the defense ministry and the Russian armed forces has, on the whole, been fulfilled.” Only the day before the announcement, Putin and Obama spoke by telephone, after which the Kremlin said the two leaders “called for an intensification of the process for a political settlement” to the conflict, but Assad’s future was not discussed. Putin’s decision pull his fprces put of Syria seemed to fall in line with that pledge. In addition to the withdrawal announcement, Russian Federation UN Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin explained “Our diplomacy has received marching orders to intensify our efforts to achieve a political settlement in Syria.” Regarding what lied ahead in Syria for Russian Federation forces, Churkin noted, “Our military presence will continue to be there, it will be directed mostly at making sure that the ceasefire, the cessation of hostilities, is maintained.”
If a feigned retreat by Putin was synchronized with the “cessation of hostilities” and used to manipulate opponents of Russia and its’ allies, the move was effective. Islamic militant groups that were not included in the ceasefire agreement engaged in firefights and fired artillery across battle lines prematurely seeking to better position themselves to exploit expected advantages resulting from Russia’s departure. Ire over the shaky ceasefire and the Assad regime’s violations of it reportedly drove some moderate Opposition fighters over to ISIS and other Islamic militant groups.
Putin’s “Feigned Retreat?”
Russia Federation forces withdrew from Syria, but estimates are that only 10 to 25 percent actually left. Moreover, Russian activity in Syria increased. Reuters reported the “Syrian Express,” the nickname given to the ships that have kept Russian forces supplied via the Black Sea Russian port of Novorossiysk to the Russian naval base at Tartus, Syria. It shipped more supplies, equipment, and munitions into Syria in the two weeks following Putin’s withdrawal announcement than it had two weeks prior. Russian Federation Air Force and the Syrian Arab Air Force continued to destroy the opponent’s units, material, and command, control, communication and intelligence, training facilities, and other targets. The ground forces of Russia’s allies remained active and returned a good portion of Syrian territory back to the Assad regime. Kerry and Lavrov carried on with their diplomatic efforts, but the ceasefire did not hold.
The Obama administration seemed to view Putin’s withdrawal announcement as a type of feigned retreat. The feigned retreat is a military tactic said to have been introduced to the West in the 8th century by the Frankish Duke and Prince Charles Martel. Under it, an army would pretend to withdraw or behave as if it has been routed in order to lure an opponent into a position of vulnerability. It was a difficult tactic to execute, requiring the use of well-trained soldiers. Once the opponent presses into the withdrawing army, undisciplined troops would panic and lose coherence, and the rout would become genuine. Charles Martel used the feigned retreat to defeat the army of Chilperic II and Ragenfrid of Neustria at Ambleve in 716. He attacked their army as they rested midday, he then feigned retreat to draw them from their wooded defensive positions into open ground where the situation was reversed. Charles Martel used the tactic again to draw an invading Islamic army into attacking at Poitiers in 732 by leaving his defenses relatively open. He did not construct pits and other obstacles and positioned his horsemen in a way to convince the Islamic army that it would not be enveloped if it charged in. The feigned retreat reportedly was used with moderate success by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
One might postulate that Putin’s feigned retreat included synchronizing his withdrawal announcement with the resumption of the Geneva talks, and while the “cessation of hostilities” was in effect. In that environment, opponents of Russia and its allies were perhaps considered more apt to be manipulated. The maneuver, if actually executed, appears to have worked. Mainstream opponents of Assad were unable to control the actions of some Islamic militants some of which they were tenuously aligned. Islamic militant groups, not included in the internationally sponsored ceasefire, engaged in firefights and fired artillery across battle lines, apparently seeking to immediately exploit Russia’s departure. Accusations of ceasefire violations were heard from all sides around Syria. Ire over the shaky ceasefire and the Assad regime’s violations of it reportedly drove some moderate Opposition fighters over to ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, and other Islamic militant groups. A coalition of Free Syrian Army units, Islamic militant groups already existed in the form of Jaysh al Fateh. The ceasefire became untenable once Russian Federation Air Force and Syrian Arab Air Force jets provided air support for Syrian Arab Army units and pro-Assad regime allies in those exchanges. Putin’s feigned retreat also ostensibly allowed Syrian, Iranian, and Iranian-led units to rearm and resupply for offensive action toward Palmyra.
The Russian Federation armed forces and intelligence services use their own intelligence tactics, technique, procedures, and methods to meet the needs of Russian Federation commanders and planners. Russian Federation commanders and planners certainly would like believe that by intensifying their own intelligence gathering activities, they can achieve success, particularly by using air power, without US assistance. However, their concern over recent successes of their opponents and their failure to effectively respond to them indicates they are not so certain of their capabilities
Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds?
The perception of a feigned retreat of Russia from Syria did not make US-Russia diplomacy easier. US officials were already regularly reproaching Russia over its repeated airstrikes upon “moderate” anti-Assad groups while ostensibly seeking to attack ISIS. Obama’s disappointment could be discerned in his statements. On August 6, 2016, Obama admonished Putin over Russia’s actions in Syria by stating: “I’m not confident that we can trust the Russians or Vladimir Putin.” He continued: “Whenever you are trying to broker any kind of deal with an individual like that or a country like that, you have got to go in there with some skepticism.” Timeo danaos atque dana ferentes. (I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts.)
Obama’s uncongenial words could be characterized as a shot across Russia’s bow and perhaps signaled fatigue over the diplomatic process with Russia had set in. However, in diplomacy, words and behavior matter absolutely. Kerry knows that diplomacy must be handled with a certain amiability and gentleness in order to create the environment for the development of mutual respect and understanding. In talks on Syria, he would hardly omit what some anonymous US officials have called “inconvenient facts” about Russian actions. He surely broaches such matters, but in way that avoids closing any doors and avoids igniting a negative exchange with Putin, Lavrov, or any official of the Russian Federation government. Regardless of any personal feelings he might have over an issue, he must maintain his balance in spite of them.
Russia will not be able to use its military wherewithal alone, at least in a limited way, to secure victory on its terms in Syria and “get out of Dodge.” Enough support exits for Islamic militancy in the world that a struggle over US and Russian interests in Syria is being overshadowed by the continuous rise of Islamic militant groups there. This was evident at Aleppo where Russia’s allies could not maintain their siege. Commanders of Islamic militant groups seem capable of constantly making adjustments and replenishing with fighters (as above) by the hundreds, creating a more vexing situation on the ground.
Kerry remains authorized and ordered to establish cooperation. Obama did indeed say with opprobrium, “The US remains prepared to work with Russia to try to reduce the violence and strengthen our efforts against ISIL [ISIS] and Al-Qaeda in Syria, but so far Russia has failed to take the necessary steps.” Kerry and Lavrov continued their diplomatic efforts, sponsoring the International Syria Support Group, a multinational effort seeking to create the conditions for peace talks. Moreover, remaining on the table was Kerry’s proposal offering to share US intelligence with Russia and coordinate airstrikes against ISIS and other Islamic militant groups, with the precondition that the Syrian Arab Air Force halt its airstrikes against mainstream Opposition military units. As mentioned earlier, senior US and Russian Federation military officials have been negotiating in Geneva over how they would coordinate under Kerry’s proposal as well as restore an overall ceasefire. The Russian Federation armed forces and intelligence services proudly use their own intelligence tactics, technique, procedures, and methods to meet the needs of commanders and planners. Russian Federation commanders and planners would certainly like to believe that by intensifying their own intelligence gathering activities, they can achieve success without US assistance. However, they have unquestionably been unsettled by the recent successes of their opponents and their failure to respond effectively to them. Beyond human intelligence collection—spies, the US gathers continuous signals and geospatial intelligence over Syria. Multiple streams could assist the Russian Federation commanders and planners in pinpointing ISIS and other Islamic militant groups on the ground even if they are dispersed. Air assets of the Russian Federation and its allies could destroy them, disrupt their attacks, and support ground maneuver to defeat them. In support of the proposal, Kerry and Lavrov have already agreed that a map could be drawn up indicating where Islamic militant groups are positioned. They also have agreed that US and Russian military personnel working in the same tactical room would jointly analyze the intelligence and select targets for airstrikes. Est modus in rebus. (There is a middle ground in things.)
Nevertheless, at this juncture, Kerry is not oriented primarily on drawing out compromise from Lavrov, Shoigu, or senior Russian military officials in Geneva. Indeed, Kerry knows he must convince Putin, himself, that it would be in Russia’s interest for him to change his position. Putin hardly believes that US assistance would have significant value to Russia. Regarding Syrian Arab Air Force airstrikes, Putin has said he has no control over what Assad does with his forces and has explained the Syrian leader does not trust the US. Much as Obama has negative impressions of Putin’s actions and intentions, Putin holds certain negative impressions of Obama. Putin may also feel uncertain about making any deals on Syria with one US leader now, only to face another in a few short months. Certainly, at the State Department, Defense Department, and other elements of the US foreign and defense policy establishment, legions of diplomats and officials are working on what was called in Ancient Rome a maremagnum, a complicated issue requiring the efforts of many to solve. As no approach has wangled compromise from Putin so far, new approaches are needed. Some alternative approaches are offered here.
The value of US assistance might be increased in Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin’s mind through a demonstration of US capabilities. The US could also demonstrate how US assistance would have value by using the intelligence resources it proposes to share with Russia in order to target and destroy a number battle positions of ISIS and other Islamic militant groups in Syria, and disrupt and destroy developing attacks and counterattacks against Russia’s allies. Russian Federation officials could also be given a US battle damage assessment.
To help Putin countenance Kerry’s proposal, Kerry could explain that cooperation on intelligence and an airstrikes against Syria will speed the end of the conflict. Russia may not be able to use its military wherewithal alone, at least in a limited way, to secure victory on its terms in Syria and “get out of Dodge.” Enough support exits for Islamic militancy in the world that the struggle by the US and Russian over their respective interests in Syria is practically being overshadowed by the continuous rise of Islamic militant groups there. Commanders of Islamic militant groups seem capable of constantly making adjustments and replenishing with fighters by the hundreds, creating a more vexing situation on the ground. That was evident at Aleppo where Russia’s allies could not maintain their siege. Indeed, Putin could be reminded that on July 28, 2016, after a month of negotiations and immense pressure from Qatari and Turkish representatives, Jabhat al-Nusra announced that it broke with Al-Qaeda and had officially changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. Almost immediately, reinforcements for Jabhat Fateh al-Sham began to flow into Syria from the border with Turkey. At least 100 new fighters arrived in Aleppo each day, together with numerous convoys carrying arms, ammunition, and supplies. During the effort to break the siege, Opposition forces and Islamic militant groups were observed fighting side by side under the banner of Jaysh al Fateh. Even after the siege was broken, it was explained in a briefing at the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, Russian Federation Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi that about 7,000 Jabhat Fateh al-Sham fighters were massing south-west of Aleppo for over a week and still being joined by new fighters. Rudskoi said the fighters had tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery and vehicles with weapons mounted on them. Kerry could explain that the problem will grow exponentially over time as commanders of Islamic militant groups make further adjustments and reinforce by the hundreds, creating a new, more vexing situation on the ground. Kerry could point out that so far, Russian Federation Air Force has barely isolated the battlefield and has failed to deny their opponents reinforcements and supplies needed to win engagements. At best, its efforts could be measured by its contribution to the destruction in Syria to include civilian deaths and the obliteration of nonmilitary structures. As it was discovered after the destruction of the Abbey of Monte Cassino in Italy during World War II, Germans troops were afforded better concealment from Allied airstrikes and ground attacks in the structure’s debris. One might assume senior US military officers are discussing these matters with their Russian Federation counterparts in Geneva. However, these disconcerting facts about Russia’s Syria campaign may not have reached Putin.
To further encourage a change in Putin’s perspective on Kerry’s proposal, the US could increase the value of its assistance through an actual demonstration of US capabilities. That might be accomplished by providing Putin with a complete US military analysis of the setbacks Russia and its allies have faced in Syria, and the relative strengths and weakness versus their Islamic militant opponents. It might be demonstrated exactly how US intelligence resources it proposes to share with Russia and US military resources would have value to Russia by targeting and destroying a number battle positions of ISIS and other Islamic militant groups in Syria, and disrupt and destroy developing attacks and counterattacks against Russia’s allies. Putin could be shown via video how the unique capabilities of US weapons systems could enhance the quality of air strikes. He could also be provided with US military assessments of those attacks.
Kerry might also seek to connect with Putin by reminding him that leaving Syria without at least initiating some complex comprehensive plan for reconstruction and peace-enforcement would be a mistake. That would create ideal conditions for the resurrection of ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, or the establishment of another Islamic militant group to fill the vacuum of power around the country. That was what occurred in Iraq after US forces departed, the problem in Libya with the removal of the regime of Muammar El-Ghaddafi, and it is a growing problem in Afghanistan. Putin must consider that cooperation between the US and Russia in the fight against Islamic militant groups would set the stage for close and effective cooperation between the two countries on a postwar reconstruction and peace-enforcement mission in Syria. Without it, Russia’s investment in Syria might amount to nothing in the end. In discussing postwar Syria, Kerry could give assurances on how the US will respond with regard to certain hot issues. For example, at a UN meeting in Vienna on November 14, 2015, Kerry proposed allowing all Syrians, “including members of the diaspora,” participate in national elections, betting that if Syrians around the world participated in it, Assad would lose. Putin was never going to standby for that and has used force, in addition to the fight against ISIS and other Islamic militant groups, to best shape the situation in Syria to secure Russia’s interests. Mending that fence may require a very hard decision concerning Assad by the Obama administration. Further, Kerry could point to the international reconstruction effort launched in Bosnia in 1995 under the Dayton Peace Agreement and the creation of the multinational peace-enforcement force in support of the agreement’s implementation, I-FOR (Implementation Force). The US and Russia cooperated as members of that force and the follow-on force, S-FOR (Stabilization Force.).
By reaching an agreement now on Syria and conducting effective airstrikes against ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and other Islamic militant group, there would be a greater chance that US-Russian coordination would be preserved by the next US administration. Further, that military cooperation might influence a US decision to assist at some important level in reconstruction and possible peace-enforcement mission in Syria. US participation in those efforts could encourage participation from other countries.
Regarding Russian concerns over the future of US leadership, Kerry could explain that Russia should act quickly now with the assurance that the US will be working directly to destroy ISIS and other Islamic militant groups. An agreement will at least allow for a US-Russian working relationship for few months, putting tremendous pressure on ISIS, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and other Islamic militant groups from the air. Kerry could emphasize the reality that reaching an agreement now on Syria and coordinating effectively under that agreement would increase the possibility that US-Russian coordination at that level would be preserved by the next US administration. Further, that cooperation could greatly influence a US decision to assist at an important level in postwar reconstruction and a possible peace-enforcement mission in Syria. Russia has recently sought stronger ties with Arab countries, bolstering economic ties with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait and diplomatic overtures with Algeria, Iraq, and Egypt. Russia’s hope is by courting those countries they would become more receptive to its’ calls for a political solution in Syria. It is also hoped those countries would become responsive to an eventual campaign by Russia to gain financial support for Syria’s reconstruction. However, US participation in those efforts may do much to encourage participation from those Arab countries and Western countries as well.
Kerry’s words alone may no longer have any impact on Putin. To provide a new perspective on the proposal, Kerry could try to bring third parties that have some standing with Putin into the negotiation process. There are no national leaders who could serve as independent third party to address Kerry’s proposal with Putin. However, Kerry could perhaps seek assistance from Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church or Kirill Patriarch of Moscow and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church to speak to Putin. They could discuss the need to forgo placing primacy on national interests and focus on the global threat posed by ISIS and other Islamic militant groups, and the tragedy that has befallen the Syrian people. They cannot support war, but they can support collaboration between the US and Russia to halt the evil of Islamic militancy in Syria.
These approaches should not be presented as guesswork on the potential success US assistance may bring. Rather, they should be presented as hard facts to get Putin to see what is possible and change his perspective on cooperation. Finding success from the approaches presented here may be a long-shot. Kerry knows that you miss 100 percent of the shots you do not take.
Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin (above) and senior Russian officials are apprehensive over US actions and intentions on Syria. However, many US officials have been expressing concerns about coordination with the Russians. They doubt Putin will compromise. They believe that Putin cannot be trusted. On Syria, it may be best for the US and Russia to work as partners. Choice itself is not good. It is the right use of choice that counts. Nothing could be worse than thinking of what might have been if things had been done thusly. Hopefully, that will not be the case for the US or Russia on Syria.
Tot capita, tot sententiae. (So many heads, so many opinions.) Putin and other Russian officials are quite apprehensive of US actions and intentions on Syria. However, many US officials have been expressing concerns about coordination with the Russians. They doubt Putin will compromise. Moreover, they believe Putin cannot be trusted. Trusting Putin may be difficult for them, but trust us not so relevant in this case. Senior US and Russian military officials would be working together on targeting and sending down missions to unit commanders in a joint operations room. If some shift in Russian behavior, no matter how slight, is discerned by the watchful eyes of senior US military officials, the entire operation could be halted immediately. Under Obama’s concept, what seems most important to him is that a good faith effort at coordination be made. Besides, doing the job of targeting ISIS and groups such as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham will be difficult enough as they are now intermingled with many mainstream Opposition units. Many US officials have expressed concern that sharing intelligence with Russia could result in revealing US intelligence sources, methods, and capabilities. Yet, deciding what to share and reveal is a puzzle that can be resolved. Putin seems attached to the Assad regime. However, given what has been reported on Kerry’s proposal, it does not include a precondition on Assad’s presidency.
The problem of Islamic militancy in Syria emerged during the struggle between Assad and the Opposition and given the international threat it poses, it is an urgent problem. US President Franklin Roosevelt did not easily accept Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union as an ally, but given the threat of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, the choice was clear. On Syria, it might be best for the US and Russia vraft an agreement to coordinate their efforts. Choice itself is not good. It is the right use of choice that counts. Nothing could be worse than thinking of what might have been if things had been done thusly. Hopefully, that will not be the case for the US or Russia on Syria.
Posted in Abbey of Monte Cassino, Adolf Hitler, Al-Nusra Front, Aleppo, Anti-ISIS Coalition, China, Deir Ezzor, Geneva, God, Idlib, Iran, Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iraq, IRGC, ISIL, ISIS, Islamic Caliphate, Italy, Jabhat al-Nusra, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, Jaysh al-Fateh, Kerry, Kremlin, Lavrov, Mark Edmond Clark, Moscow, Obama, Palmyra, Putin, Raqqa, Russia, Russia vs. ISIL, Russia vs. ISIS, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation Air Force, Russian Federation Airspace Force, Russian Federation Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu, Russian Federation Lieutenant General Sergei Rudskoi, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Sergey Shoigu, Syria, Syrian Arab Air Force, Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian Express, UN, UN Security Council, UN Security Council Resolution 2254, UN Security Council Resolution 2268, Uncategorized, United Nations, US, US Department of Defense, US Department of State, US Secretary of Defense, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, US Secretary of State, US Secretary of State John Kerry, World War II | Leave a reply
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It all comes down to a shocking ban on the biggest disease-fighting breakthroughs…
FDA’s Ban Kills Two Million Americans Each Year
A ban that’s kept the most powerful treatments out of your hands.
Treatments like a cellular technology proven in groundbreaking studies by…
The Mayo Clinic
Scripps Research Institute
Salk Institute
And Stanford
To be a safe, fast, and PERMANENT cure for diabetes. And not just diabetes…
Heart Disease CURED
“The biggest revolution in cardiovascular medicine in my generation.”1
Blindness REVERSED
“A medical game-changer on a par with antibiotics and bacterial infections.”
University College London, Regenerative Medicine
Chronic Stroke REVERSED
“Their ability to move around has recovered visibly. That’s unprecedented.
Patients who are in wheelchairs are walking now.”2
– Stanford University
Heart disease, osteoarthritis, macular degeneration, you name it.
One study after another is reporting virtually unprecedented results with this molecular breakthrough.
Results that could mark a paradigm shift in mainstream medicine…
Results that could save 2 MILLION Americans every year who die of disease.
But the FDA didn’t care.
The science didn’t matter. The disease-reversing potential didn’t matter.
In fact, they couldn’t wait to crack down on doctors who prescribed it.
Just before the election, they were about to conduct a massive nationwide raid…
One that would have taken this life-saving treatment directly out of patients’ hands.3
That’s when the unexpected happened.
Trump won.
The raid NEVER happened.
The FDA Was Just About to Crack Down
On This Disease-Ending Breakthrough…
Then Trump Won
That’s the good news for you.
You see, Trump has made a move that’s about to demolish this FDA ban.
And open the floodgates for dozens of cures that are proven to eliminate disease.
WITHOUT dangerous side effects
WITHOUT a prescription or doctor’s visit
AND WITHOUT Big Pharma.
Whether he means it or not…
Whether he understands the full implications or not…
President Trump’s latest move is poised to unleash an arsenal of 50 cures against disease.
Cures that have been locked up and BURIED from the public for decades!
Look. You may not be Trump’s biggest fan. Or you may be the biggest Trump supporter you know.
However you feel, once you see the full details on this story… I think you’ll agree:
Trump’s single move is about to kick off a health revolution that marks the end of disease…
In just a moment, I’ll share with you full details on this FDA ban.
And exactly what Trump just did to end it… including the most potent cures now being unleashed… the groundbreaking science behind them… and real stories of Americans they’re saving.
I’ve Spent Three Decades Fighting the Medical Establishment — and Now We’ve Won
Hi, my name is Dr. Al Sears, M.D.
But I’m not like any medical doctor you may know of.
I put my boots on the ground, traveling to dozens of countries every year.
Places that are free of many of the disease that impact us here in America.
Where they don’t experience the same rates of cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
Where their elderly are just as vital, mobile, strong and sharp.
And where aging — a disease that cripples and weakens millions of Americans — is non-existent.
The reason why is simple…
Natural cures are part of their everyday lives — including their diets, rituals, and medicine.
And it pains me to say this…
After all, I’m a patriotic American… I bleed red, white and blue.
But things are very different here in the U.S.A.
Instead we consume the MOST toxic pills created by the drug industry.
We use the most surgeries, the most hospital visits, the mostmainstream medicine.
Yet we still die from diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s at the world’s highest rates.
It’s no secret that our health — just like America — has been on a downward spiral for decades.
It’s a sad state of affairs.
Yet the truth is, it hasn’t always been this way…
We once enjoyed access to all of nature’s medicine.
We once consumed large amounts of nutrients in our food.
And we once lived to be strong, tall, intelligent, and disease-free well into our “golden” years.
That all changed several decades ago when a greedy bureaucratic agency was created.
One literally allowed to “play God” with your health, deciding what is and isn’t best for you.
And that’s kept you from becoming free of disease, and living as healthy and young as you should.
Of course, I’m talking about the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
Trump’s Revenge on the FDA
You see, the FDA is just like any other government agency…
They were meant to address a given issue, concern, or problem…
But what they’re ultimately concerned about is their own power and profit…
And that’s why they’ve colluded with the very drug companies they’re supposed to regulate…
For example, did you know that Big Pharma is allowed to legally bribe the FDA?
The FDA accepts billions of dollars in “bribes” from the pharmaceutical companies it’s supposed to control.
These payouts — called “user fees” — help fund most of the agency’s operations.
In fact, since 1992, the FDA has received $7 BILLION in bribes from the drug industry.
This gives the FDA a vested interest in guaranteeing Big Pharma makes big profits.
It’s simple.
More money for the drug companies equals more money for their lavish salaries, perks and pensions.
It’s why they BAN natural treatments that are better and safer than drugs…
It’s why they’ve turned their backs on science, on evidence, and on your health…
But now I have good news…
Trump has just STUNNED these greedy bureaucrats and turned their fiefdom upside down.
Now their game on your health is over…
Make America’s Health Great Again
Trump turned to a man who is about to change the entire way the FDA operates.
His name is Dr. Scott Gottlieb.
You may have never heard of him, but soon everyone will.
Because as new FDA Director, he’s about to overturn their ban on the biggest breakthroughs…
A ban known as “off-limit labeling.”4
To understand what this means, let me give you an example.
Take vitamin K2.
It’s not a prescription drug. It’s safe and cheap.
And according to a new study it slashes heart disease risk by over 57%!
That’s incredible.
But your cardiologist can’t just go: take vitamin K2, it will lower your risk of heart disease.
That would violate this ban!
Instead he has to prescribe the latest fancy new drug…
One that pads Big Pharma’s bank account, but will have the same results as aspirin…
Or, worse, their drug will have LESS results with MORE side effects.
That’s how it usually goes. In other words…
This FDA Ban FORCES Doctors To Prescribe Weak, Dangerous, and Expensive Drugs
Or take cancer.
A new therapy I prescribe, called the “8th Element”, is a powerful cancer remedy.
It’s safe and cheap.
Certainly no side effects like nausea, vomiting, or hair loss.
Eighty years ago, it was proven by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist.
More recently, it was just shown in a Harvard study to destroy tumors, 100% successfully!
Now get this:
Due to the ban, I can NOT tell my patients to use it for cancer.
That would violate the law.
Can you see how outrageous this is?
It literally forces me and other doctors to make a terrible bargain…
Either:
Violate your Hippocratic Oath, compromising your patients’ health
Go to jail
This is the dirty secret of the entire medical industry!
But the good news is:
It’s all about to be wiped away.
Dr. Scott Gottlieb is about to overturn the “off-labeling ban.”
A move that will allow doctors to prescribe treatments that WORK, for what their patients need.
Not just what Big Pharma says they should do.
Can you see why I believe we’re about to enter a new era of medicine unlike anything seen before?
Bigger than the rise of penicillin…
The creation of the polio vaccine…
Or the development of aspirin…
In fact, we could see the END of all disease, thanks to new cutting-edge breakthroughs.
Breakthroughs that have already been developed, and proven in countless studies to work.
Breakthroughs that don’t require prescriptions, doctor’s visits, or hospital stays.
Breakthroughs that were ignored or even suppressed by the FDA and Big Pharma, until now.
They’re all about to be unleashed, and finally available to the American public.
But you won’t have to wait.
I’ve Defied The FDA’s Ban Now For Years
You see, I answer to my Hippocratic Oath — not the government.
Which is why my patients are already using these breakthroughs to see younger hearts, lungs, brains, joints and skin.
They’re achieving things considered “impossible” by the medical establishment:
Like turning back the clock on decades of cellular aging, sometimes in a matter of months.
It may sound incredible, but my records prove they’re absolutely real.
In just a moment, I’ll share with you how to get your hands on the new breakthroughs we’re using right away…
But first, let me share with you a few details on the biggest potential disease-fighters…
How their real life-saving potential is about to become publicly known for the first time ever.
Starting with a new technology that’s works so powerfully against diabetes…
It’s shown to permanently REVERSE type 1 and 2 diabetes… without insulin needles, drugs, or side effects.
Censored Breakthrough #1:
Cellular Treatment Proven to REVERSE Diabetes by Harvard, MIT and the Salk Institute
Yes, that’s right.
A real cure for diabetes — and it already exists in your own body.
Right now it’s being researched by some of America’s biggest medical institutions, including…
The Salk Institute
And many, many more! 5
Harvard alone has tasked over 1,000 scientists to conduct studies on this breakthrough. 6
And the Big Pharma giant Novo, the No.1 maker of metformin, is scrambling to get patents on it. 7
You do NOT have to wait 10 years for it to finish FDA clinical trials.
If you or a loved one are suffering from the ravages of diabetes, you can get your hands on it today.
Without a prescription, or even medical insurance.
In fact, at the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, my patients have used it for years, with remarkable results.
I’m talking about stem cell therapy.
And although this treatment has attracted some controversy in recent years…
The world’s most prestigious institutions are making some remarkable breakthroughs in the field.
Most of all in diabetes.
According to a recent study from MIT and Harvard University…
Stem cell treatment erased diabetes in mice, without insulin injections or invasive surgeries.
Another recent study from Salk Institute used a similar stem cell therapy…
And found they were able to flip a molecular switch that “turns off” diabetes in mice.
Why is stem cell treatment so effective against diabetes?
Because it targets the root cause of the disease, rather than just the symptoms.
“A medical game-changer on a par
with antibiotics and bacterial infections.”
– Dr. Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine at University College London
You see, diabetes has everything to do with insulin-secreting cells in our pancreas called b-cells.
When our immune system attacks and destroys these cells, our body is unable to generate the insulin response it needs.
The result is glucose builds up from sugary foods and drinks, causing our blood sugar levels to spiral out of control.
In other words: diabetes.
But that’s where stem cells come in.
Stem cells are “blank templates” that can be PROGRAMMED to become any human cell.
Which means they can generate new pancreatic b-cells that sense glucose and secrete insulin.
This entirely replaces the need for insulin needles!
Stem cells enable our pancreas to work normally again, generating insulin to destroy excess glucose.
It’s almost as if you’re getting a brand-new pancreas.
Re-Grow Billions of Insulin-Secreting Cells…
Meaning NO MORE Needles!
A cutting-edge therapy could mean diabetics no longer have to prick their fingers every day.
In fact, Stanford researchers used stem cells to grow a new pancreas in diabetic mice…
And permanently REVERSED their diabetes.8
Again, no needles required!
Is it any wonder why scientists are singing the praises of stem cell therapy?
Dr. Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine at University College London, calls it “a medical game-changer on a par with antibiotics and bacterial infections.”
That’s incredible – antibiotics are perhaps the single greatest medical innovation of all time.
Rockefeller University’s Elaine Fuchs concurs, calling the breakthrough “one of the most important advances to date in the stem cell field.”9
So you’d imagine with all the scientific proof showing that this is a PERMANENT cure…
With studies from the likes of Harvard, MIT, and Stanford…
And that it’s safe, side-effect free, and works fast…
That the FDA would be dying to approve this and get it into patient’s hands, right?
I wish it were true.
Instead, the FDA wants ONLY Big Pharma to own the rights to stem cell therapies…
Even if that means it takes 10 years to get a treatment to market, or maybe NEVER.
In other words, they’re fine with keeping this game-changing therapy out of your hands.
It’s not hard to see why.
If the drug companies don’t get it, they won’t get paid. Which means no money for the FDA.
More importantly, this threatens their $58 BILLION 10 in annual revenue from diabetes management.
Money that fills the coffers of the FDA, and goes to lucrative salaries and perks.
So in the Fall of 2016, the agency began a crackdown on physicians who use stem cell therapies. 11
In fact, right before the election they were about to conduct a sweep on stem cell physicians.
But that’s when the unexpected happened.
Now, thanks to the election, and the new order of things underway at the FDA…
Doctors and patients will once again have the freedom to use the therapies that WORK for them…
Without Big Brother getting in the mix.
Even without prescriptions!
Can you see why Trump’s victory is such a potential game-changer in the field of medicine?
And why it could unleash the cure for ALL disease, changing your health and life dramatically?
The best part is, you do NOT have to make a trip to the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.
You can begin using the power of stem cells today to destroy diabetes… for good.
I’ve compiled four, at-home therapies that FORCE your body to naturally produce stem cells.
You can uncover all the details in my brand-new dossier…
The Great Stem Cell Breakthrough
YES! I Want Instant Access to My Report Now
In it, you’ll find how to harness your body’s natural ability to grow stem cells.
In fact, they work not just for diabetes, but for diseases like heart disease, arthritis and blindness.
Researchers at Harvard Medical are now hailing stem cells as “the biggest revolution in cardiovascular medicine in my generation.”12
While Mayo clinic researchers believe this could offer long-awaited relief for arthritis sufferers.
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, osteoarthritis patients with two bad knees were administered stem cells to one knee, and the placebo to another.
And the results were remarkable…
The patients saw a dramatic reduction in pain in BOTH knees within a matter of days — without side effects or invasive surgeries. 13
Even more remarkably, researchers at University College London recently used stem cells to REVERSE age-related macular degeneration — the leading cause of blindness! 14
In case you think I’m exaggerating, here’s the CNN headline from the story:
But what nobody is saying about stem cells is that you do NOT have to wait for FDA approval.
You don’t even have to see the doctor.
After all, the cure already exists inside YOU.
You can power your body’s natural capacity to produce stem cells from the comfort of your home. And you can do it using four surprising, safe remedies.
Discover how — including the full details on these remedies — in my new dossier:
In just a moment, I’ll share with you how to get this cutting-edge research, absolutely free of charge.
However, before I do, I’d like to share with you another once-banned treatment…
A game-changing cancer breakthrough I call the “8th Element”.
The 8th Element – Cure for ALL 213 Types of Cancer?
Its discovery was first made by Otto Heinrich Warburg… a German molecular biologist who won the Nobel Prize in 1931.
He found that the 8th Element is behind THE secret.
As in, the secret to what makes cancer cells… what makes them grow, metastasize and spread.
Something that’s confounded medicine for over a century.
But it doesn’t stop there…
When you understand the root cause, you can find the antidote. And that’s exactly what the 8th Element is…
A novel way to eradicate cancer tumors permanently… every kind of cancer from prostate to pancreatic — without EVER touching healthy cells… and without pain, nausea, or hair loss.
While conventional treatment “carpet-bombs” your body’s cells… leaving you weak, decrepit, and guaranteed to relapse.
Instead this cure takes a different approach… targeting the No.1 cause of cancer.
The hidden cause most medical experts don’t know, but over 6,100 studies now confirm.
This treatment penetrates cancer cells, reprogramming them to die.
This way remission is forever. Tumors simply never return.
And you might be wondering, “If it’s so great, why haven’t I heard about it?”
While it was on the verge of becoming the biggest breakthrough in modern medicine…
The cancer establishment — along with their FDA cronies — closed the lid on the story.
They OUTLAWED, banned and even censored the details of this cancer-killing breakthrough.
And since then have done everything in their power to keep it from you…
All to build their $173 billion industry…
All to keep you sick, dependent, and coming to them for costly and dangerous drugs.
Now they’ve got America hooked on chemo…
And they’ve stacked a mountain of dead bodies, with a death count totaling 580,000 each year.
It’s not hard to see why…
The 8th Element is a shift in the way we treat and heal cancer — a shift away from chemo and surgeries.
Its ramifications threaten the $173 billion cancer industry — a huge cash cow for the media.
That’s why you won’t hear about breakthroughs like these outside of the scientific community.
What exactly is the 8th Element?
The 8th Element Cancer Cure is a God-given resource.
In fact, it’s the earth’s most abundant resource.
The very source of all life.
One that’s essential to our survival.
Of course, I’m talking about oxygen.
Now, stay with me here…
I know that might sound hard to believe.
How could something so basic, something we take for granted in our everyday lives, possibly cure cancer?
Well, 91 years ago, that’s exactly what German physiologist and medical doctor Otto Heinrich Warburg set to find out.
He was the first to discover the healing, disease-curing power of the 8th element on the periodic table: Oxygen.
And his conclusions were downright astonishing.
Look at how he addressed a prestigious gathering of Nobel Laureates:
“Cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar.”
“The Lack of Oxygen is the #1 Cause of Cancer”
That in itself is pretty incredible…
But what about the solution?
According to Warburg, “It is indisputable that all cancer could be prevented if the respiration of body cells were kept intact.”
In short, supplying your cells with oxygen not only kills cancer cells and tumors, it blocks future cancer cells from forming.
These findings were so revolutionary they won him the Nobel Prize in 1931!
And since then 6,100 independent studies have confirmed Warburg’s Nobel-Prize discovery.
Institutions like Harvard, Yale, and Baylor have studied the curative effects of oxygen.
More than 100 new articles are now published every month on it.
This includes a German survey of 5.5 million 8th Element treatments, which found ONLY 0.0007% suffered from any sort of negative side effects.
That’s 7 cases out of 1 million!
Where else, in traditional or alternative medicine, is there a cancer therapy this safe?
Yet the $173 billion a year cancer industry has buried this Nobel-Prize winning cancer cure for over 80 years.
The Nobel-Prize Winning Cure for Cancer…
Banned in America
In fact, a decade after this discovery, their cronies in the FDA outlawed therapy using oxygen.
It’s so bad the agency even persecutes highly respectable doctors who try to implement oxygen therapies.
These doctors are humiliated and painted as quacks.
Some have even had their medical licenses revoked.
That’s in spite of the amazing results they’ve achieved!
In Warburg’s own words, “Nobody today can say that one does not know what the prime cause of cancer is. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse for avoiding measures for prevention.”
He said that 50 years ago!
And since then millions have died from cancer, after suffering from the pain of radiation and chemo, in order to fatten Big Pharma’s wallets… even as the very cure was sitting right in front of our faces.
It’s downright disgraceful, shameful, outrageous!
Warburg thought so too.
This is how he concluded his Nobel Laureate presentation:
“How long prevention will be avoided depends on how long the prophets of agnosticism will succeed in inhibiting the application of scientific knowledge in the cancer field.”
“In the meantime, millions of men and women must die of cancer unnecessarily.”
Yes, how long will millions of men and women be sacrificed at the altar of Big Pharma’s earnings sheets?
Well, if you’re still reading this presentation, it doesn’t have to be you, a loved one, or someone you know.
All told, 12 million people have enraged the FDA and Big Pharma by becoming free of cancer.
And today, you or a loved one can join them.
Banned for Regular Americans:
The Outlawed Cancer Therapy FDA Officials
Use To Cure THEMSELVES!
While the FDA has banned the 8th Element therapy in America since the 1940s, highly respectable doctors report treating FDA officials and their families with the very same treatment they banned for Americans.
According to Dr. Hans Nieper, the world-renowned German cancer doctor who administers the 8th Element therapy, “You wouldn’t believe how many FDA officials or relatives or acquaintances of FDA officials come to see me as patients in Hanover.”
But it even goes beyond that…
Nieper continues to list off some of his patients: “Directors of the American Medical Association, or American Cancer Association, or the presidents of orthodox cancer institutes. That’s the fact.”
Yet everyday Americans continue to die from perfectly curable diseases.
You can use the miracle of oxygen to rid your body of ALL types of cancer — FOREVER.
So does that mean you can cure yourself by going outside right now and inhaling as much air as possible?
Of course not.
In fact, for shocking reasons you’re about to see, this could actually INCREASE your risk of cancer.
Instead, there are dozens of very simple therapies — ones you can apply at home — to boost oxygen delivery to your cells, and treat ANY type of cancer.
These therapies allow you to sidestep Big Pharma’s “slash and burn” cancer treatments.
I’ve included them in my dossier…
The 8th Element: Nature’s Universal Cancer Killer
I’ll share with you how to get this cutting-edge research, absolutely free of charge.
But, before I do, I’d like to tell you about another once-banned treatment…
A side-effect free therapy that — believe it or not — is shown to REVERSE Alzheimer’s in just 90 days.
Researchers have called it the “unsung hero” of medicine — it’s simply not discussed.
But 10,000 miles east of the United States — in certain ancient villages — they’ve known about its healing powers for several millennia.
$1 pill cures Alzheimer’s in 90 days
You can stop Alzheimer’s in its tracks – without ever seeing a doctor, filling a prescription or forgetting your loved ones.
In Far Eastern villages — where it remains a staple today — Alzheimer’s is virtually non-existent.
According to a doctor at a major California university, the elders of these villages have the lowest rate of Alzheimer’s in the world — less than 1%.
Compare that to America, where the rate is closer to 33%.
BBC even reports, “these villages may hold the key to beating dementia.”
Prostate, colon, lung, and other types of cancer are also negligible.
In the United States, in fact, cancer rates are up to 13 times higher.
As one Baylor scientist puts it, “Robust data clearly highlights that populations that consume this as part of their diet have much lower incidence of many diseases, including cancer.”
After all, these ancient cultures have vast trial-and-error experience with many herbs, plants and food.
They use this as a major medical tool because it works — not out of superstition.
That’s why experts call it “Asia’s Version of Aspirin.”
I’ve visited these places first-hand and spent time with the people. It’s incredible to see how they don’t suffer from modern diseases. And how strong their village elders are — mentally and physically.
They’re able to move around free, unrestricted by pain or crippling disabilities.
And they’re famous for their memories… re-telling ancient stories their grandparents passed down to them.
But here in America, it’s a very different story.
Instead, over 5 million elderly a year become new victims of Alzheimer’s.
I see it happen all the time at my practice, and it’s heartbreaking.
It’s even worse since I know it’s completely stoppable — and reversible — with just a simple treatment…
One that doesn’t require a prescription, doctor’s visit, or health insurance.
Yet less 1 in 1,000 Americans have ever even heard of it, or its remarkable healing power.
The fault lies at the doorstep of the FDA.
The Medical Establishment’s Secret War
on This “Wonder Drug”
Even with the mountain of scientific research behind this “Wonder Drug”…
Research that shows its safety, ease-of-use, and complete absence of side effects…
And that it’s not only better than 19 FDA-approved drugs…
But treats hundreds of conditions — with results incomparable to anything else available…
The FDA has declared war on it.
They ruled that this spice can’t be added to compounded medications — medications prepared for you by specialized pharmacies.
This is unusual, especially since these pharmacies are supposed to develop personalized treatments — ones not even classified as drugs.
In other words, the FDA stepped outside of its jurisdiction to ban this perfectly safe treatment.
Sitting on this committee were over a dozen execs from the top pharmaceutical companies…
Companies that would stand to lose hundreds of billions if the decision had been different.
It’s truly corruption on an unimaginable scale. And your health, your life, and your family are the ultimate victims.
It gets worse though…
90-Day Alzheimer’s Cure
You see, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies recently concluded this $1 pill is the MOST promising Alzheimer’s treatment ever developed.
In their study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s Research and Therapy, the results were breathtaking…
Researchers aged mice until they were the equivalent of 80-year-old humans with late-stage Alzheimer’s.
Then they administered the treatment over the course of 90 days.
Their conclusion…
“The compound reversed cognitive impairment in aged Alzheimer’s mice.”
This was late-stage Alzheimer’s — all but impossible to treat.
But in three months’ time, the disease was not just stopped, but reversed. And their memories were restored.
All with zero toxicity or side effects.
Mainstream scientists will tell you this can’t happen.
But the results speak for themselves — in one of the top peer-reviewed journals on the disease, no less.
The next study took it even further though…
It Reversed Aging, Too!
The Salk researchers split their mice into three groups. They aged two of them. And kept one younger.
They treated the one old group (the control) and compared them to the others.
What happened next was incredible…
These mice re-gained their memory and thought sharper and smarter. They moved around freely and agile like the young group. Tests showed few signs of Alzheimer’s in their brain.
What’s more, tests found their gene expression and metabolism was very similar to the young mice.
These included markers for increased energy metabolism, reduced brain inflammation and reduced levels of oxidized fatty acids in the brain.
Another incredible effect was that their blood vessels were perfectly normal and healthy.
Damaged blood vessels are a common feature of aging in general. And in Alzheimer’s, it’s much worse.
But their blood vessels were perfectly normal and healthy, just like the young mice.
The researchers were absolutely stunned.
“We did not predict we’d see this sort of anti-aging effect,” says amazed lead author Dr. Antonio Currais. “But it made old mice look like they were young.”
So you’d think this kind of treatment would be accelerated to market in no time, right?
Big Pharma Stonewalls Biggest Alzheimer’s Breakthrough Ever Developed
Well, these researchers learned a hard lesson that when you uncover a highly effective cure for Alzheimer’s and aging…
One that costs $1 and with no side effects…
You get nothing in return but the cold shoulder from Big Pharma.
The cost of running FDA clinical trials is staggering — into the hundreds of millions.
The Salk Institute scientists went around to pharmaceutical sales reps — showing them the results… and begging for their support for the world’s biggest ever Alzheimer’s breakthrough.
The problem is, the $1 pill targets all the toxicities that lead to the development of Alzheimer’s — instead of just one.
So besides being unprofitable — it would render the dozens of (ineffective) drugs that Big Pharma is developing for Alzheimer’s obsolete.
Needless to say, the big drug company reps refused to fund the trials — which cost $1.5 million just to start.
If that doesn’t get your blood boiling, I don’t know what will.
Here we have the MOST promising treatment for one of mankind’s worst diseases…
A disease afflicting 5.1 million seniors… and rapidly growing.
And Big Pharma hangs up the phone.
All for $1.5 million of funding — literally 0.000000001% of their annual sales.
Profits trump life, health, and happiness in this so-called “health care system.”
To begin taking advantage of the biggest health discovery ever made…
You DON’T need to wait for FDA approval.
And you DON’T need a prescription or doctor’s visit.
The drug companies make you think they can control your health and life. But they don’t.
You have the power to make your body free of disease… forever.
You just need to know where to look.
That’s why I’ve assembled all the details on this remarkable disease-ending breakthrough.
Everything you need to make this the biggest health change of your life.
In fact, there are over 619 proven health benefits of this tiny pill!
You’ll find it all inside your FREE dossier…
Asia’s Wonder Spice: The $1 Cure for Every Disease…Without Side Effects
Along with your two other reports, I’ll send this cutting-edge research to your inbox, absolutely free of charge.
These Are ONLY THREE of the “Confidential Cures” I Use with My Patients… There are Many More
I travel around the world
to unlock “Blue Zone” secrets.
For the last 20 years, I’ve made a pilgrimage around the world to the places where people are being cured of “incurable” diseases.
I also go to the famous “Blue Zones,” places where people are known for their extreme longevity. Places where heart disease doesn’t exist… where Alzheimer’s is unknown… and where no one is obese. I do it to uncover what their secrets are and make them available to my patients and readers.
Some of these places are well known. Others are more exotic and I have to dig deeper or actually live among the aboriginal natives. Secrets that nature herself seems to keep confidential.
Every year, I log over 20,000 miles searching for natural cures from the world’s healthiest people.
The important thing for you is this: No matter how you’re feeling right now; I’ve probably discovered natural and effective secrets for you to live better, and feel younger.
In fact, on my recent trip to Africa, I found an incredible number of healing secrets almost unknown in the West. The healers there showed me what they use to successfully treat prostate and breast cancer.
I was shocked and amazed to see photos and case studies, where people are half eaten up with cancer — and in the next picture, you can see they’ve been healed. A lesion on a woman’s breast almost gone in four days. Skin cancer healed, prostate cancer gone.
I Want You to Use these Breakthroughs to Unlock MORE Energy and MORE Immunity
Some of the places I travel are well known. Others are more exotic. But they all have secret cures to share.
That’s why I’m inviting you to join my inner circle of confidential insiders… a select group who wants an unrestricted, in-depth look at the cures, advice and healing secrets that are transforming the lives of the people who use them.
I call this new membership service Confidential Cures: Your Guide to Truth and Lies in Medicine from Around the World.
You see, until now, I haven’t had a way to tell you about all of these cures.
I share what I can in my daily e-newsletter Doctor’s House Call, but those are meant to be brief and give you just one piece of advice you can act on right away. There’s simply not enough room to cover everything I’ve found.
And there’s another problem. Because I offer nutrients to my patients, I can’t say that those nutrients treat or cure diseases. Why?
The FDA has a standing gag order in place, preventing ANYONE from making these claims when offering you a cure.
Until now, only my patients, staff and closest friends have had an unrestricted look at my discoveries from my travels. They’ve heard the stories, first-hand, about what is working for the patients who come to my clinic. And they’ve had a front-row seat to the latest anti-aging breakthroughs from the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.
Confidential Cures: Your Guide to Truth and Lies in Medicine from Around the World is my solution for you.
As a member of this privileged group, you’ll have unrestricted access to information and advice you can act on immediately — information that will come to you on a monthly basis.
There’s a modest fee I’ll ask you to pay for this exclusive membership service, but it comes to less than the price of your morning coffee.
Just $3.25 a month — about what you’d pay for a good cup of coffee!
Confidential Cures is only $39 for a 12-month subscription — an unbelievably modest $3.25 a month, or about the cost of a large coffee.
Best of all, your three reports are FREE when you subscribe to Confidential Cures today, including…
Privileged Information— But Only for a Privileged Few
Only the members of my inner circle ever see the unique, life-altering discoveries that Confidential Cures is packed with.
How important and exclusive is this?
Well, just remember that Confidential Cures offers you an inside look at remedies and treatments you’d never hear about otherwise — remedies that take you beyond the restrictive, “prescription only” tyranny of the big drug companies.
Now, let me give you just a hint of what you’ll find every time you open an issue of Confidential Cures: Your Guide to Truth and Lies in Medicine from Around the World.
I’ll introduce you to the breakthroughs you’ve seen today — the most important, dramatic, and still largely hidden disease-fighting breakthrough of all time.
This alone would be worth your time and attention.
But you’ll also be given the keys to dozens of hidden cures, and forbidden technologies:
12 new ways to conquer heart disease…
Beat the 5 kinds of cancer that are still running wild…
Flush arthritis out of your joints — and live, walk, and run pain-free…
6 easy steps toward hi-def vision and razor-sharp eyesight…
Reverse the “biological age” of your cells, tissues, and organs… And restore the energy and vibrancy you thought was gone forever.
Please don’t wait to take advantage of this limited-time-only opportunity. I’m trying to hold the line on what I charge you for this — but I can’t hold costs down forever.
The African plains, the Amazon jungles, the Australian desert, the Antarctic Ocean — there is nowhere I won’t go if I think I can find something of value to bring back to you.
Ask yourself this one simple question — is your health and well-being worth the cost, once a month, of a cup of coffee?
Some of these breakthroughs are happening right in our own backyard. Yet some of them are unfolding in remote, forgotten countries that don’t get the attention or funding they deserve.
And I’m working to bring ALL of these discoveries right to your eyes for you to make your own choices.
The latest technologies I want to share with you are powerful enough to prevent, treat, and even wipe out all of the deadliest diseases, and extend your “health span” beyond anything we’ve ever imagined possible.
It will change life as we know it.
But as jaw dropping as this discovery is… it’s only a fraction of what’s possible.
I want you to know I stand behind everything I do. Confidential Cures is backed by my personal money-back guarantee — no ifs, ands, or buts about it.
My Personal No-Risk, No-Hassle,
100%-Satisfaction-or-Your-Money-Back Guarantee
1. You must be completely satisfied with the discoveries and breakthroughs I share with you in Confidential Cures: Your Guide to Truth and Lies in Medicine from Around the World. If not, you may cancel your subscription within 90 days and receive a prompt refund for the entire year’s subscription rate.
That way you can review this exclusive service with NO risk and NO regrets.
2. And if you do cancel, you can still keep the FREE Bonus Gifts you’ve received with my compliments and thanks.
So please hurry. I have so much to share with you.
I still have a decade’s worth of discoveries that will change the way you think about your body… your medicine cabinet… and your next birthday.
But I Need to Hear from You RIGHT NOW
In this letter I introduced you to three hidden cures for the biggest diseases of our time…
Stem Cell Therapy, the molecular breakthrough that permanently ERASES diabetes.
The “8th Element Cancer Cure, discovered by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist
The “$1 Wonder Drug” technology that reverses Alzheimer’s in just 90 days… without side effects.
I showed you how each of these are more powerful than prescription drugs…
Simply because they go to the root cause of the disease, instead of just managing the symptoms.
And I invited you to try Confidential Cures RISK FREE for just a few dollars a month, with a special gift that shows you exactly how to use these disease-ending breakthroughs RIGHT AWAY.
Now the decision is completely yours.
I wish I could click the Subscribe Now button for you, but this is entirely up to you. Considering how much you stand to gain, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to.
Don’t wait another minute.
I urge you to share in my latest Confidential Cures discoveries, and take advantage of the dramatic revelations, and unprecedented breakthroughs you’ll find in your FREE reports.
I’ll be with you every step of the way.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
Meet Al Sears, M.D.
Uniquely Qualified to Keep You Healthier for LifeAl Sears, M.D., is a medical doctor and one of the nation’s first board-certified anti-aging physicians.As a board-certified clinical nutritionist, strength coach, ACE-certified fitness trainer and author, he enjoys a worldwide readership. Dr. Sears and his breakthrough discoveries have appeared on more than 50 media outlets including ABC News, CNN, ESPN, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Lifetime and many more.
As the first U.S. doctor licensed to administer a groundbreaking DNA therapy that activates the gene that regulates telomerase, Dr. Sears made history by bringing telomere biology to the general public. In 2006, Dr. Sears shocked the fitness world by revealing the dangers of aerobics, “cardio” and long-distance running in his book, PACE: The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution.
In 2004, Dr. Sears was one of the first doctors to document the true cause of heart disease and expose the misguided and often fatal drugs-and-surgery approach to heart health.
In The Doctor’s Heart Cure, Dr. Sears outlines the easy-to-follow solution that effectively eliminates your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. An avid lecturer, Dr. Sears regularly speaks at conferences sponsored by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M), the American College for the Advancement of Medicine (ACAM) and the Age Management Medicine Group (AMMG).
HERE’S WHAT INDUSTRY EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT DR. SEARS
“Dr. Sears blows away the conventional medical wisdom…”
— Ronald Klatz, MD, DO, Founder and President, American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine
“Dr. Sears has distinguished himself as a leader in the area of Anti-Aging Medicine and recently in cell and telomere biology…”
— Frederic J. Vagnini, MD, FACS, Medical Director of the Heart, Diabetes and Weight Loss Centers of NY
“Dr. Sears masterfully explains how we can flip the switches that allow access to the store of human vitality that resides within each one of us. We understood how to do this when we were young and now Dr. Sears gives us the evidence-based means to tap into our potency, strength, and stamina with intention.”
— Paul L. Hester, MD, MBA
“Dr. Al Sears really gets it. What a refreshing breath of fresh air…”
— Jonny Bowden, author, Living the Low Carb Life: From Atkins to the Zone Choosing the Diet That’s Right for You
1. Smith, R. Heart repair with stem cells ‘biggest breakthrough in a generation.’ The Telegraph. 15 Nov 2011.
2. Goldman, B. “Stem cells shown safe, beneficial for chronic stroke patients.” Stanford Medicine. News Center. June 6, 2016.
3. McFarling, U L. “FDA weighs crackdown that could shut hundreds of stem cell clinics.” STAT. September 9, 2016.
4. Pitts, P. “Gottlieb Likely to Take On Off-Label, Predictability at the FDA.” MM&M. March 16, 2017.
5. Salk scientists find “secret sauce” for personalized, functional insulin-producing cells. Salk. April 12, 2016
6. “From stem cells to billions of human insulin-producing cells.” Harvard Stem Cell Institute. October 9, 2014.
7. Paton, J. “Stem Cells May Be Next Frontier for Diabetes Drugmaker Novo.” Bloomberg. December 15, 2016
8. “Rat-grown mouse pancreases help reverse diabetes in mice.” ScienceDaily. January 25, 2017.
9. Kaufman, S. “Stem-cell cure for Type 1 diabetes ‘on par with discovery of antibiotics.’” Raw Story. Oct. 10, 2014
10. Cuaron, J. “Global Type 2 Diabetes Market Value Predicted to Almost Double by 2025.” Drug Development & Delivery. June 13, 2016.
11. McFarling U L. “FDA weighs crackdown that could shut hundreds of stem cells clinics.” STAT. September 9, 2016.
12. Smith R. “Heart repair with stem cells ‘biggest breakthrough in a generation.’” The Telegraph. Nov. 15, 2011.
13. Stoller E P. “The First Legit Study of Stem Cells and Arthritis Had Suprising Results.” Tonic. Dec 12, 2016.
14. Monks K. “’Miracle’ cells could cure blindness.” CNN. March 11, 2016.
Al Sears M.D.
11905 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 | 866.895.8555
Copyright 2017, Al Sears M.D. All Rights Reserved.
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Prized 1972 Porsche 911 race car re-discovered, restored for display at Techno Classica in Germany
In Barn Finds
Imagine this:
The Porsche 911 2.5 S/T finished first in class and 13th overall at the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans | Porsche Classic
Imagine this: The old, beat-up carcass of a Porsche 911 decomposing over in the corner for years, the one apparently used by kids as a playhouse, turns out to be an important competition car with an impressive history in endurance racing.
The derelict 1972 911 2.5 S/T was discovered by a collector in an unidentified U.S. location, according to the Porsche Classic division of Porsche AG, and he somehow recognized it for what it was: a highly prized race car that included among its competitions the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which it finished first in the GT class and 13th overall.
The Porsche 911 at Le Mans in 1972 | Porsche Classic archive
The Le Mans triumph punctuated the car’s participation in a number of the era’s key races, including the Daytona 6 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours in Florida, the Targa Florio of Italy, and the 1,000-kilometer race at Nürburgring in Germany. Porsche factory driver Jürgen Barth was often at the wheel, along with U.S. driver Mike Keyser and Sylvain Garant from Switzerland; that trio shared driving duties at the 1972 Le Mans race.
Last week, on the Porsche stand at the Techno Classica show in Essen, Germany, the 1972 Porsche 911 2.5 S/T was unveiled in all its race-liveried glory, the result of a lengthy and complex restoration undertaken by Porsche Classic.
“The 911 2.5 S/T was rediscovered a few years ago by a collector in the USA – and it was in a … dilapidated condition,” Alexander Fabig, head of Porsche Classic, said in a news release. “Our experts have done an excellent job at restoring the sports car to the highest standards.
The Porsche 911 after it was pulled out of storage | Porsche Classic
Just 24 examples of this race car, based on the 911 2.4 S coupe, were ever built. They were designed for private customers to compete in Group 3 (series GT vehicles) and Group 4 (modified GT vehicles) divisions. This car was sold to Keyser, who engaged in the highest levels of competition, often in partnership with Barth.
When the car arrived for restoration at the workshop in Stuttgart, Germany, it was in terrible condition, battered and rusted, with poorly repaired crash damage and ill-advised updates, and a roof that was bashed in, possibly by children jumping on it.
The restorers engaged in extensive metalwork, structural refurbishing and corrosion remediation, according to the news release. The 911 was finally completed to appear as it did at Le Mans, with bright yellow paint and racing regalia.
The restored Porsche on display at Techno Classica | Porsche Classic
The fact that the car was found and recognized, and that the finder took the car to Porsche Classic to be brought back to life, is a remarkable story in itself, Fabig noted.
“We are thrilled about the confidence this customer placed in us with this restoration job,” he said. “This project is unparalleled and of great historical significance.”
1978 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40
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Rwanda Climate
Please note these numbers will generally represent the capital city's average rainfall and temperature. For a more nuanced countrywide analysis, see below.
Home / Destinations / Rwanda / Rwanda Climate
The long rains start end of March and run through to the end of May. Given their elevation the cloud forests of northern Rwanda are generally moist throughout the year. Best time to visit is either June through to mid October, or early December through to end March.
Rwanda is a landlocked country. Bordered in the north by Uganda, to the west by Tanzania, in the south by Burundi, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it consists of a plateau that falls from west to east, from 4,500m at its highest point to around 1000m at its lowest, and is characterised by two tropical climate types: moist and wet-dry.
Densely populated and intensely farmed, Rwanda supports one large forest, Nyungwe, in the south-west, and patches of forest (Cyamudongo, Makura, Gshwati and Volcanoes National Park) up its western flank. Otherwise, the country’s vegetation is one of rolling grasslands and savannahs. Lake Kivu – western borderlands – makes up much of Rwanda’s standing water, with lakes Muhazi, Rweru and Lhema among those that constitute central, southern and eastern areas of the country.
At the moment (2011), Journeys by Design designs itineraries that include the following destinations: Kigali, Lake Kivu, Volcanoes National Park, Akagera National Park and Nyungwe Forest National Park.
The climate in Rwanda is controlled by the oscillating effects of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which sees the convergence of the rain bringing Atlantic westerlies and Indian Ocean easterlies and the dry north-east and south-east monsoon winds. Thus, in keeping with much of tropical Africa, Rwanda experiences a wet season and a dry season, its precipitation pattern described as bimodal, the main batch occurring March – May, the next in mid-September to mid-December.
The split in the wet season is explained by the ITCZ’s zonal and meridianal arms, the first of which moves west to east, passes over the Congo basin and supplies much of subtropical Africa with its main rain. The second, providing shorter and more variable rains, passes north-east to south-west, its rain-giving potential boosted by the fact that it passes over Lake Victoria, benefiting, therefore, those countries positioned to the south and south-east – Rwanda, Burundi, north-east Tanzania, south-western corner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Even so, April is much the wettest month, followed by late March and early May.
The spatial distribution of the rains is modified by altitude and position. In general, the west and north-west are wet, the climate here semi-humid to humid to moist. Average annual rainfall levels range between 1300mm (Lake Kivu) to 2000mm (Nyungwe and Volcanoes). While still exhibiting a bimodal pattern of precipitation, it rains every month here, so much so in Nyungwe that you will find the area (wrongly) referred to as experiencing a single rainy season. Temperatures depend on altitude and levels of humidity, with Lake Kivu averaging out at 25°C, Nyungwe cooler at 15.5°C and Volcanoes downright chilly at 9.5°C. This said, rainforest temperatures can soar, with Nyungwe reaching 30°C. Moving east, the altitude drops, and the climate is much more clearly dry-wet tropical (semi-arid). Temperatures range between 24°C and 28°C and average rainfall levels fall to between 750mm (Akagera National Park) and 1000mm (Kigali).
Given this, and the fact that Rwanda offers both a rainforest and savannah safari experience, best times for travel will depend on location and type. Generally speaking, the dry season (June – September and January – February) is the best time to visit for wildlife. At this time, in wet-dry tropical climatic zones, the cover is greatly reduced, seasonal water sources are either drying or entirely dried up and animals mass along riverfronts, lakesides and waterholes. The moister rainforest climates of the west and north-west are slightly different. Gorilla viewing is possible throughout the year, although trekking is easier during the drier months, the roads clearer, the primates easier to spot. Conversely, primate viewing In the Nyungwe Forest is easier during the wet season, when the apes and monkeys tend to feed in more predictable territories.
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New York Times: Autoworkers are leading the way on raising middle class incomes
GRAND RAPIDS October 29, 2015– The New York Times recently published an editorial which acknowledges the huge gains made by the UAW in their recently-ratified contract with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and that this should provide a much-needed boost to the economy. And with more UAW members calling Michigan home than any other state, that’s especially good news for those of us in Michigan…even if we aren’t autoworkers.
The New York Times editorial board goes on to write that strong unions are absolutely critical to creating higher paying jobs for middle class workers, but that they can’t do it alone and that pro-worker legislation and increased government spending is also necessary for a full economic recovery– something that most Republican lawmakers just aren’t willing to admit.
The nearly one million people who work in the auto industry in the United States may soon be getting a nice raise. The United Automobile Workers and Fiat Chrysler have reached a new contract for the company’s 40,000 workers. Under the deal — which will be a template for talks with Ford Motor and General Motors — the hourly pay of veteran workers will rise from $28 to almost $30 over four years, while pay for new workers will rise from about $16 to $19 to about $29 over eight years. Non-union foreign carmakers in the United States and suppliers are now likely to feel pressure to move closer to the new industry standards.
Therein lies the real power in the new contract: It halts the long downward pull on wages in the auto industry that has persisted even as the industry recovered from the recession. In so doing, it reaffirms the power of unions to use the threat of a strike to demand a fairer share; U.A.W. members at Fiat Chrysler had rejected an initial contract and were ready to walk out, which could have slowed the company’s recent progress.
There are also broader lessons here for policy makers. The new contract implicitly defines $30 an hour as a decent middle-class wage. That is well above the recent average of $21.08 for most workers, but below the nearly $32 that would be the norm if wages had kept pace with net labor productivity in recent decades. Clearly, unions can lift middle-class wages to a point, but more needs to be done. Higher federal spending on necessary public projects would lift pay by creating jobs; stricter laws on worker classification would ensure that employees are not wrongly denied overtime and benefits. In general, Democrats support such proposals, Republicans don’t.
Equally important, efforts to raise the median wage would strengthen the case for a federal minimum wage of $15. Opponents argue that $15 is not feasible with the average in the low $20s. But if steps are taken to raise middle-class wages to at least $30, a minimum of $15, phased in, would be feasible. Politicians need to follow where the autoworkers are trying to lead: Toward a future of higher pay and rising living standards.
This entry was posted on October 29, 2015 by WMALC in Michigan labor news and tagged Michigan, Republicans, UAW, wages.
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I asked Fred Astaire once when he was about my age if he still danced and he said 'Yes, but it hurts now.' That's exactly it. I can still dance too but it hurts now! I've always kept moving. I was at the gym at six this morning. Of course marrying a beautiful young woman has been a big help. There are so many years between us and we don't feel it. I'm emotionally immature and she's very wise for her age so we kind of meet in the middle.
Despite being a relatively unknown actor, Van Dyke got starring billing in his breakthrough 1961 TV series, The Dick Van Dyke Show. The now-classic comedy series was created by Carl Reiner, formerly a writer and performer on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Van Dyke drew from his own life for the show, which centered around the lives of TV writer Rob Petrie and his wife, Laura (played by Mary Tyler Moore). Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam played Petrie's friends and co-workers on the program.
In August 1882 Theo gave Vincent money to buy materials for working en plein air. Vincent wrote that he could now "go on painting with new vigour".[202] From early 1883 he worked on multi-figure compositions. He had some of them photographed, but when his brother remarked that they lacked liveliness and freshness, he destroyed them and turned to oil painting. Van Gogh turned to well-known Hague School artists like Weissenbruch and Blommers, and received technical advice from them, as well as from painters like De Bock and Van der Weele, both of the Hague School's second generation.[203] When he moved to Nuenen after the period in Drenthe he began several large paintings but destroyed most of them. The Potato Eaters and its companion pieces are the only ones to have survived.[203] Following a visit to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh wrote of his admiration for the quick, economical brushwork of the Dutch Masters, especially Rembrandt and Frans Hals.[204][note 12] He was aware that many of his faults were due to lack of experience and technical expertise,[203] so in November 1885 he travelled to Antwerp and later Paris to learn and develop his skills.[205]
Born into an upper-middle-class family, Van Gogh drew as a child and was serious, quiet and thoughtful. As a young man he worked as an art dealer, often travelling, but became depressed after he was transferred to London. He turned to religion and spent time as a Protestant missionary in southern Belgium. He drifted in ill health and solitude before taking up painting in 1881, having moved back home with his parents. His younger brother Theo supported him financially, and the two kept up a long correspondence by letter. His early works, mostly still lifes and depictions of peasant labourers, contain few signs of the vivid colour that distinguished his later work. In 1886, he moved to Paris, where he met members of the avant-garde, including Émile Bernard and Paul Gauguin, who were reacting against the Impressionist sensibility. As his work developed he created a new approach to still lifes and local landscapes. His paintings grew brighter in colour as he developed a style that became fully realised during his stay in Arles in the south of France in 1888. During this period he broadened his subject matter to include series of olive trees, wheat fields and sunflowers.
Here you will find images of ;Van Gogh drawings, watercolors, graphic works, letter sketches, and Van Gogh's paintings. Discussions and critiques on Van Gogh's Starry Night, Sunflowers, Irises, Poppies, The Bedroom, The Mulberry Tree, Blossoming Almond Tree and The Potato Eaters are just a few of the many pieces which are covered. On the drawings and paintings page, you will find a discussion of a few of Van Gogh's drawings which he also created as paintings. To search a list of his paintings by name, date, current location or museum, visit The Gallery section.
Vincent Van Gogh's life was a short one but almost three years of it were spent in Britain. A big new exhibition at Tate Britain in London brings together 50 of his pictures - including some masterpieces - to show how life in the capital and the art scene in Britain - influenced the young artist. And how he in turn influenced British artists such as Francis Bacon.
By 1963, Van Elslander owned seven stores and had taken on some partners, including his brother, Bob Van Elslander, Don Fox and Bob McEachin.[5] The following year, three of those stores were sold off, however Van Elslander expanded the chain in the 1970s and in 1973 the company purchased its headquarters in Warren, Michigan. Around that time, the company had fifteen stores in its chain. In the late 1970s opened several warehouses and a corporate training department. In 1977 the company opened stores outside of Detroit, in Flint and Lansing, Michigan.[6]
From 1961 to 1966, Van Dyke starred in the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, in which he portrayed a comedy writer named Rob Petrie. Originally the show was supposed to have Carl Reiner as the lead but CBS insisted on recasting and Reiner chose Van Dyke to replace him in the role.[21] Complementing Van Dyke was a veteran cast of comic actors including Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Jerry Paris, Ann Morgan Guilbert, Richard Deacon, and Carl Reiner (as Alan Brady), as well as 23-year-old Mary Tyler Moore, who played Rob's wife Laura Petrie. Van Dyke won three Emmy Awards as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and the series received four Emmy Awards as Outstanding Comedy Series.[23]
The original version of the Vans skateboard logo was designed in Costa Mesa, California in the 1970s by Mark Van Doren at the age of 13. The son of then President and co-owner James Van Doren, Mark designed the logo as a stencil to be spray painted on his skateboards. Initially introduced for the heel tab on an early Vans’ skateboard shoe, the Style 95, this original Vans skateboard logo is an important part of Vans history.”[citation needed]
You might find a nice piece of art for cheap or a mirror but the furniture isn't so great. We bought a living room set only to later find out the seat cushions are not moveable (i've never seen that before!) For the price we paid, this couldve been useful info. Do you know how hard it is to wash couch cushions that do not zip off or come off the couch structure?
Van Gogh was a serious and thoughtful child.[25] He was taught at home by his mother and a governess, and in 1860 was sent to the village school. In 1864 he was placed in a boarding school at Zevenbergen,[26] where he felt abandoned, and campaigned to come home. Instead, in 1866 his parents sent him to the middle school in Tilburg, where he was deeply unhappy.[27] His interest in art began at a young age. He was encouraged to draw as a child by his mother,[28] and his early drawings are expressive,[26] but do not approach the intensity of his later work.[29] Constant Cornelis Huijsmans, who had been a successful artist in Paris, taught the students at Tilburg. His philosophy was to reject technique in favour of capturing the impressions of things, particularly nature or common objects. Van Gogh's profound unhappiness seems to have overshadowed the lessons, which had little effect.[30] In March 1868 he abruptly returned home. He later wrote that his youth was "austere and cold, and sterile".[31]
Dick Van Dyke was born Richard Wayne Van Dyke in West Plains, Missouri, to Hazel Victoria (McCord), a stenographer, and Loren Wayne Van Dyke, a salesman. His younger brother is entertainer Jerry Van Dyke. His ancestry includes English, Scottish, German, Swiss-German, and Dutch. Although he'd had small roles beforehand, Van Dyke was launched to ... See full bio »
The manager Steve was a jerk to me as well as a African american employee who was assisting me. he spoke like we were bothering him instead of being a customer. STEVE the store manager at the Saginaw st location will make this store lose business because im making it a point to tell everyone. clearly Steve hates his job and should have chose another career path, or either he just doesnt like black people cause the two people he was extremely rude to were both African american.
Van Gogh's stylistic developments are usually linked to the periods he spent living in different places across Europe. He was inclined to immerse himself in local cultures and lighting conditions, although he maintained a highly individual visual outlook throughout. His evolution as an artist was slow, and he was aware of his painterly limitations. He moved home often, perhaps to expose himself to new visual stimuli, and through exposure develop his technical skill.[224] Art historian Melissa McQuillan believes the moves also reflect later stylistic changes, and that Van Gogh used the moves to avoid conflict, and as a coping mechanism for when the idealistic artist was faced with the realities of his then current situation.[225]
Van Gogh stayed within what he called the "guise of reality",[218] and was critical of overly stylised works.[219] He wrote afterwards that the abstraction of Starry Night had gone too far and that reality had "receded too far in the background".[219] Hughes describes it as a moment of extreme visionary ecstasy: the stars are in a great whirl, reminiscent of Hokusai's Great Wave, the movement in the heaven above is reflected by the movement of the cypress on the earth below, and the painter's vision is "translated into a thick, emphatic plasma of paint".[220]
The time in Arles became one of Van Gogh's more prolific periods: he completed 200 paintings, and more than 100 drawings and watercolours.[115] He was enchanted by the local landscape and light; his works from this period are rich in yellow, ultramarine and mauve. His paintings include harvests, wheat fields and general rural landmarks from the area, including The Old Mill (1888), a picturesque structure bordering the wheat fields.[116] This was one of seven canvases sent to Pont-Aven on 4 October 1888 in an exchange of works with Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, Charles Laval and others.[116]
Van Dyke left high school in 1944, his senior year, intending to join the United States Army Air Forces for pilot training during World War II. Denied enlistment several times for being underweight, he was eventually accepted for service as a radio announcer before transferring to the Special Services and entertaining troops in the continental United States.[11] He received his high school diploma in 2004 at the age of 78.[12]
He wrote that they represented his "sadness and extreme loneliness", and that the "canvases will tell you what I cannot say in words, that is, how healthy and invigorating I find the countryside".[183] Wheatfield with Crows, although not his last oil work, is from July 1890 and Hulsker discusses it as being associated with "melancholy and extreme loneliness".[184] Hulsker identifies seven oil paintings from Auvers that follow the completion of Wheatfield with Crows.[185]
The same thing happened at the Church of Belgium: In the winter of 1878, van Gogh volunteered to move to an impoverished coal mine in the south of Belgium, a place where preachers were usually sent as punishment. He preached and ministered to the sick, and also drew pictures of the miners and their families, who called him "Christ of the Coal Mines."
Van Gogh entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum on 8 May 1889, accompanied by his carer, Frédéric Salles, a Protestant clergyman. Saint-Paul was a former monastery in Saint-Rémy, located less than 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Arles, and was run by a former naval doctor, Théophile Peyron. Van Gogh had two cells with barred windows, one of which he used as a studio.[162] The clinic and its garden became the main subjects of his paintings. He made several studies of the hospital's interiors, such as Vestibule of the Asylum and Saint-Rémy (September 1889). Some of his works from this time are characterised by swirls, such as The Starry Night. He was allowed short supervised walks, during which time he painted cypresses and olive trees, including Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background 1889, Cypresses 1889, Cornfield with Cypresses (1889), Country road in Provence by Night (1890). In September 1889 he produced two further versions of Bedroom in Arles.[163]
[about Mary Poppins (1964)] I thought Walt Disney hired me because I was such a great singer and dancer. As it turns out, he had heard me in an interview talking about what was happening to family entertainment. I was decrying the fact that it seemed like no holds were barred anymore in entertainment . . . That's why he called me in, because I said something he agreed with. And I got the part.
Van Dyke began his film career by playing the role of Albert J. Peterson in the film version of Bye Bye Birdie (1963). Despite his unhappiness with the adaptation—its focus differed from the stage version in that the story now centered on a previously supporting character[32]—the film was a success. That same year, Van Dyke was cast in two roles: as the chimney sweep Bert, and as bank chairman Mr. Dawes Senior, in Walt Disney's Mary Poppins (1964). For his scenes as the chairman, he was heavily costumed to look much older and was credited in that role as "Navckid Keyd" (at the end of the credits, the letters unscramble into "Dick Van Dyke"). Van Dyke's attempt at a cockney accent has been lambasted as one of the worst accents in film history, cited by actors since as an example of how not to sound. In a 2003 poll by Empire magazine of the worst-ever accents in film, he came in second (to Sean Connery in The Untouchables, despite Connery winning an Academy Award for that performance).[33][34] According to Van Dyke, his accent coach was Irish, who "didn't do an accent any better than I did", and that no one alerted him to how bad it was during the production.[35][36][37] Still, Mary Poppins was successful on release and its appeal has endured. "Chim Chim Cher-ee", one of the songs that Van Dyke performed in Mary Poppins, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for the Sherman Brothers, the film's songwriting duo.
Friends with: Shirley Jones, Angela Lansbury, Bea Arthur, Florence Henderson, Edward Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Danny Thomas, Buddy Ebsen, Bill Cullen, Wink Martindale, Michele Lee, Hope Lange, Larry Hagman, Pernell Roberts, Robert Fuller, Angie Dickinson, Debbie Reynolds, James Garner, Andy Griffith, Michael Landon, Dick Van Patten, and wife Pat Van Patten, his brother Jerry Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Maureen Stapleton, Betsy Palmer, Piper Laurie, Mickey Rooney, Rose Marie, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Mary Tyler Moore, Julie Andrews, Richard Deacon, Morey Amsterdam, Warren Beatty, Fred Silverman, Dean Hargrove, Joyce Burditt, Christian I. Nyby II, Sheldon Leonard, Richard M. Sherman, Betty White, William Shatner, Dick Martin, Jean Stapleton, Carol Burnett, Tim Conway, Vicki Lawrence, Bill Cosby, Robert Wagner, Don Rickles, Rosie O'Donnell and Jerry Paris.
By March 1882, Mauve appears to have gone cold towards Van Gogh, and stopped replying to his letters.[72] He had learned of Van Gogh's new domestic arrangement with an alcoholic prostitute, Clasina Maria "Sien" Hoornik (1850–1904), and her young daughter.[73] Van Gogh had met Sien towards the end of January 1882, when she had a five-year-old daughter and was pregnant. She had previously borne two children who died, but Van Gogh was unaware of this;[74] on 2 July, she gave birth to a baby boy, Willem.[75] When Van Gogh's father discovered the details of their relationship, he put pressure on his son to abandon Sien and her two children. Vincent at first defied him,[76] and considered moving the family out of the city, but in late 1883, he left Sien and the children.[77]
The most comprehensive primary source on Van Gogh is the correspondence between him and his younger brother, Theo. Their lifelong friendship, and most of what is known of Vincent's thoughts and theories of art, are recorded in the hundreds of letters they exchanged from 1872 until 1890.[7] Theo van Gogh was an art dealer and provided his brother with financial and emotional support, and access to influential people on the contemporary art scene.[8]
During this period Van Gogh mastered the use of light by subjugating shadows and painting the trees as if they are the source of light – almost in a sacred manner.[252] Early the following year he painted another smaller group of orchards, including View of Arles, Flowering Orchards.[254] Van Gogh was enthralled by the landscape and vegetation of the south of France, and often visited the farm gardens near Arles. In the vivid light of the Mediterranean climate his palette significantly brightened.[255]
In January 1879 he took up a post as a missionary at Petit-Wasmes[45] in the coal-mining district of Borinage in Belgium. To show support for his impoverished congregation, he gave up his comfortable lodgings at a bakery to a homeless person, and moved to a small hut where he slept on straw.[46] His squalid living conditions did not endear him to church authorities, who dismissed him for "undermining the dignity of the priesthood". He then walked the 75 kilometres (47 mi) to Brussels,[47] returned briefly to Cuesmes in the Borinage, but gave in to pressure from his parents to return home to Etten. He stayed there until around March 1880,[note 3] which caused concern and frustration for his parents. His father was especially frustrated and advised that his son should be committed to the lunatic asylum at Geel.[49][50][note 4]
Welcome to the Van Gogh Gallery - the definitive reference for information about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. With a career that ran a little over a decade, he produced an astonishing amount of work: 1,000 drawings, 150 watercolors, 10 watercolors, 9 lithographs, an etching, and over 900 paintings. We have also put together his biography, spanning his youth until death, going into his mental state, his influences, and the world in which he lived. We hope to share Van Gogh’s legacy with as many people as we can and give his genius the appreciation he lacked in life.
In his younger years, Van Dyke considered becoming a minister. He abandoned this ambition, however, after joining high high school's drama club, and developing his singing and dancing skills in school musicals. His classmates included actor Donald O'Connor and entertainer Bobby Short. Around this time, Van Dyke landed his first professional job, working part-time at a local radio station.
Van Gogh created more than 43 self-portraits between 1885 and 1889.[230][note 13] They were usually completed in series, such as those painted in Paris in mid-1887, and continued until shortly before his death.[231] Generally the portraits were studies, created during introspective periods when he was reluctant to mix with others, or when he lacked models, and so painted himself.[223][232]
Ill from drink and suffering from smoker's cough, in February 1888 Van Gogh sought refuge in Arles.[14] He seems to have moved with thoughts of founding an art colony. The Danish artist Christian Mourier-Petersen became his companion for two months, and at first Arles appeared exotic. In a letter, he described it as a foreign country: "The Zouaves, the brothels, the adorable little Arlésienne going to her First Communion, the priest in his surplice, who looks like a dangerous rhinoceros, the people drinking absinthe, all seem to me creatures from another world."[114]
He first gained recognition on radio and Broadway, then he became known for his role as Rob Petrie on the CBS television sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran from 1961 to 1966. He also gained significant popularity for roles in the musical films Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Mary Poppins (1964), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and Mary Poppins Returns (2018). His other prominent film appearances include roles in The Comic (1969), Dick Tracy (1990), Curious George (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014). Other prominent TV roles include the leads in The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971–74), Diagnosis: Murder (1993–2001), and Murder 101 (2006–08) which both co-starred his son Barry.
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The portrayals of the Arles landscape are informed by Van Gogh's Dutch upbringing; the patchworks of fields and avenues appear flat and lacking perspective, but excel in their use of colour.[117] His new-found appreciation is seen in the range and scope of his work. In March 1888 he painted landscapes using a gridded "perspective frame"; three of the works were shown at the annual exhibition of the Société des Artistes Indépendants. In April, he was visited by the American artist Dodge MacKnight, who was living nearby at Fontvieille.[118][119] On 1 May 1888, for 15 francs per month, he signed a lease for the eastern wing of the Yellow House at 2 place Lamartine. The rooms were unfurnished and had been uninhabited for months.[120]
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Gogh, Vincent van: L'Arlésienne: Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux (née Marie Julien, 1848–1911)L'Arlésienne: Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux (née Marie Julien, 1848–1911), oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh, 1888–89; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. 91.4 × 73.7 cm.Photograph by dmadeo. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, bequest of Sam A. Lewisohn, 1951 (51.112.3)
Van Gogh had a catastrophic love life. He was attracted to women in trouble, thinking he could help them. When he fell in love with his recently widowed cousin, Kate, she was repulsed and fled to her home in Amsterdam. Van Gogh then moved to The Hague and fell in love with Clasina Maria Hoornik, an alcoholic prostitute. She became his companion, mistress and model.
In 2015 the company paid out $2.5 million dollars in free furniture to 3000 customers after a promotion that gave away the purchases of customers if it snowed three inches each in the cities of Toledo, Fort Wayne, and Chicago.[21][22] In 2016, Art Van replaced its regional Super Bowl advertisements in the Detroit and Grand Rapids areas with a thank you message for donors of water to Flint, Michigan, which the company had solicited through its charitable programs.[23]
He moved to Antwerp that November, and rented a room above a paint dealer's shop in the rue des Images (Lange Beeldekensstraat).[91] He lived in poverty and ate poorly, preferring to spend the money Theo sent on painting materials and models. Bread, coffee and tobacco became his staple diet. In February 1886 he wrote to Theo that he could only remember eating six hot meals since the previous May. His teeth became loose and painful.[92] In Antwerp he applied himself to the study of colour theory and spent time in museums—particularly studying the work of Peter Paul Rubens—and broadened his palette to include carmine, cobalt blue and emerald green. Van Gogh bought Japanese ukiyo-e woodcuts in the docklands, later incorporating elements of their style into the background of some of his paintings.[93] He was drinking heavily again,[94] and was hospitalised between February and March 1886,[95] when he was possibly also treated for syphilis.[96][note 6]
If you are interested in adding more Van Gogh to your life, the Van Gogh Gallery has plenty to offer. Download Van Gogh images of some of his most famous paintings as wallpaper for your computer, shop for Van Gogh posters or prints, or check out some of the additional resources available including links to Van Gogh exhibitions. If you are a smartphone user then download the free app for any Android or iPhone device and have access to Van Gogh’s famous paintings right from your phone. There are even lesson plans from multidiscipline areas for those interested in educating others about Van Gogh's art and life. If you’d like to enjoy and share your favorite Van Gogh works on social media follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
The name of van Gogh was virtually unknown when he killed himself: only one article about him had appeared during his lifetime. He had exhibited a few canvases at the Salon des Indépendants in Paris between 1888 and 1890 and in Brussels in 1890; both salons showed small commemorative groups of his work in 1891. One-man shows of his work did not occur until 1892.
Born in Missouri in 1925, Dick Van Dyke is known for his starring role in the musical Bye Bye Birdie (1963), and for his successful television comedy series The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–66). Additionally, he starred in the drama series Diagnosis Murder (1993–2001), has won several Emmy Awards and has performed in a number of films, including Mary Poppins; Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, Dick Tracy and Night at the Museum.
It took Walt twenty years to talk Travers [P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins novels] into giving him the rights for the picture and then she fought him tooth and nail all the way through it. She hated me, she hated Julie Andrews, she didn't think either one of us were right. After the premiere she met Walt in the lobby and said, 'All the animation has to go.' Walt said, 'Pamela, the boat has sailed.'
After much pleading from Van Gogh, Gauguin arrived in Arles on 23 October, and in November the two painted together. Gauguin depicted Van Gogh in his The Painter of Sunflowers; Van Gogh painted pictures from memory, following Gauguin's suggestion. Among these "imaginative" paintings is Memory of the Garden at Etten.[132][note 8] Their first joint outdoor venture was at the Alyscamps, when they produced the pendants Les Alyscamps.[133] The single painting Gauguin completed during his visit was Van Gogh Painting Sunflowers.[134]
Among Van Dyke's high school classmates in Danville were Donald O'Connor and Bobby Short, both of whom would go on to successful careers as entertainers.[10] One of his closest friends was a cousin of Gene Hackman, the future actor, who also lived in Danville in those years.[10] Van Dyke's mother's family was very religious, and for a brief period in his youth, he considered a career in ministry, although a drama class in high school convinced him that his true calling was as a professional entertainer.[10] In his autobiography, he wrote, "I suppose that I never completely gave up my childhood idea of being a minister. Only the medium and the message changed. I have still endeavored to touch people's souls, to raise their spirits and put smiles on their faces."[10] Even after the launch of his career as an entertainer, he taught Sunday school in the Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder, and he continued to read such theologians as Buber, Tillich, and Bonhoeffer, who helped explain in practical terms the relevance of religion in everyday life.[10]
Between 1885 and his death in 1890, Van Gogh appears to have been building an oeuvre,[221] a collection that reflected his personal vision, and could be commercially successful. He was influenced by Blanc's definition of style, that a true painting required optimal use of colour, perspective and brushstrokes. Van Gogh applied the word "purposeful" to paintings he thought he had mastered, as opposed to those he thought of as studies.[222] He painted many series of studies;[218] most of which were still lifes, many executed as colour experiments or as gifts to friends.[223] The work in Arles contributed considerably to his oeuvre: those he thought the most important from that time were The Sower, Night Cafe, Memory of the Garden in Etten and Starry Night. With their broad brushstrokes, inventive perspectives, colours, contours and designs, these paintings represent the style he sought.[219]
^ The pronunciation of "Van Gogh" varies in both English and Dutch. Especially in British English it is /ˌvæn ˈɡɒx/[2] or sometimes /ˌvæn ˈɡɒf/.[3] American dictionaries list /ˌvæn ˈɡoʊ/, with a silent gh, as the most common pronunciation.[4] In the dialect of Holland, it is [ˈvɪnsɛnt fɑŋˈxɔx] (listen), with a voiceless V. He grew up in Brabant, and used Brabant dialect in his writing; if he pronounced his name with a Brabant accent it would be [vɑɲˈʝɔç], with a voiced V and palatalised G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is [vɑ̃ ɡɔɡᶱ].[5]
In these series, Van Gogh was not preoccupied by his usual interest in filling his paintings with subjectivity and emotion; rather the two series are intended to display his technical skill and working methods to Gauguin,[134] who was about to visit. The 1888 paintings were created during a rare period of optimism for the artist. Vincent wrote to Theo in August 1888, "I'm painting with the gusto of a Marseillais eating bouillabaisse, which won't surprise you when it's a question of painting large sunflowers ... If I carry out this plan there'll be a dozen or so panels. The whole thing will therefore be a symphony in blue and yellow. I work on it all these mornings, from sunrise. Because the flowers wilt quickly and it's a matter of doing the whole thing in one go."[243]
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Booking & Touringadmin2011-03-04T07:43:48-04:00
Booking & Touring
CRAVINGS: Songs of Hunger & Satisfaction
Now Available For Touring!
a new cabaret created and performed by: Belle Linda Halpern
musical director/accompanist Ron Roy
directed by Sabrina Hamilton
A funny, intriguing and profound look at constant cravings—hunger for food, sex, acceptance and fame — and for true nourishment. Songs that range from Tin Pan Alley classics by Gershwin, Berlin and Bernstein to pop anthems and Yiddish showstoppers are interspersed with personal narrative reflecting Halpern’s Jewish-American experience. As she prepares the traditional Jewish holiday dish charoset, Halpern’s humorous yet visceral evocation of the control our desires and appetites have over us evolves to a more spiritual plane.
A hit at the 2008 Ko Festival of Performance!
The Boston Globe has called called Belle Linda Halpern’s work “stunning, both as music and theater” as she connects the music and lyrics of American and European cabaret songs with clarity, warmth and style. With her incredible dynamic range, she sensuously croons ballads, powerfully belts out the blues, and, with lightning speed and hilarity, whips out a patter song, the Boston Herald hails her as, “Boston’s best singing actor.”
A distinguished team of artists . . .Belle Linda Halpern
has performed as a cabaret singer and actor at clubs and theatres in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Paris, Munich, Jerusalem, and Bombay. Each summer she sings cabaret concerts in the villas and castles of Northern Italy. A graduate of Harvard/Radcliffe, she performs in French and Italian as well as Yiddish and Hebrew. Her theater roles include Esther in Elizabeth Swados’ rock opera Esther, Alice in her Alice in Concert, Josephine in Laura Harrington’s N Bonaparte and Sally in Cabaret. Belle’s other theatre credits include work with Robert Wilson and Andrew Serban at the American Repertory Theatre. She has taught singing and performance since 1986 at Harvard University and each summer in Italy through the Tuscany Project. She has co-created Moon Over Dark Street, a Brecht/Weill Cabaret with Pilgrim Theatre and Cutting Crosstown: From 2nd Avenue to Broadway with fellow performer Jeffrey Korn. Her interest in Weill and Yiddish music was inspired by the generous spirit of her teacher, Martha Schlamme. She has also co-authored Leadership Presence: Dramatic Techniques to Reach Out, Motivate, and Inspire published by Penguin Putnam about the leadership development work she does with her company, The Ariel Group.
Ron Roy
Pianist and Musical Director Ron Roy is currently a full tome faculty member at the Boston Conservatory of Music, teaching in the Musical Theater department. He has extensive credits in theater, cabaret and opera both here and abroad. Additionally, Ron is a faculty member of The Tuscany Project, a voice and performance workshop that takes place annually in Italy. He was the arranger and musical director for the Off-Broadway production “Disappearing Act” at the 47th Street Theatre. Other credits include “Forbidden Hollywood” at Steve McGraw’s. He was pianist and assistant conductor for the Gershwin musical “Crazy For You” (National Tour and Berlin, Germany), and pianist and musical director for Boston’s long running hits “Forever Plaid” and “Forbidden Broadway. He was last seen at the Ko Festival two summers ago accompanying Belle Linda Halpern and Kermit Dunkelberg in selections for Moon Over Dark Street for the Ko Festival’s 15th anniversary celebration, The Ko Cabaret.
Sabrina Hamilton
is the Artistic Director of the Ko Festival of Performance in Amherst, MA. For many years she worked with the New York theatre company Mabou Mines. Other credits include work at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Goodman Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum and 6 years as Route Lighting Designer for New York’s Village Halloween Parade. International lighting credits include work in Bologna, Florence, Milan, London, Grenada, Geneva, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cardiff, Edinburgh, at the Bristol Old Vic, the Theatre Academy in Tampere, Finland, and at the International Theatre Festival in Havana, Cuba. She has been touring as the Lighting Designer for LOW, 2008 Under the Radar Festival at the Public Theatre in NYC. Hamilton’s directing work, primarily original pieces, has been seen in New York, Berlin and throughout New England. She has held numerous academic positions, most recently as the program Director for the M.F.A. Theatre Program at Towson University. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Network of Ensemble Theatres (N.E.T). written an performed by Rha Goddess, directed by Chay Yew, most recently as part of the
A surefire hit with audiences . . .
Commissioned to close the 2008 Ko festival of performance and its season on “FOOD: Appetites, Attitudes and Politics,” CRAVINGS: Songs of Hunger & Satisfaction has played to sold out houses and standing ovations. Whether familiar with Jewish culture or not, audiences of all ages will enjoy this vibrant showpiece. It also holds particular appeal for cabaret fans, parents, and of course all those who love food. Designed to travel, the piece uses a piano (though in some cases it may be possible to substitute an electronic keyboard), two stools, and travels with two collapsible kitchen carts. The traditional holiday dish of charoset which features chopped apples, cinnamon and Manischewitz is prepared onstage and served to the audience at the end of the performance.
info@ko-6-5.mystagingwebsite.com
www.cravingscabaret.com
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Tag: Graphic novels
The CXC-Sol-Con Interviews – Breena Nuñez on Identity, Autobiography & Crocodile Girl
July 5, 2019 Posted in Art, Literature, UncategorizedTagged Graphic novels, ZinesLeave a comment
This interview from Philippe LeBlanc is a little old (2017), but it’s a worthwhile read on a super talented writer/artist. https://www.comicsbeat.com/the-cxc-sol-con-interviews-breena-nunez-on-identity-autobiography-crocodile-girl/
Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (or CXC) is a four day festival in Columbus, Ohio celebrating the work of cartoonists and providing chances to learn more about the medium. It’s mission is “to provide an international showcase for the best of cartoon art in all its forms, including comics, animation, editorial cartoons, newspaper strips, and beyond, in a city that is a growing center of importance to comics and cartooning. We also focus on helping the next generation of young cartooning talent develop thriving careers that invigorate the industry for years to come.” In the spirit of this mission, the Comics Beat has conducted a series of interviews with some of the phenomenal cartoonists in attendance at this year’s Cartoon Crossroads Columbus. We hope that these interviews will improve our understanding of these creators voices, techniques, interests and influences as well as provide a platform for comics enthusiasts to discover new artists and challenge their conceptions of comics.
This year, Cartoon Crossroads Columbus is collaborating with SÕL-CON, The Brown and Black Comics Expo. SÕL-CON focuses on creators with a Latino or African-American background. It’s a different entity and convention than CXC, but they are collaborating this year to make a more wholesome experience for attendees. Some creators are attending this joint collaborative event and this includes Breena Nuñez. Breena is a cartoonist and musician based in the Bay area. She’s currently working on a crowdfunded project called They call me Mix, an autobiographical comic about how the author (Lourdes) came to identify as non-binary. We’ve talked about autobiography and the recurring themes of identity in her work.
Philippe Leblanc: For those readers who may not be familiar with you and your work, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Breena Nuñez: Sure thing! I’m a cartoonist and musician from the Bay Area of California who was mostly raised in San Bruno by my migrant family from Central America. After high school I attended San Francisco State and studied graphic design while also participating in a few student organizations such as USEU, MEChA, and Clinica Martin-Baro (a student run clinic based in San Francisco). But I feel like I’m not so much of a traditional designer since I use most of my time to create zines, mini-comics while also being an after school art teacher within the San Francisco School District.
PL: You will be illustrating a comic book called They Call me Mix, an autobiographical comic about how came to identify as non-binary that was successfully crowdfunded last month. The creator of the project, Lourdes mentions on the crowdfunding page that the project came about after talking with kindergarten classes about their experience over the past few years. This comic is an attempt to widen the audience for this discussion beyond those that can be physically reached. I’m curious to know how you got involved in this project and how this project interested you?
BN: They Call Me Mix is going to be published moreso as a bilingual children’s book and I’m very honored to have been asked by Lourdes to essentially illustrate some very intimate life moments. Lourdes knew of my illustration work through my Instagram profile and we coincidentally shared the same dance floor at an Oakland dance party/fundraiser hosted by Queer Qumbia. I was approached by Lourdes to see if I was interested in collaborating with them and I immediately said yes! I think the universe just kept guiding me to wonderful folks like Lourdes who are making a difference for children and young queer folks of color here in the Bay Area. I owe a lot to our community for embracing me, talking me through my own queerness, and for constantly sharing their love for my work.
PL: When you launch a crowdfunding campaign, you put yourself at the mercy of your audience, fans and the internet. They may not have been as responsive as you hoped, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. What do you think made this project so successful?
BN: Well, I believe it is the value that people see in Lourdes and in their story. It is a beautiful time to be a child because there are even more bilingual and multicultural books that are accessible to children. But I think Lourdes is beginning to make children’s books more queer for that little brown kid who is questioning their identity, and who’d like to see someone who went through the same experience they are going through.
PL: You’ve just released a new comic at the San Francisco Zine Fest called Dear Sentida. Could you tell us a little bit more about this comic?
BN: Hehehe, so this mini-comic was actually an assignment I completed for a studio class at California College of the Arts. It was more of a test for me to see how much fun I was having creating these characters that are based off of myself, my partner, and my overall awkward interactions I have on the daily. The little crocodile character is based off of my nahual (Mayan spirit) and will most likely reflect inner monologues that I have with myself when encountering socially awkward situations or moments of deep-deep thought when dealing with unraveling my ethnic identity. Dear Sentida will most likely be a small piece a part of a larger project which will be my masters thesis for the MFA in Comics program at CCA.
PL: You’ve been working on a strip called Sentimental Sequential, can you tell us a bit more about this?
BN: Doh!… this is pretty much is Dear Sentida. I apologize for the confusion but I changed the name of this smaller project from Sentimental Sequential to Dear Sentida because I always want to make sure that I’m also speaking to other awkward latinx folks who consider themselves to be emotional, shy, and self-conscious.
PL: You made a zine called Center of my Heart, which focuses on portraits of women that inspired you. How did you decided what and who to include in this zine?
BN: This zine is a love letter dedicated to the different Central American women who I feel empower me and the work I do. Many of the illustrations are inspired by other Central Americans who I have come across in my life within community organizing, zine fests, social media, and even when I traveled back to my mother’s home country of Guatemala.
PL: Do you have any new comics or material you’re bringing to CXC? If so, can you tell us a little bit more about them/it?
BN: I will be selling a mini-comic I released earlier this year called Crocodile Girl and it talks about the relationship I have with my nahual and how I use identity to real from acts of racism.
PL: Identity is a recurring theme in your work, whether it’s your involvement on They Call me Mix, or with your short comic Colocha-Head. Why is that?
BN: Well, I think as people of color in the United States we carry multiple identities. Sometimes we are asked to embrace them and other times we are discouraged to reveal certain parts of our identity. I sometimes ask myself if I’m Central American enough or if I’m even afrolatinx enough because our younger self were not always seeing black and brown characters celebrating their roots. Comics, children’s books, and zines are already building confidence in this new generation who get excited and prideful when they see characters that reflect their culture.
You can follow Breena Nuñez’s work on her website, or follow her onFacebook. You can also buy her work on her online store.
Cómix Latinx: Recovering Latinx History through Comic Biographies
June 14, 2019 June 11, 2019 Posted in History, LiteratureTagged Graphic novels3 Comments
This article by Jennifer Caroccio for Comicosity is super interesting!
In 1980 Ana Mendieta was the first Cuban-American artist to return to Cuba after the 1961 Cuban revolution. In 1971 Benjy Melendez held one of the largest meetings of New York City Gangs in the Bronx to discuss a peace agreement. Have you heard of either of these significant Latinx people in a history class or popular media? If yes, then kudos to you. If not, then you like many others, I suspect, are learning their names for the first time. II learned about Ana Mendieta and Bengy Melendez from reading their comic biographies.
Specifically, the graphic narratives Who is Ana Mendieta? written by Christine Redfern and illustrated by Caro Caron, and Ghetto Brothers: Warrior to Peacemakerwritten by Julian Voloj and illustrated by Claudia Ahlering. Both Redfern and Voloj, later with the help of artists Caron and Ahlering, set out to recover the memory of Ana Mendieta and Bengy Melendez; using the graphic form to tell their story.
Biographies are big business in the United States. From the multi-volume works of U.S. presidents to the vast bio-pics at the box office, we love to tell history from the perspective of the individual. So, it makes sense then for biography and comics to merge.
These two books are not the first. There is a large selection of comic biographies out there. However, many of them, like with the rest of comics, lack a focus on people of color.
That is why I have spent the past four years collecting and studying comic biographies about U.S. Latinx people. They make readily accessible the rich Latinx history in the United States. Comics have long been a way to engage different types of readers. Comic biographies offer stories to new comics and history readers alike.
Who is Ana Mendieta? tells the artistic journey of Havana-born artist Ana Mendieta. She came to the United States as a child after the Castro revolution through Operation Pedro Pan (an agreement between the U.S. State department, the Catholic Welfare bureau and the Cuban government that allowed thousands of Cuban minors to immigrate to the United States in the early 1960s).
Caron’s hyperbolic illustrations show Mendieta as she comes of age in Iowa, developing her artistic techniques: first painting then moving on to body and performance art, then later land art—which is her most iconic work: “Siluetas series.” The comic biography shows Mendieta reclaim her Cuban heritage in her work as she moves away from the mainstream white feminist art movement to incorporate more Latin American and Caribbean traditions in her art.
Ghetto Brothers gives readers a glimpse of what it was like to come of age in the Bronx in the 1960s when it was left to burn. Ahlering’s delicate, watercolor drawings show a young Melendez and his Puerto Rican family moving to the Bronx like many other poor and working-class families displaced from lower Manhattan. The reader sees how he navigates everyday violence by entering the protection of a neighborhood gang. He later forms his own interracial gang called the Ghetto Brothers. But it after the death of his friend that he takes up the task of uniting many of the rivaling gangs to curb violence in the city.
The narrative also includes the broader history of city planner Robert Moses, who designed many of the bridges, parks and beaches in New York City and Long Island. Much of Moses plans treated communities of color as disposable—often bulldozing straight through neighborhoods to build expressways that allowed wealthier and white New Yorkers access to the suburbs and beaches.
When read side-by-side these comic biographies not only recover Latinx social actors in history, but also provide alternative histories that show you cannot tell U.S. history without also telling Latinx history.
Latino, Tucson History Told Through A Comic Book
June 11, 2019 Posted in LiteratureTagged Graphic novels, New BookLeave a comment
Check out this article for KJZZ by Paige Phelps, Mark Brodie, and Lauren Gilger. Go straight to the site for some good audio!
In early 1970s Tucson, Ramon Jaurigue co-founded the Mexican, American, Yaqui and Others organization, also known as MAYO.
It worked with the Pascua Yaqui to help get federal tribe recognition for a specific purpose.
Jaurique’s great-grandson, Henry Barajas, is a former journalist in Tucson and was gifted his great-grandfather’s documents.
He found himself with old MAYO bilingual newsletters containing photos, poetry and stories of activism lost to history for 40 years. He decided to write a book about his great-grandfather, whom he’d always called “El Tata Rambo” — it was a nickname his family gave Jaurigue as a play on his war-veteran status.
But when he saw Congressman John Lewis’ graphic novel of life during the civil rights movement, he decided to move away from just typed words on a white page.
Barajas turned his family’s history into a comic book series he calls “La Voz de M.A.Y.O.: Tata Rambo.”
The first chapter out now with the second and third chapters released in March and July. Unlike Marvel superheroes fighting villains, Barajas wants this comic book series to be more about documenting Latino and Arizona history — which he feels has its own superpower.
Cómix Latinx: Hector Rodriguez on EL PESO HERO: BORDERLAND
April 20, 2019 April 19, 2019 Posted in LiteratureTagged Graphic novelsLeave a comment
Great writing by Chris Hernandez for Comicosity: http://www.comicosity.com/comix-latinx-interview-hector-rodriguez-el-peso-hero-borderland/?fbclid=IwAR1hr5Ung-FTzaGkkFF1NFqiS6LQuv8KNj73bga4S-k0EPpqlGR2bqBtkck
A few years ago, we couldn’t have imagined a world where a reality TV show actor could be elected President of the United States. Then we couldn’t imagine our children being taken from their parents and being held in cages where some die.
These realities make belief in a super hero that come and save us from these waking nightmares not only plausible but necessary. We don’t need god-like heroes from far off planets or other dimensions, we need real people that stand up to hatred. For the past eight years comic book creator Hector Rodriguez has been writing stories about very relatable, down to earth hero: El Peso Hero. This week Rodriguez, along with artist Chema, launches his ninth book, El Peso Hero: Borderland.
El Peso Hero is the story of a modern Mexican super hero that uses his strength to protect the people along both sides of the U.S./Mexican border from those that abuse their power. In El Peso Hero: Borderland, “El Peso Hero joins a group of refugees as they go through the registration process at a detention facility.” I had the opportunity to sit down with Rodriguez to discuss El Peso Hero, some of the issues that he confronts in his new book, and the books affect on local students.
Chris C. Hernandez: What is the symbolism behind the cover art for Borderland?
Hector Rodriguez: Barriers don’t make good neighbors. Especially in the southwest where there is a lot of shared history between the U.S. and Mexico with its cross-pollination of people. By putting a barrier in between it’s breaking history, breaking families, break language and culture. The symbolism of that barrier is very threatening to everybody that lives there. El Peso Hero, being a border hero, having him breaking through the wall is something that is very natural. I’ve gotten comments like “Why is he not holding the American flag?” or “Why is he invading?” “Is Mexico invading?” It can be threatening having a super hero with those abilities seemingly invading your country. The U.S. almost feels like they own the idea of a super-hero.
CH: What kind of super-hero would you consider El Peso Hero to be?
HR: I get asked if he is a vigilante, but I wouldn’t call him that. He is a super-humanitarian. In the story he is given the abilities and power to do good and he feels that it is his responsibility to do the best he can. He feels compelled to follow that.
CH: What compelled you to create El Peso Hero?
HR: So, I actually wrote borderlands in 2015 before Trump. I had launched him in Summer 2011 as a webcomic because there was always a need for immigration reform and always people living in the shadows as second-class citizens in our community. It’s a bridge between cultures and issues having a super-hero dealing with all those things and really it has never been done. El Peso Hero is definitely not the first, but we haven’t seen a Latino super hero dealing with contemporary issues in a long while. In Marvel and DC comics there have been a lot of b-listers and stereotypes because a lack of Latino creatives behind those characters There’s not a representation of Latino creators. I’m lucky to be in a position to get a pulse of the community as an educator being in an urban city dealing with the community and listening to families.
CH: What can you tell us about Borderland and some of the ideas behind the stories in it?
HR: I wanted to put El Peso Hero in a position where in order to get inside he had to embed himself. He discovers the children; that’s something we had to go back and add in. It got darker. We couldn’t even imagine that ourselves. We had readers asking what the world was like outside the border in response to El Peso Hero. So, we explore how would the US government react to a Mexican super hero; going in and out of the country without impunity. We also discover the origin of his name in this book. Everyone along the border had a nickname. I had a nickname. Belittling him. The people though take that and as a sense of empowerment take that nickname for him as their own.
You take away all the layers, him being male, Mexican, Latino, Spanish-speaking, Norteño…take those away and deep down inside it’s a very human story. It’s a very impossible situation that he’s facing. The story progresses through struggle. And sometimes its more about the characters around him and how they respond to this unwavering character with a strong moral compass. It’s compelling.
CH: You also touch on the theme of Coyotes in Borderlands?
HR: Some of them feel a duty as guides or compasses for the people crossing or else the people may die. They know the terrain. It’s a double-sided aspect because even though they are doing good they also get paid to do that. So, from this particular Coyote we get to see where El Peso Hero gets a lot of his moral compass from. These two stories add to the overall story-arc and at the same time are reflections of what has been going on regardless of what year it’s happening.
CH: You are a teacher, but you also do presentation at other schools and school districts about El Peso Hero. How do the students react?
HR: They get excited seeing all these things. They feel like they own El Peso Hero themselves. It’s a sense of ownership that’s unique to them because he may look like their Tío dressed in blue jeans and boots. He’s very accessible to him. Characters like Blue Beetle, who is supposed to be this Chicano from El Paso, isn’t really reflective of the kids. He doesn’t have anything to do with the community. He’s always in the watch tower or out in space on otherworldly missions. It’s not really something rooted in out culture. It’s almost feels like a handout. Or America Chavez who sees herself as Latina, but is an alien? It’s like they can’t give us anything. Latinos have their own stories and are very organic and grassroots.
I have a student who is writing a Corrido of El Peso Hero. It’s exciting to see them excited about him. Sixty-five percent of the student body are Latinos in Texas. Doing these presentations about El Peso Hero is very empowering for the students because they see someone that has a last name like theirs making comic books with a super hero that speaks Spanish. They have a lot of questions about the hero and especially about the process because they want to make their own comic books.
CH: What’s next for El Peso Hero?
HR: I’m already writing the next story which will bring the overall narrative to a conclusion of this journey that he has been on since the beginning. Sometimes the headlines catch up to me. Somethings that I wrote about years ago is unfortunately coming true now. It’s hard to pinpoint issues because Latinos are such a diverse group. For example, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez is creating La Borinqueña and that deals with the issues of PR. El Peso Hero deals with aspects of the Southwest and immigration.
Look for more information and the new El Peso Hero: Borderland graphic novel here!
El Peso Hero Confronts Immigration Detention Facilities in Latest Comic Book
April 20, 2019 April 19, 2019 Posted in Literature, PoliticsTagged Graphic novelsLeave a comment
A new announcement from Rio Bravo Comics, LLC, which was shared with media earlier this month:
DALLAS — Rio Bravo Comics released an unprecedented story featuring the border hero, El Peso Hero. There have been unprecedented surges of unaccompanied children migrating to the U.S. without a parent or legal guardian. These unaccompanied minors held in detention facilities have skyrocketed, and large number of children are teenagers from Central America who came to the United States as unaccompanied minors without their parents. The teens are mostly being held in a system of more than 100 shelters, with a heavy concentration along the U.S.-Mexico border. Many minors are also being held in facilities with long histories of alleged abuse, sexual violence, or neglect.
In the latest book El Peso Hero: Borderland, El Peso Hero joins a group of refugees as they go through the registration process at a detention facility located near the border at Carrizo Springs, Texas. El Peso Hero is on a mission to rescue and free the children from cruel captivity. The story features for the first time every in a sequential comic book narrative the realities of unaccompanied children in detention facilities.
El Peso Hero: Borderland is available worldwide, and the list of comics for the highly popular franchise now includes new El Peso Hero stories, only from Rio Bravo Comics. El Peso Hero: Borderland is the ninth book in our series and the exciting second book of the El Peso Hero Border Stories series. The new book is currently be sold exclusively through riobravocomics.com.
The company’s first publication was EL PESO HERO #1. Created by Hector Rodriguez, El Peso Hero is a comic book heavily influenced by the modern-day challenges people from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border face. The main story is centered on El Peso Hero, a rogue hero who is standing up against Mexico’s cartels, corrupt officials and human traffickers.
El Peso Hero has been one the most internationally talked about Latino superhero in decades. With more focus on modern social issues such as immigration, human trafficking, and institutional corruption, El Peso Hero has garnered attention and praise from the Latino community, and has been featured on American Way Magazine, Univision, CNN, Telemundo, Fusion, CBS, NBC and countless of other media sites worldwide.
For more information on El Peso Hero, please visit the official website or Rio Bravo Comics, LLC.
Cómix Latinx Interview: DESIREE RODRIGUEZ
April 4, 2019 Posted in Literature, UncategorizedTagged Graphic novels, InterviewLeave a comment
A riveting interview done by Chris Hernandez for Comicosity.com: http://www.comicosity.com/comix-latinx-interview-desiree-rodriguez/
Bring up a comic book title with another reader and you might get asked who wrote it or who drew it. It’s very rare, if ever, that you will hear a book referred to by the name of the colorist, letterer, or editor. The rest of the team if even remembered is often relegated the status of hired help: paid to neither be seen or heard. Though comic book culture tends to elevate one job over the other, editor Desiree Rodriguez points out that it is more than just a one person effort. “Every part of the team is important,” Rodriguez says. “The most obvious aspects of a comic – the art and storytelling – get a lot of focus which is completely understandable, but lettering, colors, and editing all play a huge part in the creation of that book”
Rodriguez, a Boricua and New Jersey native, knows exactly what she is talking about: her job as editor is to orchestrate the team, the story and art of a comic book story. “I believe a good editor is there to make the book better, to help enhance the story,” she says. Rodriguez is an editor for Lion Forge’s Catalyst Prime line, was co-editor for the Puerto Rican Strong anthology, and wrote a story that is included in the Ricanstruction anthology. She not only helps to shape plot lines and characters in comics but is also helping to shape and promote the Latinx narrative in comic books. She has spoken on and written a number of journalistic pieces centered around Latinx identity and even coined a hashtag, #BeingLatinxinComics, to further the discussion online. I got in touch with Rodriguez to find out more about the importance of an editor in the comic book creation process and to discuss Latinx creators in comic books today.
Chris C. Hernandez: Tell me about your relationship with comic books.
Desiree Rodriguez: When I started reading comic books it was more stuff like Fruits Basket, Rurouni Kenshin, Red River, that was the stuff I grew up on. As I got older I started reading more DC trades with some X-Men and Avengers stuff thrown in.
I had always loved western comic stories, I grew up watching Spider-man, Teen Titans, Justice League, Static Shock. The entire DC animated universe was really formative for me in the same way anime shows like Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho all were. They told these stories of heroes, fighting against incredible odds with optimism and compassion.
My favorite sort of character was always the one who was kind, compassionate, even in the face of their own traumas. You know the ones people always say are boring or naïve or dumb? Those were my favorite characters. Also, Scott Summers but people give me a lot of grief for that. But those characters always inspired me the most.
CH: When did you decide to make comic books a career?
DR: Oh gosh, like most Latinas I was always taught to get a stable job, stable career, get married and have kids. I was originally going to be a teacher and treat writing online as a side gig. You can’t make an actual living writing is what I always told myself. But when I moved, I sort of restarted my life a little bit. And with it, decided, what the heck I’ll really put my all into making a career out of doing something in comics. So I wrote, and wrote about comics, movies, television but always about the characters and stories I grew up loving.
I can’t say there was a single point in time when I was like, “yes I’m going to make comics my career” because there wasn’t. It was a slow-going process, a lot of learning, a lot of work, and a bit of luck. Joe Illidge gave me my first job as his part-time assistant working at Lion Forge on the Catalyst Prime line. I was honestly shocked. I always tell people that when he called me I thought we were going to talk about Batman and instead he offered me a job! Now I’ve been at Lion Forge for two years, working full time, editing my own books, I’ve been blessed really.
CH: Why is an editor an important part of the comic book creation team?
DR: Every part of the team is important, the most obvious aspects of a comic – the art and storytelling – get a lot of focus which is completely understandable. But lettering, colors, and editing all play a huge part in the creation of that book.
For editing, a good editor will try to enhance a story’s potential. Where can the story be improved? Let’s change the art here a bit to enhance this scene. Maybe change this character a bit to add some more diversity to the cast. Stuff like that. As well as keeping the team together, keeping the flow of communication moving, getting that book to print so it hits the shelves and gets into the hands of the readers.
But I believe a good editor is there to make the book better, to help enhance the story, but not be the writer, or the artist, or the colorist. I respect every aspect of creating a comic because I respect the time, effort, and craft that goes into that part of the work.
CH: Tell me about some of the different aspects of being an editor? At what point do you come into the comic book making process?
DR: We’re there right at the beginning. When a writer pitches an idea or a story we’re there to help form that idea into a fully fleshed out story or suggest ways it could be better. Maybe there’s a story beat that’s missing, or one that could be expanded upon.
CH: What skills or qualities should a person have to become an editor? What do you have to study to become an editor?
DR: I was lucky, I had a good mentor in Joe, and I can still ask him for advice today. He’s been someone I really respect and admire whose helped me in my career a lot. Then there’s all the amazing editors I work with at Lion Forge.
One thing in particular I love is there’s so many women editors I work with, from Senior level to Assistants, it makes for this great unique environment where you don’t feel like the only woman in the room. Which has happened for most of my time in comics.
There’s also many editors in the industry I really admire like Joamette Gil, Kat Fajardo and Tanaka Slotts. All three are amazing women of color who have award winning books under their belts that didn’t require any big publisher help. They’re telling stories that are wide-spread about various marginalized communities and killing it.
I think some of the skills of a good editor include: good communication skills, respect for others, networking, and understanding the medium top to bottom. You have to understand how an artist works, and the work that goes into drawing a page or a cover for example. I can’t draw, but I’ve been studying just, basics ya know? So I can understand how they work, from line art to colors to letters. I’m still learning though, which I think is another important skill to have, the wiliness to learn. You’ll never know everything and that’s okay, be open to learning new things.
Oh, and technology, keep up with the tech it’ll help you stay organized.
CH: Of course, language adds another aspect to the process of editing a Latinx-centric comic book, but are there any other differences?
DR: I would say the cultural aspect. I’m proudly Puerto Rican, but if I’m editing a book with say, a Mexican-American lead that doesn’t mean I automatically know everything there is to know about what it’s like to be Mexican-American. Sure, there’s crossover, but I haven’t lived that particularly experience. Just like an editor who may be Mexican won’t know the exact experience of what it’s like being Puerto Rican. There’s nuances there you have to respect, learn, and research.
CH: What is your opinion of the current state of Latinx comic books?
DR: I think it could be better, that’s not to say we haven’t made progress, we have. There’s more Latinx characters, creators, and stories in the industry today then say ten or twenty years ago, but we can’t settle. We can do better, and we should always strive to be better.
I’m really excited to see that the La Raza Anthology was recently nominated for an Ignatz Award, and I’m so happy to see Eric Esquivel writing a Vertigo book called Border Town of all things. Like that shit right there is dope, that’s the stuff I want to see. Then you have brands like LatinxGeeks that go to cons, run panels, organize hashtags, promote Latinx written and centric books, comics, TV shows, movies everything.
So, there’s certainly been huge improvement and I think what needs to happen is the continuation of that improvement. We need more Latinx voices within the industry from top to bottom – editors, writers, artists, design, etc. And those voices need to be diverse voices, Afro-Latinx voices especially tend to be drown out or forgotten when discussing Latinx creators or Latinx representation in general. But we can’t have true inclusion nor true, honest, and real representation until we acknowledge all parts of our community and work to uplift the entire community.
So, we’ve made progress, we’re making progress, but we still have a long way to go and grow.
CH: In reviewing and writing about Latinx comic books I’ve noticed that there appears to be a lack of Latina comic book creators that are telling their stories as well. What do you think can be done to change this?
DR: I think it’s not so much there’s a lack of Latina creators, more so there’s a lack of opportunities provided to them. When we were putting together Puerto Rico Strong, one of the things we all pushed for and agreed upon was that a majority of the talent would be Latinx. We also made it a point to reach out to Latina and Latinx creators. They exist, there out there, you just have to look, and give them the opportunity.
I’m a part of a really great Facebook group for Latinx creators and there’s tons of women in the group, heck it was started by a Latina! It’s just a matter of putting in the effort of looking. It’s easier, I think, to create a Latinx character and say, hey my friend – who happens to be a white guy – is a great writer he should be on this book as an editor. And that guy probably is a great writer! I’m not discounting that, but was there any effort to find a Latina to write that character? When the topic comes up,
I’ve seen a lot of arguments that amount to “well there just aren’t any Latinas out there” or some fans will go “well the job went to the best person (who happens to be white)”. It rings false to me because I know there are talented Latina writers out there who are making great indie comics and just haven’t been given the chance to break into the larger industry. No fault of their own, they’re talented as hell, they’re just not being looked at. I don’t think it’s straight up refusal, more like soft ignorance. This is why it’s important to have these discussions, to uplift the community, to learn more about the untapped talent and audience pool at hand.
I firmly believe there are two ways to cure ignorance, one is education the other is empathy. You have to learn about a marginalized community to understand the specific oppressions they’ve faced and still face, but you also have to have empathy for them and want to learn and be a real ally. When it comes to comics, we have to expand our horizons both on the page but also behind it. We have to have creators of all backgrounds existing in various places in comics. And not just as Editors but higher up as well, so we can get the best stories that can be as inclusive and true as possible.
CH: What are some good books that you recommend reading for people wanting to expand their experience with Latinx comics?
DR: Okay so I already mentioned the La Raza Anthonlogy, so that one for sure.Power and Magic isn’t strictly a Latinx comic book but a publisher run by an Afro-Cuban editor so I would support them and their books which are all fantastic.
Frederick Luis Aldama has an entire library of great books that talk about Latinx representation in comics so if you’re looking for something more academic he’s a great place to start, especially his recent book Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics (Latinx Pop Culture).
Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez is another easy pick with his La Borinqueña series, including his charity anthology with DC, Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico.
I’m going to throw in some shameless self-promotion and say Puerto Rico Strong, which was a charity anthology Lion Forge published that I worked on as well.
I would also recommend folks check out the #BeingLatinxInComics and #LatinxCreate hashtags on Twitter for more recommendations, and to find more Latinx creators to support.
Learn more about Desiree and her current projects on her website: https://latinasmediamusing.com/
9 queer Latinx books you have to read before you die
March 12, 2019 Posted in LiteratureTagged Fiction, Graphic novels, LGBTQ, novelLeave a comment
Check out the original article by Vania Castilla for Borderzine here: http://borderzine.com/2019/03/9-queer-latinx-books-you-have-to-read-before-you-die/?fbclid=IwAR1Ajzi4cxJ5JPfUrQMrY-UzaUDDcvhiHmjiAb-MqrLeRq4BTF9VE-koVOg
Last summer I had the opportunity to work alongside filmmakers Angie Tures and Henry Alberto as a production assistant on a project that brought the work of noted poet and author Benjamin Alire Sáenz to life on film.
Sáenz and I spent most of the day together talking about film, poetry, and really just about how funny life can be. He gave me a copy of his book, “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.” I opened the book and didn’t put it back down until the last page. I laughed, cried, found love, lost love. I had never experienced reading a book whose story was so similar to my own.
Knowing that there were books like this, I set out on a quest to find other books written about the queer Latinx experience. Knowing there must be others looking for similar books, I’m going to make life a little easier for you. Here’s my list of essential reading of queer Latinx books you have to read before you die.
1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
At the top of any queer reading list, you’ll find “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe”. One of the many reasons it’s at the top of mine is the book is written by El Pasoan and award-winning author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. The coming-of-age story is set in El Paso and follows the lives of two Mexican-American boys and their unique friendship. The book is currently being adapted for the screen and being directed by Latinx filmmaker Henry Alberto.
2. Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria E. Anzaldúa
Gloria E. Anzaldúa is one of the most prolific and influential theorists in Chicano Studies. Redefining the Chicanx experience by giving a voice to its women, she spent her life documenting the Chicana experience. In her semi-autobiographic book, she writes about her experience growing up brown, queer and a woman in Texas. The book is written in both Spanish and English – many times living in the in-between of both languages.
3. Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
If finding representation of the queer identity in literature is difficult, finding a character like Juliet is as close to a miracle as it gets. Juliet is getting ready to leave the Bronx and head to Oregon to pursue an internship with her favorite writer. Afraid of how her family might react to her being queer, she decides that because she’s leaving it’s the perfect time to come out to her family. One of the biggest takeaways is how the book tackles white feminism and the need for women of color to have a voice.
4. We the Animals by Justin Torres
There are few books that can capture what it’s like to grow up in an abusive home. Three brothers form a formidable bond as they navigate through their childhood. The narrator must follow a different path as he discovers his queerness. The dark and fragile story was recently released as a film last year and directed by Jeremiah Zagar.
5. America Vol. 1: The Life and Times of America Chavez by Gabby Rivera
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s an openly queer superhero! This is the “book” for people who don’t like to read. Gabby Rivera does it again but this time partnering with Illustrator Joe Quinones and bringing America Chavez to life. America Chavez is the latest superhero to join the Marvel Universe. She’s not your average superhero and this isn’t your average comic.
6. Chulito by Carlos Rico-Gonzalez
Chulito is a 16-year-old boy growing up in the South Bronx who starts realizing he might have more than just friendly feelings towards his best friend Carlos. When Carlos is ostracized by the neighborhood for being gay, Chulito has to decide between his community and his best friend. “Chulito” is a work that challenges the idea of gender norms and what it means to be a “man.”
7. The Rain God by Arturo Islas
Another author El Paso can be proud to claim as their own is Arturo Islas. He was one of the first Chicanos to be signed by a major publishing house. The Rain God is one of only two books completed by the author before he died in 1999, due to complications brought on by AIDS. The book tells the story of a Mexican family struggling to adapt to the “American” and the immigrant experience.
8. More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera
Aaron Soto, a 16-year-old Puerto Rican kid from the Bronx struggles to find happiness. Aaron hears of the Leteo Institute – a company that promises to erase painful memories so people can move forward – and decides it would be best if he could forget he’s gay. What follows is an honest portrayal of struggling with depression and mental illness.
9. Gulf Dreams by Emma Perez
Published in 1996, “Gulf Dreams” is considered one of the first Chicana lesbian pieces of literature to be print. It tells the story of a young girl growing up in a rural and racist town in Texas. The narrator telling a gripping and heartbreaking story of her childhood and of the first girl she ever loved.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Getting Her Own Comic Book
March 7, 2019 March 5, 2019 Posted in Literature, PoliticsTagged Graphic novels, New BookLeave a comment
This has made its way around the interwebz by now, but just in case: Sam Stone for cbr.com reports: https://www.cbr.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-comic-book/?fbclid=IwAR2lrhT3kFx3QfSEx95zgX66tyo0tE3KvJDUHbMOUsz1RHP23xH9pF5HXJQ
In office for less than two months, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is already making her presence felt throughout Washington, D.C. Now, she will star in her own comic book.
Devil’s Due Comics has announced Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force, a one-shot special commemorative issue, will be released on May 15. Featuring an all-star lineup of creators, including Jill Thompson (Scary Godmother) and Jose Garibaldi (The LEGO Movie 2), the issue will feature an anthology of short stories as the Congresswoman takes on the GOP in heroic, satirical adventures. The variant cover illustrated by Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) is below:
“It’s no secret that AOC has become the unofficial leader of the new school, and has sparked life back into Washington and that’s reflected in the enthusiasm on display by the men and women contributing to this project,” Devil’s Due Publisher Josh Blaylock observed. “While we all don’t agree on everything, we share a common excitement for the breath of fresh air the new Congress brings. I hope this is as much a cathartic release for readers as it has been for us creators.”
A portion of the proceeds will go to support the USO and RaicesTexas.org, a nonprofit organization committed to providing legal services to immigrant families and refugees.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Freshman Force by Jill Thompson, Dean Haspiel, Jose Garibaldi and more is scheduled to go on sale on May 15 from Devil’s Due Comics.
March 15-16: The Latino Comics Expo hits Modesto, CA!
February 8, 2019 Posted in Cultural Events, Literary Events, LiteratureTagged Graphic novelsLeave a comment
THE LATINO COMICS EXPO comes to Modesto Junior College, courtesy of MJC Literature and Language Arts & ASMJC. The nation’s premiere Latinx comics convention will host an exhibitor hall and a variety of panels and workshops celebrating Latinx creators in comics, animation, design, illustration and more!
Admission is free and open to the public. Free parking.
Where!? Modesto Junior College West Campus
2201 Blue Gum Ave, Modesto, CA 95358
SOLAR & SUPER ASTRO, THE LATEST LUCHAVERSE COMIC FROM CHIDO COMICS
January 25, 2019 Posted in Art, LiteratureTagged Graphic novels, New BookLeave a comment
https://graphicpolicy.com/2019/01/22/exclusive-preview-solar-super-astro-the-latest-luchaverse-comic-from-chido-comics/?fbclid=IwAR2nOZCF-VUatJHM7wh-9mfyzktQzQWHY4Jg51Sf_7jl7aahEImWYqytdqo
Marco Lopez, Ivan Plaza
(A) Alessandro Micelli, Bryan Magnaye
(CA) Alessandro Micelli, Leo Colapietro
At the triumph of a centuries old galactic war, all that was left of the warriors were Solar and Super Astro. They headed off into space to never to be heard from again…or so they thought. After a millennia of intergalactic travels, their ship crashed on Earth. Their powers had vanished and they settled into their new mortal lives. Now, years later, a message from the deepest corner of the universe has interrupted their ordinary lives. A recent accident has released an immense destructive power back into the world, a power that they thought was lost forever. What epic adventure awaits them? Who’s attempting to contact them and how can they save not just our planet, but the universe itself?
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Florida Laws About Moving Out of Your Parents' Home
By: Monty Dayton
Florida State Laws on Legal Age to Leave Home
Florida minors who want to move out of their parents' home will find very limited options. Emancipation guidelines stipulate that the minor must be at least 16 years old, able to display a clear need to be emancipated and also have both parents or guardian's permission. Even if a minor meets all those requirements, a judge makes the final ruling. The only other option for a child to legally move out of a parents' home in Florida is turning 18, at which point that child is a legal adult.
Disability of Nonage
When talking about emancipation it's important to know what rules in Florida restrict minors from exercising certain rights, such as living wherever they choose. "Disability of Nonage" refers to the list of rights minors don't have because of their age. This means that any individual under 18 years of age does not enjoy the same rights as legal adults in the state of Florida. Because of this, in most situations kids will not be able to move out of their parents' home before they turn 18.
Exceptions to Disability of Nonage
In the state of Florida, only two exceptions exist to the diability of nonage, which allows for emancipation of a minor. The first exception states that a minor can apply for emancipation if she is married due to pregnancy. The second exception states that a 17-year-old minor may be granted emancipation to enlist in the military. Both of these emancipation qualifications can only be used if the parents give full permission. Without parental permission, early military enlistment or marriage of a minor will not be allowed.
Lost Benefits
Even if the courts grant emancipation due to marriage or military enlistment, it's important for individuals to know that they do lose certain legal protections given to them by state law. For example, if emancipation is granted then parents no longer have any responsibility to provide for the emancipated child in regards to money, shelter, or any other type of support.
Parents Rights
In the state of Florida, at the end of the day, parents enjoy full rights over their children as long as there is no abuse. Parents have no obligation to allow their kids to leave home before they turn 18 and only have the option to allow it to happen if a marriage or military enlistment is involved. Even if one of these potential situations is in play, parents do not have to allow emancipation until the child turns 18 years old.
Law Library: Emanciaption in Florida
Legal Documents: What Is Emancipation?
Onecle Law: Florida Statute Removal of Disabilities of Nonage
World Law Direct: US Laws on Moving Out of Parents Home
Cornell Law: State Statutes
Monty Dayton is a professional freelance writer who has worked for the ACLU, Touchstone Publishing LLC, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and many other employers. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alaska and loves writing about travel, the outdoors and health topics.
Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
How Do I Become Emancipated in New Mexico?
Is it Legal for a 17-Year-Old to Move Out?
Legal Rights of 17-Year-Olds in South Carolina
Colorado Emancipation Law
California Law: Rights of a 16-Year-Old
How to Get Emancipated in Maryland
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A letter to the Right Hon. Lor...
A letter to the Right Hon. Lord John Russell, M.P. &c. &c containing suggestions towards the improvement of the English reform bill.
Anglicus, fl. 1831.
Russell, John Russell, Earl, 1792-1878.
London : Ridgways, 1831.
Great Britain. > Parliament > Reform.
Great Britain > Politics and government > 1830-1837.
A letter to Henry Brougham, Esq., M.P. now Lord Brougham and Vaux, Lord High Chancellor, &c on the subject of reform in the representation of the people, in Parliament /
by: Roscoe, William, 1753-1831.
Lord John Russell's speech on reform delivered in the House of Commons, March 1, 1831.
by: Russell, John Russell, Earl, 1792-1878.
Two letters to the Right Honourable Lord John Russell on the classification of boroughs.
The speech of Michael Thomas Sadler, M.P. on the ministerial plan of reform delivered in the House of Commons on seconding General Gascoyne's motion for retaining the present number of members for England and Wales.
by: Sadler, Michael Thomas, 1780-1835.
Whig nullities, or, A review of a pamphlet attributed to the Right Hon. John Cam Hobhouse, M.P. for Nottingham, privy councillor, &c. &c., entitled, "Domestic policy of the country under the new Parliament"
by: A. H. B.
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Man charged with murder in death of Georgia professor
Cyclists ride through county to raise funds for multi-use trail
By Staff Reports
Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, May 14, 2019
The first Tour de Troup was held in Troup County on Saturday, bringing area cyclists together to raise money for The Thread.
The event started at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday and included a 100-mile ride, 67-mile tour, 35-mile tour and a shorter, 5-mile family ride. The 100-mile ride went through Hogansville, West Point and LaGrange.
Rick Brock, who organized the event and owns Golden’s Bike Shop in downtown LaGrange, said the idea for the tour came from another cyclist, who was joking about needing to start a local bike tour. Brock decided to make it happen, noting many cyclists used to take part in Tour de Lake, a West Point Lake area bike ride that no longer takes place.
Brock is also on the board for the Friends of The Thread and has been involved in organizing the walking and biking trail since its early stages, so he decided to put the ideas together.
“I run across a lot of people that say, ‘well, you’ve got all that SPLOST money to build The Thread’ and they are right. That’s pretty much what’s building it. The part people are missing is that you’ve got to maintain it after you build it,” Brock said. “It’s a lot of money per mile every year, so as The Thread continues to grow, the Friends of the Thread continues to raise money just to maintain it.”
Brock said the original goal of the event was to raise $50,000. Final totals weren’t in Saturday, but he expected to be short of that number, realizing it was a lofty goal for a first-time event.
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Posted by Mother Eagle on March 27, 2017 in Art, Embroidery, My Work, Skull, Work in Progress
Extinct Icons: Saint Sultan
The clocks have just gone back (forward?) so although it isn’t, I’m going to say Happy New Year, as my first post of 2017. Hello followers, new and old.
Probably just after I had completed my Wildcat piece last year, certainly my most popular piece going by Instagram, I was already full of an idea for this year’s project. Partly because of my introduction to ONCA gallery in Brighton, their work and interest in my Ritual Burial’s pieces, spurred me on to make more conservationist themed work. You may have read my blog post for them, for Remembrance Day for Lost Species 2016, and in writing that piece, certainly it made me look at the meaning of last year’s work in a slightly different way. I researched the ‘status’ of each native British species featured in that project, to discover all but two were either extinct in this country, or threatened.
Aesthetically, and technically, I was also ready for something new. The materials I use have often inspired my work, and I was really keen to use more embellishment rather than focus so much on Stumpwork, which was thoroughly explored last year. Gold and metal thread work, beads, sequins, and a general mixture of all these was something I really wanted to play with.
The idea for my 2017 project came to me as it usually does fully formed in my mind, at least visually. The photographs by Paul Koudounaris of martyrs and saints in Catholic churches, adorned and decorated with gold and jewels were a big inspiration, and I have always liked a skull or two in my work. But the idea of this: of martyrs, persecuted in their lifetime for their beliefs or actions, now revered and regaled in death, with more symbolic value than literal (even if it’s just a toe bone that’s left) made me think how we treat animals, specifically extinct ones.
When you google ‘extinct species’ you get loads of ‘top ten’ style lists, with mini-paragraph length eulogies and sad face emojis. There are thousands and thousands of species mankind have eliminated from the face of the planet, but the same ‘heroes’ come up again and again: Thylacine, Barbary Lion, and maybe the most famous of all, the Dodo. These are the poster children of the extinct hall of fame. Species that evolved over millennia, wiped out in the briefest expression of humanity’s ignorance.
So, like those martyrs, persecuted in their lifetimes, I am interested in completing that cycle, and illuminating them as saints. These ‘Extinct Icons’ are the figureheads of the epidemic of mass extinction in our modern age.
The first in this series: Saint Sultan.
The Barbary lion was considered one of the biggest lion subspecies. They had dark, long-haired manes that extended over the shoulder and down to the belly. It is said that they developed the colours and size of their manes due to ambient temperatures, their nutrition, and their level of testosterone.
The last known wild Barbary lion was shot in the Moroccan part of the Atlas Mountains in 1942. These lions used to be offered to royal families of Morocco and Ethiopia and were known as the “royal” lions. It is said that some of these “royal” lions survived until the late 1960’s, until a respiratory disease just about wiped them all out.
Sultan was the name of a Barbary lion kept at London zoo, in 1896.
Ritual Burial: Owl
NEW: Classes now available – and shop update too!
One thought on “Extinct Icons: Saint Sultan”
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Home Travel Europe
Ultimate Guide to Travelling Around the UK
Heather Jones - January 24, 2019
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5 Must-See Attractions in Belgrade
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In the ex-yugoslavia capital and current hub of Serbia, you will find enchanting artifacts that one wouldn't believe when imagining an old communist city. Belgrade has its fair share of gray, lifeless buildings, but hidden between are bright and cheerful landmarks. When you find yourself cruising through the Balkans, don’t miss these five iconic destinations in the regions capital. 1....
Top 6 Places to See in Ireland
When people think Ireland, they think beer and the most popular city, Dublin. What some don’t realize is the landscape of the country is stunning and steeming with ancient castles. Here are the top 6 destinations to hit on your next adventure through the lovely land of leprechauns. 6. Cliffs of Moher No trip to Ireland is complete without a journey...
Top 3 Cities to Visit in Austria
Austria is a country booming with rolling hills, quirky towns, and an abundance of history. Due to the flawless transportation options, you can hop on a train and be across the country in a few hours, but you may be asking yourself what are the must-see cities to see when traveling on a time limit. If you’re headed to...
Top 10 Places to See in Munich
Chase Robbins - August 30, 2016
I’ve seen Munich from a touristic point of view, where I only had three days to see the entire city, as well as having six months to explore the ins and outs of the beautiful Bavarian town as a local. The city is quite small compared to other European cities, such as Paris or London, and a lot of...
Surfing the Algarve Region of Portugal
Daniel Blechynden - August 30, 2016
An Introduction to the Algarve The Algarve is the southernmost region of mainland Portugal, and is famous for its beautiful beaches, tourist activities, and national parks. Although the population is relatively small at just under half a million, the region receives up to 10 million visitors every year. Most of the the Algarve is extremely busy during the summer months due...
10 must see places when in Rome.
Dabeer Hemani - August 22, 2016
There is a famous saying that Rome wasn't built in a day and certainly cant be experienced in a day either. It is perhaps the most famous and historic city with millions of visitors and admirers pouring in all through the year. I had the opportunity to go and experience the city for little more than a week and...
Top 10 Hidden Secrets of Paris
Paris, the City of Love, is the most visited city in the most visited country in the world. However, with a little local insight, it remains possible to find untouched wonders within minutes of the city center. 10. Old City Wall Near the old neighborhood of Saint Paul in Paris' 12th district lies a relic of the past that few people...
10 Must-See Coastal Locations in the Scottish Northern Highlands
The Northern Highlands of Scotland one of the last wild, scarcely populated areas of Western Europe. With laws allowing wild camping, access to most places, and super friendly locals, it is entirely possible to have a fun, relaxing holiday in the highlands for a negligible cost. 10. Scrabster Fishing Port Scrabster is one of the main fishing ports on the North...
Top 11 most haunted abandoned places in Germany
Holger Schmitz - August 8, 2016
It doesn’t matter how beautiful well known touristic spots in Germany are, the true adventurers and curious travellers will always look for some unpredictable and non-clichéd places. Germany may not embrace Halloween with the enthusiasm of other countries but it has more than its fair share of spooky places. The buildings may be falling down, vandalized and abused, but...
The Charm and Character of Exposed Brick
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Sophisticated Feminine Bedroom Designs
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The Vintage Contemporary – Blending Modern and Classic Decor
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Do you have an eye for interior style? Do you have a subscription (or few) to the latest and greatest in interior design mags?...
Start Your Garden Indoors – Tips and Tricks To Get You Planting Now
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Start your garden indoors using easy tips and tricks to get you planting now. Of course, if you start your plants inside, you can...
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Murray, Gene
About the author: Gene Murray earned a bachelor’s degree from Murray State University, a master’s in journalism from Ohio University, and a PhD from Texas A&M. He joined the mass communication faculty at Grambling State University in 1992, and has also worked for daily, weekly, and military newspapers. A former military public affairs officer, he was a Summer Faculty Researcher at the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute.
Covering Sex, Race, and Gender in the American Military Services
Presents studies concerning press coverage of sensitive equal opportunity issues in the American military services during the close of the 20th century. After discussing the role of the mass media, the book deals with press coverage of sexual harassment, media coverage of reports on equal opportunity issues and race relations, and the press’s handling of gender-integrated training in the military services. The final chapter includes discussion of embedded reporters, coverage of Private First Class Jessica Lynch, and media credibility and responsibility.
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Performers, Film performers, TNG performers,
ENT performers
Video game performers
Saturn Award winners
Brent Jay Spiner
Houston, Texas, USA
Awards for Trek:
Saturn Awards winner
Video game actor
Character(s):
Data (Primary Character); see Additional Characters
Brent Jay Spiner (born 2 February 1949; age 70) is an actor best known for playing the android Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Commander Data, on Star Trek: The Next Generation, in four Star Trek films, and off-screen in "These Are the Voyages...", the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. He also played Data's "brother", Lore, and "father", Doctor Noonian Soong, in various episodes of Next Generation. In 2002, he played B-4 in Star Trek Nemesis. He most recently appeared as Arik Soong in a three-episode arc on Enterprise. He also co-wrote the story for Star Trek Nemesis with Rick Berman and John Logan.
His portrayal of Data, the android in search of Humanity, made him an invaluable member of the TNG cast. These skills were highlighted in the episode "Brothers", where Spiner played all three main characters of the story, effectively turning the episode into a "one-man show".
Biography Edit
Spiner was born in Houston, Texas in 1949. His father, Jack Spiner, died of kidney failure at the age of 29, when Brent was only ten months old. His mother, Sylvia, married again when Brent was about six years old. Brent and his elder brother, Ronald, were adopted and raised by their stepfather, Sol Mintz, but Brent changed his surname back to 'Spiner' in 1975. He first obtained an interest in acting while attending Bellaire High School. He went on to graduate from Trinity College, but he never finished his studies at the University of Houston.
He worked as a cab driver in New York before he could get a job as an actor. In his early years on stage, he played a number of roles in off-Broadway productions including The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. He soon received roles in several Broadway productions, most notably Sunday in the Park with George, and also became active in film and television. In addition to his acting career, Spiner is also a professional singer and has released two albums.
Brent Spiner is married to publicist Loree McBride, with whom he has a son, Jackson Spiner, born 29 June 2002.
Film and television career Edit
Early career and the TNG years Edit
Spiner and Simmons on the set of TNG in 1991.
Spiner with Stephen Hawking on the set of "Descent" in 1993.
Spiner's first television work was a brief, uncredited role in the 1970 TV movie My Sweet Charlie. His next TV appearance would not come until 1978, when he became a cast member in the mini-series The Dain Curse. His future TNG co-star, Jean Simmons (Admiral Norah Satie in "The Drumhead") also starred in this series.
His first feature film appearance was a brief one in Woody Allen's 1980 comedy Stardust Memories. Also making his film debut in this film was future Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Armin Shimerman. Spiner next appeared in an uncredited role in the 1981 comedy Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, starring David Clennon. His first major film role – and his first and only starring role to date – was in 1984's Rent Control, a comedy in which Spiner played Leonard Junger, an aspiring TV writer who searches for a cheap apartment for his family only to become involved in a murder. One of his co-stars in this film was Roy Brocksmith, who would go on to co-star with Spiner in the TNG episode "Peak Performance".
It was also in 1984 that Spiner began appearing in episode television, beginning with an episode of Tales from the Darkside with Christian Slater. This was followed with guest appearances on Hill Street Blues (starring fellow Trek alumni Barbara Babcock, Barbara Bosson, and James B. Sikking), Mama's Family (featuring Anne Haney), Hunter (with Bruce Davison and TNG guest actress Katherine Moffat), and Cheers. In the latter, he played a man who was accused of attempting to murder his wife. John Fleck played the bailiff at Spiner's character's court case; Kelsey Grammer also appeared in his role as Dr. Frasier Crane.
Between 1985 and 1987, Spiner and Annie O'Donnell had recurring roles on the hit sitcom Night Court, playing a Yugoslavian family pretending to be hicks from West Virginia and who often found themselves, through pure misfortune, as defendants in the court room. Besides series regular John Larroquette, other Trek performers Spiner co-starred with on this series were K Callan, Carlos LaCamara, and Kenneth Tobey. In 1985, Spiner appeared in the mini-series Robert Kennedy & His Times, which also featured the likes of Cliff DeYoung (as John F. Kennedy), Bruce French, Albert Hall, and Harris Yulin. In 1986, Spiner appeared in a segment of the 1980s version of The Twilight Zone, appearing with his future TNG co-star John de Lancie. Additionally, Spiner appeared in a number of TV movies during the 1980s, including 1986's Sunday in the Park with George, 1987's Family Sins and 1989's What's Alan Watching?.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Spiner focused primarily on his role as Data on TNG, although he did make occasional appearances in other projects. He had a role in the 1989 comedy Miss Firecracker, his first feature film appearance in five years. Spiner's future Star Trek: First Contact co-star, Alfre Woodard, was among the stars of this film, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest actor Bert Remsen also appeared. That same year, Spiner made a cameo appearance in Wes Craven's horror movie Shocker. And in 1991, Spiner made an uncredited appearance in the TV movie Crazy from the Heart, which also featured Fran Bennett and the late Bibi Besch.
Post-TNG Edit
After TNG ended in 1994, Spiner was seen in the 1994 film Corrina, Corrina, which starred Spiner's fellow TNG castmate Whoopi Goldberg in the title role. The following year, Spiner starred with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock actor Christopher Lloyd in the short-lived science fiction series Deadly Games. He was also seen in the 1995 TV movie Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long, along with Bill Cobbs and Bob Gunton, and made guest appearances on the shows Mad About You (starring Anne Elizabeth Ramsay), Dream On (starring Michael McKean), and The Outer Limits (with Erich Anderson). Spiner also made a cameo in the 1996 romantic comedy Pie in the Sky, starring his former TNG castmate Wil Wheaton as well as TNG/DS9/ENT guest actress Dey Young.
Spiner was one of the many Star Trek performers who lent his voice to the animated Disney series Gargoyles. Others who have done the same include his TNG co-stars Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, and Colm Meaney, Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks, Voyager star Kate Mulgrew, Original Series actress Nichelle Nichols, Voyager guest actor John Rhys-Davies, and TNG guest actors David Warner and Paul Winfield.
Spiner had roles in three blockbuster films in 1996. Not only did he play Data in Star Trek: First Contact, but he also had a memorable role as eccentric scientist Brackish Okun in the sci-fi mega-hit Independence Day (which also featured Bill Smitrovich, Frank Novak, Leland Orser, Raphael Sbarge, Carlos Lacamara, Tim Kelleher, Robert Pine, Randy Nolen, Randy Oglesby, and Erick Avari). Spiner additionally appeared as a psychologist in the drama Phenomenon, co-starring Ellen Geer, Richard Kiley, and Daniel Zacapa.
The following year, Spiner had a major supporting role as despotic cruise director Gil Godwyn in the comedy Out to Sea. In 1999, Spiner gave an acclaimed performance as Dorothy Dandridge's manager, Earl Mills, in the critically-lauded, Emmy Award-winning HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge again working with Raphael Sbarge. He also lent his voice to a parody of Conan O'Brien for the animated film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut that same year.
Spiner played the sinister Stromboli in the 2000 TV movie Geppetto, co-starring Deep Space Nine star Rene Auberjonois. The following year, Spiner co-starred with Scott Bakula and Bruce Greenwood in the mini-series A Girl Thing. Spiner would go on to work with Bakula during the fourth season of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Spiner's film credits following the turn of the century include a cameo appearance in the 2001 comedy Dude, Where's My Car? (in which Andy Dick also had a cameo), a brief role in the 2001 drama I Am Sam (co-starring former TNG castmate Rosalind Chao), and his role as the villainous Devlin Bowman in the 2002 comedy The Master of Disguise (co-starring Michael Bailey Smith, Erick Avari, and Larry Cedar). He also made an appearance in the Oscar-winning 2004 film The Aviator, a role he acquired due to his association with the film's writer, John Logan, with whom Spiner collaborated while writing Star Trek Nemesis.
His recent television credits include guest appearances on Frasier (starring one-time TNG guest actor Kelsey Grammer, in an episode also guest-starring another one-time TNG performer, Bebe Neuwirth), Friends, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Most recently, Spiner starred as Dr. Nigel Fenway on the short-lived sci-fi series Threshold, on which TNG producer Brannon Braga served as executive producer; Mike Sussman wrote several episodes for this series.
Spiner next starred in the comedy Material Girls, released in August 2006. He was later seen in the comic book movie spoof Superhero Movie with his "Yesterday's Enterprise" co-star Christopher McDonald. He also lent his voice to a 3D computer-animated film called Quantum Quest, which also features the voices of Jason Alexander, Robert Picardo, Chris Pine, and William Shatner. [1] [2] He also did an episode of the TNT show Leverage alongside Armin Shimerman and Kitty Swink, with Jonathan Frakes directing.
Spiner in The Big Bang Theory alongside a host of other Star Trek alumni
In 2011, Spiner cameoed on The Big Bang Theory as himself, alongside recurring guest star Wil Wheaton. He also provided the voice of the Joker on Young Justice, an animated series produced by Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman. Bruce Greenwood voices Batman.
In a 2012 five-minute behind-the-scenes interview, Spiner and Saul Rubinek discussed Spiner's multi-episode guest-starring role as Brother Adrian in Season 4 of Syfy's Warehouse 13. They revealed their long history of friendship since their stage acting days, with fond references to Rubinek's antagonistic portrayals opposite Spiner in TNG: "The Most Toys". [3]
Also in 2012, Spiner guested in episode 503 of The Simpsons, "Them, Robot", in which he voiced all the robots.
More recently, Spiner had a recurring guest role as therapist on the second season of the crime/drama series Ray Donovan, where he worked with Paula Malcomson, Michael McGrady, Josh Pais, and fellow TNG alumn Denise Crosby. He completed filming on the thriller The Midnight Man, with Jeff Bornstein, where he played the character Ezekiel.
Spiner reprised his role as Dr. Brakish Okun in the 2016 sequel of Independence Day. John Stoneham, Jr. also worked on this sequel, as the film's stunt coordinator. [4]
Stage work Edit
Spiner's off-Broadway credits have included Leave It to Beaver Is Dead and the aforementioned The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. He has also starred in a number of Broadway stage productions, beginning with A History of the American Film in 1978.
From 2 May 1984 through 13 October 1985, Spiner appeared in the original Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Award-winning musical Sunday in the Park with George, in which he played two roles – Dennis the technician and Franz the servant. Harry Groener joined the cast in April 1985, replacing Mandy Patinkin in the lead role of George.
While still appearing in Sunday in the Park with George, Spiner also played Aramis to Ron Taylor's Porthos in a short-lived production of The Three Musketeers. In October 1985, Spiner took over the role of The Duke from DS9 star and Geppetto co-star Rene Auberjonois for the play Big River; Spiner himself was ultimately replaced in the role by Ken Jenkins. Bob Gunton played The King during both Auberjonois' and Spiner's tenures.
Spiner returned to Broadway in 1997, starring as John Adams in the musical 1776, which also starred Michael Cumpsty. For his performance in this play, Spiner was nominated for a Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Actor in a Musical. More recently, Spiner starred with Helen Hunt and John Turturro in Life (x) 3.
His many other stage credits have included Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (1976), Little Shop of Horrors (1985), and Tom Stoppard's Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1991).
Singing career Edit
Spiner and his "sunspots" recording in 1991
In a rather unexpected turn of events, in 1991, Spiner released an album of 1930s and 1940s pop standards called Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back (the "Yellow Eyes" referring to the eye color that Data and most Soong-type Androids possess). Notably, the back-up vocals in the song "It's a Sin (to Tell a Lie)" were performed by "The Sunspots," aka his fellow TNG cast-members LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, and Patrick Stewart. Wendy Neuss and Dennis McCarthy co-produced this album. This album may have influenced Paramount Pictures enough to let him sing the Irving Berlin song "Blue Skies" in the movie Star Trek Nemesis.
Spiner also lent his singing talents to the film Out to Sea. More recently Spiner performed in Dreamland, a musical/radio play released as a CD album in 2008.
Appearances as Data Edit
All episodes except "Family"
Star Trek films
Star Trek Generations
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek Nemesis
ENT: "These Are the Voyages..." (voice only)
Additional characters Edit
TNG: "Datalore", "Brothers", "Descent", "Descent, Part II"
Nagilum in Data's form
TNG: "Where Silence Has Lease"
Ira Graves (in the body of Data)
TNG: "The Schizoid Man"
Nanites (in Data's body)
TNG: "Evolution"
Data (hologram, Barclay Program 15)
TNG: "Hollow Pursuits"
Data (hologram)
Noonian Soong
TNG: "Brothers"
TNG: "Future Imperfect"
Speaking as Raymond Marr
TNG: "Silicon Avatar"
Ux-Mal criminal possessing Data
TNG: "Power Play"
Annie Meyers
TNG: "A Fistful of Datas"
Eli Hollander
Frank Hollander
Noonian Soong (illusion)
TNG: "Birthright, Part I"
Data (illusion)
TNG: "Frame of Mind"
Noonian Soong (hologram)
TNG: "Inheritance"
Data controlled by Masaka
TNG: "Masks"
Data controlled by Ihat
Data controlled by a D'Arsay boy
Data controlled by Masaka's devotee
Data controlled by Masaka's father
Arik Soong
ENT: "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", "The Augments"
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Star Trek video game credits Edit
Star Trek: Bridge Commander as Lt. Commander Data
Star Trek: Away Team as Lt. Commander Data
Star Trek: Hidden Evil as Lt. Commander Data
Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity as Lt. Commander Data
Star Trek interviews Edit
TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Beginning"
TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Selected Crew Analysis" ("Character Notes")
TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "The Making of a Legend" ("Make-Up")
TNG Season 2 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Two: Memorable Missions" ("The Measure Of A Man"), interviewed on 4 April 1994
TNG Season 3 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Three" ("The Offspring"), interviewed on 4 April 1994
TNG Season 4 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Four" ("Make Up"), interviewed on 4 April 1994
TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Five" ("A Visit from Spock"), interviewed on 11 April 2002
TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Intergalactic Guest Stars" (Main segment, "Presidential Visit: Ronald Reagan"), interviewed on 11 April 2002
TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Six" (Main segment, "Resolving the Cliffhanger", "Descent – Part 1 Featuring Stephen Hawking"), interviewed on 11 April 2002
TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Bold New Directions Year Six", interviewed on 11 April 2002
TNG Season 6 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Six" ("Special Crew Profile: Lt. Cmdr. Data", "Doubling Data", "An Android Sings", Acting with Spiner"), interviewed on 17 June 1991 and 11 April 2002
TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Mission Overview Year Seven" ("The Final Episode"), interviewed on 11 April 2002
TNG Season 7 DVD special feature "Starfleet Moments & Memories Year Seven" ("A Unique Family"), interviewed on 11 April 2002
Trekkies
Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: First Contact (2009 DVD) special "Brent Spiner: Data and Beyond Part 2" (2009)
"Brent Spiner – Lt. Commander Data", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 1, p. 45, interviewed by Marc Shapiro
All Good Things Blu-ray special feature The Unknown Possibilities of Existence: Making "All Good Things" (2014)
Writing credits Edit
Star Trek Nemesis (story, with Rick Berman & John Logan)
The Spin on Spiner
Star Trek: The Next Generation regular cast
LeVar Burton • Denise Crosby • Michael Dorn • Jonathan Frakes • Gates McFadden • Marina Sirtis • Brent Spiner • Patrick Stewart • Wil Wheaton
TheRealBrentSpiner.com – official site
Brent Spiner at Wikipedia
Brent Spiner at IMDb
Brent Spiner at the Internet Broadway Database
Brent Spiner at TriviaTribute.com
Brent Spiner at Twitter
Brent Spiner at StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website
Retrieved from "https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Brent_Spiner?oldid=2341867"
Film performers
TNG performers
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Saba Khalid
Alumni of University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Student Archival Technician
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Saba Khalid graduates from UA Little Rock
Saba Khalid of Little Rock, AR, graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock during the spring 2019 semester. Khalid graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business In...
July, 15 2019 - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Saba Khalid enrolls at UA Little Rock for Fall 2018 Semester
Saba Khalid of Little Rock, AR, has enrolled at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the fall 2018 semester. UA Little Rock is a metropolitan research university that provides an accessib...
October, 16 2018 - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Khalid named to UA Little Rock Dean's List for summer 2018 semester
Saba Khalid of Little Rock, AR, has been named to the Dean's List for the summer 2018 semester at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which recognizes students with superior academic perform...
August, 20 2018 - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Saba Khalid enrolls at UA Little Rock for Spring 2018 Semester
Saba Khalid of Little Rock, AR, was among more than 11,000 students to enroll in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the spring 2018 semester. UA Little Rock is a metropolitan research u...
March, 08 2018 - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Saba Khalid enrolls for the spring 2017 semester
University of Arkansas at Little Rock is pleased to announce Saba Khalid is enrolled for the spring 2017 semester.
February, 22 2017 - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Fiscal Support Technician at Arkansas Department of Human Services
August 2017 - Present
Library Assistant at UALR Ottenheimer Library
Staffs service desk and provides assistance to students in the use of Microsoft Office and other computer applications as needed. Shelves books and boxes of archival papers in University Archives. Other work-related duties as assigned.
February 2017 - Present
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Work with customers to find what they want, ensure a smooth sales process and process transactions, activate their sims and resolve their issues. Keep track of inventory.
January 2017 - Present
Saba was awarded this badge for 2 achievements. Click on the stories below to view them.
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White, Moses Clark (1819 ~ 1900)
in Mission Pioneers, Mission Stories, New York Annual Conferencetags China, Evangelism, Health, Methodist Episcopal Church, Moses Clark White, Yale University
Methodist Episcopal pioneer in China
Born in Paris, New York, White studied both theology and medicine at Yale University after graduating from Wesleyan University. He and his wife, Jane Atwater White, together with Judson D. Collins, arrived in Foochow (Fuzhou) in September 1847, and opened the first Methodist work in China. In 1851, three years after the death of his wife, White married Mary Seely shortly after her arrival in China.
Like the American Board and Anglican missionaries who preceded them, the American Methodists met opposition and hostility. White was beaten by a mob in 1848. In the “White-Colder” case, they encountered bitter and protracted opposition to the construction of mission residences on property they had purchased. They opened a chapel where White preached to the curious who came in from the street. They printed a hymnal, with colloquial translations of Western hymns, and printed a colloquial version of Matthew’s gospel, all translated by White. Although their primary goal was to make converts to Christianity, White and his colleagues practiced medicine and opened small day schools.
Because of Mary’s poor health, the Whites were forced to return to the United States in 1852, never to return to China; the first Methodist convert was not baptized until five years later. White undertook further medical studies and for many years was a well-known professor of medicine at Yale while continuing as a superannuated clergy member of the Methodist Church.
By Donald E. MacInnis, Formerly Director of the China Program, National Council of Churches in the USA, Coordinator for China Research of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Maryknoll, New York, USA
This article is reprinted from Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions, Macmillan Reference USA, copyright 1998 Gerald H. Anderson, by permission of The Gale Group; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan. All rights reserved. It is taken, with permission, from the Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Christianity: http://www.bdcconline.net/en/stories/w/white-moses-clark.php
Wade Crawford Barclay, History of Methodist Missions, pt. 2, The Methodist Episcopal Church, 1845-1939, vol. 3, Widening Horizons, 1845-1895 (1957);
Ellsworth C. Carlson, The Foochow Missionaries: 1847-1880 (1974);
Walter N. Lacy, A Hundred Years of China Methodism (1948);
J. M. Reid and J. T. Gracey, Missions and Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, vol. 1 (1895).
White MSS relating to the founding of Methodist Missions in Foochow, China, are in the Methodist archives, Madison, N.J.
Tags: China, Evangelism, Health, Methodist Episcopal Church, Moses Clark White, Yale University
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Podcast Of The Week: To Live And Die In LA
By Emma Kelly
Sunday 7 Apr 2019 12:01 pm
We get it – it’s hard wading through every chart and recommendation on social media for the podcast you should be listening to on your morning commute.
From true crime to fiction to celebrity interviews to comedy, there’s almost too much choice – but before you get caught up in your scrolling-through-Netflix-for-hours-without-watching-anything habit, we have your back.
Every Sunday, Metro.co.uk will be handpicking the podcast of the week for you to feast your ears on while avoiding eye contact with everyone on the bus or the tube.
And this week, we have a true crime podcast that investigates the mystery of an aspiring star whose death has yet to be solved.
Most true crime podcasts look back at the horrifying deaths of people decades ago, whether solved or cold cases. But in the case of To Live And Die In LA, things are a bit trickier.
The podcast, from journalist Neil Strauss, looks into the disappearance of aspiring actress Adea Shabani, who left her Hollywood apartment on 23 February 2018 and was never seen alive again. Strauss, writing for Rolling Stone, was encouraged by a contact in the police force to write about her death – resulting in To Live And Die In LA.
Adea Shabani was found dead last March (Picture: Instagram)
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Strauss said: ‘A year before Adea’s disappearance, someone went missing in my neighborhood in Malibu, CA. Those kinds of things don’t usually happen in my area (or so I thought). So my wife Ingrid and I (as well as our neighbors Michael Einziger and Ann Marie Simpson) offered to help the family. In the process, we realised that when someone goes missing, they generally fall into a grey area with law enforcement. With no proof of foul play, they can’t put their full investigatory power behind it.
‘We raised a half million dollar reward, put on press conferences, and used whatever resources we could to help the family. So when the same private investigator began working with Adea’s family after she disappeared, he reached out to me to see if I could help them, long before any plans for a podcast.’
When Strauss began the podcast, there were hopes that the coverage could possibly help in the search for Adea – a Macedonian national who moved to LA in the hopes of being a famous actress.
Sadly, a month after she went missing, her body was found in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, 400 miles from her home.
Strauss said: ‘When I began this, we hoped it wasn’t a death. We hoped that she’d be found alive. So there was an urgency to write an article or release a podcast, to get the word out in case either anyone had seen her or knew anything about the person of interest in her case. Now those goals have unfortunately changed, and the hopes of the families involved are different.
‘The true difficulty in this is seeing a parent going through the worst pain imaginable: not knowing where their child is, and fearing the worst. And then, when the worst happens…I have no words for it. My mother always used to tell me that the most terrible thing a parent can ever experience is to bury their own child.’
Adea’s boyfriend Chris Spotz is the 12 part podcast’s main suspect – he was engaged to someone else when he met Adea, and had been due to begin a lease on a two-bedroom apartment with the aspiring star when she went missing. He fatally shot himself after a police chase a week before Adea’s body was found. As of yet, nobody has been arrested for Adea’s murder.
Strauss said: ‘The hope now for the families involved is for the truth to be told, for Adea to be remembered, and to find out what really happened. There has been a lot of misinformation in the news, and last we heard, the police are basically closing the case without a definitive conclusion. I hope that this podcast will unearth new information that leads to repercussions for the person or people responsible for Adea’s murder.
More: True Crime
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7 facts The Act changed in the true crime horror story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
‘Besides helping these families find peace, I want to highlight the way law enforcement approaches missing persons cases and hopefully bring about change. On the Los Angeles police department’s own website, they basically say that they can’t do much because of the high volume of missing people and the grey area I mentioned earlier. So they recommend families get a private investigator or, if they can’t afford one (the going rate is something like $150/hour in LA), to go to the Salvation Army. It’s heartbreaking.’
To Live And Die In LA is available here or to download on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.
MORE: The Case Against Adnan Syed: The crucial details revealed in HBO documentary that are missing from Serial
Podcast Of The WeekTrue Crime
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Archive for the tag “British High Commission”
In remembrance of Dr. Andrew Kayira and the possible plot of the NRA to assassinate him on the 6th of March 1987
Today it has been 29 years since the assassination of Dr. Andrew Kayira, the former rebel and government minister at his time. He even had an alliance with the NRA then military rebel-group of President Museveni and at one point even helped with his rebel-group attacking central barracks and taking weapons from the governmental forces of the then Obote II government. At one point he even had an alliance with Col. Gaddafi of Libiya who sent weapons from Burundi through Rwanda to both NRA and the UFM rebel groups to regain more support in Sub-Saharan Africa. This here is telling a story of why he possibly was killed, by who and some insights into the reports. Also the way the newly NRM tried to shut-up media who covered it after the coup d’état in 1986 when they controlled the media and wouldn’t release the information in 1988 when articles came out for the first time about the assassination of Dr. Kayira. Here take a look!
Report from 1983:
“the Ugandan Freedom Movement (UFM) led by Andrew Kayira, a minster in the short-lived Lule government which succeeded Amin, and member of the opposition Democratic Party’s militant, unconstitutional wing” (…)”Kampala is now relatively quiet and secure, and the UFM leader Andrew Kayira is reported to have left the country” (Crisp, 1983).
Treason Charge on the 8th March 1987:
“Former Energy Minister Andrew Kayira was killed by gunmen, some of whom were wearing army uniforms. He was acquitted two weeks ago of charges of treason. Journalist Henry Gombya said the men, armed with knives and guns, came to his house Friday night. Kayira had been living there since his release. Gombya said he hid in the bush and his wife and three children locked themselves in a bathroom. Kayira tried to hide in a bedroom but was found and shot in the head, arms and thighs, the journal ist said. Kayira, who was named energy minister last year, was arrested five months ago with 25 other prominent people. They allegedly were involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the government of President Yoweri Museveni” (Orlando Sentinel, 1987).
Museveni ordered it:
“It is believed that he ordered the assassination of Kayiira. Kayiira was killed in March 1987, and his movement began to fall apart soon thereafter. As director of military intelligence, Kagame would have supervised the assassination plan; certainly, say Ugandan, it could not have occurred without his imprimatur also” (De Hoyes, 1997).
What was the Pre-Text for the assassination of Dr. Kayira:
“Despite Kayira’s integration into the NRA and his subsequent appointment as Minister, it seems the NRA Government mistrusted him, resulting in his eventual arrest in October 1986. He was accused of treason for allegedly plotting to overthrow the Government of President Museveni, though he was acquitted and released by court on February 24, 1987. On 9 March 1987, Kayira was assassinated by unknown gunmen. After his death, his followers disintegrated. Some went into exile, others were integrated into NRA, while others deserted” (Refugee Law Project, 2014).
What the Scotland Yard Report says happen:
“On 6th March, 1987, at about llp.m. Dr Kayira and his friend, Mr, Henry Gombya, a B.B.C stringer, were having dinner with Gombya’s wife Victoria Naava ,24 , and three other girls Josephine Babirye, 19, Julian Nabwire, 14, and Annet Namatovu, 23, when about 10 armed men stormed the compound and attacked the persons present” (Scotland Yard).
Witness report from Scotland Yard:
“According to Gombya, whilst the attackers were shouting at the occupants and kicking the door/ he in panic split Shs40 million which he had in his bedroom into two halves and threw Shs20 million into the banana plantation from the balcony leading from his room and left the remaining money in the bed for the suspects to steal. He then jumped from the balcony/ a height of 12 feet and ran down the driveway and on the second attempt managed to climb over the gate. He then hid in a banana plantation” (…)“Whilst this was happening the attackers were shouting to Dr Kayiira to open his bedroom door, which he did at the same time asking them what they wanted. Witnesses’ state that when Gombya escaped and was running towards the gates he was seen by one of the gunmen who raised the alarm and was told not to pursue him as the “UFM man” was in the house. This would suggest that the gunmen knew that Dr Kayiira was staying at the house” (…)”Police were eventually notified at Kabalagala Police Post some two miles away and arrived shortly after 7:30am. A photographer and scenes of Crime Officer arrived soon afterwards. Scenes of Crime examination was always going to be difficult as prior to police arrival villagers and other persons from the surrounding areas had descended onto the premises and went inside the house to satisfy their curiosity, and pay their respects” (Scotland Yard).
Aftermath:
“Investigations by the Kampala C.I.D under the direction of Simon Mugamba (Director of C.I.D) and Senior superintendent Fideiis Ongom (Officer in charge) commenced and quickly established that Gombya had requested from Mr Henry Kateregga, a Kampala businessman Shs40 million very urgently” (…)”As a result of their investigations the police were contacted by a man named Emmanuel Sebbunza, 17, who informed police that he had been involved with the people responsible for the killing of Dr Kayiira and although not at scene at the time of the offence, he assisted them in its preparation” (…)”He further stated that he had been paid money for both his assistance and to keep quiet about who took part. He states that the motive was robbery as the persons involved in the offence knew that Dr Kayiira was at the house and further that a large amount of money was in the house. He states however that it was believed that Dr Kayiira had the money. Mr Sebbunza further stated that arrangements for the offence were made at the shop of Muzeyi & Sons, Kampala, belonging to Mr John Katabazi, 28” (Scotland Yard).
Museveni action after the takeover of power:
“On Thursday 26th March 1987, at the request of President Museveni-the Ugandan President I (Detective Chief superintendent Thompson) attached to the serious crimes Branch New Scotland Yard, together with Detective Inspector Sanderson, scenes of crime officer attached to the Metropolitan Police Laboratory travelled to Uganda to assist the investigating officers because of the strong suggestions that the murder of Dr Kayiira was a ‘political’ one” (Scotland Yard).
Gomboya Statement:
“The majority of the attackers were dressed in NRA uniforms while others were dressed locally. Suspicion immediately fell on NRA soldiers when on the Saturday morning as hundreds of people were flocking my house to view the body of Kayiira which was still lying in a pool of blood in his bedroom” (…)”I told commander Kazoora that in my view, those who had killed Kayiira were likely to have been government enemies. I further told him, “If these people now return and shoot me dead, the government would find it quite difficult to prove it was not behind my death.” (…)”Mr Ssemogerere expressed surprise that “anyone would suggest that I was involved in the killing of your friend”. As he put it, on that day when Dr Kayiira was killed Mr Ssemogerere was the only Cabinet minister who came to my house and saw Dr Kayiira’s body lying in a pool of blood” (…)”The arguments went on almost the whole night until I finally made up my mind that the safest way for me would be the airport. I reached this decision for mainly one fact, Earlier in the day I had contacted my BBC colleague in Nairobi Mike Wooldridge whom I told about my fears concerning my safety. I told Mike that I had received information from the Uganda CID that I would be arrested as a murder suspect” (…)”He found this difficult to believe until I told him I had been to Mr Ssemogerere’s house to brief him about this new development. It was then that Mike volunteered to call Dr Besigye and find out from him whether I would really be arrested” (…)”The answer he got from Dr Besigye was; I want to assure the BBC and Henry that we have no intention of arresting him nor have we even suggested he be suspected In any way in this killing”. Dr. Besigye further told Mike Wooldridge that I was free to go anywhere but added “He may be needed to give evidence” (…)”Mr Wooldridge replied that since Dr Besigye had assured me I was not wanted he did not see any reason why I should not rest. Mike agreed with me that it would look like as if I was running away if I did not use the airport. Since in my heart I knew I was quite an innocent man who had just lost a great friend I did not see why I should try to leave the country as a criminal. My decision took everybody present by surprise!” (…)”But soon after my first interview the Uganda Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Ibrahim Mukiibi called the British High Commissioner in Kampala Mr Derek March to protest at what he called “the way your deputy helped a Ugandan journalist Henry Gombya to escape from Kampala”.Mr Mukiibi further told the British High Commissioner that I was “wanted” back in Uganda in “connection” with the killing of Dr Kayiira” (…)”The Investigating team also received evidence from some NRA soldiers from the 19th Battalion in Lubiri barracks which points to involvement of top NRA leadership and its lieutenants in the murder. According to these soldiers/ the murder of Dr Kayiira was planned days before his release. When the Directors of public prosecution (DPP) and CID jointly told government that there was no evidence to incriminate Dr Kayiira and several of co-accused in the alleged plot of treason this brief was received with a lot of reservations” (Scotland Yard).
One Conclusion:
“There was also no evidence that Dr Kayiira put up any resistance. In addition, Gombya who was the owner of the money and other property in the house was not the prime target as he was ignored by the attackers when escaping. On the strength of the evidence the motive of the attackers was very clear: they wanted to kill Dr Andrew Kayiira. This gives credence to the 2nd hypothesis” (Scotland Yard).
Analyzed report:
“Despite President Museveni’s friendship with Dr Kayiira there had been recent mistrust of him by the President as a result of which Dr Kayiira was arrested in October 1986 for alleged;y ploting against the government, and subsequently releases by the court on February 24, 1987, due to lack of evidence” (…)”The release of Dr Kayiira surprised somee people and the subsequent murder of Kayiira led to strong rumours that his death was politically motivated and had been caused by the government’s hand” (…)”It was because of the above facts and the political overtones that the subsequent murder of Dr Kayiira was quickly seized on by various factions to suggest that his death was not only politically motivated, but might even have been carried out by President Museveni’s soldiers on the President’s orders. This charge is emphatically denied by the President” (Scotland Yard).
Fall Guy:
“It seems a British police report has been doctored to make it seem like I am a suspect or somehow involved,” said Mr Gombya, who fled Uganda after the killing and now lives in Farnborough, Hampshire. “Who carried out the shooting? I don’t know. Who ordered it? I believe it was President Museveni, and I’m not afraid to say it … I’m the fall guy.” (…)”There was speculation [at the time] about whether it was a politically motivated murder or a criminal attack,” said Peter Penfold yesterday. He was a diplomat at the British high commission in 1987. “I suppose both scenarios were plausible.” (Lewis, 2007).
I hope that gave some insights to the matter and that the truth will hopefully come out one day and that the men behind the killing of this man will get their punishment has he died for political reasons. This here is just one of many, still important as there been many killings and many assassinations under the NRM-Regime and their NRA. This one is significant as this was a way of getting rid of opposition forces and solidifies the regime after the civil war. Peace.
Crisp, Jeff – ‘National Security, Human Rights and Population Displacements in Uganda with special reference to events in Luwero District, Jan – Sept. 1983’ (October 1983) – British Refugee Council
De Hoyes, Linda – ‘Why London supports Rwanda’s confessed mass killer Paul Kagame’ (05.12.1997) – EIR News Service
Lewis, Paul – ‘I’m the fall guy for Ugandan murder, says ex-BBC man’ (20.01.2007) link: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jan/20/bbc.uganda
Refugee Law Project – ‘COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA – Findings of the National Reconciliation and Transitional Justice Audit’ (2014) – Makerere University
Orlando Sentinel – ‘Treason Charge: Former Energy Minister Andrew Kayira was…’ (08.03.1987) link: http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987-03-08/news/0110340050_1_treason-overthrow-the-government-arms-and-thighs
Scotland Yard – ‘SCOTLAND YARD REPORT THE MURDER OF DR ANDREW LUTAAKOME KAYIIRA: DEMOCRATIC PARTY VERSION’
Posted in Africa, Army, Civil Service, Crime, Development, Ethics, Governance, Government, Law, Leadership, Media, Politics, War History and tagged Andrew Kayiira, Annet Namatovu, Assassination, BBC, BBC Reporter, Besigye, British High Commission, British Police Report, Cabinet Minister, Central Intelligence Department, CID, Cornel Gaddaffi, Crime Examination, Democratic Party, Derek March, Deserted, Detective Chief Superintendent Thompson, Disintegrated, DP, Dr. Andrew Kayira, Dr. Andrew Lutakome Kayiira, Dr. Kayiira, Dr. Kayira, Dr. Kizza Besigye, Dr. Paul Ssemogerere, Emmanuel Sebbunza, Exile, Fideiis Ongom, Gombya, GoU, Government of Uganda, H. E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, H.E. Paul Kagame, H.E. Yoweri Museveni, Henry Gomya, Hentry Kateregga, Ibrahim Mukiibi, John Kakooza, John Katabzi, Joseph Kiggundu, Josphine Babirye, Julian Nabwire, Kabalagala Police Post, Kampala C.I.D., Kampala Metropolitan Police, Kayira, Kazoora, Kenya, Kizza Besigye, Kizza Besigye Kifefe, Lack of Evidence, Libiya, Libya, Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni., Metropolitan Police Laboratory, Mike Wooldridge, Milton Obote, Mr. Ibrahim Mukiibi, Muamar Qadhafi, Muammar Gaddafi, Munnansi, Muzeyi & Sons, Nairobi, National Resistance Army, National Resistance Movement, NRA, NRA Government, NRA Soldiers, NRA Uniforms, NRM, Obote, Obote II Government, Paul Kagame, Paul Ssemogerere, Peter Penfold, Political Murder, President Museveni, Presidents Orders, Samson Kisekka, Scotland Yard, Simon Mugamba, UFM, UFM Man, Uganda, Uganda CID, Uganda Foreign Affairs Minister, Uganda Freedom Movement, Uganda Peoples Congress, Uganda Police Force, UPC, Victoria Naava, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Yoweri Museveni | Leave a comment
Uganda – Statement by the Chairperson, Electoral Commission at the Closure of the Presidential Nomination Exercise – 2016 General Elections (04.11.2015)
Ref: ADM72/01 – The Republic of Uganda – The Electoral Commission:
The Electoral Commission appointed 3rd and 4th November 2015 as dates for the nomination of candidates for the 2016 Presidential Elections. There were forty eight (48) persons who picked Nomination Forms for Presidential Elections. Twelve (12) persons/parties returned the Forms to the Commission for verification. The nomination exercise which commenced yesterday Tuesday 3rd November 2015, has been concluded today, Wednesday, 4th November 2015, and the following have been successfully nominated as candidates
No Nominated candidate Political party/Organisation Symbol
1. Yoweri Museveni Kaguta National Resistance Movement Party Symbol
2 Amama Mbabazi Independent Chair
3 Baryamureeba Venansius Independent Clock
4 Besigye Kizza Kifefe Forum for Democratic Change Party Symbol
5 Abed Bwanika Peoples’ Development Party Party Symbol
6 Mabirizi Joseph Independent Ball
7 Maureen Faith Kyalya Waluube Independent Pot
8 Biraaro Buta Benon Farmers Party of Uganda Party Symbol
One of the presidential aspirants, Mr. Bbaale Charles Lwanga (Ecological Party of Uganda) presented himself to the Electoral Commission but did not satisfy the requirements for nomination as a candidate for the Presidential Elections, 2016.
Another Presidential aspirant, Hajji Nasser Ntege Sebagala, who had picked nomination papers, complied with the provisions of Section 10(1)(b) and (3), of the Presidential Elections Act 2005 (as amended) on supporters for the nomination, and booked nomination date and time did not turn up for nomination as required by the law.
The Commission congratulates all those candidates who have been successfully nominated and wishes them the best as they go out to campaign and solicit for votes from the electorate.
The Electoral Commission wishes to emphasise the following:
The Electoral Commission has appointed the period 4th – 9th November 2015 as the period for inspection of nomination papers for candidates contesting for Presidential Elections 2016.
The inspection of nomination papers will be held at the Office of the Chairperson, Electoral Commission, who is the Returning Officer for the Presidential Elections, during office hours.
During this period, any person will be free to raise objection, to the qualification of a nominated candidate, to the Chairperson, Electoral Commission/Returning Officer, at the Electoral Commission Headquarters in Kampala.
No complaints shall be accepted after the expiry of the appointed dates.
Meeting for Harmonisation of Campaign Programme
The Electoral Commission will hold a meeting with all the nominated candidates and/or their agents on Thursday 5th – Sunday 8th November 2015, at the Electoral Commission Boardroom, at 10:00am, to harmonise the campaign programme.
After harmonisation of the campaign programme, candidates will be expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), calling for compliance with the campaign guidelines and programme, to achieve peaceful campaigns and elections.
The Commission wishes to appreciate the following who have made the nomination exercise a success:
The National Organisation Committee (NOC);
The aspirants, their families and delegations;
Protocol team, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Associates;
Security, particularly the Uganda Police Force;
The Management of Mandela National Stadium, Namboole;
Uganda Red Cross Society, and St. John Ambulance;
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA);
Development Partners (IFES, DGF, British High Commission, and others);
Always Be Tolerant (ABETO)
Service providers;
National and International media;
National and international observers;
And in a special way, the entire Electoral Commission family.
Finally, the Commission announces the Polling day for Presidential/Parliamentary elections being Thursday, 18th February, 2016.
Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu
Chairperson, Electoral Commission/Returning Officer, Presidential Elections
Posted in Africa, Civil Service, Development, Election, Ethics, Governance, Government, Law, Politics and tagged 2016 General Election, Abed Bwanika, ABETO, Always Be Tolerant, Amama Mbabazi, aspirants, Associates, Benon Buta Biraaro, British High Commission, Charles Lwanga Bbale, Development Partners, DGF, Dr Badru M. Kiggundu, Dr. Kizza Besigye, Dr. Warren Smith Kizza Besigye Kifefe, East Africa, Ecological Party of Uganda, Electoral Commission, Electoral Commission family., Electorate, Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu, Farmers Pary of Uganda, FDC, FES, Forum for Democratic Change, Go-Forward Group, Hajji Nasser Ntege Sebagala, harmonisation of the campaign programme, Hon. Amama Mbabazi, Independent, International media, international observers, Joseph Mabirizi, JPAM, Kampala Capital City Authority, KCCA, Kizza Besigye Kifefe, Maureen Faith Kyala, Maureen Faith Kyalya Waluumbe, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Namboole, National, NOC, Nomination Forms, NRM, People's Development Party, Presidential Candidates, Presidential Election Act, Presidential Elections, Professor Venasius Baryamureeba, Protocol team, Security, Service providers, St. John Ambulance, TDA, TDA Uganda, The Democratic Alliance, The Democratic Alliance Uganda, The Independent Coalition, The Management of Mandela National Stadium, The National Organisation Committee, TIC, Uganda, Uganda Electoral Commission, Uganda General Election 2016, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Red Cross Society, Venansius Baryamureeba, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni | Leave a comment
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Michigan craft beer sees eye to eye with craft beer heavyweights
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth part of a five-part series profiling the state of Michigan’s brewing industry.
As the Michigan brewing industry reaches peaks it’s never seen before, the number of breweries is also growing at an unprecedented rate.
With so much great liquid — as Founders Brewing Company co-founder Dave Engbers calls it — coming out of the state, more people are trying to jump on the trend of opening their own brewery.
While a great community has developed and many breweries are welcomed onto the scene by others, a dark shadow looms over some of the upstarts.
“People look and they think, let’s ride the wave, which can be good and bad,” Engbers said. “It’s great with additional breweries opening up, it means more exposure to the craft beer industry. The negative is that the reality is they’re not all going to survive. Our industry is highly competitive and capital intensive.
“Unfortunately, sometimes they get this idea that opening and running a brewery is very romantic, and it’s like anything, it’s a lot of hard work.”
At one point in time, Michigan Brewers Guild executive director Scott Graham knew of all the breweries in planning. Now, some will be open for nearly two months before he knows they’re open.
That’s not a bad thing, as he explains people who aren’t Michigan beer drinkers come closer when there’s a brewery around the corner. With those new breweries also come new beers, which continue to feed inspiration into the system.
“We have some great breweries that have and continue to give inspiration,” Graham said. “We have a good beer drinking community. Now we’re seeing it get a little bit of size and there’s more that’s reaching further and further.”
When those new breweries open up, they’re receiving the benefits of the forefathers before them. The benefits go beyond brewers helping each other and giving each other inspiration and encouragement, said Rex Halfpenny, publisher of Michigan Beer Guide.
“There is so much demand for Michigan beer, a place hasn’t even made a drop of beer and the distributors are knocking on the door saying sign with me,” Halfpenny said. “When I started (Michigan Beer Guide) a distributor wouldn’t even touch Michigan beer. Times change, demand is there, you can’t find a restaurant that doesn’t have a Michigan beer on tap.”
It’s growing
Michigan ranks fifth in the nation in brewery numbers, and the numbers — well over 100 — continue to climb.
That trend of breweries popping up isn’t unique to Michigan, Engbers said.
“There’s a lot of breweries that are in the planning stages, last I heard there’s around 1,800 breweries in the United States, and close to 1,000 in planning stages.”
That beer is ending up in more places, as the industry continues to grow.
“Brewpubs are popping up in all corners of the state, and most microbreweries have been going through all different stages of expansion lately,” said Michigan Brewers Guild president Eric Briggeman. “Craft beer has finally caught the attention of chain restaurants and stores so you can find it almost everywhere you go. I expect to see continued growth in the Michigan beer industry for many years, at an accelerated pace.”
With major expansions just finished up at Bell’s Brewery, Inc., and more expansions at Short’s Brewing Co., Founders and Arcadia Brewing Co., Michigan craft beer will continue to share more of the market.
Some of the breweries, such as Arcadia, have had to pull out of out-of-state markets to cover the Michigan market. Some of the major players, such as Short’s, focus purely on Michigan.
Still, all of the brewers see MIchigan as the place to make sure they please all the drinkers in the state.
“You always focus on your backyard,” Engbers said. “It’s one of the hardest things to explain. You can never turn your back on the people who got you to where you are, and we’ve had such fantastic support from Michigan.”
The shadow looms
With breweries in the United States set to just about double, could the capacity limit be reached?
Although that issue waits to be settled, Engbers and Halfpenny said it really isn’t about space, rather the product that is made. Halfpenny added that people can support as many breweries as imaginable, but the restaurants and such can only have so many in supply, and that decides the limit.
Engbers even said that many of the 1,000 or so breweries in planning won’t even open their doors.
“The reality is there isn’t enough room for everyone,” he said. “A lot of those will never even go to fruition and then there’s a lot that will open and close, unfortunately.
“As long as people are making great beer, then it’s great for the industry, but I caution startups to focus on the product. “
In 1998 and 1999, a period of shutdowns took place because the “pipe was too full,” and Halfpenny expects to see another shakeout because of demand being filled. Those breweries you know the names of will stay, but the corner startup might say goodbye.
“That was because the amount of product on the shelf exceeded the small population that consumed it,” Halfpenny said. “When that happens, Bell’s will still be there, Founders will still be there. The people that have brand equity will still be there.
“It’s a double-edged sword; we’ve got people looking at Michigan beer as a magical elixir. We have people getting into it for the wrong reason.”
Still, there is so much untapped potential in Michigan’s beer industry, and much more growth is set to come, Briggeman said.
“The current state of the industry, coupled with the possibility of some positive changes to the Michigan liquor code, leaves us nowhere to go but up,” he said. “The craft beer market share continues to grow on a national level, as well as in Michigan. The expansions that a lot of microbreweries are going through, in addition to proposed brewery start-ups, will help to satisfy the ever-growing demand for Michigan-made beer. We want to triple the amount of Michigan beer sold… right here in Michigan.”
July 27, 2012 /by Pat Evans
Tags: founders, shorts, arcadia, bells, michigan brewers guild, mbg, rex halfpenny, michigan beer guide, 15th anniversary
https://i2.wp.com/mittenbrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/DSC_0048-21.jpg?fit=1000%2C662&ssl=1 662 1000 Pat Evans https://mittenbrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/MittenBrewLogo.png Pat Evans2012-07-27 09:13:032014-07-30 17:18:50Michigan craft beer sees eye to eye with craft beer heavyweights
The long and winding beer road
Gallery: Relive Summer Beer Fest
Upper Hand Brewery to release Double Ringer DIPA
Michigan Brewers Guild 13th Annual Winter Beer Festival Ticket Sales
Founders taproom hosts KBS Week finale
Bell's Third Coast Beer
Bell's This One Goes to 11 Ale
Founders Cerise
New Holland Pilgrim's Dole Wolverine State Brewing Co. Dark Lager
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Media 230 Graduate School 4th Week #MediaProfessionals Deadline March 24
18 Mar 2019 marichulambino
Media 230 Graduate School 4th Week #MediaProfessionals Deadline March 24, 2019, Sunday, 11:59pm
Media Professionals Fourth Week: Choose from any of the four categories provided in class. Deadline March 24, 2019 at 11:59pm
(Bonus points or double the points will be given to original content, i.e., never published before or based on your own professional experience: Pls indicate in the title or heading “Bonus” for ease of reviewing it)
Posted in The News MediaTagged Graduate School, media 230
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13 thoughts on “Media 230 Graduate School 4th Week #MediaProfessionals Deadline March 24”
purple_0929 says:
CMC Faculty, Students and Administrators Protest against Impunity on Press Freedom
“End Impunity on Press Freedom”, this is the overall message of the community of College of Mass Communication in the University of the Philippines today. This afternoon, members of the faculty, administrators, students and media workers assembled in the steps of Plaridel Hall to voice out their concerns and dismay on the “chilling effect” suppression of press freedom by the Duterte Administration.
One of the leaders of a media worker organization, Nonoy Espina, in his speech pointed out that before media practitioners are journalists; they are first and foremost citizens. And that they have long standing responsibility and accountability to preserve the integrity and democracy of the nation through being in the service of the country. He recounted the fact that the Maguindanao massacre has happened for almost 10 years, yet the horrific incident that caused the lives of 57 journalists and private citizens are yet to be truly resolved. He added that throughout history, in different administrations particularly of the Marcos administration, media and press freedom always hung in the balance; and that President Duterte has been outright;y vocal in villainizing the media and seeing it as an enemy.
Espina implied a sense of hope on the vigilance of the next generation of journalists and media practitioners, for they continue to be aware of their integral duties in our society and to stand for their sense of morality as the mouthpiece and watchdog of the people.
According to current CMC Dean Armin Santiago, the protest assemblies will be a regular activity which will happen on every 23rd of the month until November of this year. The media organizations that were present today to cover the event were CNN, ABC 5 and UNTV. Last month, a similar rally was organized in protest of the arrest of Maria Ressa of Rappler.
To end the assembly, Dr. Danilao Arao spoke of UP CMC as an institution existing not just to educate future media practitioners but most importantly to emulate social action in these trying times. Lastly, different media representatives, students, faculty and administrators lighted candles on the steps of Plaridel, signifying their remorse over the grave threats in press freedom.
lol2431 says:
March 22 Rally| –BONUS
Issue: Cybercensorship
One of the issues highlighted in the discussion earlier is the online attack of several alternative news sites in the country. Those cyber attacks include shutting down domains of news sites, locking out administrators from their own sites (denial-of-service attack), employing troll armies to comment against alternative news, threatening journalists, etc. One speaker labeled those attacks as forms of cybercensorship— hindering the freedom of the press.
Cybercensorship, however, is not new in the country. It has been happening in the past administration since the news found its way in the World Wide Web, but Duterte is perhaps, the worst so far (as the speakers stressed). Freedom of the press is strongly hampered especially now when technology has successfully created an evil agent that can easily shut down virtual news sites.
Online attacks on the media is not only harmful to press freedom, they also prevent the people from knowing more about what is truly happening in the country. Progressive and the alternative, yet valid perspectives, are being shoot down either by bots or troll armies.
While the online world is vast and not flat in terms of technical know-how and virtual resources, we should enjoin everyone to protect press freedom. That burden is not the responsibility of journalists alone. We also have our share of that online responsibility— to uphold freedom of the press— as citizen journalists who have the capacity to publish our own reports and opinions.
The mobilization held earlier today, March 22, 2019 at the College of Mass Communication, UP Diliman, is part of the countdown for the 10th-year commemoration of the Ampatuan Massacre. The tragedy included the murder of more than 30 journalists in Maguindanao.
hannahchaka says:
[BONUS]
Criminalizing Dissent and Remembering in the Time of Tyranny and Deception
A current administration’s attempts to silence critics and their subsequent criticism have always been a pressing issue in the Philippines. These attacks on press freedom and proper critique have not been the least bit subtle in any way, and have even reached a point wherein the country has been added to the top five list of dangerous countries for journalist (2017).
In order for a society to never forget, there have been constant reminders as to the extent with which the fight for the truth has been a long one in this country. Today, we have bear witnessed to one of those reminders.
The Maguindanao Massacre of 2009 showed the public the extents to which those in power would punish anyone who dare expose their evils. While this grimly event would serve as a wake up call for many, there have been many more instances of silencing, not just through physical beatings, but also through criminalization and blatant misrepresentation to the public they have actually sworn into to serve.
In addition to the very literal inprisonment of infamous individuals who attempt to voice out their concerns and criticism onto the current administration, there have also been recorded attempts of silencing through online attacks, trolling, and redtagging – with the latter being a very effectiv and problematic way to sway the public into their favor.
It is always important to note, however, that with these wicked attacks and blatant misrepresentations, the number of individuals who choose to pursue the search for the truth and the proper representation of oppressed voices have never lessened, if not even multiplied, in these trying times of supposed hopelessness.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2018/12/19/the-deadliest-countries-for-journalists-in-2018-infographic/#3e77f3312af5
abici230 says:
A Media Assembly was held today March 22, 2018 at UP College of Mass Communication to discuss the repressions and attacks against media under the Duterte administration.
Noli Espina compared the recent attacks to media repression during Martial Law. According to him, today’s attacks against the media include the silencing of media organizations and individuals that are critical of the administration.
In an interview with students, he emphasized that today is a difficult time to be a journalist, especially that the threats are coming from the highest authority.
Prof. Danny Arao also gave a brief talk during the assembly. He invited the students to continually join the fight for press freedom. Media assembly will be held every 23rd of the month.
-Abici230
EA888 says:
On March 22, students of the University of the Philippines Diliman and veteran media practitioners held a protest against media attacks under the Duterte administration.
One of the issues raised is the criminalization of dissent that results in intimidation on the Philippine media and the scholarship of students as well, thus, threatening press freedom and the country’s democracy.
Just recently, Rappler’s Maria Ressa was arrested for an alleged tax evasion case, which most media practitioners see as a form of legal harassment to silence the critics of the government. Aside from this, media killings have increased in number since Duterte became president in 2016. The killings recorded were those of journalists who have aired their disagreement and disapproval on the policies and performance of Duterte as the nation’s leader.
In addition, the students are also being victimized by the criminalization of dissent. Just last month, Duterte threatened the students who express dissent against his administration that they might lose their scholarship in the process. National Youth Commission Chairman was heavily criticized when he asked Duterte to sign an order that will remove the subsidy of those proven to be anti-government, particularly those who assist or members of communist parties. This threat, as well as those mentioned earlier, are clear violations of democratic principles.
The protest serves as a reiteration that media practitioners, as well as the youth, will not be silenced by these attacks. Rather, it just fuels them to resist injustice and further serve the nation by defending press freedom.
KwesiFriends says:
Topic: Bonus
On its 10th year, the victims’ families, media practitioners, and lawyers of Maguindanao Massacre will hold a candlelight vigil in Bantayog ng mga Bayani to commemorate. President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 announced that he wanted a partial judgment for the accused in the said political butchery of media practitioners by the end of the said year, but so far, no updates from his side.
The candlelight vigil will include testimonies from the families and their lawyers regarding Duterte’s promise and the injustices of the Ampatuans. The short rally held in Plaridel Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman mentioned that Duterte promised that at least two of the convicted personas will be now sentenced for grave legal actions.
The short rally honored media practitioners that have been slain previously from the injustices of the government by telling the truth. This form of freedom, withheld by the oppressive powers, should not be a barrier for the youth to be silenced in a time of crisis.
The rally will hold again in every 23rd day of the month until November of the year 2019. The organizer said that the rally might happen again in Plaridel Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman or in other offices of Media Organizations. Updates will be announced by the media organization.
1. https://www.rappler.com/nation/205343-duterte-maguindanao-massacre-accused-partial-judgment-2018
2. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/11/26/1871783/resolution-maguindanao-massacre-personal-duterte
MASS ASSEMBLY OF JOURNALISM STUDENTS MARCH 22, 2019.
At about 5:30pm of March 22, 2019, around 50 Journanlism majors of the College of Mass Communication conducted a protest rally to decry the ongoing pernicious assault on press freedom throughout the country. The assembly pointed at President Duterte as the main perpetrator of these attacks.
Chants of “Makibaka” reverberate all around the parking lot of the College of Mass Communication, echoing its urgent messages within the immediate grounds of the college.. The TV 5 network was there to cover the protest.
One by one, media activist took turns dec;aing commitments to the cause of press freedom. Lisa Ito of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines gave a historical background on the perennial assault of the government on media – from the time of Martial Law to the present administration of Duterte, capping her speech not to allow the repressive forces to overcome the freedom of the press.
Last to speak was Danilo Arao, Masscom professor, and concurrent Editor-in-Chief of Bulatlat. He decried the on-going attacks on online media outlets Bulalat, Kodao and Altermidya by way of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Recently Prof Arao’s group conducted a mass action against the National Computer Emergency Response Team’s office in Quezon City. It must be noted that this government agency is responsiblble for the responding to security incidents such as denial of servoces/
The activity ended with the organizers urging everyone to be more vigilant, and more than protest, to engage in positive action.
sandman2019 says:
Ampatuan Massacre, Basic Rights of People
I was still a junior reporter for GMA Region VI when the Ampatuan massacre happened. I remembered that as part of the media industry, I prepared myself for the worst to happen. Especially during dangerous coverages. I usually leave the station with my cameraman, who’s also my driver. We did not carry anything that can protect us aside from my microphone and his camera. Those were our weapons every time we go out the field. I was often assigned to cover New People’s Army stories, and at that time, election related coverages.
I thought about the worst things that might happen to me, but upon hearing the news about the massacre, I cannot help but sit down and cry. I was thinking, being in the industry was an opportunity for me to give back to the country that has nurtured me and to the people who has paid for my tuition since I was an iskolar ng bayan. That opportunity was also a threat to the career that I have chosen. I was able to interview some of the families of some of the reporters who were victims of the massacre. They wanted justice. They wanted someone to pay for what happened to their loved ones. They wanted people to see that they are in pain, and honestly, interviewing them face to face, I felt the pain. I was crushed.
We were always taught in the war room to separate our personal emotions when it comes to interviewing emotional and sensitive topics. However, I cannot let that moment pass without me being personally affected. The victims of that massacre were people who were doing the same thing as me. I could have been assigned there and I could have been a victim.
I left the industry and pursued teaching as my profession, and sadly, up until today, the case which I handled years ago is still a pressing issue up to now. Freedom of expression. Safety of the journalists. Safety of the people. Every election, I have seen how dirty politics can be. As what Mr. Nonoy Espina said, that case was a violation of our right to live. That aside from press freedom, it has spread threat to every people that their very right to live is at risk if you go against those who have the money, those who have the power, and those who wants more.
When I left the industry, I thought of finding another way that I can still be of help to the people. I became a teacher and this time, I wanted to help by nurturing students to become better individuals. And still, now that I am taking my masteral degree, the issue that I handled so many years ago still haunts me. Still, it is not resolved. Questions, especially coming from the families of the victims are still unanswered.
With the rise of alternative media, of the internet, more media platforms have an opportunity to relay what is happening in the society. The silencing of journalists should have been lessened since people, and the society are also guarding every happening around us.
These thoughts came in mind based on my personal experiences as a reporter years ago. And these thoughts up to now still haunts me knowing that those who are in power still controls and threats press freedom in our country.
Bonus: Defend Press Freedom
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Chair, Nonoy Espina, said in today’s media assembly held at the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication, that the level of intimidation being given by the government is the same level as it was during the time of Martial Law.
He reminded the future journalists of the social responsibility they have to the country and its citizens. He also called for every student and journalist to remain vigilant, strong and keep defending press freedom.
This assembly will be one of the media assemblies to be held in the University to further resist the attacks being thrown by the Duterte administration to the press.
The assembly was ended by the lighting of candles to condemn the attacks at the same time hope for a better future for the press during the time of this administration.
da-66 says:
Here’s the link to my assignment:
https://media230ali.home.blog/2019/03/22/22/
Thank you Maam!
Oona says:
MASS ASSEMBLY BY JOURNALISM STUDENTS. MARCH 22, 2019
At about 5:30pm of March 22, 2019, around 50 Journanalism majors of the College of Mass Communication conducted a protest rally to decry the ongoing pernicious assault on press freedom throughout the country. The assembly pointed at President Duterte as the main perpetrator of these attacks.
Chants of “Makibaka” reverberate all around the parking lot of the College of Mass Communication, echoing its urgent messages within the immediate area of the college . The TV 5 network was there to cover the protest.
One by one, media activist took turns speaking of their ommitments to thecause of press freedom. Lisa Ito of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines gave a historical background on the perennial assault of the gvernment on media – from the time of Martial Law to the present administration of Duterte, capping her speech not to allow the repressive forces to overcome the freedom of the press.
Last to speak was Danilo Arao, Masscom professor, and concurrent Editor-in-Chief of Bulatlat. He decried the onc-going attacks on online media outlets Bulalat, Kodao and Altermidya by way of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
juanchito423 says:
Mobilization for Ampatuan Massacre
‘Let us not forget who we are, before we are journalist, we are citizens. At bilang citizens, may pananagutan tayo sa ating bayan.’ – Nonoy Espina, Director of National Union of Journalist of the Philippines
These were one of the closing remarks in commemoration with the 10th Anniversary of Ampatuan Magindanao Massacre.
Held in the University of the Philippines, was a candle lighting event in remembering the tragic event for Filipino Journalism and Media.
Students of College Mass Communication and representatives from various media groups and organisations such as Concerned Artists of the Philippines and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines had a closing statements how media practitioners and students of media should always be reminded to defend the freedom of the nation and truth, and not be threatened to speak truth especially with the powerplay and the level of intimidation the government that is doing in our media landscape such as Rappler and ABS-CBN’s issues.
In wrapping up the event, Professor Danilo Arao from Department Journalism headed the candle lighting with a closing statement that with all the media harassment that is happening in our current administration, his parting words are…
‘Ang kailangan nating tandaan, ang patuloy na pagsisighay ng ating pagkilos at pagpapalawak at pagpapalalim ng ating layunin at pagpapalaganap pa ng tamang impormasyon sa panahon ng kasinungalingan at sa panahon ng kadiliman.’
Ampatuan commemoration will always be held during the 23rd of every month.
Imperator_0414 says:
Assignment: #6
Topic: Fake News
“California boarding school denies Imee Marcos was class valedictorian”
The Santa Catalina School (Formerly known as Santa Catalina Convent) in Monterey, California denies that Imee Marcos was ever a class valedictorian in their school. According to Santa Catalina’s assistant head of school, John Aimé, it is impossible that Imee would ever be valedictorian because she never graduated in the first place.
He clarifies however, that she did attend but for only for a short time in 1972.
On February 6, an article published by Rappler provides a curriculum vitae by posted during her time at the House of Representatives that clearly shows claiming to have an MA in Management and Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), graduating cum laude from the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law and earning a degree in “Religion and Politics” from Princeton University.
Teodoro Herbosa, UP Executive Vice President debunked her claim that she graduated and received honors from the UP College of Law. However, he clarified that Imee still did study at the UP College of Law, but only took non-degree courses or courses without credit. He also stated that Imee did not graduate at UP Diliman at all. The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) also refutes Imee’s so-called “MA in Management and Business” because, according to the school registrar, the degree was never offered at AIM. Princeton deputy spokesperson, Michael Hotchkiss also chimed in, stating that Imee never finished her degree at Princeton.
Santa Catalina School is the most recent entry in the growing list of schools disproving Imee’s purported educational attainment.
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/226319-imee-marcos-class-valedictorian-santa-catalina-school-california
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/222831-imee-marcos-record-up-college-law-graduated-cum-laude
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/221395-false-imee-marcos-princeton-degree
https://web.archive.org/web/20051224170710/http:/www.congress.gov.ph/download/cv/marcoscv.pdf
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Posts Tagged ‘Israel’
Putin shrugs
Leaders and other influential people in politics, culture, and science are undoubtedly able to shape human history, though it is debatable to what extent.
Russian President Vladimir Vladimirowich Putin has certainly made his mark and he will be remembered not only as the most important Russian politician since Khrushchev, but also as the most adept and competent world leader of the early 21th century. Even as he is demonized in Western media, nobody doubts his dominance, authority, and effectiveness.
For example: Russia’s engagement in Syria until now has been successful. Russian air support helped Syria to defeat the Islamic insurgents (Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Eastern Ghouta) and recapture much of the countries territory.
Using Syria as a live experimental battlefield, Moscow was able to show its military capabilities and gain invaluable lessons from the results of newly developed weapons. Damascus agreed to sign a 49 year contract about the naval base in Tartus and the military mission will boost Russia’s economic role in Syria relating to the exploitation of energy resources and the reconstruction of the country.
The main motive to join the Syrian war though may have been, that Putin decided to pursue his Chechen jihadi enemies all the way to Syria and to defeat them there. Reports of Russian military intelligence first go directly to the Kremlin. Putin reads them; he is a micro-manager. There will be no Brezhnev-style Afghanistan disaster in Syria, no unauthorized retreats, no Kremlin lethargy. Russian officers speak good Arabic and, like in the Syrian army, the officers go to the front lines and lead their troops from there.
Putin tries to keep the costs low and avoid risks. Despite taking sides and saving Syrian President Dr. Bashar al-Assad, he remains on relatively good terms with Israel, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and other Arab monarchies.
In the political arena, Russia plays a vital role in the Astana talks with Turkey, Iran, and Syria, which impose themselves as a real and efficient alternative to Geneva.
The Middle East is in turmoil and things can change fast. Saudi Arabia will have to bail out Jordan with a 2.5 billion US$ five-year aid program after massive protests against austerity brought down the Jordanian government and threatened a collapse of the Hashemite kingdom. In Iraq Muqtada al-Sadr forms a coalition with the pro-Iranian Fatah Alliance, opposed by the West. A genocidal war in Yemen rages on, and Qatar is still embargoed, supported by Turkey and Iran, who reap political benefits.
The Syrian war is winding down, fewer civilians died in May than in any other month since the outbreak of hostilities in 2011, though with 244 civilians killed across the country it is still a tragedy that should end as soon as possible.
During his annual televised call-in show Putin said, that Russian troops “will stay there for as long as it is to Russia’s advantage, and to fulfill our international responsibilities,” adding: “we are not building long-term installations and if necessary can withdraw our servicemen quite quickly without any material losses.”
Putin tries to end the war, his Western adversaries apparently try to keep it going.
In April 2017 the United States and its allies launched 59 “disciplinary” cruise missiles against Syria’s Shayrat Airbase in response to an alleged nerve gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun. This April the Western powers sent 104 more cruise missiles to the Barzah research center and several airbases in response to an alleged nerve gas attack in Douma.
Syrian air defenses have intercepted a number of these missiles but there are contradicting claims or estimates how many. Russian air defense systems didn’t get involved, though there are reports that jamming by Russian electronic warfare systems caused some cruise missiles to fail.
Numerous air-defense systems safeguard Russia’s Hmeimim base near Latakia plus its naval logistics facility in Tartus and offer protection for the jets during air operations against Islamists.
Deployed are Pantsir-S1 (short range), Tor-M2 and Buk-M2 (medium range), S-400 (long range), and Krasukha-4, Khibiniy-U, Richag-AV electronic warfare systems (jamming, disabling electronics of enemy UAVs using nanosecond electromagnetic pulses, ground electromagnetic pulse generators).
It sounds impressive, but defense experts have repeatedly questioned the capabilities of these systems due to their lack of engagement during multiple air strikes on Syrian regime targets conducted by Israel, the US, and their allies.
Israel bombs Syria
The IAF (Israeli Air Force) has intermittently attacked Iranian weapons shipments in Syria in the past, stressing it will not allow Iran to arm militias and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
On April 9 Israel escalated and targeted Syria’s T-4 airbase, killing 14 soldiers, 7 of them Iranians. On April 29 the IDF did hit again, targeting mainly air defense installations (Pantsir-S1 and S-200). Until now Israel has conducted more than 100 airstrikes in Syria and has suffered only one known loss: an F-16 was brought down in February by the Syrian army in what Israel claimed was a crew error.
Cold blooded and deliberately, the government in Jerusalem thus ended its “deconfliction” arrangement with Russia which was negotiated between Putin and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September 2015. The agreement gave Israel a free hand against weapons transfers from Iran to Hezbollah and allowed continued Israeli deterrence on its northern border.
The Israeli aggression nevertheless will not end the cordial relation between Putin and Netanyahu, and history explains why this is so.
When after the 1967 Six Days War the Russians did commit themselves wholeheartedly to one side in the Arab-Israeli conflict — backing the Arabs diplomatically, arming them, sending a strong military force to defend Egypt in 1970 from Israeli air attacks, and breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel — the result for Moscow was a catastrophe.
The USSR’s large Jewish community became alienated, the USSR found that by making an enemy of Israel it had further poisoned its relations with Western powers at precisely the time when it was seeking detente, and the USSR quickly discovered that its Arab allies in whom it had invested so much were both ungrateful and treacherous, so that by 1980 the USSR’s position in the Middle East completely collapsed.
The final straw came after the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan in 1979, when volunteers from across the Arab world rushed to fight the Russians in Afghanistan, with a dedication that they had never shown in the struggle against Israel on behalf of the Palestinians.
Not surprisingly, the Russians have therefore since the mid-1980s been determined never to become directly involved in any part of the Arab-Israel conflict again. Anyway, after Saudi Arabia became an Israeli ally in all but name, the Palestinians are practically on their own and Arab nationalism is at a dead end.
Russia has not intervened against Israeli attacks and has refused to give Syria S-300 anti-aircraft systems, thought it has brought in dozens of new Pantsir-S1.
Israel justifies the attacks with the need to curb Iranian influence in Syria. Iran is depicted as an existential threat to Israel and it supports Hezbollah, which deters Israel from seizing the water-rich Litani basin in southern Lebanon.
Israeli energy minister Yuval Steinitz warned, that Israel will assassinate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad if he continues to allow close ally Iran to operate in Syria. This is not an empty threat, Mossad has assassinated at least four Iranian nuclear scientists and carried out more than 2,700 other assassinations (details in: Rise and Kill First by Rosen Bergman).
The frequent contact between the Russians and Israelis in the last weeks triggered rumors of a “secret Russian-Israeli deal” to push pro-Iranian militias from southern Syria.
President Putin was speaking about a withdrawal of all foreign troops during his Sochi Summit with President Assad, and Russia’s Special Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev shortly thereafter elaborated on his boss’ suggestion by confirming that “this includes the Americans, Turks, Hezbollah, and of course, the Iranians.”
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya announced, that an agreement between Russia and Israel about the withdrawal of Iranian military advisers and Hezbollah fighters from the southern regions of Daraa and Quneitra near the Golan Heights has been reached. The pullout of Hezbollah is already happening and has been confirmed by local sources.
Things don’t always go smoothly. When Russian troops deployed near the town of Qusair at the Lebanese border to replace Hezbollah, the Hezbollah commanders objected and the standoff could only be resolved, when Syrian Soldiers from Division 11 moved into the disputed positions. Leader Hassan Nasrallah said publicly that Hezbollah will remain in Syria as long as Bashar al-Assad needs it there.
Russia, as a self-appointed but seemingly mutually accepted middleman between Israel and Iran, is engaging in talks with both sides, seeking the least painful option for both. Russians are not negotiating behind Assad’s back, both Hezbollah and the Iranians continue to be informed and consulted. Iran officials themselves publicly indicated they wanted a deal in Syria with Israel and were seeking Russian help and mediation.
Sheikh Sadiq al-Nabulsi, a Lebanese-born religious scholar, who is close to Hezbollah, outlined in an interview with the daily Kommersant a possible Moscow-guaranteed deal: Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian forces would move away from the IDF positions in the Golan Heights, while Syrian and Russian forces would move into rebel-held parts of Daraa and Quneitra provinces. At present, this portion of Syria is within a so-called “de-escalation” or “safe” zone, guaranteed by Russia, Jordan, and the USA.
Israel also wants a guarantee, that Iran will not deploy anywhere in Syria long-range weapons (missiles) that may possibly threaten Israel.
Whatever may happen, the military and economic help from Iran during the war has created personal ties and sympathies which cannot be erased by a deal between Putin and Netanyahu, in other words: Iran will remain an important player in Syria even if Iranian troops leave.
President Assad has called on Iran to participate in the countries reconstruction, Iran was granted a license to become Syria’s third mobile communications provider, Iran and Syria will convene a joint committee to sign a document for strategic, long-term cooperation.
Special Russia Israel relations
Russian interests are not completely aligned with those of Syria, there are major and maybe even irreconcilable differences regarding relations with Israel, Turkey, the Kurds, Iran, and about Russian investment in Syrian oil exploration.
While Putin accepts the praise of Bashar al-Assad for saving Syria from the jihadis, he calls Israel’s openly racist defense minister Avigdor Lieberman “brilliant.”
Lieberman, who btw is a former nightclub bouncer from the ex-Soviet Union, and other top Israeli officials met on May 31 with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The primary focus of the visit was the situation in Syria and specifically, in Lieberman’s words, “the entrenchment of Iran and its proxies” there.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic forum on May 24/25 Putin said two completely unexpected things: first, that Iran should remove its forces from Syria and second, that Israel has a right to defend its borders.
One has to consider, that Israel has a powerful pro-Israel lobby inside Russia. There is a sizeable minority of patriotic Russian Jews and they are an integral part of Russian culture and history. Likewise there is a substantial Jewish diaspora in Israel which still feels connected to their former homeland.
Israel just recognized Victory Day (May 9) as its own national holiday. A third of Israelis are in fact of Russian origin, and a lot of them felt very proud to be Russian that day, taking part in big parades that were broadcast on Russian television. In the face of a rising wave of antisemitism in Europe and with neo-Nazis running amok in the Ukraine, Russia and Israel stand united. A US Jewish publication rang the alarm bell: “Violent Anti-Semitism Is Gripping Ukraine — And The Government Is Standing Idly By.”
Then there is the Word War II factor, which Israelis and Russian Jews have been extremely skilled at exploiting to the max: Russians and Jews are united in a common memory of the horrors the Nazis inflicted upon them and they also often sense that West Europeans and US-Americans are maybe not quite as sincerely sympathetic to their plight even if political correctness forces them to pretend to be.
As a result, you will find that most anti-Zionist Russians, while surely not “ADL (Anti-Defamation League) compatible” in their views, hate the Nazis and everything Western racism stands for no less than Jews would. If fact, when faced with the modern wave of rabid Russophobia, many Russians say “we are the new Jews”, meaning that everything evil on the planet is blamed on them regardless of fact or logic. Like it or not, but common memory and sentiment does bind Russians and Jews in a profound way.
When Russian billionaire and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich, who, like many of his fellow oligarchs, is Jewish, faced unusually long delays in renewing his UK visa, he flew to Tel Aviv and received documents confirming his status as an Israeli citizen. He has reportedly bought a former hotel in Tel Aviv.
Israel grants citizenship to any Jewish person wishing to move there and a passport can be issued immediately. Israeli passport holders can enter the UK without a visa for short stays, although they require visas to work.
Though the soft stance against Israel can be easily explained, it risks encouraging Washington and the NATO allies to start a decisive escalation, because “Putin has blinked” and “Russia has shown itself to be a paper tiger.” The price of the current appeasement could be a radically reduced maneuvering space and an exponentially increased danger of a lethal escalation.
Eventually Russia may be forced to respond to the ever-escalating provocations. Putin, a judo black belt, will certainly use the weight and strength of Russia’s opponents to throw them off balance rather than opposing them in a direct confrontation.
Will that be enough to avoid a deadly showdown?
Nothing new in Russia
This is Putins fourth and most likely also last term in office.
After his resounding victory in the presidential election with 77 percent of the votes Putin surely had a mandate to get rid of the Western friendly liberals (called by some pundits “Atlantic Integrationists” ) like Alexei Kudrin and Dmitry Medvedev. But he reappointed Medvedev, Kudrin became Chairman of the Accounts Chamber of Russia, Konstantin Chuichenko became the government’s chief of staff plus deputy prime minister, and Vitalii Mutko became Deputy Prime Minister in charge of construction.
Chuichenko is a confidant of Medvedev, Mutko is blamed for the gross mismanagement of the “Russia doping scandal” controversy and is absolutely despised for his incompetence.
The big expectation that, with a strong personal mandate from the people, Putin finally would kick the liberals out of the Kremlin has been unfulfilled. Putin actually appears more concerned about maintaining a balance between multiple vying clans in his court.
Yet, one has to admit, that the Medvedev government has done a decent job in regard to the economy. There would have been better economic policies available, but nobody can argue that the government completely failed.
Also important: Putin values loyalty, and Medvedev undoubtedly has been loyal, and that over many years and in constantly changing scenarios.
Lavrov and Shoigu are both staying, Sergei Glazyev is still economic advisor. Glazyev’s program of ending Russia’s dependence on foreign markets and the dollar by returning to partial convertibility of the ruble, prohibiting free capital transfers abroad to stop flight, and achieving a mobilization breakthrough at home will maybe getting a chance if Western sanctions continue.
In his annual televised question and answer session on June 7 many people asked why Putin didn’t clean house after his reelection and instead reappointed mostly the same people to same or different ministerial positions within the government, prime minister Medvedev in particular. Putin’s explanation was that these were the people who had spent the previous year or more planning the breakthrough, the great Russian leap forward, that is scheduled to occur over the next six years — Putin’s “six-year plan” — and that two years would be lost if they were replaced with new people who haven’t been part of the process all along. The task before them is known; they have accepted the challenge. “Personification of responsibility” is a phrase Putin repeated three times. “Personal responsibility must be absolute,” he added.
Has Putin lost it? (The economy)
Putin is a pragmatist and not an ideologist; he is not per se against globalization, capitalism, and consumerism.
It seems that Putin does not break with the West, because he believes that Russian economic development is dependent on Russia’s integration with the industrialized countries. This is what neoliberal economics tells the Russian economic and financial establishment.
Vladimir Putin’s speech at the already mentioned St. Petersburg International Economic Forum documented again his ensnarement by neoliberal economic policy. Putin defended globalism and free trade, stressing that the door remains open for integration into the Western economic system.
Consequently, Putin continues to accept provocations and humiliations in order to avoid a decisive break that would cut Russia off from the West. In Washington and the UK this is interpreted as a lack of resolve on Putin’s part and it encourages an escalation in provocations that will intensify to ultimately force Russia’s surrender.
Neoliberal economics expose Russia’s currency to speculation and manipulation. Capital inflows can be used to drive up the value of the ruble, and then at the opportune time, the capital can be pulled out, dropping the ruble’s value and driving up domestic inflation with higher import prices, delivering a hit to Russian living standards. Washington has always used these kind of manipulations to destabilize governments.
Neoliberal economic theories have also created the belief that Russian economic development depends on foreign investment. This erroneous belief threatens the very sovereignty of Russia. The Russian central bank could easily finance all internal economic development by creating money, but central bank head Elvira Nabiullina thinks that if the bank finances internal development the result would be inflation and depreciation of the ruble. The central bank is borrowing abroad money it does not need in order to burden Russia with foreign debt which requires interest payments to Western firms.
If Russia borrows dollars, it cannot spend them domestically to finance development projects, so the dollars go into Russia’s foreign exchange holdings and accrue interest for the lender. The central bank then creates the ruble equivalent of the borrowed and idle dollars and finances the project. The USA in turn can use the dollar debt to exercise pressure and influence Russian economic decisions.
There are signs that Putin is hedging his bets. Russian oil deliveries to the EU have dropped 40 percent while exports of Russian oil to China have risen about 30 percent. India has received its first ever tanker shipment of liquified natural gas from Russia and there are plans to boost Indian LNG imports to 70 million tons annually.
Russian gold reserves have reached 1,910 tons. Since 2009, Russia has added over 1,100 tons of gold to its reserves — more than China which added about 775 tons during the same time. Russia has been buying up more of their gold mining production, in effect converting rubles into gold. Russian gold mining companies are planning to double production; such an increase would make Russia the world’s second largest producer of the precious metal.
The Russian Central Bank announced that it would start buying gold on the Moscow Stock Exchange. Russia has the fifth largest gold reserves of any nation, this will be a useful asset if the petrodollar hegemony comes to an end.
Since six years Moscow has been constantly selling US Treasuries. In April alone Russia dumped 47 billion US$-worth of papers, it has only 48.7billion US$ in US assets left.
Has Putin lost it? (The oligarchs)
Putin’s power base are the Russian people, not the oligarchs, as Western pundits allege, and yet there is no decisive move against the oligarchs.
In the 1990s it was obvious that the actual power in Russia lay not with Boris Yeltsin but with the oligarchs backing him. The late Boris Berezovsky preferred to provide the impression he ran the nation during Yeltsin’s frequent absences resulting from coronary heart issues or alcoholism and that he had handpicked Vladimir Putin as the subsequent chief.
Putin shifted the power dynamic in his first years in office. Berezovsky and Vladimir Gusinsky, who challenged him through their TV channels, were forced to flee. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who dared to take on Putin politically, was jailed for a decade.
That turned most of the other oligarchs into supplicants working under an unwritten rule: They are allowed to maintain their wealth in exchange for staying out of politics and supporting Russia’s economic development.
Putin has the means to crush the oligarchs but he will not do it because some of them are his longtime friends, like the Rotenberg brothers, Sergei Ivanov, and Gennadi Timchenko. Their companies prosper because of lucrative government contracts (the Kerch bridge to Crimea for instance was built by Arkady Rotenberg’s Stroygazmontazh). Roman Abramovich, winner of the Aluminium wars and owner of the worlds second largest superyacht, is seen as personal banker to the Kremlin. His personal ties to Putin are said to be excellent.
It is surely not too harsh to label this as cronyism, even if Putin doesn’t enrich himself.
Has Putin lost it? (Western hostility)
Since the 2014 Maidan putsch, which overthrew the Ukrainian government, there is a constant drumbeat of Ukrainian provocations against Russia, and Russia has been saddled with economic and political sanctions by the USA and the EU, supposedly in response to the annexation of Crimea and the unsettled conflict in the Donbass region.
Yet Russia remains Ukraine’s largest trading partner. Not only does Russia continue to trade with the Ukraine, but it has also absorbed an exodus of economic refugees from the collapsed Ukrainian economy which numbers in the millions. Russia has resettled these refugees, allowed them to find work, and is allowing them to send money back to their relatives in the Ukraine. Also, Russia has declined to give political recognition to the two separatist republics in eastern Ukraine.
Russia retaliated against Western sanctions with counter-sanctions on food and raw materials, but has continued to trade with all of the countries involved. In particular, it has continued to supply the Baltic states with electricity.
Russia could for instance block the sale of titanium parts without which Boeing wouldn’t be able to build its planes or could prohibit the sale of rocket engines to the US, which are needed to launch satellites.
Despite all bellicosity and humiliation, Putin keeps the door open. He probably hopes that in the long run the continuous US aggression will alienate Washington’s European allies, who bear the brunt of the economic warfare. Trump’s trade wars could be very helpful in this respect (the EU just announced that it would cease trade negotiations with the US and slap retaliatory tariffs on 3.3-billion US$ worth of US products).
If Putin’s bet doesn’t pay off, the effect of Russia’s restraint will be though, as stated before, a steady escalation with the goal to bully Russia into submission.
Has Putin lost it? (The environment)
Putin is not an environmentalist, he believes in climate change, but doesn’t think it is man made. He also believes in continuous economic growth, and he has no qualms to promote nuclear energy all over the wold.
Russia’s huge landmass and enormous wealth in natural resources make it one of the main purveyors of economically essential products to the world, especially oil, gas, coal, and uranium.
Russia provides Western Europe with natural gas and intends to become a major provider of fossil fuels to China. Russia has developed an exploration method, using ammonium nitrate, as alternative to fracking (hydraulic fracturing). Oil exploration in the Arctic is increasing, both on land (Yamal-Nenets field) and offshore at the world’s first stationary Arctic platform (Prirazlomnoye field).
Despite environmentalists arguing for a carbon tax, the Russian energy and finance ministries agreed with oil companies to start cutting the export duty on crude gradually, to bring it from the current 30 percent to zero over the next six years.
While various Russian regions witnessed the results of climate change over a period of several years and were hit by resulting catastrophes (Central Russian forest fires in 2010, floods in the Far East in 2013 and in the Altai in 2014), measures to reduce fossil fuel consumption enjoy little public support. For Russians, the issue is too abstract, too global, and its manifestations are not visible to all. Interest and a willingness to address environmental problems that are both near at hand and more obvious (air / water / soil contamination, car traffic, polluting plants and factories) have increased in recent years, but climate change is of little interest to Russians.
The dangers of nuclear energy are not a matter of public discussion either. There are 35 operating reactors with a combined capacity of 26,983 MW. Originally licensed for 30 years, most have been upgraded to extend the lifetime by another 15 years.
In Saint-Petersburg on April 28 Russia launched the world’s first floating nuclear power plant Akademik Lomonosov with two reactors capable of producing 70 MW. It will be towed for fueling in Murmansk, and then go on to provide power to the Arctic town of Bilibino in the Russian Far East, where the local nuclear plant is due for decommissioning in 2019.
Greenpeace calls it a “Chernobyl on ice,” and environmentalists are deeply worried about an eventual large scale radioactive contamination of the worlds oceans which would dwarf the Fukushima disaster and endanger health and life of everybody.
On many of Putin’s foreign state visits he acts as a salesman for Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation. Exports of nuclear goods and services are a major Russian policy and economic objective. Over 20 nuclear power reactors are confirmed or planned for export construction. Foreign orders totaled 133 billion US$ at the end of 2016.
Russia and Argentina have signed a memorandum of understanding on uranium exploration and mining. Rosatom is offering to supply Argentina with a nuclear power plant.
Rosatom will expand the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary with two VVER-1200 reactors. Construction initially should have started this year, but has been rescheduled to begin in 2020.
In Ostrovets, Belaruse, two VVER-1200 reactors are built by Atomstroyexport. The first is expected to be operational next year, the second in 2020.
Construction of the Bushehr 2 nuclear power plant in Iran has started. The plant will have two VVER-1000 power units with a combined capacity of 2100 MW. Nuclear fuel for the reactors will be provided by Russia during the whole life cycle of the reactors and spent fuel will be returned to Russia for processing and storage.
In April Russia started building Turkey’s first nuclear power plant at Akkuyu. Four reactors with 1114 MW are planned.
Russia, India, and Bangladesh have signed a tripartite agreement for civil nuclear cooperation. India’s Kudankulam Plant was built with Russian assistance. The Rooppur plant in Bangladesh will have two units based on Russia’s VVER-1200 reactors. VVER-1200 technology is also likely to be offered to India for the second set of six Russian built nuclear reactors.
But what about the nuclear waste?
34 large and 257 small disposal sites for radioactive waste are available. However, the controls at these sites are often inadequate and illegal dumps of radioactive waste abound. There are 26,000 containers of nuclear waste in northern Russian locations waiting to be reprocessed, along with thousands of containers with permanently discarded nuclear waste, old reactors, and decommissioned nuclear submarines dumped in the ocean. Many storage facilities have been in use long past their intended lifespans, and leaks of radioactive material into the surrounding soil are well-documented.
In 2016 Rosatom opened its first ever permanent repository for low and medium level nuclear waste at Novouralsk. A site for high level nuclear waste is currently being planned at the Nizhnekansky Rock Mass in the Krasnoyarsk Region.
Soviet era nuclear waste poses a threat to Arctic and Pacific Ocean. Many areas of the Barents Sea, the Kola Sea, the Kara Sea, and the Sea of Japan are heavily contaminated.
There are 17,000 containers with nuclear waste at the bottom of the Kara Sea and some of the containers show already signs of leakage. And yet, the threat posed by these small objects pales in comparison with the spent reactor fuel housed in the rusting carcasses of Soviet-era nuclear submarines and a number of individual reactor compartments torn from their original vessels and dropped into the ocean.
The most dangerous hazards are the nuclear submarines K-27 (Kara Sea), K-278 Komsomolets, and K-159 (Barents Sea). The KK-278 has two plutonium warheads on board. There were also 16 reactors from various vessels dumped into the Arctic seas. The Kursk submarine, which sank after a huge torpedo explosion in 2000, was lifted and brought to land for decommissioning two years after.
In addition to waste produced at home, Rosatom has agreed to reprocess and store nuclear waste produced by plants the company has constructed abroad. Rosatom has agreements with Egypt, Turkey, Belarus, Hungary, Finland, and several other countries to manage nuclear waste repatriation. Russia reprocesses nuclear waste to extract usable plutonium and uranium so it can be reused as fuel. These complicated processes create additional risks of radioactive contamination.
From 2001 to 2016, Russia lost 6.5 percent of its tree cover. The forests of the Russian Far East — known as the “Ussuri Taiga”— are being pushed to the brink of destruction due to pervasive, large-scale illegal logging. Most of Russia’s illegally sourced hardwood ends in Chinese sawmills, which produce goods for Western consumers. An estimated 25 percent of Russian timber exports are from illegal logging.
All at all, Russia has a dismal environmental record, but there are a few bright spots in the dark picture:
The joint Norwegian-Russian fishery management regime for the Barents Sea led to the recovery of fish populations, especially cod.
In September 2013 Putin issued a decree setting the national target for reducing emissions by 2020 to 25 percent less than 1990 levels.
After decades of neglect and Soviet era large-scale collective farms (kolkhozy), who resembled the worst aspects of industrial agriculture, small organic farmers and gardeners in Russia were encouraged in the last decades.
The Private Garden Plot Act, which was signed into law in 2003, entitles every citizen to a private plot of land (dacha) free of charge, ranging in size from one to three hectares. The government doesn’t tax food produced by dachas. The result of this effort has been phenomenal, as the majority of Russian families grow practically all the food they need. Privately owned organic farms or backyard gardens provide about 40 percent of the countries’ food, including 92 percent of potatoes, 77 percent of vegetables, and 87 percent of fruit.
In 2004, the value of Russian gardeners’ output amounted to 51 percent of the total agricultural production.
Russia banned all beef, pork, fish, fruit, vegetables, and dairy products from the European Union, the USA, Canada, Australia, and Norway in retaliation to Western economic sanctions. This ban helps local farmers and further develops sustainable agriculture. Co-ops like LavkaLavka, who sell products from organic farms in small shops, have seen their fortunes sour and farmers markets are thriving.
Has Putin lost it? (religious revival, family values)
After the traumatic experience of the Soviet Union dissolution, which he views as a catastrophe, Putin is keen to emphasize Russian history, culture, and tradition.
Tradition includes of course religious tradition and the Russian Orthodox Church is seen as a guarantor of national cohesion and social stability. After Putin’s election victory Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, blessed him in the 15th-century Annunciation Cathedral. The Annunciation Cathedral is considered a jewel of Russian architecture and one of the greatest medieval churches in the Russian capital.
Russia is a religious and, in fact, a Christian country, if one were to define a country by what its people believe.
A Pew Foundation survey from 2016 found that 74 percent of Russians identify themselves as Christians, compared to 37 percent in 1991. 57 percent, including around a quarter of the country’s Muslims and religiously unaffiliated citizens, have the opinion that being an Orthodox Christian means being “truly Russian.” The researchers found widespread public interest in protecting and supporting the Russian church, even when this harms non-Orthodox believers.
Additionally, many Orthodox Christians throughout central and Eastern Europe view Russia as a valuable counterbalance to Western influence in the region, Pew reported, which may weaken support for outside efforts to protect religious freedom.
Pew though found, that despite strongly identifying with Orthodox Christianity, a majority of Russians value religious and cultural diversity over a monoculture. 58 percent of adult citizens said, that it is better if society consists of people from different nationalities, religions, and cultures, compared to 34 percent who prefer a less diverse society.
Apart from surveys, Russia’s Christian renaissance is clearly visible and self evident. The Russian Orthodox Church has been expanding dramatically. It has 34,764 churches, 361 bishops, nearly 40,000 priests and deacons, 455 monasteries, and 471 convents.
Russia allegedly protects the Orthodox Church at the expense of minority religious communities. The Yarovay Bill from 2016 requires that religious (missionary) activity takes place only in registered churches, eliminating house churches and hindering missionary activity. Freedom to confess ones faith is still in place, but it has to be done peacefully, silently, in the corner, so as not to disturb others.
The Christian renaissance goes hand in hand with a revival of traditional family values.
Konstantin Malofeev, founder of the equity company Marshall Capital and the Orthodox Christian network Tsargrad TV, who bankrolls various social and charity organizations, describes himself as an “orthodox nationalist,” and states, that “Russia is the center of salvation for conservative, Christian, European values.”
In 2014 Malofeev sponsored a meeting of European and Russian nationalist politicians and academics in Vienna, Austria. The conference discussed ways to rid Europe of the “gay lobby,” and Russian philosopher Aleksandr Dugin was a keynote speaker. Aymeric Chauprade, member of the European Parliament from France’s FN (Front National), also attended the event. According to Chauprade: “Patriots around the world, as committed to the independence of nations as they are to the foundations of our civilization, turn their eyes at this time towards Moscow.”
Many on the European far-right see Russia’s anti-gay climate as a key part of their resistance to the EU and neoliberalism in Europe.
In 2013 the Russian Duma passed a LGBT propaganda law “for the Purpose of Protecting Children from Information Advocating for a Denial of Traditional Family Values.” The law was criticized by Western media as “anti-gay,” but supported by most of the Russian population.
For Russians, the Austrian bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst (Thomas Neuwirth), whose song won the 2014 Eurovision contest, confirmed what many already suspected: Europe is on a slippery slope toward cultural depravity. Even high-ranking Russian officials denounced the drag queen for embodying the loose morals that European integration entails.
In the renewed culture war between Western liberalism and Eastern traditional conservatism for which Conchita Wurst has become a symbol, Europe’s far-right parties have stood with the Russians. In its party program, Austria’s FPO defines family as “a partnership between a man and a woman with common children.”
The relationship between Russia and Western Europe’s far right may be a marriage of convenience, but it also shows signs of genuine affection. Closer ties with rising political parties in the EU will give Putin more leverage against NATO. For its part, the European right sees the Russian leader as a staunch defender of national sovereignty and conservative social values, who has challenged US influence and the idea of a Europe, controlled from Brussels, in a way that mirrors their own convictions.
For the Eurosceptic far right, endorsing the Crimean referendum was a carom shot that allowed them to reframe their defiance of the EU and the EU-Bureaucrats growing influence over national politics, but it was also an endorsement of Putin’s nationalism and social conservatism. French National Front (National Rally) leader Marine Le Pen derided the EU as an “anti-democratic monster” while in the same breath exalting Putin for doing “what is good for Russia and the Russians.”
It is only fair to ask, if Vladimir Putin in his own private life exemplifies the traditional family values which he and his sympathizers hold in such high regard. He is apparently not homosexual but his family life seems not to be perfect, at least not according to common sense standards. In April 2013 the Kremlin confirmed that the divorce of President Putin from his wife of 30 years, Lyudmila, had been finalized.
Lyudmila Putin, who is known to dislike publicity, explained that flying was difficult for her and Putin was “completely drowned in work.” The divorce was “civilized” and the couple would “always remain close,” she added.
Alina Kabaeva was born in 1983, that same year that Vladimir Putin married Ludmilla. She is one of the most decorated gymnasts with two Olympic medals, 14 world championship medals, and 25 European championship medals. Alina Kabaeva is for sure an attractive woman, proven by the fact that she appeared on the cover of the Russian Vogue and in various other magazines. Since 2007 she is a State Duma deputy from the Party of United Russia. In 2008 a number of sources reported that she is the mistress of Putin and when she gave birth to her son Dmitri one year later it was assumed that Putin is the father. Considering Putin’s known fixation on physical fitness Alina is undoubtedly the perfect match for him.
Understanding Russia
Winston Churchill famously described the Soviet Union as “A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma,” and many commentators and politicians say Vladimir Putin’s Russia is every bit as mysterious and enigmatic as its predecessor.
Vladimir Putin himself is deemed a mystery. With his soft, sonorous voice and a calm, unpretentious manner, he doesn’t fit the public expectations of a world leader. Speeches and interviews are logical, informative, without bluster or grandstanding, though maybe sometimes they contain targeted misinformation (maskirovka).
And then this at first underrated man makes surprising forceful moves, catching all his opponents off guard. It’s no wonder that they hate him.
Russia never was under foreign rule during the past centuries, but the empire twice fell apart along ethno-linguistic lines: First after the Bolshevik revolution in October 1917 and then again in the thaw of reforms by the Soviet Union’s leader Mikhail Gorbachev around 1989.
Russian and Soviet nation-builders faced a much greater challenge because the various languages – from Finnish to German, from Russian to Turkic, from Korean to Romanian – were not only from entirely different linguistic families, but also written in different scripts, including Cyrillic, Latin, Arabic, and Mongolian.
National consciousness took shape in dozens of separate, linguistically defined moulds – rather than in an overarching identity comparable to that of the Han Chinese.
The Soviet nationalities policy after the revolution of 1917 cemented this state of affairs by teaching minorities how to read and write, and educating them, up to the 1950s, in their own language. Under tight supervision of Moscow, minority elites were allowed to rule the new, linguistically defined provinces and districts of the Soviet Union.
Non-Russian minorities were heavily underrepresented in the party leadership, the highest ranks of the bureaucracy, and the army, all of which were dominated by Russians. It is not surprising, then, that the leaders of the USSR were not able to forge an integrated “Soviet Nation” when, under Nikita Khrushchev some 40 years after the revolution, they tried to shift to a more assimilationist policy. Politically, the Soviet Union continued to resemble a patchwork of loosely connected ethnic entities. When the ice of totalitarian rule started to melt under Gorbachev, the country fractured along linguistic fault lines into the independent states of Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and so on.
China’s population speaks many different tongues, which should make nation-building similarly difficult. However, letters, newspapers, and books are written in a uniform script (Hanzi), allowing individuals from different corners of the vast country to understand each other effortlessly.
When the USSR fell apart, its core, with 75 percent of the territory and 51 percent of the population, became Russia.
In 2005, Putin said: “First and foremost it is worth acknowledging that the demise of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century […] As for the Russian people, it became a genuine tragedy. Tens of millions of our fellow citizens and countrymen found themselves beyond the fringes of Russian territory.”
Much of Russian internal and external politics results from the traumatic experience of the collapse and the following dark years of the Yeltsin government. Putin will do anything to avoid a repeat of these events, he will boost social stability, try to create a national identity, emphasize, as already discussed, common heritage, culture, and tradition. He also will try to shield Russia from the lures of Western consumerism by pointing at signs of Western decadency.
Putin is not an autocratic ruler, his power is limited and he has to compromise and seek an accord of all involved parties. The only exception where this flexible approach is not appropriate is the fight against separatist movements (like in Chechnya) who threaten to further split-up the Russian Federation.
Putin is not an autocrat and Russia is not a dictatorship. For about a decade now, more than a dozen political parties regularly compete in Russian elections, with an average of between 12 and 15 candidates vying for a single seat. Popular gubernatorial elections, abolished by Putin in the aftermath of the 2004 terrorist attack in Beslan, were reinstated in 2012, the bar for party representation in Russia’s national parliament, the Duma, has been repeatedly been lowered, there exist about 70 nationally registered political parties.
Social and cultural life is rich, diverse, and without major tensions, the social contract is intact, more than ten million Russians (roughly 10 percent of the adult population) are involved in some form of organized volunteer activity, sustained by multiple funding sources.
Several of Russia’s largest daily newspapers, like Vedomosti, Kommersant, and Nezavisimaia Gazeta, are staunchly anti-Putin and reach tens of millions of readers. Novaya Gazeta’s web site alone garners more than 20 million views a month. Only three percent of roughly hundred thousand media outlets are state owned — Russia’s media biome is thus far more complex than is commonly assumed.
It was Vladimir Putin who introduced key elements of modern criminal justice to Russia. These include habeas corpus, a juvenile justice system, trial by jury, bailiffs, and judges of the peace.
The courts have struck down compensation limits for government negligence, strengthened the rights of defendants to exculpatory evidence, and provided clearer guidelines on secrecy. Closed judicial proceedings and pre-trial detention centers have been all but eliminated, privacy protections for individuals expanded, 24,000 free legal aid centers were established.
Since 2014, the number of suits brought on behalf of foreign companies has tripled, while judgments in their favor have risen from 59 to 83 percent. The number of persons incarcerated in Russia has fallen by almost 40 percent since 2001, and the number of minors in prison has fallen from 19,000 to just 1,000. There is no capital punishment, Russia has not executed anyone since 1996.
Pensions have risen tenfold since 2000 and the average life expectancy has increased by more than 6 years to 72.6.
Defending Russia, looking for friends
Putin is not a high stakes gambler and he is a good strategist. His approach is to just muddle through, maintaining the best relations achievable with as many countries as possible, the neighbors especially, talking to every side in every conflict and trying to defuse it, while carefully balancing the disparate interests of all involved.
He appears to move in the direction of limited autarky; not closing Russia off to the world, but taking measured steps to become relatively invulnerable to vicissitudes. Russia is already self-sufficient in energy, nearly self-sufficient in food, and preparing to reach self-sufficiency in technology and finance.
The St Petersburg International Economic Forum, which traditionally promotes foreign investment in the Russian economy, ended this time as a major political event signaling a renewed bid for detente with the West. The Forum was a success both politically and economically, and at various signing ceremonies during the event the global business community concluded contracts valued at 30 billion Euros (this with a country that is under sanctions of the USA and the EU).
The Forum was attended by Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, IMF chief Christine Lagarde, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron fulfilled his obligation as human rights defender and had a 5 minute meeting with the director of the rights group Memorial and 13 minutes with the widow of Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Regarding US President Trump’s decision to quit the Iran nuclear deal Putin articulated a highly nuanced position on the topic, criticizing the US’ rejection of the deal as a unilateralist move while also expressing understanding for Trump’s domestic compulsion in taking such a decision.
Putin proposed that the US and Iran, which had negotiated the 2015 pact directly, could resume their negotiations to settle the differences: “Even now, the US President is not closing the door on talks. He is saying that he is not happy about many of the terms of the deal. But in general, he is not ruling out an agreement with Iran. But it can only be a two-way street, and there is no need for unnecessary pressure if we want to preserve something. Doors must be left open for negotiation and for the final outcome. I think there are still grounds for hope.”
Putin probably sees Russia as a facilitator-cum-moderator between the US and Iran, but at any rate, he has deflected the focus from the EU’s approach, which single-mindedly focuses on the downstream impact of US sanctions against Iran. It is smart thinking on Putin’s part to signal that Moscow does not propose to wade into any transatlantic rift over the Iran issue. He probably doubts if the rift is real enough for outsiders to exploit.
The first International Forum for the Development of parliamentarism in Moscow, held on June 4 and 5, was a fairly big show, with about 500 delegates (400 of them MP’s) from nearly 100 countries. The forum revealed that Russia has few friends in the Western mainstream but is far from isolated, as it enjoys a good degree of sympathy in the rest of the world (Africa, Asia, South America), being able to articulate a vision which resonates with non-Western audiences.
The Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s grandiose infrastructure and transport plan to improve Eurasian connectivity via a New Silk Road, coincides with Russia’s plan to become immune to US and European pressure.
At the moment, the bilateral trade between China and Russia stands at 86 billion US$. Estimates indicate that trade will reach 100 billion US$ next year and double in 2020.
The Power of Siberia pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in Eastern Siberia to transport gas from the Irkutsk and Yakutia fields to Russia’s Far East and China. The pipeline is 3,000 kilometers long and has been to 83 percent finished. Russia and China have signed a 30-year gas deal.
The two populist parties now ruling Italy hope for closer ties with Moscow and are both Eurosceptic. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told parliament in Rome that Italy was in favor of opening up towards Russia.
The Eurosceptic and anti-immigrant League party, in government together with the Five Star movement, has signed a cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia party. Leader Matteo Salvini has repeatedly spoken positively of Russia’s annexation of Crimea as well as its military campaign in Syria. Five Star founder Beppe Grillo supported the referendum in Crimea. According to Five Star and the League, Russia does not constitute a threat and remains a potential partner for NATO and the EU. Salvini wants to ally with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban — who is also sympathetic to the Kremlin — to change EU policy.
The Austrian government offered to host a meeting between Putin and Trump in Vienna, Putin has already agreed and asked the Austrians during a recent visit to organize a summit.
The right-wing FPOe (Freedom Party of Austria), junior partner in a coalition government, openly supports Russia. In 2016, party leader Heinz-Christian Strache signed a formal “cooperation pact” with Putin’s United Russia party. The parties agreed to “reinforce the links between our parties and countries, including in the field of international security.” The FPOe stresses, that building bridges to Russia is important to counterbalance the “overwhelming American influence.”
Austria depends on Russia for most of its natural gas, it was the first Western country to import Soviet gas 50 years ago. “American liquefied gas is two or three times more expensive than Russian gas. Under such circumstances, it makes little sense in purely economic terms to replace Russian gas with American LNG,” said Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, after signing a gas-supply contract with Moscow until 2040.
A third of Europe’s gas comes from Russia and that amount is growing.
On May 31 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks with Putin’s envoy on Syria, the Kremlin official’s second visit to Ankara in a week as cooperation deepens. Lavrentiev visited Ankara already on May 24, when he had come directly from talks the day earlier in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. In Moscow, the foreign ministry said only, that there were discussions about “tasks aimed at advancing the political solution in Syria.” Erdogan and Putin also held the latest in a series of phone conversations on May 29.
Turkey’s official policy remains to oppose Assad, whom Erdogan has repeatedly denounced as a “murderer”. But Ankara has softened its rhetoric against Damascus since the cooperation with Russia began, prioritizing the fight against the Kurdish YPG/YPJ militia in northern Syria, deemed by Turkey to be terrorists.
Russia would like to see a rapprochement between Erdogan and Assad in order to lay the foundation for a peaceful and stable postwar Syria. Prior to the civil war, Erdogan, then prime minister, and Assad enjoyed a relatively warm relationship frequently exchanging visits up to 2010. Their wives Emine and Asma also have cordial public ties.
As the Turkish Lira constantly loses value and both public and private debt balloon, economic issues may be as prominent in Erdogan’s mind as the Syrian conflict.
Gazprom and the Turkish government signed a protocol, on May 26, on building another section of the Turk Stream pipeline that will deliver Russian natural gas to Turkey and Europe. Moreover, the Russian gas giant and the Turkish pipeline company BOTAS agreed to establish a joint venture to complete the second onshore segment of the pipeline. The deal is another milestone in state-owned Gazprom’s quest to supply gas to the European Union by circumventing Ukraine.
Gazprom has been clinching a deal with EU regulators on May 24 in an antitrust case that had dragged on for seven years. Gazprom succeeded in avoiding penalties but agreed to abide by a set of provisions and rules set by the European Commission.
On June 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow with Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy commander of the UAE (United Arab Emirates) armed forces to sign a strategic partnership declaration. The UAE approaches toward Syria have changed and don’t align anymore with Saudi Arabia, there is no demand to remove President al-Assad, while both Turkey and Iran are urged to leave Syria.
Russia is returning to Africa, talking about anti-colonialism, offering university training in Russia, and dispatching private military contractors to provide security. It is gaining political allies as well as securing access to critical raw materials, including rare earth metals — one of the few natural resources Russia does not have a surplus of.
The nature and sweep of Moscow’s return was highlighted in March by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visits to Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia. In each of these countries, Lavrov pushed for three things: expanding security and political cooperation, opening their economies to Russian investment, and training specialists in Russian universities.
Moscow is spending only around 2 billion US$ to promote Russian-African trade, but it has written off 29 billion US$ Soviet-era debts, a move, noted and well received in all of Africa.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum one session was dedicated to Libya’s reintegration into the world economic system. The panel brought together the foreign minister for the Libyan Government of National Accord, Mohamed Siala, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, and the head of the Russian contact group for intra-Libyan resolution, Lev Dengov.
Libyan military commander General Khalifa Haftar has Russian backing. He has asked Russia to build a military base in the country’s east and representatives of Libyan security services visited Moscow to meet with their Russian counterparts.
Russia’s government declared last year that it aims to have 710,000 foreign students from various countries enrolled in Russian universities by 2025, compared with 220,000 in 2017, and foreign students taking Russian online courses “should grow from 1.1 million to 3.5 million.” Moscow will invite Libyan students to Russia and, depending on the security situation, might open university branches in Libya. In addition Russia develops large-scale remote education programs to implement in both countries’ schools.
It is war!
The USA, with the EU acting as its obedient servant, has been imposing various kinds of sanctions on Russia starting with the Magnitsky Act in 2012, which was pushed through by British financier William Browder (Browder is the CEO and co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management, an investment fund that at one time was the largest foreign portfolio investor in Russia).
A Russian court has found Browder guilty of deliberate bankruptcy and tax evasion, sentencing him to nine years in prison in absentia. On May 30 Browder was briefly detained in Spain after a Russian Interpol request (Red Notice), but set free after Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock personally intervened.
The sanctions, in place now since six years, have been sometimes damaging but often helpful, shielding Russian companies and stimulating import replacement by locally produced goods.
Russia has imposed a few counter-sanctions, for instance on various categories of food imports from the EU. This made it possible to ramp up food production within Russia, moving towards self-sufficiency in food. Since within the EU farmers are politically quite powerful, this made US sanctions unpopular in Europe.
Russian energy exports are another contentious issue, and the USA tries to sabotage the Nord Stream pipeline project to open the European market for US liquified natural gas. Contract negotiations and payment proceedings will be more difficult in future after a ruling of the Stockholm arbitration court on the dispute between Ukrainian Naftogaz and Russian Gazprom mandated the payment of 2.6 billion US$ by Gazprom and the resumption of gas supplies via Ukraine.
Russia may in future avoid Western based arbitration courts altogether.
The fact that the USA now wants to sanction or block Russian energy imports in Europe, thereby forcing the Europeans to buy from America or the Middle East, where supplies are much more expensive and far less reliable, has slightly strained US-EU relations and may drive a wedge between US and EU.
Or it may not, as blame for any upheaval will be put squarely on Russia.
Since Edward Bernays, undisputed pioneer of public relations and propaganda, US media are the world leader in deceptive storytelling and mass-indoctrination. Radio, TV, newspapers, Hollywood, the music industry, all work non-stop and perfectly synchronized to paint an extremely negative image of Russia.
The already mentioned hedge fund manager Bill Browder published the book Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice, which became an instant bestseller. The book contains serious claims of corruption against Vladimir Putin and accusation that the lawyer Sergei Magnitsky was tortured and killed after he uncovered a massive tax fraud by Putin’s cronies. Browder was a client of Magnitsky.
Noted social critic Paul Berman observed, “Hostility to Russia is the oldest continuous foreign-policy tradition in the United States.”
Russophobia reigns in the US public mind, it is perhaps a by-product of US exceptionalism. For many US-Americans, the term “Russian democracy” is an oxymoron. While they tend to believe that most people are capable of democracy, in practice, generations of hostility — first toward the Russia Empire, then toward the Soviet Union — have firmly established Russia in the public mind as a nation incapable of democracy.
If one talks about “Russian elections,” one is likely to get a smile, because everybody agrees, that these elections are a sham.
A quarter century has passed since the fall of the Soviet Union and the official end of the Cold War, but little has changed. When President Putin invited the children of US diplomatic personnel in Moscow to celebrate Christmas at the Kremlin, after Russian diplomats and their families had been expelled from the US, the Guardian’s Luke Harding explained that this was a veiled threat on their lives, “for those who were able to decode it.”
Video recordings of Putin are checked frame by frame to get the least flattering picture for publication, his words are interpreted in the most unfavorable way, quoted out of context, falsely attributed, or deliberately mistranslated.
Media critic Stephen Boykewich called the media’s obsession with Vladimir Putin “a national addiction in the US, helping to create a perfect storm of anti-Russian sentiment in the Western media.”
Stephen Cohen, professor emeritus of Russian studies at both Princeton and New York University, has long challenged journalists to stop what he calls “the pointless demonization” of Putin. His colleague at Columbia University, Padma Desai, calls this “Putinphobia.” Their calls have been echoed by Henry Kissinger and Jack Matlock, as well as Tony Brenton and Roderic Braithwaite, two of Britain’s former ambassadors to Russia. Former British diplomat and intelligence analyst Alastair Crooke recently observed that “The compulsive hatred of President Putin in elite Western circles has surpassed anything witnessed during the Cold War.”
When Russians hoped in 2014, that the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi would improve their standing in the West both politically and culturally, the Ukrainian Maidan coup happened. The Ukraine is getting ready again to spoil the festive mood at the 2018 FIFA World Cup by attacking the breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk republics.
This time, the Russians will take it more lightly. Vladimir Putin was never much of a football fan — he much prefers ice hockey, as most of his compatriots. Surveys consistently show that Russians aren’t much interested in football: almost half of them don’t plan to watch the tournament at all.
The British House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs issued a report entitled “Moscow’s Gold: Russian Corruption in the UK.” The fact that Russians have invested billions of pounds in the British economy is well known. The probability that some of this money comes from corrupt activities within the Russian Federation is also widely accepted.
Until now the oligarchs have been ideally suited go-betweens between Russia and the West and UK politicians had no qualms about staying on their yachts or serving of their boardrooms. Roman Abramovich, who epitomized “Londongrad” bling when he purchased Chelsea soccer membership and a home on a road referred to as “Billionaire’s Row,” in May struggled to get an extension of his UK visa. This prompted the Financial Times to publish an article with the headline: Londongrad oligarchs are being forced back to Russia’s embrace.
The storytelling in the last time got a bit sloppy, one could say even ridiculous:
In the UK former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were “attacked by a military grade nerve agent” that purportedly kills in seconds – and they are alive and healthy.
Arkady Babchenko, a Russian journalist who was reportedly killed in Kiev on May 29 and widely mourned, stood up alive and unharmed at the office of Ukraine’s State Security Service on May 30, claiming his death was faked in a special operation to capture the prospective assassin.
Both incidents generated a lot criticism of Russia, and President Putin was personally blamed. No one died, yet the amount of media attention generated surpassed easily the at the same time happening murder of 60 unarmed Palestinians and the wounding of thousands by Israeli snipers during demonstrations at the Gaza border.
A textbook color revolution took place in Yerevan, Armenia, exactly as it has been tried and tested before in Belgrade (2000), Tbilisi (2003), and Kiev (2004, 2014).
Armenia is a small country, but it is a formal ally of the Russian Federation, a member of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEC)—two pillars of President Vladimir Putin’s presumed geopolitical strategy. Armenia also hosts a major Russian military base in Gyumri, leased until 2044.
Western powers have to act fast, because soon the entire Eurasian land mass will be organized as a super-trading bloc via Chinas BRI (Belt and Road Initiative), the EAEU (Eurasia Economic Union), the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization), and the AIIB (Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank). If this economic project can be pulled off, and the petrodollar be replaced by the Yuan, half of the world will have irreversibly slipped away from Washington’s influence.
Sources in Russian military and intelligence agencies warn that preparations of a full-scale terror offensive against Russia via Central Asia are in its final phase. Remnants of the now defunct IS (Islamic State) in Syria and Iraq travel by sea to the port of Karachi in Southern Pakistan and continue to Peshawar near the Afghan border to finally settle in the eastern Afghan Nangarhar province. There they prepare to infiltrate the republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. The new HQ of IS in the region is situated in the Achin district of Nangarhar.
Starting from late 2017, terrorists managed to bring in some 500 militants from Syria and Iraq including dozens of women. Most of them are said to be citizens of France, Sudan, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, and Uzbekistan.
The main objective of IS in Afghanistan is not destabilizing the country, but a full-scale invasion of post-soviet Central Asian Republics (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan) – in order to create instability in southern Russia.
Mohammad Gulab Mangal, governor of Nangarhar province and earlier governor of Helmand province, is accused of aiding IS in getting a foothold on his territory. Mangal is well-known for taking part in IS’ financial operations and also said to be connected to US special forces.
Tajik Foreign Minister Sirodzhiddin Aslov reported of terrorist movements in the region:
“We see the activation of terrorist groups, their advancement to the northern regions of Afghanistan, especially in the territories bordering with Tajikistan, the increase in the number of IS supporters, and the participation of a certain number of citizens of the post-Soviet republics in the terrorist groups and movements present in Afghanistan … this is of utmost concern to us.”
According to Russian intelligence agencies, the number of IS terrorists operating in Afghanistan ranges from 2,500 to 4,000 trained individuals. This information has been confirmed by the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
https://mato48.com/2014/09/14/strange-bedfellows/
https://mato48.com/2014/11/23/shattered-dreams-of-victory-and-prosperity/
https://mato48.com/2015/01/27/putins-ultimatum-to-the-oligarchs/
https://mato48.com/2015/09/30/judo-in-geopolitics/
Posted in Disputable Facts, Politics | Tagged Israel, Netanyahu, oligarchs, Putin, Russia, Syria | 2 Comments »
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Ex-PC found to have committed gross misconduct in stalking investigation
A police officer who resigned from Sussex Police earlier this month would have been dismissed from the force without notice after a misconduct hearing found that he had breached standards of professional behaviour.
The independently-chaired hearing at Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes on Friday (May 10) heard that in July 2016 former PC Mills had failed to adequately investigate allegations of harassment and stalking in the case of Shana Grice.
He had further failed to respond to a report of harassment and stalking made by Shana Grice on July 12, 2016, not contacting her or updating her on the incident. As a result, she was not treated as a victim of domestic abuse.
The hearing panel found that both allegations were proved and amounted to breaches of standards of professional behaviour in respect of duties and responsibilities; equality and diversity and discreditable conduct.
Former PC Mills did not attend, but the panel judged that if he had still been serving, he would have been dismissed without notice.
Assistant Chief Constable Nick May, said: “We deeply regret the tragic death of Shana Grice in 2016 and are committed to constantly improving our understanding of stalking and our response to it.
“Our then deputy chief constable personally visited Shana’s family to apologise on behalf of Sussex Police.
“When we looked at the circumstances leading to Shana’s murder, we felt we may not have done the very best we could and made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
“Since then we have undertaken all their recommendations, thoroughly reviewed all aspects of how we deal with cases of stalking and harassment and have significantly improved our service to victims.
“We are recording the second highest number of reports anywhere in the UK after the Met, and are now advising and supporting more victims than ever. With better awareness and enhanced training our approach is more robust in keeping people safe and feeling safe.
“We encourage victims to come forward with the knowledge that our officers and staff are better trained and that they will take all reports seriously. We are absolutely aware of the consequences if our response is not the correct one, so we want to ensure that victims have confidence in how both police and the CPS will support them.
"Sussex Police expects the highest personal and professional standards of anyone who works for us and any allegations of behaviour that do not meet those standards are rigorously investigated. Police officers must behave in a manner that does not discredit the police service or undermine public confidence. Mr Mills's actions were clearly completely out of keeping with his role that others uphold with pride, integrity and with the trust of the public whom they serve."
A further misconduct hearing for an officer who has now retired, will take place at a date to be set.
Another police officer is to face internal misconduct proceedings on May 17. Three other police officers and three members of police staff, have received management advice and further training. Five other police and staff are not to face any action.
Our detailed response to an HMICFRS (HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue) report following an inspection specially commissioned by Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne, into the force's stalking and harassment work, was released in April - click here to view.
We had previously issued a separate release on our support for National Stalking Awareness Week - click here to view.
Reference: SXP54649/2019
NEWSDESK NOTES
REPORTING RESTRICTION: Please note that the legally-qualified independent chair of the panel has directed that PC Mills may only be referred to as that and his first name or any other personally-identifying information may not be used.
Guidance NFP : The family of Shana Grice have told us that they do not wish to be approached by news media so we are not passing media interview requests on to them. However, we note that their interests are being represented by Messrs Hudgell Solicitors - https://www.hudgellsolicitors.co.uk/about-us/.
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Rubin: Why Vancouver Doesn’t Deserve the Stanley Cup
Posted on June 12, 2011 by Noontime Sports 4 comments
The Canucks are one game away from winning the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, but really, do they deserve the crown?
By Dan Rubin
There’s a part of me that, at the beginning of the Stanley Cup Final, didn’t mind losing to Vancouver.
As badly as I wanted the Boston Bruins to win the Stanley Cup, I didn’t mind it if the Vancouver Canucks were the team they might lose to. I looked at Vancouver as a city that never really won anything, save for two other Western Conference championships. I remembered Vancouver’s shining moment when Canada took the gold medal out of American hands in the Olympics and thought, “This city is a great hockey town. I really want the Bruins to win, but if they have to lose, at least it’s to a hockey town with a hockey tradition.”
That whole feeling evaporated since Game 5.
When the Bruins lost Game 1, I didn’t know a whole lot about the Alexandre Burrows biting incident. I didn’t really know about all their unnecessary physical play and I felt the emotion was riding high, but it was right where it needed to be. But then, after Game 1 and going into Game 2, something totally changed, taking my positive attitude towards the Canucks, their organization, their fans, and the entire nation of Canada with it.
I realized the Vancouver Canucks do not deserve to hoist the most storied trophy in sports. They do not, and if the game expects to maintain its integrity, the Gallery Gods need to shine down and deliver the Cup to Boston, a place where it can have restored integrity and respect.
From Games 2-5, I’ve learned to despise the players on the roster. Ryan Kesler, a hero of the 2010 Olympics, went from a hard-nosed agitator to a classless thug who got Shawn Thornton ejected from Game 3. The Sedin twins, Henrik and Daniel are low-brow, as one of them strangled Andrew Ference to draw coincidental minors to the way they step on Tim Thomas in the crease. And Burrows and Maxim Lapierre became the two names synonymous with a brand of hockey that I absolutely hate.
Now, let’s put it out there that I’m totally biased. I’m a Bruins fan dating back to the dark ages of pre-lockout Sergei Samsonov, when we thought Hannu Toivonen and Andrew Raycroft were the saviors of the franchise. I’ve suffered through the immortal Dave Lewis era and my family blood goes back in Bruins lineage to Dit Clapper, Eddie Shore, and Milt Schmidt. So I’m totally biased when I get into further details why I hate Vancouver.
I hate Vancouver because they disrespect the game of hockey. The Bruins are a blue-collar, lunch pail team led by a coach who maintains respect for the contest on the ice (total 180 from my past assessment of Claude Julien, I know). They bring the intensity every night, and they do so in a way that is hard-nosed and physical. They hit you, they ram the game down your throat, and they score goals. They do it in a way that is reminiscent of the way the game used to be played, back when Terry O’Reilly, Mike Milbury, and Raymond Bourque skated for the local team. They’re different from the Bobby Orr era in that they’re not nearly as talented, and the game has completely changed. But they’re bred very much in the image of the time.
Vancouver disrespects the game through the European style of game that you’d expect from the Montreal Canadiens. Almost every guy on the roster wears the face shield, which, unless you’re legitimately protecting your face is used by guys like a PK Subban. They dive…badly. They hit after the whistle, they hook, they hold, and they don’t play the game honestly. They bend the rules by doing a lot of the things that Montreal does. It’s the reason I hate the Habs, and it’s now the reason why I can’t respect the Canucks.
But the hatred I feel for this team goes well beyond that. The Canucks disrespect the game and then take potshots at the way the game is played. Roberto Luongo tweaks Tim Thomas, constantly. After their Game 5 win, a game the Bruins should’ve won given Thomas’s performance (no big surprise there), Luongo said he would’ve saved the goal Thomas let in. He would’ve saved it because he stays in the crease, whereas Thomas is aggressive. He just let him have it. This is the same Luongo who was yanked from the Chicago series and Game 4 against Boston. Yet there he was, smug as ever, taking shots at a goalie that leaves his heart on the ice.
The Canucks complain. They whine. They appeal to the officials to “do something” about the bully Bruins. They do it in the press to bring heightened awareness to something that doesn’t exist, causing phantom calls and bad penalties. And they do it with the smug smirk that says, “I know exactly what I’m doing.” They are the ultimate in sell jobs, and they are selling something that referees bought in the early parts of the series. It’s disgraceful to see that, especially from a hockey purist sense.
What makes them the total package is the way the city gobbled it up. Canada hasn’t had a Stanley Cup winner since the Canadiens’ magical run of 1993 (when they won almost every game in overtime). They’ve had their chances, but no Canadian team has won hockey’s hallowed prize. And this Final is being portrayed as USA vs. Canada, no big surprise since that will sell A LOT of tickets.
But the way the city ate this whole thing is really a disgusting reflection of them. Before Game 5, they booed the American national anthem, which is a staple in Canadian arenas. But what I don’t understand is how they can do that when Kesler is American, and they have more American players than the Bruins do. As an athlete, I would never want to play for a team whose fan base does that. As an American, it made me want to cross the border and eat a hot dog while whipping someone with Old Glory. That’s poor form, especially when the Canadian Prime Minister, Steven Harper, is in attendance. It’s very bad publicity; especially given the NHL’s willingness to bring the game back to America’s hat.
The real striking reflection of the fans came before the same game, when a Boston television station did its pregame show outside the arena. Three teenage girls stood behind the set, yelling “Boston sucks.” One yelled, “America sucks.” Nobody so much as ushered them away. Boston fans aren’t saints, but that ratchets it up for me. It makes me want to be no better than them. It makes me want to tear their hearts out on the ice. And it fuels a fire for the Black and Gold that I hope drives them to two straight. I want to win the Cup on their ice just to ram it down their throats.
But the fact remains that this is still a good team one win away from hoisting the Cup. A Chicago newspaper mentioned the same things I just talked about above, saying how disgraceful it is that this team can put their names on the Holy Grail of Hockey. And, truthfully, it is. The Stanley Cup reflects pride, honor, and respect. It reflects the biggest names in hockey. People said that Tampa Bay and Anaheim didn’t deserve it because they weren’t hockey markets. They said the only true way for Sidney Crosby to match the heroes of years before was to get his name etched over and over again. Wayne Gretzky. Mark Messier. Bobby Orr. Bobby Clarke. Patrick Roy. Ray Bourque. Peter Forsberg. Mario Lemieux. Dit Clapper. All these players are ghosts of legends. All these players grace the Cup.
Maxim Lapierre and Alexandre Burrows are one win away from being in that same class. If the hockey gods care one bit about the legacy of those names, they’ll step in and give the Bruins enough strength and courage to win two games in a row. It’s the only way they’ll keep the legacy from being tarnished from a country, city, and fan base embracing everything wrong about the way people play the game.
tagged with Alex Burrows, Alexandre Burrows, Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins, Canada, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Maxim Lapierre, Mike Millbury, NHL, NHL Stanley Cup Finals, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Kessler, Tim Thomas, Vancouver, Vancouver Canucks Uncategorized
Kip Trotter
I’ve attended 4 Canucks home games at Rogers Arena this playoff season, including Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
Not once has the Vancouver crowd been anything but respectful of the American national anthem when it was sung — in fact many in attendance actually sang along.
In the future, please get your facts straight before impugning the honour of a great city.
And yes, that’s right, I spelled “honour” with a “u.”
I won’t deny that things have gotten heated between Boston and Vancouver. But that doesn’t mean everything great about this incredible sport has to be lost in the shuffle.
Here’s hoping the last game or two of the series focuses on the best of what hockey has to offer and not the drama that has accompanied this series — regardless of who winds up winning.
braedon walsh
you really dont know anything i lost my respect for boston when there fans booed are anthem and threatend are fans they were so tough they even hit a kid wearing a canucks jersy
While I do not like players like Burrows, Rome, and to an extent, Luongo for acting like a high school girl (i.e. “[Thomas] has said nothing nice about me.”), I have always respected the Vancouver franchise as a whole as well as the Sedin brothers. It’s a shame the likes of goons get their names on the Cup, but Boston has had its fair share of goons over the years. Sadly enough, the fans do make up a large portion of them. So fervent is our hostility toward any given team that we take it out on the fans. Joe Schmo from British Columbia didn’t knock Nathan Horton out of the series, Aaron Rome did.
As Boston fans, we always used to get tormented by Yankee fans (who everyone hated because they were bad fans) and etc. Now, as our teams have consistently been winning for the past decade, we have seemingly forgotten how to be good, observant fans. I fear we’re mere steps away from taking up the mantle of the worst and puking on little girls like Philadelphia fans do.
I have to agree with Kip’s comment above in relation to the Canadian National Anthem. Listening to the American National Anthem in Vancouver, I heard not one boo. The same cannot be said for when the Canadian anthem is played at the Garden.
Do I root hard for the Bruins? Absolutely, just as I do for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Crimson Tide. I want Vancouver to lose because I do not want Burrows or Rome to have their names on the Cup. But I feel poorly that as fans, we must issue statements like, “but that ratchets it up for me. It makes me want to be no better than them.”
The way the Vancouver team has played SHOULD make us want to be better than that. It SHOULD make us want to be classier. That to me is a far better argument than wins most of the time. “Yeah, well, we won, you suck!” “Yeah? Well at least we’re not dicks who tackle 8-year old fans wearing the opposing team’s jersey.” Such was the conversation between myself and a random Jets fan after leaving a bar after the playoff game this past year. He had nothing to say after that.
And as an American, think back to how many times you’ve made fun of another nation. We all have at some point, nobody is perfect in that regard. I get as heated as anyone when it comes to sports, but let’s focus on the bigger picture. We should be better than that.
And one more thing, as Bruins fans, let’s not get all high and mighty. What Rome and Burros have done is awful, but let’s not forget Marty McSorley crushing Donald Brashear in the face with his stick.
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Fairmount City, PA
National Monuments around Fairmount City, PA
African Burial Ground National Monument
Elk Street and Duane Street
The African Burial Ground National Monument is the first National Monument dedicated to Africans of early New York and Americans of African descent...
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Fort Monroe National Monument
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Fort Monroe National Monument spans the American story through the 21st century: American Indian presence, Captain John Smith's journeys, a safe...
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From 1794 to 1966, the U.S. Army on Governors Island was part of the social, political, and economic tapestry of New York City. Today the island is...
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Our Address: 4925 Pulaski Highway Suite A Perryville MD 21903
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The Entourage Effect: Part 1
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Maryland Cannabis News
By: NCW Medical
The Unique Pharmacological Benefits of Whole Plant Cannabis Medicine
When discussing medical cannabis, the terms delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and more recently, cannabidiol (CBD), have become the most popular and most studied constituents of this unique plant-based medicine. Since 1964, when Mechoulam and Raphael isolated and synthesized THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis), it has been the focal point of cannabis research (Russo, 2011). The analgesic, antiepileptic and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD along with its lack of psychoactivity (it doesn’t get users “high” or “stoned”) have also made it a novel compound in the advocacy and push for medical cannabis legislation and increased patient access (Russo, 2011) (Welty et al., 2014). However, studying these phytocannabinoids (e.g. THC, CBD, THC-V, CBG, CBN, etc…) in isolation does not help us fully elucidate or even understand the mechanisms by which cannabis exerts its physiologically and psychologically therapeutic effects. The real story is much more sophisticated and complex, involving a synergy not only between the aforementioned phytocannabinoids, but also their interactions with the different terpenoid profiles characterizing each cannabis plant. Terpenoids share a precursor with phytocannabinoids and are the flavor and fragrance components that are commonly prevalent in human diets. While they have been designated “Generally Recognized as Safe by the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies”, terpenoids are actually quite potent, and can affect animal and even human behavior simply when inhaled from ambient air at concentration levels in the single digits ng/mL−1 (Russo, 2011). It is this diverse and unique combination of terpenes and phytocannabinoids and their synergistic potential that give cannabis its versatility and wide-ranging therapeutic benefits (Russo, 2011).
Humans have their own internal receptor system that responds to cannabinoids called the endocannabinoid receptor system. It is responsible for modulating a variety of bodily and cognitive processes. The two major endogenous cannabinoids (i.e. cannabinoids that are naturally produced by the human body), anandamide and 2-AG, act on our cannabinoid receptors and regulate things like cognition, learning and memory in the brain (Mechoulam & Parker, 2013). Exogenous cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, which are active constituents of the cannabis plant (also called phytocannabinoids), also act on this internal cannabinoid receptor system of ours and externally modulate these processes (for better or for worse). There are two types of cannabinoid receptors; CB1 receptors (which are laden throughout the enteric nervous system, sensory terminals of vagal and spinal neurons) regulate neurotransmitter release and CB2 receptors, which are mainly found in immune cells “with a role that presently still difficult to establish” (Massa & Monory, 2006). Beyond THC and CBD, there are a plethora of cannabinoids that the cannabis plant may contain and different combinations and permutations of concentrations these cannabinoid are in play a significant role in the therapeutic effects
So how can a plant like cannabis potentially play such a diverse treatment role across a variety of health conditions?
READ PART 2 HERE
By Gaurav Dubey
Ahmed, W., & Katz, S. (2016). Therapeutic use of cannabis in inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 12(11), 668-679.
Massa, F., & Monory, K. (2006). Endocannabinoids and the gastrointestinal tract. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, 29(3 Suppl), 47-57.
Mechoulam, R., & Parker, L. A. (2013). The endocannabinoid system and the brain. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 21-47. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143739 [doi]
Naftali, T., Bar-Lev Schleider, L., Dotan, I., Lansky, E. P., Sklerovsky Benjaminov, F., & Konikoff, F. M. (2013). Cannabis induces a clinical response in patients with crohn’s disease: A prospective placebo-controlled study. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology : The Official Clinical Practice Journal of the American Gastroenterological Association, 11(10), 1276-1280.e1. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2013.04.034 [doi]
Rosenberg, E. C., Tsien, R. W., Whalley, B. J., & Devinsky, O. (2015). Cannabinoids and epilepsy. Neurotherapeutics : The Journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 12(4), 747-768. doi:10.1007/s13311-015-0375-5 [doi]
Russo, E. B. (2011). Taming THC: Potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), 1344-1364. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x [doi]
Welty, T. E., Luebke, A., & Gidal, B. E. (2014). Cannabidiol: Promise and pitfalls. Epilepsy Currents, 14(5), 250-252. doi:10.5698/1535-7597-14.5.250 [doi]
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Tag: NPAS
Chief constable set to take flight?
A well-placed source says West Yorkshire Police chief constable, Dee Collins, is set to retire.
Rumours have been circulating for some time, but it seems that Ms Collins will pass day-to-day control of the force to her deputy, John Robins, at the end of this year.
It is said that the chief will complete her police service at the College of Policing headquarters, in the early part of 2019, as Course Service Director for the next cohort of strategic command candidates. Read more here.
The incumbent deputy chief constable (DCC), John Robins, will take over as temporary chief constable, with ACC Russ Foster promoted to T/DCC and Chief Superintendent Mark Ridley also promoted, to assistant chief constable.
Ms Collins was appointed as WYP chief constable in November, 2016. She was the only candidate for the post. During her tenure, the force’s tarnished reputation has been further damaged by a number of high profile scandals. There are at least three more in the making. All concerning matters on her watch.
She also holds the post of Air Operations Certificate Holder at the National Police Air Service (NPAS). Her effectiveness in that role was again called into question recently, following the, as yet, unexplained departure of the Chief Operating Officer, Tyron Joyce.
In November 2017, NPAS was the subject of blistering criticism by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) who described the management of the service as ‘inept‘ and its financial model ‘unsustainable‘. The NPAS response to Matt Parr‘s withering report is due next month (November 2018). A NPAS insider suggests that the answers are unlikely to satisfy HMIC.
West Yorkshire’s Police Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson, chairs the NPAS Strategic Board. He was also responsible for appointing Dee Collins as chief constable. His second failure in a row in selecting a police leader, as the Mark Gilmore debacle cost the county’s precept payers around £750,000.
Burns-Williamson is understood to be facing problems of his own, as a major media organisation is said to be presently conducting an enquiry into alleged serious wrongdoing by the PCC’s office. It is understood to concern the hot topic of non-disclosure.
Both the chief constable, privately, and the police press office were approached for comment. The latter responded promptly. They confirmed the chief’s posting to the College of Policing, DCC Robins taking day to day control of the force in January, 2019, but deny she is retiring. The reader is, accordingly, invited to make up her, or his, own mind. Dee Collins did not reply.
In doing so, it should be noted that Mark Burns-Williamson has not published a Decision Notice regarding the change of leadership on his PCC website. He is required to do so by law (Elected Local Policing Bodies [Specified Information] Order, 2011).
The PCC’s office has not been approached. Their press officer, Dee Cowburn, routinely ignores such requests.
BBC Look North, in a short package put out on Friday 5th October, 2018, adopted their routine role as a public relations facility for WYP and the PCC. The state broadcaster confirmed that Dee Collins was going to the College of Policing on secondment and that John Robins was taking over control of the force. Other highly newsworthy matters in this article were, unsurprisingly, not followed up.
Page last updated: Saturday 6th October, 2018 at 1910 hrs
Author Neil WilbyPosted on October 4, 2018 October 6, 2018 Categories HMIC, NPAS, West Yorks Police, WYPCCTags DCC John Robins, Dee Collins, Dee Cowburn, Mark Burns-Williamson, Mark Gilmore, Matt Parr, NPAS, Tyron Joyce, West Yorkshire PCC2 Comments on Chief constable set to take flight?
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Watch Team USA Vs. Iceland Men’s Soccer Friendly Online (Live Stream)
by nesn-staff on Sun, Jan 31, 2016 at 3:25PM
The U.S. men’s soccer team is kicking off its 2016 schedule Sunday.
The men’s national team has been in training camp for all of January, but Jurgen Klinsmann and Co. are getting together to take on Iceland in a friendly on the last day of the month. Team USA’s last match was a 1-0 loss to Costa Rica on Oct. 13.
Iceland’s team won’t be an easy task, though, as it’ll head to France for its first major tournament finals in UEFA Euro 2016.
Here’s how you can watch the game online.
When: Sunday, Jan. 31, 3:45 p.m. ET
Watch: WatchESPN
Thumbnail photo via Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports Images
Thumbnail photo via United States forward Jozy Altidore is congratulated by forward Gyasi Zardes and forward Bobby Wood after scoring his second goal against Peru during the second half at RFK Stadium.
Neymar Reveals American Dream, Wants To Play In U.S. ‘Later On’
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Eduardo Rodriguez’s New Pitch Has Red Sox Teammates Expecting Big Things
by Dakota Randall on Wed, Feb 20, 2019 at 12:12PM
Is this the year Eduardo Rodriguez finally takes the next step?
His teammates and coaches certainly believe so.
The Boston Red Sox lefty has teased ace-like potential during his first four seasons in the majors. But injuries, poor pace and general inconsistency have held him back and, in the case of last September and October, landed him in the doghouse.
And then Game 4 of the World Series happened.
Rodriguez was given the start with the Red Sox nursing a 2-1 series lead and responded by holding the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless through five innings. Then, in the sixth inning, the 25-year-old surrendered four runs, punctuated by a three-run Yasiel Puig home run and a now-infamous glove throw. The Red Sox, of course, fought back to earn a 9-6 victory and won the Fall Classic the next night.
Rodriguez could’ve responded to the Puig homer in one of two ways: sulking and feeling sorry for himself, or using it as motivation to come back even stronger. According to his teammates, he’s chosen the latter.
“You can tell he’s had some drive this offseason,” Chris Sale recently told the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato.
“I feel like he’s taken it to a whole new level,” Nathan Eovaldi said. ” … For him to be as crisp and clean as he is now at the beginning of spring training, give him a little more time and he’s going to be even better.”
So, what’s changed about Rodriguez? For starters, it sounds like he’s become a gym rat.
“Everyone is in the best shape of their life, but Eddie really is in the best shape of his life,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said last week, via Mastrodonato.
But conditioning only goes so far. In addition to getting in great shape, Rodriguez has bolstered his repertoire by adding a new pitch, although it’s really a reinvention of one he already had.
Rodriguez typically throws two pitches, a mid-90s fastball and an exceptional changeup. He’s always had a slider in his back pocket but never has been able to turn it into anything better than average.
Now, it might be a go-to pitch.
“It was like, an in-between slider-cutter,” Cora told Mastrodonato. “Now it’s a real slider.”
Rodriguez busted out the reinvented slider during a live batting practice session Tuesday morning, and the pitch reportedly turned heads and wowed members of the Red Sox, including Mookie Betts, the rest of the starting rotation and front office staff.
Rather than developing the pitch on his own, Rodriguez sought help from one of Major League Baseball’s best pitchers.
“I worked with Sale and most of the guys, asked everyone the way they throw the curveball and slider and how they finish,” Rodriguez said. “But mostly Sale, because he has the best (expletive) slider in the game, so that’s how we do it.”
It remains to be seen whether Rodriguez truly turns a corner and fulfills his massive potential. Turning heads in drawn-out, hyperbole-soaked spring training is one thing, but finding success during the regular season is another.
Still, ahead of the most pivotal season of his young career, Rodriguez couldn’t be off to a better start.
Thumbnail photo via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports Images
NESN Red Sox Podcast: Who Will Replace Craig Kimbrel As Boston’s Closer?
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Netflix announces premiere dates for Hannibal Buress, Patton Oswalt, more
Netflix has been hitting the renewal button a lot lately, re-upping Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt for a third season before the second has even had a chance to premiere and giving Jessica Jones the go-ahead for a second season of whiskey-slinging action. Netflix also released premiere dates for several of its original series, including Orange Is The New Black and Grace And Frankie. Now the streaming company has shared a press release with the premiere dates for new hour-long stand-up specials from Hannibal Buress, Patton Oswalt, Theo Von, and Jimmy Carr.
First up is Hannibal Buress: Comedy Camisado, which will premiere on February 5. Buress, who stars in Comedy Central’s Broad City as well as his own Comedy Central series Why? With Hannibal Buress (which he doubts will return), sold out his national theater stand-up tour this year. Then on February 26, Louisiana comedian Theo Von’s hour-long special, Theo Von: No Offense, will bow—and judging from the title alone, we have the feeling he probably does intend to offend.
March 18 will see the debut of Jimmy Carr: Funny Business, which was filmed at the U.K.’s Hammersmith Apollo. Carr is notably the very first British comedian to shoot an original stand-up special for Netflix. And on April 22, Patton Oswalt: Talking For Clapping will premiere; according to Netflix, Oswalt’s latest special will touch on “everything from misery to defeat to hopelessness.” (Yep, sounds like Oswalt.) He’s also set to star in the upcoming film adaptation of The Circle, but you can watch him talk for claps on Netflix this spring.
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Concordia Publishing House Releases Concordia Commentary Romans 9–16
“A distinctly Lutheran and Gospel-driven reading of Romans”
Concordia Publishing House announces the release of the thirtieth volume in the Concordia Commentary series, Romans 9–16, written by Dr. Michael P. Middendorf. This volume completes Dr. Middendorf’s exposition of the epistle, as his first volume covered Romans 1–8.
Romans 9–16 provides extensive insights for scholars and pastors, featuring a clear exposition of the theological message of Paul’s most comprehensive epistle. In this letter, Paul conveys the essence of the Christian faith in a universal manner that has been cherished by believers—and challenged by unbelievers—perhaps more so than any other biblical book.
Readers will find in this commentary detailed textual notes on the Greek, a careful examination of Paul’s presentation of Law and Gospel in the context of each section, an evaluation of crucial issues in each passage, an analysis of the overall flow of Paul’s argument, and reflections on the epistle’s contributions to the Christian faith as a whole.
Critical Acclaim for Romans 9–16
“This commentary is a distinctly Lutheran and Gospel-driven reading of Romans that analyses the letter through careful exegesis. Its two volumes (totaling over 1,600 pages) provide ample scope for discussion of the major debates over the epistle and for dissecting the text for students of it. The commentary is suitable for pastors, laymen, and academics alike and as such, a breath of fresh air.”
—Dr. Samuli Siikavirta (Cantab.), St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Helsinki, The Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland
“The second volume of Dr. Middendorf’s work on Romans is very welcome indeed. I found it especially helpful in bringing us up-to-date on the range of various views of the epistle which have surfaced since the previous generation of commentaries. Middendorf has proven quite able at leading nonspecialists deeply into the words of St. Paul and what he is really saying, as opposed to arriving at premature conclusions based on a surface reading alone. Readers of the Concordia Commentary series will be glad to add this new contribution to the strong lineup we have already seen. This book has left me itching to get out there and unpack the treasures of Romans as a preacher to Christ’s people!”
—Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, president, Lutheran Church–Canada
“Throughout the Book of Romans, Paul keeps Jesus Christ and the kingdom that his death and resurrection have graciously brought us at the heart of the discussion. And in this commentary, Dr. Michael Middendorf does the same with the skill of a professor and an exegete as well as with the heart of a pastor who cares for his people. Not only are there original-language nuggets and detailed textual research throughout, but Dr. Middendorf also brings to bear the Church Fathers, the Lutheran Confessions, and other scholars to amplify the centrality of the Gospel in all things. Especially helpful are the summary sections of the work that recap the message for both the lay reader and the pastor. Romans clearly delineates the person and work of Jesus as the key that unlocks the whole of the Scriptures. Dr. Michael Middendorf provides an in-depth, comprehensive look into what that Good News means for us all. This commentary is a must-have on every believer’s shelf.”
—Rev. Dr. Gregory P. Seltz, the voice of The Lutheran Hour, Lutheran Hour Ministries
“Michael Middendorf’s commentary on Romans is now complete! It is a pleasure to welcome this work on Romans 9–16, which displays the same fine characteristics of the first volume. The thorough, thoughtful, and careful interaction with other interpreters of Romans and contemporary literature that runs through the commentary is truly excellent. Yet Middendorf listens first and foremost to the text and faithfully formulates his own answers to interpretive questions. His patient hearing of the text will bring other readers of Romans to do so as well. His cross-referencing and review of earlier sections of his argument is especially useful and will help others to understand the message of Romans as a whole. This commentary will have its impact in the pulpit and in the pew.”
—Dr. Mark Seifrid, professor of exegetical theology, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis
Order Concordia Commentary Romans 9–16 now through cph.org. To learn about subscription options, visit cph.org/commentary. For more information or to arrange an interview with the author, contact Lindsey Martie, CPH Public Relations, by phone at (314) 268-1303 or by email at lindsey.martie@cph.org.
About Dr. Michael Middendorf
Michael P. Middendorf was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. He received all of his education at Lutheran schools, including a BA in preseminary studies from Concordia University, St. Paul (1981), where he subsequently served for three years as an admissions counselor and guest instructor of Greek. After enrolling at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, he earned his MDiv (1987), STM (1989), and ThD (1990). Dr. Middendorf served as a parish pastor in Jamestown, North Dakota, from 1990 to 1992 and then as a professor of religion and biblical languages at Concordia University Texas (in Austin) from 1992 to 2001. Since 2001, he has been a professor of theology in Christ College at Concordia University Irvine, California. He is also a pastoral assistant at Trinity Cristo Rey Lutheran Church, a bilingual congregation in Santa Ana, California.
About the Concordia Commentary Series
Birthed in the Lutheran tradition, the Concordia Commentary series employs the best of exegetical, linguistic, and historical scholarship to elucidate the Word of God for the church and world today. Each volume is designed to enable professors, pastors, and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the inspired biblical text.
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Informed southeast Minnesota communities come together on economic improvements
Brigid Tuck, Extension Senior Economic Analyst
A presentation by Brigid Tuck, University of Minnesota Extension Senior Economic Analyst, has
given inspiration to ongoing conversations in the 11-county region in southeast Minnesota.
Tuck shared reports examining the economic composition and performance of Minnesota’s twelve economic development regions with a crowd of 545 at the Southeastern Minnesota Economic Summit, hosted by the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce in September, 2016. Both before and after the summit, she and other Extension specialists and educators toured communities and engaged in conversations with residents of Faribault, Goodview, and Oronoco on their economic futures.
Oronoco MN
Community Economic Design Day was a new community and economic development concept that was tested in Goodview and Oronoco, for example. Erin Meier from Extension’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnership and Bruce Schwartau, Extension educator, serve on the leadership team of a grassroots organization called Southeast Minnesota Together (SEMNT). Grant funding from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation helped SEMNT bring together citizens and professionals to join discussions on workforce shortage challenges and develop activities that create a spirit of cooperation in addressing these issues. A second goal was to help smaller cities with limited professional staff in community and economic development issues.
The cities of Goodview and Oronoco have very limited professional economic development staff and asked for assistance in planning the best next steps that their cities could make. The Extension team joined other experienced community development professionals in listening to primary concerns from local leaders, and formulating some of the “best next steps” that these cities could consider.
Tuck completed an economic impact report for Faribault, which is explained in the Faribault Daily News. Faribault has been engaging with Extension for over a year to understand the economic strengths of the community. Deanna Kuennen, Community and Economic Development Director, notes, "Because the report is strength-focused, we’ve been using it to inform new decisions and develop programming based on strengths."
"I've had the best of both worlds with this work," says Tuck. "I get to analyze the data, but also to meet with people in the communities and hear more information and their perspectives."
Southeast regional economy
According to Extension's analysis, Southeast Minnesota’s economy is strong and healthy. Year-over-year employment growth in the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) was 2.1 percent, compared to Minnesota’s 1.3 percent. In addition, the total number of jobs in the 11 counties in 2015 exceeded those of peak employment in 2007.
"Southeast Minnesota’s strengths lie in its diversity," says Brigid Tuck. She notes that manufacturing, the leading source of economic output in the region, is diverse both in geography and in composition. Each of the eleven counties has its own manufacturing base, distributing the benefits of jobs and revenue across the region.
The region hosts a variety of manufacturing activities, such as computer, food, fabricated metal, and machinery manufacturing. The region is better situated to weather economic downturns due to this diversity.
Growth in the region has been driven by health care, administrative and waste management, and management of companies. Between 2001 and 2015, the region added over 2,000 high-paying management jobs.
The region, like the state, faces challenges. First, four years of low prices for agricultural commodities will affect Greater Minnesota. Second, labor force growth is slowing. Minnesota businesses will be competing for workers. Finally, demographics are changing. Retiring baby boomers will likely rewrite the picture of retirement. In the meantime, millennials entering the workforce may very likely rewrite the workplace narrative. Communities fortunate to experience labor force growth will find that growth coming from new and diverse populations.
As reported by the Rochester Post-Bulletin, Eric Miller, human resources director for Rochester manufacturer Crenlo said, "People have options … They can go wherever they want. It's a challenging environment. That's why it is important to focus on innovation and employee development. We need to give people reasons to stay."
For more information, visit Extension's economic impact analysis website.
Community Vitality economy Features Southeast
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Meet Ali Kurnaz, young Democratic leader who lifted Palestinian flag on convention floor
Philip Weiss on July 28, 2016 19 Comments
Ali Kurnaz, at a Code Pink demonstration for Palestine in Philadelphia, July 27, 2016 (Photo: Philip Weiss)
For those who care about Palestine, the most exciting moment of the Democratic convention took place Monday when a young delegate jumped on to his chair on the convention floor and unfurled the Palestinian flag. He was soon surrounded by a crowd holding up Hillary Clinton signs to make his demonstration disappear. But the incident quickly went out on social media — “a very human moment in a very dark time,” as Laila Abdelaziz put it.
A remarkable moment @ #DNCinPHL when Florida Bernie Sanders delegate @AliAkinK raised the Palestinian flag. pic.twitter.com/t7Kp9BFkiS
— Jamil Dakwar (@jdakwar) July 25, 2016
The man who raised the flag says that he was abused and knocked around by older delegates, but many young Democrats cheered him on.
“This issue is being brought to the forefront of the Democratic Party,” Ali Kurnaz, a Sanders delegate, said yesterday. “I believe that now, largely thanks to Bernie Sanders including it in his campaign platform people are starting to understand the issue for the first time. While others are coming out of the woodwork in support.”
Kurnaz is all Democrat: the Floridian is vice president of Young Democrats of Orange County, and communications director for Florida Young Democrats.
But for years, Kurnaz says he kept quiet about his support for Palestine. Born and raised in Orlando, of Turkish-American descent, Furnaz began doing Democratic Party work in 2007 when he was 17, and though Palestinian human rights were important to him, he says, “I learned very quickly it was an issue I had to suppress. Even as a college Democratic Party organizer, I would make sure that the subject was not brought up, because then there’d be a vote and the Zionists would win.
“But now it’s changing. I can tell most of the people of my age agree with me.”
Kurnaz was disappointed after he and other Sanders delegates tried to get two pro-Palestinian amendments to the Democratic platform ratified in the weeks before the convention, but failed. “We convinced a half dozen or so Hillary delegates to switch their vote,” he says. “But they said ultimately they couldn’t because if they did they would have no future in the Democratic Party.”
Kurnaz decided to take a stand the other day when the Democratic Party platform was voted on by the convention as a whole. He was especially nervous because the Florida delegation was very close to the stage and in everyone’s view.
“When they brought up the platform, I was shaking,” he said. “It took a lot of courage, but I stood on my chair and I held the flag up as high as I could. People tried to stop me. They said things like, First things first, or Sit down, or Be respectful.
“At that point I didn’t care anymore. I didn’t care what anyone thought or what anyone was going to do to me. I thought they might pull my credentials, but I didn’t care.”
Kurnaz was soon engulfed by tumult.
“Lots of Bernie delegates from Florida who were around me were in solidarity and tried to push away the Hillary signs held up to block me,” he recalled. “That was the positive element. The negative was the pushing and shoving and shouting at me. People told me that I don’t belong there. They called me a Palestinian as a slur even though I’m not Palestinian and don’t regard it as a slur.”
To those urging me to be "respectful" I wish they'd seen the shoving, pulling, racist comments, disrespect from Hillary delegates. #DNCinPHL
— Ali Akın Kurnaz (@AliAkinK) July 26, 2016
His experience since has shown him that the party is changing, that Bernie Sanders gave people permission to be pro-Palestinians. He has handed out stickers saying “I support Palestinian Human Rights” and younger delegates have cheered him on.
“I have not had a single Bernie delegate say anything negative when I have given out these signs,” he said. “I get fist bumps, high fives. Or thank you for saying what you said. I get the opposite from Hillary delegates. But I have never seen so much support for Palestinians at any Democratic convention. This is only going to intensify as the millennials rise into the party.”
I interviewed Kurnaz after he spoke out at a Code Pink demonstration for Palestinian human rights in Center City Philadelphia yesterday. A slender and softspoken man, he nonetheless seemed excited about the political party he has worked so hard for for nearly half his life.
“I want to bring the Democratic Party to represent the values that they claim they care about– equality and human rights,” he said. “We are moving in a path of progress.”
Many people have told Kurnaz that he will have no future in the Democratic Party. He no longer believes them.
“The ones who say that are 20 and 30 years older than me,” he said. “I am the future of the Democratic Party.”
Talkback on July 28, 2016, 2:28 pm
“But they said ultimately they couldn’t because if they did they would have no future in the … Party.”
“They told me that I don’t belong there. They called me a […] as a slur even though I’m not […] and don’t regard it as a slur.”
Insert “Jew” where “[…]” are and think about Germany’s history.
P.S. Kudos to Kurnaz.
Wonder Bunder on July 28, 2016, 7:26 pm
Kay24 on July 29, 2016, 7:18 am
It was so brave of him to do this in that arena knowing how the Clintonites stand on this. As expected Hillary made the usual statement about protecting Israel during her speech, a sort of one liner, but yet she made sure Haim Saban was rewarded for the campaign contribution and that Netanyahu has his bottles of champagne ready to toast her victory in November – Sarah will be counting those empty bottles. It is a shame that just like she did the right thing by standing up to the NRA, she could not stand up to the other dangerous lobby, AIPAC.
echinococcus on July 29, 2016, 12:18 pm
Your dig about the NRA is out of order in a forum where the only thing we have in common is support to Palestinian resistance. Some private weapons in the US are not relevant, as opposed to government weaponry.
Partisan propaganda here is divisive for the solidarity movement.
strangefriend on July 30, 2016, 6:01 pm
It’s completely in order. The NRA is a moneyed lobby that runs roughshod over Americans wishes, same as AIPAC.
xanadou on July 30, 2016, 6:41 pm
Echinococcus,
Disagree. To my reading, Kay used the two issues that evoke very powerful responses as a comparison that show up clinton’s ability to evolve in one area, but unwilling to detach herself from a foreign calicifying regime with a dangerous stranglehold on US affairs.
Something equally revolting happened when wassermanschultz was booted out of her DNC job, and was promptly included by clinton into her entourage. Considering clinton’s age and reported many health issues, and what clinton has in mind for her govt entourage, if elected, this does not bode well for Palestine, nor the US.
Strange Friend,
If you can’t see the difference between domestic policy lobbies and the Zionist organization I wonder on what planet you live.
Many a gun rights supporter is supporting or would readily support Palestinian resistance, especially if explained in American terms.
Zionists would love it if they could keep alienating them, so that solidarity with Palestinian resistance remains confined to useless trendy “liberals”. Why do you think they went after Alison Weir and her book?
If you don’t like the way the Second is interpreted (and I don’t either) you can go make noise on any amount of other forums, without creating discord here. We have enough Zionists writing here for that.
Xanadou,
“Powerful response” doesn’t mean much.
The attempts to disarm private persons while the State is massacring abroad and at home is also getting a “powerful response”.
Essentially, here is not a place to reserve for the sole enjoyment of private gun control people. Given that it is at the heart of our topic, of course disarming the US can be discussed, and how.
tarheelnm on July 29, 2016, 9:14 am
While I don’t believe that the DP can be reformed from within, I applaud this courageous young man. He and others like him understand that justice is a global issue, and there can be no justice for Americans until we insist on justice for all people.
genesto on July 29, 2016, 4:48 pm
He won’t have a future in the Democratic Party as it’s presently constituted, but he will have a future in the progressive movement which, hopefully, will bring the Party with it.
Mayhem on July 29, 2016, 9:53 pm
And meanwhile outside the DNC pro-Palestinian supporters were burning Israeli and American flags.
Both of which are Constitutional forms of protest. So what is your point?
Burning a Zionist entity flag is a sacrilege and responds to a Higher Authority than the US Constitution, just as with the Hebrew Franks. The American flag is not anything he’s worried about.
Spring Renouncer on July 30, 2016, 12:42 am
The Democratic Party is sclerotic and not changing nearly fast enough. It is attempting to, yet again, integrate its dissidents back into the fold by giving them false hopes. Though generational change is occurring, young liberals are known to drift to the center as they age. Despite this, the Party could change over decades, but not before wrecking even more of the country and world. I think that abandoning the Democratic Party for the Green Party or a new party is the only way for voices like Kurnaz’s to be heard reliably and heeded in a reasonable time scale.
Voices like Kurnaz’s are on the fringe and will always remain so.
Shingo on July 31, 2016, 3:06 am
Voices like Kurnaz’s are on growing and will become the majority and old and crusty Israeli supporters pass away
freedom235 on July 30, 2016, 4:06 pm
Kudos to the brave Ali we certainly need more of this on the public stage! I’d have liked to have witnessed this at the RNC in Cleveland as well. I will never understand how both the Dems as well as the Repubs got so corrupt, and the zionists so damn entrenched in this Country. Walking through the historical areas of Philly, one quickly realizes the depths of character – how great many of our leaders were in their drive to create a nation dedicated to the ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, as well as the sacrifices made to do so. The sellouts, the corrupt, selfish, deceptive criminals that run this country – as well as their minions – have no where close the integrity and depth of character that it took to create this nation!
Kurnaz had the stones to step away from the herd and follow his conscience. Evil forces wish to keep the status quo of the criminal, racist state that is Israel. God bless him, we in the US need more of this bravery desperately!
JoeSmack on July 31, 2016, 9:24 pm
He’s holding it upside down.
CigarGod on August 1, 2016, 8:47 am
Flying a flag inverted is an internationally recognized signal of a nation and/or people in distress.
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Subject: Trends and News on the Best Stocks to Buy 2016
URL: http://mney.co/25mj6o8
5 × six = Required Please enter the correct value.
Trends and News on the Best Stocks to Buy 2016
By Money Morning Staff Reports, Money Morning • May 25, 2016
× six = fifty four
Investors considering the best stocks to buy 2016 don't need to worry about closely following the major indexes.
So far this year, the broad markets are not doing well. Complacence early in May that the Fed was unlikely to raise interest rates in the near term gave way recently to fears that tightening could happen sooner rather than later. Earnings season was mixed, with bellwethers like Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) and Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) turning in disappointing earnings that sent their stock prices into a slide.
Year to date, both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq are lackluster. The Dow is up 2.5%, and the Nasdaq down 2.1%. The S&P 500 is up 2.4%.
Yet while investors need to know the trends in the broader market, they should also bear in mind that there are always winners in any market. And the best stocks to buy for 2016 don't rely solely on the broader market's performance to be successful investments. In fact, the best stocks to buy shake off market weakness over the long term.
One crucial way to find best stocks to buy in 2016 is to focus on trends and news, and explore what stocks will ride those trends to outperformance.
We have two top stocks to buy now. One is a well-known big-cap stock that, despite all its strengths, is underrated right now by the crowd. Another is one you might not have heard of, but it's poised to benefit from a "tsunami" of spending this year.
Let's take a look at these two stocks to buy in 2016…
One of the Best Stocks to Buy 2016: Apple
One of the big pieces of news on AAPL recently has been the interest of several legendary investors.
Warren Buffett announced last week that his Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A, BRK.B) bought $1 billion of Apple. George Soros of Soros Fund Management bought more than 3,000 shares in Apple – not as large as a $1 billion stake, but still a significant sign that the recent beating AAPL stock has taken doesn't have these investors worried. Finally, David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital raised his stake by more than 30%, to 8.2 million shares.
Those are strong votes of confidence that Apple is just temporarily down – and definitely not out.
Apple has major strength in its cash position, with more than $200 billion available to the company. Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald points out that this much cash is enough to keep the company's dividend steady into the long term even if the company achieves no growth.
And both Fitz-Gerald and Money Morning Director of Technology & Venture Capital Michael A. Robinson expect growth ahead. More on that in a minute.
Fitz-Gerald believes that a partnership with Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) might be ahead for AAPL. Why? Well, the company needs services to maintain its growth. Its competitors, like Alphabet Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), have services like search engines (Google, Bing) and email (Gmail, Hotmail). Services are a high-margin business that AAPL has not had in the past.
Yahoo does have services. It is one of the top three, ranking behind only Google and Facebook. In fact, it's nearly tied with Facebook, at 204 million unique visitors and viewers versus Facebook's 206 million.
Apple could integrate Yahoo into its products. Some integration exists already: The stock quotes and data for Apple's Siri come from Yahoo, and up to two years ago, Yahoo was the default weather app on iPhones. Fitz-Gerald believes that additional integration in some form is possible and poised to drive Apple much higher.
So, that's the news that makes Apple one of the best stocks to buy in 2016. Now let's look at the trends.
How Apple Will Stay Among the Best Stocks to Buy
There's no question the stock has had a troubled year. The share price has lost over 30% in the past year, and significantly underperformed a flat to slightly down market in 2016.
However, Robinson points out that even its recent poor earnings report indicates iPhone sales of 51.2 million.
He also doesn't share beliefs that the earnings report means that the years of stellar iPhone growth are over.
There is still major international growth. First, iPhone sales in China are expected to gain robustly, based partly on the rise in consumer spending and population. Over the next four years, China's middle class will be quadrupling, with its upper-middle-class population reaching 100 million.
Second, he notes that Chinese buyers are upgrading the phones they buy. There is a kind of mass conversion in upgrades when compared to this time last year.
Finally, the stock simply has further to go based on its current price and Street estimates. Morningstar carries a fair value estimate for AAPL of $133 and Yahoo! Finance indicates a $126 consensus price target for a one-year horizon.
Given the current share price of $99, that's at least a one-third climb in the stock price.
Best Stocks to Buy 2016: Gray Television
Another one of the best stocks to buy 2016 benefits from a very different trend and a very different story. It's Gray Television Inc. (NYSE: GTN), an owner of television stations that give it roughly 9% of the total U.S. audience.
That may not seem like a huge amount of the market. As Fitz-Gerald points out, though, GTN is positioned in political campaign swing states, including Wisconsin, Virginia, Ohio, and Florida. That means they are beneficiaries of what Fitz-Gerald terms a "tsunami of election-year spending" on political campaigns.
It also has a strong fundamental case. GTN has been in a major expansion that has left it with 92 television stations in 50 markets. In many of its markets, it has the No. 1 or No. 2 position.
The shares trade at a price/earnings ratio of roughly 13, much less than Fox Television, which has a P/E of approximately 22. Fitz-Gerald believes if GTN attains 10% of the estimated $18 billion in advertising spending, as its audience reach makes reasonable, and holds its profit margin steady at just over 9%, net income should reach $165 million. That would make its earnings per share (EPS) $1.71.
He expects the P/E to expand to 22. The rising P/E, along with the robust EPS, leads to Fitz-Gerald's share price forecast of $56.43. That's a whopping 400% increase from current levels of $11.20.
That makes Gray one of the best stocks to buy 2016.
Stay abreast of market trends and news every day. Sign up for Money Morning's Private Briefing.
Follow Money Morning on Facebook and Twitter.
Tags: Stocks to Buy
three + five =
DJIA -9.60 (0.04%) 27,326.03
GTN 0.36 (-1.97%) 17.96
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NATIONAL CENTER
for the S tudy of C ollective B argaining in
H igher E ducation and the P rofessions
E-Note
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/ncscbhep
Follow us on Twitter @HigherEd_CB
The National Center E-Note is a monthly electronic newsletter containing research and analysis relevant to unionization and collective bargaining in higher education and the professions.
1. Register Now for the National Center's April 15-17, 2018 Annual Conference
2. The Delphi Award for Faculty Models that Support Student Success
3 Janus v. AFSCME: Models of Statutory Response
4. Brookdale Community College: AFT Adjunct Unit Voluntarily Recognized
5. Southwestern Michigan College: Faculty Vote for MEA Representation
6. Univ. of South Florida: Adjunct Faculty Mail Ballot Election Scheduled
7. Harvard College: Second NLRB Student Employee Election Scheduled
8. Cornell University: GSE Union Plans to File Election Objections
9. Penn State University: GSE Election to Be Scheduled
10. Maryland and Hawaii: Bills Seek to Grant Collective Bargaining to GSEs
11. Boston College: UAW Withdraws GSE Representation Petition
12. University of Chicago: AAUP-AFT Withdraws GSE Representation Petition
13. Yale University: UNITE-HERE Withdraws GSE Representation Petitions
14. University of Pennsylvania: GSE Representation Petition Withdrawn
15. West Chester Univ.: Administrator's 1st Amendment Claim Dismissed
16. Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy
Register Now for the National Center's 45th Annual Conference
45th Annual Conference in NYC: April 15-17, 2018
Facing New Realities in Higher Education and the Professions
Register now for the National Center's annual labor-management conference, which will be taking place on April 15-17, 2018 at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. The conference will include interactive workshops, research presentations, and panels relevant to faculty, administrators, and non-faculty staff at universities, colleges, and community colleges.
We have special registration rates for adjunct faculty ($110.00; Promo 1719) and graduate student employees ($55, Promo Code 1922).
The keynote speaker will be David Weil, Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Dean Weil is author of The Fissured Workplace: How Work Became So Bad for So Many and What Can be Done to Improve It.
The conference plenary session will be examining Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and His Legacy for Our Times. Confirmed speakers for the plenary session are three historians: William P. Jones, the University of Minnesota, Derryn Moten, Alabama State University, and Jeanne Theoharis, Brooklyn College. The plenary will be moderated by Ronald Mason, Jr. , President, the University of the District of Columbia.
The following are some of the confirmed conference panels and workshops:
Workshops: April 15, 2018
Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Administrators
Unionization and Collective Bargaining for Academic Labor
Bargaining Over Health Care in Higher Education
Preparing, Presenting, and Defending at Arbitration
Financial Data Analysis in Higher Education
Effective Lobbying for Higher Education
Panels: April 16-17, 2018
Responding to Janus: Collective Bargaining and Membership Engagement
Recently Negotiated First Contracts for Adjunct Faculty
Bargaining a First Contract for Graduate Student Employees
Interest-based Bargaining at Community Colleges
Collective Bargaining for Non-Academic Staff
Academic Freedom in Trying Times
Wage Discrimination at Universities and Professional Schools
Creative Solutions for Resolving Wage Compression
Mission-Driven Classification Systems and the Impact of Collective Bargaining
Labor-Management Alliances in Support of Higher Education Funding
Online Harassment of Faculty and Administrators
Resolution of Conflicts and Improvement of Labor-Management Relationships
The Politics and Impact of Accreditation
Unionization at Religiously-Affiliated Colleges and Universities
Unionized Environments at Academic Libraries
The Financialization of Higher Education
The Unionization of Doctors and Nurses
The Delphi Award for Faculty Models that Support Student Success
by Adrianna Kezar, Professor for Higher Education, USC
The Delphi Project is happy to announce a new award, the Delphi Award, which recognizes the good work of campus leaders to better support today's faculty. The new award is made possible by the generous support of the Teagle Foundation.
The purpose of the Delphi Award is to reward campuses for making positive changes to policies and practices that support faculty, particularly in ways that enable faculty to support students. This award comes at a time where the environment of classrooms and the life of faculty have changed radically in the last two decades, moving to contingent faculty models. Various studies have demonstrated how these changes work directly against the type of support needed for students and quality instruction (see summary of research at www.thechangingfaculty.org).
We hope to select campuses that have made alterations in:
Practice (e.g., appropriate campus orientations, responsible hiring processes, feedback and evaluation)
Policies (e.g., promotion and advancement, participation in governance, compensation, academic freedom protections)
Programs and services (e.g., mentoring, professional development processes)
Implementation of new faculty models (e.g. campus that initiate a new contract type or model of faculty beyond the adjunct or research-intensive faculty model. See The Delphi Project's Adapting by Design report for examples.)
Collective bargaining results in positive changes needed to support an effective and thriving professoriate. Thus, we know that reaching out to this community should result in applications for the award given the important work that you do.
Criteria for Award:
Because the award is aimed at recognizing exemplary practices, policies, and programs or services that support faculty in being successful so that they can support students, the following criteria will be used:
Evidence that the program, policy, or practice is designed with student success in mind. It is important that the submitting campus describe what their definition is of student success.
Evidence that the program, policy, or practice is impacting student success. Campuses must also present evidence of their definition of student success detailed in criteria 1. Evidence of student success might include the following example/data source: graduation or persistence rates, course passing rates, GPA, etc.
Evidence that the program, policy, or practice is assisting faculty in being more effective in their work.
Evidence illustrating how the program, policy, or practice can be replicated or emulated on any campus (i.e., that other institutions might be able to adopt the approach with minimum difficulty).
Evidence that the program, policy, or practice has been designed in collaboration with the faculty that the program, policy, or practice is aimed at.
Evidence that the program, policy, or practice has resulted in positive impact on the learning for the institution/department/unit that has encouraged rethinking other policies, practices, or programs.
Evidence that the program, policy, or practice is being institutionalized and will be sustained. Evidence may entail inclusion in strategic plans, stated leadership commitment, fundraising, and development aimed at supporting the practice. If it has existed for over a year, how did it survive after the first year of implementation? How has it improved or altered to ensure its sustainability?
Theory of action that explains the connection between the program, policy or practice and support of faculty and relationship of that change to support of student success.
Each winning institution will receive a cash award in the amount of $15,000 which will be given out at the annual meeting of the Association of American colleges and universities. One two-year and one four-year institution will be chosen each year for the award.
Deadline for Submissions:
The deadline is June 1, 2018 at 5 PM Pacific Time. All material should be submitted as a single PDF document via email to delphiaward@thechangingfaculty.org
Details for the award can be found at our website: www.delphiaward.org
Janus v. AFSCME: Models of Statutory Response
J anus v. AFSCME , United States Supreme Court, Case No. 16-1466
The United States Supreme Court has scheduled oral argument in Janus v. AFSCME for next Monday, February 26, 2018. The case is a First Amendment challenge to an agency fee requirement under a public sector collective bargaining law requiring non-union members in a bargaining unit to pay a fee for the representation they receive in collective bargaining and in the administration of the contract. A ruling in Janus is expected to be issued by late June.
Last month, we highlighted the public policy approaches taken by Florida and California, which might be followed in other states following a ruling in Janus. This month, we take a look at recently proposed legislation in other states relevant to the practical impact of a decision in Janus finding an agency fee to be unconstitutional under the First Amendment.
In Massachusetts, House of Representative member Gerald Cassidy has introduced legislation, H1335, which would require payment of an agency fee by all non-members, and excludes all non-members who fail to pay an agency fee from the terms of a negotiated contract with the exception of negotiated cost of living allowances. Under present state law, an agency fee can be imposed only after a contract has been negotiated requiring payment of the fee as a condition of employment. M.G.L. Ch. 150E, Sec. 12. In addition, the current statute prohibits a union from discriminating against an employee on the basis of the employee's membership, non-membership, or agency fee status.
The proposal by Massachusetts Representative Cassidy to exclude non-members from most of the fruits of collective bargaining if they fail to pay the agency fee is an interesting variation on the members-only approach being advocated by some scholars. Importantly, the proposal would not relieve a union from the obligation of administering grievances relating to cost of living increases, and providing other forms of representation in light of the non-discrimination provision under current Massachusetts law.
On February 7, 2018, House Bill 1017 was introduced in the Maryland Legislature to expand the obligations of the State Department of Budget and Management, the University System of Maryland, Morgan State University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Baltimore City Community College to provide information to a certified union concerning new and current employee. A similar bill was introduced in the Maryland Senate.
If enacted, the proposed amendment would require those public employers to provide a union the following information in electronic form within 30 days of the hiring of a new employee: name; position classification; bargaining unit; home and work site addresses where the employee receives interoffice or mail; home and work telephone numbers; work and personal e-mail addresses; and position identification number.
The bill would also mandate that the same information be provided to the union for current employees at least every 120 days. The proposed law would not eliminate the current opt-out provision in current law, which permits employees to object to the providing of the information.
In New York, there is a bill pending in the state legislature that would amend New York's Civil Service Law to require a public employer to provide a union the following information concerning newly hired, reemployed, and promoted employees within 30 days: name, job title, work location, work telephone number, and hours of work.
The bill would also require public employers to commence making membership dues deductions within 30 days after receiving proof of an employee's signed dues deduction authorization, and require the employer to permit a union representative to meet with a new, reemployed, or promoted employee during work time within 30 days of employment unless otherwise specified in a collective bargaining agreement.
Lastly, the bill would also require public employers to accept electronic dues deduction authorizations in any format permitted under New York State Technology Law, Article III .
A bill, SB 1524, was introduced in the Oregon Senate on February 5, 2018 to amend that state's law by establishing a system of members-only collective bargaining. Under the proposed amendment, the law would distinguish between a "union employee" "who consents to join, renew membership in or pay for the services of a labor organization" and an "independent employee" "who does not consent to join, renew membership in or pay for the services of a labor organization."
Under the bill, an independent employee would not be required to pay dues or fees to a union to defray the cost of a labor organization's services, and it would an unfair labor practice for a union to enter into an agreement that requires independent employees to make payments to the union.
As a consequence of not paying dues or representation fees to a union, an independent employee would not be permitted to benefit from the union's services and the union would not be required to bargain on behalf or provide other representation on behalf of the independent employee. The bill would mandate a public employer to determine the wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment of an independent employee based on the independent employee's education, experience, training, skills and performance, and not based on the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.
The bill's sponsor, Oregon Republican Senator Jeff Kruse, has since announced his resignation from office following a detailed report finding that he had engaged in sexual harassment in the workplace over many years.
There is a bill pending in the State of Washington that would require granting a union access to a new employee for at least 30 minutes within 30 days after the employee commenced employment. The proposed statutorily mandated access would take place during the the employer's orientation or at another mutually agreed upon time.
Brookdale Community College: AFT Adjunct Unit Voluntarily Recognized
According to a website post, Brookdale Community College voluntarily recognized the Brookdale Adjunct Faculty union on February 13, 2018 as the exclusive representative of approximately 450 adjunct faculty at the college. The recognition took place after the union demonstrated majority support through signed authorization cards.
Southwestern Michigan College: Faculty Vote for MEA Representation
Southwestern Michigan College, MERC Case No. R17 K-098
On February 8, 2018, the Michigan Education Association was certified by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission to represent a unit of all full-time tenured and tenure-track instructional faculty at Southwestern Michigan College. The certification followed a January 26, 2018 tally of ballots in a mail-ballot election in which 31 faculty voted in favor of representation and 23 voted against.
The following is the new tenured and tenure-track faculty bargaining unit represented by the Michigan Education Association:
Included: All full-time Instructional Faculty
Excluded: Administrators, Adjunct Faculty, Advisers, Librarians, Counselors, Recruiter, and non-instructional staff.
Univ. of South Florida: Adjunct Faculty Mail Ballot Election Scheduled
University of South Florida Board of Trustees , PERC Case No. EL-2018-002
On January 31, 2018, the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) issued a notice of a mail-ballot election among part-time adjunct faculty at the University of South Florida on a representation petition filed by SEIU. The ballots were mailed to the eligible voters on February 16, 2018, and ballots must be returned to Florida PERC by March 13, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. in order to be counted in the tally of ballots.
The following is the at-issue adjunct faculty unit at the University of South Florida:
Included: All part-time non-tenure-track faculty (including adjunct faculty, adjuncts contingent, adjunct, adjunct instruct, skilled craftsman, Into/Pathways, instructor, instructor I, instructor II, and hourly employee) employed by the University of South Florida at its Tampa Campus, St. Petersburg Campus, and SarasotaManatee Campus, who is teaching at least one college-credit-bearing course, including any employee who also works for the University in another capacity unless expressly excluded.
Excluded: All other faculty, including tenured and tenure-track faculty, full-time faculty, visiting or contract faculty, faculty who are currently part of an existing bargaining unit, all administrations (including academic advisors, deans, assistants to deans, provost, directors, coordinators, department chairs, student services advising generalists, athletic coaches, all faculty teaching at the College of Nursing, Morsani College of Medicine, College of Public Health, School of Physical Therapy, School of Biomedical Sciences, and College of Pharmacy, all other employees who are not compensated additionally for teaching, managers, confidential employees, and supervisors.
Eligible Voters: Eligibility includes these adjuncts who were employed during the spring, summer, or fall semesters of 2017 up to September 15, 2017.
Harvard College: Second NLRB Student Employee Election Scheduled
Harvard College, NLRB Case No. 01-RC-186442
Following the NLRB's December 12, 2017 decision affirming the Regional Director's decision relating to an election conducted concerning a UAW petition to represent student employees at Harvard, a second tally to ballots was conducted on January 11, 2018. Of the approximate 3,556 student employees in the proposed unit, 1,526 voted against representation and 1,396 voted in favor.
Based on the NLRB's decision to set aside the first election on the grounds that Harvard failed to provide a complete voter eligibility list, a notice of election was issued on February 2, 2018 scheduling a second election. The second election will take place on April 18, 19, and 20, 2018 at various campus locations.
The following is the agreed upon voting unit:
Included: All students enrolled in Harvard degree programs employed by the Employer who provide instructional services at Harvard University, including graduate and undergraduate Teaching Fellows (teaching assistants, teaching fellows, course assistants); and all students enrolled in Harvard degree programs (other than undergraduate students at Harvard College) employed by the Employer who serve
as Research Assistants (regardless of funding sources, including those compensated through Training Grants). This unit includes students employed by Harvard University and enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Business School, the Division of Continuing Education, Harvard Graduate School of Design; Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Harvard Law School, Harvard Divinity School, Harvard Medical School, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Harvard College who were employed by the Employer during the payroll period ending March 12, 2018. Also eligible to vote are doctoral students who are not currently employed, but were employed in the bargaining unit for at least the Spring Semester of 2017 or the
Fall Semester of 2017, and who are not currently in their Dissertation Completion Year (or final year of their program)
Excluded: All undergraduate students serving as research assistants, and all other employees, guards and supervisors as defined in the Act.
Cornell University: GSE Union Plans to File Election Objections
Cornell Graduate Student United, NYSUT, AFT (CGSU) has announced plans to file objections concerning the conduct by Cornell University in an election conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in March 2017, which led to an inconclusive result. The vote tally was 856 in favor of unionization and 919 against with 81 additional ballots challenged. The objections could lead to the ordering of a new election.
The 2017 election was conducted pursuant to a May 2016 agreement between CGSU and Cornell University establishing a non-NLRB procedure for the unionization efforts by Cornell teaching assistants, graduate research assistants, graduate assistants, and research assistants.
Under the agreement, the parties agreed that if the NLRB ruled that graduate students were employees for purposes of collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act, the issue of whether CGSU represented a majority of Cornell graduate student employees would be determined by an AAA election rather than one conducted by the NLRB.
The Cornell University-CGSU agreement identified the scope of the bargaining unit, and the eligibility requirements for voting. The university agreed to voluntarily recognize the union as the exclusive representative for the graduate student employees if majority status was demonstrated through the AAA election. Under the agreement, the parties would "have the same rights and obligations with respect to union organizing" by graduate assistants as if the graduate assistants were deemed employees for purposes of the NLRA.
The negotiated agreement also included guidelines and limitations concerning communications by administrators, faculty, and principal investigators with graduate assistants concerning the unionization drive. Among the restrictions was a prohibition against captive audience meetings with graduate students about union representation, and a prohibition against communications to individual graduate students "advising them on joining or supporting the Union, the benefits or disadvantages of union representation, or to discourage protected concerted activity."
Penn State University: GSE Election to Be Scheduled
Pennsylvania State University, PERA R-17-40E
On February 6, 2018, Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board Hearing Examiner Stephen A. Helmerich issued a decision concerning a petition filed by the Coalition of Graduate Employees, PSEA/NEA (CGE) seeking to represent a unit of approximately 4,000 full-time and regular part-time graduate student employees at Pennslylvania State University.
During the processing of the petition, CGE clarified that it was seeking to represent four categories of graduate students: research assistants, teaching assistants, graduate assistants who perform academic or professional work for the university and graduate fellows/trainees.
During the multi-day hearing before Hearing Officer Helmerich, the university contested the employee status of graduate assistants under Pennsylvania Public Employe Relations Act.
In an earlier decision in Temple University, 32 PPER ¶ 32164 (2001), the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board had ruled that graduate students were employees if they satisfied certain criteria including receiving compensation for performing services. Based on that precedent, and the facts presented before him at the hearing, Hearing Officer Helmerich concluded that graduate students at Penn State were employees for purposes of collective bargaining, and found that there was a clear identifiable community of interest that made the following unit appropriate:
Included: All full-time and regular part-time professional employees who are graduate students on graduate assistantship or traineeship and who perform services as teaching assistants, research assistants, or administrative support assistants.
Excluded: Graduate students on fellowship, management level employes, supervisors, first level supervisors, confidential employees and guards as defined in the Act.
Based on his conclusions, Hearing Officer Helmerich ordered the university to submit to the agency within ten days a current list of the names and addresses of employees eligible for inclusion in the defined unit. The university has a right to file exceptions to the Hearing Officer's decision. The filing of exceptions will probably delay the scheduling of a representation election.
Maryland and Hawaii: Bills Seek to Grant Collective Bargaining to GSEs
There is pending legislation in two states to grant collective bargaining rights to graduate student employees at public institutions.
On January 18, 2018, Maryland General Assembly Delegates Korman, Frush, Healey, Jones, Moon, Pena-Melnyk, Sanchez, Tarlau, and A. Washington introduced House Bill 199 that would grant collective bargaining rights to graduate assistants at a state higher education system institution, Morgan State University, and St. Mary's College of Maryland. The phrase "graduate assistant" includes those who are a teaching, administrative, or research assistant, or in a comparable position, a fellow, or a postdoctoral intern at one of those institutions.
In Hawaii, Senate Bill 406 is pending that would grant collective bargaining rights to full-time graduate student assistants employed by the University of Hawaii but would deny such rights to part-time graduate student assistants at the university.
Boston College: UAW Withdraws GSE Representation Petition
Boston College, NLRB Case No. 01-RC-194148
On February 08, 2018, the NLRB General Counsel approved a request by the UAW to withdraw its petition seeking to represent a unit of graduate student employees at Boston College and for the revocation of the Certification of Representation issued on September 25, 2017 following a representation election held on September 12 and 13, 2017. The union has announced an intention of seeking to persuade the college to grant voluntary recognition, and commence negotiations.
As a result of the petition's withdrawal, Boston College's pending Request for Review of the Regional Director's Decision and Direction of Election has become moot. The college had argued that the Regional Director erred in asserting jurisdiction over the question of representation and challenged the standards articulated by the NLRB in Pacific Lutheran University, 361 NLRB No. 157 (2014) and Saint Xavier University, 365 NLRB No. 54 (2017) for determining jurisdiction over a religiously-affiliated institution. The institution also argued that the NLRB's decision in Columbia University, 364 NLRB No. 90 (2016), finding graduate and research assistants are covered under the National Labor Relations Act, was wrongfully decided and should be reversed.
The jurisdictional issue raised by Boston College will be the subject of a panel discussion at the National Center's 45th annual conference on April 15-17, 2018. The panel will include Charles J. Russo, Panzer Chair in Education and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton; Michele Nelson, Iona College, Michael Moreland, Vice Dean and Professsor of Law, Villanova University School of Law, Jacob A. Bennett, Doctoral Student, Department of Education, University of New Hampshire with Gerald M. Cattaro, professor, Fordham University, Center for Faith Based Initiative.
University of Chicago: AAUP-AFT Withdraws Representation Petition
University of Chicago, 13-RC-198325
On February 13, 2018, the NLRB General Counsel approved a request by AAUP-AFT to withdraw its petition seeking to represent graduate student employees (GSE) at the University of Chicago. The withdrawal took place four months after AAUP-AFT was certified by the National Labor Relations Board to represent the GSE bargaining unit of 2,457.
The following was the at-issue unit at the University of Chicago:
Included: All graduate students who are full-time and regular part-time teaching assistants, research assistants, course assistants, workshop coordinators, writing interns, preceptors, language assistants, instructors, lecturers, lectors, and teaching interns in the School of Divinity, School of Social Services Administration, Division of Social Sciences, Division of Humanities, Division of Biological Sciences, and Division of Physical Sciences employed by the Employer at its campus in Chicago, Illinois.
Excluded: All other employees, managerial employees, guards, and supervisors as defined in the Act.
Yale University: UNITE-HERE Withdraws GSE Representation Petitions
Yale University, NLRB Case Nos. 01-RC-183014, 01-RC-183016, 01-RC-183022, 01-RC-183025, 01-RC-183031, 01-RC-183038, 01-RC-183043, and 01-RC-183050
On February 12, 2018, the NLRB Region 1 Director approved the request by UNITE-HERE to withdraw eight petitions for departmentally-based micro-units of graduate student employees at Yale University. The petitions were withdrawn following the issuance of certifications in 2017 making UNITE-HERE the exclusive representative of the eight bargaining units following representation elections.
The withdrawal of the petitions by UNITE-HERE were expected in light of the NLRB Board ruling in PCC Structurals, Inc. 365 NLRB No. 160 (2017), which overruled S pecialty Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center of Mobile, 357 NLRB No. 83 (2011) e nfd. sub nom. Kindred Nursing Centers East v. NLRB, 727 F.3d 552 (6th Cir. 2013) that had found micro-units of employees appropriate under certain circumstances.
University of Pennsylvania: GSE Representation Petition Withdrawn
University of Pennsylvania, NLRB Case No. 04-RC-199609
On February 16, 2018, the Graduate Employees Together University of Pennsylvania (GET-UP UPENN,) an AFT affiliate, withdrew its petition at the NLRB seeking to be certified as the representative of a GSE unit at that institution.
The withdrawal comes less than two months after NLRB Region 4 Director Dennis P. Walsh issued a Decision and Direction of Election, which concluded that the following was the appropriate unit:
Included: All graduate students who provide instructional services and/or perform research, including but not limited to Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, Research
Assistants, Research Fellows and Pre-Doctoral Trainees employed by the
Employer in the following schools: Annenberg School for Communication,
Biomedical Graduate Studies, School of Design, Graduate School of Education,
School of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School
of Nursing, School of Social Policy and Practice, and Wharton School;
Excluded: All other employees, educational fellowship recipients, office clerical employees, guards and supervisors as defined in the Act.
Prior to the withdrawal of the representation petition by GET-UP UPENN, the university had continued its campaign against the unionization effort.
One example of that campaign was a February 7, 2018 email from Dean of Engineering Vijay Kumar and Deputy Engineering Dean for Research and Innovation Kathleen Stebe to the department's doctoral students, which is reprinted below. The email is a revealing exposition of values concerning the democratic unionization process and collective bargaining. Whether the email's content was drafted by others and/or represents the institutional views of the university is unknown.
The email's wording and construct present a negative view of the republican framework created under American collective bargaining law to effectuate workplace democracy. Under the workplace form of representational democracy, employees are given the right to choose a representative to speak and negotiate on their behalf with their employer. In the email, Dean Kumar and Deputy Dean Stebe turn the republican framework on its head by creating a false duality between the union "winning" and graduate students "losing" their voice to advocate on their own behalf.
The email presents the petitioned-for representative as a third party rather than as an association seeking to be certified to represent a bargaining unit following an
election. In their view, an electoral result in favor of representation of graduate student employees would constitute a loss of freedom. In addition, potential contractual results stemming from the representation, which are analogous to enacted laws by legislative representatives, are portrayed as being inherently oppressive.
The workplace representation framework is very similar to the political one of electing legislators to represent electoral districts concerning laws and budgets. Both were designed to insure stability. In Federalist Papers No. 10, James Madision emphasized that a republican form of governance is necessary to avoid the instability resulting from factionalism caused by individuals or groups of individuals advocating for themselves. It is troubling that deans at a major university in the 21st Century would seek to portray the fruits of a representative form of democracy as a form of oppression.
West Chester Univ.: Administrator's 1st Amendment Claim Dismissed
Bradley v. West Chester Univ., U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit, Case No. 17-1588
On January 26, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a decision affirming the dismissal of a First Amendment lawsuit brought by Colleen M. Bradley challenging the renewal of her appointment as the Director of Budget and Financial Planning at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. In her lawsuit, Bradley alleged that her contract was not renewed because of her objections to budgetary reports that were prepared to demonstrate substantial university deficits rather than actual surpluses.
The federal appellate court concluded that Bradley's objections were not protected speech under the First Amendment because they were made pursuant to her official duties. In reaching its decision, the court applied the exclusionary rule created by the United States Supreme Court in its decision in Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410 (2006), which makes all speech by public employees pursuant to official duties to be outside of First Amendment protections.
Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy
The Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy is the National Center's peer review multi-disciplinary journal that is co-edited by Jeffrey Cross, Eastern Illinois University, and Gary Rhoades, University of Arizona. The Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy is supported, in part, by a generous contribution from TIAA-CREF and is hosted by the institutional repository of Eastern Illinois University.
We encourage scholars, practitioners, and graduate students in the fields of collective bargaining, labor representation, labor relations, and labor history to submit articles for potential publication.
The Journal recently published Volume 9 with new research and analysis:
The Slippery Slope of "Unique" by Daniel J. Julius counters the commonly held notion among academics that their collective bargaining is essentially different from other bargaining units.
Anti-Intellectualism, Corporatization, and the University by Henry Reichman touches on the culture of anti-intellectualism and connects it to the oft-referenced business model for higher education.
The History Books Tell It? Collective Bargaining in Higher Education in the 1940s by William A. Herbert examines the little-known history of collective bargaining in higher education from the 1940s including the collective bargaining program instituted by the University of Illinois and the role of United Public Workers of America and its predecessor unions in negotiating the first contracts for faculty before the union was destroyed during the McCarthy era.
Contracts with Community College Adjunct Faculty Members and Potential Supplemental Benefits to Increase Satisfaction by Kimberly Ann Page analyzes the benefits that can be attained for adjunct faculty through collective bargaining based on survey data from New England community colleges.
Unionization and the Development of Policies for Non-Tenure Track Faculty: A Comparative Study of Research Universities by Karen Halverson Cross provides a cross-sectional analysis of adjunct contracts, covering a sample of research universities from across the nation including those with and without CBAs that include adjunct faculty.
Practitioner Perspective
The Accidental Academic: Reflections on 50 Years in Academic Collective Bargaining by William Connellan gives a retrospective from a 50-year veteran in academic labor relations that reminds us of the complexity of bargaining, with not only the internal tensions, but the external dimension to what happens at the bargaining table.
National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining
in Higher Education and the Professions
national.center@hunter.cuny.edu | http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/ncscbhep
H unter College, City University of New York
425 E 25th St.
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Meredith Salenger Biography
Meredith Salenger's facts
Education Graduation
Education at Harvard University
Name on Birth Meredith Dawn Salenger
Place of Birth Malibu, California
Meredith Salenger’s complete name is Meredith Dawn Salenger which is also her birthname. She was born on the 14th of March in the year of 1970. She is an American actress and is also one of the hottest actress of her time. He is notably known for the role in The Journey of Natty Gramnn which was released in the year 1985, the movie was the production of Disney Film. Her many roles and performances are known from her teenage. She was born in Malibu, California where she was raised too. She is the daughter of Gary Salenger who was a dentist and Dorathy who was an interior designer. She was interested in acting since her childhood times. From the year 1988 to 1992 she went to Harvard University where she graduated cum laude having the degree in psychology. Then in the year of 2009 she graduated from the Pepperdine University of Law. She is currently engaged in Agency for Dispute Resolution (ADR) which is situated in Beverly Hills of California. She works as a mediator in ADR.
She used to entertain others while she used to perform infront of family and her friends. She used to enjoy herself when she used to perform. She got to join acting classes as her mother appointed her in the acting classes. She was just eight years when she joined the acting classes. She had a small role in the movie Annie where she played as singing and dancing orphan. The movie was directed by Kohn Huston. She had also featured in different television advertisements and shows as well. Her role in the Disney film The Journey of Natty Gann was her first acting role along with John Cusack and Ray Wise. The movie was the first U.S movie to win the gold award at the Moscow Film Festival. It had became a successful movie and had got many good reviews. The movie also got Meredith Salenger the award Best Actress in a Drama which was organized by the Youth in Film Awards. She received the award for the role of Natty Grann. The role was of tomboyish girl. When she reached the age of eighteen she did four more movies among which she also did A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon. After that she got departed from the movies and the Hollywood then attended Harvard University to continue with her studies.
After her studies and her graduation she started to continue with her acting profession as she returned to Hollywood. Some of her roles also include in the movies like Lake Placid, The Third Wheel and also the movie with other famous casts in the movie Grownups. She has also featured in some of her independent movies like Quality time along with Sparkle & Charm. Salenger also has got some major roles in the movies like The Kiss and Dream a Little Dream which was released in the year 1989. She also appeared in the television show of Buffy The Vampire Slayer. She appeared in an episode in the year 1998 of the series. She has also got an amazing voice which can be heard in Flow Through Me along with Koishii and Hush. Salenger has also featured in the music video of Hanging Around by Counting Crows. Meredith also featured in two episodes of Dawson’s Creek in the year 2002. She also had a cameo in the Disney produced movie Race to Witch Mountain in the year 2009. She played the role of a television reporter, Natalie Gann. She had also given her voice for different characters. Her notable voice can be heard from the character of Star Wars: The Clone Wars in the Cartoon Network.
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Home » Mysteries » Unsolved Murders » The Unsolved Northwest Missouri State University Murder – Teresa Sue Hilt
Morbidology True Crime Unsolved Murders
This post was published on 24th June 2018 17th February 2019
The Unsolved Northwest Missouri State University Murder – Teresa Sue Hilt
Teresa Sue Hiltwas a petite 22-year-old student at Northwest Missouri State University. She had been granted a degree in music education and had also been enrolled in graduate programs leading to a Master of Science degree in guidance and counselling. Hilt was extremely active on the campus; she was a member of the yearbook staff, the marching band as well as the Student Union board and several music groups amongst the students. Hilt also took part in several college productions including “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” where she played the character, Peppermint Patty.
In her free time, Hilt enjoyed sewing and singing. She was outgoing and bubbly and her friends would later recall that she got on well with everybody who encountered her. “She was a small girl with a big smile and even bigger laugh,” said a friend of Hilt who runs the website: https://justicefortess.com/. Those who knew her said that she never locked her apartment door and always saw the best in everybody. Her trusting nature would prove to be deadly; on the 4th of August, 1973, she was brutally murdered in her Maryville apartment. She had been stabbed several times and then strangled to death with a pair of her own nylon stockings.
The autopsy concluded that Hilt had been killed at some time between 2AM and the daylight hours. She was last seen at the apartment of a young man – Edward Happel – who lived in the same complex, College Gardens, which was just a block or so away from the university. Police said that Hilt and Happel had been out socially the night before and returned to his apartment. Hilt wasn’t a big drinker and would sit and nurse the same drink throughout the entire night. At around 2AM, two of Happel’s male friends arrived and Hilt said her goodbyes to walk the short 60 yards back to her own home. Before she left, Hilt and the Happel arranged to meet the following day when he got off work. Police announced that he was a witness and not a suspect in the murder.
At around 4PM on the 4th of August, Happel tried calling Hilt to inform her that he had finished his shift at work and that he was ready to hang out with her. When he received no reply, he went to her apartment and found that the door was slightly ajar and let himself in. It was here that he discovered the nude, lifeless body of Hilt lying on her bed. Her body appeared to have been posed: her left arm lay straight at her side, her right arm was bent at the elbow and resting on her back. A 4-inch paring knife stained with blood was found in her right hand; no fingerprints were found on the knife. Ligature marks were found on her wrists indicating she had been bound. She had been stabbed on the chest, arm and lower part of the body – the knife pierced her heart and left lung. “The chest wound had one entry with multiple, eight different jabs, like they never pulled the knife completely out and just re-stuck it up to eight times,” said an officer.1 During the ruthless attack, Hilt had swallowed some of her own hair; some was found as far as eight inches in her oesophagus. Hilt hadn’t been raped and there was a possible bite mark on her breast.
An investigation of the crime scene and surrounding area turned up her wallet and travel checks, both of which were discovered near the railroad tracks just south of her apartment. Hair samples found near the bed and inside Hilt’s mouth were examined and determined to have come from somebody suffering from monilethrix, a rare disease that makes the scalp brittle and causes hair to easily fall out. The disease is generally found in South America. It was determined the hair came from somebody between 20 and 40 years old. Following this revelation, police issued a request for people to come forward with the names of those they knew suffering from the disease but this line of enquiry led only to a dead end.
A reward for $3,825 was subsequently offered for whoever could provide information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the killer. The violent murder shocked the university community; women were afraid of walking home alone and made sure their windows and doors were locked. “I never locked my door before, now I lock it all the time,” was a common remark from the co-eds.2 Despite the fact that it was a brutal and frenzied murder – Hilt had suffered numerous bruises, a black eye, and torn neck muscles – none of her neighbours heard anything suspicious that night.
The investigation into the slaying provided very little clues and frustrated Hilt’s parents who awaited any new information anxiously at their home 80 miles southeast of Maryville. Sgt. Jim Wright, a detective on the Maryville police department, was assigned to find the killer. By February 1974, over 200 people had been interviewed while fingerprints of 150 individuals had been taken. Six persons had taken lie detector tests – including Happel – yet none of the leads ever panned out. As is a common occurrence with highly-reported murder cases, there was a string of false confessors, including a man who was in a mental institute at the time of the slaying. With the case at a standstill, Dr. Milton Helpern, chief medical examiner of New York City agreed to review the evidence in the case. Dr. Helpern was considered one of the world’s leading medical detectives at the time and had worked on hundreds of murder cases. New York Times said that Dr. Helpern “knows more about violent death than anyone else,”3 It was hoped that a fresh pair – and an experienced pair – of eyes could help crack the case. Once again, this was another dead end.
Early on in the investigation, police theorised that a woman had killed Hilt. This theory was built on the fact that Hilt hadn’t been raped and that her apartment had been cleaned following the murder. Moreover, the killer had neatly folded a sheet and placed it over Hilt’s lifeless body. “This was too neat a job to have been done by a man,” said Sgt. Jim Wright. However, it’s certainly not uncommon for male killers to clean up their crime scene and there are numerous male killers that are not sexually motivated. They also theorised that Hilt had met her killer during the short walk back to her apartment from Happel’s apartment. Could somebody have followed her home? Sgt. Jim Wright surmised that Hilt met somebody on her way home and willingly went with them or was grabbed by them. He contended that the fact that her travel checks and wallet were found near the railroad track south of the complex was evidence of this. “I think she was brought back or went back to her apartment where the murder took place. The murderer could have been someone she knew because no one heard any outcry and those apartment walls are paper thin,” he said. It should be noted, however, that Hilt’s killer could have stolen the travel checks and wallet and then disposed of them or dropped them after fleeing from the crime scene.
Another line of investigation focused on a thesis Hilt was writing at the time of her murder. The thesis was on alcohol and drug use on the Maryville campus and during her research, she conducted several interview with local alcoholics and drug users. In a tape recording found in her home, Hilt described one man as poorly groomed and mentioned that she intensely disliked him as he continually “pawed” at her.4 Police checked out reports of a man who was approximately six feet tall, well built, with black greasy hair, that was allegedly seen around the apartment complex at the time of the murder. A thorough investigation into this lead uncovered that the man was a teacher from out of town that had been attending a seminar. He was quickly ruled out as a suspect.
Unfortunately when Keith Wood took over as police official in Maryville 16 years later, he found that the physical evidence from the crime scene was missing; bed sheets, the murder weapon, hair samples, and DNA had all vanished. To this date, the murder of Teresa Sue Hilt still remains unsolved.
If you have any information into the murder of Teresa Sue Hilt, please contact Tips4Tess@aol.com.
The Kansas City Star, 16 June, 2012 – “Lee’s Summit Man Driven to Help Solve Murder Case from 1973”
St Joseph News-Press – 20 January, 1974 – “Still Seeking Leads in Co-Ed’s Murder”
The Maryville Daily Forum, “New York Authority to Review Hilt Case”
The Maryville Daily Forum, 18 August, 1973, “Authorities Searching for Man for Questioning”
The Texarkana Moonlight Murders
5 People Who Vanished In The Wilderness
She sounds like a really nice girl. I believe it was someone she had interviewed and maybe they stalked her home that night to get her when it was late and she was alone. RIP to Teresa.
24th July 2018 8:01 pm
Tara White
Very suspicious that all of the evidence from her case has disappeared. It couldve been solved with todays technology. What idiot throws out evidence….the killer??
12th August 2018 12:53 am
Michall Holmes
More than 45 years now since Tess was murdered, and nearly 6 years since her case was re-awakened. Wonderful, caring tipsters have come forward with volumes of information leading to solid persons of interest in the case. I believe Andre is partly correct; that she was stalked and ambushed that night. The bruising on her left cheek and the black eye would possibly indicate a powerful right hand punch to render her defenseless. After that the rage and the torture suggest the killer was someone Tess knew. Someone with a level of hatred impossible for us to understand. We’re still hoping for that last bit of information needed to help bring justice for Tess. Email us: Tips4Tess@aol.com.
17th February 2019 2:53 pm
That Chick
I hope this isn’t insensitive in anyway- but I’m sure this has been proposed before- it sounds like a Ted Bundy killing, right down to the nylon stalking, bite mark, & college campus. It was within the time of his killings as well, & there always supposedly were more victims. I’m only speculating, I don’t mean to be rude. RIP Tessa.
Did Teresita Basa Solve her own Murder?
21st July 2018 Emily Thompson 3
15th March 2019 Emily Thompson 1
The Murder of Kelly Anne Bates
15th February 2018 Emily Thompson 5
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Leaked Information on the Aston Martin Valkyrie Proves It Will be a Game Changer
Written by Brandon on June 20, 2017 in Cars
My excitement for the next level of hypercar performance is at an all-time high right now, which is weird considering we still have at least a year before we start seeing any of the new hypercars from Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin. But we are at the stage where we are learning a lot more about the details of these magnificent cars. And thanks to some leaked footage we get a glimpse at both the exterior and interior of the Aston Martin Valkyrie in what could be full production trim. And let’s just say, if you were excited about this particular car already, you might need to sit down because this thing is incredible.
First, I should point out how it’s no longer referred to as the AM-RB 001. Instead, it has what is arguably one of the coolest names for a production car ever, The Valkyrie. Second, if you’d like a full background on what we know about the Valkyrie, click here, and here. But a quick recap is that it will feature a naturally aspirated V12 that was tuned and built by the legendary Cosworth. It’ll also have hybrid technology sourced from the highly acclaimed Rimac Automobili company.
That’s already the makings of one hell of a car. You could put that powertrain into a passenger van and it’ll still be one of the faster cars on the road, but this is Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing and they claim the Valkyrie will have the perfect One to One power-to-weight ratio. That means for every kilogram of weight there’ll be a horsepower there to move it. Exact figures haven’t been released but we know it’ll have at least 1,000hp and if that ends up being the number, that’s just 2,200lbs worth of space age aerodynamics to deal with. That will not only equate to face melting acceleration but will make a massive difference when it comes to throwing it around corners.
OK, now that we’re all caught up, let’s talk about the information released in this video. You can see the Valkyrie now has headlights that resemble the same shape and design as the stickers on the concept. And while there might be more that you can decipher if you went through the video with a fine tooth comb, there are four main things you should know.
The Tiny Gullwing Doors
Just looking at the shape of the concept model I wondered how Aston would handle the entry-exit thing, and now we know. The Valkyrie will have what looks like a variation of the old school Mercedes Gullwing doors, only smaller, a lot smaller. The video isn’t the best quality, and it’s shot in vertical format, but you can clearly see the doors are quite small. You literally would need to climb up and into this thing. Which could be viewed as both a good and bad thing depending on how you look at it. If you’re a frequent shopper at the local Big & Tall store, you might want to reconsider your choice of ultra-hypercars. Especially when you hear what’s next.
The Seats, or Really Lack Thereof
You can’t help but wonder how good the interior will be on a car that’s projected to cost over $3 million, and now we can get a glimpse at the closest example of what the production car will look like. One thing you’ll notice is there aren’t any seats in the Valkyrie. Instead, it’s more of a Formula One style seat, which is more or less a fancy way of saying you sit directly on the floor of the car. To make it as comfortable as possible, there are strategically placed pads where a seat would normally be. Each car will have custom-made seat cushions perfectly molded to each owners body size and type.
What that says to me, is even though it may be a huge pain to climb up and wedge yourself into this glorious machine, when you finally get in and seated it’s going to fit you like a tailor-made glove. Imagine how amazing that would feel and the connection to the car and the road. As a point of comparison, one report indicated the cabin of the Valkyrie is actually more comfortable than the current Ford GT.
Next Level Infotainment and an F1 Inspired Steering Wheel
I realize that when you’re buying a car of this caliber, the last thing you care about is an infotainment system. But that’s because you’re thinking of a standard system, and this clearly is nothing of the sort. The Valkyrie has a total of four decent size screens in its very minimalist looking interior. Unfortunately, Aston didn’t release the exact function of each of these screens, although common sense helps you come to some logical conclusions. There is a screen located on each side of the dash, where you would expect to see your side mirrors. And considering you can’t see anything that even remotely resembles a side mirror when looking at the exterior of the car, that leads me to believe those screens will act as your mirrors.
The third screen is where you would expect a screen to be, right in the middle of the dash in between the driver and passenger. I think it’s safe to assume this is where the main controls of the car will be located. And lastly, the fourth screen will be located smack dab in the middle of the epic Formula One-inspired steering wheel! That’s right, not only will you have a screen right at your fingertips that will likely display any pertinent information about the car while it’s running at the ridiculous speeds, but you’ll also get the one of a kind sensation of being a race car driver once again. Each side has a perfect grip for hand placement, and thanks to the screen and some well-placed buttons, you probably will never have to take your hands off this “wheel.”
Totally New Rear Aero Design
Normally, this sort of thing doesn’t really get me all riled up if I’m honest. But really there isn’t anything “normal” about the Valkyrie. The aerodynamics were a major factor in the R&D of this next level hypercar, and that’s quite obvious just by looking at the holes, vents, flaps, wings, and overall shape of the car. It really is unlike any other car ever put on the road. If you wanted to stretch it, you could possibly argue that the Ford GT has similar “vents,” but even if that was the case, the Valkyrie takes it to another level. When I first laid eyes on the concept I was fascinated by the gaping holes you can see looking at the side of the car. If you position yourself just right, you can almost see right through it in a way.
The back end looked really good, but nothing that would stop me in my tracks. However, when I saw the new rear aero on the Valkyrie shown in this video, stop in my tracks I did. Aston and Red Bull changed the whole design of the rear diffuser and now it has even bigger holes, vents, or whatever you want to call them. It looks so damn aggressive and cool that it reminds me of the giant rear diffusers that you see on actual race cars, buy yet even better. Again, I realize it may sound somewhat silly to point this particular thing out, but damn it just looks absolutely badass in my opinion, especially with the new tail lights.
One more side note I had to point out was the wheels on this leaked Valkyrie. They look nothing like the ones shown on the concept, and in no way is that a bad thing. Just look, you’ll see what I mean.
If you were to look at one of these things by itself, it wouldn’t necessarily be all that impressive. But yet when you combine them all together and add that to what we already know, it starts adding up to be something truly spectacular and very much a game changer. It may be far too early to tell whether the Valkyrie, Project One, or BP23, will be the new “king” of the ultra high-performance hypercar category. But there’s not a doubt in my mind that the three cars together will absolutely change the game and even the slowest one will be faster than anything else on the road. Now if we could just hear that V12 come to life.
Photo: thesupercarblog
Serena Williams at a small showing in Monaco.
Photo: motorauthority
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Old and new albums of the month: May 2017
Pure Comedy by Father John Misty (2017)
Rol at My Top Ten would possibly enjoy this album better than I did, with its wit, anti-Trump message, and elaborate lyrical content. Granted the song Ballad of the Dying Man is a highpoint, but the rest didn’t grab me as music.
In fact I prefer the video from XPN Festival in which he talks to an audience about his views on society, which is more straight-forward than what he is presenting in the lyrics. Here’s a summation:
Entertainment is making us stupid and making us make bad choices, by picking a stupid president who is just entertaining us.
Favorite lyric, from the track The Memo:
“Oh, caffeine in the morning, alcohol at night
Cameras to record you and mirrors to recognize
And as the world is getting smaller, small things take up all your time
Narcissus would have had a field day if he could have got online
And friends it's not self-love that kills you
It's when those who hate you are allowed
To sell you that you're a glorious shit
The entire world revolves around
And that you're the eater, no not the eaten
But that your hunger will only cease
If you come binge on radiant blandness
At the disposable feast”
Windswept by Johnny Jewel (2017)
It's atmospheric and dreamy, paying homage to the Angelo Badalamenti Twin Peaks soundtracks of the early 90s. I like the jazzy tracks Windswept, The Crimson Kiss, Motel, and The Flame, even if doesn't have the emotion and impact of Badalamenti. An album that could fit nicely with Season 3 of Twin Peaks.
Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan (1962)
His debut album. You can't tell what he's thinking on that sleeve. Many of his album covers have a sense of mystery.
A sign of things to come, Dylan's folk style, harmonica and guitar skill, giving you a glimpse into his songwriting potential. Many are covers. Dylan's high-pitched vocal is unusual on "Freight Train Blues".
The most interesting are his self-penned Song To Woody (dedicated to Woody Guthrie who was a friend and inspiration) and Talkin' New York. According to the sleeve the latter is "with a certain sarcastic bite, very much in the Guthrie vein", "a comment on his reception in New York", "satirizes his troubles in gaining recognition", "a diary note set to music".
Please Please Me by The Beatles (1963)
Debut album. I wouldn’t listen to this often, hasn’t aged as well as their mid-to-late 60s releases. The lyrics don’t appeal to me on an emotional level, I find the writing a bit cheesy and dated. However as I was told by a couple of commenters on my blog, The Beatles were considered groundbreaking in the early 60s compared to what other groups were doing.
I Saw Her Standing There, Please Please Me, Love Me Do, and Twist and Shout (cover) are Beatles classics and timeless for the pop melodies.
With The Beatles by The Beatles (1963)
Like their debut, a collection of original compositions and covers. All My Loving is the stand out.
Lesser known highlights: Don't Bother Me (George Harrison), and You Really Got a Hold on Me (Smokey Robinson cover)
White Album by The Beatles (1968)
I want to rate White Album higher, but it's bloated and lacking the cohesiveness of Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper. Maybe the experimentation and genre-confusion is part of its charm?
The second disc is definitely weaker. That said, the lesser-known tracks are still better than most contemporary music. Not many records have this many classics. The gold standard for double albums.
Best songs: Dear Prudence, Julia, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Blackbird, Helter Skelter, Revolution 1, Back in the U.S.S.R.
Lesser known highlights: Birthday, Sexy Sadie
Let It Be by The Beatles (1970)
As with other late-career Beatles albums, there's filler. I Me Mine should have been cut, but we get defining classics Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road, Across the Universe, and Get Back. Lesser known highlights: Two of Us and I've Got a Feeling. The interludes are too short to make a big impact.
I've read Let It Be... Naked (2003) presents the songs "naked" – without Spector's overdubs and without the incidental studio chatter featured between most cuts of the original album.
Past Masters, Volumes One & Two by The Beatles (1988)
A number of these, Hey Jude for example, were stand-alone singles and not featured on the studio albums, although I was familiar with many because they are so ingrained in our culture.
A highlight on disc 1 is the melody of I Feel Fine. The Ballad of John and Yoko was a great discovery on disc 2.
Across the Universe is a beautiful song but I find this version to be a weak vocal performance by Lennon. Volume Two of this 2-disc compilation has the most replay value.
Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle and Sebastian (2003)
Arguably the most beloved UK indie band since The Smiths. Plenty of strong melodies, especially the first half, and the closer.
Best songs: Stay Loose, Step Into My Office Baby, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, If She Wants Me, Piazza New York Catcher
Push Barman to Open Old Wounds by Belle and Sebastian (2005)
2-disc compilation that includes seven of their EPs. There's a lot of good-but-not great material, but even on the lesser tracks I enjoy the lyrics.
Most memorable melodies: Dog on Wheels, I'm Waking Up to Us, Marx and Engels. Judy Is a Dick Slap is a nice instrumental.
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (1973)
Among the most acclaimed Pink Floyd albums. The artwork is iconic. The only track I disliked is On The Run, which is why it doesn't achieve a perfect score. Definitely has me curious to listen to the rest of their discography.
The Doobie Brothers, albums reviewed 1974-1978 (see seperate post)
Slowdive, albums reviewed 1991-2017 (see seperate post)
Phoenix, the albums, and top 10 songs (upcoming post to tie in with new album in June)
What do you think? As always comments are welcome
Posted by Chris at Tuesday, May 30, 2017 6 comments:
Labels: Albums of the month, Belle and Sebastian, The Beatles
The music of Slowdive
A band I've been recommended and who were a key part of the shoegazing scene that emerged in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. With the news of their new album getting a release this spring, I decided to look into Slowdive's discography. Below are my brief thoughts on the four studio albums.
Just for a Day by Slowdive (1991)
Atmospheric shoegaze you can get lost in. For the heart rather than the intellect. The openers Spanish Air and Celi’s Dream pull you in with their beauty and bring back memories of The Cure’s 1989 album Disintegration and the ethereal production of 1980s Cocteau Twins. The noisy Catch The Breeze is too jarring for my ears. Ballad of Sister Sue and Erik’s Song are very melancholic.
The overall production impresses, while the dual vocal is less distinctive. There aren’t any big hits, and no really weak moments. All of a similar quality. A cohesive set, albeit a bit samey.
I've read the real standout here is disc 2 on the reissue, which brings together Slowdive's first 3 EPs. I'm not counting those EPs in this review.
Souvlaki by Slowdive (1993)
Has more variation than their debut. Machine Gun has a pop song struture, which some listeners may feel is selling out. Album highlight When the Sun Hits is very powerful.
Here She Comes and the three closers don't hit me as hard. Definitely an album that demands investment and multiple spins for it to reveal its layers. I'm convinced the entire album may prove to be valuable with further listens.
Best tracks: When the Sun Hits, Sing, Souvlaki Space Station, 40 Days, Machine Gun
Pygmalion by Slowdive (1995)
Have to be in the right mood to sit down and listen to Pygmalion. Very different to Just for a Day and Souvlaki. Hardly sounds like the same band, goes in an unexpected post-Rock/ambient direction, similar to what Talk Talk did in the late 80s and early 90s. A divisive, risky, non-commercial album. Tracks 1-4 are especially haunting. The Blue Skied an' Clear might be the best song and a definite highlight of the second half.
Slowdive by Slowdive (2017)
We exist in a revival/homage era designed to please the fans. This self-titled return after a 22 year absence is for me their weakest, although it has been praised by critics.
Star Roving, Don't Know Why, and Sugar for the Pill stand out, but the album doesn't give me chills which their 90s albums did.
What do you think? As always, comments are welcome
Labels: Slowdive
The Doobie Brothers 70s albums (ranked)
Certain band's fit nicely into a specific decade. The Doobie Brothers is such a band, whose most revered albums were released 1971-1978. In 2004, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and many believe they should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for their contributions to music.
Most agree on the decline began in the 80s. One Step Closer (1980) is a bland album which I barely remember. Michael McDonald decided to pursue a solo career in 1982 (which I haven't listened to so can't comment on). The Doobies didn't make another LP until 1989.
This post is about the 1970s, which is generally considered the heyday of The Doobie Brothers. Similar to what happened with Genesis, the Doobie Brothers went from rock to pop. That's oversimplifying their music though, which I will elaborate on in the mini-reviews below.
Michael McDonald’s vocal (from 1976-1980) is more distinctive than Tom Johnston's, who was forced to take a break from singing in the mid 70s due to heal issues.
The McDonald era is pleasant, but some argue is a bit tasteless, with the occasional catchy radio hit standing out. There are fans of both eras, I prefer the earlier rockier stuff.
The Doobie Brothers by The Doobie Brothers (1971)
Yacht Rock / Country Rock. A harmless debut from their pre-Michael McDonald days. Passable entertainment. Not much variety, but a few good tracks such as Nobody, Travelin' Man, and my personal favorite Greenwood Creek.
Toulouse Street by The Doobie Brothers (1972)
More ambitious than their 1971 debut. There's quite a nice variation throughout the album with genre detours, and faster and slower tracks. The two openers Listen to the Music and Rockin' Down the Highway get a lot of love, but I find them too similar back-to-back.
Of the two, Rockin' Down the Highway I prefer, which is suitable for a road trip compilation.
Mamaloi goes in a surprising reggae-styled direction. The title track Toulouse Street is vocally Cat Stevens-esque, which I like for the horn midway. Don't Start Me to Talkin' is very bluesy. Jesus Is Just Alright is the album highlight, with its catchy foot-tapping melody and sing-along lyrics. Also enjoyed Disciple, a long-ish jam with an infectious riff.
The Captain and Me (1973) by The Doobie Brothers
Considered their best album. You can’t fault the musicianship, nothing is out of place and the players work very well together. Long Train Runnin' and China Grove are two Doobie Brothers classics which still get radio play. The album has plenty of replay potential and is more cohesive in its rock sound than the experimental Toulouse Street (1972).
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974) by The Doobie Brothers
Not instantly accessible and less commercial than The Captain and Me (1973). Black Water has the catchiest chorus, while Road Angel is strong for the guitar work. Some of these songs, such as Eyes of Silver, want to be hits, but don't quite get there.
The quality dips a bit in the middle with the trio of songs, You Just Can't Stop It , Tell Me What You Want, and Down in the Track.
Another Park Another Sunday and Daughters of the Sea are a step up. As with other Doobie Brothers albums, the lyrics are probably the least interesting aspect. Not a perfect record, but more potent than the albums that would follow.
Stampede (1975) by The Doobie Brothers
Goes in a country-rock direction. Their weakest so far. The somber outlaw ballad I Cheat the Hangman is quite haunting, but most tracks are unremarkable. There's a burst of energy towards the end with I Been Workin' on You.
Takin' It to the Streets (1976) by The Doobie Brothers
A transitional album, with Michael McDonald stepping in as vocalist. Would mark the beginning of their pop direction. The singles Takin' It to the Streets, It Keeps You Runnin' and especially Wheels of Fortune are the highlights. The non-singles disappoint and are forgettable.
Livin' on the Fault Line (1977) by The Doobie Brothers
Surprisingly, the opening three tracks are the worst. Gets better, and probably my favorite of the Michael McDonald albums. The enigmatic sleeve has a hint of mystery.
Best songs: You Belong to Me, Livin' on the Fault Line (an adventurous jam), Chinatown
Minute by Minute (1978) by The Doobie Brothers
What a Fool Believes is catchy and the Doobies biggest hit. The album won four Grammy's.
Best songs: What a Fool Believes, Dependin' on You
The Captain and Me (1973) 8.5/10
What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits (1974) 8/10
Toulouse Street (1972) 8/10
Livin' on the Fault Line (1977) 7/10
The Doobie Brothers (1971) 6/10
Minute by Minute (1978) 6/10
Takin' It to the Streets (1976) 5/10
Stampede (1975) 4/10
Posted by Chris at Monday, May 08, 2017 10 comments:
Labels: The Doobie Brothers
Favorite discoveries from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack
I should preface by admitting I have not seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, so I can't discuss how the music fits with the movie. In this post, I'm only including new-to-me song discoveries and won't talk about the movie.
Lake Shore Drive by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah (1971)
The piano really stands out. A lesser known gem by a band whom I had honestly never heard of before. The title alludes to the drug LSD, although I've read it's named after the Chicago lakefront roadway.
Southern Nights by Glen Campbell (1977)
Written and recorded by Allen Toussaint, from his 1975 album Southern Nights, and later becoming a chart-topping hit for country music singer Glen Campbell. The lyrics of Southern Nights were inspired by childhood memories Allen Toussaint had of visiting relatives in the Louisiana backwoods, which often entailed storytelling under star-filled nighttime skies. So I guess you could say it's technically a song about Louisiana. Might come in handy for Alyson's An American Odyssey In Song series.
Surrender by Cheap Trick (1978)
About the relations between the narrator and his parents. A warning about STD's. Those who grew up with the song in the late 1970s are probably on the other side now with kids of their own. Rolling Stone deemed it "the ultimate Seventies teen anthem" and ranked it #471 on its list of "the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"
Posted by Chris at Thursday, May 04, 2017 6 comments:
Films of the month: April
The Handmaiden (2016) (Chan-wook Park)
Directed by talented filmmaker Chan-wook Park and inspired by Sarah Waters‘ Victorian Era crime novel Fingersmith. The Handmaiden is a stylishly shot Korean 1930s re-imagining. Deserves praise for the beautiful costumes, lighting, production design and cinematography. But if I’m honest, it’s style over substance. A film about love and cold-blooded deception. Memorable sex scenes for the way they are shot, and one of the best twists mid-movie in recent memory, but the story is very long and at times confusing. The non-linear time line makes more sense towards the end.
SPOILERY: Though there is condemnation of perversion in the library scene, you could argue the film is voyeuristic fluff and designed to titillate in the same way as one of Kouzuki’s dirty books. It’s conceivable what Hideko experienced resulted in a hatred of men, making women more desirable to her. Or maybe she was a lesbian to begin with, who knows.
It's Only the End of the World (2016) (Xavier Dolan)
Winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes. Family drama, adapted by Dolan from a play by Jean-Luc Lagarce. I was sceptical because of the mixed reviews, the low expectations actually are a blessing, and it’s not Dolan’s worst film.
I love the music video flourishes and use of colors. Held my interest throughout. The character dynamics are intriguing. Antoine’s (Vincent Cassel) hostility and bullying is inappropriate, clearly he has been allowed to get away with this behavior for too long with no consequences. The only excuse he has is the hot weather is driving him nuts. Perhaps the parenting was too soft and his close-ones not firm enough. You kind of understand why Louis got the hell out of Dodge 12 years ago if Antoine was so insufferable. Yet you can also see it from the family’s point of view that Louis has shunned them for years.
Like a Hemingway short story, there are things unsaid beneath the surface, which you can question. Why for instance are Antoine’s and Catherine’s children not at the social gathering? Where is Martine’s husband? Why would Catherine marry such a jerk?
Favorite quote: ”What if I don’t only have words to answer? What if I have words to say”
The Salesman (2016) (Asghar Farhadi)
Winne of the Oscar for Best Foreign language film. Reminiscent of a play. The wife made things difficult for her husband. She didn’t want to report the crime which then made him look neglectful. The neighbour justifies why she kept it from the police as the neighbour predicted the court case would lead to more suffering. The fact the intrusion is never fully revealed adds to the intrigue, and the details become extra important as clues.
I confess I am a little out of my depth in regards to the Death of a Salesman references, those scenes with the husband and wife enacting the play went over my head. Knowing your Arthur Miller may deepen the experience.
I didn’t particularly like any of the main characters, but their predicament was interesting to observe. The visit by the small boy at the hour mark seemed like needless padding, maybe to give some warmth to a rather humourless story. Probably could have been cut by 20 minutes. Sporadically powerful, especially in the last third, and a film I could easily rewatch. In the same vein as A Separation and The Past, with the focus on intense conflict on a domestic scale.
A Man Called Ove (2015) (Hannes Holm)
Swedish drama/comedy. Nominated for foreign language film this year. There was the occasional amusing moment, for example when he visits the neighbour Rune, and berates the cat for walking on private property. But a lot of the deadpan humor didn’t appeal to me, maybe better to watch together with a packed audience. The wife and neighbours are sweet, albeit too good to be true. The film is mainly about grumpiness, nostalgia and the need to change, giving simplistic reasons for his bitterness. Lacks depth. For a comedy, it's too long.
Things to Come (2016) (Mia Hansen-Løve)
Overpraised French drama with Isabelle Huppert playing a philosophy teacher who faces marital issues and looks after her elderly mother. Well-acted and realistic, but I wouldn’t label it best of the year. The story is rather forgettable and minor. The film doesn’t do anything unique or unconventional and for me fails to stand out from the pack. Although if I had to highlight a favorite scene, the acting by Huppert in the bus was remarkable to watch.
Quote: “I look on all sides and see only darkness everywhere. Nature presents to me nothing but doubt and concern. If I saw nothing there which revealed a divinity, I would come to a negative conclusion. If I saw everywhere the signs of a creator, I would remain peacefully in faith”
Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind (documentary) (2003) (Susan Lacy)
A career retrospective. Began as a solo sing-songwriter. Mitchell was self-taught, with a unique vocal, and a talent for personal, vulnerable song writing. She would go on to experiment with new sounds on her subsequent albums, altering her vocal delivery, and collaborating with rock and jazz musicians.
Her relationships with musician Graham Nash and drummer John Guerin inspired a number of songs. Joni Mitchell was also a painter and many of her album sleeves reveal her art. You can look at them at this site.
She wrote a song about Woodstock, which many identified with, although she didn’t actually attend, watching the event on TV.
An ongoing conflict in her life is wanting to settle down and longing for love, while desiring independence and following her muse, her art. Also looks at her untidy relationship with her daughter.
Supersonic (2016) (documentary) (Mat Whitecross)
You cannot mention the band Oasis without mentioning Britpop. I’m aware of their hits, but don’t own the albums. Oasis were a pre-internet zeitgeist sensation who reached millions, with their first two albums hailed as modern classics. The Gallagher brothers are depicted as attention-seeking, volatile, arrogant troublemakers, who don’t care how they are perceived. As people, potty-mouthed and anything but gentlemanly, but quite entertaining to follow at a distance. With an attitude, good looks, and a handful of anthemic songs, the group managed to tap into the mid 90s music scene.
If anything, they seem authentic in their lyrics and bad behaviour, although it’s hard to know what is jokey and serious with the duo, and the documentary doesn’t make me any wiser if their attitude is a performance for the cameras. Rather congratulatory, although the film does try and delve into the brothers' family history and reasons to why they are angry. There is the occasional look at the origin of a song, but you have to search elsewhere for an in-depth analysis of their music. The doc focuses on the career peak 1994-96, showing the rise from obscurity, how band members handled fame, but doesn't address the rivalries with other Britpop bands, which was dealt with in the 2003 Britpop documentary Live Forever.
Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop (documentary) (2003) (John Dower)
I decided to give a watch as Pitchfork are celebrating Britpop this March. Landmark moments are included in the documentary such as big songs and important albums, but needed to be longer to dig deeper. There's an emphasis on the hardship of the Thatcher 80s, which fuelled the rise of lad rock. Also touches on the impact of New Labour and how that was linked to Britpop. Jarvis Cocker admits he had dreamed of making it, but fame is "shite" because he can't go out without getting noticed. Delves into the rivalry between Oasis and Blur, although both are very cagey regarding the singles released on the same day. I could have done without the remarks of the Oasis tribute band.
Commando (1985) (Mark L. Lester)
Not as original as Arnie’s other 80s work, but entertaining, quotable, and with non-stop action. Especially the opening hour surprises with its action sequences involving a plane, an airline stewardess, car chases. and the police, while the final 30 min is weaker and too formulaic for the genre.
Favorite discoveries from Guardians of the Galaxy ...
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North Korea test-fires new tactical guided weapon as it tells US to replace Mike Pompeo in nuclear talks
The Telegraph April 18, 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un observing the flight drill of the combat pilots of Unit 1017, 16 April - AFP
North Korea announced on Thursday that it had test-fired a new type of tactical guided weapon, in its first public weapons test since February’s failed summit with the US in Hanoi.
Shortly after the test, North Korea demanded that Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, be removed from nuclear disarmament talks in another sign of deteriorating diplomatic relations with Washington since the failure of their second summit in Hanoi in February.
Pyongyang wanted a replacement for Mr Pompeo who would be “more careful and mature,” the North’s state media reported on Thursday, accusing the senior US official of undermining negotiations.
Adding to the stand-off, the Kremlin yesterday announced that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this month, an apparent attempt to insert Russia into the delicate talks.
The firing of the unspecified weapon, which was personally overseen by Kim from an observation post, was a possible attempt to express dissatisfaction with Washington’s refusal to budge over sanctions, without jeopardising the future of the currently deadlocked diplomatic talks.
It is not believed to have been a banned ballistic missile test, a provocative move which could have torpedoed negotiations with South Korea and the US over North Korea’s disarmament.
One South Korean analyst told the AP that the North’s state media report indicated it could have been a test of a new type of cruise missile. Pak Jong-chon, an artillery official, was also reportedly at the site.
Kim Jong-un and Mike Pompeo meeting in Pyongyang Credit: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File
Vipin Narang, a North Korea expert and associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told The Telegraph that it might have been an anti-tank guided missile, a multiple launch rocket system or another system related to coastal or air defence.
If it was, “it would seem to be consistent with Kim potentially reminding both the US and ROK [South Korea] - in a calibrated way - where things could go if the US especially doesn’t moderate its negotiating position,” he said.
The test is part of a broader pattern of events since talks collapsed between Kim and Donald Trump, the US President, over mismatched demands from North Korea over sanctions relief and from the US over the speed of Pyongyang’s nuclear disarmament.
The weapons test followed a visit by Kim to the North Korean Air and Anti-aircraft Force on Tuesday to express “great satisfaction” at their combat readiness.
Pyongyang's request to remove Mr Pompeo from negotiations presents Donald Trump, the US president, with the dilemma of whether to cave in to North Korea’s rejection of his lead negotiator or to stand firm and risk the total collapse of talks to persuade Kim to give up his nuclear weapons.
The stinging rebuke was conveyed to the state-run Korean Central News Agency by Kwon Jong-gun, a senior foreign ministry official, who claimed that the summit showed that when Mr Pompeo “pokes his nose in, talks between the two countries go wrong without any results.”
"I am afraid that, if Pompeo engages in the talks again, the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled," Mr Kwon, director general of the ministry's American affairs department, said, in remarks translated by South Korea’s Yonhap agency.
The Hanoi summit made a promising start but collapsed over a disagreement about sanctions relief Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
"Therefore, even in the case of possible resumption of the dialogue with the US, I wish our dialogue counterpart would not be Pompeo but another person who is more careful and mature in communicating with us," he added.
The sudden cold shoulder treatment of Mr Pompeo, who has travelled to Pyongyang several times over the past year to personally meet with the North Korean leader, is being viewed as part of Kim’s strategy to project his strength to Washington and his domestic audience.
The North Koreans have accused Mr Pompeo of playing down the significance of comments by Kim during a meeting of his rubber-stamp parliament last week when he gave Washington an end of year deadline to offer mutually acceptable terms to salvage deadlocked nuclear talks.
Meanwhile, recent satellite images obtained by the US-based Centre for Strategic Studies show movement at the North’s main nuclear site of Yongbyon that could be associated with the reprocessing of radioactive material into bomb fuel.
Just days after the end of the summit, satellite images also suggested increased activity at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station at Tongchang-ri, which Pyongyang had previously pledged to dismantle.
“With rebuilding Sohae, continued activity at ballistic missile facilities and Yongbyon, and this, Kim seems to be suggesting ‘I’ve loaded my gun, but I am not going to fire... just yet’,” said Mr Narang.
The state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not give an exact description of the new weapon but reported that Kim said "the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power of the People’s Army."
It added that it had a “peculiar mode of guiding flight” and “a powerful warhead.”
In November, Kim oversaw the test of another unidentified “tactical weapon” which could protect North Korea like a “steel wall”, which experts said was part of his initiative to shift to high-tech weapons.
A man watches a TV news programme reporting about North Korea's test-fire of a "new-type tactical guided weapon" Credit: AP
However, he has not breached his pledge in April 2018 to stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, which he said at the time was because Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities had been “verified.”
Mintaro Oba, a former state department official who focusses on Korea, said North Korea was unlikely to take action that would be perceived as a very serious escalation.
During a speech at his rubber-stamp parliament on Friday, Kim set an end of year deadline for Washington to offer mutually acceptable terms for a deal, suggesting he is willing to continue along a diplomatic route.
“There are two possibilities here. One, that North Korea did this as a calculated escalation of tension to put pressure on the United States,” said Mr Oba.
“Or two, Kim Jong-un needed to demonstrate strength domestically given the lack of diplomatic progress. It's always tempting to view everything North Korea does as tactical, but we always have to consider whether there are internal factors at play as well.”
The White House and the Pentagon said they were aware of the report but had no further comment.
Patrick Cronin, Asia-Pacific security chair for the Hudson Institute, said the US might react with tough statements and the tightening of sanctions, but only in a “cosmetic” way.
He suggested that Kim might be trying to tap into the US domestic political agenda as Washington gears up for the Thursday disclosure of Robert Mueller’s report on Russian election meddling and obstruction of justice.
“In a strange way you could say that he is maybe reaching out to the president at a time when the Mueller report is going to be released and he is offering the president a mini-crisis to resolve,” said Mr Cronin.
'The most intimidating minute I have ever spent': The first nuclear weapon test was 74 years ago — here's what it was like to watch the 'shocking' explosion
U.N. concerned by U.S. curbs on Iranian foreign minister while in New York
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Julia Görges in last 16
For the Porsche Team Germany, Wednesday began well as Julia Görges progressed to the last 16.
Julia Görges had every reason to be pleased after her 6-1, 7-5 win against the Romanian Sorana Cirstea. “The win was very important as it’s ensured me a place in the Wimbledon main draw,” said the 2011 Stuttgart winner who was visibly pleased with her first round display. After some rather average results this year, it was confirmation for her that she was on the right track after her wrist injury in 2013 and the slip down the rankings to No. 94. “If I could always play like I did in the first set – I’d sign immediately,” she said.
The Porsche Team Germany player will now meet Ana Ivanovic
In the last 16, the Porsche Team Germany player will now meet Ana Ivanovic. Playing Sabine Lisicki, the former World No. 1 from Serbia booked her place in the second round and in doing so promptly knocked the 2013 Wimbledon finalist out of the tournament. The German – also a Porsche Team Germany member – had no chance on the day against Ana Ivanovic who closed out the match with her second match point after exactly one hour of play. A resident of Basle, the 2008 French Open winner dominated right from the start of the Centre Court encounter. After her shoulder injury, Sabine Lisicki was simply not in the form that had taken her to the Wimbledon final ten months ago. The world No 14 was nevertheless not dissatisfied with her fleeting appearance at the long-standing Stuttgart tournament. “I wasn’t able to play any tennis at all for three weeks because of the injury. Today was the first time for a long while that it didn’t hurt. However Sabine Lisicki also admitted that she had made far too many unforced errors. “I lack confidence,” said the 24-year old.
Porsche Team Germany: Fed Cup final
Confidence was something Andrea Petkovic has been building up recently as a result of her win at the tournament in Charleston in March and then last weekend when reaching the Fed Cup final with Porsche Team Germany. Things are going well for the 26-year old at the moment – but it is still an exhausting time. “It was fairly obvious that my body was going to strike at some stage,” she said. And it is exactly what happened in her match against Flavia Pennetta – even though it only came in the third set. “Petko” lost 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 against the world No 13 from Brindisi. With the score at 4-3 in the first set for Pennetta, the German had a slight shock because of a pulled thigh muscle and was only able to continue after having treatment. “It didn’t hinder me much,” she said, “What’s more annoying is that I made so many unforced errors in the first three games of the third set. And then after going 3-0 down, I was simply tired.”
In the doubles Antonia Lottner from the Porsche Talent Team Germany and fellow Germany Anna Zaja had a great win. They replaced the Czech pairing of Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Safarova as lucky losers in the first round and then proceeded to beat Mona Barthel (Porsche Team Germany) and Eva Birnerova (Czech Republic) 4-6, 6-4, 10-8. Julia Görges and Anna-Lena Grönefeld from Porsche Team Germany were defeated by the Italian duo Sara Errani/Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-3.
Julia Goerges (GER) vs Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 23 April 2014 - Porsche Tennis Grand Prix
Sport 04/28/2019
PTGP: Petra Kvitova is the new Stuttgart tennis queen
The Czech won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix 2019 in Stuttgart’s Porsche Arena.
The 42nd edition of the long-standing tournament in the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart at a glance.
PTGP: Lady visitors in the Porsche Museum
Mingling among the millions of visitors in the Porsche Museum are the women tennis players.
Porsche Golf Circle: A trip back home to Stuttgart
25 Porsche Golf Circle members gathered in Stuttgart to experience the legend that is Porsche at arm’s length.
911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet
Model Range 911 (Typ 992)
9.1 – 8.9 l/100km
Fuel consumption* combined 9.1 – 8.9 l/100km
CO2 emmissions* combined 208 – 205 g/km
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Address to open Community Development Month May 2018
May 4, 2018 in NIA
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (May 04, 2018) — The following is an address by Hon. Eric Evelyn Minister of Community Development in the Nevis Island Administration on the observance of Community Development Month May 2018.
Good evening fellow citizens and residents.
I greet you at this the start of Community Development Month being celebrated during the month of May. Let us first however clarify what is community development. The United Nations defines community development as “a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems. It is only through this action that the community becomes more vital, not just economically, but as a strong functioning community in itself. As a result of this, the community becomes both the means and the end of community development.
The programmes provided by Department of Community Development are vital to improve the wellbeing of all community members. However, the intangible benefits of community development, such as, safety, social cohesion and people empowerment can only be achieved through attitudinal change, improvement in networking, a different mindset towards addressing community issues, and the use of community assets in innovative ways. Effective Community development does not only improve the economic situation of a community but also creates a strong functioning and empowered community.
The Department of Community Development is inviting the Nevisian community to join in the celebration Community Development Month 2018. The celebration hopes to bring together government officials, businesses, churches, non-profit organizations, community groups, government establishments and the wider community to demonstrate the impact of community togetherness and to celebrate new approaches to creating communities of lasting value.
This year marks the 4th celebration of Community Development Month. The theme for this year’s observance is: “Enhancing Character and Community with Traditional Values”. The theme underscores the important role that traditional values play in the social and economic welfare of Nevisian communities. In former times, communities were mostly family orientated, industrious, honest, content, caring, unselfish and religious. Religion played a major role in the social development of community members as it formed the basis for good morals, norms and values. However, in recent years communities that were once held together by traditional family bonds, cultural norms and values, local self-help groups, religious and other organizations are now assimilating new norms and behaviours which have led to individualism and deterioration in the social fabric of the society.
Community Development Month serves as an opportunity for the Department to highlight and celebrate its significant successes in facilitating skills training in the culinary arts, sewing, plumbing, electricity, and art and craft. The Department also established community councils, provided support for community events such as the Barnes Ghaut Breadfruit Festival, Jessup’s Fish Fiesta, St. Paul’s Community Day and Rawlin’s Extravaganza and Premier Cricket League. The Department will also seek to highlight its contribution to the preservation of our cultural heritage by the revival of several traditional folklore dances dubbed “Miracle on Mainstreet”, as well as the revival of St. Thomas’ Fest, Gingerama, and Calypso Show Competition for WINFEST 2017.
Other programmes administered by the Department are the Academic Enhancement Programme, Homework Assistance Programme, and the registration and certification of community groups and NGO’s. The Department is also committed to the upgrade and maintenance of community centres, so as to provide centres with a clean environment and ambience for our national and international users.
However, to address the issue of crime and other antisocial behaviours that have now plagued our society, the Month’s activities will also focus on our traditional values with activities such as a panel discussion on VON radio addressing the theme, and a presentation titled ‘Rooted in History’ by Leonard Stapleton. This presentation will be done at a community centre in all of the parishes on the island. Moreover, in addition to Open Centre Day at the community centres, the Department in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture will celebrate Community Development Day and Pork festival, on Friday, 25th May next to the DR Walwyn Plaza in Charlestown.
The church as a bedrock of Nevisian traditional norms and values will also be highlighted throughout the month, as a social force, as it encourages persons to live by the golden rule, and develop their minds and abilities, to better their lives and to help their communities. Community Out Reach activities will be done in collaboration with the church. There will also be a Liturgical Dance and Gospel Song Competition and a Gospel Concert to support and encourage activities related to Christianity. It is hoped that these events will positively impact the entire community and bring about meaningful change.
The ministry applauds the Department of Community Development and the many other advocates of community development for your commitment to improving the economic, social and cultural conditions of the Nevisian communities.
I solicit the general public’s support for the activities of Community Development Month 2018. We ask you to help us make our communities across Nevis better for all of us. It now gives me great pleasure in declaring Community Development Month 2018 officially open.
Thank you and May God bless us all.
Hon. Eric Evelyn
Address to mark Agriculture Awareness Month open
SKN and Republic of Rwanda sign mutual visa waiver agreement
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The Open Epidemiology Journal
Yaron Bar Dayan
Ben-Gurion University
Beersheba
Biography of Yaron Bar Dayan
Prof. Bar-Dayan has extensive experience in health services. He completed his medical studies with honors from Tel Aviv University and holds a master's degree in health systems management from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, specializing in internal medicine at Sheba Medical Center and later as a senior physician in Meir's internal department. He is a member of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and is a member of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Department of Emergency Medicine, Ben-Gurion University, Beersheba, Israel
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The Effectiveness of Bioresonance Method on Human Health
The Open Epidemiology Journal is an Open Access online journal, which publishes research articles, reviews, letters, case reports and guest-edited single topic issues in all areas of epidemiology. Bentham Open ensures speedy peer review process and accepted papers are published within 2 weeks of final acceptance.
The Open Epidemiology Journal is committed to ensuring high quality of research published. We believe that a dedicated and committed team of editors and reviewers make it possible to ensure the quality of the research papers. The overall standing of a journal is in a way, reflective of the quality of its Editor(s) and Editorial Board and its members.
The Open Epidemiology Journal is seeking energetic and qualified researchers to join its editorial board team as Editorial Board Members or reviewers.
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Experience in epidemiology with an academic degree.
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