Political Topics

IRS Scrutinizes World's Largest Internet Evangelist - Bill Keller Says Supreme Court if Necessary

2008-07-02T07:53:00.001-07:00

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by Rev. Michael Bresciani

The story written by Laurie Goodstein broke in The New York Times Politics Blog June 23, 2008 and has garnered blog responses from around the nation. Keller who operates a live daily broadcast from St. Petersburg Florida and delivers a detailed daily devotional to over two million opt in subscribers is under a non-profit status as a Christian religious organization. By law he is prohibited from either endorsing or opposing candidates. This limitation includes anyone running for public office from the local selectman to presidential candidates.

In the early stages of the Republican primary race Keller created a media stir with the phrase "A vote for Romney is a vote for Satan." It is that statement that seemed to get the attention of the IRS which now says Keller is involved in partisan politics and using his ministry as a vehicle for that purpose. "No" says Keller who states that his warnings about Romney were for religious reasons only. Keller repeatedly stated that the Mormon religion is in no way representative of "biblical Christianity."

Not everyone is convinced that Keller is out of whack. One blogger on The Caucus blogs of The New York Times June 24, 2008 "Funny; Obama can stand in the pulpit of a church on Sunday morning .no investigationhe speaks to the national convention of his churchthe IRS says that is OKyet an internet evangelist calls out Romney for being part of a cult and lying to people about being a Christian and he is investigated???"

The IRS will have a hard time deciding if Keller has violated his 501-C standing because the lines are blurred. In his own ministry Keller is bound to inform his adherents of possible dangers from people professing to be Christians when they are not. It is a biblical mandate. That is probably why Professor T. Wayne Bailey of Stetson University was quoted in the Tampa Bay Times for saying ""I think, in the past, when it became a controversial issue, the authorities have gone far afield to presume in the direction of the right of free expression. So unless someone commits a hard and fast violation, I think administrations have simply relied on caution rather than punishment."

Bill Keller has recently stated in the national media that Sen. Obama is not a Christian. In his daily devotional for June 26, 2008 Keller informed his 2.4 million subscribers that "The story broke across the nation Tuesday that Liveprayer has been under investigation by the IRS for possibly violating our tax exemption for holding Mitt Romney accountable for his lies and deceit about what the Mormon cult really believes. This has not silenced me or deterred me from doing the same regarding Senator Barack Hussein Obama's claims that he is a Christian, when his own words and actions clearly show he is not. So many in the Liveprayer family emailed me their love and prayers and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. We cooperated fully and on time with the IRS and our attorneys are confident we did nothing wrong and will be fully exonerated."

For more information about LivePrayer go to http://www.liveprayer.com Rev Bresciani is an author and contributor to dozens of online Christian, politics and online magazines. For great articles, movie reviews and more visit http://www.americanprophet.org

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Do You Know About Business Culture in Shanghai?

2008-07-01T11:29:00.001-07:00

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by Layla Manon

Shanghai is the birthplace of everything considered modern in China; and was the cultural and economic center of East Asia for the first half of the twentieth century. It was the intellectual battleground between socialist writers who concentrated on critical realism.

Because of Shanghai's history as an immigrant city with strong foreign influence, it has developed a unique culture that combines West with East. This mix has given Shanghainese certain tendencies and characteristics, often called haipai, or Shanghai style.

Because they are more familiar with Westerners than Chinese in other parts of China, Shanghainese tend to treat Westerners more equally, thus allowing Western businesspeople to cooperate more easily with the Shanghainese. Shanghainese also tend to adopt Western ways of business and conform to international standards.

For instance, most people agree that the rule of law is stronger in Shanghai than in most other parts of China, as, historically, most residents were immigrants and could not rely on traditional social structures for support; everyone had to follow common rules to make a living. Thus, contracts tend to be honored more often in Shanghai than in other parts of China.

Because of Shanghai's comparatively mobile population, Shanghainese are inclined to maintain good relationships with social contacts over the short term and keep the level of socialization relatively shallow. Unlike Beijingers, who tend to forge friendships with business partners and sometimes take risks for their friends, Shanghainese seldom mix emotions with business. Shanghainese tend to accept renqing (interpersonal harmony)reluctantly, return renqing quickly, and exchange favors of equal value.

Shanghainese also tend to focus on economic interests, value individualism, and emphasize practicality by ignoring politics and showing concern for individual interests. In Shanghai, as long as money can be made, strangers can quickly form bonds.

Shanghai and the surrounding environs all have special economic zones (SEZs) which offer different tax incentives etc. The best way to get this information is to contact your consulate in Shanghai or the Chinese consulate in your home country. The new financial and industrial/manufacturing center of Pudong is also one of the best bets for tax writeoffs and other incentives.

Find Shanghai society culture and more useful information about business culture on Shanghai resources.

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Can Democrats run the country

2008-06-23T11:55:00.001-07:00

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by athard

The Democrats are a perfect example of political hypocrisy in the United States. They have spoken at length about the need to unite America but haven't been able to be united themselves. The Hillary versus Barack Obama battle is an example of this. Hillary Clinton went out of her way to find dirt on Obama and when she couldn't, she just adopted the Republican tactics of creating dirt on Obama and scaring people with it.

In the endeavor to win the nomination, Hillary kept on hurting Obama and some of the wounds may not heal in time for the big battle with McCain. She and her camp spent time and resources to slander Obama. While John McCain secured the nomination and went on to campaign for the white house, these two battled it out and just made each other weaker.

The blame doesn't lie with Hillary alone. Everyone knows how power hungry and ruthless the Clintons can be. But what about the Democrats? They never once ventured to stop Hillary and ask her to play fair. They knew that the party was being hurt and that a spot in the White House is at risk, yet they stepped aside while Hillary tried to undemocratically secure the nomination.

Two months before Obama secured the nomination, the super delegates could have cast their votes and ended this. Instead, they chose to sit back.

What makes these "leaders" qualified to run the country if they can't even step in and do the right thing for their party? Why wait? The time to do the right it is ALWAYS right now.

So my question is, when it comes to doing the right thing for the country, will they step up or will they step aside?

http://www.whois-barack-obama.com

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Pittsburgh Newspapers

2008-06-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

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by J.R. Scott

There are two main Pittsburgh Newspapers. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Each of these papers has it's good and bad. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette leans to the left, the Tribune Review toward the right with a bit of a Libertarian slant. If these leanings were not true than why do these papers endorse candidates. Granted at times these endorsements cross party lines but that is an exception rather than the rule. It should be the responsibility of any media outlet to report on politics and not endorse candidates or take a partisan stance on the news. This however is not practical given human limitations and ego. I personally do not believe we will ever see true neutrality in reporting. The Pittsburgh newspapers I am discussing are just an example of the media in general in the United States, while the bias is a problem things could be worse. At least we know they are not government controlled.

These Pittsburgh newspapers the Post Gazette and Tribune review suffer from the same problems that most media outlets do. Unfortunately some people get there news from an even worse source. I prefer to refer to them as the windbags . These windbags are not journalists. For the most part I don't believe they claim to be. Some people however use them as their source of news. This is not so much a problem in Pittsburgh Newspapers and other print media as the opinion and editorial section is clearly labeled. Be warned, sometimes these windbags do get print space in other parts of the paper though. Who are these windbags? It is not hard to spot them. These windbags generally do not try to hide their political opinions. They tend not to ever sway in their support of certain politicians even when faced with evidence of misdoings by said politicians. Most of these windbags are closed minded people not willing to truly see the other side of the argument. Windbags of one side will often battle opposing windbags in hopes of increasing ratings. Just a couple of examples are Keith Olbermann and Bill O'reilly. It is important to realize these windbags are not journalists. They are commentators. The so-called news they report has been totally spun before dissemination. The windbags are indeed fun to watch at times but are no more enlightening than The Jerry Springer Show. We do have windbags in Pittsburgh News papers, I'll let you decide who they are.

There are some solutions to the problem of media bias in Pittsburgh Newspapers as well as any media outlet.

First you could not read the paper, not watch the news and be an uninformed citizen. This is not really a good solution and is not being a responsible citizen.

The other solution is to read both (sometimes there are more than two) sides of the story. In my opinion this is the perfect solution to an unavoidable problem. To become truly informed get out of your comfort zone. If you only get the news from a source who's political leanings agree with yours, you will never really be informed. There are three sides to every story. Get the rights take on it, the lefts take on it, and you should find the truth somewhere in the middle.

I do not believe there is middle ground in any media that exists today. The thought of no bias in reporting is a bit of a pipe dream. It is the responsibility of journalists however to not let this bias actually jeopardize the dissemination of fact. To be properly informed especially on matters that may be political one should probably read both Pittsburgh newspapers, and come to a judgment decision or opinion based on the case presented by either side.

I realize that my take on the Pittsburgh newspapers may not be the same as everyone else's. I guess that make me a commentator. The views that have been expressed are my opinions. I'm sure some may even call me a windbag. I just feel that it is the responsibility of every citizen to become informed especially in such an important election year. So the next time you pick up a newspaper in Pittsburgh why not pick up a copy of the Post Gazette as well as a copy of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

http://city-of-pittsburgh.net

Just about all media swings left or right ,Pittsburgh newspapers are a great example of how one offsets the other. The city of Pittsburgh

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We Need Cheap Gas Not Cheap Talk

2008-06-18T05:32:00.001-07:00

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by melpol

The foundation of the universe is energy. Nothing is possible without its existence. In the beginning there was only pure energy--some call it God. We on earth basically depend on the Sun and oil as our chief source of energy. Without the Sun we would die. It was once possible to survive without using oil, but it has now become the life force of civilization. Owners of the oil supplies are the most powerful people in the world,and that is why wars are now being fought over the rights to the oil fields in the Middle-East. The winners will get the big prize---enough cheap energy to keep their populations living in prosperity. The losers will suffer poverty,chaos and beg for mercy.

Every product you use is dependent on oil. The foods you eat comes from a farm that needs oil for its harvesters. The crops are nourished by oil based fertilizers and insecticides. It takes lots of oil to manufacture food packaging machinery and paper containers. Refrigerated trucks are needed to get food to the markets. Some have to travel over a thousand miles and use many tanks of diesel fuel in order to feed us. Oil is as important as our blood because we have lost the ability to live without it.

The oil pumps of the world are going full blast. They have what the world needs and they are feeding it to them as fast as possible. Billions are being invested in oil drilling but as much as they drill they can`t keep up with the demand. One of the reasons for this is the worlds population is growing to quickly. The other reason is that the amount of oil in the ground has reached its limit and increased production has become almost impossible. If that is true and the demand keeps increasing we will soon be fighting for every drop of oil.

The United States is the largest consumer of oil in the world and in order to guard our way of life we must protect our oil supplies. If you use your imagination, think what would happen if we had to pay unaffordable prices for gas. There would be chaos and famine. All responsible Americans should do all that is possible to prevent that tragedy from happening.The best way to do that would be to pick a leader that would make sure we had affordable gas and plenty of it. We are now lucky to have the opportunity to pick a man with military experience and a fighters disposition. He will never let Americans beg for oil. I am speaking about John McCain. But if you are a dreamer like John Lennon and want to imagine a world full of peaceful and content people---vote for the other guy. But be ready to ride a bicycle looking for a job.
melpol

http://www.associatedcontent.com/melpol

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The World's Biggest Pollution Factory

2008-06-17T05:42:00.001-07:00

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by Peter Navarro

The coal that has powered China's economic growth . . . is also choking its people.

-- Elizabeth C. Economy

At the root of many of China's air-quality problems is its heavy dependence on relatively high-sulfur, low-quality coal for everything from electricity generation and industrial production to cooking and space heating in the home. China relies on coal for almost 75% of its energy needs. In fact, each year, China consumes more coal than Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States combined.

The scale and scope of China's coal power plant construction program is almost beyond one's imagination. Consider that every single week, China adds one new large coal power plant to its energy base. Every single year, China builds enough new coal plants to light up the entire British Isles. In any given year, the amount of coal-fired capacity that China is building amounts to more than double that of the entire electricity-generating capacity of the state of California-more than 100 gigawatts. That China's coal appetites are voracious is aptly captured in this passage from the Wall Street Journal:

"On a recent hazy morning in eastern China, the Wuhu Shaoda power company revved up its production of electricity, burning a ton and a half of coal per minute to satisfy more than half the demand of Wuhu, an industrial city of two million people. "

It's not just the quantity of coal used by China that matters. The large amount of coal in China's "energy mix" is quite different from virtually all the other major economies of the world, which depend much more on oil. China's heavy coal dependence, coupled with a woeful lack of pollution-control technologies, make China's air-quality problem a very different one from that of developed countries, such as the United States and Germany, in at least three ways:

First, unlike in the United States, Germany, or Japan where sophisticated pollution-control technologies are deployed, much of what Chinese power plants and factories spew in the air is not just sulfur dioxide but also a high percentage of fine particulate matter. This is a critical observation because particulate matter is the most damaging form of airborne pollutants.

Second, small cities in China are no better off than large cities in terms of ambient air quality. This is because small cities are as likely as large cities to depend on coal in both their residential and commercial sectors. That means that China's pollution woes are spread over the entire country in cities small and large rather than concentrated in a few large industrial hubs.

Third, unlike the developed world where the automobile is the single largest source of air pollution, China's current problem is primarily a "stationary source" one. These stationary sources range from large coal-fired power plants in huge factory towns to small coal-fired stoves and heaters in peasant homes.

The nightmare here is that even if China is able to get better pollution controls on its power plants, and even if it is able to convert some of its population to natural gas cooking, China's air basins are still likely to be overwhelmed in the next several decades by an explosion in the number of new vehicles on Chinese roads. Just consider this astonishing statistic reported by Elizabeth C. Economy: China is now adding 15,000 new cars a day to its roads, and it expects to have more cars than the United States -- as many as 130 million -- as early as 2040. In addition, Elizabeth C. Economy also reports the following:

First, China is expected to construct fully half of all the buildings in the world over the next 25 years. Beyond sheer quantity, the nightmare here is that these buildings will be electricity sinkholes because Chinese buildings are notoriously energy inefficient. This will only further exacerbate China's coal dependence and collaterally gargantuan pollution emissions.

Second, China plans to move almost a half a billion peasants off the farm into factories and cities over the next several decades. As a rule, urbanites introduced to the magic of refrigerators, TVs, and toasters use more than three times the amount of energy as their rural counterparts.

On top of all this, Chinese manufacturers are extremely energy inefficient. To produce an equivalent amount of goods, they use six times more resources than the United States, seven times more resources than Japan, and, most embarrassingly, three times more resources than India, to which China is most frequently compared. If ever there were a blueprint for a global pollution factory, China would be the model.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Coming China Wars
by Peter Navarro
Published by FT Press; May 2008;$15.99US/$17.99CAN; 978-0-13-235982-5
Copyright © 2008 Peter Navarro

Author Bio
Peter Navarro a business professor at the University of California-Irvine, is the author of the best- selling investment book If It's Raining in Brazil, Buy Starbucks and the path-breaking management book, The Well-Timed Strategy. Professor Navarro is a widely sought after and gifted public speaker and a regular CNBC contributor. Prior to joining CNBC, he appeared frequently on Bloomberg TV, CNN, and NPR, as well as on all three major network news shows. He has testified before Congress and the U.S.-China Commission and his work has appeared in publications ranging from Business Week, the L.A. Times, and New York Times to the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Harvard Business Review. His book, The Coming China Wars, is available from FT Press.

www.peternavarro.com; www.comingchinawars.com

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The World's Biggest Pollution Factory

2008-06-16T04:45:00.001-07:00

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Volatility Rocks The Investment Markets

2008-06-13T05:08:00.001-07:00

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by sanserve

Gets your attention, doesn't it? The unfortunate thing though, is that most people will react negatively to this intentionally inflammatory, media-ready, title statement. Has some Wall Street virus attacked our financial experience memory chip? Bouncing around unpredictably is precisely what the markets have always done. In the last forty years, there have been no less than ten 20% or greater corrections followed by rallies that brought the markets to significantly higher levels. Volatility is not a bad thing--- a non-event, even.

Ironically, it is this routine volatility (caused by hundreds of human, economic, political, and natural variables) that is the only real certainty existent in the financial markets. Would anyone be happy with market prices that didn't change? Should anyone expect market valuations that only go up? So what's all the anxiety, scrambling, and crying about? As absurd as this may sound at first blush, you will never become a successful investor until you are able to embrace market volatility as your dearest and closest friend.

The Wall Street media is also your friend, because it fans investor emotions to the point where rational thinking becomes impossible for most participants. My observation the other night at dinner (that the 400 point drop in the DJIA had provided an opportunity to purchase dozens of IGV stocks at bargain prices) was met with vacant stares. When I added that nearly half of those stocks had been sold profitably in recent weeks--- you can imagine the shocked silence that followed.

Investor perceptions of volatility need to be rearranged. When you allow more than an up-only smiley face into your understanding of the markets, you will be able to position yourself to actually take advantage of the volatility while it is happening. When you realize that the causes of market gyrations are not nearly as important as the opportunities for bargain hunting and profit taking that they produce, you'll be able to grow and to protect your portfolios from your emotional dark side.

Let's talk about reality. There are many different ways that professional investors and speculators make their fortunes in the financial markets. The key is to know whether the path you are following is too speculative for the destination you are seeking. Over the past twenty years or so, the stock market has provided the best returns for most investors--- yes, even better than commodities, currencies, and ETFs (which didn't exist even ten years ago). But balanced investment portfolios, those containing both investment grade value stocks and income generating securities have probably surpassed all others.

Let's talk about causation. There are far too many variables affecting the movement of security prices to allow for accurate prediction of either the scope or duration of short-term gyrations. Every rally produces both a bubble of some kind and the pin that will eventually do the bursting. Hindsight identifies all the culprits and promises to regulate them out of the system so that the future will be different. Don't kid yourself. The next rally will come to the same bloody end as its predecessors. Volatility Rocks!

But this year we have the opportunity to assure that our economic future will be better. Much of the current skittishness in the financial markets is caused by multiple economic concerns and the incredibly naive resolution ideas being spouted by the presidential candidates. And there are other, somehow out of the limelight, economic issues that politicians are afraid to even consider. The primary economic issues (jobs, energy, and economic growth) need to be joined by Social Security reform, corporate tax reform, and term limitations in congress.

No president, no matter how bold, can bring about meaningful change without a less self-serving cast of characters in the legislative branch. But this kind of change can't happen until we replace the current batch of pork barrel politicians with a new group of change orientated decision makers. Today's congress legislates mind-numbing regulations that stifle creativity and economic growth. Investors need to support fewer "taxors" and to elect a whole new group of economic facilitators. Throw out the incumbents this November.

You just don't create jobs by taxing, regulating, and otherwise strangling the job creators. In most communities, local governments think of their non-voting corporate citizens as ratables instead of as job providers. Serious jobs would be created, and general price reductions produced (good or bad for the GDP?), through a controlled elimination of all income taxation on legitimate corporate job providers. Of course it would have to be regulated to assure jobs, price reductions, and shareholder benefits, and not just more perks for obscenely paid executives.

Similarly, taxing gasoline production and delivery organizations is not going to bring down the price per barrel of crude oil. But "taxing" the cartel that fixes the prices instead of bribing them with protection from their enemies could work almost as well as tapping into our own abundant supply and adding some long-needed refining capacity. Eliminating state and federal gasoline taxes and fees and taxes on interstate truckers would produce many cost/price benefits as well.

Economic growth, more jobs, and lower prices could be the immediate result of two relatively simple changes that neither of the Presidential hopefuls have the courage to even whisper about. Without nearly enough detail: (1) Over a five-year period, change Social Security to a mandated-contribution, deferred, individual fixed annuity program managed on a flat fee basis by 15-year experienced insurance companies. No variable (stock market) benefit plans would be allowed; all citizens would be eligible to participate, and all employed persons (Congress included) would be enrolled automatically. Contributions would be reduced and employer participation eliminated.

(2) Eliminate all taxation on any form of retirement income immediately, and phase out all taxation on all forms of investment income over a five-year period. Replace those taxes with a 1% Federal sales tax an all goods and services except food, shelter, clothing, and health care.

Then, we can start to replace the Internal Revenue Code with something simple, protect shareholders from unconscionable corporate executive compensation, and come up with a solution for providing adequate healthcare to everyone.

We have met the enemy and he is us--- Walt Kelly, Pogo

Stock market,investing,volatility,portfolio,mutual funds,DJIA,social security,jobs,oil prices,IRC,IRAs,retirement income,401(k),tax reform,rally,correction,gasoline,president,election,media,Wall Street

Steve Selengut http://www.sancoservices.com/ http://www.kiawahgolfinvestmentseminars.com Author of: "The Brainwashing of the American Investor: The Book that Wall Street Does Not Want YOU to Read", and "A Millionaire's Secret Investment Strategy"

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The Pentagon's Battle Plan Is To Go Green

2008-06-12T05:56:00.001-07:00

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by James William Smith

The vote was 324-84 as the United States House of Representatives recently approved legislation allowing the Justice Department to sue members of OPEC . The House bill blames OPEC for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices. In effect, it says that gas and oil prices in America are too high and that OPEC should therefore produce more product.

Of course, the vote is a study in congressional hypocrisy as many of the same members, who for decades have opposed drilling for oil and gas in various parts of the United States, voted in favor of holding OPEC accountable for not producing enough. The sad reality for the Congress of the United States is that with the price of a barrel of oil now in excess of $125 and prices at the gas pump near or above $4.00 per gallon, the American public can now clearly see the dubious consequences of not having developed a coherent long term domestic energy strategy.

There is no short term solution to this worldwide energy shortage, either. The energy requirements of rapidly developing nations have combined with a lack of alternative energy planning to initiate the perfect energy storm for the consumer. There is just not enough supply to meet increasing long term energy demand. However, this economic reality eludes the grasp of the Washington beltway politicians. So, Congress wastes its time voting to sue OPEC for not producing more oil. An action, that if ever implemented, would certainly drive the price of oil and gas even higher.

The long term solution to the energy problem is independence from the very oil and gas sources that Congress is trying to sue OPEC to provide more of. In fact, the best examples of a future path to energy independence can be seen in the initiatives that the U.S. military has been using to address its own energy consumption.

Historically, the military has been a huge national energy hog. It consumes 340,000 barrels of oil a day, or 1.5% of all of the oil used in the country. The Defense Department's overall energy bill was $13.6 billion in 2006 (latest figure available). In fact, the Air Force's bill for jet fuel alone has tripled to $6 billion in just the past four years.

However, the Air Force is not acting like the U.S. Congress when confronted with the spiraling cost of energy. It is actually trying to do something tangible about the problem. The Air Force has been experimenting with alternative fuels to reduce its foreign dependence on energy while reducing cost. Their plan is to create a supersonic synthetic-fuel for the B-1 bomber. The Air Force is also experimenting to make engine parts out of lighter metals, such as titanium, in order boost fuel efficiency.

Meanwhile an Air Force base called Nellis near Las Vegas has just opened one of the largest solar arrays in the U.S., a 140-acre field of 72,000 motorized panels that powers the base and sells energy to nearby communities. The Pentagon is soliciting bids for three similar arrays on other bases. Another Air Force program in Iraq is turning the trash from Air Force bases into bio fuel.

The truth is that, for the last several years, the Pentagon has sponsored various initiatives to find solutions to the increasing cost of energy. These initiatives can be seen in all branches of military services. In the Army, engineers are instructing contractors to build armored vehicles with hybrid engines. In addition, research is well under way to explore the possibility of building small nuclear-power plants on unused portions of remote army bases.

The United States military has also sponsored a futuristic plan to collect solar energy on satellites and beam it back to Earth. This space-based solar power would use solar panel arrays to gather sunlight in orbit. It would then beam power down to Earth in the form of microwaves or a laser. Energy would be collected in antennas on the ground and then converted to electricity. Unlike solar panels based on the ground, solar power satellites placed in orbit above the Earth could operate at night and during cloudy conditions.

In fact, solar-power-generating satellites could also solve supply problems in distant places such as Iraq, where fuel is currently trucked along in dangerous convoys and the cost of electricity for some bases can exceed $1 per kilowatt-hour, about 10 times what it costs in the US. This technology has the potential to provide a clean, abundant energy source and reduce global competition for oil.

The Pentagon's battle plan to combat the ever increasing price of energy is to go green. Indeed, it is the use of American creativity and ingenuity that will solve our energy crisis in the future. The Pentagon certainly gets it. The absurd Congressional law suit against OPEC shows just how much the Washington beltway politicians do not.

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com

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Hereward Legendary Hero

2008-06-11T06:37:00.001-07:00

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by Fred Watson

All the countries of the world have their legendary heroes and the small group of islands that make up the United Kingdom have their fair share. One of those heroes was Hereward the Wake (wary) who led a group of resistance fighters against the forces of William the Conqueror who subjugated England in 1066. Hereward's group a mixture of Saxons and Danes and even the monks from the Abbey held the island of Ely deep in the marshland swamps of the Fens. The island was a place of thick reeds, disappearing paths and drowning pools, surrounded by forested areas of land and an ideal base for the resistance fighters.

As a youth Hereward was a bit of a hell-raiser (possibly because his father married his mother under Danelaw and as the son of a second wife he would have been considered the bastard son of a concubine in the eyes of the Christian community) and caused so much trouble that his father Earl Leofric of Mercia approached the then king, Edward the Confessor and asked him to exile his wayward son. The king agreed and sometime after his eighteenth birthday Hereward was declared an outlaw. (Meaning that the law gave him neither rights nor protection within his own country).

Outlawed in England, Hereward travelled first to the Scottish borders and after various adventures in Scotland, Cornwall and Ireland, his ship was nearly wrecked in a storm and he ended up in Flanders. Going under an assumed name he fought in the Flemish war and twice in other wars.

In the year 1066 the Norman William the Conqueror or (Duke William the Bastard) ended Anglo Saxon Rule in England by defeating Harold Godwinson at he battle of Hastings. To the victors go the spoils of war and after usurping the English throne, William seized many of lands and titles belonging to the English lords and doled them out to his Norman followers.

In 1067/8 Hereward returned to Bourne where his family held land. His father had died ten years before and now he found that in seizing his father's lands, the Normans had beheaded his young brother and mounted his head above the door. In retaliation Hereward slew fourteen Normans including their lord and mounted their heads in place of his brother's.

As soon as the news of the killings spread men came to join him and help defend his land against the French. Altogether he collected a sizable band of over forty men and on hearing that resistance fighters held the Isle of Ely he joined them and became their leader. From Ely Hereward would send raiding parties out to attack Norman travellers and soldiers, then disappeared back into the swamps again. One of those raids was carried out after the death Abbot Brand. On hearing that the abbot was to be replaced by a Norman, Hereward and his men attacked the Abbey of Peterborough and stripped it of its riches. Back in the swamp Hereward let it be known that he had stolen the treasure to prevent it falling into the hands of the Normans.

Three times William tried unsuccessfully to build causeways out to Ely but failed and he didn't try again. What he did instead was threaten to confiscate the lands belonging to the Abbey and one of the monks led the Norman forces along a secret path to the island. Hereward and some of his men escaped and continued their resistance to the Norman. But eventually William and he made peace. Legend has it that Hereward died as heroes' death some time later. He was attacked by sixteen men and killed them all with his famous sword Brainbiter, but was overpowered and stabbed to death by four men who came at him from behind.

Fred Watson published his first book, a fantasy adventure novel aimed at the 8-12 age group, in November 2006. A grandfather of four, he loves to write for all age groups, has an abiding interest in history and continues on a regular basis to add new stories etc to his website. Footprint Publishing

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Healthy, Wealthy and Wise?

2008-06-10T04:58:00.001-07:00

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by Andrew L. Yarrow

What two vital features of American national life are inordinately costly compared to any other country, no longer deliver world-beating results, are increasingly inequitable, are highly dysfunctional, and elicit growing anger from much of the country's population?

It's not a trick question, but the very fact of these parallels is more than worth pondering.

The answer -- the two H's of health care and higher education. How did two sectors that had been proud symbols of American greatness from the late 19th to the late 20th centuries become emblematic of deep social and economic problems and the nation's slide from global pre-eminence?

America's overall health care bill has soared to about two and a quarter trillion dollars, about 17 percent of GDP -- up from 13 percent of a smaller economic pie just a decade ago, and headed toward 20 percent in a decade. This is roughly double the percentage for Western Europe, Canada, Japan, and other rich countries. Waste and vast overhead costs, overuse of medical services, insufficient competition, and lack of information about most cost-effective practices are among the culprits. Might as well trade in your flat-screen TV for a home MRI machine.

With private-college costs higher than median income, the United States now spends about 3 percent of GDP on higher educationagain, roughly twice the percentage of virtually every other rich country, and they've increased about 3 ½ percentage points faster than GDP growth for the last several decades. Excessive demand making higher ed a seller's market, an "educational arms race" among colleges to have the fanciest facilities, and inadequate financial accountability are just a few of the reasons.

The problem would be bad enough in both sectors if it were just a matter of cost. But it's not. Not long ago, the United States was arguably tops in quality and results in both arenas.

The World Health Organization says that about three dozen other nations have better aggregate health-care outcomes, and the RAND Corporation found that barely half of the treatments that Americans receive are considered "best practices." Similarly, the OECD reports that about a dozen other nations have higher college graduation rates than the United States.

To make matters worse, a nation whose cherished ideals of equality were advanced immeasurably during the 20th century by the diffusion of high-quality health care and higher education now has become troublingly inequitable in both areas. Fifty million Americans lack health insurance and tens of millions of others have limited medical coverage, and access to good care varies tremendously by income. The wealthy get an Alfa Romeo system, the middle class a Toyota one, and the lower-income Americans get a beat-up-old Chevy.

Few Americans are happy with their medical care, and the once-beneficent image of the medical profession as a selfless corps of Marcus Welbys has given way to the more prevalent belief that doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies are greedy, insensitive, fearful, incompetent, and as honest as the proverbial used-care salesman. Likewise, 75 to 80 percent of Americans are worried about college costs and debt, barley half think that students get a valuable return on higher education, half believe that colleges "mainly care about the bottom line," and three-fifths think that talented students do not have the opportunity to attend college (the numbers are higher among African Americans and Hispanics).

The factors driving the parallel fall from grace of American health care and higher education may be different, but the potential damage to a prosperous, optimistic American future in both cases is enormous. With both, serious cost control, standardization of high quality, and much greater equity are desperately needed.

Higher ed not only requires greater accountability, in part through regulation and tax policy, but also a radical re-think: Does every teen-ager really need to go to four-year colleges, and does every college need to look like a swank corporate conference center? And public dollars need to be freed from the burdens of entitlement spending at the federal and state levels to re-invigorate higher education.

How to control costs, particularly in health care, is the multi-trillion-dollar question of our generation. Universal insurance (not care), with government premium support, combined with some "managed competition" among insurance providers, greater cost-sharing (i.e., individuals paying more out of pocket), increased regulation of health-care providers and their costs (including overhead), a greater emphasis on public health, medical malpractice reform, some rationing of care, and use of information technology to disseminate best and most-cost-effective practices and maintain a national medical-records database all could help contain costs.

Without such changes, America simply won't be healthy, wealthy, or wise.

Andrew L. Yarrow, Washington director and vice president of Public Agenda, a nonpartisan think tank, is a professor of U.S. history at American University, and the author of Forgive Us Our Debts, a book about the causes, consequences, and cures for America's national debt, published by Yale University Press this spring.

http:/www.publicagenda.com/ http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/book.asp?isbn=9780300123531

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Golden Jubilees

2008-06-06T06:22:00.001-07:00

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by Dr. D.S. Merchant

"In August, 1935, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah completed 50 years of his spiritual leadership and the Ismailis decided to pay a memorable tribute to their Imam by weighing him against gold and making a present of it, as a mark of their love and gratitude. For this grand program, an All-India Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee had been formed, which was inaugurated by Lady Aly Shah on October 16, 1935 at Bombay. Sir Ibrahim Rehmatullah was elected its President and Ghulam Ali Merchant as the Vice-President. Its working committee assigned Pir Sabzali to generate necessary donations through out India. The funds raising campaign started on October 23, 1935 from Kathiawar. He succeeded to collect a sum of five lac rupees in India.

Bombay was the venue for the celebrations in India. Huge crowd in festive and solemn mood had gathered at Hasanabad to attend the unique occasion on January 19, 1936. When the Imam and Begum arrived at 10.35 a.m. to receive one of the most spectacular ovations from a crowd of over 30,000 Ismailis, every inch of space in the Hasanabad ground was taken up. The Imam took his seat on the gadi embroidered in gold with the coat of arms of his family. To his right sat his mother, Lady Aly Shah, and to his left sat the Begum.

Mr. Ghulam Ali Merchant, Vice-President of the All India Golden Jubilee Committee made his welcome speech, saying: "Most reverently and respectfully I request that Your Highness will allow yourself to be weighed in gold on this happy and auspicious occasion, and accept the gold so weighed a humble token of our love, devotion and gratitude to Your Highness for all the unbounded bounty and benefits that Your Highness' followers have deriving during Your Highness' Imamate for the last 50 years."

The Imam rose from his gadi amidst great cheers and joy of the followers, and moved towards the weighing scale and took his seat on rich soft cushions placed for him. The weighing scale showed 3200 ounces of gold as his weight, valuing about 3,35,000 rupees.

Replying to the address, the Imam said: "I accept with great pleasure the gold my dear spiritual children have offered me and give them my loving and paternal spiritual blessings. I have decided to use the gold for the uplift of the spiritual children and appoint Mr. Ghulam Ali Merchant....to devise the best means of applying not only the income of this gold but the corpus also for intensive uplift work by way of all kinds of scholarships, relief by emigration from congested districts, infant welfare and other beneficial works."

The next Golden Jubilee celebrations at Nairobi, Kenya on March 1, 1936 was also as grand as those in Bombay. Once again the gold was presented to the Imam by the followers as a token of love , and once more the Imam returned the gift for the welfare of the Ismaili community.

Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali is an popular Ismaili Scholar, Written many books on Islam and Ismailism, Golen Jubilees is taken from Encyclopedia of Ismailism, also read 101 Ismaili Heroes

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Golden Jubilees

2008-06-05T06:30:00.001-07:00

Mumtaz Ali Tajddin S. Ali is an popular Ismaili Scholar, Written many books on Islam and Ismailism, Golen Jubilees is taken from Encyclopedia of Ismailism, also read 101 Ismaili Heroes

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Pros and Cons: Wesley Clark as Obamas Running Mate

2008-06-04T08:05:00.001-07:00

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by Jason Easley

In this edition of Pros and Cons we take a look at Wesley Clark whose name often gets mentioned when the subject of Clinton supporters who could be Barack Obama's running mate is discussed. We'll take a look at who Wesley Clark is and what he might bring to the ticket.

Resume : Wesley Clark is a retired Army four star general who spent 34 years in the military. Clark is a graduate of West Point and a Rhodes Scholar. He rose to national prominence as Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997-2000. Clark was the commander of Operation Allied Force during the Kosovo war. Previously Clark was the Director, Strategic Plans and Policy on the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1994-1996.
He was also a presidential candidate in 2004.

Clark currently runs a political action committee called wesPAC: Securing America that supports Democratic candidates. He campaigned heavily for Democratic candidates during the 2006 election. Clark has worked for all three cable news networks as a military analyst, and can be seen currently on MSNBC.

Pros to Selecting Clark : Clark is a Son of the South. (He was born in Chicago, but lives in Arkansas). He may be able to appeal to Southern white voters due to this and his national security credentials. Clark has been a highly visible supporter of Hillary Clinton during the 2008 primary campaign. He campaigned for her in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and Ohio. He even appeared in a Clinton campaign commercial touting her experience. Clark is very popular with Clinton supporters, and would help ease their transition towards supporting Obama in the fall campaign.

Cons to Selecting Clark : In many ways Clark is a less experienced version of Jim Webb. He was at times painful to watch on the stump in 2004, and his knowledge of issues that aren't military based is extremely limited. In 2004, Clark had a respectable finish in New Hampshire, and won Oklahoma, but he wasn't able to do better than third in places like Tennessee and Virginia. For a Southerner, he seems to have very little southern appeal. If national security issues don't dominate the fall campaign, Clark has little to offer the ticket.

Odds of Obama Selecting Clark : With each passing week, it is looking more and more like domestic issues are going to be the focus of the fall campaign. When the political scene was dominated by 9/11 and Iraq, Clark would have been a wise choice. However, Clark doesn't seem to be the kind of running mate who will be out there with Obama talking about the economy in 2008. I have always thought that if Clark wants to be in national politics, he would be best served to run for Congress. He isn't ready for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

The Choice-O-Meter Says:

OO (2 Os for Wesley Clark)

1 O= No Chance - 10 Os = A Sure Thing

http://www.politicususa.com

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Help The Small Farmer

2008-05-29T03:22:00.001-07:00

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by melpol

Giant subsidized farms have destroyed the small farm. These giant farms operate at a loss and only survive by the billions given to them as welfare payments. That is the reason they can sell a head of lettuce for one dollar when it costs them to two to produce. This unfair farming practice has closed down over five hundred thousand small farms that can't compete against government handouts.

The five acre farm is self contained it does not need government assistance to survive. It understands what it has to grow in order to survive and does it in a way that is profitable. The small farm is labor intensive which means a five acre farm can employ as much as fifty hands. This is great for the economy because it lowers the rate of unemployment and eliminates the need for public welfare.

There are billions of people in Asia that owe their lives to the small farm. They could never have survived without it. The governments in those countries never heard of welfare nor did they need it. If a person was hungry or homeless, there was always work and housing available on a farm. If you did not want to work you would not eat. There is nothing fairer than that. The governments in those countries would never think of driving the small farm out of business because if they did millions would starve.

The answer to the social problems in this country is to bring back the small farm. Thousands of five acre farms run by talented owners would empty the cities of permanently unemployed welfare recipients and close down homeless shelters. There would be no feelings of uselessness when hundreds of thousands of good jobs are available on small farms.

There are problems that will occur when we give this country a new agricultural base. But they will be solved in a humane and intelligent way. In the long run it will be better for us all. We must not let the billionaire farmers who run the gigantic farms for government handouts stand in the way of the small farmer. Our country will continue to suffer social unrest and high unemployment if we do.

Sen. John McCain, the Republican candidate for president, on Monday said he agreed with President Bush's decision to cut the $300 billion dollar farm bill because it did not cut subsidies to wealthy farmers enough.
"I would veto that bill," McCain said, calling the farm bill an unwarranted handout to corporate farmers and an obstacle to freer agricultural trade worldwide.
Melpol

http://www.associatedcontent.com/melpol

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First Defeat Of The Axis Powers On Land

2008-05-15T03:23:00.001-07:00

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by Victor Epand

My vote for the first Axis defeat would be the Italian attack into southern France. Some very outnumbered, and demoralized, second line troops managed to stop Mussolini's legions cold. In the vast scheme of things, it did not matter, but it showed what could be done.

The battle of Britain was an ongoing battle even after the Greeks beat the Italians. It was also not a land battle, I should have mentioned first land battle.

The successful defense of France against the Italians is very admirable and I have read about it. But there was no incursion and occupation of Italian possessions by the French. I would also like to add that the French actually had ceded territory to the Italians after that battle as well. So, in my book, that is in no way, shape or form a defeat inflicted on the axis. A 'victor' doesn't give up territory to a "beaten" force right after a battle.

The Greeks not only expelled the Italians from Greece proper, but initiated an invasion into southern Albania (at that time, Italian territory) and managed to expel the Italian army from one third of the portion of Albania, occupying it themselves and had inflicted tens of thousands of casualties/dead in addition to taking in thousands of prisoners. In essence, it is the first offensive victory over the axis powers.

Italy attacked Greece on October 28 1940 and suffered the first Axis defeat. Though Hitler had no plans for Greece at that time, he was forced to send troops to occupy Greece (since Greece's neutrality was broken) on April of 1941. This resulted in the delay of Operation Barbarossa and the loss of precious troops. I understand, human nature being what it is, that we all want to put our ancestors and heritage in the best possible light, but I think the best heading you can accurately put on this thread is "Early defeat of AN Axis Power".

I wasn't trying to denigrate either you or the Greek Army. I don't have "considerable heartburn", although I might be getting there. All I said was that your original thread title was inaccurate. You responded by changing the ground rules. My second post (with a "sigh") explained exactly why it was inaccurate. You then changed the thread title to include "(on land)". That's fine - one complaint down (although I tend to agree with Belisarius) - but it doesn't address my other complaint, which was that the Greeks defeated Italy, not "the Axis powers".

Well since you put it that way, and want to get technical, I can get technical as well. If you really want to split hairs, this war which was the first axis defeat on land probably cost them (yeah both of them)the whole war (The Russians and the Germans admitted as much anyway)since the Germans and Italians had to delay their plans for the invasion of Russia for a couple of months with this diversion ( time to invade Greece and time to prepare the invasion of Russia ). This caused the Axis to invade in the Russian winter. The Battle of Stalingrad ( a pivotal battle no?) would probably not happened as well.

I know it's not a widely held belief because of some odd reasons or another, that the Greeks could have "conceivably" been directly or indirectly responsible for this but the statements of the German generals alone is enough proof for me. If you have any doubts I can post links to them, they are statements which were made at the Nuremburg trials. However, the measure of resistance was paid considerable homage to by German officals.

Hitler's Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel stated "The unbelievably strong resistance of the Greeks delayed by two or more vital months the German attack against Russia; if we did not have this long delay, the outcome of the war would have been different in the eastern front and in the war in general."

A speech Hitler made at the Reichstag in 1941 said of the campaign: "It must be said, for the sake of historical truth, that amongst all our opponents, only the Greeks fought with such endless courage and defiance of death." The diary of Joseph Goebbels 9 April 1941: "I forbid the Press to underestimate the Greeks, to defame them... The Fuehrer admires the bravery of Greeks."

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.CombatCloth.info/. CombatCloth.info carries the best selection of combat clothing, gear, and accessories on the market.

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The Mongolia's History

2008-05-14T03:47:00.001-07:00

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by Michael Usman

Early Chinese manuscripts refer to Turkic-speaking-people living in now what called Mongolians as early as the 4th or 5th century BC. The Chinese- who had numerous military clashes with these nomadic people- referred them as the Hunnu /the huns/.

Genghis Khan's grandson, Kublai Khan, became the first emperor of the Yuan dynasty in China in 1279. Mongol control of China lasted until 1367; from 1380 its possessions to the West were gradually reconquered and, by the end of the 14th century, the empire had disintegrated. Despite brief periods of resurgence under some of the great Khans (Altan, Dayan, Galdan) who forged temporary unity, the Mongol tribes generally reverted to their traditional fractiousness. Mongolia then became a regional pawn squeezed between the two rising superpowers on the Asian continent: Russia and China.

At the end of the 17th century, during which the Russians were preoccupied with developments in Europe, the Manchu dynasty in China took control of the whole of the historic Mongol territory, comprising what became known as Inner and Outer Mongolia. The former is now an autonomous region within the People's Republic of China; the latter became the independent state of Mongolia. Mongolian independence was achieved, with Russian support, in 1911 under the leadership of the so-called 'Living Buddha' Jebsten Damba Khutukhtu. China attempted to reassert its rule following the Russian Revolution of 1917 but was beaten back in 1921, this time with Soviet help. A short-lived restoration of the traditional feudal Buddhist monarchy was followed in 1924 by the declaration of a People's Republic, under the Mongol Ardyn Khuvsgatt Nam (MAKN, Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party).

China finally recognized Mongolian independence in 1946. During the Cold War, Mongolia was essentially a buffer state between the two great antagonists of the communist world. Though allied to Russia, the Mongolians were careful to maintain good relations with the Chinese. Early in 1990, following developments in the USSR, the MAKN ceded its monopoly of political power and promised multi-party elections within months. The MAKN has held power continuously ever since, with the exception of a brief hiatus in 1996-97 when an alliance of opposition parties took power under the banner of the Democratic Alliance. Infighting brought its tenure to a swift end. At the most recent polls in 2001, the MAKN's Natsigiyn Bagabandi comfortably won the presidency while the party took all but four seats in the Great Hural. Nambaryn Enkhbayar was appointed Prime Minister.

Irrespective of the individual premier or party in power, domestic policy remains fixed on a course of gradual reform: this covers social policy as well as economic matters. Mongolia is undergoing dramatic change with the demise of a traditional nomadic lifestyle that, a generation ago, was lived by a third of the population. Animal herding was always a marginal occupation given the rough terrain and unforgiving climate; recent natural disasters and low agricultural prices have made it less viable than ever. Mongolia's cities are growing rapidly as people leave the land. Another important change has been the resurgence of Buddhism, which was largely suppressed under Communism; Mongolians are adherents of the Dalai Lama, although this is handled with great caution by the country's leadership for fear of upsetting the Chinese.

Mongolia's foreign relations are necessarily dominated by its giant neighbors, China and Russia, and based on bilateral friendship treaties. However, the Mongolians have also quietly developed closer links with the West; in September 2003, a small but symbolically significant contingent of Mongolian troops was dispatched to support the US-led military operation in Iraq.

Government
Under the new constitution, which took effect in February 1992, Mongolia has a unicameral legislature, the 76-member Great Hural, which is elected for a four-year term and appoints ministers who hold executive power. The President, who is also elected for a four-year term, is head of state. Since May 1994, Mongolia has been divided into 21 provinces and one municipality (Ulaan Baatar), with appointed Governors and elected local assemblies.

Economy
The vast bulk of Mongolia's working population is engaged in animal herding. Otherwise, large farms (formerly state owned) produce crops for domestic consumption, principally cereals, potatoes and vegetables. Industrial activity is dominated by production of food, hides and wool, especially high-quality cashmere (much of which is consigned for export) and mining.

There are large deposits of coal which meet most of Mongolia's energy requirements, as well as copper, fluorspar, tungsten, tin, gold, lead and molybdenum, a rare metal of which Mongolia is one of the world's largest producers. The output of the copper-molybdenum mine at Erdenet accounts for around half of Mongolia's export earnings. It is likely that there are other large deposits as yet undiscovered. Limited oil production began in 1997, but Mongolia still relies on Russia to meet most of its domestic needs. Textiles and light engineering complete Mongolia's main economic activities.

The country suffered badly from the collapse of the former Soviet Union: while Mongolia was not a constituent part of the Soviet Union, its economy was especially dependent on the USSR, with which it conducted 80% of its trade; most of the rest was with its fellow members of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON).

After some initial resistance by the MPRP (Mongolia's historic ruling party), most of the economy has been steadily transferred to the private sector. Russia and China are now Mongolia's principal trade partners and Korea (Rep) is a major investor.

In 1991, Mongolia joined the IMF and World Bank; in 2000, it became a shareholder (but not a 'country of operation') in the European Reconstruction and Development Bank. The EBRD provides support through the Mongolian Co-operation Fund. It is also a member of the Asian Development Bank and receives aid from the EU's technical assistance program.

Mongolia today

Today Mongolia is sparsely populated. The population confesses to Buddhism in the lamaistic form. Only 2.5 million people live on a surface of almost the size of the whole of Western Europe. The distance from the west to the east of the country measures 5'500 kilometres (3420 miles approx.).

The different tribes living in Mongolia have their own costumes, musical instruments, singing traditions and speak different dialects.

The largest group, the Khalkha, lives in Central and Eastern Mongolia; the Bayad, the Dorbet, the Khotan, the Altai-Uryankhai, the Torgut, the Olöt, the Dzakhchin and the Mingat live in the West; in Eastern Mongolia live the Dariganga, the Barga, the Üzemchin, the Buryat and the Chamnigan, and in the North the Chotgoid, the Darchat, the Chöwsögöl-Uryankhai, the Tsaatan and the Khakhar. Also the Kazakhs, who are Muslims, live in the Altai.

The artwork of the people, their great poetic talents, their epic works and the lyric poetry are outstanding. Singers and poets used to walk from camp to camp, singing their songs and epics of heralds to the accompaniment of the lute "tovshuur" or the "horse-violin" "morin khuur".

The songs talk about love, everyday life or animals, especially about horses. They reflect the expression of freedom and the immensity of the Mongolian steppes. Special songs are sung at ceremonies, at festivals, on special seasonal occasions and to accompany rituals.

Find Mongolia society culture and more useful information about history events on Mongolia directory.

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The Future of The United States Military The Robot Army

2008-05-12T18:24:00.001-07:00

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by blueboy

How many of you have watched the film Iron Man? In the film we saw what I would describe as Iron Man in the form of a type of robot, big powerful and virtually indestructible. Well people this could well be the future of our western armies, a fighting force where our soldiers are not men but are instead machines controlled by humans.

Many Americans as well as men and women from other countries have died in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last few years. This disgusts and saddens the people from the countries involved and also frustrates their governments. The nation can then soon become angry at the powers at be who can then start to lose control. The way forward has to be a robot army with the back up of a small civilian army.

On the news tonight another two American robots are destroyed in a roadside bomb in Iraq! OK, whatever, who cares? Let's face it there would be no more roadside bombs, would an opposing army also want to ambush a set of robots? I do not think so.

Computer war gaming is extremely popular in the western world and this is exactly what it would be like. Robots masterly controlled by these expert war gamers would go into dangerous war zones to smoke out the enemy. Once the initial danger is over human soldiers would then go and clean up etc.

A robot that is shot in the head or stomach can keep moving forward, unlike a human soldier. A robot can stand heat, the cold, water without discomfort. A robot does not require a back pack full of essentials and does not need expensive protective clothing.

Western countries can afford the cost, the cost of war is vast in any case and there should be no expense spared in an effort to save the lives of our men and women.

The future is bright, the future is robots.

Steve Hill is a webmaster from Birmingham, he has interests in a number of websites including: stuttering information stuttering treatment DVD authoring

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History of Uzbekistan

2008-05-09T03:37:00.001-07:00

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by Nikolaos Charlie

Located in the heart of Central Asia between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya River, Uzbekistan has a long and interesting heritage. The leading cities of the Silk Road - Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva - are located in Uzbekistan. As Russia extended its empire into Central Asia in the second half of the nineteenth century, Uzbekistan became part of Tsarist Russia and later of the Soviet Union. It declared its independence from Soviet rule in 1991.

Mawarannahr was one of the most advanced caliphate regions playing a significant role in social and cultural life. The Great Silk Road linked the West with the Orient and people from southern and northern countries passed through this land. The Mawarannahr towns of Bukhara, Samarkand and Kunya-Urgench were the crossroads of caravan routes from India, China, Egypt, Byzantium, Slavic countries and Arabia.

The House of Wisdom called "Bite ul-Khikma" founded by an order of the caliphate ruler Makhmud engaged in the great task to translate the books of Aristotle, Plato, Archimedes and other ancient Greek scientists and philosophers from classical Greek into Arabic. The Mawarannahr's brilliant young scientists, Musa Al-Khorezmi, Akhmad Al-Fergani, Al-Marvazi, Javkhari, Marvarudi and others, performed with distinction. Baghdad became one of the world's scientific and cultural centers.

The struggle for independence and freedom from oppression by the caliphate of the Central Asian region increased during this time and by the end of 9th century the first Samanid government with Bukhara as the capital was established. This government lasted until the end of the 10th century. During the 10th-12th century period different Karakhanids, Gaz-navids, Seldjukids and Khoresm-shakhs independent states appeared in Mawarannahr and Kho-rasan. In spite of continual wars to expand spheres of influence, this period appeared to be extremely important for the cultural and scientific activity of the region. The establishment of politically independent and autonomous states gave a good start, opening up great opportunities for regional economic and cultural growth. This time in history is known as the Oriental Renaissance and is noted for the unprecedented rise of ethical regulations.

It was the right time to bring in the ripe harvest of such bright philosophers as Abu Nasr Farabi, Imam Al-Bukhari, Narshaki, Makhmud Kashghari, Marginani, Nadjimmiddin Kubro, Abu Raikhan Beruni, Abu Ali Ibn Sino, az-Zamakhshari, and outstanding poets like Rudaki, Yusuf khas Khadjib, Akhmad Yassavi and Abu Bakr al-Khorezmi.

At the same time new Islamic religious movements appeared known for their free thinking, known as Mutaziliya, Ismailiya and Sufism. The towns of Bukhara, Samarkand, Merv, Urgench and Khiva became widely popular in Muslim countries. Crafts, architecture and construction progressed rapidly. At the beginning of the 11th century under the direction of Mamun Khorezm-Shakh, a new research center was founded in Khorezm, where leading oriental scientists worked. It was later dedicated to Khorezm-Shakh and became the first academy in Central Asia.

It was the time for Mawarannahr culture and science to acquire its worldwide fame. However, this rapid growth was rudely halted at the beginning of the 13th century. The Mongols invasion of the country by Genghis Khan completely destroyed all the cities, irrigation infrastructure and sources of culture over a 2-3 period. The struggle for independence to get rid of foreign conquerors occurred during the second half of the 14th century. One of the decisive elements of the struggle was the tireless activity of Amir Timur. Step by step he cleared the area of Mawarannahr and Khorasan from Mongol rulers and at the end of 14th century and a powerful state covering a large territory was established. Timur mainly stressed the strengthening of political power and economic and cultural growth. His main principles of state management were described in the document known as "The Code of Timur". After Timur's death, the Timurids paid great attention to the promotion of art, science, and culture.

Especially during the reign of Ulugbek, Shakhrukh and Khusain Baikaro, the culture reached its peak for the period of history and the towns of Mawarannahr and Khorasan were acknowledged worldwide, not only in the Muslim Orient but also in Europe. This was at the end of the second half of Central Asian Renaissance. Those great philosophers such as Ulugbek, Kozizada Rumi, Ali Kushchi, Mirsharif Djurjani, Djami, Khoja Akhrar, Luhtfiy, Khondamihr, Bekzod, Babur and many others were recognized by the world. Alisher Navoi lived during the 15th century and created his immortal masterpieces. One of the Timurids, Ulugbek was responsible for the construction of a scientific center in Samarkand, known as The Ulugbek Academy in different literary sources.

This was a time for building monuments and cultural facilities, for rapid growth of Uzbek poetry, miniature painting, manuscript art, and the development of numerous scientific directions within astronomy, mathematics, history and medicine.

But the internecine wars became more frequent at the end of 15th century and caused the breakdown of Timurid's state by the beginning of 16th century. Conquering Turkic nomads come from the north. But at the beginning of 17th century, a great-great-great-grandson of Timur and the ruler of Fergana, Babur invaded India and established a new state known as "The Great Mogul Empire". The Timurids ruled it until the intrusion of Britain into India.

From the 17th century onwards Mawarannahr experienced deep social and economic decay. However, during this time people like Makhmudi Azim, Karabaghi, Abdulgizkhan, Turdi, Mashrab, Nodira, Uvaisiy, Gulkhani, Makhmudkuli, Berdakh and others acquired personal fame for their treatises and literary work.

During the first half of the 19th century Muhammad Rakhimkhan paid a great deal of attention to history and literature in Khorezm, this was the time of Munis, Komil Khorezmi, Agakhi, Bayani and others.

During the second half of the 19th century the life of Turkestan was filled with great social, economic and political events. In the 1860's tzarist Russia began its conquest of Turkestan.

During this period there were anti-colonial reform-minded enlightened movements that influenced the cultural and social life of Turkestan. Based on the culture of local people the enlightened movements were headed by the scientists and poets, Akhmad Donish, Furkhat, Avaz Otar and Mukimiy to name just a few. Great changes are a feature of Turkestan culture of this period.

Uzbekistan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in December 1991. However, it is opposed to reintegration and withdrew from the CIS collective security arrangement in 1999. Since that time, Uzbekistan has participated in the CIS peacekeeping force in Tajikistan and in UN-organized groups to help resolve the Tajik and Afghan conflicts, both of which it sees as posing threats to its own stability. Uzbekistan is an active supporter of U.S. efforts against worldwide terrorism and joined the coalitions that have dealt with both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Find Uzbekistan society culture and more useful information about tradition history on Uzbekistan store.

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227th Assault Helicopter Battalion's Great Helicopter Race During The Vietnam War

2008-05-08T05:46:00.001-07:00

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by JLP

Anyone who has been to Vietnam, or any war for that matter, does not need to be told that war and combat is a serious business that wears and grinds on both the body and the mind. However, I suppose like everything else, it has its moments of humor, relief and counterpoint which can be sorely needed moments.

One of those such moments was The Great Helicopter Race, held while Lieutenant Colonel Jack Cranford, a master Army aviator, was commanding the 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion. The race happened in mid-March of 1966.

During the pre-Cobra days of combat assault in the Vietnam War, the UH-1 Huey filled the role of gunship escort, fitted with rocket pods and front-firing 7.62 mm machineguns. As an escort gunship the Huey had only one drawback; it could not fly any faster than the Huey slicks it was escorting and could therefore make only one or two gun passes on the LZ as the troop-carrying Hueys went in for the dust off.

To boost the Huey gunships' speed, the Army had the ships fitted with new, extra-width rotor blades designed to take a bigger bite out of the air and add speed without changing the engine power. The change worked well and the gunship Hueys were significantly faster than before.

It was said that LTC Cranford was so pleased with his high-speed Hueys, that he offered a challenge to Lieutenant Colonel Max Clark, who was the commander of the 228th Assault Support Helicopter Battalion, the Cav's fleet of CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The Chinooks (known then as Max's Mobile Homes), were big ungainly looking aircraft, that gave the unfair appearance of burly buses in the sky. LTC Clark, proud of his ships and his pilots, accepted the gauntlet from Cranford.

The race was set over a 10-mile course, a straight flight between Mang Yang Pass in the mountains west of An Khe and the flight control tower at the An Khe airstrip. It would be a race against the stop watch with on of LTC Cranford's modified, speedy Hueys getting first crack at the course. Men were stationed at the mountain pass, including an Army radio reporter who gave play by play coverage through the radio station at An Khe.

As with any bet, there was a lot more at stake than a just a contest between aircraft. Unit pride was on the line, and rumor had it that the two commanders had also made a side wager; the loser was to buy a round of beer for the winner's battalion. Yes sir, there was a lot of beer to be had by the winning battalion.

Both colonels were at the An Khe tower, and each monitored a stopwatch. A third clock was kept by Colonel Al Burdett, 11th Group commander. As the Huey lifted off from the pass and nosed over into a high-speed profile toward An Khe, the clocks were started by word from an RTO atop the pass. The unseen Huey became a speck in the distance, grew quickly and then flashed by the tower. The three colonels hit the stopwatches and marked the time. It ended up being a good time, a very fast time, and a classified time. You know how the military works, everything is classified, even if it involves a wager.
At Mang Yang Pass it was time for the Chinook to crank up and take off. The Huey hare had run and now it was the tortoise's turn. The pilot pointed the Chinook's nose for An Khe and opened up with everything the Chinook had. As he barreled down on what he thought was An Khe, the Chinook pilot knew his time would be good, might even be just good enough. The colonels sat immobile, watching the approaching Chinook speck grow larger. At first, no one noticed it, but it was soon apparent that the distant dot of the Chinook was not getting any bigger at all. It was, in fact getting smaller. It turns out, the pilot was lost, he was not headed anywhere near An Khe.

After a few long seconds, most likely spent frantically checking his map against terrain features, the pilot quickly discovered his navigational error and swung the Chinook back toward An Khe and the awaiting colonels. The Chinook lumbered on, got closer and finally thundered past the tower. When the stopwatches where check it had been found that the Chinook had bettered the Huey's time by "a significant number of seconds," even though the pilot had lost time in wandering off course. And with that the Great Helicopter Race was over and the beer began to flow.

For discount vintage Vietnam War collectibles Vietnam War Collectibles For discount new and used Model Trains Discount Model Trains

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A Campaign Of Government Change Should Include Compstat

2008-05-07T07:36:00.001-07:00

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by James William Smith

I have watched the same question posed to Barrack Obama in several debates now. It is not a question based on the "change" sign that appears everywhere as the platform slogan of his campaign. No, this dubious debate question concerns why he does not wear a flag pin on the lapel of his suit.

Of course, these types of questions do not offer any insight on how a Barack Obama Administration would "change" the agencies of the federal government . In fact, what the voters would like to hear from the Presidential candidates is an understanding that true federal government reform requires performance standards and the tools necessary for government managers to measure performance. The reality of federal government "change" is that management without the necessary measurement tools will not lead to improved operating efficiency.

The truth is that the private sector has had performance management and measurement tools in place for decades. In fact, widely used programs such as Six Sigma and others have been invaluable in efforts to systematically improve business processes resulting in the reduction and elimination of errors and defects in many companies across different industries.

However, in the public sector, the practice of managing business process has been quite different. If more money is needed, State, Federal, payroll, property, water, sewer, trash, registry, gas, alcohol, excise, sales, and tobacco, taxes, tolls, and fees could always be raised to generate additional government revenue. Of course, this method of revenue generation does not promote government efficiency. Unfortunately, government process management simply does not exist as it does in the private sector. Often, that is what leads to critical reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the wasteful spending practices in various government agencies.

Therefore, what local, state, and federal government needs is a public sector Six Sigma program to promote the efficient spending of taxpayer money. A program that uses analysis and measurement to reduce inefficiency. A program that provides the necessary management tools and sponsors increased management communication to provide a more efficient return on each taxpayer dollar.

So, it is very encouraging that such a program already exists and is working in several places today. The program is called Compstat and it was originally developed by New York police commissioner, William Bratton, in 1993. Today, more than a decade later, as a result of the program, serious crime has been reduced in New York by 65 percent. In general, the program has been very successful in the reduction of all crime across the 76 city precincts. The program uses computer statistics, timely input of data, and a geographical basis of tracking "hot spots" to place resources in the proper place at the proper time. The success of the program has led to its adoption by over one hundred police departments nationwide. The program has even received the "Innovation in American Government Award" from Harvard's Kennedy School and the Ford Foundation.

So how did the Compstat program produce such success? Initially, it established four principles that governed the New York Police Department as follows: timely and accurate intelligence; rapid deployment; effective tactics; and relentless follow-up and assessment. All of the information gathered by the fifteen member Compstat task force was analyzed and used to facilitate those four guiding principles.

At first, the program focused on seven major crime categories. Data was captured from the most serious crimes and plotted electronically on a computer screen to determine patterns and trends. A cluster of dots in a particular location alerted officers to a string of murders, rapes, or robberies. The statistics were also used to generate a profile of commanding officers and assess their management performance.

Eventually, the Compstat program in New York was expanded to include information on more than seven hundred different performance indicators. In total, these indicators measured the performance of the entire agency and identified areas where improvement was needed. In addition to tracking crime, the program now includes keeping track of police overtime, allegations by citizens of police abuse, even things like how quickly it takes to get a police vehicle back from repair, and the maintenance of police buildings.

The principles of the Compstat program have easily be applied outside of the law enforcement field. In fact, Compstat has been the guiding force behind a program called Trafficstat which is designed to improve conditions on the highway, and T.E.A.M.S which has increased safety and efficiency in prisons. The Department of Education and the Department of Transportation also have started initiatives using the Compstat program. Compstat programs are also now being used in many smaller American cities and towns.

However, it is in Baltimore, Maryland that the positive impact of the program can best be seen. A program modeled after Compstat called Citistat tracks the city government as a whole. City agencies provide regular data about their work to a central office that analyzes the data and creates reports for the mayor. The statistics tell a story of performance and city managers are held accountable. Since the program was implemented, Baltimore has experienced a forty percent reduction in payroll overtime, saving the city $15 million over two years. The success in Baltimore has led to the development of similar programs in other American cities.

A candidate who campaigns on a platform of change in 2008, needs to be very specific about what that change means in the next Presidential Administration. Therefore, it may be helpful in the next Democratic debate if a television moderator would ask Barack Obama about the potential use of Compstat to improve the efficiency of the various agencies of the Federal Government.

Indeed, his answer will be far more important to an American voter interested in federal government reform than yet another question concerning the absence of a flag pin on his suit lapel.

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com

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Questions of Political Correctness

2008-05-06T03:28:00.001-07:00

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by tiandioracle

Why does everything have to be held up to a standard of political correctness nowadays? Lately, it has pretty much become obvious that people are very careful about what they say to certain people, because they will be slapped with accusations of being politically incorrect which, of course, includes words like "discrimination". It's fascinating to note that linguistically, we had evolved in such a way that things that were either once admired or thought of as something that one isn't exactly a person's fault are now thought of as negative or something to be held against someone just because we are, as a world, deathly afraid of offending what is perceived to be a minority that has become aware of its powers to claim certain rights.

Like what was previously mentioned, words like "discrimination" have been waved around by people as things to be shunned. In the past, "discrimination" meant discernment, a particular skill or ability to recognize the subtle differences or distinctions between two or more things. To have discrimination, in some senses, is to have a refined taste. But now, "to discriminate" is almost exclusively used to define anything that involves treating a person or a group of persons as if they were less than equal to one's self or one's peers.

Another favorite example would be the term "homophobia". A comedian had once commented that "phobia" is a crippling fear of something, and as such, homophobic individuals (or homophobes, as they are colloquially known) really should have more sympathy for their plight. Other individuals with phobias were given the necessary support for their condition, while homophobic people are shunned, called "sick" and often berated by others by their so-called insensitivity. The entire spiel was funny, but what made it better is the fact that it made people think about the words used to describe how people react to each other, and about what words we use to identify prejudice.

It seems that in a world that is hell-bent on becoming politically correct, we had ended up with a language that is politically incorrect or at the very least, a language that is sorely misused. Homophobia especially, is an obvious misnomer in that it is more like a hatred of homosexual individuals than a fear of them.

Another fascinating effect of this global culture of political correctness would be the fact that in our quest to expand the reach of rights to include everybody, other rights, such as the rights to expression, have been curtailed. Granted, certain expressions such as violence and the like could hardly be beneficial to an increasingly interconnected global society. Still, the fear of offending apparent minority groups have made us believe that tiptoeing around certain issues would be better than confronting it. It seems that rather than dealing with potential conflict, we simply fold to the apparent whims of these people. Furthermore, in an attempt to elevate the status of the minority, the double standards have been switched around.

An example of this pretty much relates to things like religion and race. Not too long ago, in London, a sixteen-year-old student had protested the fact that her expression of her Christian faith a purity ring that symbolized her commitment to chastity before marriage was deemed "against school policy" by her local school. The fact that Muslim students in that same educational establishment and area were supposedly allowed to wear their full-faced veils just made things worse it seems that the majority is now expected to bend over backwards to make the minority uncomfortable. Why is it, one has to ask, that the Muslims are allowed to openly display their faith to the world while the Christians are not?

And it seems that any frustration that the majority has expressed over this obvious double-standard is currently viewed as a kind of bigotry. Why is no one allowed to be angry about this? Is this not also a kind of injustice? In the end, we are going back to a time of closed lips and silence, fostering inequality while at the same time claiming we are working for equality. It is truly, horribly, frustrating that the concept of political correctness has come to the fore, when at the end of the day all that really matters is honest and genuine kindness.

The problem may very well be that people are expected to be like everybody else, that people are expected to bow down to the norm. These days, the norm would be acceptance or, at the very least, tolerance. But one cannot expect everyone to feel the same way about women, men, homosexuals, different races, and different faiths. This is not to say that hatred should be fostered, but it begs the question of why discomfort with ideologies and lifestyles should not be understood and expressed. If we are indeed living in a world of tolerance, dislike of certain things should be tolerated as well as the acceptance of certain things.

We need not develop a new vocabulary to describe this state of affairs, for in the end, shouldn't this be a matter of the heart and soul?

Elea Almazora, contributor to Riling.Com Elea Almazora currently works as a contributor to many information-based websites, writing about many subjects ranging from culture to sciences. For more information related to this article, please visit Riling.Com

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A Congestion Tax Will Not Save The Planet

2008-05-02T04:54:00.001-07:00

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by James William Smith

It's an election year in the United States. The politicians of both major political parties continue to outline their initiatives for their first Presidential term in office. Democratic candidate Barrack Obama outlines a long list of new spending promises under the slogan "Yes we can". Meanwhile, Republican John McCain wants to continue spending on the Iraq war well into the future. In the Congress, there is no desire to cut federal spending and the dubious practice of spending "earmarks" continues without any real reform.

Meanwhile, the United States federal debt is currently approaching 9.5 trillion dollars and it is about to get worse since the national unemployment rate is now rising. The federal debt burden already amounts to about $79,000 for each United States taxpayer. Therefore, the current federal debt, economic recession, Iraq war, and new election year campaign promises are a formula that amount to one thing for the average American taxpayer: higher income taxes.

However, it is not as though taxes are not high enough already. In 2008, Americans will work every day from New Year's Day through April 23, just to pay their taxes. It will take 74 working days to pay federal taxes and 39 additional working days to pay state and local taxes. Americans will spend more on taxes in 2008 than they will spend on their food, clothing, and housing expenses combined.

As both political parties in Washington D.C. contemplate raising income taxes in the next few years, there is a new and unique tax that is already under consideration in several large American cities. It is a tax already generating revenue in international cities like London, Milan, Stockholm, and Singapore. It is called the "Congestion Tax" and its implementation is feared by automotive commuters in major United States cities. The tax is based upon a vehicle entering a city or a designated area of the city. The tax is levied upon an automobile's entry into the designated zone.

London could be a model for the administration of the congestion tax in major United States cities. The congestion tax in London started with a commuter tax of eight dollars a car. That daily tax has recently doubled for small gas powered cars and large vehicles now pay a $50 Congestion Tax each day. London does not have tollbooths or barriers around the Congestion Charging Zone and no physical tickets or passes are required. Monitoring is done through a network of camera sites at every entrance and exit in the tax zone and within the zone. Each camera site consists of at least one color camera plus a monochrome camera for each lane of traffic being monitored. The camera's capture automobile license plate numbers and people are required to pay the tax based on the pictures.

The stated purpose of the congestion tax is to clean up the environment by reducing C02 emissions from automobiles stalled in traffic in heavily traveled, congested areas in large cities. The tax acts as an incentive for automobile users to utilize public transportation. The benefits of an increase in the use of public transportation would be to improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion, and improve public health by reducing air pollution.

New York City is one of at least five United States cities considering the implementation of a congestion tax. The initial tax for automobile drivers entering the New York congestion zone would be over eight dollars each day. In addition, there is an additional incentive for New York City because of the promise of $354 million in grants from the Federal Government for creating a congestion zone.

Consider the implications of these federal grants for a moment if you will. A taxpayer pays federal income taxes and the government uses that tax money as an incentive for local city governments to initiate an additional tax burden on automobile drivers in order to solve local traffic bottlenecks. It certainly becomes problematic for a taxpayer when federal income taxes are used as a financial incentive for cities to create new local fee based taxes.

In fact, a congestion tax may have dubious ramifications to local business and city employment. What the congestion tax will do is drive local business away from the inner cities into the suburbs where commuting workers and business customers do not have to pay a traffic tax . In addition, cab fares in large cities will have to increase in order for a passenger cab to enter a congestion zone.

Indeed, it is not been scientifically proven that long term global warming is man-made and the result of increased CO2 in the atmosphere. Consider that the planet's recent warming is likely a result of the long term solar cycle of the Sun. In reality, the Congestion Tax is really a tax wolf in environmental sheep's clothing. The truth is that it's just another unnecessary tax burden on the worker and retail consumer that will not save the planet from global warming.

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com

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Disaster in the Soviet Union The Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown

2008-04-30T05:30:00.001-07:00

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by Grace Chen

In the Western region of the former Soviet Union, at that time the only Superpower in the world other than the United States, disaster struck the sleepy Ukraine town of Pripyat. On April 26, 1986, in the cold early morning hours, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded. The resulting disaster hit a level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the only incident in the history of atomic energy to do so. Following the initial explosion, fire and subsequent explosions from the site sent radioactive plumes of smoke into the air and contaminated much of the surrounding area. Reports came from many European countries of increased radioactivity levels in the atmosphere, and detailed reports thereafter picked up changes in the radioactivity as far away as the United States. It is estimated that the fallout was up to forty times that of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.

How It Happened

Reactor 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was scheduled for a shutdown to perform routine maintenance on April 25th, the day before the disaster. This shutdown was to take place, in part, so an experiment could be undertaken. The engineers at the plant intended to test the turbines running the generators in the reactor to see if they would continue to run even if there was an external power outage. This would be an important safety component, as the reactor type used at Chernobyl requires a constant spray of water in order to remain cool. Of course, the turbines could not turn forever under their own momentum (or else there would be no need for a nuclear power plant). There was a forty second delay between the shutdown of the electricity and the initiation of the backup generators. The engineers needed to test if the turbines could continue to turn for a minimum of forty seconds, thus producing a seamless transition in the event of a power outage.

In a twist of fate, the grid controller in the area requested that the reactor stay online, however, rather than decreasing power output. This was due to a regional power station gong offline that day, and the controller anticipating the need for the electricity during the peak hours of the day. Chernobyl agreed, and the power decrease did not start until nearly 11:00 that night. Thus, the safety test was put into the hands of the less experienced and understaffed night shift. The new crew was not made aware of the fact that they had postponed the power decrease, and thus followed the plan for shutdown as if it had been decreasing throughout the day.

Without getting into the scientific aspects of the disaster, suffice to say that this lack of knowledge (and the plant's unacceptable safety systems), led directly to the meltdown. While trying to complete the experiment, the staff removed the manual control rods for the reactor, since they were not getting the desired results from their shutdown. The reactor, set inexorably towards a runaway reaction, was left without anything to prevent it. By the time systems began to show instability on the computers, it was too late. The staff tried to reinsert the rods, but they melted and broke. Fire and explosion quickly blew the roof off the reactor, and a disaster was born.

Taking The Measure

The Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath has been difficult to quantify. Conflicting reports exist as to the extent of the damage. It is known that there were fifty-seven deaths as an immediate result of the radiation, mostly concentrated on power plant staff and fire and rescue workers who were not told of the severity of the risk. Almost five miles of forestry in the vicinity of the plant changed colors and died due to the radiation. The animals were destroyed. It has been estimated that as many as 10,000 cases of fatal cancer among the surrounding residents as a result of the contamination, making it one of the most deadly manmade accidents in history.

The incident slowed greatly the Soviet Union's abilities to carry on with a nuclear program, and it forced the government to be more open in future dealings with the press. The disaster may have been less serious had the government been prompt with its acceptance of what had happened and dispersed correct information more rapidly.

It is interesting to note that it was not until the year 2000, some fourteen years after the incident that Chernobyl finally shut down. Today, workers are still there around the clock, as the nuclear core cannot be left unsupervised. The town of Pripyat has been a ghost town ever since, and has actually become a haven for wildlife in the absence of humans.

Learn more about the Chernobyl disaster by visiting http://www.rememberchernobyl.com

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Protect Our Oil Supply

2008-04-29T04:55:00.001-07:00

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by melpol

The costs of running America have been rising with higher oil prices. Trucks that ship food products across the nation are paying more for diesel fuel. This means consumers will also be paying higher prices for food. Keeping a home warm in the winter, and cool in the summer, now costs extra money. And those costs will also be going up. Filling a twenty gallon automobile tank will soon cost eighty dollars. People are getting angry and they want our government to do something about it. That is what the war in Iraq is about.

It doesn't take a financial wizard to know what will happen to the American economy and its people if oil prices go up much further. We would experience an inflation that has never been witnessed before. Our dollars will buy much less food and our heating and cooling costs will become unaffordable. Bicycles will have to be used by workers who couldn't afford the expenses of getting to their job. It sounds like a nightmare but all these problems and much more will happen if energy costs keep rising.

The Middle Eastern countries are sitting on more than half of the known oil reserves; fortunately it is controlled by fair minded business people that keep the price of oil as low as possible. But if these oil supplies would ever fall into the hands of radical politicians they would charge as much as they can get for the oil. It would make the radical politicians rich and destroy the economies of the rest of the world. This would be bad news and it must not be allowed to happen.

Radical Arab politicians are calling for unity. They want to establish an Iranian Empire that would encompass the oil rich nations of the Middle East. Only a fool can be blind to their motives. They promise their poor followers riches beyond their wildest dreams. They say it would be possible if they could own the oil fields. They are liars because if successful these politicians would follow their Arab brothers who keep the billions in oil profits for themselves. The poor would remain poor.

It is the duty of world leaders to prevent the oil fields in the Middle East from falling into the hands of radical politicians. If they let that happen they are neglecting their responsibilities to the people. There are those that say that we should get out of the area and let the radical politicians take possession of the oil fields. I am sure that our wise leaders would never let that happen. We must be prepared to stay in the area until the price of oil is sure to be affordable.
melpol

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A Congestion Tax Will Not Save The Planet

Disaster in the Soviet Union The Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown

Protect Our Oil Supply

Pros and Cons: Wesley Clark as Obamas Running Mate

The Future of The United States Military The Robot Army