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Home Research Phony Equality at Nokia
News / September 19, 2011
Phony Equality at Nokia
Titled Phony Equality, the report has been published by SOMO, an independent NGO working on social, ecological and economic issues related to sustainable development, and it looked at industrial relations, wages and employment security at four factories belonging to Nokia and three of its suppliers. Why Nokia? The company is a leading player in the mobile sector in India. To give you an idea of the scale of its Indian operations, its Sriperumbudur plant is Nokia's largest factory world-wide. As the report points out, "this makes industrial relations at Nokia in India of critical significance". One of the suppliers named in the report is Foxconn – and it was the high suicide rates at Foxconn's Chinese factories that shoved Apple into the spotlight in the first place.
The findings in brief
SOMO has discovered that around 50% of Nokia's workforce in India (including those working for it's Indian suppliers) are either on temporary contracts or are "trainees". Neither status entitles them to the same wages, protections or career opportunities that permanent employees enjoy.
In its blog post about the report, SOMO says that "pay for Nokia's trainees and contract workers is around 70-80 Euros per month … According to Asia Floor Wage, the minimum living wage in India would be 130 Euros per month. Only the most experienced permanent workers for Nokia and Foxconn had reached this level, thanks to union settlements."
Permanent workers are protected by a union that both Nokia and Foxconn have recognized and negotiated with in recent years. And wages and benefits for this group of workers have improved as a result – Nokia's operators have seen wage payments triple in just five years. But SOMO is also careful to point out that contract workers are excluded from negotiations, and that it's not clear to what extent union members are representative of the total labour force.
What's Nokia's Rank a Brand ranking?
As soon as we read this report, we went to check where Nokia sits in our rankings. For the questions about climate change, it scores 4 out of 5. On our questions on environmental policy, it scores 6 out of 7. Very good. For our questions on labour conditions and fair trade? 2 out of 6.
In its supplier code of conduct, Nokia only includes the minimum standards we ask for: no child or slave labour, safe and hygienic working conditions, no discrimination of any kind. There is no mention of either maximum working hours or living wages. Plus, Nokia doesn't fully report on whether its suppliers actually comply with the minimum standards it does ask for.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that SOMO has revealed unsafe or unfair practices at factories linked to Nokia's supply chain. It's 2006 report, the High Cost of Calling, "reveals abuses in Chinese, Thai, Philippine and Indian factories of the five largest mobile telephone companies: Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG."
Nokia was one of the few companies to respond to this report (read SOMO's response to the response here). So we should hear what they think about this latest report pretty soon…
19-09-2011 © Rank a Brand
News / January 30, 2023
Urgent need for EU legislative action to keep European surveillance tech out of Iran
As Iran rages with protests for democracy and human rights, camera surveillance has become one of the primary tools used by Iran's authoritarian regime to identify opponents and oppress the population. Against the backdrop of…
Long read / January 30, 2023
Caught on camera: How CCTV tech contributes to human rights abuse in Iran
European technology companies and investors that fail to do risk-based downstream due diligence risk contributing to severe human rights violations committed by repressive regimes, such as in Iran
Statement / April 28, 2022
European Union: rules for batteries should cover bauxite, copper, iron
The European Union's proposed batteries regulation should require importers and manufacturers to source the bauxite, copper, and iron used in batteries responsibly, a coalition of 16 organizations said today. The coalition includes Amnesty International, Earthworks,…
Statement / March 11, 2022
European Parliament approval of draft Batteries Regulation is a welcome step towards just energy transition
SOMO and GoodElectronics welcome the EU draft legislation on batteries approved on Thursday by the European Parliament and call on EU member states to agree on the text without delays or attempts to water it…
Publication / December 23, 2021
State of play and roadmap concepts: electronics sector
RE-SOURCING Deliverable 4.3
Opinion / February 5, 2021
How Big Tech is becoming the Government
Rodrigo Fernandez
News / December 22, 2020
Electric vehicle boom taking heavy social and environmental toll
Mass adoption of electric vehicles is widely seen by governments and businesses as a key element of the energy transition. But the soaring demand for batteries to propel these vehicles comes with devastating social and…
The battery paradox
How the electric vehicle boom is draining communities and the planet
Statement / October 5, 2020
Challenging Europe's mining expansion plans
On 4 September 2020, the European Commission (EC) released a new communication detailing the future of its policies on mining raw materials critical for renewable energy, digital and industrial transitions in Europe. The EC's public relations…
Publication / August 4, 2020
Time to start caring about cobalt
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So I'm currently playing 3 of each Dragon (baby and adult). This makes sure you can set up your Graveyard with Earth monsters, and gives you access to the Redox. [ccProd]Gold Sarcophagus[/ccProd] also helps with this.
This deck actually has an EXCELLENT Dragon match up most of the time, and can set up really, really cool plays to seal the game. Most of the time when you get Jumper + another Psychic on field you can swap your opponent the Psychic monster and take their Dracossack. You then proceed to get 2 tokens from Dracossack and Synchro Summon using the 2 tokens and Jumper to make [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd]. Destroying your opponents monster, [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd] will trigger single handily shutting down your opponents next turn. This probably means you'll be able to finish off your opponent on the next turn, depleting their life points.
[ccProd]Book of Moon[/ccProd] helps deal with annoying things this format such as [ccProd]Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer[/ccProd] and [ccProd]Jowgen the Spiritualist[/ccProd], and can make sure that Big Eye or Draccossack cannot resolve their effects.
Typhoon is kind of a bad card this format, with most of the top decks lacking actual defenses in the form of Trap Cards. So I decided to just keep it in the side deck.
I've also cut [ccProd]Esper Girl[/ccProd]. Before her use was only needed as another target/option for [ccProd]Serene Psychic Witch[/ccProd], but since the game has gotten to a point where everything is so fast, waiting a turn to Special Summon [ccProd]Esper Girl[/ccProd] and getting a random card to your hand isn't as useful as it once was.
[ccProd]Miracle Synchro Fusion[/ccProd] was a card before that I ran 2 of but was really only needed to help manipulate your Graveyard. Now that Redox exist, the situational card is no longer needed.
It's basically just the old deck with some new tricks. You still have all of the Jumper and [ccProd]Creature Swap[/ccProd] plays, but now you can Special Summon Redox and swap it to your opponent, and then it returns to your hand next turn because of its effect.
Round 1: Prophecy. I was quickly able to make a [ccProd]Naturia Beast[/ccProd] and lock him out of game 1. Game 2 I opened up with Droll Lock Bird to stop his Judgment shenanigans.
Round 2: X-Sabers. A more difficult matchup but I was able to make a Barkion followed by 2 Grandsoils. Game 2 I was stuck with hand traps, and no monsters, and got beaten down by Emmersblade and such. Game 3 was another blow out with me stealing his [ccProd]Naturia Beast[/ccProd] with Redox's [ccProd]Monster Reborn[/ccProd] ability setting up Witch/Jumper plays..
Round 3: Thunder Family. Random Anti Meta decks are annoying for this deck sometimes, and he had to keep minusing himself with Compulsory to stop me from making Barkion and stopping all of his Traps, but eventually game 1 and 2 Barkion hits the field to win me the game.
Round 4: Dragon Rulers. He goes first and ends with Dracossack and a facedown Spell/Trap. I double E-Teleport for Jumper/Witch and use effect but get [ccProd]Breakthrough Skill[/ccProd]ed, but I have the one out Book of Moon. I go into [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd] and steal the game. Game 2 he just passes, and I make [ccProd]Naturia Beast[/ccProd] with 3 set cards; [ccProd]Mind Drain[/ccProd], [ccProd]Gozen Match[/ccProd], and [ccProd]Soul Drain[/ccProd]. El oh el.
Round 5: Mermails. I have Maxx C's to survive lots of Special Summoning. I'm able to [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd] and win game 1. Game 2 no hands traps in site, I get murdered. Game 3 I have no hand traps but he has a slow hand, just setting Linde. He Maxx C's me when I go for the big push, but I assume he doesn't main/side [ccProd]Tragoedia[/ccProd] or Gorz (to which I'm right) and OTK him after [ccProd]Mind Control[/ccProd]ling his Linde.
Top 8: Round 4 Dragon opponent. He's a bit more prepared now and decides against making Turn 1 Dracossack, obviously telling me he has no Veiler. We do a bit of passing back and forth and eventually he [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd]s my Witch, allowing me to setup Witch/Jumper on his [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd]. He Veilers my Jumper play, so I Synchro with the Jumper and Special Summon it back with Redox ability to Jumper again, stealing [ccProd]Crimson Blader[/ccProd] to steal the game. Game 2 he sides in things like Typhoon and such now because he knows I side in the Anti-Trap cards. He starts off strong, double Dracossack and a facedown. I try to Jumper/Witch him but get [ccProd]Breakthrough Skill[/ccProd]ed. I kill both tokens with Witch and Jumper and MP2 [ccProd]Creature Swap[/ccProd] one of his Dracossacks over, giving me tokens, killing his other Dracossack, and make Naturia Beast MP2. I set [ccProd]Imperial Iron Wall[/ccProd], flip it during his MP1, and he scoops. Siding Iron Wall in my deck is pretty stupid though, and probably won't do it again. I was hoping to just set-up before my opponent and flip it, but it rarely happens.
So go on and give out the deck a try, tell me your results and all of your opinions. The game has gotten stale again (even with the release of a new set...) so I know everyone is looking for something a little different to run, so this might be just up your alley.
Anyway, until next time duelist, play hard or go home, and let your duels be forever in your favor.
i no u probably have problems making mist warm but no problem no more.try using crane crane!first turn set witch pass they attack witch get witch eff get commander.your turn draw special commander then summon crane crane eff of crane special witch and sync for mist want u think?
i was wondering if run Trifortressops isnt better then swif scarecrow, i know he isnt earth and cant protect from evilswarms , but the fact is : he is a lv 6 wall that u can use on the next turn to make crimson blader, what u think jeff?
honestly I think that card is a tad bit too situational plus if your going against Spellbooks or Evilswarm, he will be a dead draw – the part of him not being an earth also hurts… sometimes I have a swift scarecrow being the only earth monster I need in my grave and craving my opponent to attack me so I can go bananas next turn. In the end, I usually see myself depending on my little guys to make big monsters; it is fun to see my opponent have traps waiting for me but then realizing Psychic Commander/Serene Psychic Witch is 1400 then boom Naturia Barkion says NO. or summoning Psychic Jumper and switching my psychic with an opponents.. this deck makes Grandmole, Psychics, and even Card Trooper look like BOSS monsters.
Jeff there are several questions I have about card rulings in your tournament summary. First, stealing DragoSack works very well but Crimson Blader cannot proc his effect running over your opponent's tokens. Also, in your final match, when your witch is crimson blader'd, you say the next turn you synchro with jumperr and witch, but that is not legal because you have to synchro 5, which getting crimson bladerd forbids you from doing.
I run psychics here at local tournaments! Im from argentina and i use a different psychics, siding royal decrees because the game here still trap funded. And running two teleporters.
have you thought about taking out a pebbles for exploder dragon?
also… how often do you summon Maestroke the Symphony Djinn?
Please top a YCS with this again so I can sell my playset of Grandsoils for $50 a piece and make a huge profit lol!
Honestly, I played a near exact replica of this build, and Dragon Ruler still outpaced Psychics by virtual light years. Redox was an exceptional boost for it, but the baby is definitely lacking in necessity for the deck. PSOIL should probably await another chance at taking a crack in the format, once the array of hand traps diminish. Which probably won't happen for a good while. It's insufficient, and outdated in function.
I never expected for you to be running your pSoil deck again Jeff. Congrats man stay true!!
Honestly, 3 reactan seems a little overkill.
If possible, could you, list the side deck you used?
I've been searching for ways to make this deck viable again, and it didn't occur to me to drop miracle synchro's.


text:
Tag Archives: authoritarianism
(S)He'd Send In The Army
Given the current situation, this seemed appropriate. Just change the pronoun's gender.
Filed under General Election 2017
Tagged as authoritarianism, Gang of Four, Theresa May
They're Spitting In Our Faces
No sooner than the new Tory government came to power with 24% of the electorate voting for them, they almost immediately signalled their intention to curtail civil liberties and construct new enemies to convince people of the need to sign away their hard fought freedoms. Within hours of the election results, the Tories and their allies in the right-wing press began recycling more language from the 1980s. Dark mutterings of 'extreme left-wingers' emanated from the lips of government ministers, and papers like the Daily Mail have warned of "left-wing thuggery" this summer. The government is trying to rush through new anti-terrorism laws (as if there aren't enough of these already), new anti-union legislation, the abolition of the Human Rights Act and the failed 'snooper's charter' in its first 100 days.
Extremism: a label devised to silence opposition and curb dissent
Today, Cameron announced his "anti-extremism bill", which seems to me to be indiscriminate and designed to curtail civil liberties under the rubric of national security. But what is an "extremist"? The bill ostensibly targets what are broadly described as "Islamists" but could also cover anyone or any group that, in the government's eyes, is an 'extremist'. This could include the Scottish National Party, protesters and even civil liberties advocacy groups like Liberty.
A revitalized police state
The so-called 'Snooper's Charter' or the Communications Data Bill, to give it its full name, has been revived after it was blocked by the Lib Dems. For a party that claims to "love" freedom and liberty, the Tories always reveal their true colours by proposing authoritarian measures that limit the freedoms of ordinary citizens. Carly Nyst, legal director for Privacy International told The Guardian,
"Theresa May's comments confirm that widespread public concern about the threats posed to online privacy and expression by internet monitoring powers has been completely ignored by the new government.
"Communications data legislation has been repeatedly criticised by experts and politicians from all reaches of the political spectrum, and has been beaten back by the public and civil society time and time again.
"Reviving it as a policy priority is a clear sign both of an insatiable appetite for spying powers, and intentions to continue to sacrifice the civil liberties of Britons everywhere on the altar of national security.
In coalition, the Tories wanted to abolish the Human Rights Act and replace it with an ersatz version of their own. Now free of the beastly Lib Dems, they have resurrected the policy. However, the government could run into trouble if it attempts to scrap the HRA because it violates the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. The SNP is also planning to challenge any attempt to abolish the HRA in the Scottish Parliament.
The task of repealing the HRA was given to the new Justice Minister, Michael Gove, a man with a limited intellectual capacity, but whose appetite for destruction knows no bounds. No one, not even Tory ministers, know what this British Bill of Rights will look like, but if Gove is steering it through then it's bound to look like a dog's breakfast.
Removing the right to strike
The Tories have always been implacably opposed to worker's rights since the days of the Combination Acts. In the last Parliament they even tried to claim they were the 'worker's party'. Very funny. Sajid Javid appeared on Channel 4 News last night to promote the new anti-union bill. He claimed that other countries have similar laws, but he wouldn't say which countries. The Cat suspects he's talking about places like Equatorial Guinea (and possibly Pinochet's Chile), where strikes are illegal and workers are beaten up and imprisoned. The government wants to impose a 50% turnout on strike ballots of those eligible to vote for a strike to be 'legal'. Yet the Tories only won 24% of the vote themselves and that's hardly a mandate in anyone's vocabulary. Furthermore, Police and Crime Commissioners won elections on turnouts of around 16% and the new leader of Oxford City Council is in office on the back of an 8% turnout.
The rationale for this new legislation is to outlaw strikes or create conditions that make it difficult for trade unions to take industrial action. The Tories are especially keen to ban strikes on the London Underground, which it claims, somewhat melodramatically, is an 'essential service'. I have never seen a tube train ferry injured and ill people to hospital, nor have I witnessed tube trains rushing to put out a house fire. The Tube is not an essential service, no matter how many times the Tories or their friends in the press repeat that ridiculous claim. The Tube is a form of public transport. Nothing more, nothing less.
Constructing 'enemies within'
The Tories cannot exist without enemies and if they don't exist, then they will construct them from opposition groups and oppressed minorities. Those of you who remember the Thatcher years will know that trade unionists, the especially the miners, the Labour Party (under Michael Foot) and CND were seen as the 'enemy within'. This label was extended to cover LGBT people, ethnic minorities and left-wing local authorities. During the coalition years, the enemies were, in no particular order, public sector workers, the disabled and benefits claimants. It seems to me that anyone who opposes the Tory government's anti-human and anti-democratic legislation will be regarded as a "left-wing extremist" even though the group or persons in question may not necessarily be left-wing at all.
Reliving the Thatcher Years
This government, rather than living in the present, only seems capable of living in the past. The Cat has a theory: the majority of these Tories weren't old enough when Thatcher destroyed communities, smashed the unions and sold off our housing stock. They now want to relive the years they missed out on. We can see this in the Free Enterprise Group (FEG), whose members include 100% Evil, Dominic Raabid, Chris Skidmark, Liz (You Can't) Truss (It) and Kwasi Kwarteng. Their book Britannia Unchained, claimed that British workers were inherently lazy. Nothing was said about the incompetence of British management.
Most of the Tories are incapable of living or dealing with the present. They have no new ideas and continually have to recycle old ones. Hence the rush to smash the unions, which are already being subjected to the most draconian anti-union legislation in Europe that was enacted during the Thatcher years. Alexei Sayle once described the current Tories as "a really bad Thatcherite tribute band". He's not wrong.
The Cat wonders how long it will be till we hear the same lines uttered by Thatcher 30 years ago about "permissiveness" and "lifestyle choices"?
Left-baiting/red-baiting and other bullshit
The Tory-dominated media outlets have, without exception, begun to produce a new series of left-baiting articles. This happened after the 2010 election too. This article by Bryony Gordon in the Daily Telegraph has the title "Stop your whingeing: why the left are such sore losers" and comes with the subtitle:
Labour voters should be ashamed of all the boohooing – and I speak as one
However, if you have a look at her Wikipedia entry, Gordon's spent most of her working life writing for right-wing newspapers. Furthermore, the words "Labour" and "left-wing" are not contiguous. Gordon may have voted for Labour once in her life but that doesn't make her "left-wing", it makes her a hack.
The not-so-subtle discourse being conveyed by Gordon is "The Tories won. You should just let them fuck you over. It's for your own good ". But this kind of discourse is what one would expect from an authoritarian regime, not defenders of 'freedom', surely?
Gordon writes:
Of course, proportional representation would still have given us a Tory government – just one in coalition with Ukip. Is that what the people marching on Westminster want?
And do they not remember the referendum for an alternative vote system four years ago, the one that the British public rejected out of hand? Have they forgotten the Labour victory of 2005, when the party only got 36 per cent of the vote? Where were the angry placards then? Where were the marches and protests and furious online campaigns for electoral reform? I'm guessing they were all buried under a massive pile of self-righteousness.
The alternative vote (AV) system was not proportional and many people could see that. Thus it was rejected. But Gordon doesn't bother to mention this. AV was nothing but a sop; it was not a step on the road to PR, it was a cynical effort to kick the matter into touch. I have had arguments over this issue with people, who delude themselves with the notion that AV would have meant real PR somewhere down the line. How long down the line is anyone's guess. I would say that if AV had prevailed, real PR would have been off the table forever. It is therefore right and proper that people should protest for a fair electoral system.
Over at the Daily Mail, self-styled historian Dominic Sandbrook repeats the old Thatcherite line about "hectoring left-wing politicians are telling people how to run their lives". Yet, today, Cameron claimed that "Britain is too tolerant and should interfere in people's lives more" (my bold). This actually contradicts the Tories' and Sandbrook's claims that it is only the Left that tells people "how to run their lives". Hypocrisy much, Dominic? Cameron was speaking in defence of his 'anti-extremism' measures, which means the very right-wing government would stick its nose into everything.
Democratic deficit
There is a real democratic deficit in this country and it's being made worse by a brutal Tory regime. They now want to redraw the electoral boundaries without proportional representation. This amounts to little more than blatant gerrymandering, since the boundaries would be drawn to suit the Tories, meaning that they would remain in power forever.
The next five years are going to be turbulent. We must be prepared to use what means we can to fight back. If that means civil disobedience, then so be it.
See you at the barricades!
Tagged as authoritarianism, bullying, cruelty, David Cameron, hypocrisy, neoliberalism, Thatcher, tories
Occupy Democracy – The Battle of the Tarpaulin
Think we live in a democracy? Think we live in a 'free country'? Think again. Protest is increasingly being criminalized by our imperial masters. For the last few days Occupy Democracy has been occupying Parliament Square. This excellent blog by indyrikki explains what happened last night when the Territorial Support Group moved in and tried to force the protesters to give up.
indyrikki
If a progressive movement can gauge the effect it's having from the response of the State, then the Unions should be ashamed of themselves, and the Occupy movement should be cheering loudly.
Depending on whom you believe, the Unions roused between 50,000 and 100,000 people to march a tiring long course to Hyde Park to listen to the same old speeches from the same list of actors, demanding change but seldom challenging the system.
Policing was hands-off, relatively low key, and generally good-natured.
Meanwhile, globally there is a movement growing that recognises the present system of central banking and corporate power is so out of all public and democratic control, so corrupt, and so destructive that it can't be 'changed' but must be replaced.
Although in the UK the movement appears to be small in numbers, it's clear it has a growing resonance, and that more and more people are…
Filed under Government & politics, Occupy movement
Tagged as authoritarianism, democracy, Occupy Democracy, sham democracy, Territorial Support Group, the right to protest
Life on Hannan World (Part 9)
The occasion of Milton Friedman's 101st birthday…no, he's still dead, I just checked… has moved the Lyin' King to pen this gushing tribute to the man whose economic theories have quite literally turned the world into a toilet. Dan opines:
Today would have been Milton Friedman's hundred-and-first birthday. The Chicago economist, who died in 2006, is already acquiring that almost Homeric status that normally comes only decades after a man's life. Perhaps social media have speeded up the process, or perhaps it's the fact that Friedman's strongest enthusiasts are often students with no direct memory of their hero.
Friedman, darling of neoliberals everywhere and supporter of Pinochet's Chile, where his theories were rammed down people's throats, is given the airbrush treatment… well, that's not quite true. Friedman's supporters refuse to see any flaws in the man. In their eyes, he was the very model of economic perfection. So no need for the airbrush.
Yet for someone who talked so movingly about 'freedom', Friedman was capable of turning a blind eye to political repression. For him, all that mattered was the functioning of the free market with its insistence that social relations be reduced to financial transactions between actors. Friedman was also fervently against any form of regulation, so in a pure Friedmanite dystopia, surgeons can practice without proper qualifications and driving licenses would be banned. Can you see the dangers? Yes? Well, Dan can't.
Here, Hannan tells us:
Friedman did not limit himself to academic theories; he had a keen sense of how to translate ideas into action. He understood politics very well, and used to say that his aim was not to get the right people elected, but to create a climate where even the wrong people would do the right thing. Every year I spend in politics I find that insight more brilliant.
Yes, Friedman understood politics so well that in his perfect world, certain kinds of political activity would have been outlawed because they didn't fit into his perfect model of a rampant capitalist society.
Here we get to the core of the blog:
What mattered to him most of all? Oddly enough, it was nothing to do with monetary policy, or indeed with economics at all. He believed that the single measure that would do most to ameliorate society was school vouchers.
School vouchers, loved by Pinochet's Chicago Boys and loathed by those who have had to put up with a substandard education, have become a sort of gold standard in the eyes of the Right. Higher education, too, has moved backwards. For the last few years, students have been protesting over the inequalities of the education system. Dan simply ignores this.
He had first suggested the idea as early as 1955 – in an intellectual climate so unfriendly that he might as well have been proposing that children be cooked and eaten.
You can see where this is heading and predictably enough, Dan tells us:
But the climate shifted, not least through Friedman's own interventions and, by the end of his life, a few places were prepared to give his idea a go. Chile had led the way in the 1980s, followed by Sweden in the early 1990s. Milwaukee became the first city in the US to adopt vouchers 23 years ago, and around a quarter of a million American pupils are now benefiting.
"Chile had led the way in the 1980s" he says. No mention of the oppressive weight of the Chilean 'small state' crushing those below. No mention of the thousands rounded up, tortured and executed. No mention of the oligarchical free-for-all ushered in by Pinochet's 'hands off' approach to the economy and its disastrous consequences for ordinary Chileans. He continues:
Though Britain has stopped short of full-blown vouchers, Michael Gove has plainly embraced the idea that governments can fund schools without running them, and the free schools programme is one of the greatest of the Coalition's achievements.
The truth of the matter is that the Tories have been historically opposed to the state school system and have spent the better part of 60 years talking it down when they're out of power and running it into the ground when they're in government. The unspoken dictum here is "some state schools are bad, therefore the state education system is bad".
The Cat believes that the Tories would prefer it if everyone paid for their schooling and if you can't find the money, that's tough. You will die illiterate and ignorant. Why? Because it's God's will. That's why.
Finally Dan tells us:
With his wife, he established the Milton Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, which has helped thousands of students, especially poor students, to get a decent education.
"Choice" has been used as a battering ram since the 1980s. But choice is neither here nor there. You can only have what is available. The Tories believe that if you don't live in the catchment area of a school that you've fetishised, then you should be able to bypass the rules and send your kid there anyway. Better still, set up your own free school where you can be free to inculcate children in any superstitious tosh that occupies your thoughts.
While 75% of free schools were found to be "good" or "outstanding" by OFSTED inspectors, 25% were not. This article from The Guardian says:
One of the first free schools to open has been placed on special measures and given an inadequate rating by Ofsted inspectors, in an untimely blow to the government's flagship education policy.
Adding:
Inspectors were severe on the primary school's leadership, saying its governors failed to grasp the school's "serious shortcomings", while school leaders "believe the school is far better than it is".
The inspection team gave the school the lowest grade, of "inadequate", in three of four categories, for pupil achievement, quality of teaching, leadership and management. "Too many pupils are in danger of leaving the school without being able to read and write properly," inspectors concluded. "Unless this is put right quickly, pupils are unlikely to flourish in their secondary schools and future lives."
To borrow from the Tories' lexicon of smears, I could say that "some free schools are poor, therefore all free schools are poor". But unlike Dan, I'm not that petty.
Filed under Conservative Party, Education, Government & politics, Neoliberalism, Society & culture
Tagged as Augusto Pinochet, authoritarianism, Chicago Boys, Chile, Chilean Equality Protests, daniel hannan, Free Schools, Milton Friedman, neoliberal logic, school vouchers, social Darwinism, state education
Are Tories sociopaths?
When you look at any group of people of similar mind, you will find that they take on a common or group characteristics, and traits. Dare I say a group personality?
Examining the ruling parties here in the UK, the ConDems, we find that they do conform to a common or group personality.
Further examination of this group personality leads us to ask, "Are the Tories sociopaths"? I think they are and if you look at this interesting page on the subject, you can see that most of this ConDem government conforms to type.
This definition of the malignant personality is particularly true,
(3) They scapegoat; they are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault.
This government has scapegoated public sector workers and, rather than look to themselves for answers to the riots, they decided that all rioters were "criminals" or were involved in gangs. They also sought to claim that all of the rioters were under the age of 25 and Black. It wasn't true.
This also makes interesting reading,
Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
My eyes were drawn to point 3. Tories claim to be in favour of freedom but their actions say something different: they are authoritarian and tend to admire other authoritarians (Thatcher's admiration for Pinochet, for example).
In opposition, the Tories positioned themselves as champions of civil liberties but once in power they quickly reverted to their default position. I, for one, was not taken in by their faux Damascene conversion to civil libertarianism.
Same old Tories. Same old sociopaths.
Tagged as authoritarianism, ConDems, sociopathy, tories
August 9, 2011 · 9:16 am
The riots and why calling in the army is such a bad idea
Yesterday, I heard a lot of people calling for the army to be deployed on the streets of London. Some have even demanded that looters (and others) be shot on sight. Such calls are made without a single thought for the consequences and the implications of troop deployment.
In essence, it is the duty of the army to protect citizens from an outside invader. It is not their job to act as police. In countries, like Syria or Bahrain, where the army is routinely used as a an ersatz arm of law enforcement, innocent bystanders are killed and the governments in those countries rule with an iron fist. Civil liberties are curbed or suspended altogether and curfews are imposed. Anyone who disobeys a curfew is shot on sight. Is this what we want? Not even the French government orders the army onto the streets. It has the Compagnies de Républicaines de Sécurité or CRS to deal with serious cases of civil unrest. Anyone who knows the CRS will tell you, they are not to be messed with. However the CRS has come in for a great deal of criticism for their indiscriminate use of force. They have also been accused of institutionalized racism. In addition to the CRS, the French state can call upon the services of the Gendermerie Mobile. Do we want this sort of thing on our streets?
The other issue is that those who have called for the army to be deployed on British streets ignore the fact that the army is currently engaged in Afghanistan, fighting a war with no end. But would troops fire on their own citizens? Those of us who lived through the years of the so-called 'Troubles' will know that the army, by and large, saw the Catholics of Northern Ireland, not as citizens, but as enemies. The deployment of troops was initially greeted with relief and even joy. Within a couple of years, that had changed and the army was seen for what it was: an repressive arm of the state. Bloody Sunday on 30 January 1972, saw 26 unarmed civilians and bystanders killed by the trigger-happy soldiers of 1 Para. Is this what those who call for the army to be deployed on our streets want?
There is another dimension to this, those who demand the army be sent on out on the streets are effectively demanding their own oppression. They may as well demand that their civil rights be suspended and internment without trial be introduced. How can soldiers tell who is a looter and who is not? Is there a code?
In 1911 Winston Churchill sent troops to Tonypandy. Striking miners were shot and killed. In the same year, troops appeared on the streets of Liverpool during the transport strike. Innocent bystanders were shot dead.
Those who demand that the army be called in are like turkeys voting for Christmas.
Filed under History, London, riots
Tagged as auhtoritarian tendencies, authoritarianism, Bahrain, Bloody Sunday, Compagnies de Républicaines de Sécurité, General Transport Strike 1911, Liverpool, riots, Syria, Tonypandy Riots 1911
Fulham Chronicle censors Andy Slaughter
Hammersmith MP, Andy Slaughter's regular column in the Fulham Chronicle has been censored by Hammersmith & Fulham Council. In an unprecedented move, the Chronicle was effectively bought (for £75,000) by the council so that it may continue to produce its propaganda after the government forced the abolition of so-called council pravdas earlier this year. The paper, a title in the Trinity Mirror Group of newspapers, has effectively lost its independence and is now dancing to the tune of Greenhalgh and his town hall chums.
This latest move to censor what it doesn't like follows on from an advert placed in the paper by the Parents Alliance for Community Schools, whichwas also censored by the council, simply because the advert didn't sit comfortably with its embrace of Toby Young's free school – which has the full support and approval of the council.
The Shepherds Bush blog has the full story here.
Filed under censorship, Hammersmith & Fulham, London, Media, propaganda
Tagged as Andy Slaughter, authoritarianism, censorship, Fulham Chronicle, Parents Alliance for Community Schools, Stephen Greenhalgh, town hall propaganda
Adam Curtis's The Trap (Part 3)
The final part of Adam Curtis's The Trap – What happened to our dream of freedom?
Filed under Ideologies, Society & culture
Tagged as Adam Curtis, authoritarianism, dystopia, free market, Henry Kissinger, Isiah Berlin, market logic, neoliberal logic, neoliberalism, Ronald Reagan, Sandinistas, smear campaigns, state-sponsored murder, Tony Blair
Adam Curtis's The Trap – What happened to our dream of freedom?
You can view Part 1 of Adam Curtis's The Trap – What happened to our dream of freedom? below. Part 1 comes in six parts (confusingly enough).
Part 1/1
Filed under Neoliberalism
Tagged as Adam Curtis, authoritarianism, Friedrich von Hayek, John Nash, mutually assured destruction, neoliberalism, right wing libertarianism

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


These ten governing principles, as revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, carry out the church's meaning and focus on the issues of revelation, unity, service, independence, evangelism, worship, charity (loving others), finances, harmony and openness.
1. Revelation: We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, inerrant and eternal. It is the criterion for our words, deeds, thoughts, life and work.
2. Unity: We firmly believe that The Home of Christ is the church of the living God, that Christ is the Head of the Church, which is the body of Christ, that people are redeemed by Christ's blood, belong to God's family, and that every member in the family should serve the Lord.
3. Service: We measure the prosperity of our Church, not only by the number of people attending our Sunday Services, but also by the number of people serving God. We should lead and guide our weak members, not only by looking after their needs, but also by giving them responsibility so that everyone will participate in ministry, and enjoy all the blessings bestowed upon us by our Lord.
4. Independence: We insist on maintaining our Local Church identity based on self-governing, self-propagating and self-providing principles, and being responsible directly to the Lord.
5. Evangelism: We must preach the gospel in season and out of season. We are to live our lives based on human ethics and guided by the example set by Christ; thus obtaining unity of man and God. We will have our inner lives influence our daily, outer lives; and have our daily, outer lives reflect our inner lives, so that our inner lives and outer lives can be aligned to present a consistent testimony.
6. Worship: We stand in awe of God and give Him first place in our lives. Instead of seeking our own gain, we think, speak, and act with the sole purpose of honoring God.
7. Charity (loving others): We see others as greater than ourselves, appreciating the strengths of others and accepting those who are weak. We respect the different gifts people have been given and allow the gifts to be used by God. We do not exalt people, giving them cause to stumble and fall, nor do we judge them lest we suffer harm.
8. Finances (Charity): We affirm that it is more blessed to give than to receive. All material wealth is given by God and should be shared with others. As I give, I also receive from God, benefiting others and being blessed myself.
9. Harmony: We must destroy the dividing wall between men, maintain spiritual communication, receive each other, serve one another, and refuse to give the Devil a foothold. We must hold on to the Truth in God's Word, and never compromise in matters that resist or distort the Truth.


If you have unsightly rust stains on your concrete patio, driveway, or sidewalk; you know they're not coming off with soap and water. But don't panic, there is a solution that doesn't call for special cleaning chemicals or tools because it's completely safe and natural.
Cleaning masonry surfaces usually calls for an acid cleaner, but those can often be very dangerous products to apply and sometimes difficult to find. However, in this case the one you need may be right inside your refrigerator, provided you have a couple of lemons in the fruit drawer.
Cut the lemons in half, and then rub them into the rust stains. As the natural citric acid works on the stain, blot or wipe the area with a soft towel to remove it. Now when life gives you lemons, you can clean the patio.


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What To Watch Today, December 3rd
With the holiday season just getting started, there's a lot to cover! Here's what to watch today.
Christmas Again - Disney Channel
It's deja vu in Disney Channel's newest original movie.Christmas Again is a comedy that follows 11-year-old Rowena, played by rising star Scarlett Estevez, as she finds herself stuck in a time loop on Christmas. She wishes to Santa that she can have another chance at Christmas to keep her divorced parents together, and chaos ensues. Christmas Again hits Disney Channel and Disney Plus tonight at 8:00pm EST.
Eight Gifts of Hanukkah - Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel is debuting a holiday movie that centers on Hanukkah, not Christmas. The movie is called Eight Gifts of Hanukkah and it stars Lucifer's Inbar Lavi as the leading lady. Lavi's character is a newly single woman who is gearing up for Hanukkah when something strange suddenly happens; She begins receiving gifts from a secret admirer. Eight Gifts of Hanukkah premieres tonight at 8:00pm EST on The Hallmark Channel.
A Christmas Dance Reunion - Lifetime
It's the reunion of two High School Musical alumni. That's right, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman are dancing together once again. This time around, the duo is gracing our screens in the new Lifetime Original Movie. It follows a pair of dancers who are brought together when they both work to revitalize a beloved resort. A Christmas Dance Reunion airs tonight at 8:00pm EST on Lifetime.
Chasing Ghislaine - Investigation Discovery
Not looking for holiday content? Well, there's plenty of other options, especially for those true crime fans out there. With the highly publicized Ghislane Maxwell trial underway, a new docuseries about the infamous partner of Jeffrey Epstein is providing some background. The first three episodes of Chasing Ghislane air tonight on Investigation Discovery starting at 8:00pm EST. It will also be available to stream on Discovery Plus.
The Hunt for the Chicago Strangler - Discovery Plus
Can't get enough of true crime? In that case, don't exit Discovery Plus just yet. Also releasing tonight is The Hunt for the Chicago Strangler. This true crime docuseries follows a serial killer who was located in Chicago named the Chicago Strangler. The series not only chronicles the many murders, but it also touches upon how discrimination played a role in these crimes. The Hunt for the Chicago Strangler is available to stream on Discovery Plus tonight.
Alex Rider - IMDb TV
Looking for a little action-packed fun? Look no further than IMDb TV's Alex Rider. The teenage spy is back and better than ever in Season Two of the series based on the beloved book series. The highly anticipated second season promises to double down on the action, mystery, and drama. Alex Rider is available to stream on IMDb TV tonight.
Harlem - Amazon Prime Video
From the mind behind Girls Trip comes Harlem. It's a comedy series that follows a group of best friends who navigate life in Harlem. Along the way, they're look for love and they're always having fun together. Stream the series premiere of Harlem on Amazon Prime Video now.
Coming Out Colton - Netflix
Netflix's newest documentary follows the story of Colton Underwood. His coming out story was highly publicized, but this documentary takes a deep dive into the psyche of the former bachelor. Coming Out Colton tells how Colton struggled to find his place in the LGBTQ community. You won't want to miss this heartfelt story of acceptance. Coming Out Colton is available now to stream on Netflix.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Module "HiQSDR" is the main module of a full digital "Digital Direct Conversion" DDC transceiver that operates from 30kHz up to 62MHz and has all functions of a complete software defined DDC/DUC transceiver. This modern, pioneering transceiver concept was developed by Jim Ahlstrom, N2ADR and further developed to the "HiQSDR" Project by Helmut Goebkes, DB1CC on a multilayer SMT-PCB.
This project has additional modules to result in a complete, fully digital transceiver.
- Hardware and Software under construction. Infos follows.
HiQSDR Maker-Site : Homebrew around HiQ.
The HISDR Modules are complex electronic parts and not intended to be used by a novice user!
to understand the function of the Modules used as well as related measuring equipment.
or amateur radio license! Please pay attention to your countrys law!
Die HIQSDR Module sind komplexe elektronische Baugruppen und sind nicht für Anfänger geeignet!
und das Verständnis für die Funktionsweise der Module sowie entsprechende Messgeräte.
Erlaubnis der Behörden notwendig. Bitte beachten Sie die entsprechenden Gesetze Ihres Landes!
HiQTRX-10 with LCD front panel.
HiQTRX-10 from the rear side, opened.


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Programmer and pay-TV stocks get crushed as ESPN woes spur concerns of cord cutting, skinny bundles
Aug 6, 2015 11:47am
Stocks for virtually all of the major media conglomerates have dropped sharply amid newly heightened concerns about the future of the pay-TV bundle.
Discovery Networks (down 12 percent in Wednesday trading) and 21st Century Fox (down 10.4 percent) led the decliners, but the Walt Disney Company (minus 3.7 percent), Time Warner Inc. (off 3.19 percent) and Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), home of NBCUniversal (off 2.53 percent) tumbled, too.
Pay-TV companies caught what one analyst called the "cord-cutting contagion" too: Charter Communications (NASDAQ: CHTR) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) were both off nearly 6 percent in late-morning trading.
The investor reaction has been negative even for companies with solid second-quarter earnings reports. CBS Corp., for example, reported a 1 percent rise in second-quarter revenue to $3.22 billion, driven partly by solid performances by cable networks including Showtime. But its stock had slipped more than 4 percent as of mid-day trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
"There is almost an eeriness to this; it doesn't seem fundamentally driven," said David Bank, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets, to the New York Times. "The concern is when you look at five to 10 years out, you become less certain about the ecosystem."
Most investment analysts have tied the investor concerns to Disney, which conceded on Wednesday that its dominant cable platform, ESPN, has indeed lost subscribers due to contraction of the pay-TV eco-system.
Disney CEO Bob Iger sought to calm investor nerves, assuring investors that the "expanded basic package" of pay-TV channels ESPN has thrived in for the last three decades "will remain the package of choice for years to come. He minimized the impact of so-called "skinny bundles," which segregate niche and enthusiasts channels -- such as national sports networks -- to add on packages.
"ESPN is a must-have brand as part of the initial service offering for these new packages," he said.
However, given the size of ESPN's fast-expanding, multi-year, multi-billion-dollar program licensing contracts with major sports leagues like the NFL and NBA, small decreases in subscriber numbers make a huge difference. In its compelling analysis, the Wall Street Journal notes that ESPN's margins have decreased to 38 percent this year from an historical average of 45 percent.
If the network's current rate of subscriber attrition holds, its margins rise back to 42 percent by 2020, as programming costs stabilize. However, if subscriber declines accelerate by even 1 percent, margins slip back below 40 percent.
Still, in downgrading the near-term growth prospects of a media stock that so reliably expands, Disney executives set off a chain reaction that led right back to the pay-TV sector.
"Contagion was perhaps inevitable," said MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett in a note to investors. "Almost every investor with whom we have spoken has described an almost palpable sense that sector sentiment [about cord cutting] has changed, some would say perhaps permanently. Sentiment aside, however, there has already been an understandable desire among cable investors to weigh what is really at risk. The process has already begun of sifting through the wreckage and considering positioning 'the morning after.'"
- read this New York Times story (sub. req.)
- read this Wall Street Journal story (sub. req.)
- read this Re/code story
Disney's Iger: 80% of ESPN sub losses were due to pay-TV contraction, not skinny bundles
ESPN scratches and claws to sustain its margins amid souring pay-TV economics
ESPN has lost 3.2M subs in the past year; could pull itself off Sling TV


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Provides a general introduction to copyright, fair use, copyright ownership, copyright for instructors, and useful resources.
Copyright for Instructors
Copyright Analysis
Copyright for AuthorsToggle Dropdown
Licensing Your Work
Can I Use That?
Additional Teaching Resources
Copyright and MOOCS
Fair UseToggle Dropdown
Fair Use Week
Copyright Registry & Searching
Anali Perry
she/her/hers
Subjects: Copyright, Scholarly Communication, Digital Repositories, Scholarly Publishing, Impact & Metrics, Open Access and Open Education.
Hayden Library
300 E. Orange Mall
As an instructor, there are a variety of ways you can use copyrighted material for teaching without having to ask permission - the trick is discovering which exceptions to copyright are most applicable to your situation. I recommend that you review the Framework for Copyright Analysis tab to help sort out your options when deciding how you can use the resources you want in your classes. However, these are the exceptions that are most applicable for instructors.
A common question is whether it is better to link to online library resources in your course management system (such as Blackboard or Canvas),or upload an article. Due to our contracts with database vendors, it is better to link to the article rather than uploading the PDF directly to your course site. Additionally, linking directly to the resource you need for your class helps the ASU Library know how that resource is being used, which is one of the ways we make decisions about our collection. You can also use ASU Library Resource Organizer to include content in your course.
A note on Perusall: Unfortunately, these contracts also prevent uploading articles from library databases for use with Perusall, for the same reasons as above. However, you can use openly licensed materials, or evaluate whether your use is fair with content that is not provided in library databases.
Sharing a link to freely available online content, or using the embed codes provided by a platform (such as YouTube or Twitter) is usually fine. As an instructor, you should avoid linking to anything that is obviously infringing - a movie that's currently showing in theaters on YouTube, for example - so that you can avoid giving the impression that copyright infringement is acceptable.
All Teaching Environments:
Public Domain (links to University of Minnesota Libraries) - A work is in the public domain if its copyright term has expired, or if it has never been covered by copyright (such as works authored by the U.S. Government). Works in the public domain may be used for any reason by anyone since copyright does not apply.
Creative Commons - There are a wealth of resources that are distributed under Creative Commons licenses, which already grant permission for a variety of uses. Most are applicable for educational purposes. CC Search has a collection of websites where you can find Creative Commons-licensed works.
Fair Use - the Fair Use exception needs to be determined for each particular use. However, the ASU Library Course Resources Copyright Policy provides some guidance for common scenarios for classroom use. While these are specifically for course reserve, they would be equally applicable to other course materials.
In Person Classes Only:
Classroom Use Exemption (included in Section 110(1) of Copyright Law) - this only applies to in-person, face to face instruction in a classroom at a non-profit educational institution, and allows for the performance or display of any copyrighted work without seeking permission. Playing a DVD or CD for a class (in whole or in part), singing a song together, or holding up purchased or borrowed copies of a book or artwork would be permitted under this exemption. It does not apply to making or distributing copies or to online instruction.
Online/Distance Education Only:
TEACH Act (included in Section 110(2)) - The "Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization" Act allows instructors to perform or display copyrighted works in distance education environments. However, there are a number of restrictions - NOTE: The TEACH Act does not apply to MOOCs or the Global Freshman Academy - see Copyright and MOOCs for more information.
The Original TEACH Act Toolkit
From Louisiana State University Libraries
ASU Online's Implementation of the TEACH Act
The Ultimate Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons for Educators
Great summary of copyright in an easy-to-read and navigate post from the EduBlogger. Highly recommend.
Know Your Copyrights - What You CAN Do (pdf)
Tips for faculty & teaching assistants in higher education - created by the Association for Research Libraries
Copyright in Context
From North Carolina State University, provides some examples of common copyright scenarios in the classroom.
Using Videos for Teaching Tutorial
Just in time for 2018 Fair Use Week, ASU Library releases this tutorial to help instructors understand the provisions which allow them to use copyrighted videos in their courses.
Public Performance Rights
A useful chart for determining if you need to obtain performance rights to show a video in the classroom.
You Want to Know About Copyright in Education
This infographic identifies what material can and cannot be used for teaching or school purposes. It also includes a section on licensing one's own media, a section on how to think about whether it might be feasible to claim fair use, and instructions for how to claim fair use in certain circumstances.
<< Previous: Licensing Your Work
Next: Copyright and MOOCS >>
URL: https://libguides.asu.edu/copyright
Subjects: General
Tags: copyright, intellectual_property, scholarly_communication


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American Immigration by Maldwyn Allen Jones
The book under review is American Immigration, written by Jones, Maldwyn, and published by University of Chicago Press, 1960. The writer illustrates that, at each stage of the development of the American nation since the days of immigration to the current day, immigrants have played a very crucial role. The rich history of immigration into the United States is related to the history of people emigrating from other nations. In the book, Jones explains the major reasons that made emigrants to their countries, as well as the psychological, social, and economic adjustments that they had to make in order to fit in American life. Adjustments were different for diverse categories of immigrants. Over 60 million or more immigrants have entered the United States since the year 1607. They have played a crucial role in growth of democracy, development of American policy, foreign policy, the labor movement, industrialization, and evolution of Western culture.
The superb organization of the book depicts the expertise of Jones as a history researcher. The first three chapters of the book deal with immigration into the new country from the time of formation of the colonies up to the foundation of the nation in 1815. The next three chapters are based on the factors that led to increase in mass immigration after the Civil War ended. The chapters on the Post Civil War period are followed by three other chapters that discuss the period on regulation of immigration through quota legislation in the 1920s. The last chapter features recent immigrants including Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Canadians and war refugees from Europe. There is a minimal breakdown of organization in the transition from new immigrants to new immigrants.
Information is given in a chronological order within the book. Readers of this reviewed work are able to follow the events as they occur since the first group of immigration came to the country. The regional and national information is discussed in great details. The analytical and logical presentation of information shows that Jones is a master of immigration affairs. The racial patterns of migration and settlement are keenly dissected.
Jones attests that when he published the book mass immigration had almost ceased. This had been caused by The Mass Immigration Act of 1924, which had limited immigration. The Act had emphasized on limiting immigrants from Asia, Southern Europe and from other regions in the world that were undesirable to the Northern American ideology. The decrease in immigration had also been caused by the end of the World War II and the great depression. The end of the Second World War had initially led to an increase in immigrants, though the numbers had stabilized.
The United States is portrayed as a beneficiary of the immigration movement. Jones discusses all the waves of immigration from 1890 to 1914. He discusses the new and old immigration trends giving the readers a clear historical picture. He discusses the anti-immigration movement and the movement supporting natives. He focuses mostly on European immigrants who were the majority. He also discusses the mass immigration of people from the Filipinos to Hawaii during the 1920s. Some immigrants from Europe were shut out in the 1920s. A policy to encourage immigrants of Hispanic descent was adopted to promote good neighborhood. Immigration levels between the United States and Canada were almost equal as some were emigrating northwards while the rest were emigrating southwards. Immigrants from Mexico were shocked when they came to the United States, because their societies were renowned agrarian. The Mexican immigrants were poor and had low levels of education. They were discriminated against due to their skin color. In the book, Jones treats them as victims of racism and instead of flourishing like the other immigrants, they wallowed in poverty. Jones discusses Negroes from the Caribbean and the West Indies, but does not discuss Negroes from Africa effectively.
The reader gets the impression that churches were very crucial to the survival and welfare of immigrants. The churches provided important economic and social support for newly arrived immigrants and helped them to integrate with the rest of society. Jones was the first immigration author to touch on the important role played by churches. Religious faith kept the groups together in the leanest of times. Religious records hold the most relevant information about immigrants. Other factors that caused them to leave included war, threat of being conscripted to the armed forces, the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, and famine. The synagogues and the churches played essential role, especially in cases where religious persecution was the main reason for migration. The immigrants increased the population, and by extension the workforce. Immigrants had an important impact, because they increased the existing native inhabitants and, consequently, increased both the consumer and the producer base. The author faulted the findings of The Dillingham Commission, which had reported immigrants as been a liability to the society. The immigrants had also led to reduction of wages, which in turn had lowered the standards of living.
The book relies on secondary sources and has very few primary sources. The secondary sources on which the book is based are listed in the form of an annotated bibliography, which the reader can access at the end of the script. This becomes hard for the reader to verify and follow the topics. It would have been better for the writer of the book to include the secondary sources as in-text citations or as footnotes to make it easier to authenticate the sources. The book covers a lot of immigration issues, but does not make new contributions since it only supplements existing sources on the history of American immigration. Jones is able to write a lot on wide cultural, social, economic, and political aspects of immigration. Moreover, he covers substantial topics that deal with immigration from the time of arrival of the first colonizers until the arrival of refugees and displaced persons after the Second World War.
Several textbooks on the history of immigration in America give a one-sided perspective, which suggests that the success of America is solely attributed to the old immigrants, who emigrated from North Western Europe before 1880. Jones gives a balanced perspective explaining in length the contributions made by the immigrants who emigrated to the country after 1880 from Eastern and Southern Europe and other regions of the world. It is important to mention that the "old" immigrants had few problems adjusting to the new culture due to assimilation and dispersion while the "new" immigrants had a hard time as they were accused of stealing jobs from the native residents since they were willing to work at low wage rates. Furthermore, Jones defends the new immigrants from the claims that they refused to disperse like their earlier counterparts and instead crowded together in ghettos and other unsanitary places. They stayed together for purposes of security and stability in a new land.
Most of the information provided by Jones is general. He generalizes the fact that all immigrants contributed to the technological and economic development of America. He fails to back his claims with substantial evidence. Some immigrants did not contribute to the development, because they had little education and inadequate skills. Others stuck to the culture of their old countries and refused to embrace the culture of the new world. He does not mention that the presence of several ethnic and racial groups in the country complicated American politics. The book is of extreme importance to a general reader looking for an outline of general events in the history of American immigration. Unfortunately, American immigration history is also not important to a reader who wants to study various aspects of immigration history.
The book has a limited plot that fails to capture the unique contributions of distinct Americans and the unique circumstances they faced, some of which continue up to the present day. The book plays a fundamental part in filling the scholarly gap left by lack of scholarly studies in the important subject of immigration. The book also does an exemplary job in combining aspects of the immigration of all people from all places at all periods of America history. In the pre-Jones era, writers tended to be prejudiced and biased in their scholarly work. Jones thus gives the topic of immigration comprehensive approach that does not alienate the reader. He stands out, because he was a British scholar writing on American history.
Jones is able to avoid prejudices and biases that have affected the validity of work belonging to some scholars on historical immigration. He analyzes the differences between immigrants who found opportunities by chance in the lucrative formal sector to those who found opportunities in the informal sector. Jones writes that the immigrants' main attraction was the high number of opportunities present in America as compared to their own countries. There are minor errors here and there, but the errors do not affect the authenticity of the indispensable information contained in the book. In addition, the author accomplishes his purpose since he helps the reader to correct some of the misconceptions contained in The Dillingham report and other scholarly works. Lastly, his work effectively fills the gap left by failure of the mass media to cover immigration issues before 1960.
Investment Report
Narrative Closure: Terry Bisson's Macs


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Richard Madden hasn't seen the Game of Thrones finale yet, but got spoilers a few times!
If you still haven't got around to watching the Game of Thrones finale, don't be sad. You're in august company. Richard 'Robb Stark' Madden himself is yet to catch up, although the ending has been spoiled to him already.
In a recent interview with Good Morning America, the former Game of Thrones star and Golden Globe awardee admitted to not having watched the finale – "I still haven't seen it! But [the ending] has been spoiled for me quite a few times already!"
The spoiler Madden is talking about is Brandon Stark being chosen the King of the Six Kingdoms (North remained independent thanks to Sansa). And guess what? He didn't see it coming either, just like us (well, most of us anyway). When asked about his reaction to the ending Madden said: "[I was] totally surprised. I'll have to watch it now and see how he ended up there."
Madden played Robb Stark, older brother of Bran and former King in the North, in Game of Thrones on Season 1-3. His character was killed off in the penultimate episode of Season 3 'Rains of Castamere' in one of the most devastating and shocking events in the history of Game of Thrones – the Red Wedding.
Madden's character was stabbed to death in Season 3 episode 'Rains of Castamere'.
Despite the relatively early exit, Madden's portrayal was widely praised and Robb Stark remains one of the most popular Thrones characters till date. Also, when he gets around to watching the finale, Madden may notice how Robb's legacy was honoured by Bran when he allowed Sansa to keep the North independent from the rest of his kingdom. That should be sweet!
Women spoke only 22 percent of the lines in Game of Thrones Season 8, which is the lowest in 8 seasons
Game of Thrones fans react to Jon Snow and Ghost's reunion in the series finale


Lady Gaga is a New York City native. Her real name is actually Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta. Lady Gaga is a stage name that is cool, stands out and is easy to remember. I doubt people would remember her real name if she decided to use that instead. It's even hard to pronounce, at least for me.
Lady Gaga is a singer, songwriter, musician, dancer and top-selling recording artist whose influence comes from glam rock artists David Bowie and Queen. Her musical sound includes pop, dance, and electronica.
Since Lady Gaga turned up on the music scene, she has taken the world by storm. She has released three albums, selling millions of copies world-wide. She has also embarked on three sold out tours - The Fame, Monster Ball, and Born This Way Ball.
Lady Gaga has fans all over the world and everywhere you turn people are going "gaga" for this extremely talented and standout artist. They sing her songs, dress like her, and aspire to be like her. They just can't get enough of Lady Gaga.
The Fame was released in 2008 and was Lady Gaga's first studio album. It was certified 3x platinum in the US, selling over three million copies, and garnered the hit singles Just Dance, Poker Face, Love Game, and Paparazzi. Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) was not released in the United States, but it was released as a single internationally.
The Fame Monster was released in 2009, and was certified platinum in the US, selling over one million copies, and garnered the hit singles Bad Romance, Telephone (featuring Beyonce), and Alejandro. The Fame Monster was released as a stand alone album, but it was also released as a 2-disc deluxe edition, which included all the songs from The Fame Monster album plus all the songs from The Fame album.
Born This Way was released in 2011, selling over a million copies in the first week of release in the US. It garnered the hit single Born This Way, Judas, The Edge of Glory, You and I,and Marry the Night.
Artpop was released in 2013, debuting at #1 on the Billboard charts. It garnered the hit singles Applause, Do What U Want, and G.U.Y.
Lady Gaga has been nominated for many music awards and has taken many of them home. She has 103 nominations and 66 wins under her belt, which is an amazing accomplishment for an artist who hasn't even been around that long. She has won awards for her album The Fame, and for her singles Poker Face, Just Dance, Paparazzi, Love Game, and Bad Romance (the single from The Fame Monster album).
Here is a list of some of the awards she was nominated for and even won.
The Grammys are the most prestigious music award to be nominated for and win. Here is a list of Lady Gaga's Grammy Award wins and nominations.
Are you a fan of Lady Gaga and her music?
Lady Gaga: Was She Born This Way?
Regis - Lol I just voted in my poll so now it's 50/50. Thanks for the feedback. Glad you find my hub informative and interesting even though you are not a lady gaga fan.
I feel the "power." My vote counted for 100%. LOL!!! I am not a big fan of Madame Gaga but I still find your hub informative and interesting. Thank you, Lena.