text:
Noam at his absolute best.
We Own The World
Noam Chomsky, ZNet, January 1, 2008
You all know, of course, there was an election — what is called "an election" in the United States — last November. There was really one issue in the election, what to do about U.S. forces in Iraq and there was, by U.S. standards, an overwhelming vote calling for a withdrawal of U.S. forces on a firm timetable.
As few people know, a couple of months earlier there were extensive polls in Iraq, U.S.-run polls, with interesting results. They were not secret here. If you really looked you could find references to them, so it's not that they were concealed. This poll found that two-thirds of the people in Baghdad wanted the U.S. troops out immediately; the rest of the country — a large majority — wanted a firm timetable for withdrawal, most of them within a year or less.
The figures are higher for Arab Iraq in the areas where troops were actually deployed. A very large majority felt that the presence of U.S. forces increased the level of violence and a remarkable 60 percent for all of Iraq, meaning higher in the areas where the troops are deployed, felt that U.S. forces were legitimate targets of attack. So there was a considerable consensus between Iraqis and Americans on what should be done in Iraq, namely troops should be withdrawn either immediately or with a firm timetable.
Well, the reaction in the post-election U.S. government to that consensus was to violate public opinion and increase the troop presence by maybe 30,000 to 50,000. Predictably, there was a pretext announced. It was pretty obvious what it was going to be. "There is outside interference in Iraq, which we have to defend the Iraqis against. The Iranians are interfering in Iraq." Then came the alleged evidence about finding IEDs, roadside bombs with Iranian markings, as well as Iranian forces in Iraq. "What can we do? We have to escalate to defend Iraq from the outside intervention."
Then came the "debate." We are a free and open society, after all, so we have "lively" debates. On the one side were the hawks who said, "The Iranians are interfering, we have to bomb them." On the other side were the doves who said, "We cannot be sure the evidence is correct, maybe you misread the serial numbers or maybe it is just the revolutionary guards and not the government."
So we had the usual kind of debate going on, which illustrates a very important and pervasive distinction between several types of propaganda systems. To take the ideal types, exaggerating a little: totalitarian states' propaganda is that you better accept it, or else. And "or else" can be of various consequences, depending on the nature of the state. People can actually believe whatever they want as long as they obey. Democratic societies use a different method: they don't articulate the party line. That's a mistake. What they do is presuppose it, then encourage vigorous debate within the framework of the party line. This serves two purposes. For one thing it gives the impression of a free and open society because, after all, we have lively debate. It also instills a propaganda line that becomes something you presuppose, like the air you breathe.
That was the case here. This is a classic illustration. The whole debate about the Iranian "interference" in Iraq makes sense only on one assumption, namely, that "we own the world." If we own the world, then the only question that can arise is that someone else is interfering in a country we have invaded and occupied.
So if you look over the debate that took place and is still taking place about Iranian interference, no one points out this is insane. How can Iran be interfering in a country that we invaded and occupied? It's only appropriate on the presupposition that we own the world. Once you have that established in your head, the discussion is perfectly sensible.
You read a lot of comparisons now about Vietnam and Iraq. For the most part they are totally incomparable; the nature and purpose of the war, almost everything is totally different except in one respect: how they are perceived in the United States. In both cases there is what is now sometimes called the "Q" word, quagmire. Is it a quagmire? In Vietnam it is now recognized that it was a quagmire. There is a debate of whether Iraq, too, is a quagmire. In other words, is it costing us too much? That is the question you can debate.
So in the case of Vietnam, there was a debate. Not at the beginning — in fact, there was so little discussion in the beginning that nobody even remembers when the war began — 1962, if you're interested. That's when the U.S. attacked Vietnam. But there was no discussion, no debate, nothing.
By the mid-1960s, mainstream debate began. And it was the usual range of opinions between the hawks and the doves. The hawks said if we send more troops, we can win. The doves, well, Arthur Schlesinger, famous historian, Kennedy's advisor, in his book in 1966 said that we all pray that the hawks will be right and that the current escalation of troops, which by then was approaching half a million, will work and bring us victory. If it does, we will all be praising the wisdom and statesmanship of the American government for winning victory — in a land that we're reducing to ruin and wreck.
You can translate that word by word to the doves today. We all pray that the surge will work. If it does, contrary to our expectations, we will be praising the wisdom and statesmanship of the Bush administration in a country, which, if we're honest, is a total ruin, one of the worst disasters in military history for the population.
If you get way to the left end of mainstream discussion, you get somebody like Anthony Lewis who, at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, wrote in retrospect that the war began with benign intensions to do good; that is true by definition, because it's us, after all. So it began with benign intentions, but by 1969, he said, it was clear that the war was a mistake. For us to win a victory would be too costly — for us — so it was a mistake and we should withdraw. That was the most extreme criticism.
Very much like today. We could withdraw from Vietnam because the U.S. had already essentially obtained its objective by then. Iraq we can't because we haven't obtained our objectives.
And for those of you who are old enough to remember — or have read about it — you will note that the peace movement pretty much bought that line. Just like the mainstream discussion, the opposition of the war, including the peace movement, was mostly focused on the bombing of the North. When the U.S. started bombing the North regularly in February 1965, it also escalated the bombing of the South to triple the scale — and the South had already been attacked for three years by then. A couple of hundred thousand South Vietnamese were killed and thousands, if not tens of the thousands, had been driven into concentration camps. The U.S. had been carrying out chemical warfare to destroy food crops and ground cover. By 1965 South Vietnam was already a total wreck.
Bombing the South was costless for the United States because the South had no defense. Bombing the North was costly — you bomb the North, you bomb the harbor, you might hit Russian ships, which begins to become dangerous. You're bombing an internal Chinese railroad — the Chinese railroads from southeast to southwest China happen to go through North Vietnam — who knows what they might do.
In fact, the Chinese were accused, correctly, of sending Chinese forces into Vietnam, namely to rebuild the railroad that we were bombing. So that was "interference" with our divine right to bomb North Vietnam. So most of the focus was on the bombing of the North. The peace movement slogan, "Stop the bombing" meant the bombing of the North.
In 1967 the leading specialist on Vietnam, Bernard Fall, a military historian and the only specialist on Vietnam respected by the U.S. government — who was a hawk, incidentally, but who cared about the Vietnamese — wrote that it's a question of whether Vietnam will survive as a cultural and historical entity under the most severe bombing that has ever been applied to a country this size. He was talking about the South. He kept emphasizing it was the South that was being attacked. But that didn't matter because it was costless, therefore it's fine to continue. That is the range of debate, which only makes sense on the assumption that we own the world.
If you read, say, the Pentagon Papers, it turns out there was extensive planning about the bombing of the North — very detailed, meticulous planning on just how far it can go, what happens if we go a little too far, and so on. There is no discussion at all about the bombing of the South, virtually none. Just an occasional announcement, okay, we will triple the bombing, or something like that.
If you read Robert McNamara's memoirs of the war — by that time he was considered a leading dove — he reviews the meticulous planning about the bombing of the North, but does not even mention his decision to sharply escalate the bombing of the South at the same time that the bombing of the North was begun.
I should say, incidentally, that with regard to Vietnam what I have been discussing is articulate opinion, including the leading part of the peace movement. There is also public opinion, which it turns out is radically different, and that is of some significance. By 1969 around 70 percent of the public felt that the war was not a mistake, but that it was fundamentally wrong and immoral. That was the wording of the polls and that figure remains fairly constant up until the most recent polls just a few years ago. The figures are pretty remarkable because people who say that in a poll almost certainly think, I must be the only person in the world that thinks this. They certainly did not read it anywhere, they did not hear it anywhere. But that was popular opinion.
The same is true with regard to many other issues. But for articulate opinion it's pretty much the way I've described — largely vigorous debate between the hawks and the doves, all on the unexpressed assumption that we own the world. So the only thing that matters is how much is it costing us, or maybe for some more humane types, are we harming too many of them?
Getting back to the election, there was a lot of disappointment among anti-war people — the majority of the population — that Congress did not pass any withdrawal legislation. There was a Democratic resolution that was vetoed, but if you look at the resolution closely it was not a withdrawal resolution. There was a good analysis of it by General Kevin Ryan, who was a fellow at the Kennedy School at Harvard. He went through it and he said it really should be called a re-missioning proposal. It leaves about the same number of American troops, but they have a slightly different mission.
He said, first of all it allows for a national security exception. If the president says there is a national security issue, he can do whatever he wants — end of resolution. The second gap is it allows for anti-terrorist activities. Okay, that is whatever you like. Third, it allows for training Iraqi forces. Again, anything you like.
Next it says troops have to remain for protection of U.S. forces and facilities. What are U.S. forces? Well, U.S. forces are those embedded in Iraqi armed units where 60 percent of their fellow soldiers think that they — U.S. troops, that is — are legitimate targets of attack. Incidentally, those figures keep going up, so they are probably higher by now. Well, okay, that is plenty of force protection. What facilities need protection was not explained in the Democratic resolution, but facilities include what is called "the embassy." The U.S. embassy in Iraq is nothing like any embassy that has ever existed in history. It's a city inside the green zone, the protected region of Iraq, that the U.S. runs. It's got everything from missiles to McDonalds, anything you want. They didn't build that huge facility because they intend to leave.
That is one facility, but there are others. There are "semi-permanent military bases," which are being built around the country. "Semi-permanent" means permanent, as long as we want.
General Ryan omitted a lot of things. He omitted the fact that the U.S. is maintaining control of logistics and logistics is the core of a modern Army. Right now about 80 percent of the supply is coming in though the south, from Kuwait, and it's going through guerilla territory, easily subject to attack, which means you have to have plenty of troops to maintain that supply line. Plus, of course, it keeps control over the Iraqi Army.
The Democratic resolution excludes the Air Force. The Air Force does whatever it wants. It is bombing pretty regularly and it can bomb more intensively. The resolution also excludes mercenaries, which is no small number — sources such as the Wall Street Journal estimate the number of mercenaries at about 130,000, approximately the same as the number of troops, which makes some sense. The traditional way to fight a colonial war is with mercenaries, not with your own soldiers — that is the French Foreign Legion, the British Ghurkas, or the Hessians in the Revolutionary War. That is part of the main reason the draft was dropped — so you get professional soldiers, not people you pick off the streets.
So, yes, it is re-missioning, but the resolution was vetoed because it was too strong, so we don't even have that. And, yes, that did disappoint a lot of people. However, it would be too strong to say that no high official in Washington called for immediate withdrawal. There were some. The strongest one I know of — when asked what is the solution to the problem in Iraq — said it's quite obvious, "Withdraw all foreign forces and withdraw all foreign arms." That official was Condoleeza Rice and she was not referring to U.S. forces, she was referring to Iranian forces and Iranian arms. And that makes sense, too, on the assumption that we own the world because, since we own the world U.S. forces cannot be foreign forces anywhere. So if we invade Iraq or Canada, say, we are the indigenous forces. It's the Iranians that are foreign forces.
I waited for a while to see if anyone, at least in the press or journals, would point out that there was something funny about this. I could not find a word. I think everyone regarded that as a perfectly sensible comment. But I could not see a word from anyone who said, wait a second, there are foreign forces there, 150,000 American troops, plenty of American arms.
So it is reasonable that when British sailors were captured in the Gulf by Iranian forces, there was debate, "Were they in Iranian borders or in Iraqi borders? Actually there is no answer to this because there is no territorial boundary, and that was pointed out. It was taken for granted that if the British sailors were in Iraqi waters, then Iran was guilty of a crime by intervening in foreign territory. But Britain is not guilty of a crime by being in Iraqi territory, because Britain is a U.S. client state, and we own the world, so they are there by right.
What about the possible next war, Iran? There have been very credible threats by the U.S. and Israel — essentially a U.S. client — to attack Iran. There happens to be something called the UN Charter which says that — in Article 2 — the threat or use of force in international affairs is a crime. "Threat or use of force."
Does anybody care? No, because we're an outlaw state by definition, or to be more precise, our threats and use of force are not foreign, they're indigenous because we own the world. Therefore, it's fine. So there are threats to bomb Iran — maybe we will and maybe we won't. That is the debate that goes on. Is it legitimate if we decide to do it? People might argue it's a mistake. But does anyone say it would be illegitimate? For example, the Democrats in Congress refuse to put in an amendment that would require the Executive to inform Congress if it intends to bomb Iran — to consult, inform. Even that was not accepted.
The whole world is aghast at this possibility. It would be monstrous. A leading British military historian, Correlli Barnett, wrote recently that if the U.S. does attack, or Israel does attack, it would be World War III. The attack on Iraq has been horrendous enough. Apart from devastating Iraq, the UN High Commission on Refugees reviewed the number of displaced people — they estimate 4.2 million, over 2 million fled the country, another 2 million fleeing within the country. That is in addition to the numbers killed, which if you extrapolate from the last studies, are probably approaching a million.
It was anticipated by U.S. intelligence and other intelligence agencies and independent experts that an attack on Iraq would probably increase the threat of terror and nuclear proliferation. But that went way beyond what anyone expected. Well known terrorism specialists Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank estimated — using mostly government statistics — that what they call "the Iraq effect" increased terror by a factor of seven, and that is pretty serious. And that gives you an indication of the ranking of protection of the population in the priority list of leaders. It's very low.
So what would the Iran effect be? Well, that is incalculable. It could be World War III. Very likely a massive increase in terror, who knows what else. Even in the states right around Iraq, which don't like Iran — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — even there the large majority would prefer to see a nuclear armed Iran to any U.S. military action, and they are right, military action could be devastating. It doesn't mean we won't do it. There is very little discussion here of the illegitimacy of doing it, again on the assumption that anything we do is legitimate, it just might cost too much.
Is there a possible solution to the U.S./Iran crisis? Well, there are some plausible solutions. One possibility would be an agreement that allows Iran to have nuclear energy, like every signer of the non-proliferation treaty, but not to have nuclear weapons. In addition, it would call for a nuclear weapons free zone in the Middle East. That would include Iran, Israel, which has hundreds of nuclear weapons, and any U.S. or British forces deployed in the region. A third element of a solution would be for the United States and other nuclear states to obey their legal obligation, by unanimous agreement of the World Court, to make good-faith moves to eliminate nuclear weapons entirely.
Is this feasible? Well, it's feasible on one assumption, that the United States and Iran become functioning democratic societies, because what I have just quoted happens to be the opinion of the overwhelming majority of the populations in Iran and the United States. On everything that I mentioned there is an overwhelming majority. So, yes, there would be a very feasible solution if these two countries were functioning democratic societies, meaning societies in which public opinion has some kind of effect on policy. The problem in the United States is the inability of organizers to do something in a population that overwhelmingly agrees with them and to make that current policy. Of course, it can be done. Peasants in Bolivia can do it, we can obviously do it here.
Can we do anything to make Iran a more democratic society? Not directly, but indirectly we can. We can pay attention to the dissidents and the reformists in Iran who are struggling courageously to turn Iran into a more democratic society. And we know exactly what they are saying, they are very outspoken about it. They are pleading with the United States to withdraw the threats against Iran. The more we threaten Iran, the more we give a gift to the reactionary, religious fanatics in the government. You make threats, you strengthen them. That is exactly what is happening. The threats have lead to repression, predictably.
Now the Americans claim they are outraged by the repression, which we should protest, but we should recognize that the repression is the direct and predictable consequence of the actions that the U.S. government is taking. So if you take actions, and then they have predictable consequences, condemning the consequences is total hypocrisy.
Incidentally, in the case of Cuba about two-thirds of Americans think we ought to end the embargo and all threats and enter into diplomatic relations. And that has been true ever since polls have been taken — for about 30 years. The figure varies, but it's roughly there. Zero effect on policy, in Iran, Cuba, and elsewhere.
So there is a problem and that problem is that the United States is just not a functioning democracy. Public opinion does not matter and among articulate and elite opinion that is a principle — it shouldn't matter. The only principle that matters is we own the world and the rest of you shut up, you know, whether you're abroad or at home.
So, yes, there is a potential solution to the very dangerous problem, it's essentially the same solution: do something to turn our own country into a functioning democracy. But that is in radical opposition to the fundamental presupposition of all elite discussions, mainly that we own the world and that these questions don't arise and the public should have no opinion on foreign policy, or any policy.
Once, when I was driving to work, I was listening to NPR. NPR is supposed to be the kind of extreme radical end of the spectrum. I read a statement somewhere, I don't know if it's true, but it was a quote from Obama, who is the hope of the liberal doves, in which he allegedly said that the spectrum of discussion in the United States extends between two crazy extremes, Rush Limbaugh and NPR. The truth, he said, is in the middle and that is where he is going to be, in the middle, between the crazies.
NPR then had a discussion — it was like being at the Harvard faculty club — serious people, educated, no grammatical errors, who know what they're talking about, usually polite. The discussion was about the so-called missile defense system that the U.S. is trying to place in Czechoslovakia and Poland — and the Russian reaction. The main issue was, "What is going on with the Russians? Why are they acting so hostile and irrational? Are they trying to start a new Cold War? There is something wrong with those guys. Can we calm them down and make them less paranoid?"
The main specialist they called in, I think from the Pentagon or somewhere, pointed out, accurately, that a missile defense system is essentially a first-strike weapon. That is well known by strategic analysts on all sides. If you think about it for a minute, it's obvious why. A missile defense system is never going to stop a first strike, but it could, in principle, if it ever worked, stop a retaliatory strike. If you attack some country with a first strike, and practically wipe it out, if you have a missile defense system, and prevent them from retaliating, then you would be protected, or partially protected. If a country has a functioning missile defense system it will have more options for carrying out a first strike. Okay, obvious, and not a secret. It's known to every strategic analyst. I can explain it to my grandchildren in two minutes and they understand it.
So on NPR it is agreed that a missile defense system is a first-strike weapon. But then comes the second part of the discussion. Well, say the pundits, the Russians should not be worried about this. For one thing because it's not enough of a system to stop their retaliation, so therefore it's not yet a first-strike weapon against them. Then they said it is kind of irrelevant anyway because it is directed against Iran, not against Russia.
Okay, that was the end of the discussion. So, point one, missile defense is a first-strike weapon; second, it's directed against Iran. Now, you can carry out a small exercise in logic. Does anything follow from those two assumptions? Yes, what follows is it's a first-strike weapon against Iran. Since the U.S. owns the world what could be wrong with having a first-strike weapon against Iran. So the conclusion is not mentioned. It is not necessary. It follows from the fact that we own the world.
Maybe a year ago or so, Germany sold advanced submarines to Israel, which were equipped to carry missiles with nuclear weapons. Why does Israel need submarines with nuclear armed missiles? Well, there is only one imaginable reason and everyone in Germany with a brain must have understood that — certainly their military system does — it's a first-strike weapon against Iran. Israel can use German subs to illustrate to Iranians that if they respond to an Israeli attack they will be vaporized.
The fundamental premises of Western imperialism are extremely deep. The West owns the world and now the U.S. runs the West, so, of course, they go along. The fact that they are providing a first-strike weapon for attacking Iran probably, I'm guessing now, raised no comment because why should it?
You can forget about history, it does not matter, it's kind of "old fashioned," boring stuff we don't need to know about. But most countries pay attention to history. So, for example, for the United States there is no discussion of the history of U.S./Iranian relations. Well, for the U.S. there is only one event in Iranian history — in 1979 Iranians overthrew the tyrant that the U.S. was backing and took some hostages for over a year. That happened and they had to be punished for that.
But for Iranians their history is that for over 50 years, literally without a break, the U.S. has been torturing Iranians. In 1953 the U.S. overthrew the parliamentary government and installed a brutal tyrant, the Shah, and kept supporting him while he compiled one of the worst human rights records in the world — torture, assassination, anything you like. In fact, President Carter, when he visited Iran in December 1978, praised the Shah because of the love shown to him by his people, and so on and so forth, which probably accelerated the overthrow. Of course, Iranians have this odd way of remembering what happened to them and who was behind it. When the Shah was overthrown, the Carter administration immediately tried to instigate a military coup by sending arms to Iran through Israel to try to support military force to overthrow the government. We immediately turned to supporting Iraq, that is Saddam Hussein, and his invasion of Iran. Saddam was executed for crimes he committed in 1982, by his standards not very serious crimes — complicity in killing 150 people. Well, there was something missing in that account — 1982 is a very important year in U.S./Iraqi relations. That is the year in which Ronald Reagan removed Iraq from the list of states supporting terrorism so that the U.S. could start supplying Iraq with weapons for its invasion of Iran, including the means to develop weapons of mass destruction, chemical and nuclear weapons. That is 1982. A year later Donald Rumsfeld was sent to firm up the deal. Well, Iranians may very well remember that this led to a war in which hundreds of thousands of them were slaughtered with U.S. aid going to Iraq. They may well remember that the year after the war was over, in 1989, the U.S. government invited Iraqi nuclear engineers to come to the United States for advanced training in developing nuclear weapons.
What about the Russians? They have a history too. One part of the history is that in the last century Russia was invaded and practically destroyed three times through Eastern Europe. You can look back and ask, when was the last time that the U.S. was invaded and practically destroyed through Canada or Mexico? That doesn't happen. We crush others and we are always safe. But the Russians don't have that luxury. Now, in 1990 a remarkable event took place. I was kind of shocked, frankly. Gorbachev agreed to let Germany be unified, meaning join the West and be militarized within a hostile military alliance. This is Germany, which twice in that century practically destroyed Russia. That's a pretty remarkable agreement.
There was a quid pro quo. Then-president George Bush I agreed that NATO would not expand to the East. The Russians also demanded, but did not receive, an agreement for a nuclear-free zone from the Artic to the Baltic, which would give them a little protection from nuclear attack. That was the agreement in 1990. Then Bill Clinton came into office, the so-called liberal. One of the first things he did was to rescind the agreement, unilaterally, and expand NATO to the East.
For the Russians that's pretty serious, if you remember the history. They lost 25 million people in the last World War and over 3 million in World War I. But since the U.S. owns the world, if we want to threaten Russia, that is fine. It is all for freedom and justice, after all, and if they make unpleasant noises about it we wonder why they are so paranoid. Why is Putin screaming as if we're somehow threatening them, since we can't be threatening anyone, owning the world.
One of the other big issues on the front pages now is Chinese "aggressiveness." There is a lot of concern about the fact that the Chinese are building up their missile forces. Is China planning to conquer the world? Big debates about it. Well, what is really going on? For years China has been in the lead in trying to prevent the militarization of space. If you look at the debates and the Disarmament Commission of the UN General Assembly, the votes are 160 to 1 or 2. The U.S. insists on the militarization of space. It will not permit the outer space treaty to explicitly bar military relations in space.
Clinton's position was that the U.S. should control space for military purposes. The Bush administration is more extreme. Their position is the U.S. should own space, their words, We have to own space for military purposes. So that is the spectrum of discussion here. The Chinese have been trying to block it and that is well understood. You read the most respectable journal in the world, I suppose, the Journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and you find leading strategic analysts, John Steinbrunner and Nancy Gallagher, a couple of years ago, warning that the Bush administration's aggressive militarization is leading to what they call "ultimate doom." Of course, there is going to be a reaction to it. You threaten people with destruction, they are going to react. These analysts call on peace-loving nations to counter Bush's aggressive militarism. They hope that China will lead peace-loving nations to counter U.S. aggressiveness. It's a pretty remarkable comment on the impossibility of achieving democracy in the United States. Again, the logic is pretty elementary. Steinbrunner and Gallagher are assuming that the United States cannot be a democratic society; it's not one of the options, so therefore we hope that maybe China will do something.
Well, China finally did something. It signaled to the United States that they noticed that we were trying to use space for military purposes, so China shot down one of their satellites. Everyone understands why — the mili- tarization and weaponization of space depends on satellites. While missiles are very difficult or maybe impossible to stop, satellites are very easy to shoot down. You know where they are. So China is saying, "Okay, we understand you are militarizing space. We're going to counter it not by militarizing space, we can't compete with you that way, but by shooting down your satellites." That is what was behind the satellite shooting. Every military analyst certainly understood it and every lay person can understand it. But take a look at the debate. The discussion was about, "Is China trying it conquer the world by shooting down one of its own satellites?"
About a year ago there was a new rash of articles and headlines on the front page about the "Chinese military build-up." The Pentagon claimed that China had increased its offensive military capacity — with 400 missiles, which could be nuclear armed. Then we had a debate about whether that proves China is trying to conquer the world or the numbers are wrong, or something.
Just a little footnote. How many offensive nuclear armed missiles does the United States have? Well, it turns out to be 10,000. China may now have maybe 400, if you believe the hawks. That proves that they are trying to conquer the world.
It turns out, if you read the international press closely, that the reason China is building up its military capacity is not only because of U.S. aggressiveness all over the place, but the fact that the United States has improved its targeting capacities so it can now destroy missile sites in a much more sophisticated fashion wherever they are, even if they are mobile. So who is trying to conquer the world? Well, obviously the Chinese because since we own it, they are trying to conquer it.
It's all too easy to continue with this indefinitely. Just pick your topic. It's a good exercise to try. This simple principle, "we own the world," is sufficient to explain a lot of the discussion about foreign affairs.
I will just finish with a word from George Orwell. In the introduction to Animal Farm he said, England is a free society, but it's not very different from the totalitarian monster I have been describing. He says in England unpopular ideas can be suppressed without the use of force. Then he goes on to give some dubious examples. At the end he turns to a very brief explanation, actually two sentences, but they are to the point. He says, one reason is the press is owned by wealthy men who have every reason not to want certain ideas to be expressed. And the second reason — and I think a more important one — is a good education. If you have gone to the best schools and graduated from Oxford and Cambridge, and so on, you have instilled in you the understanding that there are certain things it would not do to say; actually, it would not do to think. That is the primary way to prevent unpopular ideas from being expressed.
The ideas of the overwhelming majority of the population, who don't attend Harvard, Princeton, Oxford and Cambridge, enable them to react like human beings, as they often do. There is a lesson there for activists.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Table of Contents
This chapter provides general information about writing trigger functions. Trigger functions can be written in most of the available procedural languages, including PL/pgSQL (Chapter 42), PL/Tcl (Chapter 43), PL/Perl (Chapter 44), and PL/Python (Chapter 45). After reading this chapter, you should consult the chapter for your favorite procedural language to find out the language-specific details of writing a trigger in it.
It is also possible to write a trigger function in C, although most people find it easier to use one of the procedural languages. It is not currently possible to write a trigger function in the plain SQL function language.
If you see anything in the documentation that is not correct, does not match your experience with the particular feature or requires further clarification, please use this form to report a documentation issue.


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Locale::Currency - ISO three letter codes for currency identification (ISO 4217)
use Locale::Currency;
$curr = code2currency('usd'); # $curr gets 'US Dollar' $code = currency2code('Euro'); # $code gets 'eur'
@codes = all_currency_codes(); @names = all_currency_names();
The Locale::Currency
module provides access to the ISO three-letter
codes for identifying currencies and funds, as defined in ISO 4217.
You can either access the codes via the conversion routines
(described below),
or with the two functions which return lists of all currency codes or
all currency names.
There are two special codes defined by the standard which aren't understood by this module:
Specifically reserved for testing purposes.
For transactions where no currency is involved.
There are two conversion routines: code2currency()
and currency2code()
This function takes a three letter currency code and returns a string
which contains the name of the currency identified. If the code is
not a valid currency code, as defined by ISO 4217, then undef
will be returned.
$curr = code2currency($code);
This function takes a currency name and returns the corresponding
three letter currency code, if such exists.
If the argument could not be identified as a currency name,
then undef
will be returned.
$code = currency2code('French Franc');
The case of the currency name is not important. See the section KNOWN BUGS AND LIMITATIONS below.
There are two function which can be used to obtain a list of all currency codes, or all currency names:
Returns a list of all three-letter currency codes. The codes are guaranteed to be all lower-case, and not in any particular order.
Returns a list of all currency names for which there is a corresponding three-letter currency code. The names are capitalised, and not returned in any particular order.
The following example illustrates use of the code2currency()
The user is prompted for a currency code, and then told the corresponding
currency name:
$| = 1; # turn off buffering
print "Enter currency code: "; chop($code = <STDIN>); $curr = code2currency($code); if (defined $curr) { print "$code = $curr\n"; } else { print "'$code' is not a valid currency code!\n"; }
In the current implementation, all data is read in when the module is loaded, and then held in memory. A lazy implementation would be more memory friendly.
This module also includes the special codes which are not for a currency, such as Gold, Platinum, etc. This might cause a problem if you're using this module to display a list of currencies. Let Neil know if this does cause a problem, and we can do something about it.
ISO 4217 also defines a numeric code for each currency. Currency codes are not currently supported by this module, in the same way Locale::Country supports multiple codesets.
There are three cases where there is more than one
code for the same currency name.
Kwacha has two codes: mwk for Malawi, and zmk for Zambia.
The Russian Ruble has two codes: rub and rur.
The Belarussian Ruble has two codes: byr and byb.
The currency2code()
function only returns one code, so
you might not get back the code you expected.
ISO codes for identification of country (ISO 3166).
ISO codes for identification of written scripts (ISO 15924).
Code for the representation of currencies and funds.
Official web page for the ISO 4217 maintenance agency. This has the latest list of codes, in MS Word format. Boo.
Michael Hennecke <email@example.com> and Neil Bowers <firstname.lastname@example.com>
Copyright (C) 2002-2004, Neil Bowers.
Copyright (c) 2001 Michael Hennecke and Canon Research Centre Europe (CRE).
This module is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.


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First post, by thedoctor45
- Rank
- Newbie
This package includes a custom patched DOSBox build with Glide support as well as a native version of the OpenGLide 3Dfx API Wrapper for Intel Mac OS X 10.5 & 10.6.
I was able to implement them both into a DOSBox game wrapper which allows everyone to port hardware accelerated DOS games to OSX with little effort.
Be advised that this Wrapper was not designed for housing more than one game and does not support multiple config files! The concept is to transform a single DOS game into a standalone OSX application.
Release notes:
This build is based on DOSBox v0.73 with the Glide patch from gulikoza - the OpenGLide library was compiled from the latest cvs.
All required libraries are included inside the application bundle - no additional system components are necessary for running the wrapper.
The GL_EXT_packed_pixels error in OpenGLide has been fixed and the gamma correction level has been reduced a bit.
Porting Instructions:
• Open the application package by right clicking on it and selecting "Show Package Contents" from the menu, then navigate to the /Contents/Resource dir
• Place your folder containing the gamefiles into this directory
• Place the included glide2x.ovl driver into the gamefolder, overwriting any existing file
• Open dosbox.conf with a Text Editor, scroll down to the end of the file and change the autoexec section accordingly to start your executable.
The next step is OPTIONAL and only recommended if you want to visually customize your Port.
• Place a custom icns file into the Resource folder
• Go into /Contents and open the info.plist file - change the Bundle name, Bundle display name, the Icon file and the bundle identifier values accordingly (recommended are PlistEdit Pro or the Property List Editor from the OSX Delevoper Tools)
Special thanks go to Dominus, gulikoza and weirdnose for thier instructions, patches and support.
If anybody wants a standard DOSBox build with Glide Support that does not store its content inside of the package let me know.
But for the few Glide based DOS games that exist, this Wrapper should be the best solution imho. For the other games the regular OSX DosBox builds should be sufficient.
Same build as below uploaded by Dominus
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cm5rym7ixppzee7/DOS … _Intel.dmg?dl=1
I hope you find this little piece of software useful 😉


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Women's Slot Machine – Need to Learn More about It
There is a significant distinction in the manner ladies and men bet. Gambling is not, at this point only the most loved side interest for men; it is additionally one of the most acclaimed exercises for ladies. With ladies turning out to be monetarily autonomous today, they have taken to gambling in a significant enormous manner. Gambling implies various things to people. A lady's point of view to the game is distinctive in light of the fact that they are very emotional while men are more exact and focus on what matters.
Game play of men/ladies
Men play the match for dominating and cash is the point of convergence of gambling for them. While ladies also play for winning, it is the manner in which they play that has a significant effect. By and large, men focus on what matters and utilize measurements to dominate at the match. Ladies give more significance to feelings and sentiments and they are acceptable at perusing the feelings and articulations of their adversaries which they at that point use for their preferred position. While men appreciate Slot Machine and blackjack, easygoing ladies card sharks stick to gaming machines since these are simpler to play and a great deal of fun as well. Be that as it may with regards to proficient play ladies also favor blackjack and Slot Machine. Ladies are in actuality very great at games, particularly Slot Machine since they comprehend the mind of different players and are incredibly acceptable at understanding articulations and can without much of a stretch control their rivals by having the option to conceal their own tells.
Reasons why ladies bet
There are a lot of reasons why ladies go to gambling. The first and the most essential explanation is that gambling gives them an approach to escape from ordinary difficulties. At the point when they are gambling, ladies are lighthearted and they appreciate the game without considering home, work or whatever else. Likewise, most ladies bet since it gives them a great deal of amusement. The third motivation behind why ladies bet is to bring in cash at it. There are a lot of ladies who bet low maintenance or even full an ideal opportunity to bring in extra cash from it. Club is the ideal spot for ladies to bet since it permits them to associate with different เว็บสล็อตแตกบ่อย players and a scene where they can utilize their capacities. Web based gambling is likewise very famous for ladies since it permits them to play at whatever point they need from the solace of their home. With such a significant number of web based gambling locales on the web today, ladies have a lot of decisions.


text:
India's plastics sector is increasingly asking for higher tariffs and more government support against imports, particularly from competitors in Southeast Asia and China, as it copes with the country's slowest economic growth rates in a decade.
One of the country's largest polymer trade associations, the All India Plastics Manufacturers' Association, for example, used public forums at the recent Plastivision 2013 show to repeatedly urge the government to impose 20 percent tariffs on imported plastics products from the ASEAN countries and China.
The trade show, held in mid-December in Mumbai, was full of executives talking about the long-term potential of India, which projects to double its polymer consumption to 20 million metric tons by 2020.
But alongside that optimism, executives from all segments of the industry, including materials, machinery and processors, stepped up their calls for higher tariffs to, in their words, level the playing field against unfairly priced imports.
The head of India's plastic machinery trade group, for example, said he expected the government to renew the steep antidumping duties on Chinese-made injection machines when they expire later this year.
As well, India's resin manufacturing industry recently secured an increase in tariffs on imported materials, from five percent to 7.5 percent, although other local groups, like Mumbai-based AIPMA, strongly opposed it saying it raised costs for the country's injection molders and other processors.
Smaller industry segments were also raising the call. Indian recycling equipment maker Vipul Plastic Machinery Pvt. Ltd., in an interview in the Plastivision show newspaper, said the government should put higher tariffs on Chinese-made recycling machinery.
Arvind Mehta, chairman of AIPMA's governing council, said that 90 percent of the Indian processing companies are small and medium-sized firms. In several speeches at Plastivision, he argued that free trade agreements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations disadvantaged Indian firms with duty-free imports.
"Now, with the signing of the FTAs with ASEAN and like that, a lot of plastic goods are coming in and that is hurting our business," he told Plastics News. "We are paying the taxes to the government at the rate of 7.5 percent or 8 percent. That is the difference."
"We are not against imports," he said. "We are demanding a level playing field by which our industry can survive."
AIPMA first issued its call for tariffs on finished plastic products in September as part of a broad call for more government help, including rolling back tariffs on imported plastic resin. At the time, they said the weakening rupee had made imported materials much more expensive.
It's not clear how the Indian government would respond, but one minister speaking at Plastivision defended the free-trade deals.
Avinash Joshi, the joint secretary of the government's Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, said the ASEAN trade pacts have been very balanced in imports and exports for the country. That echoed recent interviews from more senior officials in Indian media that said the deals have boosted trade volumes.
He did not directly address the call to raise tariffs but said the Indian industry has problems like the small size of its companies and should to take action to improve itself: "R&D is one. We are hardly spending anything."
"At times we see from a very myopic view what is happening in our sectors," he told more than 100 association leaders at a conclave on the sidelines of Plastivision.
Other speakers at the meeting similarly urged Indian companies to improve the capital management or adopt a code of conduct similar to that of Germany's VDMA machinery industry trade association.
Joshi said the government, too, needed to do more to improve infrastructure, specifically noting complaints from the plastics sector about India's ports.
In spite of those government comments defending the trade deals, the head of the Plastics Machinery Manufacturers Association of India said he expected the government to renew the tariffs on Chinese-made injection molding machines first imposed in 2009.
"Absolutely," said Mahendra Patel, chairman of the New Delhi-based association and chairman of Mamata Machinery Pvt. Ltd., when asked if he expected renewal. "We know because we have reported very strongly and we have all positive signals."
Those tariffs, which for some companies are as high as 223 percent, had a significant impact on some Chinese producers.
Ningbo Haitai Machinery Manufacture Co. Ltd. sold several hundred machines a year in India before the tariffs but only about 15 a year now, said Kevin Shen, in an interview at the company's Plastivision booth. Still, it came to the show because it saw long-term potential, he said.
Some Indian materials companies were hailing the benefits of higher tariffs. Indian Oil Corp., for example, specifically noted in its annual report that the increase in raw material tariffs to 7.5 percent would increase its profitability.


text:
Pair of moccasins, beaded decoration
This material has been designated as being available for non-commercial use. You are allowed to use this material for non-commercial purposes including for research, study or public presentation and/or online in blogs or non-commercial websites. This label asks you to think and act with fairness and responsibility towards this material and the original custodians.


text:
Almana & Partners
With our roots firmly established in Qatar since 1959, Almana & Partners W.L.L (A&P) has developed an enviable reputation for business integrity and superior customer service. We bring to our customers quality international brands focused on fast-moving consumer products, consumer electronics and home appliances, office equipment and software business solutions and office furniture. We have our own in-house distribution, warehousing and service centres that ensure on-time delivery and maintenance providing our customers enduring product life-cycle experience. More..


text:
I've often joked that I wasn't much of a flower person until we did some foraging at our first team retreat. While I still am as dumb as a box of rocks when it comes to the different flower types, my appreciation for florals has certainly grown, and after seeing Emily's stunning blooms, I think it might be moving into a full-blown love. Sarah at the White Oaks Barn took Emily's inspiration and created bouquets full of marsala-hued dahlias, flowing greenery, and even some gold accents that ultimately became one of Emily's favorite details of the day. I can surely see why! But, when it came to her favorite moment? She and Ben chose "the overwhelming feeling of love and support from everyone that was able to be there with us."
Big SW hugs to Dash Photography for sharing this sweet day with us!
I wanted our florals to include LOTS of flowing greenery, plus flowers in creams, blush, and marsala. I showed our florist, Sarah Warner, lots of pictures for inspiration and she absolutely nailed it with my bouquet and my bridesmaids' bouquets. My bouquet had marsala-hued dahlias and ranunculus, muted pink garden roses, dusty pink antique roses, cascading seeded eucalyptus, and amaranthus. She surprised me with some gold accents as well. It was big and beautiful and I could not have loved it more!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress. As much as I hate to admit it, I can be quite indecisive when it comes to making certain decisions. My friends joked that I would try on one hundred dresses before actually picking one. You can imagine everyone's surprise when I picked the first dress I tried on at the first boutique I went to! I think I tried on six dresses total that day. Everyone says to stop looking when you find one you love, so that's exactly what I did!
Ultimately, we decided to do a first look because not only were we able to take a lot more pictures, but our reception was walking distance from the ceremony, so we wanted our wedding party to be able to enjoy the cocktail hour and reception right away. Wouldn't want to waste any time getting the party started! Being able to see Ben before the ceremony was really nice and helped calm my nerves.
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase, verse or line? We did not. Instead, during out premarital counseling, Ben and I had to answer questions about each other and share our answers with our minister, Charlie. During the ceremony, Charlie surprised us by reading each of our answers to the question "What is the one thing you love the most about Emily/Ben?" It was a sweet, personal touch that meant a lot to us!
What readings, if any, did you have at your ceremony? My cousin Jessica read Psalm 121, which talks about God and nature. It was perfect for our ceremony venue.
We chose the venue because of the scenery. The mountains are special to both of us and it's also the place where I feel closest to God, so I always knew I wanted to get married outside. With the leaves all turning colors, the view was so incredible. It's impossible to not be grateful that God put something so beautiful on the earth for us.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: How can a girl pick just one?! It is a tie between my bouquet and the lounge area on the covered porch. CRUSH event rentals created the most beautiful lounge around a big stone fireplace, providing a stylish, cozy corner for guests to sit down and have a drink while enjoying the outdoors.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The entire day is filled with so many special memories, but my favorite would have to be the overwhelming feeling of love and support from everyone that was able to be there with us. We are lucky to have people in our lives who often tell us they love us, but it is the most amazing feeling to be shown that love by seeing all of your family and friends come from near and far to be there to support you. Ben and I were obviously excited for our wedding day, but seeing everyone else genuinely happy to be there with us was the best wedding gift of all. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, my other favorite memory was getting behind the DJ booth to sing my lungs out to my all time favorite Celine Dion song! I'm a sucker for an open mic!
How did y'all meet? Tell us your love story. Ben and I met at a mutual friend's birthday party. Ben was late to the party, straight off of a flight from Vegas, and I will never forget seeing him walk through the front door. For those few seconds, it was like there was no one else in the room! He came up to me later and introduced himself. We hung out all night and, as I like to say, Ben was smitten. After a couple of months, his persistence paid off and we officially became a couple. That was 3 1/2 years ago and the rest is history!
Tell us all about the proposal! Ben's family has a lake house in the Blue Ridge Mountains and it is one of my favorite places in the whole wide world to be. Not only is it beautiful, but it's also where I started to fall in love with Ben, so it holds a special place in my heart! Ben and I hadn't gone up there just the two of us in a while, so when he asked if I wanted to go, I couldn't wait! In the back of my mind, I was secretly hoping he would propose that weekend, but little things here and there made me doubt that it was going to happen. We got to the lake house on Friday night and Ben told me he had made dinner reservations at a restaurant on the lake. We unpacked the car and then hopped on the boat to make it to dinner on time. On the way, I asked Ben if we could head home during the sunset so we could watch it from the boat (unbeknownst to me at the time, that was his plan all along). We finished dinner and practically ran back to the boat. The sunset was magical, and as I was taking pictures, like I always do, Ben pointed out a particularly pretty view. As soon as I turned around to snap a picture, the boat stopped…and so did my heart! I turned around and Ben was on his knee asking me to marry him! It was perfect. When we turned the corner back to the house, I saw all of our family and friends running outside to greet us. Ben had asked everyone to come to the lake to surprise me! The rest of the night was filled with so much love and joy–there were even fireworks! It was the best weekend ever!!
When did y'all get married? October 24, 2015
How many friends, family members, and loved ones attended your wedding? 200
Describe your wedding cake or dessert. Our wedding cake was four tiers of vanilla almond and strawberry with a raspberry filling. Natalie from Cake Envy made the most delicious cake. The groom's cake was a red velvet Georgia bulldog that looked amazing, and tasted great too!
How did you plan for your marriage while planning your wedding? Ben and I did premarital counseling with our wedding officiant, Rev. Charlie Marus. This really helped Ben and I understand one others' expectations for our marriage, and it was a good way to make sure we were on the same page about things like finances, chores, and children, just to name a few!
What was one way you saved money or cut costs at your wedding? My sister, Allison, is extremely creative and talented. She hand-painted all of the signs and decor at the wedding, including the Bible verse sign at the ceremony site, the bride and groom signs that hung on our chairs at dinner, and the "Abernathy" sign that had greenery draped over it. She did everything for free, so that was a huge help. We also ordered our wedding invitations through Minted, which was much more cost effective than hiring someone to design and address them!
What advice do you have for folks currently planning a wedding? Take your time to make decisions that are important to you and try not to rush yourself. Don't sweat the small stuff and, if you can, hire a wedding planner!
What's next for you as a couple? What memories are you looking forward to making together? Ben and I are looking forward to enjoying our first holiday season as husband and wife! We will be spending time with our families, taking care of our precious golden retriever, Cooper, and going on a New Year's trip cruising the British Virgin Islands!
Photographer: Amanda Coker / Venue, Planner, Caterer, and Florist: White Oaks Barn / Wedding Cake: Natalie Roth / Rentals: CRUSH event rentals / DJ: Kyle MacDonald / Special Details: Allison Brown / Invitations: Minted / Paper Products and Koozie Design: Kristen Polsinelli / Bride's Gown: "Style 1504" Blush by Hayley Paige / Bride's Veil: Wedding Angels Boutique / Hair and Makeup: Molly Todd / Bride's Shoes: "Lyndee" Sandal by Badgley Mischka / Bridesmaids' Dresses: Angelina Faccenda / Menswear: "Parker" Tuxedo in Black by Ike Behar / Photo Booth: Robot Booth


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Meat Roll (Mäsová Roláda)
Here is one dish that is very popular in Slovakia: a meat roll with a hard boiled egg in the middle. It's similar to a Scotch egg. By the way, this is just one of many various meat rolls that you may find on your travels through Slovakia. For some reason it is popular to serve meat in the shape of a roll. Some other recipes consist of layers made of different kinds of meats, or with a salad as the filling.
Ingredients: 500g ground pork, 4 hard boiled eggs, 1 uncooked egg, one medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, fresh parsley, half a bread roll squeezed in milk, salt, pepper, paprika, bread crumbs, baked potatoes and green peas for the side
Prep Time: About 30 minutes prep, then some 1-1.5 hours baking at 375F
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out fašírka, the Slovak take on the hamburger. Also don't forget to send the link to friends, share on Facebook, and tweet on Twitter. Thanks!


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Some of the articles that appear here will be from the automatically-categorised calendar entries, shown at Current events and on any other page where the <calendar /> tag has been included; all of those articles are listed under "2" in date order.
To add an article to this category without using the automatic calendar, type or paste [[Category:Events|**]] in that article.
All items (11)


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Red Paddle Co Racing have set their sights on the Caribbean as the location for their inaugural, revolutionary, team racing concept – the Dragon World Championships. The first ever dedicated paddleboard team racing event.
The world's most popular inflatable paddleboard brand has announced the event will be held in Carlisle Bay, Barbados on 28th - 30th October 2017.
Working in partnership with Barbados Tourism & Marketing Inc (BTMI), the Championships will be the climax to a busy calendar of Dragon World Series events taking place across the globe in the next 10 months.
With the action taking place over the course of three days, The Dragon World Championships will be unlike any SUP event you've ever experienced, mixing fast, fun racing with a party vibe like no other.
Each race will vary in length and format, and has been designed to test team camaraderie, co-ordination, and determination as much as flat out speed and power. There will be several divisions enabling people of all ages and abilities to take part including, mixed, women's, men's and family team categories. With celebrations and entertainment throughout the day and running on late into the night, the Championships are set to be the ultimate paddleboard event.
Neville Boxill, Senior Director at BTMI commented: "We're extremely pleased to be partnering with Red Paddle Co for the Dragon World Championships. Paddleboard team racing is an exciting concept and I'm looking forward to welcoming competitors from all over the globe to our beautiful island to crown the very first World Champions!"
There is no qualification needed to compete in the Dragon World Championships, instead there is the simple requirement that any team who enters must be on a Red Dragon and have competed in a regional Dragon World Series event. Teams will then battle it out over the weekend to be crowned the Dragon World Champions and take home the glory of becoming the world's greatest inflatable SUP racing team!
John Hibbard, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Red Paddle Co stated: "Meeting the requirements for the Dragon World Championships is simple; all you have to do is take part in a local event and you will instantly qualify. It's not an elitist competition, everyone is welcome and we look forward to celebrating this amazing sport with you in Barbados!"
At 22" long and 34'0" wide, the Red Dragon is the ultimate team racing paddleboard. Designed to mix the intensity of SUP racing with team spirit, the four-person iSUP marks the evolution of a competitive team sport.
To kick start the racing on Sunday 29th and in addition to the main event there will be a 10km downwind race aptly named, The Dragon Run. The race will be open to experienced teams only, who will battle it out through rough seas and strong currents to be crowned the victors.
It's time to unleash the Dragon!
The launch of the Dragon World Championships is in conjunction with Red Paddle Co's latest campaign, 'A Bag Full Of Resolutions' and they are encouraging people around the world to set themselves the goal of competing in this debut event as their New Year's resolution.
For more information about the Dragon World Championships and how you can enter, visit www.dragonworldseries.com.


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Flying Bach: A Successful Berlin Export?
I first saw Flying Bach four years ago in the modern interior of the Neue Nationalgalerie. Breakdancing to JS Bach's Well Tempered Clavier seemed to me then, and now, as completely unexpected and at the same time completely right.
The intricacy and control of the dancers follows the interlocking lines of the preludes and fugues. At times, each b-boy assumes a voice, and we are provided with a visual depiction of Bach's artistry––one dancer beginning the melody, which is imitated and followed, in counterpoint, by the others, until the gyrating, flexing and spinning create a textured choreographed whole. The director Christoph Hagel, leans in, live and unflustered, on the piano, the next piece is taken over by the harpsichord, or by electronic remixes of Bach's remarkable work.
Flying Bach does not only represent a delectable collision of styles––the frisson of seeing breakdance to Baroque music instead of Hiphop––but also represents a challenge to or reappropriation of German high culture.
The Flying Steps were founded in 1993 by Vartan Bassil and Kadir "Amigo" Memis. Vartan, like many of his fellow b-boys, comes from an immigrant family (he was born in Lebanon), and their academy finds itself in deepest SO36, Berlin's center for both alternative and conservative immigrant, mostly Turkish, life. I am not the only one to observe how Europe's immigrants have turned to breakdancing––looking to African-American models––in order to express their subaltern urban identities. For these Berlin b-boys from the ghetto then to graft this inheritance onto the symbol of German musical high culture represents a sweet little genealogy for those cultural studies folks out there.
This week Flying Bach finally took their production to the United States. They have already brought the performance to Japan, Australia, Canada, the Eurovision Song Contest, but this is the first time they show in the United States––the home of b-boying. And so I was extremely interested to see how this Berlin export––this strange hybrid which is very much a product of the stewing cultural milieus of Kreuzberg and Neukölln––would fare in Chicago's prime venue, The Civic Opera House.
There have been a few changes from the original cast. The fabulous and inspirational Yui Kawaguchi, a staple of the indie Berlin dance scene, left the company recently, along with a number of the Flying Steps b-boys. The sole female lead position has been taken over by the very capable Swedish dancer Anna Holmström. I have seen this new production and recognise that I am perhaps too loyal to the old cast to feel it has quite the same energy. Each time I see Flying Bach, it appears even slicker (perhaps the influence of the sponsorship of a big drinks company, Red Bull) and rehearsed. Or have I simply lost the spontaneity of the first viewing? I am looking for the intimacy, experimentation and novelty of that first experience in Mies van der Rohe's iconic Berlin museum, and find it cannot be repeated. Now, there is a big booming sound system and elaborately high-tech lighting.
The Chicago press's reaction to the tour to the Midwestern metropolis focused on different disappointments. The Chicago Sun-Times said everything you'd expect them to say about such an internationally successful Berlin export ("electrifying", an "enjoyable mashup"). It was surprising and gratifying to see them quote the front-page dedication of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier ("to the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study"), thinking cleverly about the b-boys as the "musical youth". But some reflection on the most interesting cultural crossovers in this piece were lost. It was simply entertainment.
This goes too for the more upmarket Chicago Tribune. The Tribune, however, had other, serious, problems with the piece, in particular a moment in the performance when a b-boy, Nordine-Dany Grimah, slaps Anna Holmström melodramatically across the face. Having spoken to one of the dancers, I learned that this moment of violence (which the Tribune calls "at best, a problematic message to send out to the many young women in this youthful audience and, at worse, misogynistic") was an innovation of the b-boys themselves who wanted to explore violence against women, and correct that violence through movement, showing the alienation of the culprit, and then reconciliation. To my mind, this mini-story in the production is cut from the same cloth as a soap-opera, a convention out of place in a piece carried by the music and dancing alone. For the Tribune, it turned out to be a politically-incorrect no no. Is it that you can't slap women on stage, even to then explore the consequences (was there no trigger warning? does it get to close to the reality of how often women are actually slapped by brutal men?)? The reviewer says Holmström is outnumbered seven to one, and this represents a "glaring inequality". American audiences are inured to a great many depictions of violence, but apparently not this one.
I suppose I had great hopes that reviewers in Chicago would understand at some level what it means for boys from Berlin's "hood" to be dancing to Bach, and that they would get beyond the home-grown docility of political correctness. But I guess I was asking for too much. This is not to say Americans don't understand Bach, or don't understand breakdancing. They get both, but perhaps not together in the context of Germany's integration debates. For Flying Bach to be more than just entertainment––to be understood for its political significance, as it storms the castle of German high culture––perhaps it shouldn't be for export.


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Episode Details
Erin and Chad are days away from meeting their little girl and are in full prep mode! Erin heads to Nashville to finish her lullaby album. But before Erin and Chad bring Brooklyn home they welcome another new addition…a puppy! And as Brooklyn's birth gets closer and closer, Erin recounts her struggles with Carson's labor and even though it will be worth it when she has Brooklyn in her arms, she worries that she'll face the same difficulties this time around.
More from Bringing Up Bates Season 4
Browse All EpisodesBig Family, Big Changes
Episode 401It's a season of change for the Bates family with new loves, new careers, and a new grandbaby on the way! But when Gil undergoes a serious medical procedure, it forces everyone to contemplate what the future holds for them all.
Bates Boys Birthday Bash
Episode 402It's Trace and Jeb's birthday and there's only one rule: no girls allowed! The brothers, who share a birthday and a special bond, plan a party for Bates boys only complete with go carts and ice cream! Meanwhile, Erin and Chad travel to South Carolina to speak to and encourage a group of young girls about female empowerment.
A LOVEly Day
Episode 403The whole family arrives at the Bates house to celebrate their favorite holiday, "I Love You Day" AND there's someone new at the table – Tori's new beau! The family is happy to see Michaella and Alyssa return home, as well as Nathan's girlfriend, Ashley, who arrives for the celebration to have a very important conversation with Kelly Jo and Gil. Later, at the family's celebration someone in the family makes a very special announcement!
Sunshine State Bates
Episode 404While Alyssa, John, and Allie Jane may live far from the rest of the family, they're never far from their hearts! We check in with the Webster's in Florida to see what life is like for the family of three - from their family business to their favorite pastimes. Meanwhile, expectant moms Erin and Whitney, get together with Kelly Jo to talk about all things baby girl!
Tough Decisions and Large Ambitions
Episode 405Change is afoot for all the Bates boys. Lawson travels to Nashville and makes exciting new plans for his music career, but when he shares his plans with the family, they worry he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Meanwhile, expectant couples, Zach and Whitney and Erin and Chad bond over their upcoming baby girls. And Nathan shares some unexpected news about his courtship.
The Big Chili
Episode 406It's time to get cookin'! The Bates family is reunited once again to perform at an event very dear to their hearts, the annual Volunteer Fire Department Chili Fundraiser. As they wait for the married couples to arrive, Trace decides to get serious about his trick riding and enlists the help of Gil and Jackson to build a ring to practice in. Later at the big event, the family gets nervous about their upcoming performance. Without much time to practice, will they come up flat or be able to pull it together in time to hit a high note?
The Great Bates Clean-Up
Episode 407It's that time of the year again and the Bates are ready to clean house! With a big family, Spring cleaning is no easy feat. Kelly Jo leads the project and tries to convince the kids to get rid of their old junk and used toys. But when Gil gets sentimental he may make a mess of the whole endeavor. And while the family is working hard at home, Chad is hard at work at his job at the metal yard.
Bloopers, Outtakes and Mishaps, Oh My!
Episode 408With 19 kids you never know what what's going to happen! And as we've seen, the Bates kids are chock-full of hilarious sayings and entertaining moments. We take a look back and highlight the funniest and wackiest things the Bates kids have said and done.
Birthdays and Boyfriends
Episode 409The Bates are back in Florida and are ready to party! It's the Bates girls' turn this time to celebrate as Allie Jane and Carlin share a big birthday. The family prepares for the birthday bash but quickly realize it's a lot harder to plan a party for both a 1-year-old and an 18-year-old then they originally thought. Then, Kelly Jo and Gil take advantage of their time in Florida when they decide to meet Tori's boyfriend's family.
Who's In Charge?
Episode 410The Bates kids are in charge while Kelly Jo and Gil take a much needed couples vacation to Niagara Falls. But when some of the kids get sick will they be able to handle the pressures without Mom and Dad around? Then some of the Bates kids head over to Zach and Whitney's house for a rare treat...movie night!
Bates Make the Grade
Episode 411It's time to flip the tassel as Trace and Carlin get ready to receive their high school diplomas! But as the family prepares for the big bash they find themselves one man down when Kelly Jo falls ill, leaving Carlin to take the party planning lead. Will her siblings come to her rescue and help her pull off the greatest graduation party yet?
The 20th Bates
Episode 412Ever wonder what it would be like to be part of the Bates family? Join the 20th Bates contest winner as they meet the family and embark on a day-in-the-life of a Bates. From doing chores to riding horses, our lucky fan will quickly learn that while it isn't always easy being a Bates, it sure is fun!
Growing Paine
Episode 413Grandbaby Carson is turning 1 and the Bates are ready to celebrate! It's Erin's first time hosting the whole family at her house so she enlists everyone's help to set up and decorate. But she quickly loses the boys to fun and games when Kelly Jo arrives with the party's entertainment. And before the party starts, Katie and Josie hop behind the wheel for their first driving lesson under Kelly Jo's watchful (and nervous!) eye.
Bates Dish it Out
Episode 414The Bates are hungry and ready to chow down! The family heads to an "all you can eat" buffet to get their fixin's and fill. But will some of the Bates' eyes be bigger than their stomachs? And Lawson's hard work recording for his new album continues as he finds inspiration from an unlikely duet partner, Emily Ann Roberts, a former contestant on The Voice. Will this duo be in sync or completely out of tune?
From the Couch: The Bates Go To Florida
Episode 415The Bates are back to lend their colorful commentary to yet another memorable episode! Watch as they give real-time commentary on their Florida adventure including the hilarious monster truck ride through the swamp!
You Can't Spell Paintball without PAIN
Episode 416Jackson is turning 14 and it's time to complete a Bates boy rite of passage - helping out on a tree job. Is he ready for this big step? Meanwhile, Erin and Chad have some family over to discuss their plans of recording a new lullaby CD. Then the guys come together to celebrate Jackson's birthday with a rowdy game of paintball. But it isn't too long before the Bates boys learn that you can't spell paintball without PAIN.
Three Pointers and Puppies
Episode 417The Bates boys are going to basketball camp. How will these homeschoolers do when they enter into organized sports for the first time? And in true Bates fashion, a competition emerges between the brothers to see who comes home a MVP. Meanwhile, Chad and Erin are expecting baby Brooklyn any day now! But they're already thinking about adding another member to the family - a new puppy! Will they find a four legged pal to bring home?
Meet Kaci Lynn Bates!
Episode 418Zach, Whitney, and the whole Bates family get ready to meet their newest addition, Kaci Lynn! But when Whitney has an ultrasound days before delivery, they find out that Kaci Lynn is breach and if she doesn't turn, it could have dangerous consequences for mom and baby. When the time comes Zach, Whitney, and the rest of the family are holding breaths and saying prayers for a happy and healthy new Bates.
SUPERSIZED: Extra Paine
Episode 419In this all-new SUPERSIZED episode, watch as Erin hosts Carson's first birthday and two of the Bates girls receive a driving lesson!
Muddy Buddies
Episode 420It's time to get dirty! The family goes on a messy adventure when they pack up and go mudding on fourwheelers. Can the family's resident daredevil, Nathan, take it easy, or will he end up with his head in the mud? But when the weather takes an unexpected turn the family is in danger of losing their muddy good time. And later, Michaella and Brandon come into town to meet the Bates' newest member, Kaci Lynn!
Nashville Nights & Country Campouts
Episode 421Lawson is shining up his boots for a gig in Nashville! But even though his music career is growing, Lawson knows what pays the bills...his lawn care business. And when some of his sisters ask to learn the ropes of the business and make a little extra cash Lawson agrees to teach them everything he knows. Meanwhile, Jackson, Warden and Isaiah camp out in their favorite spot...the fort. And later, Lawson takes the stage at a venue in Nashville. But in a city full of aspiring musicians will Lawson stand out or fade into the crowd?
And Baby Makes Five?
Episode 422Erin and Chad are days away from meeting their little girl and are in full prep mode! Erin heads to Nashville to finish her lullaby album. But before Erin and Chad bring Brooklyn home they welcome another new addition...a puppy! And as Brooklyn's birth gets closer and closer, Erin recounts her struggles with Carson's labor and even though it will be worth it when she has Brooklyn in her arms, she worries that she'll face the same difficulties this time around.
SUPERSIZED: Extra Birthday Bash
Episode 423In this all new SUPERSIZED episode, get more birthday fun with Jeb and Trace!
SUPERSIZED: Extra Chili
Episode 424In this all new SUPERSIZED episode, get more from the Bates as they attend an event at the fire station that saved Addallee's life when she was a baby.
From The Couch: Thanksgiving
Episode 425Join the Bates family as they re-live some hilarious and touching moments from their Thanksgiving at Papa Bill and Mamma Jane's house. It's an overstuffed episode you won't want to miss!
SUPERSIZED: Extra Birthdays and More Boyfriends
Episode 426In this all new SUPERSIZED episode, get more of the girls' birthday party and Tori's new boyfriend!
Year End Special
Episode 427In this special year end episode, each Bates will tell us what their favorite moment has been from the past 4 seasons!


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Mini Emergency Kit - HYDRANGEA
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Showing Collections: 1 - 1 of 1
Dr. Heyward C. Bellamy Collection
Identifier: SC-MS-167
Dr. Heyward C. Bellamy served as Superintendant of the New Hanover County School System from 1968 to 1981, during which time he oversaw the integration of public schools. This collection contains materials relating to the integration of New Hanover County schools, including court documents and supporting exhibit materials from integration law suits, as well as other school integration and civil rights cases from the area and nationally.
1916 - 1991
Found in:
Randall Library Special Collections


text: Now in its 14th year, SSTI's Tech Talkin' Govs series has returned as governors across the country formally convene the 2014 legislative sessions. The series highlights new and expanded TBED proposals from governors' State of the State, Budget and Inaugural addresses. The first edition includes excerpts from speeches delivered in Idaho, Kentucky, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia.


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Your generosity will help catalyze breakthrough innovations for food and agriculture, prepare students to be future leaders in a global economy, convene programs for thought leaders to shape policy on key issues such as water, and expand our global reach and partnerships on food safety and sustainability in China and elsewhere.
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Workers' Compensation Insurance
Accidents happen in the workplace, no matter what precautions you have in place. Workers' compensation insurance is designed to help cover the costs associated with a work-related injury or illness. We're here to help you sort through business insurance, including workers' compensation insurance benefits. Contact us today to get started.
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Harley Quinn and my first DC Comics Writing Credit
This was the opening sequence of The Batman Strikes #35 which I co-wrote!
Russell Lissau was one of the writers contributing scripts for The Batman Strikes and I met him and was chatting with him at Wizard World Chicago. He mentioned that he'd wanted to do a story with the Joker but hadn't been able to think of a Joker plot that could be told within the kid-friendly confines of the Strikes title. I mentioned an idea I'd had to tell a story from the point of view of someone under the influence of the Joker's nerve-toxin, since in this continuity is was a paralytic rather than instantly deadly. The whole story would be about The Joker and Batman playing hot-potato with the victim while they were a helpless, paralyzed observer. Russell loved the idea and offered to co-write it with me, which lead to issue #35.
The concept got watered down a bit. I would have loved to tell the story literally from the victim's POV – seeing it through their eyes, but I wasn't surprised when it was deemed too high-concept for an animation tie-in title. I'd hoped that we could at least limit our story POV to that character – only seeing and hearing what they would be personally aware of. But even that was considered to be a little too much.
Still, the story was a ton of fun. It introduced the show's version of Harley Quinn into the comic, and centered on a late-night talk show host who earns the Joker's ire when he is dubbed "The Clown Prince of Late Night" by a Gotham magazine. The character was deliberately a cross between David Letterman and Conan Obrian.
That opening page took forever to draw, but I really wanted that big shot looking from behind our host out at his studio audience – letting us share the view he would have walking onstage. I think this was one of the pages I apologized for when handing it off to inker Terry Beatty. I wanted the sequence to feel like you were seeing it from the stage floor of the studio, not from the POV of the audience or the cameras, so that meant a few more busy shots of the studio audience in the opening pages, until the action eventually led us to a chase outside the studio confines.
As a note of trivia, I should mention that I designed the Corwin O'Dooley Show logo and modeled the theater on the CBS Ed Sullivan Theater where David Letterman's show is done, which is on the next block over from DC Comics' offices in New York. I replaced the "CBS" letters on the marquee with "GBS (aka the Galaxy Broadcasting System)," as a nod to the TV network where Clark Kent served as a news anchor during some of the Superman comics of the 1970s.
And here's a look at how some of these pages looked in print, with inks by Terry Beatty and colors by Heroic Age.


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Maximizing Broccoli's Cancer-Fighting Potential
Spraying a plant hormone on broccoli boosts its cancer-fighting potential
Spraying a plant hormone on broccoli — already one of the planet's most nutritious foods — boosts its cancer-fighting potential, and researchers say they have new insights on how that works. They published their findings, which could help scientists build an even better, more healthful broccoli, in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry.
Fir0002, Wikimedia CommonsJohn Juvik and colleagues explain that diet is one of the most important factors influencing a person's chances of developing cancer. One of the most helpful food families includes cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, kale and cabbage. In fact, eating broccoli regularly has been linked to lower rates of prostate, colon, breast, lung and skin cancers. In that super food, glucosinolates (GSs) and the substances that are left when GSs are broken down can boost the levels of a broccoli enzyme that helps rid the body of carcinogens. One way to increase GSs is to spray a plant hormone called methyl jasmonate on broccoli. This natural hormone protects the plants against pests. Juvik's team wanted to determine which GSs and their products actually boost the enzyme levels when broccoli is treated.
They tested five commercial types of broccoli by spraying them in the field with the hormone and found that, of the GS break-down products, sulforaphane is the major contributor toward enhanced cancer-fighting enzyme levels, although other substances also likely contribute, say the researchers. Environmental conditions played a role, too. They say that this information could be used to identify superior broccoli and to breed even more healthful broccoli plants.


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The R-Files: Martyn Plummer
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"The R-Files" is an occasional series from Revolution Analytics, where we profile prominent members of the R Community.
Martyn Plummer is a longtime contributor to the R community and a member of the R core group, which consists of 20 members that help oversee the continued evolution of the project. Plummer also serves on the editorial board of the R Journal, the official journal of the R project. By day, he serves as a Statistician and Epidemiologist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), based in Lyon, France.
Plummer, who has been using R since 1995, has developed or contributed to a number of popular packages, including coda for analyzing Markov Chain Monte Carlo output, JAGS, a clone of the popular WinBUGS software Bayesian analysis and Epi, which provides functions for epidemiologists and accompanies an annual course that aims to introduce epidemiologists to R.
He has also incorporated R into his work at IARC, where he works in the Infection and Cancer Epidemiology group. Much of the work of this group is focused on human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes half a million cases of cervical cancer per year worldwide. Plummer and his colleagues use R (including his own Epi package) to analyze epidemiological studies of HPV infection and try to tease out some aspects of HPV natural history that are difficult to understand without statistical modeling, such as whether different HPV types interact with each other. He also relies heavily on R's graphical capabilities for visualizing data in scientific publications.
Prior to R, Plummer worked primarily with S+ for analyzing data. He had been working in Cambridge, United Kingdom in the Biostatistics Unit at the Medical Research Council when he was offered a position at the IARC in Lyon. He recalls the transition, and how his new position introduced an entirely different computing environment. Soon after moving, he was introduced to the recently-formed R project by his colleague David Clayton.
"From the beginning, I saw enormous potential in R," says Plummer. "While I was accustomed to S+, it wasn't long before I completely switched over to R. It was and continues to be unparalleled in its flexibility in terms of data analysis."
Plummer also points to R's extensible nature as one of its defining features. As a modern language, R is able to effectively adapt to the changing nature of data analysis in an era of increasingly large, unstructured data sets. "One of the most important features of R is that it's built around the data; it's designed for programming with data, so it can take these developments in stride," he says.
He went on to describe a recent article in the R journal that analyzed 18 months' worth of text from the R mailing lists and identified relationships between prominent members of the R community based on the topics they discussed. Plummer cites it as an example of R's ability to keep up with the ever-changing notion of "data."
"10 years ago, I would have never called such an amalgamation of text a 'data set,'" he says. "Today, though, we find ourselves in a situation where we can elicit structure from large and complex data sets and glean meaning from it."
When asked about how he sees the R project evolving in coming years, Plummer speaks of a delicate yet effective balance. "R manages a difficult equilibrium; it's partly a frontier for innovation in statistical computing, yet it's also a stable platform for data analysis. It's unique in this regard and I don't see it facing serious competition for quite some time."
He sees the current situation being maintained at least over the next few years, though one challenge for R users is to navigate the increasing number of contributed packages. While there's incredible innovation being done for a diverse range of functions, Plummer says, there are also opportunities for the community as a whole to pool and share their work.
"One of the most important and oft-overlooked values of the R community is its interdisciplinary nature," he says. "It's remarkable to be able to collaborate with so many talented people from a diverse range of fields. We're all statisticians, but statistics has a terrible tendency to fragment by subject matter. R gives us all a common platform and brings us together to encourage innovation."
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