ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The worsening crisis in Somalia is as big a threat to global security as Afghanistan but is being ignored by the world, delegates told an African Union summit on Sunday.
Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government is fighting an Islamist insurgency and has been hemmed into a few streets of the capital Mogadishu.
An African Union (AU) peacekeeping force of 5,000, provided by Burundi and Uganda, is struggling to hold back the rebels. The AU has repeatedly asked for U.N. peacekeepers to bolster its efforts but has only been given funding.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attended the AU's annual summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday and again failed to pledge peacekeepers.
"In Somalia, recent events have tragically shown that the conflict has a direct bearing on global security," Ban told about 30 African leaders.
Violence in Somalia has killed 21,000 civilians since the start of 2007 and uprooted 1.5 million people, a contributing cause of one of the world's worst humanitarian emergencies.
Heavily armed pirates from the lawless Horn of Africa nation are terrorizing shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean and strategic Gulf of Aden, which links Europe to Asia.
Ramtane Lamamra, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security said Somalia was now as big a threat to global security as Afghanistan and should not be ignored.
"If we do not support the transitional government more, Somalia could become a place that could destroy humanity," Zapatero said in Spanish.
Al Qaeda's Yemen-based branch became a global security priority after it said it was behind a failed December 25 attack on a U.S. airliner, and concerns have been raised about its ties to Somalia's al Shabaab militants.
The West has said it is concerned Somalia could turn into an al Qaeda training camp and launch pad for international attacks, a role played by Afghanistan in the run-up to the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.
Delegates will discuss Somalia alongside the conflict in Sudan and Africa's four coups this year at the three-day summit that ends on Tuesday.


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La ville de  (historiquement : Cannes-Brûlées) est située dans la paroisse de Jefferson, dans l'État de Louisiane, aux États-Unis. Sa population s'élevait à  lors du recensement , estimée à  .

Kenner fait partie de l'agglomération de La Nouvelle-Orléans.

Démographie

Transports
Kenner abrite l'aéroport international Louis Armstrong de La Nouvelle-Orléans.

Source

Liens externes

Ville en Louisiane
Localité dans la paroisse de Jefferson

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Baxter Leads Hemodialysis Research Consortium for German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global innovator in renal care, today announced receipt of a major research and development (R&D) grant from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)'s "From Material to Innovation" program to lead a consortium investigating an anticoagulation-free hemodialysis (HD) option for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The grant provides €1.5 million in funding over three years to Baxter's research team in Hechingen, Germany, and the consortium partners to find a solution that will improve health-related, quality-of-life outcomes for the millions of patients receiving HD therapy globally.
Anticoagulant use is a necessary component of HD that helps prevent blood clotting during therapy sessions, which are typically performed three days a week for an average of four hours per session. HD patients can experience short-term side effects from the anticoagulants, such as increased bleeding time at the end of a dialysis session.1 Some patients also experience long-term, cumulative effects of the drugs, such as increased risk of osteoporosis and endocrinology disorders that cause disruption to sodium and potassium levels, and a breakdown of essential proteins.2
The consortium is taking a novel approach to its research by analyzing modifications of dialysis membranes to minimize the interaction between blood and membrane surfaces — which is the main cause of blood clotting. The Baxter-led consortium brings together leading experts on polymer membrane science, active and interactive materials and functional nanostructured interfaces from the DWI Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials Aachen and the Leibniz-Institute for Polymer Research Dresden, as well as innovative tools for the analysis of blood-material interactions from Hot Screen GmbH in Reutlingen.
"We are uniquely positioned to challenge standards and transform the quality of renal care treatment options through the work of our dedicated, world-class research and development teams," said Sumant Ramachandra, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president, chief science and technology officer, Baxter. "Our team in Hechingen is the global leader in membrane research and development, which is why we are confident our colleagues will lead this consortium in successfully exploring an anticoagulant-free dialysis option to improve patient outcomes globally."
In 2012, Baxter received a grant from BMBF's "BioMatVital: BioDisposabes" project to investigate a new generation of dialysis membranes to improve the treatment of chronic inflammation in ESRD patients. This research helped inform the company's development of the Theranova dialyzer, which is a unique type of HD therapy that extends the range of molecules that can be filtered from the blood, resulting in a clearance profile that more closely mimics the natural kidney.3,4 HDx enabled by the Theranova dialyzer is available in Canada and select European, Latin American and Asian markets, and is currently an investigational device in the United States.
About Baxter
Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxter's leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For more than 85 years, we've been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter's employees worldwide are now building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Rx Only. For safe and proper use of the devices mentioned herein, refer to the Theranova Instructions for Use.
This release includes forward-looking statements concerning THERANOVA, including potential benefits associated with its use. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; changes in law and regulations; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.
Baxter and Theranova are registered trademarks of Baxter International Inc.
1 Bramham, K., et al. (2008). "Comparison of Tinzaparin™ and Unfractionated Heparin as Anticoagulation on Haemodialysis: Equal Safety, Efficacy and Economical Parity." Nephron Clinical Practice 110(2): c107-c113
2 Shen, J. I. and W. C. Winkelmayer (2012). "Use and safety of unfractionated heparin for anticoagulation during maintenance hemodialysis." Am J Kidney Dis 60(3): 473-486
3 Boschetti-de-Fierro A, et al. MCO membranes: Enhanced Selectivity in High-Flux Class. Scientific Reports (2015); 5: 18448.
4 Kirsch AH, et al. Performance of hemodialysis with novel medium cut-off dialyzers. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2017;32:165-172.
Bess Featherstone, (224) 948-5353
media@baxter.com
Clare Trachtman, (224) 948-3020
Source: Baxter International Inc.
View this news release online at:

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How to be Secular – Jacques Berlinerbrau
November 29, 2016 Garry Otton Leave a comment
Jacques Berlinerblau – "How to be Secular – A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom"
This is a book telling secularists where they've gone wrong. I'm not sure I'm altogether taken with Jacques Berlinerblau's arguments however drenched they are in academic research but he doesn't deserve to be ignored. His persistence that New Atheists (whoever they are) are somehow to blame for secularism's failures had me questioning a lot of what Berlinerbrau said. He spends a lot of time referencing characters and events from history with George Holyoake sufficiently dusty and in tune with his brand of secularism to get plenty of airtime in this book.
Atheists get a good beating, that's for sure. Mr Berlinerbrau even takes a note out of the Christian extremist's textbook of standard put-downs to turn on "secularism's death star", Soviet Russia and bring up that old chestnut about atheism under Stalin. "Secularism can't get out from under one endlessly repeated slander: namely, that it was the official ideology of modernity's most tyrannical regimes. The former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum has struck this with gusto, if not grammar: 'I want to remind people of the societies that have been secular in nature. Starting with the French Revolution, moving on to the fascists, and the Nazis and the communists and the Baathists, all of those purely secularists hated religion, tried to crush religion'." Well, yes, secularists can easily get out from under the slander since it's mostly a crock of shite. Anyone stooping that low to dish the dirt on atheism is wilfully forgetting that life in an Orthodox seminary probably taught Stalin all he needed to know about power and control. Nazi Germany, communists and Baathists have as much to do with atheism as ISIS with Muslims packing food parcels at Glasgow's Central mosque; or the Christian militia in the Central African Republic with King's College Christmas Choir in Cambridge. Stalin might've been doing a service to atheism setting up an Atheist museum or educating women in Afghanistan, but I think we all agree he went too far when he started murdering priests and nuns. Despite all this, How to be Secular is very well researched. It masterfully backs up its conclusion and although lengthy, delivers a scathing verdict: Secularism is in trouble.
Berlinerbrau's picture is bleak. Secularism has no friends, is divided, destitute, and celebrated its heyday in America somewhere back in the seventies. As an opponent, religion is too well organised and, after the election of Donald Trump on the back of a string of election victories by his evangelical Republican cronies, the author is well placed to sit back and tell his critics: "Well don't say I didn't warn you!"
My own personal take on this is that Berlinerbrau is perhaps being too harsh on the future of secularism. Religion is having a rough time. It's taking a severe beating even in America. The price for a Republican win by Trump and a draconian Christian extremist like Mike Pence as his Vice President will be a heavy one. The majority voted for change; not more religion. Young people will, and already are, turning on the cults of their parents. Religion is getting it from all sides. The majority of people in provincial France voting for the far right are elderly.
Berlinerbrau puts a lot of faith in something he calls 'accommodationalism': Seeking ways to accommodate faith in a much broader interpretation of secularism. I'm not entirely sure what he means by that, but I'm reminded of Minny's Chocolate Pie in The Help when negro housekeeper Minny, in an act of defiance, repays Christian Republican, Miss Hilly's cruelty by letting her 'eat ma shit', a surprise ingredient Minny had added to the cake mix. For me, Minny's uncompromising act of defiance is an inspiration that far outshines the 'accommodationalism' of thousands of poor blacks who voted Republicanism, the go-to place for racists and big business before it starts lurching too far to the Right. We see the same unholy alliances with women bishops and gay members of UKIP. Are there enough of them that they are ever going to make a difference? Now, the future of American women is in the hands of women who voted for a man who called them 'slobs'. The future of LGBT people in in the hands of LGBT people who voted for a man who promises to sign an act that would legalise discrimination against them if initiated by Christians. And the future of Mexican immigrants in the hands of Hispanics who voted for a man that promised to deport 11million of them and build a wall to keep them out. These accommodationalists have got their work cut out.
Jacques Berlinerbrau
Writing despairingly of the secular ambition to separate of Church and State, Berlinerbrau says: "Separationism as both a historical argument and a policy prescription has lost ground. We have seen that this approach lacks constitutional sanction, lengthy historical precedent, sympathetic jurists, friends in high places, and throngs of supporters."
"Secularists and Revivalists are competing to convince three branches of government, two political parties, and the American people as to how church and state should interact. Revivalists apparently are winning."
He presents plenty of evidence to back his claims, but his introduction of the Accommodationalist Secularist is surely the weaker of any camp in the war against Christianity in America. But what will accommodationalists do when government-funded religious groups want to deny women's rights or discriminate on who they employ? What fluffy compromises will ensue, I wonder? Let's be frank. Religionists see this as a war. A war against religion.
It is not all about numbers. Most Catholics don't support what the Pope says so why bother counting them at the door as they go to church for Mass? So too secularists who, by and large are united on policies without necessarily being paid-up members of any named secular organisation. The large flock of well-funded Christians, educating their children in Christian universities and preparing them for positions of political power in mock governmental debating chambers and intern schemes are as tough as old mutton for secularists who are otherwise plentiful, independently-minded but just too difficult to herd.
Garry Otton 2016.
How to be Secular - A call to arms for religious freedomJacques Berlinerbrausecularism


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» Christian Embassy
The Reformation and Puritan Attitudes toward the Jews
Last Updated on Sat, 13 Jul 2019	| Christian Embassy
The Reformation was in part precipitated by the rediscovery of the Bible as the inspired Word of God and the final authority in matters of faith and doctrine. The translation, publication and free access to the Bible among the laity created a major paradigm shift in popular thinking. Within the Church of England, for example, a large Bible written in English was placed in every parish church, the priest and people required to share the cost. Interpretation was no longer the exclusive prerogative of an ecclesiastical hierarchy. The study of the Biblical texts in their original languages, Hebrew and Greek, was also encouraged. From pulpits right across Europe the Bible was increasingly taught in its historical context and in its plain literal sense.
Every Sunday called to his mind the ancient history and lost property of the 'glory of all lands', while the existing ruin and desolation of the country gave testimony to the truth of the Bible and the certainty of the promised blessings... The biblical descriptions of the Holy Land contribute no less to the propagation of which which (sic) we may call the Zionist idea.44
A new postmillennial assessment of the place of the Jew within the future purposes of God emerged, especially through the writings of Theodore Beza, John Calvin's successor in Geneva, and Martin Bucer in Strasbourg.45 In his Institutes, Calvin stressed that divine blessing was associated with their covenant obedience.
(Salvation depends on God's mercy, which He extends to whom He pleases [Romans 9:15-16]; ...there is no reason for the Jews to preen themselves and boast in the name of the covenant unless they keep the law of the covenant, that is, obey the Word.
Nevertheless, when Paul cast them down from vain confidence in their kindred, he still saw, on the other hand, that the covenant which God had made once for all with the descendants of Abraham could in no way be made void. Consequently, in the eleventh chapter (of Romans) he argues that Abraham's physical progeny must not be deprived of their dignity. By virtue of this, he teaches, the Jews are the first and natural heirs of the gospel, except that by their ungratefulness they were forsaken as unworthy - yet forsaken in such a way that the heavenly blessing has not departed utterly from their nation. For this reason, despite their stubbornness and covenant-breaking, Paul still calls them holy [Rom. 11:16]. Despite the great obstinacy with which they continue to wage was against the gospel, we must not despise them, while we consider that, for the sake of the promise, God's blessing still rests among them.46
Peter Toon traces the development of these ideas from the Continent to Britain and America.
...the word 'Israel' in Romans 11:25ff., which had been understood by Calvin and Luther as referring to the Church of Jews and Gentiles, could be taken to mean 'Jews', that is non-Christian Jews whose religion was Judaism. Beza himself favoured this interpretation of Romans 11 and he was followed by the various editors of the influential Geneva Bible, which was translated in Geneva by the Marian exiles during the life time of Beza. In the 1557 and 1560 editions short notes explained that 'Israel' meant 'the nation of the Jews' but in later editions (e.g. 1599) the note on Romans 11 stated that the prophets of the Old Testament had predicted a conversion of the nation of the Jews to Christ. Through this Bible and the writings of the Puritans (e.g. William Perkins, Commentary on Galatians, and various books by Hugh Broughton) the doctrine of the conversion of the Jewish people was widely diffused in England, Scotland and New England.47
Ian Murray describes the place of the Jews within the emerging Puritan postmillennial eschatology.
The future of the Jews had decisive significance for them because they believed that, though little is clearly revealed of the future purposes of God in history, enough has been given us in Scripture to warrant the expectation that with the calling of the Jews there will come far-reaching blessing for the world. Puritan England and Covenanting Scotland knew much of spiritual blessing and it was the prayerful longing for wider blessing, not a mere interest in unfulfilled prophecy, which led them to give such place to Israel.48
Samuel Rutherford, the Scottish theologian, for example, longed for the conversion of the Jews. In a letter written in 1635 he eulogised,
O to see the sight, next to Christ's Coming in the clouds, the most joyful! Our elder brethren the Jews and Christ fall upon one another's necks and kiss each other! They have been long asunder: they will be kind to one another when they meet. O day! O longed-for and lovely day-dawn! O sweet Jesus, let me see that sight which will be life from the dead, thee and the ancient people in mutual embraces.49
In 1615 Thomas Brightman produced what Peter Toon has described as, 'the first important and influential revision of the Reformed, Augustinian concept of the Millennium' predicting the conversion of the Jews.50 Sharif describes Brightman as 'the father of the British doctrine of the Restoration of the Jews.'51
In His Apocalypsis Apocalypseos, meaning, 'A Revelation of the Revelation', Brightman taught that the Turkish empire would be brought to an end followed by 'the calling of the Jews to be a Christian nation,' leading to 'a most happy tranquility from thence to the end of the world'. In 1635 he completed a commentary on Daniel 11-12 which he sub-titled, 'The restoring of the Jewes and their callinge to the faith of Christ after the utter overthrow of their three enemies is set forth in livelie colours.' Brightman not only believed the Jewish people would come to faith in Jesus Christ, he was also convinced of 'the rebirth of a Christian Israelite nation' which would become 'the centre of a Christian world.'52
Brightman's preaching and writings attracted considerable attention and his views became influential even in British government circles. In 1621, Sir Henry Finch, an eminent lawyer and M.P. developed Brightman's views further and published a book entitled, The World's Great Restoration or the Calling of the Jews, and of all the Nations and Kingdoms of the Earth, to the Faith of Christ. In it he argued,
Where Israel, Judah, Zion and Jerusalem are named [in the Bible] the Holy Ghost meant not the spiritual Israel, or the Church of God collected of the Gentiles or of the Jews and Gentiles both... But Israel properly descended out of Jacob's loynes. The same judgement is to be made of their returning to their land and ancient seats, the conquest of their foes... The glorious church they shall erect in the land itself of Judah... These and such like are not allegories, set forth in terrene similitudes or deliverance through Christ (whereof those were types and figures), but meant really and literally the Jews.53
Other reformers such as William Perkins, Richard Sibbes and John Owen were equally convinced that one day the Jews would be brought to faith in Jesus Christ and for this they prayed earnestly.54 This conviction of the conversion of the Jews was so universally embraced that it was written into the Westminster Larger Confession and Congregationalist Savoy Declaration of 1658. The latter affirmed,
We expect that in the latter days, Antichrist being destroyed, the Jews called, and the adversaries of the kingdom of his dear son broken, the churches of Christ being enlarged and edified through a free and plentiful communication of light and grace, shall enjoy in this world a more quiet, peaceful and glorious condition than they have enjoyed.55
Similarly, the Westminster Directory of Public Worship called upon clergy to pray, for the Propagation of the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ to all nations, for the conversion of the Jewes, the filnesse of the Gentiles, the fall of Antichrist, and the hastening of the second coming of the Lord.56
In 1649 Ebenezer and Joanna Cartwright, English Puritans living in Amsterdam sent a petition to the British Government calling for the lifting of the ban on Jews settling in England and also assistance to enable them to move to Palestine.
That this Nation of England, with the inhabitants of the Netherlands, shall be the first and the readiest to transport Israel's sons and daughters on their ships to the land promised to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for an everlasting inheritance.57
Sharif observes that this was the first time human intervention was sought to realise a Jewish Restoration rather than the reliance on God to accomplish it.58
Jonathan Edwards was probably the most influential American writer of the 18th Century. In his history of the Church written in 1774, As a convinced postmillennialist, Edwards spoke of the overthrow of Satan's kingdom epitomised in the Pope, Islam and 'Jewish infidelity',
However obstinate [the Jews] have been now for above seventeen hundred years in their rejection of Christ, and however rare have been the instances on individual conversions, ever since the destruction of Jerusalem... Yet, when this day comes, the thick veil that blinds their eyes shall be removed. 2 Cor iii.16. And divine grace shall melt and renew their hard hearts... And then shall the house of Israel be saved: the Jews in all their dispersions shall cast away their old infidelity, and shall have their hearts wonderfully changed, and abhor themselves for their past unbelief and obstinacy... Nothing is more certainly foretold than this national conversion of the Jews in Romans 11.2.59
Sharif offers this summary of the importance of the Reformation and Puritanism for the emergence of more explicit Christian Zionist aspirations in subsequent generations.
To the Christian mind in Protestant Europe, Palestine became the Jewish land. The Jews became the Palestinian people who were foreign to Europe, absent from their Homeland, but in due time were to be returned to Palestine... Manifestations of early non-Jewish Zionism were thus neither isolated incidents nor espoused only by religious eccentrics and outsiders... A voluminous religious literature on the role and the destiny of the Jews spread rapidly during the 17th Century and, by its millenarian nature, never fell out of vogue. Many millenarians were rebuked, persecuted and sometimes even executed for their heretical beliefs. Nevertheless, their writings helped to entrench the notion of a Jewish Restoration to Palestine. It was not long until the more practical questions, as to when and how Restoration was to take place, began to gain importance.60
Survival Treasure
This is a collection of 3 guides all about survival. Within this collection you find the following titles: Outdoor Survival Skills, Survival Basics and The Wilderness Survival Guide.
Survive, Heal And Thrive After Infidelity
Edward Irving 17921834 The Rapture and the Rupture Between Israel and the Church
Preliminary Critique of Christian Zionism
General Edmund Allenby - Christian Embassy
T E Lawrence - Christian Embassy
David Lloyd George - Christian Embassy
How to Survive the End of the World


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Advice for the president
You often brag about your success in dealing with members of the opposition party in New York. Why don't you borrow from that strategy as president?
Advice for the president You often brag about your success in dealing with members of the opposition party in New York. Why don't you borrow from that strategy as president? Check out this story on theadvertiser.com: https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/08/14/advice-president/976140002/
Cal Thomas Published 6:11 a.m. CT Aug. 14, 2018
Dear Mr. President, "Would you take this advice I hand you like a brother"? It's a song lyric from the musical "The Pajama Game," but fitting here.
There is a way you can hang onto your base, keeping them engaged, energized, without the constant Twitter assaults on those who criticize you for attacking them. If you lowered the rhetorical temperature, you might just add numbers to your support going into the midterms and beyond.
As a businessman, you have focused on results. You often brag about your success in dealing with members of the opposition party in New York. Why don't you borrow from that strategy as president? Americans may dislike sore losers, but they hate braggadocios winners even more.
As one who admires your policies but thinks you can do better when it comes to your demeanor, I offer you the following suggestions I hope you will take to heart.
Let's start with your recent tweet criticizing basketball star LeBron James. In a CNN interview with Don Lemon, James blamed you for using sports to "divide the country." Here you scored a twofer, slamming James, but also calling Lemon "the dumbest man on television."
James had spoken earlier in the interview about a school he recently helped open in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. The school helps at-risk children get a better education and James' philanthropic foundation is working hand in hand with the city's public schools to improve the prospects of disadvantaged students. It's a noble and necessary effort.
Instead of blasting James and Lemon, you should have invited James to the White House, along with some of the children he is helping. You might also have invited parents of those children trapped in failed public schools, and then taken that opportunity to promote your school choice ideas. You campaigned on school choice and asked African Americans why they keep voting for Democrats when that party has done little to help them rise above their circumstances. What did your criticism of James and Lemon accomplish? Was anyone's mind changed? It is possible to win a debate but lose an argument, public perception often being the determining factor in how people vote.
LeBron James finishes a news conference in a classroom at the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, on Monday, July 30, 2018. LeBron James partnered with the University of Akron to guarantee all of the school's students college scholarships. (Photo: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
Here's another suggestion. You promote the low unemployment rate and the new jobs that have been created since you pushed for tax cuts and industry de-regulation. As you campaign for congressional candidates, why don't you bring forward people that could not find a job during the previous administration, but now, because of your policies, are gainfully employed and grateful to you? Then you can make the point that if Democrats win back a majority in Congress, they will return the country to the policies that stifled job and economic growth.
By proceeding with this positive agenda you put Democrats (and socialists within and outside of that party) on the defense. Instead of the opposition focusing on your personality, they will be forced to focus on your policies, the success of which they cannot credibly deny (Nancy Pelosi's denunciation that large company bonuses were merely "crumbs that they are giving workers," notwithstanding).
There are other ways you can promote a positive agenda with an upbeat attitude while avoiding demeaning and demonizing your opponents. There is no better way to make them look bad and petty than for you to look good and gracious.
Try it. You will shock and surprise everyone, most importantly your critics.
The song lyric quoted above about advice has the lead character asking "...or is it all going in one ear and out the other?"
I hope that's not the case with this advice, Mr. President. Sincerely.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
Read or Share this story: https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/08/14/advice-president/976140002/
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As the sun sets on the UK's general election, and the population waits to hear which party will form government, I can't help wondering if the result will have any real meaning. If it will bear any relationship to the will of the people. If it will deliver any benefit to the common good. If anyone outside the party machines will feel as though they have really had a say in how their lives are governed. It seems unlikely. As I look around the world at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, I can't help wondering if democracy is dead.
Remember learning about democracy at school? I don't, not really. But I do remember the first time I voted I felt an enormous sense of pride. I was participating in a democracy! The apex of civilisation! Now, I vote reluctantly. I feel it's my duty but I don't really feel like my vote counts – or even reflects my views. I know I'm not alone in that feeling. What's more, I know that there are many millions of people who are even less engaged with the process than me. Am I right? Is democracy dead?
Most ordinary folk, if pushed to define or describe democracy, would mention first off the right to vote or the right to have a say in how you are governed. Some might mention the separation of powers. Some might mention a free press. Quite a few would probably mention something about the collection and distribution of tax for the common good. That, I'd argue, is about where we'd start to get debate, but on that definition, plenty of people would answer my opening question with a 'no'. We have all of those things. It ain't broke!
But a wise man says that knowing what something is not sufficient. What we need to focus on is why we do it. My argument is that we settled on democracy as our preferred system of government over time as we recognised that putting power in the hands of a small, elite group is incredibly destructive and unsettling – even when you don't project god-like status onto that group. We discovered that we limit our potential as a society if we don't have mechanisms to nurture talent wherever it occurs. We calculated the cost of adversarial positions against our fellow humans, and found that we all do better without it. In summary, the impulse to democracy is essentially egalitarian.
If I'm right, then democracy is dead. Because our democracy does not protect the weak. It does not provide equality of opportunity. It rewards dynasties of monied families with positions of power and oppresses minorities. It puts what is good for the rich ahead of what's good for society.
Where's my evidence? Look around. France is governed by a man who courts celebrity and favours beautiful women for his ministers. Italy is governed by a man whose corrupt behaviour and borderline paedophilia makes a mockery of the institution of government. The US, UK and Australia were all, until recently, led by men who thought it was acceptable take their people to war on a lie. Most of the West is still governed by men who not only failed to act to prevent the financial crisis but have personal stakes in perpetuating the deregulated market that caused the collapse. Demmocracy is dead – and capitalism killed it.
In most Western democracies, having a say in how you are governed amounts to having a choice between two not-very-different parties. In the 1980s and 1990s, theories of economic rationalism were so pervasive that the old divisions between left and right disappeared. We may have the right to universal suffrage, but so many of us are disenfranchised or disillusioned by the process that we don't bother to exercise it. The 2000 election that gave George W. Bush (scion of the Bush dynasty) is the most oft-cited example. Only a fraction more than 50% of the eligible population voted. The popular vote was won by Al Gore, with 48.4% of the votes, compared with Bush's 47.9%. In some areas the award of representative places was decided by just a few hundred votes – when overall 103 million people did not exercise their right. In the last UK election only 61% of the eligible population voted.
Despite being protected under the law the separation of powers has been seriously undermined. In Australia, a single senator representing a religious party has been able to hijack the political agenda on major issues, even though his party only support things that align with their religious beliefs. He is actively influencing law. In the US the religious right has incredible influence over all debates. Under Bush, aid to developing and war torn countries was denied if they offered women abortion as an option. Women pregnant from gang-rape, lucky if they have a family left to support them, abandoned in the name of religion.
In the US, Obama's efforts to make health care a universal right are being presented in the right wing media as tyranny. Tyranny: cruelty and injustice in the exercise of power or authority over others! He followed the systems of law in the country. He used the same powers every President before him has used. He spent nine months debating amendments. The press is free – to say any damn thing they like. Murdoch and his cronies have completely distorted the role of the media at the service of their own business interests and it means it is much harder for people to get clear, factual information about what government – or business – is doing.
Here in the UK, the Sun decided several months ago not to support Labour. Throughout the entire campaign they have run positive stories – including celebrity and topless model endorsements – about the Conservative party and their leader and have run smears about every other candidate. Even if you accept their right to say "we're not supporting Labour" (I don't) why does that translate into support for the Conservatives? What happened to the concept of media objectivity?
And, last but not least, we don't collect and distribute tax for the common good. In most Western countries, most average wage earners pay more tax than the richest men in the nation. We let small children die at the hands of inadequate or dangerous carers while City traders wearing £1000 shoes sip £30,000 cocktails not more than a mile or so away.
If democracy is not dead, it's in a bad way. We are barely, just barely keeping it alive, but its pulse is weak and there's the rattle of death in its lungs. We pay lip service to its recovery but we've sold its soul to the highest bidder.
With any luck, in the UK the election will result in a hung parliament and all the people with political ambitions will at least be forced to work with each other, instead of engaging in the petty political point-scoring, short-term policy-making and disingenuous public representation that has become the hallmark of our democracy.
2 thoughts on "Is democracy dead?"
Cara says:
I was very happy about the hung parliament our government has found themselves in 🙂
I don't know it's really worked out as I'd hoped here, the minor party is fairly invisible. Hopefully it will be better in Australia…if they ever form government!


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Well, this sucks » « Maybe humanity deserves extinction
Shameful Fourth of July to you all
I'm certainly not celebrating today. We've got more to regret than to praise.
We're running concentration camps on our southern border. It's not a recent aberration, either: we were enslaving people before we became a nation, we built this country on the labor of the barracoon. We slaughtered the native population and herded the survivors into reservations. My university was founded on the site of an Indian school, where children were ripped from their families and imprisoned to be taught White Man's Ways; there's a big sign outside the building where I work to remind me of that every day.
We've been at war since our founding. It's easy to forget, since we civilians are kept fairly well insulated from the consequences, but if you're one of the working poor drafted to fight, or worse, one of the targets of our wrath, you know it. Nowadays we do most of our killing remotely, with drones or bombers, so even the military suffers little pain.
We've elected a crude, ignorant boor to the presidency who is disgracing our nation before the eyes of the world. We have a state propaganda channel that funnels lies to the populace. The "newspaper of record" provides a mouthpiece to apologists for the status quo. We're having a goddamn military parade in the capitol today. I'm torn between thinking that at least it honestly represents the spirit of the country and thinking it is deplorable and vile.
I'm expected to treat this as a holiday celebration?
I'm not going to. I'm waiting to celebrate the revolution that erases this stain.
Politics, History, and Law
dixonge says
My sentiments exactly. Rather unsettling pie chart…
nomadiq says
I don't deny the chart, but when were those 21 years?
As for July 4, I'm not American despite living in the US for many years, so what it means for me is a reminder of how cool certain metallic ions look when shot firely into the sky and the pungent smell of sulphur dioxide. I guess some smart and motivated people organized their own country and rebelled against royalty (Yay!) and their experiment continues to this day. They were far from perfect people. And, yes, the apparatus has now been handed over to some terrible, dishonest experimentalists with selfish motivated reasoning as their driving principle rather than forming a better union.
weylguy says
In 1944, many high-level commanders in Germany's military decided they'd had enough of their Führer to attempt his assassination. But that was Germany 75 years ago, which didn't have Fox News, a hypocritical white evangelical bloc and a population lusting to get rich at any cost.
The Founders gave the power to declare war to Congress. They did not want a standing army. The Founders knew that slavery was a violation of the founding principles — they wrote about it. We can celebrate these ideas and principles even though people have failed them. In fact, we should make a big fucking deal about how anti-American Trump's policies are. Read the Declaration of Independence — the colonists were objecting to the King interfering with free trade and free immigration!
davidc1 says
All those high level commanders had been only too happy to share in adolfs victories .
Doc ,America is a young nation plenty of time to catch up with good old England ,recently read a book
"All The Countries We have Ever Invaded ",of the 193 countries who are members of the UN we have invaded or fought wars with
171 of them .
Marcus Ranum says
Yeah, but of those wars, how many did the US start? "All of them" you say? Nevermind.
The US strategy on global imperialism is to say "now look what you made me do!"
llyris says
You mean USA isn't putting on a huge celebration for aphelion?
kome says
I hope many people fly the flag upside-down today.
richardelguru says
Still: Happy Revolting Day to you all.
Akira MacKenzie says
Sonja @ 4
The Founders knew that slavery was a violation of the founding principles — they wrote about it.
Which didn't stop many of them from owning (and raping) slaves and denying voting rights to anyone who wasn't a white, male, landowner.
…the colonists were objecting to the King interfering with free trade and free immigration!
You mean when King George III made treaties with allied Native American tribes to leave their land alone, but the colonists REALLY wanted to steal it from them?
PaulBC says
The Declaration of Independence is an exciting and very readable founding document, regardless of who wrote it, what their motives were, or whether we've lived up to our ideals as a nation (we haven't).
I hate the fact that July 4 is supposed to be a litmus test for nationalism and certainly Trump would like it to be one. I am not a nationalist. In middle age I am a little more "patriotic" than I was as a snotty kid. But thanks to Trump, I'm not sure that's even true anymore. Obama did have me going with the "arc bending towards justice" thing. Nope. It'll bend right back at the slightest change.
I do find it inspiring that nearly 250 years ago, someone wrote "we hold these truths to be self evident …" (and resisted the urge to couch human rights in religious language), set forth a concise summary what governments are for ("to secure these rights") what makes them legitimate ("the consent of the governed") and presented a justification for taking extreme measures to change them.
The language itself is stirring ("a long train of abuses and usurpations") and the list of specific charges against George III makes for a great dramatic reading. This not archaic legalize but poetry. It makes the Constitution look like it was drawn up by a committee (which I suppose it was).
Yes, it was written by wealthy European landowners who wanted to protect their ability to exploit a continent. I realize that. I still think it is a fine piece of writing, and really does contain a glimpse of Enlightenment principles that can be applied more widely.
Fireworks. Not a huge fan or detractor, and I know dogs hate them. But I went to see them as a kid and bring my kids now. I even went to see them on the National Mall a couple of times and it disgusts me to think they have been moved to put tanks there. I always found the DC event too crowded with lines to port-a-johns and all that. For anyone in the area, I'd recommend fireworks at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore if it hasn't changed since I was there about 6 years ago.
Finely, I really like Megan Rapinoe's simple assertion "I am extremely American." Me too. I was born here. I am not of any other culture, though I lived abroad briefly. If you're leftwing and think I should be ashamed of this, you can f— off. I'm American whether I like it or you like it. If you're rightwing and think I'm not "patriotic" enough to say I am extremely American, then you can f— off too. If I'm not American, what am I? I'm not "proud" of it anymore than I am of my height, my last name, or my hair type. It is stupid to be proud of things you obviously had no choice in. But it is my country. It is disgraceful to see a president (also very American of course) get his job and this particular holiday so wrong. So I'll feel some shame today, but not for the even that July 4 commemorates.
colinday says
Wait, 21 + 214 = 235, but 2019 – 1776 = 243. Where are the other eight years?
@Ilyris
Just try saying "Happy Perihelion" on Dec. 23.
Sean Boyd says
colinday @12,
Eight years between the Declaration of Independence and ratification of the Treaty of Paris.
Tabby Lavalamp says
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
(See: Akira @10)
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Wonderful men, these founders.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal
I'd like to see someone argue that this is the generic "men" that women should consider ourselves part of even though, based on when women finally got the vote in the US, it clearly means just men (and white ones only at that).
Pierce R. Butler says
colinday @ # 12: Just try saying "Happy Perihelion" on Dec. 23.
I predict a better reception if you say it on January 5.
Btw, everybody: happy Aphelion!
In these parts, many Native Americans are a prospering segment of the population, with their casinos and some of the most attractive resort communities, not to mention the $$Millions in annual "illegal" fireworks sales to scofflaws who just can't resist the sizzle and bang, regardless of the risks to limb and property. We'll be sitting quietly indoors tonight trying to comfort our old black Lab who'll be looking for a piece of furniture to hide under at every nearby boom. Is this the red man's revenge?
@Tabby Lavalamp Yes, it was written by men (literally) with an agenda I don't fully endorse. I think as a template, it's still a great advance for its time in the understanding of government. England had its own reasons for restricting the colonists, and it was not to promote the rights of indigenous people.
But yeah, even if my national anthem were to be Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" and not Francis Scott Key's jingoistic lyrics, I'd have to concede that, no, it was actually somebody else's land first. We moved here and pushed some other people out (though in the case of my ancestors, who settled in New York, I'd argue that the Dutch had basically already done the job centuries earlier).
I have am ethical stance that possibly makes me no better than a beneficiary of mafia gifts that "fell off a truck." I'd like to minimize the harm I do, but basically, I have to live, and nobody gets to choose where they are born and what benefits that land brings to them. I am American with all the benefits and all the moral onus that brings.
unclefrogy says
the forth of july celebrates or commemorates the Declaration of Independence not the the U.S. Constitution or the founding off the country either really.
the specific grievances against the king and crown are historical the principles set forth were set forth as the reason for those grievances and the only honest noble purpose of government. It obviously not an end but a beginning that the signers committed themselves to , a struggle to achieve those principles as a working frame work to govern themselves.
Clearly that task that they committed themselves to has not been completed yet.
It is not some historical sacred document that we honor in some sentimental way with pious words and loud noises not for me anyway. It is that time of the year that i reflect on the struggle that still continues and rededicate myself to it. They did achieve one important step toward the goal we are not under the control of some foreign king but we still have to struggle against the many home grown would be kings and masters that arise out of greed and the lust for power.
self-governing is a b****h but better then serfdom
uncle frogy
Paul @17
I like the casually equating of "Native Americans" and "illegal" activities, as if the prosperity of Native American reservations or communities is largely dependent on criminal behavior. Really sells it, especially with the added touch of thinking that the "red man's revenge" (darling phrase, by the way) for being systematically exterminated and relocated by the United States government to be… contributing to energetic and happy white people making loud noises that upsets your dog. Sucks for the dog, but it is just a few hours on a few days of the years as opposed to… oh wow the entire period between 1803 to 1892, officially.
It's not quite Stormfront levels of d-baggery, but it is in that sweet spot where the out-of-touch white middle class privilege and self-absorption is dripping all over the place while still providing the pretense that you didn't say anything untoward because you're "complimenting" their prosperity.
@kome (Too many Pauls here, not to mention PZ, and I see you are not replying to me)
I am in total support of Native Americans having a monopoly (which they don't) on casinos. It is certainly the least we can do (really, about the least) in the way of reparations. I'm not a huge fan of people losing their money that way who can't afford to, but it's going to happen anyway. Would I rather it go to the Trump family?
I'm not enjoying this Independence Day at all. Not just because of our nation's bloody, hypocritical history and the current political situation, but I'm also stuck working today AND I just caught a nasty chest cold. Right now, I'm running on day-time cold tables, coffee, and cough drops. When I'm done with my shift, I'm going home, push whatever we're having for dinner down my gullet, then crawling off to bed. I'm going to have to wear earplugs to snuff out the constant fusillade of fireworks that will be set off by my redneck neighbors.
aramad88 says
I have seen versions of that pie chart with an even larger portion on the war side.
rq says
Interestingly, over here, July 4th is the National Day of Commemoration of Jewish Victims of the Holocaust (the full title translates a bit funny), and is a national day of mourning.
jacksprocket says
rq@24: that should be EVERY day of the year. Everywhere.
wzrd1 says
While we have a tin horn dictator wannabe launching a military parade to threaten the populace in our capitol, I still have to ask, what draft?
I had a 27 year, 8 month military career, I have since, contracted with the DoD extensively, I oddly have failed to notice even a singular instance of conscripts. Indeed, those ordered by a court to join the military are summarily rejected for service, something that I observed back in 1982, the rejection, that is.
So, PZ, do show me even one person who fulfills your description of "It's easy to forget, since we civilians are kept fairly well insulated from the consequences, but if you're one of the working poor drafted to fight, or worse, one of the targets of our wrath, you know it."
I also dispute exclusive remote controlled warfare, something I actually do have personal experience with, along with the direct and personal warfare, with a dearth of remote controlled anything, other than a radio to call in artillery or air support. Maybe that's in the future, we'll have robots to replace rude young men to physically take land away from its former occupiers, but not currently.
Maybe we'll call such remote controlled assets terminators or something.
That all griped at, happy Interdependence Day!
May our next military parade be more representative, earth moving equipment, followed by the far more common supply moving equipment, laden with disaster supplies, headed to homeless shelters for a change.
Followed by combat engineers, whose destination is something that they loved, building a school.
anbheal says
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4a/cb/c4/4acbc4fc57ad8df57284987cac8d2a97.jpg
jrkrideau says
And as Sun Tzu once said
There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
Just think about all them deep fried Turkeys exploding today ,or am i thinking of thanksgiving day ?
ridana says
The business aspects of the Fourth of July is not perfect as it stands. See what it costs us every year with loss of life, the crippling of thousands with its fireworks, and the burning down of property. It is not only sacred to patriotism and universal freedom, but to the surgeon, the undertaker, the insurance offices — and they are working it for all it is worth.
— Mark Twain 1899
nomdeplume says
Like others here I wondered about the 21 years "free of war", but I guess they include years where the CIA was undermining left wing governments by means other than overt war.
I agree with much you said we have drones not as many as we pretend nor as effective i would bet and it is still the grunt down on the ground who gets his leg blown off and watches his buddy take one hard.
i know we have an all volunteer force today but it has seldom been the soldier who decides to go and fight some place it has always been someone else who does that and these days it looks like as not to be for their own personal reasons. So I took the phrase drafted to imply that they were sent to die for temporary political reasons and certainly not to "win" we do not even know what that would be if it happened, just pawns without any formal consent i am aware of. I mean isn't congress supposed to declare war? Now we just get executive actions and if it was not for our ability to keep the grievously wounded alive the body count would have long ago ended this fighting we are now putting our military through.
those 21 years are not consecutive but more likely cumulative
you know a month here a month there over the years since 1789 it adds up to 21 years
John Morales says
wzrd1:
The military's purpose is to kill people and break stuff. Its main use is to intimidate others.
Military parades are a celebration of that. Obviously. A celebration of militarism.
To pretend the military is somehow a civil works or a charity organisation is a bullshit exculpation.
Might as well pretend a pistol is a tool for hammering nails — you can use it as such, but that is not its designed purpose, nor is it a particularly efficient tool for that purpose, and it's a shitload more expensive than an actual hammer.
daemonios says
unclefrogy @32
I disagree. I think "drafted" was meant as "more or less forcibly recruited into the military". There is more than one way to force someone to do this. A legal mandate is one. Heavily recruiting volunteers in poor communities, presenting military service as a (or rather, the only) path to some sort of financial independence is another.
Once in the military, service men and women are expected to follow orders and go wherever they are deployed. You can argue to what extent those people should follow orders, or whether their deployment for specific actions is legal or moral, but those are separate issues.
The shorter version of Trump's speech – "America, America above all—above everything in the world". Didn't work out so well for the last country that claimed that.
dma8751482 says
I have to wonder, has any civilization ever spent more than maybe half of its existence at peace (or at minimum, not involved in any large scale conflict)? I've been wracking my brains trying to figure out, but at this point it may very well be possible that the old saying "to err is human" should be replaced by "to war is human".
cartomancer says
Well of course you're having a military parade at the Capitol. That's why you called it that – playing at being Roman soldiers. The original Capitol – the Capitoline Hill in Rome – was where the Triumphal parades awarded to conquering generals ended up, so the general could sacrifice to Jupiter Ferretrius at his temple and, if he had any, dedicate the spolia opimia (the enemy general's armour and gear, captured in single combat) for the glory of Rome. Rome too was at war for most of its history, though the Romans made a point of displaying this fact prominently at the centre of their city. The doors of the great Temple of Janus were left open during times of war, and closed at times of peace – a very rare occurrence indeed. The Romans, at least, did not try to convince themselves that they were not an extremely warlike people.
The US was founded, entirely consciously, in imitation of Rome as an Imperial power. Your national symbolism is rife with it, and your history has been tailored to match. Though by the time Rome started trying to prevent migrations into its Empire and treating said migrants appallingly badly (I'm thinking of Ammianus Marcellinus's account of the Goths' Danube crossing of 376) it was very late in the day and the strength and coherence of Roman Imperial power was winding down with increasing speed. One might well hope yours follows suit. You've created more than enough desolations and called them peace.
Rob Grigjanis says
John @34:
To pretend the military is somehow a civil works or a charity organisation is a bullshit exculpation
Do you mean "the military" in general, or the US Armed Forces? If the latter: Never mind.
If the former: It might be bullshit, but your use of "exculpation" suggests that you think the mere existence of armed forces is somehow blameworthy. Do you think Australia (or any other country) should unilaterally disband its armed forces?
Do you mean "the military" in general
It might be bullshit, but your use of "exculpation" suggests that you think the mere existence of armed forces is somehow blameworthy.
They are not benign, contrary to wzrd1's spin.
Do you think Australia (or any other country) should unilaterally disband its armed forces?
Weird inference. No.
What I think is that one should not pretend a weapon is not a weapon, nor defend their possession of a pistol on the grounds they use it as a hammer, particularly they publicly and evidently use it as a tool of intimidation and shoot people with it.
Or: By all means, celebrate your military might, but don't then pretend it's a humanitarian force.
The military has many missions. Their primary mission of course is to defend the U.S. and U.S. interests. Looking more closely though, you can see that the military does a lot more than simply fight. Some examples of military missions include:
Medical assistance in impoverished areas
Food & humanitarian relief
Security at embassies and other locations
Policing in volatile areas
Natural disaster relief
Piracy and drug interdiction The military is also the nation's biggest group of international ambassadors. As such, there is a great deal of responsibility and respect to show. Find out more about service-specific missions here: Air Force Missions Army Missions National Guard Missions Coast Guard Missions Marine Corps Missions Navy Missions
(https://www.military.com/join-armed-forces/military-missions-overview.html)
[cartomancer @38, thanks! informative]
"Conscription is the compulsory induction of individuals into the Armed Services, whereas the draft is the procedure by which individuals are chosen for conscription."
Pretty clear that, since conscription is not currently active in the USA, those drafted refers to those who were selected as eligible to join from the applicant pool. Which you is typically the working poor (except for officers, presumably, they're generally upper-class) because for them it's a way up, when they get to leave.
Anyway, I think that objection, while sorta technically accurate, does not invalidate the larger point PZ makes there.
I don't mind the idea of a permanent military force to "defend the United States."
It's that "defend U.S. interests" part that bothers me. (i.e. "U.S. Interests" has always meant "U.S. billionaire/millionaire capitalist interests" to me.)
[PS cf. Bill, the Galactic Hero]
Aside from the word "drafted", it is certainly true that most Americans are keep well-insulated from the consequences of our recent wars. When I was in college in the 80s, I knew some people who joined ROTC, mostly Air Force, and I don't think any of them had a notion of ever fighting in a war. Times have changed since the first Gulf War, and it is remarkable to me that we can maintain "voluntary" armed forces when there is a real possibility of being sent into harm's way.
I don't want any of it. The first Gulf War sickened me with all the cheerleading around our "smart bombs." Yeah, I suppose you need a military to maintain security of a wealthy nation state, but you don't have to act like you're so happy about it, as our media sometimes does, especially when it comes to high tech weapons.
I would never want to see a draft return but, I do worry about the severe division of society into those with some connection to the military and those without. This is a huge thing, and it probably accounts for major cultural and regional differences. I do have a nephew who signed up and served in Iraq. I respect him for it, but mainly I'm happy he returned in one piece. The forever war has got to end, and Trump's speech today is not helping.
Heavily recruiting volunteers in poor communities, presenting military service as a (or rather, the only) path to some sort of financial independence
That is as it always has been the "grunt" has always been from the poorer classes whose choices have always been constrained some time conscripted and some times not.
I was just took the statement in it's broader sense sans conscription
the subject did remind me of one of my favorite songs being "Arthur McBride" a story whose subject is English recruiting Irish to join the army in the 19th century
went and looked on the tube for a link but could decide on one
just words turning to make a broader point maybe ,I am very tired of crippled and dead soldiers.
lucifersbike says
Trump as quoted by MSNBC. "In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified Army out of the Revolutionary Forces encamped around Boston and New York, and named after the great George Washington, commander in chief," Trump said.
"Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rocket's red glare it had nothing but victory," he continued. "And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant."
Say what you like about the late Adolf, his speeches, while vile, were (mostly) coherent; and he didn't believe there were airports in 1775. WTAF did Trump mean with "manning the air" and "ramming ramparts"?
imback says
Apparently, the 21 years without major war were:
http://www.loonwatch.com/files/2011/12/we-re-at-war-and-we-have-been-since-1776/
blf says
I presume ramming ramparts means breaching ramparts (by, e.g., sappers). Also, the Fort McHenry slaughter (and the rockets's reference) refer to the 1812 war, not the 1770's war.
stroppy says
Lethality may be at the core of the military, but it's mission expands into all sorts of areas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Corps_of_Engineers
"Mission creep" isn't unique to the US. Check out Egypt:
The Egyptian military owns business enterprises that are in almost every sector and produce an extremely wide area of services and goods. It runs hotels, sea resorts, and apartment buildings along with lavish villas. It owns cement, steel, jeep, fertilizer, home appliances, pasta, and other factories; runs gas stations; and constructs toll highways. Moreover, ex-generals occupy the top civilian positions in the state's administrative apparatus in control of key sectors, from public transportation systems to water and sewerage services, Internet lines, social housing projects, and more. This situation is far from being a new phenomenon that emerged with the election of a new president from the military last year; its entrenched roots go back to the last six decades of the country's history.
https://www.mei.edu/publications/egypts-military-business-need-change
We can ridicule Trump's incoherence and whatever he said about "airports" all we want, but I can't help concluding we were pwned on visuals. Trump got the huge crowd he didn't have for his inauguration (never mind that there is always a big crowd at the Mall on July 4) and there are pictures to prove it.
He couldn't turn it into a political rally without violating the Hatch Act, but I'm sure his campaign can use video of the Blue Angels flying over the Lincoln Memorial all they want. That kind of footage isn't intended for me (and I'll assume PZ) but between Americans who think we should be honoring the military more than we do already and those who just think it looks cool, that picture is a net positive for Trump.
Then we have people burning the flag in front of the White House. As much as I support their First Amendment right to do it, I'm not sure what the point is supposed to be. It will certainly be used to tar all of Trump's opponents. The Trump baby balloon is funny and appropriate, but it's just sniping from a position of weakness. It was grounded anyway, and apparently did not attract all that much attention. NYT reports that the concert side of the event was sparsely attended compared to the Trump side.
Anyone have an unbiased answer on whether moving the firework launch made things better or worse, aside from everything else? I haven't been to the Mall for this in at least 25 years and I didn't realize they were normally launched from the Washington Monument (am I mistaken here'). Opening up that area to spectators and choosing a different launch point would not be a terrible idea. (Note: tanks on American's public square is a terrible idea.)
Pwned though. No question about it. I feel sick.
@10 Duh, but I should have made clear in this quick comment, as I did on my comment on PZs Facebook, that we can honor the principles of the Founders and not the failures of the men. Their thought experiments created a system of self-government and they inspired the formation of Constitutional Democracies around the world. There have been more progressive Constitutions written, but this was the first in the world. They solved the problem of religion in government by keeping religion out of government (unfortunately, there are still nations with state religions and blasphemy laws today). Other principles include freedom of speech and the press, separation of powers, civilian control of military, rule of law, redress of grievances in courts, etc. That said, my point was that Trump's trade wars and immigrant jails would have been anathema to the Founders, as would endless foreign wars. Washington's 'great rule' was to only be involved with other nations in trade, not politics.
@Sonja
You had me up to "would have been anathema to the Founders." All we have from ~250 years ago are words. We can't read minds, let alone the minds of dead people. I think the words in the Declaration of Independence are mostly unambiguous (unlike the Constitution, which has some really bad writing; the 2nd amendment is a mess). To extent that there are sound principles, they should be followed ("honored" not so sure what that means) and sometimes extended (e.g. "all men" is at least ambiguous) Other evidence suggests that the writers were hypocrites and didn't follow their own principles, but I agree that this is not an indictment of the principles themselves (and we might prefer primary sources such as Locke).
I imagine if the "founders" could roll in their graves it would be about a lot of things I like and find entirely consistent with the broad outline of human rights in the Declaration, as understood in light of centuries of struggle since the Enlightenment. I'd have some agreement with them too, no doubt. E.g., the modern police state and continued erosion of 4th amendment rights is counter to founding principles, and I concur. On the other hand, the needs of a modern state to collect taxes and regulate for safety, correcting market failures, and indeed redistributing wealth in some cases is also counter to founding principles, but in terms of pure risk/benefit I believe that the founding principles are inadequate in this case.
So in short, the founding documents are an excellent start and they beat hereditary rule by many miles. Sadly, there is not a lot of room to make updates without losing the good parts (show of hands, anyone want a Constitutional convention?).
Hmm… I am rambling here, but I don't give a rat's ass about Jefferson spinning in his grave, which won't happen. Let's try to understand human rights and good governance by applying the best thinking today instead of imagining that the best thinking occurred centuries ago and cannot be improved. (Caveat: of course, the people most likely to change it will make it worse.)
@PaulBC
When it comes to the modern state and its powers to collect taxes, I think the Founders would be torn on that. After all, it is one of the factors which originally led to the rift between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, and while my recall of the specifics is fuzzy at best it remained a point of contention between Jefferson and John Adams for quite some time.
Speaking of which, it is also worth noting that it was Adams who passed the Alien and Sedition Acts that paved the way for current views on immigration while censoring newspapers to a degree that has yet to be matched, at least in terms of its overtness and willingness to persecute criticism of the government. Remember the Japanese internment camps? It was those acts which allowed the executive order to establish then to go through- they were denounced by the Democratic-Republicans in their time, but since the Supreme Court's right of judicial review wasn't established yet they were never actually found unconstitutional. In fact, it's still on the books today in a revised form as part of the war and national defense statutes. All I can say is "good luck trying to get it overturned now"- if they didn't consider the question in the case of the unlawful internment of a white man (Ludecke v. Watkins. 1948), what chance is there of overturning it now when its victims have that much less influence to even get their case to the Supreme Court?
jack16 says
Try getting rid of Taft-Hartly!
Try getting rid of Taft-Hartley!
@Jack16
And that's a relatively new one which hasn't even been challenged by SCOTUS even once.
P.S. you seem to have double posted by accident.
To dma8751482,
Yeah, posted before I spell checked.


text:
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Government's Baby Blindspot must end
Together with over 60 members of the First 1001 Days Movement, we have written to the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, asking him to address the impacts of the pandemic on babies and their families, and to take longer-term action to ensure all our children have the best start in life.
The pandemic has been difficult for many families, with impacts on a range of factors that significantly contribute to child development. The letter points out that more than £3bn has been spent on mitigating the impact of the pandemic on older children, but nothing on those under two. We ask the Secretary of State to end the BabyBlindspot in Government's COVID-19 response and recovery plans.
The letter demands urgent action to ensure that babies' health, wellbeing and safety is prioritised and that Government acts on its own commitment to "ensuring that children have the best start in life". It describes three things that the Secretary of State should prioritise to make a significant difference:
Securing funding in the upcoming Spending Review to deliver the Government's Best Start for Life vision.
Setting out clear expectations in the Health and Care Bill that local partners will cooperate in order to improve outcomes and reducing inequalities for children in the first 1001 days.
Ensure that the new Office of Health Promotion can intervene when a local area is not delivering the Healthy Child Programme or is experiencing poor, declining, or unequal outcomes in the first 1001 days, providing additional support and resources where needed.
You can read the full letter here
Dr Zoe Williams on why she's chosen to give birth with the help of a doula
Picture from Dr Zoe Williams' Instagram Account
by Dr Zoe Williams published in Fabulous Magazine
IN a few weeks I will become a mum. Like all first-time mums-to-be I feel a mixture of emotions, from excitement to anxiety and back again.
I still haven't packed my hospital bag and have only managed to tick a massive pack of Pampers off the long list of things to get.
Birth plans are encouraged but can prove difficult if, for some reason, you have to deviate, says Dr Zoe
But I keep reminding myself that if the baby was to make his or her appearance tomorrow, everything would be OK.
We live in a world where there are endless things you can get for your newborn, but if I was giving birth in a remote village in Africa I wouldn't be relying on all those mod-cons.
While I might not have got everything on our list, I have been doing things to prepare both physically and mentally.
Birth plans are encouraged but can prove difficult if, for some reason, you have to deviate.
Women can feel they failed. That's why I've tried not to get too stuck on one set plan.
Having had experience of obstetrics and gynaecology in my career, I had always thought about childbirth in very medical terms.
As a result, when I first found out I was pregnant I was really considering an elective C-section.
As a doctor, the only time you are generally called to a woman giving birth is if something is of concern or the mum-to-be is deemed high risk or has complications.
Most births can be handled by the wonderful midwives, without specialist intervention.
It's only since being pregnant myself that I've really appreciated that straightforward births are the norm.
I chose to have a doula – a trained companion who is not a healthcare professional – to help me through my pregnancy and birth.
TRAINED COMPANION
My partner Stuart and I have seen two doulas, Leti and Lauren, regularly and they've helped me address my over-medicalised view of childbirth while remaining evidence-based and appreciating scientific data.
Most women choose vaginal delivery and give birth without intervention.
As I have grown in confidence and felt my body do amazing things, growing and nurturing my baby, I have changed how I feel about birth.
I am leaning more towards having our baby at home, if my midwives deem it safe.
If I go into spontaneous labour before my due date, it's likely they will support my hope.
But if I go beyond my due date, an induction may be recommended due to my age of 41, and hospital is likely to become a more suitable place.
Whatever it takes to achieve that, we will do.
For more information on doulas, visit The Doula Directory.
The Year Of The Doula
by Lauren Millian
Why the isolation of the pandemic teamed with a rising celebrity trend has seen the ancient role of birthkeeper return to the fore.
THE DOULA ASSOCIATION - LAUNCH ANNOUNCEMENT
Today marks the official launch of The Doula Association, a not-for-profit organisation that supports doulas to support women, birthing people and new families during pregnancy, birth and postnatally. The official launch of The Doula Association coincides with the start of the 10th annual World Doula Week - which runs from March 22 to 28 - which this year, appropriately, bears the theme: #DoulasFindAWay.
A doula is a non-medical birth worker, trained to support and care for new parents: to guide them through the pregnancy, providing answers and resources; to prepare them for the birth and their first few days and weeks with their new baby; and to hold their hands, physically and metaphorically, through the biggest transition of their lives.
"I feel extremely proud to represent this group of talented doulas as we emerge from unarguably the most difficult period that any of us have endured," The Doula Association CEO, Kicki Hansard, says. "The past year has brought many challenges for birthing families and the doulas who support them, but the dedication, resilience, and perseverance of our doulas has improved birth and postnatal experiences for countless families across the country. Supporting each other as we support families, and working together to raise the collective profile of doulas, has seen us turn a corner in maternity care and mark the tenth annual World Doula Week with renewed commitment to our role."
In 2020 during the Covid Pandemic, the doulas at The BirthBliss Academy felt the overwhelming need for an organised and collaborative voice for doulas in the UK - an overarching body that could both care for and campaign for doulas who were working hard to support clients despite restrictions. The success of #ButNotMaternity campaign - which we began as a way of highlighting the difficulties and maternity inequalities faced by birthing families, doulas, and healthcare workers due to the pandemic - inspired us to create a more permanent supportive structure for doulas, and the idea of The Doula Association was born.
The Doula Association now represents more than 200 highly skilled professional doulas who offer both birth and postnatal support – providing information antenatally to help clients prepare for a calm birth, staying with them during labour to provide practical comfort measures, and helping at home as the new family settles in and tackles feeding, newborn sleep and postnatal recovery. Studies show that women who choose to work with a doula are less likely to have unwanted interventions, including caesarean and assisted birth; have shorter labours; are less likely to use analgesia or anaesthesia; are less likely to have a baby who needs to be referred to special care; and are less likely to have a negative birth experience. Postnatally, women working with a doula have greater breastfeeding success; more confidence in their abilities as a mother; and lower rates of postnatal depression.
For more information about The Doula Association and the work that we do, visit www.thedoulaassociation.org. The tenth annual World Doula Week takes place from March 22nd to 28th. For more information or to find doula support near you, visit www.thedouladirectory.com.
World Doula Week 2021
The rise of the doula: a lifeline for new mothers, but do you need one?
Not everyone has family to support them through pregnancy and childbirth; enter the doula, a modern Mary Poppins every parent could benefit from
The #ButNotMaternity Campaign Shows How Childbirth Became Covid's Forgotten Battleground
As birth partners remain locked out of scans, appointments and even the delivery room, a social media campaign is driving real change – but what is the long-term cost to the new families affected? Lauren Milligan investigates.
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text:
Die Nymphenburger Gespräche sind ein ideeller Zusammenschluss verschiedener Gruppen und Personen für interkulturellen und interreligiösen Dialog, gegründet 2007 in München.

Organisation

Das Organisationskomitee setzt sich aus Vertreterinnen und Vertretern der kooperierenden Gruppen und Personen zusammen. Seine Mitglieder vertreten unterschiedliche religiöse und kulturelle Traditionen. Die Mitglieder des Organisationskomitees sind aktuell (Stand: März 2022):

 Mehmed Celik (Interkulturelles Dialogzentrum München e.V.)
 Barbara Hepp (Evangelische Stadtakademie München)
 Robert Mucha (Münchner Volkshochschule – Programmbereich Philosophie & Religionen)
 Mehmet Pekince (Interkulturelles Dialogzentrum München e.V.)
 Andreas Renz (Erzbischöfliches Ordinariat München – Fachbereich Dialog der Religionen)
 Gabriela Schneider (Liberale Jüdische Gemeinde München Beth Shalom)
 Daniel Stern (Liberale Jüdische Gemeinde München Beth Shalom)
 Bayram Türksezer (Interkulturelles Dialogzentrum München e.V.)
 Stefan Jakob Wimmer (Freunde Abrahams e.V.)

Frühere Mitglieder des Organisationskomitees waren:
 Ralph Deja (Pax Christi München und Freising), bis 2022
 Jutta Höcht-Stöhr (Evangelische Stadtakademie München), bis 2021
 Isa Güzel (Interkulturelles Dialogzentrum München e.V.), bis 2020
 Matthias von Sarnowski (Stelle für interkulturelle Arbeit der LH München), bis 2019
 Antje Herbst (Stelle für interkulturelle Arbeit der LH München), bis 2016
 Margret Spohn (Stelle für interkulturelle Arbeit der LH München), bis 2015
 Stephan Leimgruber (Lehrstuhl für Religionspädagogik LMU), bis 2014

Schirmherr der Nymphenburger Gespräche ist Franz Herzog von Bayern, der Chef des Hauses Wittelsbach.

Programm
Die Veranstaltungen im Rahmen der Nymphenburger Gespräche finden im Umfeld von Schloss Nymphenburg, aber auch in anderen Veranstaltungsorten in München, wie z. B. im Großen Sitzungssaal des Neuen Rathauses, in der Münchner Residenz, im Künstlerhaus, im Hauptgebäude der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, u. a. statt. Zu den Referenten gehörten bisher Alois Glück (damaliger Präsident des Bayerischen Landtags), Ercan Karakoyun (Stadtsoziologe und Geschäftsleiter FID Berlin), Jörg Lau (Journalist "Die Zeit"), Marian Offman (damaliger Vizepräsident der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinde München und Oberbayern), Benjamin Idriz (Imam, Zentrum für Islam in Europa – München (ZIE-M)), Cem Özdemir (MdEP, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Mustafa Cerić (Großmufti von Bosnien und Herzegowina), Matthias Drobinski (Journalist, "Süddeutsche Zeitung"), Navid Kermani (Journalist und Schriftsteller), Eric Nelson (Generalkonsul der USA), Dirk Ippen  (Verleger "Münchner Merkur"), Jakob Finci (Präsident der Jüdischen Gemeinschaft von Bosnien und Herzegowina und Botschafter von Bosnien und Herzegowina in der Schweiz), Mathias Rohe (Richter a.D und Islamwissenschaftler, Universität Erlangen), Thomas Michel SJ (Washington und Päpstlicher Rat für den interreligiösen Dialog, Vatikan), Rainer Hermann (Abu Dhabi, Redakteur "Frankfurter Allgemeine"), Leonid R. Sykiainen (Jurist und Orientalist, Universität Moskau), Savas Genc (Politologe, Universität Istanbul), Ruprecht Polenz (MdB, CDU), Christel Morehouse (Bertelsmann Stiftung), Hamed Abdel-Samad (Autor), Ahmad Milad Karimi (Islamwissenschaftler), Ilija Trojanow (Autor), u. a. – Zum fünften Jubiläum wurde am 21. November 2012 eine Podiumsveranstaltung im Münchner Künstlerhaus mit den Spitzenkandidaten der Landtagswahl 2013 zur Frage nach "Migration, Integration und Willkommenskultur" veranstaltet. Seit 2014 werden in der Veranstaltungsreihe "Die neuen Gesichter Deutschlands" Personen wie Timofey Neshitov (Journalist), Aylin Aykan (Pianistin), Lamya Kaddor (muslim. Religionspädagogin), Ahmad Mansour (Psychologe und Autor) u. a. vorgestellt.

Selbstverständnis
Nach eigener Darstellung liegen "Grundlage und Voraussetzung für die Nymphenburger Gespräche in der Wahrnehmung gesellschaftlicher Verantwortung, die im entschiedenen Engagement für ein friedliches Miteinander der unterschiedlichen Gruppierungen in der Gesellschaft konkret wird. ... Probleme unserer Gesellschaft sind herkunfts-, religions- und kulturunabhängig. Die Nymphenburger Gespräche wollen insbesondere dazu beitragen, das gesellschaftliche Miteinander unterschiedlicher kultureller, religiöser und ethnischer Gruppierungen zu fördern, das Gespräch solcher Gruppierungen miteinander in Gang zu bringen und in Gang zu halten und konkrete Lösungsmöglichkeiten der Probleme auf dem Weg dahin zu diskutieren, vorzuschlagen und der Verwirklichung näher zu bringen. Die gemeinsamen Werte, die alle Menschen einigen, nämlich das Ethos der Humanität, stellen die Basis dieser Bemühungen dar."

Als Zielsetzung wird formuliert:

"Oberstes  Ziel der Nymphenburger Gespräche ist es, als Impulsgeber für die Multiplikatoren des interkulturellen und interreligiösen Dialogs zu dienen, die zum Ziel haben, das friedliche Zusammenleben zwischen Angehörigen von unterschiedlichen Kulturen, Religionen und Nationen zu fördern und das Bewusstsein über die gemeinsamen Werte in der Gesellschaft zu stärken. Die Nymphenburger Gespräche sollen dazu beitragen, dass die kulturelle und religiöse Vielfalt als Bereicherung empfunden und diese Vielfalt innerhalb unserer Stadt München voll zur Geltung gebracht wird.
Dabei verkennen wir nicht die gefährlichen Tendenzen, die unsere Gesellschaft zu spalten drohen: Dialogverweigerung, gegenseitige Abgrenzung und Ausgrenzung, religiös begründete Unverträglichkeit der Kulturen und Traditionen, Bewahrung der eigenen Identität durch Verteufelung der anderen. Genau diesen Tendenzen wollen die Nymphenburger Gespräche entgegenwirken. Es gibt keine vernünftige Alternative zum Dialog."

Weblinks
 Nymphenburger Gespräche – Plattform für Dialog
 Ausländerbeirat, Seite 30 (PDF; 1,7 MB)

Belege

Interkultureller Dialog
Interreligiöser Dialog
Schloss Nymphenburg
Religion (München)
Nymphenburg


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