The dominant religion in America today is Christianity. However, it has been changing in size (diminishing numbers of adherents) and character for a very long time. There are many other religions in America; but focus in this Blog will be on Christianity. I have decided to initiate a three-part series on religious beliefs in America including its conceptual diversity, and some demographic characteristics of groups by religious/nonreligious affiliation. In addition, what people believe about God, Christianity and various aspects of the Christian Bible is also covered.
However, the most important part of this three-part series will be (Part III) to explain why people believe as they do. People's cherished beliefs usually are based on their values. But why people hold the beliefs (or values) they do is seldom explained or addressed. In this first Part (Overview), I critique a recent book, Four Gods (2010), which describes the diverse conceptual ways Americans currently view God. It will be followed by highlight material from the 2008 ARIS (American Religious Identification Survey), some sociological facts on religion in America, pertinent research including the relationship of intelligence to religiosity or religious beliefs, an informative section on Atheism, and an historical look at how early and modern Christians view Christianity. In Part II what specifically people believe will be covered in terms of biblical stories and other aspects of Christianity.
In Part III material will be presented as to the BIG QUESTION–Why do people believe as they do? For the religious and the nonreligious alike, what I'm about to share with you should help you understand the psychological and sociological nature of American's religious beliefs.
1. irrational belief: an irrational, but usually deep-seated belief in the magical effects of a specific action or ritual, especially in the likelihood that good or bad luck will result from performing it.
2. irrational beliefs: irrational and often quasi-religious belief in and reverence for the magical effects of some actions and rituals or the magical powers of some objects.
Superstition has always been a part of culture, usually learned from individuals, small social networks like the family, and is reinforced when larger social entities become involved, such as communities and large nation-states. When many superstitions become institutionalized and integrated into a cohesive social entity they take on a new name—it's called religion. Early man believed in the existence of spirits; later man largely during the Axial Age (800 B.C. to 200 B.C.) adopted a new concept that was parallel to a world ruled by spirits. And that new concept was the idea that the world was ruled by invisible entities called Gods (For example, Greek, Roman and Egyptian Gods). That idea became further refined into the belief that there was just one god (Monotheism). Beginning a few hundred years ago a new concept was being discussed, especially during and following the Renaissance or Age of Enlightenment. And that concept was the belief in no God or gods, called Atheism.
Belief in a God or spirits (or many Gods i.e., polytheism) has always been, like all superstitions, a cultural phenomena. The origin of religion itself goes back some 200,000 years ago to it's beginning with Animism. All belief systems are a product of Culture; and culture is a set of customs or beliefs obtained from learning in social groups. This was as true during the Axial Age as it is today.
Recently, two sociologists from Baylor University published a new book (2010) called America's Four Gods: What We Say about God and What That Says about Us. Their book presents data on religious beliefs today centering on the type of God conceptualized by many people who profess to believe in a God. The typology the authors use draws upon the finding that religious people, primarily Christians, have differing beliefs about the character of the God they believe in.
Paul Froese and Christopher Bader argue that many of America's most intractable social and political divisions emerge from religious convictions that are deeply held but rarely openly discussed.
Drawing upon original survey data and in-depth interviews the authors argue that America's cultural and political diversity is due to these differing opinions about God. Their typology falls into four distinct groupings. These four distinct groupings are: The Authoritative God–who is both engaged in the world and judgmental; The Benevolent God–who loves and helps us in spite of our failings; The Critical God–who catalogs our sins but does not punish them (at least not in this life); and The Distant God–who stands apart from the world He created. The authors suggest that these four conceptions of God form the basis of our worldviews and are among the most powerful predictors of how we feel about the most contentious issues in American life.
In other respects however, I dispute many of the statements made in the book mostly because the religious views of the American people were not accurately accounted for by the authors sampling design. Several other scientifically constructed surveys such as ARIS (American Religious Identification Survey) in 1990, 2001, and 2008 produced quite a different profile in religious beliefs than that found in the Four Gods study. The ARIS time-series results found that Christians, as a group, are declining in number in deference to other non-Christian viewpoints. And, in fact, other data suggest that Christianity has been declining since 1900.
It turns out the methodology in Froese and Bader's study was lacking, i.e., sampling was not randomly done and there were self-selecting individuals in some locations. Prior research on the topic was not presented for the reading audience to review, and the tone and many comments in the book suggested religious bias in the authors. Funding for their project was from the Templeton Foundation, a very conservative organization that has been heavily criticized for its biased agenda by funding research that attempts to force-fit religious paradigms within science and vice-versa. It's like trying to integrate or combine Logos with Mythos. Basically, they are two different things, with different purposes. They also inaccurately stated that atheists comprised only 5% of the population. That is contradicted by every ARIS survey taken since 1990 (See ARIS Survey for 2008 following). Also, the idea that people have differing conceptions of God is hardly new. Early Christians had varying views on God and what Jesus Christ was all about.
What follows in the next section is a more accurate portrayal of religious beliefs in America.
The 2008 ARIS survey was carried out during February-November 2008 and collected answers from 54,461 respondents who were questioned in English or Spanish.
• 86% of American adults identified as Christians in 1990 and 76% in 2008.
• The historic Mainline churches and denominations have experienced the steepest declines while the non-denominational Christian identity has been trending upward particularly since 2001.
• The challenge to Christianity in the U.S. does not come from other religions but rather from a rejection of all forms of organized religion.
• The "Nones" (no stated religious preference, atheist, or agnostic) continue to grow, though at a much slower pace than in the 1990s, from 8.2% in 1990, to 14.1% in 2001, to 15.0% in 2008.
• Asian Americans are substantially more likely to indicate no religious identity than other racial or ethnic groups.
Since the late 19th century, the demographics of religion have changed a great deal. Some countries with a historically large Christian population have experienced a significant decline in the numbers of professed active Christians. Symptoms of the decline in active participation in Christian religious life include declining recruitment for the priesthood and monastic life, as well as diminishing attendance at church. At the same time, there has been an increase in the number of people who identify themselves as secular humanists.
Other interesting sociological facts include the observation that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today, and is nearly universal in many countries from western Africa to Indonesia, where there are close ties between government and religion.It is also noteworthy that Hinduism is undergoing a revival. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shintoism are the religions with the largest number of adherents in the Far East, and have greatly influenced spirituality in the West, particularly in the United States. Among major world religions Hinduism is the fastest-growing religion in the United States.
One of the things psychologists and sociologists do is study respectively individual and group behavior. Much social science research has been conducted since the early part of the 20th century. One area that has received a fair amount of research and evaluation is intelligence and religiosity.
Confirming Howells and Carlson, tested 354 Jewish children, 10-16. A negative correlation was found between religiosity and Terman's intelligence test.
He reported an inverse correlation between 100 ACE freshman test scores and Thurstone "reality of god" scores.
Found no correlation between intelligence and grades. This was an anomalous finding, since GPA corresponds closely with intelligence. Other factors may have influenced the results at the U. of Wisconsin.
Of 532 students, 37% of christians, but 58% of apostates and 53 percent of non-religious students scored above average on SATs.
He found Mean SATs for strongly antireligious (1148), moderately anti-religious (1119), slightly antireligious (1108), and religious (1022).
They studied 158 male and female Canadian university students. They reported "nonreligious S's tended to be strongly intelligent" and "more intelligent than religious S's.
1. Rose Goldsen, Student belief in a divine god, percentages 1952.
Harvard 30; UCLA 32; Dartmouth 35; Yale 36; Cornell 42; Wayne 43; Weslyan 43; Michigan 45; Fisk 60; Texas 62; N. Carolina 68.
God. Percentages: Reed 15; Brandeis 25; Sarah Lawrence 28; Williams 36; Stanford 41; Boston U. 41; Yale 42; Howard 47; Indiana 57; Davidson 59; S. Carolina 65; Marquette 77.
Apostasy rates rose continuously from 5% in "low" ranked schools to 17% in "high" ranked schools.
In elite schools, organized religion was judged important by only 26%, compared with 44% of all students.
They found no differences among National Merit Scholars. Results may have been affected by the fact that NM scholars are not selected on the basis of intelligence or grades alone, but also on "leadership" and such.
42 male and 30 female members of Mensa. Mensa members were much less religious in belief than the typical American college alumnus or adult.
Ament confirmed Little's conclusion. He noted that Unitarians, the least religious, were more than 40 times as numerous in Who's Who as in the U.S. population.
Identified 1189 scientists found in both _Who's Who_ (1927) and American Men of Science (1927). Only 25% in AM of S and 50% of those listed in Who's Who reported their religious denomination despite the specific requests to do so, "religious denomination (if any)." Well over 90% of the general population claims religious affiliation. The figure of 25% suggest far less religiosity among scientists.
Found a negative (-.39) correlation between the strength of religious values and research competence.
Questionnaired 740 US psychologists and chemists. He reported, "the highly creative men [jft- assume no women included] … significantly more often show either no preference for a particular religion or little or no interest in religion." Found that the most eminent psychologists showed 40% no preference, 16% for the most eminent chemists.
Polled 850 US physicists, zoologists, chemical engineers, and geologists listed in American Men of Science (1955) on church membership, and attendance patterns, and belief in afterlife. 642 replies.
38.5% did not believe in afterlife, 31.8% did. Belief in immortality was less common among major university staff than among those employed by business, government, or minor universities. The contemporaneous Gallup poll showed 2/3 of US population believed in afterlife, so scientists were far less religious than typical adult.
In this essay I have reviewed: (1)sixteen studies of the correlation between individual measures of student intelligence and religiosity, all but three of which reported an inverse correlation. (2) five studies reporting that student bodies with high average IQ and/or SAT scores are much less religious than inferior student bodies; (3) three studies reporting that geniuses (IQ 150+) are much less religious than the general public (Average IQ, 100), and one dubious study, (4) seven studies reporting that highly successful persons are much less religious in belief than are others; and (5) eight old and four new Gallup polls revealing that college alumni (average IQ about 115) are much less religious in belief than are grade-school students polled.
I have also noted that many studies have shown that students become less religious as they proceed through college, probably in part because average IQ rises.
All but four of the forty-three polls I have reviewed support the conclusion that native intelligence varies inversely with degree of religious faith; i.e., that, other factors being equal, the more intelligent a person is, the less religious he is. It is easy to find fault with the studies I have reviewed, for all were imperfect. But the fact that all but four of them supported the general conclusion provides overwhelming evidence that, among American students and adults, the amount of religious faith tends to vary inversely and appreciably with intelligence.
There are no entirely satisfactory measures of intelligence, nor even satisfactory definitions of what is to be measured. Intelligence seems to be something, though, and every tack we take in trying to catch the elusive winds of thought carries us further toward workable definitions. Is intelligence a good memory, the ability to sculpt, make a diving catch in center field, play blindfold chess, construct sentences of "learned length and thundering sound", or time a punchline?
SAT tests, IQ tests, success in life, measures of fame and esteem in peer groups all fail to give that satisfying, final readout of how smart or stupid any given person is. The evidence we have indicates that the more we know about the real world, the less likely we are to believe in an imaginary one.
WHO ARE THE NONBELIEVERS AND ATHEISTS?
Atheism, in a broad sense, is the rejection of belief in the existence of dieties. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities. Most inclusively, atheism is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist. Atheism is contrasted with theism, which in its most general form is the belief that at least one deity exists.
The term atheism originated from the Greek ἄθεος (atheos), meaning "without god", which was applied with a negative connotation to those thought to reject the gods worshipped by the larger society. With the spread of freethought, skeptical inquiry, and subsequent increase in criticism of religion, application of the term narrowed in scope. The first individuals to identify themselves as "atheist" appeared in the 18th century.
Today, about 2.3% of the world's population describes itself as atheist, while a further 11.9% is described as nonreligious. Between 64% and 65% of Japanese are atheists, agnostics, or do not believe in God. In Australia the percentage of atheists is close to 25%. In Europe, the estimated percentage of atheists, agnostics and other nonbelievers in a personal god ranges as low as single digits in Poland, Romania, Cyprus, and some other countries, and up to 85% in Sweden (where 17% identify themselves as atheists), 80% in Denmark, 72% in Norway, and 60% in Finland.
Atheists tend to lean toward skepticism regarding supernatural claims, citing a lack of empirical evidence. Atheists have offered several rationales for not believing in any deity. These include the problem of evil, the argument from inconsistent revelations, and the argument from nonbelief. Other arguments for atheism range from the philosophical to the social to the historical. Although some atheists have adopted secular philosophies, there is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere.
In Western culture, atheists are frequently assumed to be exclusively irreligious or unspirtual. However, atheism also figures in certain religious and spiritual belief systems, such as Jainism, and some forms of Buddhism that do not advocate belief in gods. Hinduism also holds atheism to be valid, but difficult to follow spiritually.
There was no New Testament for early Christians. The books that were eventually collected into the New Testament had been written by the 2nd century but had not been gathered yet into a widely recognized and authoritative canon of Scripture. The best way to determine if early Christians held differing opinions about Christ and Christianity is to know what their beliefs were and how they differed.
For example, according to Erdman, "The wide diversity of early Christianity may be seen above all in the theological beliefs embraced by people who understood themselves to be followers of Jesus." Erdman goes on to cite an impressive offering of different beliefs among early Christians of the second and third centuries. Among those Christians, some thought there was just one god, and others believed there were two gods. Some thought there were thirty and some even believed there were 365.
There were Christians that thought God created the world; other Christians thought or believed that this world had been created by a subordinate, ignorant divinity. (Why else would the world be filled with such misery and hardship?). Yet other Christians thought it was worse than that, that this world was a cosmic mistake created by a malevolent divinity as a place of imprisonment, to trap humans and subject them to pain and suffering.
There were Christians in the second and third centuries who believed that the Jewish Scriptures (the Christian "Old Testament") was inspired by the one true God. Others believed it was inspired by the God of the Jews, who was not the one true God. Others believed it was inspired by an evil deity. Others believed it was not inspired.
In the second and third centuries there were Christians who believed that Jesus was both divine and human, God and man. There were other Christians that argued that he was completely divine and not human at all. (For them, divinity and humanity were incommensurate entities: God can no more be a man than a man can be a rock.) There were others who insisted that Jesus was a full flesh-and- blood human, adopted by God to be his son but not himself divine. There were yet other Christians who claimed that Jesus Christ was two things: a full flesh-and-blood human, Jesus, and a fully divine Christ, who temporarily inhabited Jesus' body during his ministry and left him prior to his death, inspiring his teachings and miracles but avoiding the suffering in its aftermath.
Finally, there were Christians who believed that Jesus' death brought about the salvation of the world. Others believed that Jesus' death had nothing to do with the salvation of the world. There were other Christians who said that Jesus never died.
At the time the New Testament was written (The Gospels that were included in the New Testament were all written anonymously), and later assigned the names of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, as reputed authors, there were other Gospel books that were becoming available as sacred texts that were being read and revered by different Christian groups throughout the world.
But all these other Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses were viewed as heresy by the orthodox religious authorities of the day. As rich and as popular as these books were among early Christians, they were excluded from becoming part of the sacred scriptures or canon of Christianity. What eventually became the 27 books of the New Testament is only a subset of all Christian literature that was once available to all Christians.
At the root of the development of orthodox views only of Christianity–was politics, even in the ancient world. Holding a conservative orthodox view of Christianity today is, as it was in early Christianity, to see only one view of Christianity. Just because it's a politically derived set of canonized scriptures doesn't make it any more descriptive of the historical Jesus than if the literature of those branded the heretics of Christianity had succeeded instead in dominating the sacred texts of Christianity.
Despite the orthodoxy of winning the battle to control the scriptures of early Christianity, large differences today exist among the world religions and the many denominations within Christianity itself.
Any particular church's doctrine may be at great variance, not only with other world religions and other denominations within Christianity, but with the very tomb of religious cannon itself that they promote as their source of authority–the Bible. We see wide variation of opinion regarding Christian doctrine. Differences of opinion are the rule where the Bible is concerned, not the exception. One group that has received a lot of media attention is known as the Jesus Seminar. This is a group of academic scholars who question the truth behind the Jesus of history and the Jesus of faith.
The Jesus of history and the Jesus of faith: the Jesus Seminar believes there's a big gulf between the two. In its view the historical Jesus was a bright, witty, countercultural man who never claimed to be the Son of God, while the Jesus of faith is a cluster of feel-good ideas that help people live right but are ultimately based on wishful thinking.
One of the great apologists for Christianity was C.S. Lewis (1898-1963). Many younger generations may more likely remember C.S. Lewis for his creative fictional work, "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." C. S. Lewis was one of the great defenders of the Faith since his conversion to Christianity in 1931. There were many Christians at Oxford in the 1940s. Many, like Lewis, felt that both the pros and cons of the Christian religion should be discussed openly. This led to the foundation of the Socratic Club. C.S. Lewis served as its president until 1954 when he became a Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University, England.
Many scholars today probably would dismiss Lewis' logic as nothing more than Socratic debate double-talk, or that his underlying assumptions about the relationship of natural to supernatural things or events made no sense at all. There was one statement in the Preface to Lewis' book that did make a lot of sense. That is, Walter Hooper wrote, in the preface to Lewis' book, God in the Dock, "Regardless of one's education, it is impossible to decide whether Christianity is true or false if you do not know what it is about." The methodology, of course, of knowing what something is about, should be based on observation, knowledge, and interpretation of the facts and assumptions made.
Orthodox Jews and Christians, of course, have never wholly denied affinity between God and ourselves. But their leaders have tended to discourage or, at least, to circumscribe the process through which people may seek God on their own. This may be why some people raised as Christians and Jews today are looking elsewhere to supplement what they have not found in Western tradition.
Will Christianity Decline in the 21st Century?
It is a fact that there has been a 13% decline in the number of adherents to Christianity since 1900. And, it is very likely that the Christian religion will continue to decline as society moves further into the 21st Century.
This decline will force people to face the reality that previous explanations for how the world about us works—just doesn't possess the influence they once did. Many people will find this upsetting, especially because their belief in a supernatural "sky God who judges you" is now being questioned like never before. As Christianity declines, many people in the religious community will believe that their values are being threatened and their influence diminishing.
I hope that such people will understand that social change throughout history is both normal and inevitable. Given the vast diversity of America culture today, I hope that most people will see both social change and diversity as an opportunity to redefine their perceptions regarding reality, and begin to focus on a more inclusive, rather than exclusive, set of values. Many people may wonder what caused the decline in Christianity. At this point in time eleven general causes have been identified.
This Blog has attempted to look at different religious beliefs and perspectives in America. Just as Americans are a very diverse group of people, so too are the religious beliefs of Americans. The more dogmatic among us view their beliefs as cast in iron or concrete. However, the facts demonstrate that religious beliefs are constantly changing. Social change is the poison conservatives fear the most, and revere the least.
The data in this Blog may be painful for some. That's unfortunate. So, how do we overcome the social stranglehold religions have on a person's ability to think clearly, factually, and logically? Bright people, especially very bright people, are not shackled by the chains of superstition or religious dogma because they are endowed, not just with high IQs, but more importantly, with a healthy skepticism. Those less endowed with gray matter between their ears grasp for certainty in their lives; there is nothing wrong with wanting certainty.
However, the mature adult, whether super-bright or not, needs to take responsibility for one's own life. That takes courage and determination. Once fairy tales are dispensed with a kind of new freedom of the mind is achieved. However, that freedom has a price to pay. Erik Fromm wrote a seminal work during the 1940s, Escape from Freedom. In Escape from Freedom he writes that man strives for independence and individuality, in essence to be free.
But Fromm wondered why it was, despite the long history of wars and fighting to achieve freedom, people (like in Italy and Germany during World War II) were so willing to give up their freedom so easily to a charismatic leader or dictator. He concluded that people tend to want to escape from freedom and that this process is very much psychological. Freedom, while very welcome on the one hand, nevertheless presents the individual with too many choices he must confront in his life. A few can handle this freedom. Many cannot.
During the twentieth century psychology, sociology, and anthropology gave society great tools for understanding itself. To this, we are all indebted. The eleven reasons listed above for what has impacted changes in Christianity all add up to one undeniable fact: Christianity is in trouble and will likely continue to spiral downward in size as fewer and fewer people buy indiscriminately into its primarily emotional, and correspondingly vacuous logical basis.
Glad you're still posting regularly and getting more and more traffic. I love the recent billboard posted by the American Atheists in NJ for the holiday season! And the research that shows that atheists know more about the various religions than the adherents know about their own faith.
Is it possible for me to find a published version of your essays on religion?
I'm a bit late responding to your article (about a year), but I just read it. It appears you have done quite a bit of research in an effort to justify your conclusions regarding the existence of God (the Christian God specifically). Much has already been said (and written) by many intelligent and well educated people) in refutation of your reasons for regarding why people believe in the Christian God, and why they shouldn't, so I won't repeat it here. Your conviction regarding the non-existence of the Christian God (or any God for that matter) seems to be the result of what appears to be a "falling away" of those who once claimed to be an adherent of the Christian faith. Also, you seem to conclude that this falling away is the result of an increase in education and intelligence among the general culture. The Christian Scriptures themselves predicted there would be a time when people that left the Christian faith would be numerous enough to be noticed (2 Thessalonians 2:3 and 2 Timothy 4:4 as examples). But it does not attribute this falling away or diminishing belief in Biblical Christianity to an increased level of intelligence (although the Bible does predict an increase in knowledge). The Scripture attributes this diminishing belief in Christianity and the Scriptures to people's desire to be free from moral restraints. Nowhere does Biblical Christianity prohibit the effort to increase our knowledge of humanity or the world and universe in which we live. Any religion that claims to be Christian, and has been guilty of such in the past or currently is not Biblical Christianity. The scientific age was birthed out of the influence of a strong, biblical belief in God and Jesus Christ. A person does not have to leave Christianity to enjoy life, be successful in business or academics. He or she will, however, have to suppress Biblical beliefs to sin (Romans 1:18-23).


text:
Квалификация чемпионата мира по хоккею с шайбой среди женских юниорских команд 2015 года в I-м дивизионе — спортивное соревнование по хоккею с шайбой под эгидой ИИХФ, проходившее с 19 по 25 января 2015 года в Катовице, Польша. Победитель получил право играть в первом дивизионе чемпионата мира 2016 года.

Арена

Все матчи чемпионата пройдут на арене «Сподек».

Участвующие команды
В турнире приняли участие 6 национальных команд — четыре из Европы и две из Азии. Сборная Великобритании пришла из первого дивизиона, сборная Дании первый раз участвует в турнире, остальные — с прошлого квалификационного турнира.

Судьи

ИИХФ утвердила 4 главных и 7 линейных судей для обслуживания матчей квалификации первого дивизиона чемпионата мира по хоккею с шайбой среди женских юниорских команд 2015 года.

Главные судьи
  Тияна Хаак
  Арина Устинова
  Рамуне Малецкине
  Наташа Хюцелинг

Линейные судьи
  Ивана Беседицова
  Вивьен Брекельманс
  Яна Геркена
  Александра Клаффки
  Бента Оврен
  Хенна-Мария Койвулуома
  Зюзанна Шандор

Турнир

Таблица

Результаты
Время местное (UTC+1).

Лучшие бомбардиры

Примечание: И = Количество проведённых игр; Г = Голы; П = Голевые передачи; О = Очки; Штр = Штрафное время; +/− = Плюс-минус

По данным: IIHF.com

Лучшие вратари

В списке вратари, сыгравшие не менее 40 % от всего игрового времени их сборной.

Примечание: Мин = Количество сыгранных минут; Бр = Броски; ПШ = Пропущено шайб; КН = Коэффициент надёжности; %ОБ = Процент отражённых бросков; И"0" = «Сухие игры»

По данным: IIHF.com

Индивидуальные награды

Лучшие игроки по амплуа:
 Вратарь:  Евгения Помпанин
 Защитник:  Жозефин Хансен
 Нападающий:  Камила Вичорек

Лучшие игроки в каждой команде по версии тренеров:
  Ван Вэньчжо
  Мишель Вайс
  Камила Вичорек
  Алиса Гасперини
  Малика Алдабергенова
  Молли Брукс

Примечания

Ссылки

Январь 2015 года
ЖЮ*1
Первый 2015
Спорт в Польше в 2015 году
2015
Х 2015
Хоккей 2015

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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The Coalition government did opt out of around 130 previously enacted EU security and criminal justice laws, 35 of which it subsequently opted back into. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time, but the right to opt out of the measures was negotiated under a previous government.
The Treaty of Lisbon came into force in 2009 and intended to reform the European Union following its enlargement from 15 to 27 member countries. One element of the Treaty was that security and justice measures would no longer require the unanimous agreement of member countries.
But at the time the UK Labour government, along with Ireland, negotiated the ability to opt out of future security and justice laws on a case-by-case basis. In addition, they also negotiated the ability to opt out of all 130 pre-Lisbon security and justice laws, with the provision that they could opt back into some of them.
In July 2013 the Coalition government notified the EU that it would make use of the block opt-out option. It also decided to opt back into 35 measures that it felt remained in the national interest including, for example, the European Arrest Warrant.
EU members had to agree unanimously on the UK's opting back into the 35 measures. So there were negotiations required, and they were successful from the UK's point of view.
Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time, but it's difficult to say what her exact involvement in negotiations was.
This is right. As with all other members of the EU the UK is a shareholder in the European Investment Bank (EIB). It is the bank of the EU and works closely with the other EU governing bodies, investing in projects across Europe and around the world.
Along with Germany, France and Italy, the UK is one of the largest shareholders in the EIB with shares of 16%.
The EIB had around €66 billion of its own funds in 2016. The UK's 16% share of that would be €11 billion or just under £9 billion.
The EIB's rules state that its members must also be member states of the EU. For the UK to remain a member of the EIB after Brexit the rules would have to be changed—something that all the remaining members states would have to agree on.
As well as the UK having shares in the EIB, the bank also invests in projects in the UK. This investment totalled more than €29 billion between 2011 and 2015, followed by another €6.9 billion in 2016. Whether or not the EIB would continue to lend money to projects in the UK is likely to be discussed during Brexit negotiations. It would be possible for this to happen, but it would need the unanimous agreement of finance ministers in all the remaining EU countries.
Exports to the 51 other members of the Commonwealth—a club of mostly former British colonies, some of which are very small countries—were just 9% of UK exports in 2015, figures assembled by the House of Commons Library show. The value of those exports has actually fallen in the past few years.
By contrast, 44% of exports go to other EU countries. That share was declining until 2013 but has been steady since.
It's also true that the top 10 Commonwealth export destinations make up 8% of total exports—and two of those (Cyprus and Malta) are also in the EU. Pakistan, incidentally, falls outside the top 10.
That said, if you were to expand the Commonwealth to include countries with significant historical ties to the UK that just happen not to be members—Ireland and the United States—its share of UK exports would rise to around one third.
The Commonwealth isn't a trading bloc like the EU. While its members trade with one another, there's no free trade agreement linking them all together.
"Conventional thinking among trade policy experts and policy makers suggests that a free trade area of the Commonwealth would be an utter impossibility for legal and political reasons", according to a 2013 report for the International Trade Centre. But Brexit provides the opportunity to make trade agreements with individual Commonwealth countries, which we can't as an EU member.
Mr Davis's basic point is correct. The Treasury's forecasts for the impact of a vote to leave didn't reflect how the economy performed after the vote to leave the EU. He's not correct on the specific timings, although he may have just mis-spoken.
HM Treasury, the department which oversees government spending, forecast last year that a vote to leave the EU would result in a year-long recession, beginning in the third quarter of 2016.
But in the third quarter of 2016 the UK was the third fastest-growing economy in the in the G7, a group of 'major advanced economies'. In the fourth quarter it grew the fastest. That ran counter to the expectations of most economic forecasts made before the referendum.
Then, as Mr Clegg points out, in the first three months of this year the UK dropped in the rankings. It joined Italy and the USA as one of the three slowest-growing economies in the same group—not the single slowest as Nick Clegg says. The Office for National Statistics hasn't published estimates for months after that yet.
So the debate now isn't about whether the Treasury's forecasts were a bad guide to what happened immediately after the vote (they were) but whether it was mainly the timing they got wrong.
A survey of professional economists run by the Financial Times in January 2017 found that the majority weren't reassured by the apparently solid performance of the UK economy since the vote to leave the EU. Some took this view despite conceding that many of the short-term forecasts had been overly pessimistic.
"Under Margaret Thatcher corporation tax in this country was 52% and the lowest she ever got it to in the last years of her reign as Prime Minister was 34%. This government in 2010 has taken it from 28% to 19% and says that it will go down to 17%. Our proposal is to take it back up to 26%, half of where it was under Margaret Thatcher and still 2 points lower than it was in 2010 when this government came into office.
Labour has committed to raising the main rate of corporation tax to 26% if they win the election. At the moment it is at 19% and it's set to fall to 17% in April 2020.
It's correct that the rate of corporation tax has fallen since 2010. In 2010 the standard rate of corporation tax was set at 28%. This was reduced by the Coalition and Conservative governments several times, ending up at 19% in April 2017. Its 2017 election manifesto promises to reduce corporation tax to 17% by 2020, in line with recent plans.
Rates are only half the picture when it comes to how much we pay in tax. Cuts to corporation tax rates have been partly offset by measures to lower capital allowances or to reduce tax avoidance.
It's also correct that corporation tax revenues have increased since 2010, although Mr Davis got the figure wrong. Last year in 2016/17 the UK government raised £50 billion from corporation tax, a cash increase of about £5 billion compared to the same time the year before.
The amount collected by the government hasn't risen simply because the rate has fallen. Successive policy costings done under the Coalition and Conservative governments suggest it would have collected more in corporation tax if it hadn't lowered the rates (even though such estimates are quite uncertain). You'd expect the cash value of corporation tax receipts to rise each year as the economy grew, all else being equal.
As Mr Davis said, the cash value now is the highest recorded since 1980.
It's more useful to look at what has happened to this amount as a percentage of the UK's overall economic output. Initially, as a share of our GDP, the revenue from all forms of corporation tax (including things like Bank Surcharge, which aren't included in the £50 billion figure above) increased from 2009/10 to 2011/12. It then fell for two years and levelled out for two more. Last year the share started to increase again.
When Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 the standard rate of corporation tax was set at 52%. It was reduced over the next few years and the last time it was changed while she was Prime Minister was in 1990 when it was cut to 34%.
The small companies rate of corporation tax also fell while Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.


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O P I N I O N S
Editorials | Article | Middle | Oped
Pappu Yadav MP — a lifer
Not one criminal should be in Parliament
AT last! The CBI Special Court in Patna has sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Pappu Yadav alias Rajesh Ranjan to life imprisonment for his involvement in the gruesome murder of the firebrand CPM legislator Ajit Sarkar. Along with him, former legislator Rajan Tiwari and Anil Yadav have also been sentenced to life for killing Sarkar in Purnia town of Bihar 10 years ago.
Petrol is pricey
Can only fuel inflation
After months of deliberations, the government raised the oil prices on Thursday. Though the price hike is small and kerosene and cooking gas have been spared, yet the cascading effect on prices of general commodities is unavoidable.
The Mumbai farce
Sena raj
Attack terrorism
Competitive parochialism
Balloony of another kind
Revive democracy
Dr Kidney in the net
Bonded in childhood
Super whimper
Too little, too late
Pedlar of antics
Munnabhai sells marriage that never was
Sanjay Dutt and Manyata will no longer have to protest that they are not married. They, really, are not married. The Government of Goa has declared their marriage as void because they had faked – no, not the marriage – but the documents for registration of their marriage.
Why farmers commit suicides
Crop failure, social pressures are the culprits
by Jayshree Sengupta
RECENTLY the news of farmers' suicides has resurfaced in the national scene in a shocking manner and it is hard to believe that in one year (2006) there were 17,060 suicides. Why is it that so many farmers are continuing to commit suicide even when the problem has been addressed at the highest level in the country and huge relief packages have been sanctioned?
by Harish Dhillon
I must have passed it a hundred times — a nondescript schoolhouse stuck in the middle of nowhere, like hundreds of other schoolhouses that dot the Punjab countryside. The L-shaped building was built into one corner of a rectangular plot — the rest of the space wild and unkept, so symptomatic of the government school education system that I learnt to turn my eyes away as we passed.
Transparency matters
The 'Integrity Pact' can be a weapon against corruption
by Anupama Jha
THE recent slew of Integrity Pacts adopted by Public Sector behemoths like Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Container Corporation of India, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited and a host of others, is an indicator of the growing urgency among Government organisations to institutionalise transparency and accountability in their working.
I worked like a galley slave, says Putin
by Shaun Walker
Moscow – Vladimir Putin has launched a stinging attack on plans for Kosovo independence, accusing the West of double standards in its approach and directing several other characteristically vicious barbs at the West.
Inside Pakistan
Musharraf's growing unpopularity
by Syed Nooruzzaman
The anti-Pervez Musharraf sentiment throughout Pakistan is getting stronger with every passing day. A large number of people reportedly think that he is a major cause for the growing instability in their country. Nobody can be sure if the situation will change after the February 18 elections.
Polls: Army 'delinked'
Costlier food
AT last! The CBI Special Court in Patna has sentenced Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Pappu Yadav alias Rajesh Ranjan to life imprisonment for his involvement in the gruesome murder of the firebrand CPM legislator Ajit Sarkar. Along with him, former legislator Rajan Tiwari and Anil Yadav have also been sentenced to life for killing Sarkar in Purnia town of Bihar 10 years ago. The punishment for the Honourable Member of Parliament and his cronies is indeed welcome because criminals like Pappu Yadav and Mohammed Shahabuddin (the RJD MP from Sewan who was awarded life imprisonment for another murder) should have no place in Parliament or state legislatures. The best place for them is jail. The Ajit Sarkar case saw several ups and downs ever since Pappu Yadav was arrested in March 2004. If he failed in his tricks to hoodwink justice, it is only because of the pro-active role played by the Supreme Court. It disproved of the comfortable lifestyle he was enjoying in Bihar's Beur Jail and shifted him to the high security Tihar Jail in New Delhi two years ago.
Pappu Yadav, obviously because of his clout and relationship with his party supremo and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, let loose a reign of terror in Beur jail where he was behaving like an extra-constitutional authority. He was organising parties and giving audience, in typical durbar style, to his party supporters, in violation of prison rules. The jail officials were too scared to question his ways and chose to carry out his commands without demur.
Interestingly, Pappu Yadav has set a national record in filing the maximum bail petitions. In November 2006, the Supreme Court ordered that no court in the country would further entertain his bail applications in the Ajit Sarkar case. And when it lifted this ban on him in December last year, he promptly sought bail for treatment of his "morbid obesity". The Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan refused to let him out on bail saying that he could undergo medical treatment while staying in Tihar Jail itself. Criminals like Pappu Yadav and Mohammed Shahabuddin who found their way into Parliament are an anathema to the political system and society as a whole and they deserve no mercy. If more and more politician-criminals like them are thrown behind bars, this may help check the increasing criminalisation of politics and cleanse Parliament and state assemblies of malcontents.
After months of deliberations, the government raised the oil prices on Thursday. Though the price hike is small and kerosene and cooking gas have been spared, yet the cascading effect on prices of general commodities is unavoidable. To add to citizens' problems, the international prices of foodgrains and edible oils have risen sharply. The RBI Governor has been particularly worried about inflation going out of control. The government's decision on oil price hike runs contrary to his inflation-control efforts.
Its compulsions, however, are understandable. The global crude prices, after a recent fall, have spurted to $94 a barrel. The public sector oil companies lose Rs 7 on every litre of petrol and Rs 8 a litre on diesel. The loss on kerosene is even sharper at Rs 17 a litre and that on LPG at Rs 250 a cylinder. The hike of Rs 2 for petrol and Re 1 for diesel will cut these companies' losses by 1.2 per cent to Rs 71,800 crore this fiscal. The real benefits will accrue in the coming fiscal year. The government had last raised the oil prices in June, 2006, but reduced these last year on February 15.
Instead of fuelling the inflationary fire, the government could have cut the taxes on oil and set an example for the states to follow. In Delhi the tax on petrol is 52 per cent and on diesel it is 32 per cent. Why not tax oil-guzzling big cars more instead? Due to the ad valorem duty structure, the Centre's tax collection from oil has steadily gone up. The government has also gained from the rupee's rise against the dollar. Besides, there is a general tax buoyancy on account of economic growth. All this should have prompted the government to bail out the oil PSUs. The Finance Minister talks of giving tax benefits to corporates in the coming Budget, which being the last before the elections, is widely expected to be populist. Obviously, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister need to get their priorities and politics right.
Sanjay Dutt and Manyata will no longer have to protest that they are not married. They, really, are not married. The Government of Goa has declared their marriage as void because they had faked – no, not the marriage – but the documents for registration of their marriage. This is the trouble with people in the film world: They believe that since people are beguiled by whatever they reel out on the screen, people can also be fooled in the real world; that in real life, too, they can get away by assuming any role. As celebrities, they are confident that officials, who are not sufficiently cowed by their glamour and status to be obliging or conniving, simply need to be hoodwinked. So it was with Sanjay and Manyata who declared themselves as residents of Goa for registration of their marriage.
The courting couple has, knowingly and deliberately, courted trouble. Trouble could well be Sanjay Dutt's middle name. Although he may lament that trouble finds him, his record shows that it is he who has an unerring propensity to get into trouble. He seems to be suffering from somewhat more delusions that most others in an industry that sells dreams. After falling foul of the law for being in unlawful possession of a weapon, undergoing the ordeal of prolonged and recurrent detention, and a clear idea and full taste of what kicking over the traces can do to him, our Munnabhai still looks to cut corners or tweak the law of the land.
Is he a compulsive-obsessive personality who can never stick to the straight and the narrow? Is Manayata, his companion in faking the certificates, a woman after his own heart in more senses than one? No one could, or would, have stopped them from getting married; and, they had the option of doing it in any number of ways or places. These days, couples do it in the air, underwater, on mountain peaks and even while bungee jumping. To do it the one way that meant breaking the law shows an amazing capacity to befool others. Or, maybe Sanju Bhaiya prefers to be in the news — even of the wrong kind.
Just as a flower, which seems beautiful has colour but no perfume, so are the fruitless words of a man who speaks them but does them not. — Dhammapada
Several research papers and books have already been written about the causes behind such suicides and extensive interviews have been conducted with the family members of farmers who died in a most gruesome manner. All point to the fact that it is crop failures and economic and social pressure that are the main causes behind farmers' suicides and it is not related to "general depression" among farmers, as some politicians would like us to believe.
It is also not the rich farmer but the small and marginal farmers and sometimes tenant cultivators who are the victims and the number gets bigger if we take into account women farmers. They die most commonly by consuming pesticides and obviously extreme conditions of stress and loss of economic assets drive them to this act. There is the fear of the moneylender who has a hold on the farmer's entire life cycle, loss of social status and hopelessness that compel him to take the extreme step. Nowhere in the world have so many farmers taken their own lives like in India though many countries have faced agrarian crises of various types.
It is not as though Indian farmers cannot be helped. The Prime Minister himself went to the affected areas two years ago and a hefty baleout package had been worked out. Why is it that despite the relief package worth Rs 4,825 crore in the Vidharba region alone, the suicide rate in that area is still rising? It means that either the real reasons have not been identified or the package did not reach the farmers and only went to old projects. It basically reflects the deep-seated problems in agriculture which relate to a sharp fall in public investment over the last decade and a half.
It also shows that the average farmer is extremely vulnerable to misinformation about crop prospects and crop diversification because of his low literacy level. Because when economic pressure compels farmers to seek higher returns, they try to change over from growing food crops to growing cash crops and they are not fully aware of the risks involved due to poor extension work in the farms.
The seeds which are usually sold by multinational corporations are far more expensive for cash crops and they require a more intense application of water and fertilisers. Again, very few are guided properly and they end up applying huge amounts of fertilisers which require more water.
When monsoons are not good enough there is need for additional water supply. Farmers are forced to tapping ground water. Thus they borrow from the ubiquitous moneylenders to drill deeper and deeper wells but as the water table has in many places moved down due to over exploitation of ground water, they are unsuccessful in getting water.
When the crop fails or the produce is not as good as expected, the farmer is in trouble. He has already borrowed heavily at high interest rate and often has to sell in a market which is not remunerative or is openly exploitative.
Here the downward global price trend in certain commodities like cotton, play a part. Due to the heavily subsidised agriculture in the US, its cotton production in recent years has been enormous and the international price of cotton has been declining as a result. Thus while Indian farmers are facing rising input costs, the price they get in the market for their produce (which is driven by the international price) is not able to cover the high input costs. As a result, the farmer faces a debt trap. Facing the moneylender becomes impossible for him, specially when he has sold off everything and has nothing to fall back upon.
The state governments can help in many ways like establishing seed banks because it is the high cost of seeds that is the main cause for rising cost of cultivation. It would also take care of the problem of spurious seeds in the market. Agricultural extension work needs to be revamped as the farmers need more reliable information regarding crop prospects and the risks involved. Also, bio pesticides and organic farming have to be encouraged as it would help recharge the soil that has been exhausted by excessive use of chemical fertilisers and this in turn may reduce the risks of crop failures.
Recharging ground water and other water bodies can also be very helpful in times of water stress. This task can be entrusted to panchayats. Above all, easier access to credit would be of utmost importance.
Indian agriculture is also facing unfair competition from abroad. At the international negotiating table, the Indian delegation has to make sure that in the ongoing Doha Round of the WTO, Special and Differential Treatment of products is taken into account. It is a contentious issue because India and many developing countries have asked for a longer period of implementation for various agreements embodied in the Doha Round — especially those regarding tariff reduction.
It is important for these countries to be able to continue with tariff protection for some special products that form the backbone of their food security system and are critical for the farmers' survival.
The influx of competing imports has led to the slow demand for some crops like oil seeds that has impoverished farmers. India has already scrapped all quantitative restrictions on various agricultural products and has also reduced tariffs on many items. The result is a huge influx of all kinds of agricultural produce starting from Australian fruits, Thai vegetables and European cheeses and spices.
At the WTO, the US however is going to be tough on the negotiations on special and differential treatment of products because it would hurt their own export prospects in agricultural products, slated at $11 billion in 2008.
Unless India protects its own agriculture from cheap imports, rising costs, credit squeeze, and goes for a total revamp of agriculture, more farmers' suicides may surface.
Then, suddenly, one day, I could not turn my eyes away. The building wore a coat of fresh paint, a decidedly bilious yellow, but it did make the building look neat and spruced up. The compound had lost its wildness. There were saplings planted along the boundary, neat flowerbeds bordering the building and a basketball court in the rest of the space. In the months that followed the saplings took root and the flowerbeds bloomed — yes, only with the humble marigolds and cannas but the school looked, at last, cared for.
On an impulse I went into the school compound. It was long past school hours but a middle aged Sikh gentleman emerged from the building and greeted me with a welcoming smile. We introduced ourselves, he the headmaster of the little primary government school and I the headmaster of one of the leading and most elitist public schools in the region. He took me into his little office and offered me a cup of tea. It was the first of many meetings.
Over the following years I learnt a great deal about him, a great deal from him. He was well read, well informed with clear cut, realistic ideas of what he could achieve within the limitations of his system, and how he could achieve this. Above all, my meetings confirmed what I already knew from my first glance at the "new" school building — he was a man who passionately cared, for the world around him and, most deeply, for his children and he made sure that this caring translated itself into meaningful and far-reaching actions. He was a gardener in the true sense of the word.
At the end of the year, I moved to another school and it was a long time before I travelled on that road again. When I did I was shocked to see the condition of that schoolhouse.
The saplings were now strong enough to take care of themselves but the flowerbeds had been allowed to go to seed, the playground was overgrown with weeds and bushes and one of the basketball poles was bent at a precarious angle. It was obvious that my friend had been posted out.
I checked the impulse to go in and find out where he had been transferred. It did not matter — wherever he was there would be trees and flowers and a basketball court and the schoolhouse would wear a fresh coat of paint proclaiming to all the world that a gardener had taken charge of the schoolhouse, a gardener who cared for his school and for his children.
The rising incidents of scandals and delays in Government contracts and procurements have led the common man to believe that corruption is rampant in Government dealings. Clearly the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are keen to clean up their image and dispel the common perception.
Public procurement through government contracts have always been the primary source of corruption. According to experts, in Government procurement and work tenders, less than a quarter of the money reaches its intended destination, the rest is siphoned away through systematic leakages.
The manual tendering based public procurement system presents many opportunities for manipulation by corrupt civil servants and tender "mafias." Killing of tender rivals and cinema style kidnapping and violence have always been part of the tendering process.
In some cases, cartels distribute the works within themselves and seek exorbitant prices. Politicians and public employees also collaborate to award contracts to the payer of the highest bribe or to their favored contractor. They also indulge in corruption by systematically leaking information and manipulating papers during the tender approval process.
In order to create trust in the minds of the people and to put a check on this kind of corruption, it was felt that Integrity Pacts (IP) could be a tool to bind the buyer and the seller with a moral commitment – a pledge not to indulge in giving and taking of bribes or any act of favoritism, says Admiral R H Tahiliani , Chairman, Transparency International, India.
The Pact itself was formulated by Transparency International in 1990s to ensure fairness in procuring and contracting through large public tenders. The bidders and the procuring party sign an IP against each tender.
By signing the Pact, PSUs like Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Coal India Limited, Gas Authority of India Limited and Ferro Scrap Nigam Limited have committed to have most ethical and corruption free business dealings with counter parties whether they are bidders, contractors or suppliers. It is also binding upon them to deal with all counter parties with equity, reason and fairness in competitive dealings.
The company and its associates are further obligated not to seek any favor/benefit/or accept bribes for themselves or for third parties. In the event of any associate being prejudiced or conflict in interest, the company will exclude the associate.
On its part, the counter party will not pay any bribe, directly or indirectly, or extend illegal benefit or provide undue advantage to any one while dealing with the Company. It will also not engage in collusion, price-fixing, etc. with other Counterparties in dealing with the company. Further, the counter party will not pass on to any third party any information of the company unless authorised by it.
The entire process of the dealing is supervised by an external independent monitor of impeccable credentials, appointed by the company in consultation with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and Transparency International India. If the monitor observes or suspects any irregularity, he shall inform the senior most official of the company, CVC and Transparency International, India.
Will then the signing of such an IP ensure complete transparency and combat corruption in bidding, contracting and procurement process by PSUs? Cynics are not fully convinced about the efficacy of IP. Says a senior Government official: "there are so many external variables that come into play in public procurement dealings through government contracts, that enforceability of IP becomes difficult".
He says that companies resort to corrupt practices such as bribing because they come into direct competition with others and they suspect that if they do not, their competitors will. He says that at the end of the day, if the balance sheet does not look good, the Managing Director of the Company gets no marks for being ethical and transparent in the dealings. Will a time come when the integrity of honest officials is recognised and rewarded?
Besides, the IP has no legal backing. It works more as a tool to put moral and ethical pressure on companies in order to ensure transparency, accountability, equity and competitiveness in their working. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has simply recommended the adoption and implementation of IP in respect of all major procurements of the Government organizations.
Often the CEO or CMD of the company is so preoccupied with retaining power that their commitment to dealing with corruption is severely compromised, IP or not, says another officer in a top PSU on condition of anonymity. Add to it, the lack of political will and corruption by politicians themselves, which has resulted in the Government tailoring itself to absorb corruption through years of practice.
That said, even cynics are compelled to admit that the IP is the beginning of a good intent that a company wishes to follow and spreads the message to various stakeholders. By adopting IPs, companies state that they will not practice corruption and abuse the power entrusted to them.
Says Subir Raha , former chairman of ONGC which was the first PSU to adopt the Pact, " it stops unnecessary interference from Ministers and politicians lobbying for a particular bidder which is a great relief for the CMD of the company".
More importantly, adoption of the IP enhances the credibility of the organisation and facilitates considerable reduction in the overall costs of the project.
However, its effective implementation is possible only if the CEO and the entire system responds to it and is committed to fully abiding by it. Without effective implementation, it will remain merely as a part of the tender files.
The writer is Executive Director, Transparency International India
"Are you Europeans not ashamed of yourselves to approach the same issues in different parts of the world with such double standards?" asked Putin during a marathon question and answer session with journalists in Moscow.
Speaking days before the UN-administered Serbian province is expected to declare independence, he said that if Kosovo could do so, there is no reason why Turkish-controlled Northern Cyprus, or territories like Abkhazia in Georgia should not also be allowed to break away. He also repeated threats to aim nuclear missiles at Ukraine and Poland if elements of a proposed US anti-missile system were installed there.
More than 1,000 journalists gathered in a Kremlin conference hall for the audience with the president, and in a feat of Castro-esque endurance, Putin answered questions for more than four-and-a-half hours without a break, ranging in subject from foreign policy to his personal life. He assured Russians that his anointed successor Dmitry Medvedev would continue his course, and that he himself planned to be a long-serving and powerful prime minister.
He said he was not worried about any potential policy disagreements with Medvedev in future, and said that a major policy speech to be given today by Medvedev at a Siberian forum would be a "continuation" of his own strategy.
There was no need for Medvedev to take part in pre-election debates or answer questions because he had showed the country his policies in action, and the lack of political discussion in the country was not due to a lack of democracy but because "the vast majority of Russians support the course we have taken over the past few years".
While insisting he had never planned to change the constitution and stay on for a third term as president, he hinted that Prime Minister Putin would not undergo the humiliation of hanging a portrait of President Medvedev in his office: "I don't need to hang his portrait in order to build good relations with him; we have other ways of communicating."
Many regional reporters, representing various outlets across Russia's 11 time zones, had come with brightly painted banners which they waved enthusiastically, hoping they would be picked to ask a question. Many simply offered thanks to Putin for various local projects, or for making a visit to their region.
The cloying words of thanks took on a new level when a young, pretty radio reporter asked Putin if he had received any Valentine's cards. No, said the president, he had woken up, done some exercise, and come straight to the conference, so hadn't had a chance to check. "I would like to give you a Valentine's card," said the reporter, who at the end of the conference handed over her pink, heart-shaped card.
The few occasions where Putin appeared to become irritable and raise his voice were all responses to foreign policy questions and Western attitudes towards Russia. He repeatedly said that Russia was not seeking a confrontation with the West and did not want a return to the Cold War, but if provoked would respond adequately.
He was particularly scathing in response to allegations printed in the Western press that he had accumulated a secret fortune during his time in office, which were "nonsense" that Western newspapers had "picked out of their noses and smeared on the paper", said Putin.
Another target for criticism was the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, which said it would not be sending its observers to monitor the presidential election on 2 March after Russian authorities refused to meet its conditions on the arrival date for election monitors. Putin said that "nobody has the right to dictate conditions to Russia". Instead of trying to "teach" Russia how to behave, said Putin, they should "teach their own wife how to make cabbage soup".
Summing up his eight years in charge, he said he had worked "like a galley slave" and was proud of his achievements. When asked what he most regretted about his presidency, he said that there had been "no serious failures". At no point were any of the more controversial events during his time in office raised, such as the Kursk submarine disaster, the Nord-Ost theatre siege or the Beslan school hostage-taking.
By arrangement with The Independent
Daily Times quoted a BBC World Service poll to say that "a large majority of Pakistanis – 64 per cent – believe that stability and security in Pakistan would improve 'if President Pervez Musharraf were to resign now', leaving only 25 per cent thinking that security would get worse if he were to resign. This shows that President Musharraf's stock is down since the first quarter of 2007 when he made one of his 'Kargilian' blunders by using rough tactics in dismissing the Chief Justice of Pakistan."
It is believed that President Musharraf himself and his well-wishers in Washington and Riyadh are largely to blame for what the people think about him. As Daily Times says, "The Americans who financed his government through copious assistance pressured him to let Ms Benazir Bhutto return after a 'write-off' reconciliation ordinance.
And after that, Saudi Arabia, which is perhaps more crucial to Pakistan's survival than the US in many invisible ways, got him to take Mr Nawaz Sharif back too. Today, the two parties challenge him directly for ruling space."
The PPP and Mr Nawaz Sharif's PML (N) may not accept the results of the "pre-rigged elections" if President Musharraf's PML (Q) succeeds in its designs to recapture power. This means the situation of uncertainty is unlikely to end even after the polls.
The Nation points out, "Unfortunately, things do not look promising, and a report attributed to the Secretary of the Election Commission says that out of a total of 1773 complaints the EC has received, not a single one has been fully addressed. Besides, an NGO has concluded that while 4.5 million voters have double entry in the electoral rolls, a whopping 27 per cent of households are just missing."
There is no end to the food shortage continuing for a long time. Now reports are being received about chaos at utility stores in many cities and towns.
The News (Feb 13) says, "The mayhem that broke out at a utility store in Rawalpindi the other day, as the police were called in to control thousands of desperate people who had queued up to obtain 'atta', cooking oil and other essential commodities at the subsidized rates advertised by the government, shows how badly the continuing food crisis is being handled."
According to Dawn, Pakistan is faced with "the most severe food price inflation in its history". Elaborating the situation, the paper says, "The price of flour, our staple food, more than doubled from May due to acute wheat shortages while edible oil has jumped by around 100 per cent in one year on the back of the escalating global palm oil market…
"The policymakers miserably failed to curb food prices no matter what they did. A tight monetary policy didn't help much. Domestic oil prices remained unchanged since January 2007, despite a 76 per cent increase in the global crude market, forcing the government to borrow heavily to finance its budget and defeating the purpose of the tight monetary stance adopted by the central bank to contain core inflation."
Obviously, this may have its impact on the coming elections despite the explanation given by the government.
Perhaps, with a view to making the elections appear credible, the Pakistan Army has been "freed" from all poll-related responsibilities. According to Business Recorder (Feb 14), the new Army Chief's decision is "significant". The Army "micro-managing" the elections would definitely send out wrong signals.
The paper says, "Late last month the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) had stated that the task of conducting elections is the sole responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan, and the Army would stay away from the electoral process except for its duty under the Constitution to help maintain law and order…
"Whatever be the reason for the Army's clearly heard stance that it has nothing to do with the conduct of elections, the message comes loud and clear that the Army would like to jettison its political role…"
But in view of the Army's past record, this cannot be taken for granted. As an article in The Nation (Feb 14) by Viqar A. Khan says, "the rank and file of the mainstream political parties must gain the respect of the institution which they are trying to replace in the name of democracy." Otherwise they must be prepared to see the situation reversed anytime in the future.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Across the world we place value in money, gold, precious stones and metals. But this island in the Pacific places its value in rocks. This may sound odd, but the island Yap uses stones as a form of currency. This tradition is something that amazes many economists and anthropologists as it makes us question what money really is.
Hundreds of years ago, explores from the Micronesian island of Yap in the pacific, found a deposit of limestone on an island hundreds of miles away. The people of Yap must have placed value in this limestone as after they discovered the rock, they carved it into huge circular discs and transported them back to Yap on bamboo boats.
It is unknown whether the rocks were intended to be used as currency when they were first discovered or if initially it was used as a form of currency when they were brought to the island. However, eventually the people of Yap decided that the limestones had worth and started to use it as money called Rai.
These stones were huge in size and were high in value. The limestones were not used to buy everyday items like food, but instead for important things such as a daughter's dowry. The stones had huge value and some were even heavier than a car.
Hundreds of these human sized limestone rocks, known as Rai, can be found across the Micronesian island of Yap still to this day. Many are scattered alongside the beaches and forests and some are by some of the islands' few hotels. Each village even has its own stone money bank where pieces that are too heavy to move are put on display on dancing grounds.
Other Micronesian forms of currency such as, shell money has been replaced by the US dollar for everyday transactions like the weekly food shop. However, for exchanges like rights of customs, stone money remains a vital currency for the residence of Yap.
The fluid value of the stone money challenges aspects of western concepts in relation to money. The west view money as having a pre-determined value, whereas the island of Yap determines the value of the stone currency by its sheer ornateness and size. They can also be valued on their purpose and what they are being used for. It is this very concept that places the question, what the true value of money is.
There is no need for the island of Yap to continue making Rai as the money is now in circulation across the island. From one exchange to another just like money. Similarly, to western society and the perception and value of money, Rai holds a central position in the culture and society on Yap. Rai is central to the traditions of Yap to the extent that oral history is a factor of each stone's value. There is no written record of who owns the stones and what possessions belong to what family, so this is where oral tradition comes into play.
Tribal elders from across the villages on the island pass down information about each piece of limestone. By orally keeping record of the history of each stone it means the stones act as a reminder of the past. This effectively helps to reinforce relationships and the historic transactions that date back to the times of warriors and clans. The Rai limestones also have engravings on them, some that dating back to battles of 200 years ago.
The Rai stones longevity was represented in the second world war in the Japanese occupation. The Stones mostly escaped the US bombing and remained strong, highlighting the islands long-lasting authentic culture. However, it appears Yap is one of a kind as it's neighbouring islands Chuuk, Guam and Palau have been influenced heavily by the west specifically by US and European colonisation. Many of the surrounding islands bare the scares of the second world war bombings, meaning some aspects of culture has been lost on the islands.
The Rai stones on Yap symbolise not only an alternative way of determining value and using money, but also, it's authentic culture and the beauty of the island's history and separateness from certain aspects of western society. The alternative perception of what money truly is and how the value of the Rai stones is determined is distanced from western money giving a unique wonder and beauty to the island of Yap.


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Home General News Featured Brexit: Jaguar Land Rover extends shutdown over no-deal fears
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Brexit: Jaguar Land Rover extends shutdown over no-deal fears
By Attah Dabone
Jaguar Land Rover is to extend its annual April shutdown in car production because of uncertainties around Brexit.
The UK's biggest carmaker will be idle for an extra week because of fears of disruption at its car and engine plants at Liverpool, Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
The shutdown during 8 to 12 April will be in addition to a scheduled closure the following week.
Britain is due to leave the European Union on 29 March.
"There will be an additional week of production stand-down… due to potential Brexit disruption," JLR said in a statement.
The company, which is cutting jobs because of a steep fall in sales, has previously warned about the impact of Brexit on its ability to source just-in-time components from mainland Europe.
BMW is already planning to close its plant near Oxford for a month after Brexit, while Honda is planning a six-day closure.
After Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan was defeated in Parliament last week, fears have grown among some businesses of a no-deal exit.
Also on Thursday, Airbus, which makes aircraft wings in the UK, warned it could shift manufacturing from the UK in the event of no deal.
JLR said its move had been under consideration for some time, but it was waiting for clarity over the terms of Britain's EU withdrawal. The company said it needed to inform its workers ahead of any holiday and annual leave plans.
Future investment
JLR has been saying for more than a year that Brexit uncertainty would eventually take its toll on the perception of the UK as a stable and competitive base for global manufacturing.
Last July, the company said it needed more certainty around Brexit, and warned that a "no-deal" Brexit would cost the company more than £1.2bn in profit each year.
Chief executive Ralf Speth said last year: "We have spent around £50bn in the UK in the past five years – with plans for a further £80bn more in the next five. This would be in jeopardy should we be faced with the wrong outcome."
JLR employs just under 39,000 workers at sites including Castle Bromwich, Solihull and Wolverhampton in the West Midlands, and Halewood on Merseyside.
Thursday's news follows an announcement earlier this month that JLR is to cut 4,500 jobs under plans to make £2.5bn of cost savings.
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#SurvivorsCan'tWait: Ontario rape crisis centres still awaiting funding promised
Included in the Ontario gender-based violence strategy was up to $14.8-million over three years to increase the capacity of current Sexual Assault Centres — as well as open new ones in communities where none currently exist.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Hamilton (SACHA), for example, planned to use its share of the funds to hire an additional full-time counsellor to offset a seven-month-long waitlist.
Survivors shouldn't have to wait to receive support services.
But so far, the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres notes, sexual assault centres across the province have yet to receive the funding that was promised to them earlier this year. Learn more here.


Cherry Wood is best used for grilling or smoking poultry and pork. It usually gives lighter meats a pinkish-red to dark-brown tint. Gives food a mild smokey taste and gives meats a sweet fruity flavor. It mixes well with oak and apple.
Cherry Trees have reddish brown bark and are usually between 6′ and and 40′ tall. There are fruit-bearing, non-flowering Cherry trees and flowering Cherry trees. Only non-flowering Cherry trees should be used for Cooking Wood.
Mature cherry trees are usually around 20′ but can reach as high as 35′. Cherry leaves have five small red glands on the tips.
The bark should be smooth and reddish brown turning darker as the tree ages. Look for clusters of white or pink blossoms.
There are 5 petals on each flower. When a cherry tree is in full bloom, you usually can't see anything but the blossoms.


A UK parliamentary committee will investigate a scandal involving a plan by an Israeli diplomat and British parliamentary aide to "take down" the UK's deputy foreign minister, British media reported on Sunday.
The disclosure of the secret investigation carried out by the Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV station, involving Israeli diplomat Shai Masot, who has close links to Israeli intelligence, and Maria Strizzolo, an aide to the pro-Israeli Tory MP Robert Halfon, made headlines last week.
The scandal is to be investigated by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, chaired by Tory MP Crispin Blunt, who was also targeted by Masot and Strizzolo.
"I hope to include this matter in the committee's wider inquiry into the Middle East peace process," the Mail on Sunday reported Blunt as saying on Sunday.
Blunt described the scandal, revealed in the undercover "sting" by al-Jazeera, as "interference in British politics of the murkiest kind".
Masot and Strizzolo were fired after a secretly recorded film showed them discussing "taking down" Duncan with "a little scandal" and putting Blunt on a "hit list".
Strizzolo revealed in the leaked tape that Halfon and Duncan had clashed in the past over the Middle East.
Duncan, who was knighted in 2014 for public service to his country, is one of a tiny number of Conservative members of parliament to have spoken out against the illegal Israeli settlement programme in the West Bank.
He had previously claimed that West Bank settlements were a "wicked cocktail" of illegality and occupation, and suggested that those who supported them should be barred from public office.
In an statement in 2014 he said: "Settlement endorsement should be put on a par with racism, sexism, homophobia and anti-Semitism. Indeed, just as we quite rightly judge someone unfit for public office if they refuse to recognise Israel, so we should shun anyone who refuses to recognise that settlements are illegal."
Former Tory minister Sir Nicholas Soames also attacked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday over his country's threat to "take down" Duncan, reported the Mail on Sunday.
"Israel has not heard the last of this. We must make it very clear indeed to Netanyahu and his government that we will not tolerate this kind of outrageous behaviour," the Mail on Sunday reported Soames as saying.
In a parliamentary debate last week, former foreign office minister Sir Hugo Swire called on British foreign minister Boris Jonson to investigate the "serious issues" raised by the report.
Israel's ambassador to the UK, Mark Regev, has since apologised to Johnson and Duncan.


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To support the emotional well-being of students, Shepherd's mental health team includes a full-time school Psychologist and a full-time Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), who are able to help with a range of issues including, but not limited to, school culture and climate and self-advocacy.
As part of this school-based, mental health framework, the School Psychologist at Shepherd Elementary School provides comprehensive and preventive services to children in grades Pre-K through 5th grade to improve and enhance students' learning, behavior and mental health. This includes, but, is not limited to, screening and assessment, individual/group counseling, social-emotional learning (SEL) instruction, designing remedial educational programs, along with individual/group consultation with school staff, parents, and outside agencies, as needed. The incumbent functions as a member of the school's multidisciplinary team to interpret evaluation results and determine the student's eligibility for special services, appropriate programming and ongoing progress. Ultimately, partnerships with teachers, school administrators, other professionals and families are established to create an optimal learning environment that strengthens connections between school, home and the community.
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Social Workers are involved in preventive work with students, staff and families that promotes positive school climate and social/emotional well-being. Social workers:
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EXCLUSIVE! For the master cook or chef, this shirt offers classic styling and a personalized touch. Customize any name or phrase easily during order, and let people know you provide the best eats in town. Also makes a perfect, individualized gift for kitchen virtuoso in your life. T-shirts are 100% cotton, sweatshirts are a 50-50 cotton/poly blend. Imported shirts. Printing in the USA. Machine wash. M-XXL. Charcoal color.


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House Votes To Bail Out States
Posted By Jim Nintzel on Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Following the vote for more border funding, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to provide $26 billion to state governments to fund education and health-care programs.
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords voted in favor of the legislation, which will send roughly $563 million to Arizona to help the state balance its budget. State lawmakers were counting on the money to ensure that it would not have to cut more than than 300,000 people from the state's AHCCCS rolls.
Republicans Jonathan Paton and Jesse Kelly, who are squaring off in the GOP primary that will decide who faces Giffords in November, have not replied to a request for comment on the legislation.
Read more about the legislation here.
The statement from Giffords' office:
U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today voted with the majority as the House approved legislation that will bring nearly $563 million to Arizona to keep teachers on the job and provide critical financial assistance to the cash-strapped state.
"This bill will prevent the layoff of teachers and help Arizona as it continues to struggle with consequences of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression," said Giffords. "With some children in Southeastern Arizona already starting school and others set to begin classes over the next 10 days, it was crucial that the House move quickly to save essential teachers' jobs."
The House today approved the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act by a 247-to-161 vote. The Senate passed the measure last week and it now goes to the president for his signature.
The legislation will save or create an estimated 319,000 jobs, including 161,000 teacher jobs. In doing so, Giffords noted, the bill will reduce the deficit by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to send American jobs overseas.
The bill provides $10 billion for local school districts to prevent imminent layoffs. Some $211.8 million of that is designated for Arizona, where it will save the jobs of an estimated 3,300 teachers.
"What is at stake here is Arizona's future," said Giffords. "Keeping teachers in the classroom today means a more promising tomorrow for our children and grandchildren."
Dan Meyer of Tucson, who has been an educator for 30 years, praised the legislation and Giffords' support for it.
"I've just been talking to teachers who have 30 to 40 kids in their classrooms," said Meyer, a counselor at Flowing Wells Junior High School. "Arizona already is 49th in per-pupil spending for education. Given the reluctance the state has to raise revenue, it is crucial that the federal money supplement state funds for education."
Included in the legislation are provisions to ensure that states use the money to preserve jobs in elementary and secondary education. Money cannot be used for equipment, utilities, renovation or transportation. States also are prohibited from using the money to build up "rainy day funds" or pay off debt.
"In these tough economic times, the last thing we want to do is rob our children and grandchildren of the education they deserve," said Giffords. "This funding will allow states to keep the teachers that schools desperately need."
The legislation also provides $16.1 billion in Medicaid assistance to states — including $351 million to Arizona. The funds will help reduce budget shortfalls and allow states to keep many other employees on the job, including state police officers, prison workers and those who oversee allegations of child abuse and neglect.
According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, the Medicaid funds will save and create 158,000 jobs. More than half these jobs will be in the private sector, including workers who contract for or supply services to state and local governments.
The cost of the legislation is more than paid for. In fact, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget office, the legislation will reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years.
The bill will cost $26.1 billion, but it includes $27.5 billion in offsets, including $17.7 billion in spending cuts and $9.8 billion in increased revenue by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas.
The bill meets conditions of the pay-as-you-go law, commonly known as PAYGO. Giffords was a co-sponsor of PAYGO legislation in the House and has been a member of the fiscally responsible Blue Dog Coalition since she joined the House of Representatives in 2007.
Border Funding Passes House (Again)
Go See 'Eating Disorder'


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Appealing a Rejected Workplace Accident Claim
Not all workplace accident claims end with the claimant quickly receiving an appropriate settlement for his or her damages. Sometimes, when the claimant and the party with whom the claim is filed cannot reach a fair settlement, the claim goes to trial. In this trial, the court determines its ruling based on the evidence presented, which could be in favor of either party.
If the court rules against your claim and you feel it is because the court did not carry out its duties properly or that there was an element missing from your case that negatively impacted its ruling, you can still pursue it through the appellate process. Talk with your lawyer to determine whether appealing your case would be worthwhile, based on the strength of your claim. If your lawyer agrees that appealing the claim could result in a favorable ruling for you, he or she will begin the appellate process.
The Appellate Process
The appellate process begins with your attorney filing a notice of appeal with the superior court of the county where your initial case was heard. This document notifies the court and the other party involved in your case of your plan to appeal the court's decision. For a claim for $25,000 or less, the deadline to file this notice is 30 days after you receive notice that the judgment for your original case has been filed or 90 days after the entry of this judgment. For claims of more than $25,000, known as unlimited civil cases, the deadline is 60 days after receiving this notice or 180 days after the judgment is entered.
After an appeal is filed, the other party may file a motion to dismiss the appeal. The court may decide to dismiss the appeal or allow it to proceed.
The next step in the appellate process is designating the record, which is where you give the appellate court all documentation of your previous trial. This includes the documents used in the trial and a recording of all oral proceedings used in court. This is what the appellate court uses to examine your original trial and determine if a misuse of the law occurred.
If your case is an unlimited civil case, you must also submit a Civil Case Information Sheet.
You must then submit a brief, which is a written description of all the facts that apply to your case. This includes all details of your accident and financial needs, the laws applicable to your case, and the issues that arose with how your original case was handled. The other party also submits a brief of its own, which you may follow with a rebuttal brief. The briefs are followed by oral arguments by each party, but this step is not required. Using the information within the briefs, records submitted, and oral arguments, the court decides whether to uphold or overturn the case's original ruling. This ruling is final within 30 days of the decision, during which time either party may opt to file a petition to have the case reexamined again.
Work With an Experienced San Jose Workplace Accident Attorney
Appealing a workplace accident claim's ruling can be a complicated process. To determine if this is the right choice for you, our skilled San Jose workplace accident attorneys at Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard, L.L.P. can examine your case and provide you with insight based on our experience. We proudly serve clients throughout the Bay Area, San Mateo County, Alameda County, San Benito County, Monterey County, and Santa Clara County.
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