this day in the yesteryear: The Battle of Halys (585 BCE)

The Battle of Halys (585 BCE)

Also known as the Battle of the Eclipse, the Battle of Halys was fought between the Medes and the Lydians in 585 BCE at the Halys River in what is now Turkey. The final battle of a 15-year war between Alyattes II of Lydia and Cyaxares of Media, the fight ended abruptly due to a total solar eclipse, which was perceived as an omen that the gods wanted the war to end. After a truce, the river was declared the border of the two nations. How is the exact date of the ancient battle known? More… Discuss

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this day in the yesteryear: Pan Am Flight 103 Is Bombed (1988)

Pan Am Flight 103 Is Bombed (1988)

The terrorist bomb that brought down New York-bound Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed all 259 people on board and 11 others on the ground. After a three-year investigation, US and UK authorities announced indictments against two Libyan officials in connection with the bombing. Libya finally turned over the suspects in 1999. After a nine-month trial, one of them, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. Why was he released in 2009? More… Discuss

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this pressed: French troops edge closer to Libya border to cut off Islamists

French troops edge closer to Libya border to cut off Islamists.

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Predator Nation on Democracy Now

Predator Nation on Democracy Now (Click to follow the smell of money…)

William H. Gates III COL ’77, LLD ’07 Q&A | The Harvard Campaign Launch

Question and answer with Bill Gates at the launch of the Harvard Campaign.

Sanders Theater, September 21, 2013

Read more about The Harvard Campaign athttp://campaign.harvard.edu

 

From Democracy Now: “The Empire President: Jeremy Scahill on Obama’s “Neo-Con” Doctrine of Military Force in U.N. Speech”

From Democracy Now:  “In an address to the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama openly embraced an aggressive military doctrine backed by previous administrations on using armed force beyond the international norm of self-defense. Obama told the world that the United States is prepared to use its military to defend what he called “our core interests” in the Middle East: U.S. access to oil. “[Obama] basically came out and said the U.S. is an imperialist nation and we’re going to do whatever we need to do to conquer areas [and] take resources from people around the world,” says independent journalist Jeremy Scahill. “It’s a really naked declaration of imperialism … When we look back at Obama’s legacy, this is going to have been a very significant period in U.S. history where the ideals of very radical right-wing forces were solidified. President Obama has been a forceful, fierce defender of empire.”

 

Today’s Birthday: LUISA CÁCERES DE ARISMENDI

Luisa Cáceres de Arismendi (1799)

After Napoleon took control of Spain, Venezuelans seized the chance to revolt against Spanish rule. In 1811, Venezuela declared independence, but an earthquake in 1812 destroyed cities held by the rebels and furthered the cause of the royalists. In 1815, a pregnant Arismendi was captured—one day before her 17th birthday—by Spanish forces hoping to exert pressure on her husband, General Juan Bautista Arismendi, but she refused to renounce the revolution while imprisoned. What happened to her? More…

What’s in a Name: Hussein (from Wikipedia)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

For other uses, see Hussein (disambiguation).

Hussein
Pronunciation	Arabic: [ħuˈseːn, ħiˈseːn, ħuˈsajn] Egyptian Arabic: [ħeˈseːn, ħoˈseːn]
Gender	Male
Origin
Word/Name	Arabic
Meaning	Handsome
Other names
Related names	Hassan

Look up Hussein in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Hussein (also spelled Husein, Husain, Hussain, Husayin, Hussayin, Huseyin, Husseyin, Huseyn, Hossain,Hossein, or Husseyn) (Arabic: حسین‎, Ḥusayn), is an Arabic name which is the diminutive of Hassan, meaning “good”, “handsome” or “beautiful”. It is commonly given as a male given name, particularly among Shias.^[1] In some Persiansources the forms Ḥosayn, Hosayn, or Hossein is used.^[2] On the Subcontinent or South Asia, the form used is “Hussain” or “Hossain” in the Bengal region.

 

Word: SEDITIOUS

seditious 

Definition:	(adjective) In opposition to a civil authority or government.
Synonyms:	insurgent, subversive
Usage:	In an attempt to discourage rebellion, the dictator announced that anyone found in possession of seditious literature would be executed. Discuss.

 

THE GRITO DEThis Day in the Yesrteryear: DOLORES: BATTLE CRY OF MEXICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE (1810)

The Grito de Dolores: Battle Cry of Mexican War of Independence (1810)

The revolutionary movements in the US and France did not go unnoticed in Mexico, which had been subjugated by Spain centuries earlier. When Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808, many Mexicans saw an opportunity to claim their own freedom. In 1810, revolutionary priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla launched the Mexican War of Independence with his Grito de Dolores—”Cry of Dolores”—a call to freedom that roused the peasants to action and became their battle cry. How is the event commemorated today? More… Discuss

 

Nigel Farage confronts Barroso on global warming scam (State of the Union 2013)

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• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 11 September 2013

• Speaker: Nigel Farage MEP, Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Co-President of the ‘Europe of Freedom and Democracy‘ (EFD) Group in the European Parliament – http://nigelfaragemep.co.uk

With a response from José Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commission and a cameo appearance by Guy VERHOFSTADT MEP (Belgium), President of the Liberal group (ALDE)

• Debate: State of the Union
Statement by the President of the Commission
[2013/2623(RSP)]

Transcript

Round One

Well, Mr Barroso, not just you but the entire unelected government of Europe and a chance perhaps for our citizens to reflect on where the real power lies in this Union.

I’ve listened to you for nearly ten years – full marks for consistency – you are a man that likes fixed ideology, you probably picked it up when you were a communist or Maoist, or whatever you were, and for the last ten years you’ve pursued euro-federalism combined with an increasing green obsession.

And yes, it’s been good – for bureaucrats, for big businessmen, for landowners, it has not been a bad decade. But it has been a disaster for poor people, unemployed people and those on low wages.

The euro which you believed would give us monetary stability has done the very opposite, it was a misconstruction from the start, and it’s pretty clear that youth unemployment, at nearly 50% across the Mediterranean, is probably nearly double what it would have been as a direct result of the misconstruction that is the euro.

They’re in the wrong currency, but I know that you’ll never ever admit to that, and the euro I think will die a very slow and painful death. But you’re all in denial about that.

But it’s the green agenda that I find really more interesting. You keep telling us that climate change is an absolute top priority, and you’ve been greeted with almost hysteria in this place over the last ten years.

Well, those of us who have been sceptical about this have been mocked, derided, called ‘deniers’.

We’ve argued from the start that the science wasn’t settled, and we’ve argued very strongly that the measures we’re taking to combat what may or may not be a problem are damaging our citizens. 

And we’ve been proved to be right. Tens of millions forced into fuel poverty, manufacturing industry being driven away because of course our competitors in China and in America are going for cheap fossil alternatives and of course wind turbines blighting the landscapes and seascapes of Europe.

And still today you go on about green growth. Well, the consensus is breaking behind you – you know, [Industry] Commissioner Tajani the other day said that actually we face a systematic industrial massacre.

It is time to stop this stupidity and to help you [holds up colour pictures] there is the NASA photograph last August of the northern icecaps. And there is the NASA photograph this year of the icecaps. They increased by 60% in one year. Leading American scientists are now saying we are going into a period of between 15-30 years of global cooling.

We may have made one of the biggest stupidest collective mistakes in history by getting so worrying about global warming. You can reverse this in the next seven or eight months. You can bring down peoples’ taxes. If you don’t, they will vote on it in the European elections of next year.

Round TWO

“Well next year’s European elections will not be contested on the old division lines of left and right and several group leaders have agreed with that today. Frankly that is all irrelevant. 
It will be contested between those of us who believe in national democracy within the nation state; and those who believe that the 28 countries that are part of the EU are better governed by these institutions. That in a sense is what this comes down to.

But Mr Barroso, those of us who believe in national democracy do not want to take us back to the Western Front or 1914. Those of us who believe in national democracy will say to you that it is a healthy assertion of identity. 

But it also shows a deeper understanding of why the problems of Europe were caused in the past. It is democratic nation states in Europe that are stable and will not go to war with each other. 

I will remind people that without the vote in the House of Commons two weeks ago that we would now be at war in Syria. What better proof can there be that nation state democracy can be a force for good. 

…………………………….
Video source: EbS (European Parliament)
…………………………….

 

Nigel Farage lambasts “extreme militarists” during Syria debate (“Arm the rebels? What are you thinking of?”)

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• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 11 September 2013

• Speaker: Nigel Farage MEP, Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Co-President of the ‘Europe of Freedom and Democracy‘ (EFD) Group in the European Parliament – http://nigelfaragemep.co.uk

Blue card questions:
– Charles TANNOCK MEP, Conservative Party, ECR Group
– Ioan Mircea PAŞCU MEP, Socialist Group (S&D)

• Debate: Situation in Syria
Statement by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
[2013/2819(RSP)]

Transcript

I represent a group that is against military action in Syria. We’re against it not because we’re pacifists. We’re against it not because we don’t care about the awful things going on there. 

We’re against because we think there’s some pretty poor thinking going on.

This idea that somehow the rebels are the good guys and Assad are the bad guys really is over-simplifying a situation where of course we know that Al-Qaida have significant representation amongst those rebel groups.

And of course we’ve seen it all before. An endless series of military adventures over the course of the last 10 to fifteen years, one of which of course – notably, in Afghanistan – is still going on and is not achieving any of its original aims.

And I was worried when I heard the Americans telling us to begin with, it was about punishing Assad, and then within a week it was about regime change, a position that I know the noble Baroness herself supports.

We think firing a thousand criuse missiles in is likely to make an unstable situation even worse than it is now.

But of course, Baroness Ashton, in a sense, you’re sitting pretty, because as the highest paid female politician in the world, luckily, you got a non-job. Because the EU, thank goodness, hasn’t yet got a foreign policy, and as a result of that what we saw two weeks ago in the House of Commons was a nation state democracy standing up and saying something. 

And as a direct result of that vote in the House of Commons we have not gone to war in Syria, we have entered a period of negotiations, and Assad has a chance to prove to all of us whether he is a good man or a bad man.

Today’s Birthday: JAN MASARYK (1886)

Jan Masaryk (1886)

Masaryk, a diplomat and politician in newly independent Czechoslovakia, was named ambassador to Britain in 1925. Following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, he became foreign minister of the Czech government in exile in London. He supported cooperation with the Soviet Union and maintained his post after the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948. Two weeks later, Masaryk was found dead outside his window in the Foreign Ministry. What are the conflicting explanations for his death? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (2007)

UN General Assembly Adopts Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)

Over two decades in the making, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was finally adopted in 2007 despite opposition from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the US. The non-binding declaration prohibits discrimination against the world’s estimated 370 million indigenous people and outlines their rights, among them the rights to culture, identity, language, employment, and education. What were some of the key issues that delayed the drafting and adoption of the declaration? More…Discuss

 

This day in the Yesteryear: SOUTH AFRICAN ANTI-APARTHEID ACTIVIST STEVE BIKO DIES IN POLICE CUSTODY (1977)

South African Anti-Apartheid Activist Steve Biko Dies in Police Custody (1977)

A former medical student, Biko founded the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa in 1968 to combat racism and apartheid. He was officially “banned” by the South African government in 1973 and was arrested several times in the years that followed. Arrested for the last time in 1977, he was tortured and beaten to death in police custody, prompting international protests and a UN arms embargo. Twenty years later, five former policemen admitted killing him. Why were they never prosecuted? More… Discuss

 

Godfrey Bloom: The central banks are all at it, counterfeiting money!

Published on Sep 10, 2013

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• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 10 September 2013

• Speaker: Godfrey Bloom MEP, UKIP (Yorkshire & Lincolnshire), Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group –http://www.godfreybloommep.co.uk

• Debate: Credit agreements relating to residential property
Report: Antolín Sánchez Presedo (A7-0202/2012)
Report on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on credit agreements relating to residential property
[COM(2011)0142 – C7-0085/2011 – 2011/0062(COD)]
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
………………..
• Video: EbS (European Parliament)
…………………………….

• EU Member States:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: ATTICA PRISON RIOT: 33 GUARDS TAKEN HOSTAGE (1971)

Attica Prison Riot: 33 Guards Taken Hostage (1971)

Though the US made strides in prison reform in the 20th century, not enough had apparently changed at Attica Correctional Facility by 1971 to appease those confined in the overcrowded New York prison. At the time, inmates got just one “shower” a week and one roll of toilet paper a month. It was against these, and other, conditions that prisoners were protesting when they rioted and took 33 guards hostage. Days later, authorities stormed the prison, killing 39, including how many of the hostages? More… Discuss

 

Barack Obama

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

“Obama” redirects here. For other uses, see Obama (disambiguation).

This article is about the 44th president of the United States. For his father, see Barack Obama, Sr.

Barack Obama
44th President of the United States
Incumbent
Assumed office January 20, 2009
Vice President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	George W. Bush
United States Senator from Illinois
In office January 3, 2005 – November 16, 2008
Preceded by	Peter Fitzgerald
Succeeded by	Roland Burris
Member of the Illinois Senate from the 13th District
In office January 8, 1997 – November 4, 2004
Preceded by	Alice Palmer
Succeeded by	Kwame Raoul
Personal details
Born	Barack Hussein Obama II August 4, 1961 (age 52) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Michelle Robinson (m. 1992)
Children	Malia (b. 1998) Sasha (b. 2001)
Residence	White House (official) Chicago, Illinois (private)
Alma mater	Occidental College Columbia University (B.A.) Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession	Community organizer Lawyer Constitutional law professor Author
Religion	Christian
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize
Signature
Website	barackobama.com

	This article is part of a series on Barack Obama
Early life and career Illinois Senate U.S. Senate Political positions Public image Family First term 2008 primaries Obama–Biden campaign Transition 1st inauguration Electoral history Presidency  Timeline ’09 ’10 ’11 ’12 First 100 days Nobel Peace Prize Second term Re-election campaign 2nd inauguration Presidency  ’13

Barack Hussein Obama II (ⁱ/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States, the first African American to hold the office. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in theIllinois Senate from 1997 to 2004, running unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives in 2000.

In 2004, Obama received national attention during his campaign to represent Illinois in the United States Senate with his victory in the March Democratic Party primary, his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July, and his election to the Senate in November. He began his presidential campaign in 2007, and in 2008, after a close primary campaign against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won sufficient delegates in the Democratic Party primaries to receive the presidential nomination. He then defeated Republican nominee John McCain in the general election, and wasinaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prizelaureate. He was re-elected president in November 2012, defeating Republican nominee Mitt Romney, and was sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2013.

Early in his first term in office, Obama signed into law economic stimulus legislation in response to the Great Recession in the form of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Other major domestic initiatives in his presidency include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, often referred to as “Obamacare”; the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010; the Budget Control Act of 2011; and theAmerican Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. In May 2012, he became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly support same-sex marriage and in 2013 his administration filed briefs which urged the Supreme Court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and California’s Proposition 8 as unconstitutional. In foreign policy, Obama ended U.S. military involvement in the Iraq War, increased troop levels in Afghanistan, signed the New START arms control treaty with Russia, ordered U.S. military involvement in Libya, and ordered the military operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.

 

John Kerry

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

 

For the sixteenth-century English politician, see John Kerry (MP).

John Kerry
68th United States Secretary of State
Incumbent
Assumed office February 1, 2013
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	William Joseph Burns
Preceded by	Hillary Rodham Clinton
United States Senator from Massachusetts
In office January 3, 1985 – February 1, 2013
Preceded by	Paul Tsongas
Succeeded by	Mo Cowan
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
In office January 6, 2009 – February 1, 2013
Preceded by	Joe Biden
Succeeded by	Bob Menendez
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Olympia Snowe
Succeeded by	Mary Landrieu
In office June 6, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Kit Bond
Succeeded by	Olympia Snowe
In office January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	Kit Bond
Succeeded by	Kit Bond
66th Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
In office March 6, 1983 – January 2, 1985
Governor	Michael Dukakis
Preceded by	Thomas O’Neill
Succeeded by	Evelyn Murphy
Personal details
Born	John Forbes Kerry December 11, 1943 (age 69) Aurora, Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Julia Thorne (1970–1988) Teresa Heinz (1995–present)
Children	Alexandra Vanessa John (Stepson) André (Stepson) Christopher (Stepson)
Alma mater	Yale University Boston College
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature
Website	http://state.gov/secretary
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1966–1978
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	USS Gridley (DLG-21) Coastal Squadron 1
Commands	PCF-44 PCF-94
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Silver Star  Bronze Star Medal  Purple Heart (3)

John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American politician who is the 68th and current United States Secretary of State. He served as a United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1985 to 2013, and was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Kerry was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election but lost to incumbent George W. Bush.

The son of an Army Air Corps veteran, Kerry was born in Aurora, Colorado. He attended boarding school inMassachusetts and New Hampshire and went on to graduate from Yale University class of 1966, where he majored inpolitical science and became a member of the Skull and Bones secret society. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1966, and during 1968–1969 served an abbreviated four-month tour of duty in South Vietnam as officer-in-charge (OIC) of aSwift Boat. For that service, he was awarded combat medals that include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. Securing an early return to the United States, Kerry joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War in which he served as a nationally recognized spokesman and as an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War. He appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs where he deemed United States war policy in Vietnam to be the cause of “war crimes.”

After receiving his J.D. from Boston College Law School, Kerry worked as an Assistant District Attorney and co-founded a private firm. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts under Michael Dukakis from 1983 to 1985, where he worked on an early forerunner to the national Clean Air Act. He won a tight Democratic primary in 1984 for the U.S. Senate and was sworn in the following January. On the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he led a series of hearingsfrom 1987 to 1989 which were a precursor to the Iran–Contra affair.

In 2002, Kerry voted to authorize the President “to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein“, but warned that the administration should exhaust its diplomatic avenues before launching war. Kerry based his 2004 presidential campaign on opposition to the Iraq War. He and his running mate Senator John Edwards lost the race, finishing 35electoral votes behind the Republican ticket headed by President George W. Bush (just 19 short of the 270 required for election). Subsequently, he established the Keeping America’s Promise PAC.

Kerry became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2009, and in 2011 he was appointed to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. Having been nominated by President Barack Obama to succeed outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and then confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 94–3 on January 29, 2013, Kerry assumed the office on February 1, 2013

This Day in the Yesteryear: PADDY ROY BATES FOUNDS HIS OWN NATION (1967)

Paddy Roy Bates Founds His Own Nation (1967)

The Principality of Sealand is a purported micronation located on Roughs Tower, a World War II-era British sea fort located in the North Sea six miles (10 km) off the coast of Suffolk, England. Since 1966, the installation has been occupied by the associates and family of Paddy Roy Bates, a former British Army major and pirate radio broadcaster who claimed it as a sovereign and independent state in 1967. What is the international community’s position on the fort’s status as a sovereign nation? More… Discuss

 

Romanian Anthem

Republic of Romania National Anthem
Lyrics:

Wake up, Romanian, from your deadly sleep
Into which you’ve been sunk by the barbaric tyrants
Now, or never, your fate renew,
To which your enemies will bow to.

Now or never let’s give proof to the world
That in these veins still flows a Roman blood,
That in our chests we still maintain our pride in a name
The victor in his battles, the name of Trajan!

Watch on, shadows of highnesses, Mihai, Stefan, Corvine,
The Romanian Nation, your great grandchildren,
With weapons in their arms, with your fire in their veins,
“Life in freedom or death!” shout all.

Priests, lead with your crucifixes! Because our army is Christian,
The motto is Liberty and its goal is holy,
Better to die in battle, in full glory!
Than to once again be slaves upon our ancient ground!

This Day in the Yesteryear: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE DISAPPEARED OBSERVED BY UN FOR FIRST TIME (2011)

International Day of the Disappeared Observed by UN for First Time (2011)

The International Day of the Disappeared on August 30 is an annual commemoration day to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places unknown to their relatives and without legal process. The impulse for the day came from the Latin American Federation of Associations for Relatives of Detained-Disappeared, a non-governmental organization founded in 1981 in Costa Rica. When did the United Nations adopt the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance? More… Discuss

 

NO MAN’S LAND

No man’s land is territory whose ownership is unclear or under dispute and is often unoccupied. The term—then spelled “nonesmanneslond”—was likely first used in medieval Europe to describe a contested territory or refuse dumping ground between fiefdoms. During WWI, it was used to refer to the land between enemy trenches too dangerous to occupy, and during the Cold War, it became associated with territories near the Iron Curtain. What stretch of no man’s land is known as the “Cactus Curtain“? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: LYNCHING OF 14-YEAR-OLD BOY HELPS INSPIRE US CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (1955)

Lynching of 14-Year-Old Boy Helps Inspire US Civil Rights Movement (1955)

At age 14, African-American Emmett Till was murdered in Mississippi after reportedly whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in a grocery store. Her husband and his half-brother beat Till, shot him in the head, and dumped his body in the Tallahatchie River, weighing it down by tying a metal fan around his neck with barbed wire. Till’s body was pulled from the river three days later. What decision made by Till’s mother about her son’s funeral helped bring attention to his brutal murder? More… Discuss

 

SYRIAN CRISIS HAS CREATED ONE MILLION CHILD REFUGEES

As reports emerge of another alleged chemical weaponattack by the Syrian government against its own people, the flood of refugees out of the war-torn country has continued. This week, the one millionth child refugee fledSyria. Another two million children are displaced within the country. The UN High Commissioner for Refugeesworries that an entire generation of Syrian youth is now at risk, as even those that escape physical harm may well suffer psychological trauma as a result of the violence and losses they have endured. The current refugee crisis is the worst in decades, reaching levels not seen since the Rwandan genocide. More… Discuss

 

Democracy Now: HEADLINES AUGUST 22, 2013

Democracy Now: HEADLINES AUGUST 22, 2013

This Day in the Yesteryear: PHILIPPINE OPPOSITION LEADER BENIGNO AQUINO, JR., IS ASSASSINATED (1983)

Philippine Opposition Leader Benigno Aquino, Jr., Is Assassinated (1983)

Aquino, leader of the Philippines‘ Liberal Party, was planning to run for president in 1972 when Ferdinand Marcos, the incumbent, declared martial law and had Aquino arrested on inflated charges. Aquino served eight years in prison, at one point demonstrating against his sentence with a 40-day hunger strike. In 1980, he was released to go to the US for heart-bypass surgery. After three years in exile, he returned to the Philippines and was immediately assassinated. Why had Aquino gone back? More… Discuss

 

Today’s Birthday: RAYMOND POINCARÉ (1860)

Raymond Poincaré (1860)

A career statesman, Poincaré ascended to the highest echelons of French government, serving as prime minister on several occasions and as president from 1913 to 1920. In the lead-up to World War I, Poincaré, a conservative and nationalist, worked to prepare France for possible hostilities, strengthening its military and its alliances with Russia and Britain. His efforts paid off, and Germany was defeated by the Allied Powers in 1918. What prompted him to send French troops into Germany in 1923? More…Discuss

 

THE REPUBLIC OF UPPER VOLTA, NOW BURKINA FASO, GAINS INDEPENDENCE (1960)

In the European scramble for African territory in the late 19th century, France took control of the region that is now Burkina Faso. During World War I, however, the area was torn apart by violent opposition to colonial rule. To prevent continued uprisings, it was named a separate territory, Upper Volta, in 1919. When anti-colonial agitation resumed after World War II, the area became a republic, achieving full independence two years later in 1960. After what was “Upper Volta” named? More… Discuss

 

BIPARTISANSHIP: WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT DOES AND TO WHOM!

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bipartisanship is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system, in which opposing political parties find common ground[disambiguation needed] through compromise, in theory. Realistically, each party advances their own political agenda at the expense of the other party because of the conflicting ideologie…

As you can see, the so called in-fight  does not have anything to do with a moral, progressive or expected socio-political outcome from which the vast majority of the population to benefit in any way>>>>I wonder why? 

What does the outcome of two extreme right ideologies conflicting, has to do with the national progress and well being of the population of a country? 

From Reuters: Russians welcome asylum for Edward Snowden (video and Transcript)

Russians welcome asylum for Edward Snowden Video (Click to watch the video at Reuters, or don’t…your choice!)

Some Moscow residents approved of Russia’s decision to grant asylum to American fugitive Edward Snowden saying it showed Russia makes its own decisions. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT YEKATERINA, SAYING: “Why Russia did this – I think they want to tell the Americans once again: guys, we do not have to adjust to your rules all the time, we are an independent great country and we have the right to make the decisions which are beneficial to us.” Russia granted the former spy agency contractor asylum for one year on Thursday when he was allowed to slip out of the Moscow airport where he had been holed up for over a month (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MOSCOW RESIDENT ANASTASIA, SAYING: “I have nothing against Edward Snowden in Russia. If I was in his place, I would write a Sheremetyevo airport guidebook.” Snowden, who had his U.S. passport revoked by Washington, had bided his time in the transit area between the runway and passport control, which Russia considers neutral territory. U.S.-Russian relations were strained by the move, with several high-level U.S.-Russian talks being put in doubt. Prominent U.S. lawmakers – including Republicans and Democrats – condemned Russia’s action and urged Obama to take stern retaliatory steps.

This Day in the Yesteryear: THE GULF OF TONKIN INCIDENT (1964)

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)

While on patrol in the Gulf of Tonkin, the USS Maddoxwas attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats. Two days later, US boats were supposedly attacked again without provocation. These events—known collectively as the Gulf of Tonkin Incident—prompted US Congress to pass a resolution allowing President Lyndon B. Johnson to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war, leading to increased US involvement in the Vietnam War. Had there in fact been a second attack? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MASSACRE (1966)

University of Texas Massacre (1966)

On August 1, 1966, University of Texas student and former Marine Charles Whitman stabbed his mother and wife to death. He then took an array of firearms to his university’s 307-foot (94-m) clock tower. There, he shot and killed more than a dozen people and wounded at least 30 others before police killed him. In his writings, Whitman expressed regret and confusion over his actions and asked that an autopsy be performed to determine what had caused his behavior. What did the autopsy find? More…

 

Today’s Birthday: DAG HAMMARSKJÖLD (1905)

Dag Hammarskjöld (1905)

The only person to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize posthumously, Hammarskjöld was the second Secretary General of the United Nations. In this role, he greatly extended the influence of the United Nations and personally led peace missions, though he clashed with the Soviet Union for his vigorous attempts to diffuse civil strife in the newly independent Congo. He served as Secretary General until his death in a mysterious plane crash in 1961. What conspiracy theories surround his death? More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: SYNGMAN RHEE, FIRST PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA, DIES IN EXILE (1965)

Syngman Rhee, First President of South Korea, Dies in Exile (1965)

Born in Korea shortly before it was occupied by Japan, Rhee was condemned to life in prison in 1897 for anti-Japanese activity. Amnestied and released in 1904, he went on to become the first Korean to earn a doctorate from a US university. In 1919, he was elected president of a provisional government in exile. Following WWII, he was elected the first president of Korea, with US backing. Ruling as an anti-Communist dictator, Rhee went to war against North Korea in 1950. Why did he resign in 1960? More… Discuss

 

Ambrose Bierce (“Devil’s Dictionary”) on faults (no…not in football!)

Acknowledgement of one another’s faults is the highest duty imposed by our love of truth.

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) Discuss

 

Yeah Ambrose…What about merits?  😦
Really Ambrose, if you were not departed, I would ask you to “change your ways” man, really! 

Oh, I see, you were just truing to be funny? Okay then!

From France 24 International -+- Israeli doctors to advise US on Guantanamo hunger strikers

From France 24 International -+- Israeli doctors to advise US on Guantanamo hunger strikers (click to access report, or don’t, whatever you chose!)

 

FRANCE 24 The Interview : 07/08/2013 THE INTERVIEW

An interview with a French or international personality from the world of economics, politics, culture or diplomacy.
An interview with a French or international personality from the world of economics, politics, culture or diplomacy. 

All shows: 
http://www.france24.com/en/list/emiss…

FRANCE 24 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 24/7
http://www.france24.com

 

from: coalition for sensible safeguards: A letter!

Regs Rock

Groups to Obama today on trade negotiations: trade deal must not be used as way to weaken reg protections

 

tafta-letter-070813

THE EMIN PASHA RELIEF EXPEDITION

Born Eduard Schnitzer, Emin Pasha was a German explorer and doctor who served as a medical officer and governor in Equatoria, part of the Egyptian Sudan. In 1885, he was cut off from the outside world by a Mahdist uprising, prompting a European rescue mission. The rescue party undertook a year-long steamer ship journey through densely forested “Darkest Africa,” where food was scarce, disease was rampant, and natives shot them with poison arrows. When they finally reached Pasha, how did he react? More…Discuss

 

Nigel Farage: There is a Gathering Electoral Storm… (hint, hint…if we pay you…shouldn’t you be nice(r) to US…? What an clear as crystal insinuation from the Frenchman!

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Join UKIP: http://ukip.datawareonline.co.uk/Join…

• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 2 July 2013

• Speaker: Nigel Farage MEP, Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Co-President of the ‘Europe of Freedom and Democracy‘ (EFD) Group in the European Parliament –http://nigelfaragemep.co.uk

The working day of the average Englishman – Godfrey Bloom MEP (yeah Godfrey, say it the way it is Sir!): I know our lilliputian politicians here over the pond can… relate…

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• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 02 July 2013

• Speaker: Godfrey Bloom MEP, UKIP (Yorkshire & Lincolnshire), Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group –http://www.godfreybloommep.co.uk

• Debate: Implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax
Report: Anni Podimata (A7-0230/2013)
– Report on the proposal for a Council directive implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax
[COM(2013)0071 – – 2013/0045(CNS)]
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

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• Video: EbS (European Parliament)
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• EU Member States:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom

• Category

  Nonprofits & Activism

• License

  Standard YouTube License 

Related articles

• The Working Day of the Average Englishman – Godfrey Bloom MEP (financialsurvivalnetwork.com)
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Today’s Birthday: LUDWIG AUGUST THEODOR BECK (1880)

Ludwig August Theodor Beck (1880)

A German general, Beck saw the Nazis‘ rise to power as “the first ray of hope since 1918.” However, he soon feared that Germany was not militarily prepared for an attack on Czechoslovakia. He voiced concern to Adolf Hitler directly, and, in 1938, he resigned in protest against the planned attack but was largely ignored. Beck then became a key member of the conspiracy to overthrow Hitler. What happened to Beck after his plan failed to kill Hitler with a bomb on July 20, 1944? More… Discuss

 

THE ASSYRIAN GENOCIDE

Before WWI, Assyrians, a largely Christian minority in the Islamic Ottoman Empire, were subject to violence and forcible conversion. Their plight worsened once war began. The Ottoman Turks, engaging in systematic ethnic cleansing, massacred Armenians and Assyrians. Contemporary reports placed the Assyrian death toll at 270,000, but the figure has since been estimated to be closer to 500,000, or even as high as 750,000. The Assyrian Genocide is also known as sayfo, which means what? More… Discuss

This genocide was committed against the Assyrian population of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War by the Young Turks. The Assyrian population of northern Mesopotamia was forcibly relocated and massacred by Ottoman (Turkish and Kurdish) forces between 1914 and 1920. This genocide is part of the same policy of extermination aimed against Armenians and Pontic Greeks.

HOLD THE APPLAUSE

A thunderous round of applause following a performance might actually say little about its quality. Clapping, according to a recent study, is a social contagion that can be driven by the actions of just a few members of anaudience. Video footage of groups of undergraduates watching an academic presentation reveals that the sound of just one or two people clapping is enough to prompt a ripple of applause throughout a crowd. Similarly, the power to stop a round of applause lies in the hands of just a couple of individuals. More… Discuss

 

This Day in the Yesteryear: MEXICAN EMPEROR MAXIMILIAN I EXECUTED BY FIRING SQUAD (1867)

Mexican Emperor Maximilian I Executed by Firing Squad (1867)

In the 1860s, France sought to establish an empire in Mexico. Ferdinand Maximilian, an Austrian navy chief and member of the Habsburg dynasty, accepted Napoleon III’s offer of the throne, naively believing that the Mexicans had voted him their king. In reality, Maximilian’s only support came from the French army, and the empire was doomed. In 1866, Napoleon withdrew his troops. Maximilian refused to abdicate and was captured and executed, ending the empire. What were his last words? More… Discuss

Regulation is what keeps bankers out of prison – Godfrey Bloom MEP

Published on Jun 12, 2013

http://www.ukipmeps.org | http://www.ukip.org
• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 12 June 2013

• Speaker: Godfrey Bloom MEP, UKIP (Yorkshire & Lincolnshire), Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group –http://www.godfreybloommep.co.uk

• Debate: Financial services: Lack of progress in Council and Commission’s delay in the adoption of certain proposals
Oral questions – [2013/2658(RSP)]
Followed by a round of political group speakers
The vote will be held on Thursday
– Sharon Bowles (O-000063/2013 – B7-0208/2013)
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Council
Lack of progress in Council on financial services files
– Sharon Bowles (O-000065/2013 – B7-0209/2013)
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
Commission
Delay in the Commission’s adoption of financial services proposals

Transcript:

Thank you, Madam Chairman,

Commissioner [Barnier], I am not without some sympathy – as a matter of fact – with the Council on this, because you are trying to do the impossible, and I think the parliament is trying to make you do the impossible.

The long-and-short of it is, as well known in Austrian Economics, in order to regulate financial services you would need perfect knowledge of the market – impossible, it cant be done. It’s sometimes known as the ‘fatal conceipt’.

What we need to go back to is ‘liberty of contract’, so the individual, the investor can contract, under law in a property-owning democracy, with whomsoever banker or investment manager he wants without interference of the state and the implicit guarantee of the taxpayer that goes with it.

Central bankers and retail bankers hide behind regulation. They are not dominated or guided by regulation! It’s what keeps these people out of prison when they cheat the general public, and ytou are part of the conspiracy.

Move away from prescriptive regulation, for goodness sake, and let the law of the land take its course.

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• Video: EbS (European Parliament)
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• EU Member States:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom

Related articles

• Regulation Is What Keeps Bankers Out of Prison – Godfrey Bloom (financialsurvivalnetwork.com)
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BILLIONAIRE SAUDI PRINCE SUES FORBES FOR UNDERSTATING HIS WEALTH

Forbes is under attack after publishing its annual ranking of the world’s billionaires and listing Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal in 26th place, with an estimated net worth of $20 billion. The prince, grandson of the founder of Saudi Arabia and nephew to the king, claims the publication undervalued him by $9.6 billion and has filed suit in the UK for libel. The list was published back in March and provoked immediate criticism from the royal’s camp, but Forbes has stood by its assessment, prompting the piqued prince to take legal action. More…Discuss

 

Nigel Farage: I hope taxpayers all over Europe listen to this…

Published on May 21, 2013

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Join UKIP: http://ukip.datawareonline.co.uk/Join…

• European Parliament, Strasbourg, 21 May 2013

• Speaker: Nigel Farage MEP, Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), Co-President of the ‘Europe of Freedom and Democracy‘ (EFD) Group in the European Parliament –http://nigelfaragemep.co.uk

• Joint debate: European Council meeting (22 May 2013) – tax fraud and tax havens 

1. Preparations for the European Council meeting (22 May 2013)
Council and Commission statements
[2012/2805(RSP)]

2. Fight against tax fraud, tax evasion and tax havens
Report: Mojca Kleva Kekuš (A7-0162/2013)
Report on Fight against Tax Fraud, Tax Evasion and Tax Havens
[COM(2012)0722 – – 2013/2060(INI)]
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

3. Annual tax report: how to free the EU potential for economic growth
Report: Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz (A7-0154/2013)
Report on the Annual Tax report: how to free the EU potential for economic growth
[COM(2012)0756 – – 2013/2025(INI)]
Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

• Bluecard question: Liisa JAAKONSAARI MEP (Finland), Socialist group (S&D)

Speech transcript:

English: Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Barroso giving speech, bottom left – front row. Borrell in the chair. Finnish Prime Minister as President-in-Office, front row opposite Barroso. Türkçe: Strazburg’daki Avrupa Birliği parlementosu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Thank you. Well there is a great degree of unity here this morning, with a common enemy – rich people, successful companies evading tax, which of course is a problem.

Avoiding tax, which is not illegal, but it gives this whole chamber this morning a high moral tone.

 

Tax Evasion & Wealth Preservation-Photo credit: Byzantine_K

 

And as Mr. Barroso says it is all about the perception of fairness. Because there is the added bonus of course that it drives a wedge between the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the Caymans. 

But before we declare our virtues, perhaps we ought to look just a little bit closer to home.

And I hope that the taxpayers all over Europe listen to this. If we look at the EU officials who work for the European Commission and the European Parliament, the highest category [the most common grade is AD12] are people that earn a net take home pay of just over 100 thousand pounds a year. And yet under EU rules they pay tax of 12 per cent. It is tax fraud on an absolutely massive scale. 

And Mr Barroso I would say to you, how can that be deemed to be fair? How can people out there struggling – the 16 million people unemployed in the eurozone – how can they look at these institutions, not only paying people vast sums of money but allowing them tax and pension benefits on a scale not seen anywhere else in the world? So I suggest we have a bit less of this high moral tone.

And what have these officials given us? Well, they were the architects of the euro, which is a complete disaster. Their obsession with global warming which chimes very strongly here means we are despoiling our landscapes and seascapes with these disgusting wind turbines and driving up energy prices. 

But never let it be said that I cannot acknowledge success when I see it. And I am sure the citizens of Europe will all clap and cheer loudly that the grave, mortal danger of olive oil in dipping bowls has been removed by the officials. Well done everybody.”
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Video source: EbS (European Parliament)
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• EU Member States:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, United Kingdom
[Category: Nonprofits & Activism]

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Nigel Farage, exposing Eurocrat annoying nonsense and propaganda on FOX

Published on May 25, 2013

Nigel Farage, exposing Eurocrat annoying nonsense and propaganda