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Confederate revisionism
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Confederate revisionism refers to historical revisionism regarding the politically correct view on the Confederate States of America, the American Civil War/War Between the States (1861-1865), and its aftermath.
1 Slavery
2 Secession and war causes
2.1 Non-slavery causes
2.2 Slavery causes
3 Emancipation Proclamation
4 Anarchy, starvation, diseases, and mass deaths of Blacks after emancipation
5 A "Good War" necessary for emancipation?
6 Abraham Lincoln
7 Predetermined defeat?
8 Censorship and other authoritarian measures in the North
9 Mercenaries
10 POW camps propaganda
10.1 Trial of Henry Wirz
11 Claimed atrocities against POWs at the Battle of Fort Pillow
12 Jewish aspects
13 Treatment of the South during the war
14 Reconstruction era
15 Confederate monuments and symbols
17.1 Article archives
See the Slavery article on various less politically correct aspects of slavery in the United States and elsewhere.
Secession and war causes
Non-slavery causes
Regardless of what importance slavery had for the Southern decision to secede, emancipation was initially not part of the official Northern justification for making war, which was to suppress a rebellion, not to free the slaves in the South.[1] The Emancipation Proclamation was issued only in 1863.
Most Southerners were not slave owners. According to the 1860 census, 4.8% of the free population in the slaveholding states were slave owners (and with this including free Blacks who owned slaves). A somewhat more politically correct figure is that 26% of the free "families" in the slaveholding states included one or more slave owners.[2] However, the term "family" as used in the census is arguably misleading, with a "family" being defined as "one or more persons living together and provided for in common. A single person, living alone in a distinct part of a house, may constitute a family; while, on the other hand, all the inmates of a boarding house or a hotel will constitute but a single family, though there may be among them many husbands with wives and children. Under whatever circumstances, and in whatever numbers, people live together under one roof, and are provided for at a common table, there is a family in the meaning of the law."[3] Thus, for example, all the free servants and farmhands who lived at a plantation would likely be counted as supposedly being members of a slave owning "family".
Furthermore, assuming that the slaves received less than free workers, and were in effect lowering the wages of free workers through competition, then emancipation may have been predicted to be economically beneficial for non-slave owners. There were also other stated costs for non-slave owners, such as taxes used to protect the slave property of slave owners, the risk of slave uprisings, and costs of participation in militia groups aimed at prevent uprisings and recapture escaped slaves. During that war, wealthy owners of large numbers of slaves were exempt from service in the Confederate army, while independent farmers having no slaves had to go off to the front.[4] Thus, it has been argued that much of the support for the Confederacy and/or slavery would have had other causes than self-interest from slave-owning.
One explanation is by arguing that the independence of the Confederacy was motivated by non-slavery issues. One argument is regarding states' rights being restricted, although critics of this argument have argued that slaveholding states and the Confederacy were willing to limit states' rights, even those of non-slaveholding states, if this supported slavery, such as regarding measures against escaped slaves.[4]
Another explanation is argued attempts by the Northern States to implement policies beneficial for themselves but negative for the Southern States. One example is that the Federal Government received most of its income from tariffs on imported goods (increasing their prices) and with most of this tariff income coming from the Southern states but with little being returned back. The tariffs were beneficial for Northern industries and financial interests.
Northern fears of the effect of secession included that the South would close the Mississippi river (or possibly institute tariffs on the trade on it) and that other parts of the Union could use the example to secede in the future. Another contributing factor, possibly influenced by the general imperialism during this time period, has been argued to be that Untied States should not lose power/status due to losing parts of the country and on the contrary was destined to expand further and acquire more territory.[1]
Some of the initial support for the conflict on both sides have been argued to be due to underestimating the consequences, with a common belief being that even if war occurred, it would be quickly settled, likely in a single battle.[1]
The balance of power within the Union between the North and South was shifting against the South as the North was becoming more populous than the South.
The conflict may argued to be related to a conflict between two different cultures/ethnicities, related to different immigration patterns to Northern and Southern states.[5]
"Evidence of what the average Southerner did fight for is found in historian James McPherson's new book, What They Fought For, 1861-1865. McPherson read more than 25,000 letters and 100 diaries of soldiers from both sides in the War Between the States to try to understand what, in their own words, these young men thought they were fighting for. "These were the most literate armies in history to that time," McPherson writes. Their median age was 24; most of them had voted in the 1860 election, "the most heated and momentous election in American history." And they were voracious readers of newspapers who frequently engaged in ideological debates and expressed strong political opinions in their letters and diaries. McPherson concludes that most Confederates "fought for liberty and independence from what they regarded as a tyrannical government." [...] The letters of many Confederate soldiers "bristled with rhetoric of liberty and self government," McPherson found, coupled with "a willingness to die for the cause." Confederate soldiers also believed they were defending their country against foreign invaders."[6]
Another argued contributing cause is mistakes and uncompromising provocations during the secession crises by Lincoln, who is argued to at first have believed that secession would not occur. Later, he is argued to have believed that the South would be easily and quickly defeated due to supposed lack of popular support in the South for the war, contributing to him provoking the start to the war by dispatching resupply ships to Fort Sumter, thus breaking his commitments and assurances to the South that he would not reinforce the Federal forts in the South, knowing that this would start the war, but for propaganda reasons wanting the South to fire the first shoots. After this, Lincoln issued an executive proclamation calling for volunteers to form an army to invade the South, despite during the earlier war with Mexico having criticized the then President for violating the Constitution's requirement that only Congress can declare war.[7]
Slavery causes
Another view is that slavery was the primary issue. A politically correct view is that this was due to the political influence of wealthy slave owners who benefited from exploiting both slaves and poor non-slave owners.
A less politically correct view is that support for slavery in the Confederacy was due to views such that emancipation was predicted to cause widespread negative effects for society, such as increasing crime, miscegenation, and racial group conflicts. The 1804 genocide of Whites in Haiti and the following societal/economic developments in Haiti were seen as a warning example.
Another complication was that compensating the slave owners economically for emancipation would have been very expensive. One estimate is that "even if the payments were spread over 25 years, the annual costs of such a scheme would involve a tripling of federal government outlays (Ransom and Sutch 1990: 39-42)!"[8]
After 1807, by law no new slaves were allowed to be imported into the United States. "many today would say that Southerners deserved their problems, having brought them on themselves by enslaving blacks. But of course they did not. By 1861 most were born into a slaveholding society. Most were not enthusiastic about it, but had little idea what to do. Anyone interested in just how divided whites were about slavery might look at the debates in 1831-2 in the Virginia House of Delegates. There was heated argument favoring no emancipation, gradual emancipation, immediate and total emancipation, and Lincoln's solution of sending blacks back to Africa. They ended by doing nothing. Part of the sentiment favoring keeping slavery came from Tidewater, where large landholders depended on slavery, and partly from the sense of having the tiger by the tail: "Dear God, what now?""[9]
Another issue was resentment against argued misleading and incorrect anti-slavery campaigns in the North (while ignoring the very poor conditions for Whites in Northern industries) and incitements of slaves in the South to escape, rebel, and murder their slave-owners.
The North may be viewed as hypocritical, as slavery was existed in the North before it existed in the South (and before this among Amerindians, who enslaved each other). When slavery became economically unprofitable in the North, the slaves were sold to the South. However, Northern abolitionists, who viewed slavery as a sin, demanded that Southern slave owners should receive no economic compensation. Northern states that outlawed slavery at the same time discouraged free Blacks from settling in them, such as by state legislatures passing laws that restricted Black land ownership.[10]
The American movement to end slavery had many members in the South, where the effort focused on cooperating with slave owners in finding ways to end the practice. However, the rise of the above mentioned Northern abolitionist movement and anti-Southern campaigns changed the effort to end slavery in the United States from a cooperative to an adversarial one. Southerners became defensive and defiant toward Northern abolitionists who condemned them as sinners regardless of the treatment of slaves and cooperative attempts to end slavery.[10]
Another less well-known aspect is that most who supported the ending of slavery also supported a repatriation of Blacks to Africa, or resettlement elsewhere outside North America.[10]
Yet another less well-known aspect is that "Although some slaves were driven for long hours, northern anti-slavery tracts abounded with accounts of how the excessive leisure of slavery would be ended under strict, Northern employment practices. They promised that abolition would produce a decisive rise in the nation's productivity."[11] See also the section " Long-lasting negative effects for areas using slaves" in the Slavery article.
The "Free Soil" movement opposed the expansion of slavery into the western territories which would as one effect further reduce the Southern influence in the Union. It has been argued that the primary motivation for support for this movement was not concern regarding the treatment of Black slaves, but concern regarding rich slave owners outcompeting poor Whites regarding access to land.
The importance of slavery for the war may possibly have been overstated by both sides in their wartime propaganda, compared to less motivating issues such as the size of the tariffs, by the North as slavery was seen as most moralistic justification for not allowing the South to secede, by the South as the best motivator was seen as emphasizing the argued negative effects of emancipation.
"There has been much analysis of the cynical and political nature of Lincoln's own Emancipation Proclamation — that it "freed" only those slaves in the Confederacy over whom he had no control, that it's purpose was to dissuade France and Britain from recognizing and aiding the Confederacy, that it had to wait for a Union victory — but Prof. Davis goes further. Lincoln did not believe Congress had Constitutional authority to meddle with slavery in the states, but he claimed he had the authority, as a war measure, to free the slaves of anyone "in rebellion." Prof. Davis explains that the proclamation really was a practical, war-fighting measure in the sense that Lincoln believed many slaves would walk off the job, shutting down the Southern economy.
This was not all. In his initial proclamation of September 1862, Lincoln implicitly called for slave insurrection, and even Yankees understood what that implied. Former governor of New York Horatio Seymour remarked in horror that it was a "proposal for the butchery of women and children, for scenes of lust and rapine, and of arson and murder." Lincoln himself expected revolt and massacre, noting that because of the proclamation, "the character of the war will be changed. It will be one of subjugation and extermination." Later, he told Ohio congressman William Holman he was disappointed blacks had not revolted. For the most part, however, there was jubilation over the proclamation in the North, where most people believed emancipation would cripple the South and stop the war. Such is the background of what is taught to school children as a humanitarian gesture towards our black brothers."[12]
Anarchy, starvation, diseases, and mass deaths of Blacks after emancipation
A 2012 revisionist book stated that the end of slavery was followed by anarchy, starvation, diseases, and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Blacks. This was stated to have been covered-up for reasons such that "abolitionist, when they saw so many freed people dying, feared that it proved true what some people said: that slaves were not able to exist on their own."[13]
A "Good War" necessary for emancipation?
Slavery was, at time of the war, economically profitable for slave owners in the South compared to paying free wage-laborers, for certain types of work such as at plantations, which has been argued to mean that the war was necessary for emancipation and thus was a "Good War".
One argument against this is that while paying the slave owners for emancipation would have been very expensive, just the economic cost of the war was far higher. Other costs included that "the Civil War claimed more lives than all other American wars combined, and the increase in population since 1860 means that a comparable war today would cost 7.5 million lives."[14]
Furthermore, slavery had previously been economically profitable in the North, but this had changed, in part due to large-scale immigration, meaning availability of many free workers who were willing to work for very low wages. The continued large-scale immigration could have caused the same to occur also in the South.
Also, it has been argued that "most Western countries— the British Empire, Canada, Mexico, even Cuba— managed to abolish slavery in the 19th Century without violence. No doubt American slavery would have expired eventually as well, of its own economic obsolescence— just as, say, indentured servitude disappeared once trades people figured out that it was cheaper and more efficient to hire day laborers than to feed, shelter and clothe their servants."[15]
More generally, there was a worldwide abolition movement by Europeans during this time period, eventually abolishing slavery throughout the world, meaning that various anti-slavery, non-violent criticisms and measures, both inside and outside the United States, would likely have continually increased. See also Slavery: Abolition of slavery.
Abraham Lincoln is in surveys very often ranked as the best US President.
One reason for his popularity is his assassination, making him a difficult to criticize martyr, and causing him to be seen as not directly responsible for the many postwar problems. His death became one justification for the harsh treatment of the South. "Southerners were likewise in no position to attack Lincoln. The South's situation after the war was similar to that of post-World War II Germany, that is to say, utterly defeated, prostrate, the victim of inflammatory lies about atrocities at Andersonville, etc. Hence, the only prudent course for Southerners was to promote those aspects of the Lincoln Myth (e.g., his alleged kindliness and magnanimity) so as to defuse Northern anger and work patiently for the amelioration of the condition of the South."[7]
Less politically correct aspects include statements such as the 1858 statement "I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."[16]
Lincoln "made it clear on many occasions that he abhorred the very thought of social or political equality for blacks, and that although he considered slavery an evil, he saw no future in America for free blacks. He thought that the races should be separated [...] General Benjamin Butler reported a conversation with the President in early April of 1865, by which time the war had been won and Lincoln's assassination was only a few days away. Lincoln said to him, "But what shall we do with the Negroes after they are free? I can scarcely believe that the South and the North can live in peace, unless we can get rid of the Negroes." Lincoln then spoke of Butler's experience in moving large numbers of men by sea, and mentioned that the United States had a large navy. He asked Butler to draw on his wartime experience and devise a plan to send blacks overseas."[17]
Another view: "To his dying day, it appears, Lincoln did not believe that harmony between white and black was feasible, and viewed resettlement of the blacks as the preferable alternative to race conflict. "… Although Lincoln believed in the destruction of slavery," concludes black historian Charles Wesley (in an article in The Journal of Negro History), "he desired the complete separation of the whites and blacks. Throughout his political career, Lincoln persisted in believing in the colonization of the Negro.""[18]
Another criticism is regarding deceitfulness regarding personal opinions, frequently changing his supposed personal views to fit the particular audience he was addressing. Thus, when addressing different audiences before the war in Illinois, Lincoln stated very different supposed personal opinions depending on the audience. Furthermore, he was an atheist, had written an essay denying the divinity of the Bible, but was despite this willing to invoke the name of God to garner support if there was something to be gained from this.[7]
Lincoln believed in superstitions and omens, was often depressed after seeing blackbirds, and would interpret dreams that he had in ways that can only be described as superstitious [7]
One criticism for hypocrisy is regarding "the famous letter to Lidia P. Bixby which Lincoln cultists love to cite. The text of the famous letter is as follows: Dear Madam: I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle. [...] This letter received much publicity in the North, calculated as it was to touch the heart of any reader. [...} Lincoln's own son, Robert Todd Lincoln, was of military age and was also a resident of Massachusetts during the bloodletting of the War between the States. Unlike Mrs. Bixby's sons, however, Abraham Lincoln's son fought the war at Andover and Harvard. Only in the closing months of the War did young Robert finally see military service. His service was confined to serving on General Grant's staff where he enjoyed a bird's eye view of the war's conclusion with the rank of Captain and Assistant Adjutant General. But Lincoln's behavior in sheltering his son from the war at same time he was consigning the sons of so many Northern mothers to battle contrasts sharply with the behavior of Robert E. Lee and other Southern leaders. Most of the sons of Southern leaders fought in the war."[7]
See also the article on the phrase "all men are created equal" on the use of this phrase by Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address.
Predetermined defeat?
One view is that the outcome of the war was inevitable due to the greater resources of the North. Another view is that the South did not actually need to achieve a total military victory, but instead just needed to cause sufficient Northern losses, point to hardships and suffering caused by the war in both the North and the South, or otherwise increase sympathies for the South, in order to turn the public opinion in the North against the war.
"hindsight has dimmed recognition of how close the Confederacy came to achieving its aims. "For the South, a tie was as good as a win," he says. It needed to inflict enough pain to convince a divided Northern public that defeating the South wasn't worth the cost. This nearly happened at several points, when rebel armies won repeated battles in 1862 and 1863. As late as the summer of 1864, staggering casualties and the stalling of Union armies brought a collapse in Northern morale, cries for a negotiated peace, and the expectation that anti-war (and anti-black) Democrats would take the White House. The fall of Atlanta that September narrowly saved Lincoln and sealed the South's eventual surrender. [...] In his new book, Gettysburg: The Last Invasion, he identifies points when Lee's army came within minutes of breaking the Union line. If it had, he believes the already demoralized Army of the Potomac "would have gone to pieces." With a victorious Southern army on the loose, threatening Northern cities, "it would have been game over for the Union.""[14]
The situation would also have changed if other countries intervened.
Thus, propaganda and censorship in order to influence internal and external opinions were very important aspects of the war.
Censorship and other authoritarian measures in the North
Lincoln "interfered with the functioning of constitutional government in the North by arresting elected representatives of the people and holding them for military trial. By Executive Order he closed down hundreds of newspapers in the North which criticized the war. He abolished the writ of habeas corpus and is estimated to have held as many as 20,000 civilians in detention without trial."[7]
In Europe, a network of immigration agencies across Europe were organized which offered free land in exchange for military services under the Homestead Act of 1862. An estimated 400,000 - 500,000 mercenary troops were enrolled in the Northern army. It has been argued that these foreign mercenaries accounted for the "mysterious repletion of our army during the four years of war" and that "Without the large influx of mercenaries, the primitive and wasteful military tactics of Grant would have sickened the Northern public far sooner than it did."[7]
POW camps propaganda
During and after the war, alleged Southern atrocities at POW camps (especially at Andersonville/Camp Sumter), including alleged deliberate killings of POWs, were an important part of the wartime and postwar propaganda and an important justification for harsh treatment of the South in general, during and after the war. Revisionist views on this include that there were poor conditions in the camps, but that these were to large degree caused by factors such as the general food and resource shortages in the South (which was unable to properly clothe and feed even its own soldiers), overcrowding caused by a Northern refusal to exchange prisoners (since this was seen as being more beneficial for the South), and the Southern rail and water transportation system being so crippled during the final two years of the war that movement of supplies, especially to peripheral points like Andersonville, frequently became impossible.[19]
The alleged deliberately harsh treatment of Northern POWs by the South was used as justification for deliberately harsh treatment of Southern POWs by the North, such as by deliberately cutting their food rations despite available food.[19]
"the North could not claim lack of food or medicine as a reason for the horrifying high death rate in the prisons. In fact, the North refused to permit the shipment of medicine or food to Union prisoners in Southern hands. Jefferson Davis offered to pay two or three times the market price for medicine in commodities such as cotton, tobacco or even gold for the exclusive use of Northern prisoners, to be dispensed by Northern surgeons. This offer was ignored by Lincoln. Finally, the Confederates offered to release 13,000 of the most desperate cases without an equivalent exchange by the Lincoln government. The Lincoln administration waited from August to October to collect the prisoners. After they were released, atrocity photographs of the men were circulated in the North to show how the typical prisoner in Southern hands was supposedly treated."[7]
The death rates in the camps in the North and the South (and even the numbers of prisoners) are uncertain. Supporters of both sides have cited statistics to prove that the death rates and suffering were greater in the enemy camps. Overall, the death rates have been argued to be similar, despite the abundance of food and much greater available medical resources in the North.[19][7]
Holocaust revisionists have argued for a number of similarities with Holocaust propaganda, such as argued false and widely published atrocity stories by former prisoners and by persons falsely claiming to be former camp prisoners, document fabrications, show trials, and camp propaganda being used as a justification for exploitation and harsh treatment of the civilian population in general. A comparison has been made between Zyklon B and an early vaccine for smallpox, and which likely saved prisoner lives, but which was falsely rumored to be deliberately poisoned in order to kill prisoners.[19][20]
Trial of Henry Wirz
Another Holocaust comparison is between the trial of Andersonville/Camp Sumter commandant Henry Wirz and Holocaust trials such as the Dachau trials. The revisionist Jett Rucker has written that of the many witnesses who wanted to testify, some in support of Wirz, "less than twelve witnesses were called, each of these quite evidently carefully vetted, scripted, and rehearsed, a circumstance very much in evidence and much noted by Joseph Halow in his moving book, Innocent at Dachau.
The mendacity of all the witnesses against Wirz were borne out not only by many telltale inconsistencies and unlikelihoods in their testimonies but as well by revelations uncovered long after the tribunal (and the execution of its innocent subject), disclosing typically that the very identities of the witnesses had been falsified, and the evidence as to their whereabouts during the times they claimed to have observed Major Wirz's acts most dubious.
The charges against Wirz bore a general resemblance to the charges against accused at Dachau: that said accused on such-and-such a date did, with malice aforethought, and so on, kill, strike, injure so-and-so, a prisoner in his charge, with one consistent exception that seems unbelievable in a present-day reading: no name of any victim was ever specified! Major Wirz was accused of a total of 13 single killings to which "witnesses" testified, on various dates including dates on which Wirz was documentably far away from Andersonville on furlough, but in every case, it was stated that the name of the victim was stated to be unknown. Wirz was hanged for killing—typically shooting—nobodies, an allegation the author stated his inclination to reject even had real, dead Andersonville inmates been named as victims.
One aspect of Wirz's handling during and especially after the trial had potentially momentous implications, but these in fact never arose, evidently from Wirz's heroic refusal to lie. Page carefully documents an initiative that came apparently from the office of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to commute Wirz's death sentence on the condition that he give evidence implicating former Confederate President Jefferson Davis in a plan to starve or otherwise kill prisoners of war in his custody."[20]
Claimed atrocities against POWs at the Battle of Fort Pillow
See Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Jewish aspects
See Slavery: Slavery by Jews on this topic in general.
In the antebellum era, Jews have been stated to have been more likely than Gentiles to own slaves and to be disproportionately involved in the slave trade. "Only one genuine example exists of Jews actively conspiring against slavery. During the 1840s, Issac and Peter Friedman assisted Peter Still's escape from Tuscumbia, Alabama. However, even this appears to be an isolated incident born out of personal sentiment for a particular slave rather than any ideological opposition to the institution of slavery. [...] Most striking of all were the political careers of David Levy Yulee and Judah P. Benjamin. Yulee served as a congressman from Florida from 1844 until its admission as a state four years later, at which time he was elected senator. In 1852 Benjamin was elected senator of Louisiana. "It is a singular fact," observed the Western Democrat, "that the most masterly expositions which have been made of the constitutional and religious argument for slavery are from gentlemen of the Hebrew faith." Both Yulee and Benjamin were staunch advocates of slavery. Benjamin purchased a large sugar plantation in Louisiana with a labor force of 140 slaves. Yulee earned a reputation as the "Florida Fire Eater" for his passionate speeches in support of the South, especially his campaign to expand slavery through the territorial annexation of Mexico and Cuba. [...] Nothing better defines the depth of Jewish support for the South and the institution of slavery than the Civil War. Southern Jews were staunch supporters of secession and war. Several assumed eminent positions within the Confederate government."[21]
In the postwar period, Jews in the South have been argued to often have supported segregation.[22]
There are several monuments/memorials located at various places to the Jewish plantation slave-owner of at least 140 slaves and Confederate Attorney General, Secretary of War, and Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin. Before the war, he was "a New Orleans delegate to a legislative convention where he successfully argued against counting slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of representation in state elections." Despite this, and unlike non-Jewish slave owners and Confederate officials, he has been argued to be seldom mentioned or condemned and, for example, his monument near New Orleans has not been removed.[23][24][25]
Lincoln has been criticized for allowing or ordering various harsh deportations of various Southern civilian groups. "Not all deportations were tolerated by the White House during the war. Thus for instance when General Grant ordered Jewish speculators expelled from Tennessee, Lincoln quickly issued a peremptory order to Grant, rescinding his order and rebuking him for having deported the Jewish speculators."[7] See also General Order No. 11.
Treatment of the South during the war
The scorched earth policy during Sherman's March to the Sea included events such as the burning down to ground of the city of Atlanta after its surrender. This massive destruction was of no military importance. During the march of the Northern troops across Georgia from Atlanta to Savannah, Sherman created a charred corridor over 40 miles wide, destroying all railroads, seizing all provisions, pillaging, plundering and burning. There was no military force available to obstruct his course. Later, Sherman similarly torched Columbia, South Carolina, and laid waste to parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.[7]
"Nor were the outrages of the Northern armies confined to the states of Georgia and South Carolina. In Virginia, for example, between July 18 and July 23, 1862, General John Pope issued four general orders providing that the Union army would as far as possible subsist upon the country, i.e., steal food from the civilians. All villages and neighborhoods through which the Union forces marched would be placed "under contribution." Civilians living along the line of march would be punished if there were any injuries to railroads or other roads by bands of unknown guerillas. Also, Brigadier General Adolph von Steinwehr seized civilians as hostage so that they could be executed if any of his soldiers were killed by unknown persons. [...] Those refusing to take the oath of allegiance to the United States would be banished from their homes; if found at any point within the Federal lines or in the rear, they would be executed as spies. Anyone who communicated with the enemy was subject to the death penalty. As Hudson Strode points out in his marvelous biography of Jefferson Davis, a mother who sent her son a letter could be regarded as a spy."[7]
General Benjamin Butler, who had occupied New Orleans, issued an infamous "Order Number 28" after a woman spat at a Northern soldier who persisted in making advances toward her. The order was seen as in effect stating a "right to rape" any female perceived as insulting a Northern officer or soldier and caused international condemnations. Butler was also criticized for various other reasons. Lincoln's reaction to the complaints was to give Butler the assignment of Commander of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina and Commissioner of Prisoner-of-War Exchanges. "When Lincoln appointed Butler he also warned Butler that if he were captured, "He [Jeff Davis] has a price on your head and will hang you for sure." This was the man Lincoln expected would be able to ensure humane treatment for prisoners of war and their exchange. The Confederate commissioner at first refused to meet with Butler. A few months after Butler's appointment, Grant ordered all further exchanges to cease."[7]
"Sherman used Southern prisoners of war to clear mine fields by marching them back and forth across land outside Savannah where mines were suspected. Southern prisoners were also herded in front of Northern emplacements under Confederate artillery fire so as to force Southerners to fire on their own men. Thus in the siege of Charleston, 50 Confederate officers were placed in a holding pen in front of Fort Wagner on Morris Island, so as to expose them to the fire of Confederate batteries shelling the Northern positions. On June 23, 1864, an order was issued to this effect from the office of the Commissary-General of Prisoners in Washington, D.C."[7]
After the Battle of Sharpsburg, it was announced that no Christian burials of Southern soldiers were allowed. The bodies were left out to rot and to decompose. Only after the rot had gotten to the point where the public's health was being endangered were the rotted remains scooped together and buried in unmarked common ground. Later, it was ordered that the Episcopal churches, in which it is the custom to pray for the leader of the country, were to pray for Abraham Lincoln in conquered areas of the South. If they refused to pray for Abraham Lincoln, Northern troops were to close the church and turn it over to Northern denominations. After the war soldiers were posed at military cemeteries to prevent Southern women from putting flowers on the graves of their deceased husbands, fathers, sons and brothers.[7]
In Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, states that permitted slavery but which remained in the Union, Northern troops fired on pro-Southern demonstrators, dispersed legislatures, expelled elected officials, conducted large-scale deportations of suspected potentially disloyal groups, and otherwise demonstrated little respect for constitutional rights or liberties during the course of the war.[7]
Reconstruction era
After the war, during the Reconstruction era, initiatives such as the Southern Homestead Act, Sherman's field orders, and Reconstruction-era legislation aimed to strip the land, assets, and voting rights of Southerners believed to have supported the Confederates during the war. The Reconstruction laws of 1867 disenfranchised the majority of Southern White voters as they could not take the Ironclad oath, which required they had never served in Confederate armed forces or held any political office under the state or Confederate governments.
According to an earlier common and less politically correct view, the Reconstruction era was a tragic era during which vindictive and radical victors imposed harsh military rule on a vanquished South and supported corrupt state governments dominated by unscrupulous carpetbaggers (pro-reconstruction Southerners), scalawags (pro-reconstruction Northerners in the South), and uneducated Black freedmen. More recent and politically correct views dispute this.
By 1877, reports of failures of the reconstruction policies had reduced Northern support and the Northern troops had been removed from the capitals of the Southern states.
Gradually, payment of a poll tax, passing of a literacy test, and/or other requirements were implemented in many Southern states. This effectively barred most Blacks and many poor Whites from voting and other forms of government participation. Segregation was implemented. Such measures ended in association with the civil rights movement.
Argued anti-Southern tariffs and associated economic exploitation of the South, argued to be among the primary causes of the war as described earlier, were continued for almost eighty years after the war.[7]
Confederate monuments and symbols
Regardless of the causes of the war, as today support for any "White supremacist" pro-slavery view is nonexistent, those who today display and support Confederate symbols are not expressing support for any "White supremacist" pro-slavery view. They may do so for varying reasons, such as support for the South and/or more generally as a protest against political correctness and related recent societal developments.
Criticisms/attacks on monuments/symbols are not limited to Confederate monuments/symbols. For example, monuments to Christopher Columbus are also criticized/attacked and have been vandalized as supposed symbols of "White supremacy". Even statuses of non-Whites with less politically correct views on some issues may be attacked, as has happened for Mahatma Gandhi.
All men are created equal
The New Colossus
Confederate Monuments Stand For White Heritage And Pride, Not States' Rights Or History
Why Did The Southern States Secede From The Union?
The 10 Causes of the War Between the States
American Renaissance: Southern Heritage
Codoh: US History: Civil War
↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Union: Worth a War? https://codoh.com/library/document/2817/
↑ Selected Statistics on Slavery in the United States http://www.civilwarcauses.org/stat.htm
↑ Of inmates and families http://www.legalgenealogist.com/2014/08/19/of-inmates-and-families/
↑ 4.0 4.1 Race and the South https://www.amren.com/news/2019/08/race-and-the-south-civil-war-history-slavery/
↑ Southern History Series: The Genetic Basis of Southern Identity http://www.occidentaldissent.com/2019/05/17/southern-history-series-the-genetic-basis-of-southern-identity/
↑ 'Long May the Battle Flag Wave' http://codoh.com/library/document/2587/
↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 Shattering the Icon of Abraham Lincoln http://codoh.com/library/document/2163/?lang=en
↑ No, Lincoln Could Not Have 'Bought the Slaves' https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/no-lincoln-could-not-have-bought-the-slaves/277073/
↑ Fun with Slavery: Dark Spots in a Shining Sea of Twaddle https://www.amren.com/commentary/2017/07/slavery-haiti-uprising-civil-war/
↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Shades of Gray in a Dark History, A Review http://codoh.com/library/document/1701
↑ The 'Reparations' Hoax https://www.amren.com/news/2018/12/reparations-slavery-american-history/
↑ Slavery in the New World https://www.amren.com/news/2017/10/slavery-david-brion-davis-inhuman-bondage/
↑ 'The end of slavery led to hunger and death for millions of black Americans': Extraordinary claims in new book http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2160484/The-end-slavery-led-hunger-death-millions-black-Americans-Extraordinary-claims-new-book.html
↑ 14.0 14.1 150 Years of Misunderstanding the Civil War https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/150-years-of-misunderstanding-the-civil-war/277022/
↑ Second-guessing history: Was the Civil War necessary? .http://www.broadstreetreview.com/editors-corner/was_the_civil_war_necessary
↑ The Lincoln-Douglas Debates 4th Debate Part I http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/the-lincoln-douglas-debates-4th-debate-part-i/
↑ Abraham Lincoln and the Problem of Slavery https://www.amren.com/news/2011/02/abraham_lincoln/
↑ The "Great Emancipator" and the Issue of Race https://codoh.com/library/document/2451/?lang=en
↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 The Civil War Concentration Camps http://codoh.com/library/document/1987/
↑ 20.0 20.1 The True Story of Andersonville Prison https://codoh.com/library/document/3112/?lang=en
↑ Jewish Confederates http://www.occidentaldissent.com/2013/06/05/jewish-confederates/
↑ Bicausalism Type B http://www.occidentaldissent.com/2013/05/26/bicausalism-type-b/
↑ Why Has Judah Benjamin's Monument Not Been Removed? https://altright.com/2017/05/23/why-has-judah-benjamins-monument-not-been-removed/
↑ Judah P. Benjamin Memorial, Charlotte http://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/883/
↑ Judah P. Benjamin Memorial http://www.flpublicarchaeology.org/civilwar/monuments/ellenton/judah-p.-benjamin-memorial/memorial-plaque.jpg.php
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text:
Lastuvka's off as bankers prepare to move in
WEST HAM are set to move into a new era with chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson set to be removed from his position as early as this week. The club is set to be taken over by the debt-ridden businessman s creditors, with Icelandic bank Straumur in talks to p
WEST HAM are set to move into a new era with chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson set to be removed from his position as early as this week.
The club is set to be taken over by the debt-ridden businessman's creditors, with Icelandic bank Straumur in talks to put their men in charge of the Premier League outfit.
The deal should bring a period of stability to Upton Park, but with no new buyers in the offing because of the credit crunch, West Ham are likely to need to sell players if they want to bring some in.
Manager Gianfranco Zola suggested on Sunday that he had not made any decisions about the futures of some of his players, but it now seems that his plans are beginning to be put into place.
Lee Bowyer, Kyel Reid, Walter Lopez and almost certainly Calum Davenport are set to leave.
Goalkeeper Jan Last-uvka has already revealed that West Ham are not prepared to shell out in the region of �2.6million to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk.
He said: "Zola said that he would have liked to have me in his squad next season, but the club cannot afford to pay me so much.
"I will not comment on the fee, but it is very high considering I basically didn't play all year."
It seems that Zola may be all sweetness and light on the surface, but behind the scenes, he can be ruthless.
Expect more to come, with the futures of Diego Tristan and David Di Michele to be decided shortly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Second-placed team in the La Liga in Sevilla will be looking to gain some more points as they taken on Leganes on Sunday. Sevilla are having a fantastic season this time out. The team has been winning important games and showcasing why they can compete with the best. Coach Pablo Machin has to be given some credit for whatever he has done with the club and it proves that he has always had the best interest for the club in his heart. He has some really good players in Andre Silva, Wissam Ben Yedder and Ever Banega. All the side has to now be consistent and winning games.
Meanwhile, Leganes are doing just enough to survive in the La Liga. They are undefeated in the last six games, and that has helped them get some crucial points which are going to help them in the long run. The team does have a lot of character and doesn't back down from a fight. If all goes well for the club, it will see them finishing near the mid-table which will be a tremendous achievement for them.
This match is to be played at Butarque, Madrid, Spain. The ground has a capacity of 12,450.
Where to watch Sevilla FC vs Leganes FC live?
The clash will take place at 8:45 PM (IST) on December 23rd, 2018 and can be streamed live on Hotstar.
Franco Vazquez has served his ban and he will be returning to the starting lineup.
Maxime Gonalons, Simon Kjaer, Ever Banega and Pablo Sarabia are the only absentees for the team.
Tomas Vaclik will be the goalkeeper for Sevilla FC.
Allan Nyon and Ruben Perez will be coming back to the starting XI as the duo are free to play football after being suspended.
Alenxader Szymanowski, Ezequiel Munoz and Michael Santos are sidelined for Leganes FC.
Ivan Cuellar will be the safety net for the backline.
The Leganes FC Forward is having a decent season till now with the club and he will be looking to do more of the same. Till now, he has scored five goals in this campaign.
The Portuguese striker has been in the form of his life this season. He has already scored nine goals this season and he will be looking to add more to his tally.
Sevilla FC have been going strong this season and we don't see them losing out here at all.


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SASKTEL CENTRE TO BECOME FULLY SMOKE-FREE VENUE
SaskTel Centre to Discontinue Designated Smoking Areas in Effect Saturday, September 22.
Saskatoon, SK. Tuesday, September 18, 2018 -- SaskTel Centre announced today that the venue will become fully smoke-free with the removal of all current designated smoking areas. The new policy takes effect Saturday, September 22 and will be in place for all events, including Saskatoon Blades, Saskatchewan Rush and Saskatchewan Rattlers games, and concerts. The first event to be impacted by the prohibition on smoking will be Saskatoon Blades home opener on Saturday, September 22.
SaskTel Centre is committed to providing our guests and our employees the safest and most secure environment and we are consistently reviewing our policies and processes to that end. In alignment with the current SaskTel Centre no re-entry policy, guests will no longer be permitted to exit the venue to smoke, once the doors of the building are open to the public. Both smoking and vaping will be strictly prohibited in all areas, including all public outdoor spaces. There will be no designated smoking areas.
"Our commitment has always been to provide the safest and most enjoyable fan experience and we feel that making SaskTel Centre a smoke-free venue is a necessary part of that commitment," said SaskTel Centre CEO Will Lofdahl.
In keeping with our commitment to safety and security and as a result of a comprehensive review of best practices in the arena industry, SaskTel Centre now joins the growing majority of professional venues that no longer allow smoking in any capacity.
Any questions or concerns can be directed to SaskTel Centre management, by contacting 306-975-3151 or 306-975-8157.
ELTON JOHN CONCERTS
Monday, October 1, 2019 and Tuesday, October 2, 2019
The ELTON JOHN concerts this Monday & Tuesday October 1 & 2 at SaskTel Centre will have will have a capacity crowd of over 12,000 fans in attendance at each performance and SaskTel Centre recommends the following to the fans attending this concert:
COME EARLY
Doors open at 6:30 pm and the Concert start time is 8:00 pm for each performance – Come Early as there is no Opening Act!
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS OF THE POLICE AND PARKING ATTENDANTS.
Following their instructions will provide faster / safer entry and exit from the venue.
TAKE THE BUS – Yellow School Busses
Special Shuttle buses are available from the following locations. A $5.00 round trip fee applies for this service, except from the downtown Bus Mall where regular fares apply.
** Lawson Heights Mall – 134 Primrose Drive (pick-up on Primrose Drive)
Buses depart at 6:15 pm with continuous service and last bus departing at 7:40pm
** The Centre Mall – Circle and 8th Street (pick-up in Co-op Parking Lot, N.W.Corner near Co-op Gas Bar)
** Market Mall – 2325 Preston Avenue (pick-up on Preston Avenue)
** Confederation Mall – 300 Confederation Drive (pick-up North end, Safeway Parking Lot)
Saskatoon Transit Services
** Downtown Bus Mall (Bay Condominiums on 23rd Street at 2nd Avenue – Facing West) Buses depart at 5:45 pm; service every 15 minutes till 6:45pm, regular fares applies.
** Special Needs Transportation
Is available through regular booking procedures.
Travel with friends in one vehicle.
FUTURE OF SASKATOON ASSEMBLY FACILITIES STUDY
SaskTel Centre and TCU Place jointly commissioned a study in 2017 to determine the need for new and/or expanded assembly facilities in Saskatoon. The scope of work involved:
Analysis of historical business data
Stakeholder consultations - internal and external
Site tours and assessment of both venues
Competitive scan - Saskatoon Region
Comparative scan - North American cities similar to Saskatoon
The study was prepared by an integrated consulting team of leading market analysts and facility planners: Convergence Design, HLT Advisory, and Conventional Wisdom.
The complete study is available here as well as a summary of key findings, consultant's presentation to City Council and media release.
LEARN MORE >BUY TICKETS >
Feb 15 & 16
RAM Motorsports Spectacular
JOJO SIWA D.R.E.A.M. The Tour


Ultralight Boatbuilding by Thomas J. Hill is International Marine/McGraw Hill's all time number one best selling book. This book has over 140 photographs and illustrations showing how to build canoes and skiffs using the Ultralight Glued Plywood Lapstrake Construction Methods.
This book is considered to be the "Bible" of Plywood Lapstrake methodology and is currently in its 20th edition.


text:
The 604th Special Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force squadron It was last active at Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, where it was inactivated in September 1970.

The squadron was first activated in the spring of 1944 as the 4th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron, although it was soon redesignated the 4th Fighter Squadron (Commando).  It moved to the Pacific in the fall of 1944 and earned a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation for combat in the Philippines.  After the surrender of Japan, it served in the occupation forces until being inactivated in March 1946.

The squadron was active briefly as the 604th Fighter Squadron, Commando from 1963 to 1964 in a build-up of Air Force counterinsurgency units in a period of increased American involvement in Southeast Asia.  It was activated again as the 604th Air Commando Squadron, Fighter in 1967 to test the combat capability of the Cessna A-37A Dragonfly and moved to Vietnam where it engaged in combat until 1970, when it was inactivated as the Air Force began to withdraw forces from the country.  The squadron was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations, an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device and three Vietnamese Gallantry Crossed with Palm for its actions during the war.

History

World War II

The squadron was first activated at Drane Field in the spring of 1944 as the 4th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron, one of the original squadrons of the 3d Air Commando Group.  After training in Florida until October, the squadron shipped overseas to the Philippines as the 4th Fighter Squadron, Commando.  Under Fifth Air Force, it attacked Japanese airfields, railways and other targets in the Philippines and Taiwan and supported ground forces in the Philippines.  The unit flew escort missions for attacks on Taiwan and the Chinese coast and provided top cover for ship convoys.  For its actions in the liberation of the Philippines the squadron was awarded a Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation.

In August 1945 the squadron moved to Ie Shima and flew a few patrols over Japan before the surrender of Japan.  It moved to Chitose Airfield and served with the occupation forces until inactivating in March 1946. The squadron was disbanded in October 1948 while inactive.

Vietnam War
The squadron was activated again at Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Airfield#9 (Hurlburt Field), Florida on 1 July 1963 as the 604th Fighter Squadron, Commando. Its parent, the 1st Air Commando Wing was in the process of expanding from a group in response to the United States Air Force's expansion of special operations forces in the face of insurgencies in Southeast Asia. The squadron was inactivated in November 1964.

The 604th was redesignated the 604th Air Commando Squadron, Fighter and activated again at England Air Force Base, Louisiana in January 1967. The squadron was equipped with the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, testing the plane's suitability for combat in project Combat Dragon.  This project had been inspired by the dwindling availability of Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, which had been performing the special operations attack mission. After training until July, the squadron moved to Bien Hoa Air Base to continue testing the A-37 in combat. Although initially assigned to the 14th Air Commando Wing the unit was operationally part of the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing while stationed in Vietnam.

At Bien Hoa, the squadron was nicknamed the "Mattel Marauders" by the pilots of the 3d wing's larger North American F-100 Super Sabre pilots. The squadron flew its first combat mission on 15 August 1967, only three months after receiving its first A-37. The slower speed at which the Dragonfly delivered its ordnance gave it improved accuracy and its small size made it a more difficult target for enemy antiaircraft defenses. The test of the A-37A ended in December 1967. In addition to close air support, the squadron flew forward air control missions during the test. Once the test was complete, the unit continued to engage in combat, later flying the improved A-37B. until being inactivated on 30 September 1970 as the Air Force discontinued its combat units at Bien Hoa in preparation to transfer the base to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force.

Lineage
 Constituted as the 4th Fighter Reconnaissance Squadron on 25 April 1944
 Activated on 1 May 1944
 Redesignated 4th Fighter Squadron, Commando on 2 June 1944
 Inactivated on 25 March 1946
 Disbanded on 8 October 1948
 Reconstituted, redesignated 604th Fighter Squadron, Commando and activated on 15 April 1963 (not organized)
 Organized on 1 July 1963
 Discontinued and inactivated on 8 November 1964
 Redesignated 604th Air Commando Squadron, Fighter on 16 January 1967 and activated (not organized)
 Organized on 25 January 1967
 Redesignated 604th Special Operations Squadron on 1 August 1968
 Inactivated on 30 September 1970

Assignments
 3d Air Commando Group: 1 May 1944 – 25 March 1946
 Tactical Air Command: 15 April 1963 (not organized)
 1st Air Commando Wing: 1 July 1963 – 8 November 1964
 Tactical Air Command: 16 January 1967 (not organized)
 United States Air Force Tactical Fighter Weapons Center, 25 January 1967
 14th Air Commando Wing: 15 November 1967 (attached to 3d Tactical Fighter Wing)
 3d Tactical Fighter Wing: March 1970 – 30 September 1970

Stations
 Drane Field, Florida, 1 May 1944
 Alachua Army Air Field, Florida, 21 August 1944
 Drew Field, Florida, 6 October 1944 – 27 October 1944
 Leyte, Philippines 5 January 1945
 Mangaldan, Luzon, Philippines, 26 January 1945
 Laoag, Luzon, Philippines, 15 April 1945
 Ie Shima, Ryukyu Islands, 9 August 1945
 Chitose Airfield, Japan. 27 October 1945 – 25 March 1946
 Eglin Air Force Base Auxiliary Airfield No. 9, Florida, 1 July 1963 – 8 November 1964
 England Air Force Base, Louisiana, 25 January 1967
 Bien Hoa Air Base, Vietnam, 28 July 1967 – 30 September 1970

Aircraft
 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, 1944
 North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1946
 Unknown, 1963–1964 (probably Douglas A-1 Skyraider or North American AT-28 Trojan)
 Cessna A-37A Dragonfly, 1967–1970

Awards and campaigns

See also
 List of Douglas A-1 Skyraider operators
 List of United States Air Force fighter squadrons
 List of United States Air Force special operations squadrons

References

Notes

Bibliography

 AF Pamphlet 900-2, Unit Decorations, Awards and Campaign Participation Credits, Vol II Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC, 30 September 1976

External links

Special operations squadrons of the United States Air Force

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


None of us ever has an original idea. Everything we know and think of ultimately comes from what we see, what we read, and what we hear. So what better way is there to get new ideas than to go out and engage with more people, more sources of information?
Small businesses around the world say that "word of mouth" is the most effective marketing tool out there. A study by Infusionsoft tells us that 62 percent cited it as their best marketing tactic—almost two times as effective as email, which was ranked as number two at 34 percent.
Professional conventions and conferences are a good platform to get trained, interact with people, and learn new ways of conducting businesses. Managers can greatly benefit by attending professional conventions and conferences.
The art of starting a conversation is one that we rarely make a conscious effort to improve upon. It's one of those skills that most people just get good at through constant repetition, or end up being one of those folks who always need a good wing-man (or woman) to make new introductions and get conversations flowing.
Online networking has become a focal point for small businesses, but don't be so quick to discount the importance of good-old-fashioned handshakes, conversation, and business cards.
Because of my passion for networking—doing it, talking about it, teaching it, coaching it—I have lots of opportunities to chat with various people about how they view this important professional skill and how they go about growing their networks.


text:
Exploring Online Pedagogical Practices for Enhancing Transfer of Learning in Higher Education
Tamara Galoyan, Kristen Betts, Brian Delaney, Mariette Fourie
Institutions of higher education play a critical role in bridging academia and workforce, yet college students find it challenging to transfer their learning across and beyond instructional formats, including online, hybrid, and face-to-face. The goals of this exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study were to (1) explore graduate students' conceptualizations of transfer, and (2) examine online pedagogical practices for enhancing transfer. Participants included students enrolled in a full-time online graduate degree program in education at a private university in the Mid-Atlantic USA. Findings from the qualitative phase with seven semi-structured interviews were used to design a survey study with 68 graduate students to explore their perceptions of effective online pedagogical practices for enhancing transfer. This study is significant since its findings revealed a number of online practices that instructional designers and faculty can use to optimize learning and transfer in higher education.
transfer of learning; online learning; higher education; pedagogical practices
Betts, K., Delaney, B., Galoyan, T., Lynch, B. (in press). Historical Overview of Online Education from 1700s to 2021 in the United States. Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice.
Battig, W. F. (1979). The flexibility of human memory. Levels of processing and human memory, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ, 23-44.
Beach, K. (1999). Chapter 4: Consequential transitions: A sociocultural expedition beyond transfer in education. Review of Research in Education, 24(1), 101-139.
Bransford, J. D., & Schwartz, D. L. (1999). Chapter 3: Rethinking transfer: A simple proposal with multiple implications. Review of Research in Education, 24(1), 61-100.
Corbin, J. S., & Strauss, A. A. 2008. Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, 3.
Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage publications.
Daffron, S. R., & North, M. W. (2011). Successful transfer of learning. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Company.
Detterman, D. K., & Sternberg, R. J. (1993). Transfer on trial: Intelligence, cognition, and instruction. Ablex Publishing.
Downs, L. R. (2019). Addressing the skills gap and new opportunities in higher ed. WCET Frontiers.
https://wcetfrontiers.org/2019/05/31/wes-poised-skills-gap-with-partner-schools/
Galoyan, T. & Betts, K. (2021). Integrative Transfer of Learning Model and Implications for Higher Education. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/07377363.2020.1847970
Education Advisory Board (2018, March 5). Students think they are ready for the workforce. Employees disagree. EAB. https://www.eab.com/daily-briefing/2018/03/05/students think-theyre-ready-for-the workforce
Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.
Gagne´, R. M. (1968). Contributions of learning to human development. Psychological Review, 75(3), 177.
Hora, M. T. (2017, February 01). Beyond the skills gap. NACE.
http://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/trends-and-predictions/beyond-the-skills-gap/
Johnson, R. B., Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Turner, L. A. (2007). Toward a definition of mixed methods research. Journal of mixed methods research, 1(2), 112-133.
Kubsch, M., Touitou, I., Nordine, J., Fortus, D., Neumann, K., & Krajcik, J. (2020). Transferring knowledge in a knowledge-in-use task—investigating the role of knowledge organization. Education Sciences (10) 20.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge university press.
Leberman, S., McDonald, L., & Doyle, S. (2006). The transfer of learning: Participants' perspectives of adult education and training. Gower Publishing, Ltd.
Lobato, J. (2003). How Design Experiments Can Inform a Rethinking of Transfer and Vice Versa. Educational Researcher, 32(1), 17-20.
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., Huberman, M. A., & Huberman, M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook. Sage.
National Research Council. (2012). Education for life and work: Developing transferable knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills, J.W. Pellegrino and M.L. Hilton, Editors. Board on Testing and Assessment and Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (2018). The future of education and skills: Education 2030. OECD Education Working Papers.
Perkins, D. N., & Salomon, G. (2012). Knowledge to go: A motivational and dispositional view of transfer. Educational Psychologist, 47(3), 248-258.
Royer, J. M., Mestre, J. P., & Dufresne, R. J. (2005). Introduction: Framing the transfer problem. In J. P., Mestre (Ed.). Transfer of Learning from a modern multidisciplinary Perspective, vii-xxvi.
Saldaña, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Sage.
Scribner, S., Cole, M., & Cole, M. (1981). The psychology of literacy (Vol. 198, No. 1). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Selingo, J. (2018, June 22). Hands-on learning is a necessary part of college, but here's what it doesn't teach students. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2018/06/22/hands-on-learning-is a-necessary-part-of-college-but-heres-what-it-doesnt-tea students/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.fd014c78b9f7
Schunk, D. H. (1991). Self-efficacy and academic motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(3 4), 207-231.
Thorndike, E. L., & Woodworth, R. S. (1901). The influence of improvement in one mental function upon the efficiency of other functions. II. The estimation of magnitudes. Psychological Review, 8(4), 384
Thorndike, E. L. (1924). Mental Discipline in High School Studies. Journal of Educational Psychology, 15(1), 1
Wyman, N. (2018, August 3). Hiring Is on The Rise, But Are College Grads Prepared For The World Of Work? Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholaswyman/2018/08/03/hiring-is-on-the-rise-but-are-college-grads-prepared-for-the-world-of-work/#7f0de7a74e7e
Quality Matters & Eduventures Research (2021). CHLOE 6: Online Learning Leaders Adapt for a Post-Pandemic World. https://encoura.org/project/chloe-6/
Copyright (c) 2021 Tamara Galoyan, Kristen Betts, Brian Delaney, Mariette Fourie


The Lyceum has been a gathering place full of life and activity for more than a century. Purchased and renovated by the Melville Charitable Trust in 2003 and opened in 2004, it now houses meeting space available to the community and to agencies concerned with safe, affordable housing issues in Connecticut.
The Partnership for Strong Communities' offices are located on the first floor of the Lyceum in a dynamic, open-air space. The building is also home to Gallo & Robinson, LLC and the offices of Billings Forge Community Works.
The Lyceum is the premier location in Central Connecticut for board meetings, trainings, seminars and events. The gracious rooms, sweeping brick curves, and inspiring architecture create a pleasing atmosphere.
The airy, light-filled spaces are within walking distance to state office buildings and the Capitol. The historic brick building has ample parking and is appropriate for a wide range of functions.
Visit www.lyceumcenter.org to book your meeting at the Lyceum.
Healthcare and housing. Two complex systems. But what if you were to take these two and put them together to prevent, or even solve, health-related issues? It could have game-changing ramifications.
April IForum highlights best practices for ending family homelessness and opportunities for cross-system collaboration.
Join us for a conversation focused on integrating healthcare and housing as we explore innovations happening around the country and what that might mean for Connecticut.
This IForum will explore a collaborative approach that crosses multiple systems to ensure that the needs of the entire family are addressed.


text:
→'Candyman' Upended at PVOD #1 by Reduced Price 'F9' and New Release 'Escape Room 2'
'Candyman' Upended at PVOD #1 by Reduced Price 'F9' and New Release 'Escape Room 2'
As theaters await "Venom: Let There Be Carnage" (Paramount) and "No Time to Die" (United Artists) over the next two weeks, home viewing options are similarly on the rise.
"Free Guy" (Disney), honoring a 45-day window, debuts on Premium VOD September 28.
Friday sees two theatrical openers: "Addams Family 2" (United Artists) and "The Many Saints of Newark" (Warner Bros.), also available at home.That left a more routine week on the charts we follow, although some recent releases got attention as they made their first appearances.
But price reductions, led by "F9" (Universal), were also important.The latest entry in the "Fast" series, which opened in domestic theaters in early June, and then at $19.99 on PVOD in late July, just had its price cut to $5.99 (consistent with the timing of past Universal moves).
The just-released director's cut remains at the higher price.
The result is a return to #1 at
The Many Saints of Newark


text:
Веселин Боянов Панайотов е български сценарист.

Биография
Роден е в село Дичин на 8 май 1932 г. Завършва през 1956 г. Софийският университет с право. На следващата година заедно с Владимир Костов създават в. "Средношколско знаме". През 1965 г. става редактор на сп. "Младеж". По-късно е директор на Българския културен център в Сирия. В периода 1975 – 1976 г. преминава едногодишен курс в Сорбоната по съвременна френска литература. Пише редица романи като "Бандата търси Африка", "На чисто", "Детето, което ни принадлежи", "Забранено за възрастни".

Филмография
 Забранено за възрастни (1987)
 Пътешествие (1980)
 На чисто (1974)

Източници

Външни препратки
 Профил в IMDB

Български сценаристи


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I N J U L Y 2 0 1 6 , California's Attorney General's Office announced a $168.5 million settlement with K12 Inc., a for- profit online charter school operator accused of violating California's false claims, false advertising and unfair com- petition laws. e deal came three months after the San Jose Mercury News published a two-part investigation of K12, which received more than $310 million in state funding over the past 12 years operating virtual schools for thou- sands of students. This June, CTA honored Jessica Calefati, author of the investigative stories, with a prestigious John Swett Award for Media Excellence. She was one of 21 winners in the 58th annual CTA awards contest, chosen by an independent panel of media professionals and retired college journalism professors. e awards honored individuals, publications, websites, and television and radio stations for outstanding achievements in reporting and interpreting public educa- tion issues during 2016. "This year's winners clearly care about telling the vital story of public education in California," said CTA Presi- dent Eric Heins at the awards reception at the June State Council meeting in Los Angeles. " With skill, compassion and creativity, these journalists showed the triumphs and struggles that educators celebrate or overcome in their schools across the state. Their outstanding media work deserves this special recognition." e award is named in honor of the founder of CTA, who was California's fourth superintendent of public instruction and a crusader for public education. Links to the award- winning stories are at bit.ly/2tzaEo9. Telling the Vital Stories Richard Bammer from the Vacaville Reporter won for weekly columns on vital education issues. Mellisa Paul of KXTV ABC 10 (Sacramento) accepts award for " Teacher of the Month" series. The San Francisco Chronicle's Nanette Asimov holds her awards for news and feature stories, with (from left) CTA President Eric Heins, VP Theresa Montaño, NEA President Lily Eskelsen García, CTA's Dixie Johansen and Mona Davidson, and Secretary-Treasurer David Goldberg. CTA honors California education reporting with 21 John Swett Awards Story and photos by Mike Myslinski 64 cta.org S W E T T A W A R D S CTA & You
http://bit.ly/2tzaEo9


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Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam
G. R. M. Robb, R. Bonifacio
Current models of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics neglect the discreteness of electron recoil associated with photon emission. We present a novel, one-dimensional model of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics in an undulator both in the classical regime where discrete electron recoil is negligible, and in the quantum regime where it is significant. It is shown that in the classical regime, continuous decrease of the average electron energy and diffusive growth of the electron energy spread occurs, in agreement with previous classical models. In the quantum regime, it is shown that the evolution of the electron momentum distribution occurs as discrete momentum groups according to a Poisson distribution. The narrow momentum features of the quantum regime may be useful for generation of coherent radiation, which relies on electron beams having sufficiently narrow momentum/energy distributions.
EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics
https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/94/34002
electron beam
10.1209/0295-5075/94/34002
Robb, G. R. M., & Bonifacio, R. (2011). Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam. EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics, 94(3), [34002]. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/94/34002
Robb, G. R. M. ; Bonifacio, R. / Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam. In: EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics. 2011 ; Vol. 94, No. 3.
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title = "Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam",
abstract = "Current models of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics neglect the discreteness of electron recoil associated with photon emission. We present a novel, one-dimensional model of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics in an undulator both in the classical regime where discrete electron recoil is negligible, and in the quantum regime where it is significant. It is shown that in the classical regime, continuous decrease of the average electron energy and diffusive growth of the electron energy spread occurs, in agreement with previous classical models. In the quantum regime, it is shown that the evolution of the electron momentum distribution occurs as discrete momentum groups according to a Poisson distribution. The narrow momentum features of the quantum regime may be useful for generation of coherent radiation, which relies on electron beams having sufficiently narrow momentum/energy distributions.",
keywords = "lasers, electron beam",
author = "Robb, {G. R. M.} and R. Bonifacio",
doi = "10.1209/0295-5075/94/34002",
journal = "EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics",
Robb, GRM & Bonifacio, R 2011, 'Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam', EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics, vol. 94, no. 3, 34002. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/94/34002
Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam. / Robb, G. R. M.; Bonifacio, R.
In: EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics, Vol. 94, No. 3, 34002, 05.2011.
T1 - Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam
AU - Robb, G. R. M.
AU - Bonifacio, R.
N2 - Current models of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics neglect the discreteness of electron recoil associated with photon emission. We present a novel, one-dimensional model of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics in an undulator both in the classical regime where discrete electron recoil is negligible, and in the quantum regime where it is significant. It is shown that in the classical regime, continuous decrease of the average electron energy and diffusive growth of the electron energy spread occurs, in agreement with previous classical models. In the quantum regime, it is shown that the evolution of the electron momentum distribution occurs as discrete momentum groups according to a Poisson distribution. The narrow momentum features of the quantum regime may be useful for generation of coherent radiation, which relies on electron beams having sufficiently narrow momentum/energy distributions.
AB - Current models of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics neglect the discreteness of electron recoil associated with photon emission. We present a novel, one-dimensional model of the effect of spontaneous emission on the electron beam dynamics in an undulator both in the classical regime where discrete electron recoil is negligible, and in the quantum regime where it is significant. It is shown that in the classical regime, continuous decrease of the average electron energy and diffusive growth of the electron energy spread occurs, in agreement with previous classical models. In the quantum regime, it is shown that the evolution of the electron momentum distribution occurs as discrete momentum groups according to a Poisson distribution. The narrow momentum features of the quantum regime may be useful for generation of coherent radiation, which relies on electron beams having sufficiently narrow momentum/energy distributions.
KW - lasers
KW - electron beam
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Robb GRM, Bonifacio R. Quantum effects in spontaneous emission by a relativistic, undulating electron beam. EPL: A Letters Journal Exploring the Frontiers of Physics. 2011 May;94(3). 34002. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/94/34002


text:
Q: how to calculate the value of a value with x in a graph and equation? How could you calculate the value of y = [10 30 60], in the graph to obtain its value of x, some reference of how to apply a code?
 x = [63 50 38 26.5 19 13.2 9.5 4.75 2.36 1.18 0.6 0.3 0.15 0.01];
 y = [100 100 92 18 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0];
 z=max (x);
 l=min (x);
 xq1 = -l:0.5:z;
 p = pchip(x,y,xq1);
 semilogx(x,y,'ob',xq1,p,'-r');
 hold on
 grid on;
 xlim([0.01 100])
 ylim([0 100])
 legend('Curva','Linea')

Example:

A: so If I get it right you want x = f(y) for some x ordered descending polyline?

*

*find line segment that covers your y
simply loop through all line segments and find all that complies one of these:
 y[i]<= y < y[i-1]
 y[i]>= y > y[i-1]

*interpolate the x position
for simplest use linear interpolation:
 x = x[i] + (x[i-1]-x[i])*(y-y[i])/(y[i-1]-y[i])

If you need use higher degree interpolations ...
so for example let y=10 then i=4 because:
1 < 10 < 18

so:
x = x[i] + (x[i-1]-x[i])*(y-y[i])/(y[i-1]-y[i])
x =  19  + ( 26.5 - 19 )*(10- 1 )/(  18  -  1 )
x =  19  +  7.5*9/17
x =  19  +  3.9705882352941176470588235294118
x =  22.970588235294117647058823529412

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


A honeymoon is the cherry on top of an amazing wedding day—and it's often what couples look forward to after a long period of stressful wedding planning. Many couples are so ready for the honeymoon that they even choose to leave straight from the reception to begin their relaxation right away.
Unfortunately, not all of us have the luxury of being able to take a honeymoon immediately following our wedding. Whether you can't take any additional time off at work, you have young children at home, or you just don't have anything left in your wedding budget, sometimes a proper honeymoon (complete with mai tais and a private spa session for two) just has to wait.
Waiting for a honeymoon can be a big bummer, but it doesn't mean that you have to go back to reality right away. There are plenty of romantic (and cheap) honeymoon options to choose from that don't involve expensive plane tickets or traveling too far from home.
Here are six honeymoon alternatives to consider that will fit most any budget—because you definitely deserve some alone time before you head back to work!
Don't have the time or the money to fly somewhere on your honeymoon? Schedule a good old-fashioned road trip instead! Is there a place you've always wanted to check out that's within four or five hours of home? Or is there a spot that the two of you love to visit on long weekends?
Wherever you decide to go, this is your opportunity to get some much-needed time to relax and spend your first few days as a married couple alone. To make your honeymoon road trip feel a little more special, make a killer Spotify playlist, get the premium snacks, and don't forget to take plenty of pictures!
One of the things couples like to do while honeymooning is to visit a spa for a romantic couples massage. But just because you're not going anywhere on a honeymoon doesn't mean that you have to skip the couples massage!
Reach out to your friends and family for suggestions on who to book for your in-home massage, and schedule the appointment a day or two after the wedding. Of course it would be great to get a massage while you're soaking up the sun in Bali, but an in-home massage can be just as romantic—and maybe even a bit more intimate.
Part of the fun of a honeymoon is staying at quaint little places that pull out all the stops for a honeymooning couple—but you don't actually have to leave town to get that same romantic honeymoon experience. Look into booking a bed and breakfast in town (or nearby) that offers packages for newlyweds like breakfast in bed, rose petals on the bed, or an in-room Jacuzzi tub.
Spending a couple of days away from home in a couple of warm, fuzzy robes will be just the ticket to easing your way back into reality after the wedding.
You may think you know your city, but have you ever looked at it through the eyes of a visitor? Depending on the size of your city, there may be a lot of things that you haven't had time to explore. Take this opportunity to visit that museum that you've always meant to go to, or see a movie at the drive-in theater downtown that always looked fun. If you live in a small or rural area, venture out to the nearest big city and see what kind of adventures you can get yourself into. You'd be surprised at what you can discover on a day trip!
If you and your new spouse love the great outdoors and already have all the gear, a quick camping trip is a great alternative to a traditional honeymoon. What better way to celebrate a new marriage than to be completely immersed in nature—and each other—before you have to go back to work?
When you plan your camping trip, pack a few little extras to make it more romantic like a bottle of champagne on ice or a pre-prepared meal that's a little fancier than your typical hot dogs and s'mores. Also, don't forget to pack your selfie stick or find a tree nearby to steady your phone for a timed picture—you'll definitely want to take a few pictures of your first moments as a married couple.
If you don't have time to get away for a quick road trip and you're not an outdoor enthusiast, one of the most romantic things you can do together after the wedding is to cook and share a fancy dinner together at home. Whether you've lived together for years or this is the first time you've stayed the night together, cooking a nice meal together is a fun way to celebrate your new marriage in your home.
So grab your nicest bottle of wine and look up Ina Garten's fanciest recipe—and don't be afraid to go to the good grocery store for ingredients.


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Digital (MP3)
Holy Blood - Glory To The Heroes [EP] (CD)	1 x $7.77
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Metal Missionaries – Documentary (DVD)
Category DVDs Tags Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Brutal Death Metal, Christian Metal Underground Records, Death Metal, Deathcore, dvd, Goregrind, Grindcore, Symphonic Black Metal, Vision Of God Records
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the long awaited and award winning documentary by director and metal aficionado, Bruce Moore. Featuring: A Hill To Die Upon, Antidemon, Blood Thirsty, BoughtXBlood, Church Underground, Dawn Of Ashes, Exhortation, Faith Head, Frost Like Ashes, Goatwhore, Grave Robber, Lord, Necronomicon, Nordjeval, Samael, The Protest, True Liberty, Vials Of Wrath, and Whitnoize.
Metal Missionaries brings you into conversations with some of Christian music's most extreme artists so you can get a firsthand feel for the scene and answer some questions or doubts for yourself.
This film is the first full-length documentary about the extreme Christian Metal scene. You'll see that although their music may be aggressive and they may not "look like Christians", their hearts burst with the Holy Spirit. They don't need a label or a collar to know who they are; they are missionaries who take their faith not into the deepest reaches of the jungle but into dim, dirty rock clubs and dusty music festivals night after night to wash the crowds clad in black t-shirts and denim in a sonic flood of God's unfailing love for them.
The genre of Christian heavy metal is no longer characterized by Stryper's trademark yellow-and-black spandex. Instead, it's found on the stages of the wildly popular Warped Tour, it's featured in the pages of secular music magazines like AP and Guitar World, it draws thousands of fans into rural Illinois every year for the Audiofeed Festival, and its bands garner thunderous applause from hard rockers at events like "The Revolver Golden Gods Awards." And, while the scene has changed from eyeliner and leather to bushy beards and breakdowns, the musical message has remained the same: God's love for us knows no bounds and the free gift of grace is spoken in every language. That includes the language of distorted Marshall Stacks that invite those who hear to worship Him with shouts of praise and swirling circle pits.
Curiously enough, there might be enough similarities to refute the fact that these two ideas cannot coexist within the same universe. Death, pain, and suffering are all themes that metal musicians embrace, while Christianity was formed on the basis of its original followers being persecuted and killed for following a Savior who gave his blood and died for our sins. So which is it?
Do Christianity and heavy metal mix together like oil and water?
Or is Christianity as metal as it gets?
Demoniciduth – Enemy of Satan (12″ Vinyl)
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Holy Blood – Glory To The Heroes [EP] (CD)
Angel 7 – Hail To The King (CD or Digital)
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After the 7.9 magnitude quake hit Nepal on April 25, friends and relatives from across the world began to ask me how they could send whatever they had collected. But not once did any of them consider sending the money they had collected through the government.
Since the very first day of the quake, the credibility of our government has been at stake. Two basic questions have been levelled at the government: what are you doing exactly, and where will all the money go?
No doubt, the government was unprepared, despite predictions in the Nepal Disaster Report 2009 that warned of a major earthquake within the next five-to-six years. But perhaps we need to give the government the benefit of the doubt. For days after the initial big quake, the earth was still roiling; people were dying, many were injured, thousands were homeless, and even government offices had been torn apart. The roads were blocked, the Nepal Army only had six helicopters at its disposal, the weather was terrible, and the state lacked all kinds of resources. How much could be expected from the government in a state like this?
Still, the government is learning from its mistakes. Response to the second large quake, of magnitude 7.3 that struck on May 12, was comparatively more efficient. Rescue teams and relief were immediately dispatched. The prime minister himself addressed the crisis and visited the affected areas.
With much aid pouring into the country, the government initially took a hasty decision, with the 'Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) issuing a circular to banks stating that all amounts deposited for relief would be automatically routed to the Prime Ministers Disaster Relief Fund. This decision came under much criticism, given donors' and peoples' concerns about corruption in the state mechanism. International donors halted their fundraising, fearing the aid would be allocated for political considerations rather than humanitarian need. Dean Nelson of The Telegraph blatantly called the government's one-door policy "an attempt by the ruling Nepal Congress Party to seize control of millions of pounds of aid donations being sent from around the world." The same article quoted a senior UN official who said, "There is no way they're going to co-opt anyone's funds. They might think that but donors will never allow it to happen. The government does not have the capability to run this, that's the reality." Subsequently, this decision was amended.
But many of those doing the criticising were not as concerned about transparency as they seemed. NGOs and INGOs have their objectives and agendas and are often run by people who have political affiliations. I/NGOs have their share of problems when it comes to transparency, accountability, and legitimacy.
Meanwhile, I'm wondering why it doesn't seem to bother us when someone in an international forum claims that the government of a sovereign nation does not have capabilities to run its state, and how some international agencies undercut the decisions of the government.
The problem with the shrill criticism was that very few even knew of the procedure and mandate of the PM's Disaster Relief Fund. Many never bothered to understand that, unlike the various I/NGOs, the funds collected shall only be used for victims of the disaster. The Fund is controlled by a committee consisting of the vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission, along with the chiefs of eight other ministries, and is audited by the Auditor General. These facts alone make the fund more transparent and accountable that the hundreds of NGOs that are accountable only to their board of directors (which usually consists of kith and kin).
Furthermore, regarding the huge amounts that have been pledged to Nepal from donor countries, it needs to be understood that these amounts have yet to reach Nepal. The UN issued a flash appeal for funds in the immediate aftermath of the quake for $423 million. But so far, only 21 percent ($89.1 million) has been raised.
I am not arguing that our government is absolutely transparent, neither am I trying to cover its loopholes. I understand that we live in a democratic nation where citizens are free to exercise their choice and provide relief in whatever manner they see fit. However, with all the individuals and organisations involved in providing relief, there will be a duplication of efforts. Accessible areas are being heavily supported while others are left untouched. A systematic record of which area is affected, who needs what, and what has already been provided has not been maintained. Therefore, it's necessary to work together under one policy.
For proportionate distribution, the government has to be supported. We can act as watchdogs, ask for social audits, and hold them accountable. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority can be mandated to investigate the PM's Disaster Relief Fund. As responsible citizens of a democratic state, it is our duty to trust in the government's capacity while keeping watch. But instead, we don't trust the government, we appeal to all to not contribute to the PM's Fund, and then, we blame the government for not being able to do its duty.