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Afghanistan: another 30 years?
Last week, with very little fanfare, Afghanistan became the longest war in US history. Where are the mea culpas from all the experts whose earnest predictions about Afghanistan went so terribly awry?
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Jun 15, 2010
Last week, with very little fanfare, Afghanistan became the longest war in US history. Where are the mea culpas from all the experts whose earnest predictions about Afghanistan went so terribly awry?
How high a price are we willing to pay in Afghanistan? asked Rory Callinan and Hashim Shukoor in The Australian, the weekend after the death of two ADF soldiers.
It's a good question.
Last week, with very little fanfare, Afghanistan became the longest war in US history. In Australia, John Faulkner says Australian troops will be deployed for another three years minimum, a prediction that US strategic analyst Daniel Ellsberg immediately dismissed as hopelessly optimistic. "The war will no more be over in three to five years than it is right now … if Australians are committed to supporting this strategy, they can figure on 10, 20 and 30 years of involvement," he said.
Thirty years: that's a whole lotta war. And to what end?
Last week, the new British PM David Cameron told his troops: "This is not a war of choice, it is a war of necessity. […] If we left tomorrow, those [terrorist] training camps could come back tomorrow, because the Afghans aren't ready to look after their own security. As soon as they are ready, we can go home."
That's the line here, too — but, actually, few of the war's supporters now even pretend to believe it.
Consider Clive Williams on the ABC's Drum website (in an article backing the Afghanistan mission, mind you, not denouncing it): "Australia's stated reason for being in Afghanistan is countering terrorism. The real reason is maintaining the close alliance with the US. In fact, our military presence in Afghanistan is more likely to lead to acts of terrorism in Australia than prevent them."
In other words, the public rationale for the deployment — the Cameron line about terrorist camps – might serve to fool the rubes (that's you, dear readers). But experts such as Williams know that Australia's really there to, as he approvingly puts it, "to score points with the US".
A couple of days ago, Michelle Grattan made the same argument: "Australia will stay in Afghanistan as long as the Americans want us to, which means as long as the US is there. It is one of those commitments to the alliance. We do it even though the prospects of 'victory' are probably bleak."
Let's recap, then. The young men killing and dying for Australia have been told they're fighting terrorism. Our pundits know that's not true, that the public and the soldiers have been lied to from the get-go, and that the "probably unwinnable" mission really constitutes a down payment on a strategic insurance policy.
And they're totally cool with that.
The question as to the price we are willing to pay thus hinges mostly on what we mean by "we". The people who dominate these discussions know they will pay no price whatsoever for even 30 years of war — and are thus willing to fight to the last drop of someone else's blood.
It's not simply that the pundits recognise that they'll never personally end up poking around for IEDs on a road outside Kabul. It's also that for those writing about national security, there's no penalty for being wrong — so long, that is, as you're wrong from an enthusiastically pro-war perspective.
Recall, if you will, how the invasion was originally justified. In 2001, the pundits didn't share their insights about how the war was probably unwinnable. Nor did they explain how it was more likely to foster acts of terrorism than prevent them.
Rather, they dutifully yapped along with American talking points about restoring democracy, ending the drug trade, liberating women and so on and so forth. And where are we now? Well, there's a human embodiment of the distance between predictions and results in Afghanistan, and his name is Hamid Karzai. That suave "Afghan democrat" whose regime we've been fighting for is the same Karzai who consorts with warlords and drug gangs, who rigged the last election, who says he might join the Taliban, and who claims the US has been firing rockets at his peace conference.
Where, then, are the mea culpas from all the experts whose earnest predictions about Afghanistan went so terribly, terribly awry?
The point Tony Judt made about Iraq in the LRB a few years ago now applies equally to Afghanistan. "The only people qualified to speak on this matter," he explained, "it would seem, are those who got it wrong initially. Such insouciance in spite of — indeed because of — your past misjudgements recalls a remark by the French ex-Stalinist Pierre Courtade to Edgar Morin, a dissenting Communist vindicated by events: "You and your kind were wrong to be right; we were right to be wrong'."
In the Huffington Post, Sahil Kapur makes a similar argument. The biggest obstacle, he says, to any genuine discussion of Afghanistan is that "[w]ar has become a fact of life for post-9/11 America — a permanent fixture of the Washington establishment that can hardly be challenged, lest anyone with insufficient pro-war credentials be dismissed as unserious and naive."
It's the same here, albeit on a lesser scale. If the topic's war, the default journalistic mode becomes a cynical tough guy swagger, Winston Churchill crossed with Mickey Spillane. We all know we need the US alliance — and if that requires sacrificing a few of our young men (and tens of thousands of nameless foreigners) to an unwinnable war that will actually make us less safe from terrorism, well, bring it on, baby.
Oh, and the latest news is that Afghanistan apparently sits on a mountain of unobtanium. Now, if that pans out, Ellsberg's estimate of a 30-year deployment suddenly looks very optimistic.
How did Grattan put it? "Australia will stay in Afghanistan as long as the Americans want us to, which means as long as the US is there." Well, if Afghanistan's about to become the "Saudi Arabia of lithium", don't expect the Americans to go anywhere anytime soon.
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Not all of us "rubes" believed the public stories about the war – Australia's involvement was always about keeping sweet with the Yanks, just like Vietnam, the 1st Gulf War, Iraq…..the apathy of the 'rubes' in Australia is really quite disturbing – are we really all happy to just sit back and let this go on and on? Where is the unhappiness, the protests, the letters/emails to politicians? (yes, I will be emailing my MP!!!!).
How nasty will it all get now that all these huge mineral deposits have been discovered?
We are more interested in locking up refugees who dare to escape though. Scott Morrison has an article published today that says they should all stay home and fight and die – too bad not a single soul has a clue who they are actually fighting, let them all die.
I was against this from before it happened. Will remain against it and scream out loud when the waffle about terr'ism starts – we are the fucking terrorists killing and maiming and destroying and slashing as we go.
Great article by Greg Sparrow and the little aside (mountains of unobtainium) was illuminating. And good post by SusieQ. However I think it naive to assume that the US and their allies did not know about the riches of Afghanistan prior to the war. Everyone knows this is a war like any war – to gain either some strategic advantage or some assets that have to be forced out of a country rather than bought. I thought it might be oil (again!) but that can't be so, because any old IED could blow up an oil pipeline.
The US yet again and against its own constitution, acts as an empire rather than a democratic state (see the Philippines 1898, Iran 1952-3, Guatemala 1953, Indonesia 1965, Chile 1973, Iraq in the 90s and 2003 to whenever, and Afghanistan ditto – and so on). The US has thrived by taking commodities cheaply with the aid of puppet governments, rather than buying them on the world market. And we are going to aid and abet this for the next thirty years? Then we're not a sovereign nation, we're a colony.
Gore Vidal reported that he and General Vernon Walters (known as The Great Destabiliser for the number of coups he had facilitated) had a conversation regarding who won World War 2. Vidal's view was that the US lost – that Russia got half of Europe, England and most of the colonialist nations lost said nations, and US only got Australia. How right he was!
Where is our national sense of pride? Always sucking up to the warmongering Yanks who can't keep their dirty hands off anything.
Don't get me going on the so-called Free Trade Agreement. With friends like these who needs enemies. Maybe an enema instead to get them off our backs.
Thank you Achimova1 – liked your post too!
I guess in this case, both parties support the war, whereas in the past, that hasn't always been the case; plus, we don't (yet) have conscription, like we did for Vietnam. I wonder how quickly opposition would mobilise if conscription were re-introduced? Which of course, it won't be, because neither party would be brave enough to even mention it.
Wonder if our mining companies will now be lining up to get a piece of the action in Afghanistan now that PM Rudd is introducing that awful tax! Another reason to stay involved……….
Our mining industries won't be but you can bet the foreign multi-nationals that pretend they are ours will be.
Actually Geoff, the original official reason for the invasion of Afghanistan, repeated by Obama many times and in particular in a speech to West Point academy in December 2009, was that Afghanistan was where they (the US) was attacked from on 11 September 2001. That was never the real reason but it was the ostensible one. The rationale has since morphed into "bringing democracy" "liberating women" and other myths.
The 9/11 attacks justification was untrue then and it is untrue now as anyone with the wit to make an effort to acquaint themselves with the facts well knows. But even if it were true that the US was attacked by 19 fanatical Muslims directed from a cave in afghanistan by a Saudi fanatic on dialysis it was still contrary to international law to attack afghanistan. That the US and its willing acolyte Australia is willing to ignore international law when it suits their geo-political goals is well established.
The alleged discovery of mineral wealth does not really change the equation. The discoveries were actually made during the period in the 1980s when the Russians were there, just as the vast oil and gas reserves in the Caspian basin north of Afghanistan has been known for many years. It is hardly surprising that in addition to the military bases along the Afghan part of the pipeline the Pentagon has just announced an intention to build five more bases in the "stans" to the north. True to post-war history the US mililtary has always been employed to safeguard US strategic access to scarce resources. Afghanistan is no different.
But whether they will be there for 30 years as some of your correspondents suggest, perhaps a reading of history might help. The British had similar ambitions in the 19th century and were annihilated (literally) for their efforts. The Americans had similar ambitions in South East Asia for much the same reasons (geo-political advantage, securing scarce resources, controlling the opium trade) as they now have in Afghanistan. We all recall how the Vietnam War ended.
It is a great pity that our politicians do not learn from history and an even greater pity that we allow them to get away with it.
Not ill…how much do you want?
Jeff Sparrow goes on at great length to support his thesis that Australia is in Afghanistan because the Americans want us to be. Let's assume that's true for a moment. Isn't the central question then why the Americans are in Afghanistan? Surely that issue deserves more than a flippant (and obviously illogical, if the resources are 'newly identified') aside at the end.
Taking logic a step further, it's at least possible that, geopolitical conspiracy theory or otherwise, America's interest in Afghanistan is congruent with Australia's interest.
Whether I'm right or wrong about this, these are the issues that need to be looked at, rather than this typically shallow Sparrow piece pandering to long-standing Left prejudices.
Where would we be without the Free Press?
"The search for truth is eternal and never fully achievable, and different points of view are necessary in order to fully grasp any phenomena."
What did Karzai do before the war?
Who is going to benefit in "developing" these "mountains of moolah"? The likes of "Haliburton and Friends"?
Sort of "surreal funny", how film of soldiers, there, so often have them "floating through, fields of "invisible without a lens" poppies".
Afghanistan was a key to Iraq – "we" (government and their media cheer-leaders) went in without a real strategy beyond subduing what was a pretty primitive country and then tripped off "to break Iraq" (how many other tyranical reigns of despots, around the world – Asia/Africa alone? – were "overlooked" for "consideration"?) – we "broke" both, now we own them.
To pull out now and leave these people to the anarchy (not to mention reprisals) our wanton intervention created, to me, is unconscionable.
This is the "legacy" of the "Too Willing" – and why those that have actually been through it, before, are so often against unnecessary, ill-advised, "war"!
Excellent Article Jeff….but unfortunately there is an untold story to it all that would finish off your article like a hand that fits a glove.
A story that even Crikey refuses to tell…apparent!!!. Perhaps the Greatest Story Ever Told..or in Crikey's case, never told.
I suggest you research the origins of the Pashtuns and their subtribes. Go DEEP into them and you will be amazed.
LaRouchians never get boring. Or sane.
It's unfair to suggest that Australia always slavishly follows the policies of the US President.
In November 1996, which Bill Clinton took the opportunity of a visit to the Great Barrier Reef to call for veritable greenhouse emission targets, John Howard used the occasion to demonstrate Australia's feisty independence.
But when it comes to wars… that is another story.
The unwinnable, murderous war in Afghanistan is now twice the length of World War One and counting. But we should not be surprised. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, in the aftermath of 9-11, promised a 50-100 year 'War on Terror'.
From the outset, the invasion of Afghanistan was based on outright, demonstrable lies.
The atrocities of 9-11, which to this day remain the essential rationale for the war, were clearly not carried out in the manner claimed by liars such as George Bush and parrots throughout the manstream media, academia, paid punditocracy etc.
'Islamic terrorists' under the orders of Osama Bin Laden. 'Al Qaeda' were not in a position to rig all three buildings (WTC 1, 2 and 7) that collapsed on that day with extremely high-tech explosives – an operation that required extensive prior access to all three buildings and weeks of preparation.
'Al Qaeda' is a largely mythical pasty and Orwell might have written the script for this indefinitely-long, bogus 'War on Terror', in which western civil liberties have been shredded while the world has been accustomed to perpetual war and 'terror'.
Professor David Ray Griffin sets this out, in eloquent detail, in this presentation: Is the War in Afghanistan Justified by 9/11?. His introductory comment is as follows:
"Whereas it is widely recognised that the US-led war in Afghanistan is illegal under international law, because it was never authorised by the UN Security Council, most Americans have believed that it was morally justified as a response to the 9/11 attacks, and many believe it is still justified as a necessary means to prevent another attack originating from that region. My lecture will present evidence showing that both of these beliefs are untrue, so that the 9/11 Truth Movement and more traditional Peace and Anti-War groups should be able to combine forces to oppose this illegal and immoral war."
If you haven't seen it before, please do check out Griffin's lecture, reproduced in the form of a series of short YouTube videos.
See also Firefighters, Architects & Engineers Expose 9/11 and the website of Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth
Incidentally (and this is but an amusing footnote, although the topic is not really a joking matter), the author of this fine Crikey quoted British PM David Cameron, on his recent trip to Afghanistan, as follows:
"This is not a war of choice, it is a war of necessity. […] If we left tomorrow, those [terrorist] training camps could come back tomorrow, because the Afghans aren't ready to look after their own security. As soon as they are ready, we can go home."
The missing segment of Cameron's rousing speech was also worth quoting. Here's the extract in full:
"This is not a war of choice, it is a war of necessity. This is not a war of occupation, it's a war of obligation. On 9-11 when the twin towers were blown up and so many British people died as well as Americans, almost every single person that took part in that attack was trained here in Afghanistan by Al Qaeda. That's why we came here. That's why we cleared away those training camps. If we left tomorrow, those training camps could come back tomorrow, because the Afghans aren't ready to look after their own security. As soon as they are ready, we can go home."
'Blown up' were they Mr Cameron? With nanothermite, no less?
Clever old Bin Laden. No wonder we're all still looking for him. I wonder if the mainstream media gets suspicious if he's still making popular videos in 2050?
Insiders' estimate the value of the international drug trade to the cartel who fund it (i.e. proceeds from South America, Golden Triangle and Afghanistan at US750 Billion "cash" – that is billion and that is cash – not funny money – not digital credit creation, T Ledger stuff.
When NATO arrived in Afghanistan, opium production was down to almost zero outside of those areas controlled by the Northern Alliance, the some time allies of the US. With NATO there, and a former oil man running the government, opium production is at an all time high. You could be forgiven for believing this to mean that the drug lords and their bankster mates are back in business. In fact, recent justification from the powers that be for this state of affairs seems to be along the lines of "if we weren't doing it, the other side would be. So we have to do it to stop them!"
It appears that the Europeans are starting to get jack of this caper and want out because they are losing too many men for too little return. However, you can expect the "yes men" from Canberra and the shills from the controlled media to play along with this charade for as long as anyone can stand it. When are we going to laugh these phoneys out of business?
The same baloney applied to the Golden Triangle escapade back in the 60's when we were hoodwinked into supporting that Vietnamese "long con". Then Secretary of Defence Robert MacNamara, in his last book, admitted that the Gulf of Tonkin incident never happened. Whitlam stopped the senseless killing of Australians in Vietnam and look what happened to him! And what about the Nugan Hand Bank? There are many reports now available from whistleblowers (no further than a "google" away) that argue that NH was a CIA front which laundered funds straight in and out of the Golden Triangle. The drug trade according to senior FBI whistleblower Michael Ruppert (refer "Crossing the Rubicon") fuels Wall Street with the only hard currency left in the world. Investigative journalist and counter intelligence operative of Bilderberger expose fame, Daniel Estulin, points out in his new book "The Shadow Masters" that for every $billion in cash added to a Wall Street balance sheet you can ramp it up as high as a 30 multiple to determine its equity value. Remember how much we are talking about here – $750 billion!
As best I can divine, NATO's most important assignments appear to be to protect the opium trade, incite trouble in the Caucasus (already happening in Kirghistan) to ensure drug routes to Europe aren't compromised and harass the Pakistanis whose ISI seems no longer to be as heavily under the control of the CIA as in past times; if you can believe Hillary Clinton most recent remarks.
So what are we doing in Afghanistan?
We don't even belong to NATO.
#LaRouchians never get boring. Or sane.#
A LaRouchian?!?!…FFS get a grip.
Richard Wilson is quite right about Afghani opium production. With help from the US State Dept and UN, Mullah Omar and his boys had opium production almost down to zero in 2001 – and achievement promptly reversed by the illegal invasion ordered by George Bush, Tony Blair, John Howard and other war criminals of the day (I choose my words with care).
There a chart in an article I wrote nearly two years ago (derived from a UN document) that makes this clear. The article was entitled When Criminals Rule: The Missing Opium Mountain.
Incidentally, the missing heroin seems to be turning up in Russia.
All pure co-incidence, of course.
Our troops are really in Afghanistan looking for the people responsible for blowing up the twin towers… er, that is, attacking our freedoms, on that fateful day 9-11. Of course they are.
I saw Kevin Rudd tearfully say as much, in Parliament, just this afternoon, surrounded by a chamberful of weeping crocodiles on green padded seats.
In the words of that old warhorse Kipling:
"If any question why we died
Tell them, because our fathers lied…"
And again:
"And the end of the fight
Is a tombstone white
With the name of the late deceased
And the epitaph drear: "A fool lies here
who tried to hustle the East."
Not that the people who really planned this mad war could care less, They always knew it would prove unwinnable and drag on endlessly, destroying Afghanistan while countries such as the USA, Britain and Australia fall ever deeper into truth denial and moral bancruptcy).
That… was the whole idea.
Even back in my day Syd, it could n't have been put better….70,000 is a good target.
ACHIMOVA I @MARK DUFFETT, especially MARK DUFFETT: JEFF SPARROW'S remark was not flippant.
For the past fifty years educated rumours have been around with stories of the fabulous mineral wealth of Afghanistan. There has even been a suggestion there will be oil to be found.
Why the Russians did little to find the ore bodies is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the terrain, being so alien to the Russian soul, didn't lead them to wanting to know more about the place.
By their very nature the Americans would have been spending years looking for something. Two or three men prospecting for gold would have been the perfect cover; everyone knows how dotty prospectors are.
The sickening ease with which Oz governments throw our troops into America's wars nauseates me. This time, I suspect, Oz troops were there at the behest of BHP or Fortesque, Rio Tinto, as well as America.
The Afghanis are legendarily treacherous, so it should be interesting to see if they allow the Americans to develop the mines, before taking back by force, the whole shooting match. Who knows, Perhaps the Afghanis can be even more treacherous than the Americans?
The Afghanis have, after all consistently thrashed everyone else who've tried to build an Empire there. England failed, three times. Russia, who else?
I think the last person to conquer the place was Alexander The Great.
(On 9-11 when the twin towers were blown up )
A touch of da Freud? An interesting chap is David Cameron, it seems his great great grandfather
Emile Levita was related to the Goldsmids who went on to create the Chartered Bank of India, China, Australia and anywhere else.
It's intriguing how he, Obama and even Rudd and our own minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Smith, still chant that tired old mantra of Afghanistan equals "Terrorism Forever Boys"…does anyone still believe that anymore?..sigh!!!
***Not that the people who really planned this mad war could care less, They always knew it would prove unwinnable and drag on endlessly, destroying Afghanistan while countries such as the USA, Britain and Australia fall ever deeper into truth denial and moral bancruptcy). That… was the whole idea.****
Y ou 're right again Syd…that's twice in the one afternoon.
But did you ever wonder why Afghanistan has never been defeated in the art of warfare?…not even the British, Punjabis, Mongols the Russians or the US with all it's advanced technological weapons sytems will even make a dent…why Syd?..why? Some would say periphial things like terain, geographical logistics and so on, but I don't think so.
The Afghanis may be humiliated, oppressed, povety stricken…but never beaten.
I mean, it's the cave man and his club verses "Goliath"…relax Syd!!! I did n't mention "David" so theres no need to nick me on that one. It almost seems like theres a dome of protection over them that restores and rebuilds regardless of the odds stacked against them…aghhh just can't figure it meself…maybe you can Syd.
When the French were running Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam they merely put opium, and it's by-products, in Bond, the way we deal with alcohol. Therefore they didn't have a drug problem.
Enter America and it's hysterical middle class mores. They had to try to redesign the wheel. They had to ban opium. We all know the end result of that little bit of thinking?
The Americans made the template for Rudyard Kipling:
Here lies the fool that tried to fuck the East-my translation.
MODERATOR : I used the full eff word, because I got ticked off for using astericks (sic) within the word. 😈
A LaRouchian?!?!…FFS get a grip.
Let's see: two bizarro posts in a row; riddled with grammatical errors; tacky allusions instead of objective statements; over-reactive denial when identified…
Yeah, that's LaRouchians.
We will stay/fight/die in Afghanistan as long as there are poppy seeds there. But in order to defend poppy fields we need some weapons. Good weapons. Imagine our world without drugs and weapons. Boring.
Nobody has ever won a war with a nation. One can win a battle or two…
It was the Brits' fault in Gallipoli…
Woo! Nobody seems to think that we're there to make the free world safe for our children! So why is the narrative always following that tack? I'm surprised at how many of the respondents are aware of the silent machinations of the multinationals to keep their power no matter what. It is an interesting segue to contemplate the present drama about the RSPT – all the people I know (except an couple of doctor friends and my mother) think the noise from the mining companies is – to summarise- a lot of rich people getting scared that they may have to share their wealth. The protest by the miners was thought to be a silly joke. And I live in WA! Yet the papers are full of how we're all runed!!!
It's very sad. Young lives lost – for what?
I read the following on a Noam Chomsky site
"An internal document, written in 1948 by George Kennan, head of the State Department planning staff in the early post-war period, explained America's global strategy: "We have about 50% ofthe world's wealth, but only 6.3% of its population…In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships, which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and daydreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford today the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction…We should cease to talk about vague and-for the Far East-unreal objectives as human rights, the raising of living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."
Kennan did an about-face in the 50s, but it appears that the policy is still in place.
Imagine a world without drugs and weapons? Well, we might have the wherewithal to address climate change for a start.
Old Russian proverb -"Keep your mind in hell and despair not."
#Nobody has ever won a war with a nation. One can win a battle or two…
It was the Brits' fault in Gallipoli…#
***Let's see: two bizarro posts in a row; riddled with grammatical errors; tacky allusions instead of objective statements; over-reactive denial when identified…***
Bizarro!!..was n't he an infamous Spanish conquistadore? no no ..that was Pizarro…silly me.
Seriously now Sancho, I do understand how it must seem with those strange allusions, but you must understand the context. There was a backdrop of moderation on several posts and mine was one of them. So the opportunity to spell it all out was lacking, so I tried my hand at some allusion at the risk of appearing stupid….sorry, my bad.
LaRouchian?..is that a French chocolate?
For all it's faults, compare the quality of debate here on the topic of Afghanistan with the piffle coming out of Parliament House. (That's on ALL sides of politics, I'm sad to say. Even The Greens have totally dropped the ball on the truth about 9-11 – despite repeated urgings from hoi polloy such as myself).
There really is no comparison.
Like the mass media, our political elite have allowed themselves to become a machine to constrain intelligent discussion rather than facilitate it.
Shame on them.
The most sensior Australia politician to support the 'Politicians for 9-11 Truth' call for a genuine inquiry into 9-11 is Doug Everingham. He's a wonderful man with great accomplishments, but the ex-Whitlam Government Health Minister has, needless to say, been studiously ignored by the mass media on this topic.
This is his statement, for those who missed it:
"Unless US and allied (including Australian) leaders move to demand independent investigation of the 9/11 catastrophe the military sequels in Iraq and Afghanistan must be widely seen as war crimes falsely labeled as a war on terror."
Are ALL Australia's contemporary politicians so ill-informed and/or timid they can't/won't say this under Parilamentary privilege?
How pathetic.
#Are ALL Australia's contemporary politicians so ill-informed and/or timid they can't/won't say this under Parilamentary privilege? How pathetic.#
How can anyone possibly disagree?…I was unaware of Doug Everingham's statement, but it's a beacon on a stormy night. It seems the Greens are becoming far too politically typical and there are so many people who expected better and more from them.
The Greens need to learn that to save the world they need to change the world.
Truth has no consequence.
The decision to invade Afghanistan was made long before 9/11. The Taliban were the official 'govt' which was quite OK with the Clinton Administration who 'courted' the Taliban on several occasions in the US. The goal? A pipeline through AFGHANISTAN from the Caspian Sea that allegedly has $16 trillion in gas and oil.
The Bush Administration with over 30 of its people with oil interests took up where the last administration left off. Neither Administration were bothered about the lack of rights for women etc. The comment was 'we can live with that'? the Taliban held out, and the Bush Administration lost patience. It was about July/August 2001 when the US told both the Taliban & Pakistan that they were going to invade late Oct/Nov.
9/11 just provided the excuse, to invade both Afghanistan and Iraq. Bush was not interested in either the Middle East or terrorism – just OIL? He even called the invasion of Iraq – Operation Iraqi Liberty?OIL? I kid you not! There were no terrorists until we got there. As recent as JUNE/July '01, Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell said that Saddam Hussein was no threat to his neighbours let alone the US – and certainly no threat to us!!He had nothing to do with bin Laden, in fact they hated each other?
Read – From Afghanistan to IRAQ – Connecting the dots with oil? Very interesting. Just put it into your search engine. It's from the Alternet website! It joins the whole story together, including the main players and their history in the oil industry. The US stooge as President of Afghanistan, Karzai has a long history in the oil industry, that's why he's there. Of course, as like Iraq, it hasn't quite gone the way they planned – no start to the pipeline, and no US/British companies stealing Iraq's oil – YET! All those dead Iraqis and Afghanis, for what? BUT, why did the US build the biggest and most expensive Embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad – without the permission of the Iraqi people? What was the motive here? A long term presence while stealing their oil! Disgusting!
No Afghani was involved in 9/11,and Osama bin Laden could be dead. Bush lost interest in him about 2003 – didn't even mention him that year! The bin Laden family and the Bush family were business partners, that's probably why they allowed the bin Laden family to leave the US via chartered plane the day after 9/11??
We're involved in the killing of innocents because of their lust for oil, wealth and power! Up to 2 million dead, displaced and impoverished people; destroyed infrastructure; diseases; massive unemployment andpeople suffering incredible psychological trauma. Little kids with arms and legs blown off; babies born with genetic defects via depleted uranium bombs, phosphorus bombs that cause horrific burns, and neighbour hating neighbour? Men and oung boys taken as prisoners in one of several jails – women going mad from grief and trying to look after what's left of their families!
No 1 rule if you want to oppress a people – get them hating each other. It worked inEl Salvador and other places the US lusted over! They're doing it in Iraq and probably Afghanistan too! Makes me weep for them all!
ACHIMOVA I: Better still, imagine a world without religion, and a world with legalised drugs.
Legalised drugs=cutting out the crooked element, the gangs, the deals, the billions of dollars squandered on futile anti-drug campaigns, and the scorched earth policy of the Americans.
Not only would all of the above be eliminated, the sick and the infirm would have some proper pain relief.
A world without religion would mean a world without war. Without the excuse of the next guy's religion, it is difficult to hate the person next door.
OVERITNBACH: I think Rena Zurawel means it was the fault of the British that so many Oz soldiers were pointlessly sacrificed.
Unless you wish to make the point that it was the fault of the Oz government for sending those men to a guaranteed death with the mad Churchill as the English Minister for War, I fail to see what is wrong with her comment "It was the Brit's fault".
@VENISE – I agree! If drugs were decriminalised the criminal element would no longer be interested. Who knows, heroin mght even be used as the good pain relief that it is – far better than morphine for example without the side effects – dying patients could communicate with their loved ones instead of being 'out of it' and still in pain. A few yrs ago, common sense prevailed re the benefits of marijarna to cancer patients – helps with their appetite etc.
The US are now realising that their attitude to the drug problem is out of control, and locking up people is not the answer -for anyone, and is costing billions extra each yr. In Australia, 80% of those in jail have a mental illness and the same number have left school at an early age.
In the US, the numbers joining the Military have decreased to such a degree, that criminals are welcomed? No wonder theyhave 'gun happy' people running around killing civilians? As we're there because of theUS,, any good we might insist we're doing is over-run by the fact, that we're remaining silent while horrific tolls are being experienced by the innocents in Iraq & Afghanistan.
I have read the stats, that when you add up the numbers who died in the Gulf war of 1991? plus those who died indirectly of the bombs etc, coupled with those who died as a result of the sanctions, plus the last 7 yrs of horror, the numbers are higher than the Holocaust numbers? We're responsible for this! We're just as guilty! We remained silent about Abu Graib and Guantanamo Bay, so we should add those horrors to our list of crimes – crimes in contravention of the Rules of War and certainly as occupiers, against the Geneva Conventions! Anyone who disagrees is either immoral, or just too lazy and/or ignorant to seek the truth!
The US President for example is still supporting the Bush Administration's Guantanamo Bay; renditions; the kidnapping and killing of anyone around the world that they wish to, regardless – no trial by jury, no sir! While Obama is talking tough about BP, oil companies are being given exemptions in other places, where a disaster is possible again, probable in fact -just a matter of time. Like Bush, he speaks out of both sides of his mouth at once! Of course, some of us know, that if he went against the wealthy and powerful, his fate would be the same as JFK! He's just the perceived evidence of so-called democracy, when many of us sees it as flimsy at best. He doesn't 'rule' the country – the wealthy corporations do!
"Imagine" that wonderful song by John Lennon says it all really in regard to religion and the trauma it causes around the world? I suppose there'd still be greed Venise? Lusting after another country's resources is why the people in Central and South America went through such trauma and death – still are! Africa and OIL? And so it goes on, ad nauseum!
Longest war? I think that's a factoid.
The Vietnam War lasted from 1964 to 1975. The assertion that the Afghanistan War has gone longer is based on the period ground troops were deployed, which is not the definition of a war. American involvement in the Vietnam continued up until the storming of the US Embassy.
No Venise, I was n't disputing anything at all with her..and on this current issue not with anyone else either.
Her comment was just a bit left field…and I don't mean politically Venise.
Such strange bedfellows indeed!!!…i rike.
@NIALL CLUGSON – The Vietnam War was over before 1975. Gough Whitlam was elected in 1972 –that makes it about 8 yrs. Afghanistan started at the end of '01. In Oct/Nov this year it wil be 9 yrs? We haven't learnt much have we??
Mail has it that the Bank of Iraq is a major money laundering operation and that it is in the hands of the Americans not the Iraqis. By the way Obama's pledge to wthdraw the troops? Yeh right! Still 84000 there plus I don't know how many hundred thousand Blackwater, Dyncorp and the rest of the hired help to serve US interests. The US controls Iraq as it has up until now controlled Japan and its currency i.e. since the end of 2nd World War. Trouble is, to run such a vast empire, as the Romans found, you just can't print enough money or take over enough countries.
@RICHARD W – It's most depressing and very sad isn't it? I frequently visit http://www.rawa.org as it gives a very clear insight into what's really going on from the women's perspective. I have to admit to not staying very long each time, as it's depressing, so sad, and makes me feel angry and ashamed.
There's a very good book called 'Raising My Voice' written by a young woman called Malalai Joya (not her real name). She was one of the few people in Afghanistan who was democratically elected. She's been banned for speaking inside and outside the parliament. By contrast, the men who abused her, threatened her with rape, torture and murder are still in the parliament. Malalai shifts house on a daily basis, and has had 5 attempts on her life – she's only in her early 30's. A very brave young woman. I've seen the book at A & R. My local library has it?
@OVERITNBACH @RICHARD WILSON @LIZ: It's my jaundiced opinion that the Military/Industrial might of America runs the country so efficiently that they've developed a policy of ensuring an acceptable, and electable face acts as a charming- in some cases- figurehead, or presence, to be the president.
For example, they loved George W Bush right up to the point that everyone started to laugh at him. And when President Obama came along, they threw their weight behind this elegant and charming man.
In no way am I suggesting that the American President is powerless, or deficient in the intelligence department. Rather, am I saying that if the big boys don't like a candidate, that candidate won't make it past the primaries.
Another heretical opinion I have is that the Americans invented Osama Bin Laden. Or would have, if the man didn't exist.
Just look at the mileage they've got out of this previously unknown Egyptian. War in Iraq, war in Afghanistan, uncertainty throughout the Middle East, the lot. All entered into in order to counter the threat of Osama Bin Laden. Let us not forget the WMD terror that also was invoked, to scare the shit out of half the human race.
Does anyone believe the entire Afghani population has kept silent about the presence in their country of a man with a million dollar price tag on his head? Not one single, poverty stricken person could do with a few million green backs? Come on folks come on? ❓
Is there anyone out there who believes the oil of Iraq, and the staggering mineral wealth, and the oil of Afghanistan, had nothing to do with America's decision to invade? ❓
Does anyone out there not believe our own Mining giants have the power to influence the outcome of our own elections? ❓ Come on!
It would be kinda cute if all the American troops going to war were told. "Son, this is not about dying for your country. What it's really about is ensuring energy supplies for Uncle Sam".
As for Australian troops? We all know, or should know, that they are merely there to show our solidarity with the USA. It is possible to wonder what our troops might think when told they are preparing to die for Uncle Sam
Now I'll take my cynicism out of here. 🙂
LIZ: Looks like we both agree about the drug issue.
Thanks for an interesting conversation, people. Very informative, And thanks to Jeff for getting the ball rolling.
@SYD WALKER – I agree with you re 9/11. I read a few weeks ago, that there's a push for a new inquiry into 9/11. I'msure you've read the articles and probably some or all of the whitewash called A Report, that too many questions weren't answered, because they weren't allowed to be asked. I smelt a rat when Bush & Co went to such lengths to have an inquiry in the first place. Also, both he and Chaney were interviewed together and not under oath, coupled with the fact, that the rubble was shipped off with undue haste, when it was evidence in a multi murder – this is what it was, not an act of war – that was a nonsense.
David Griffin wrote a very good book called, 'The New Pearl Harbour'? It is a thought provoking book that raises well over a hundred questions, and puts forward about 4 scenarios. Not a very thick book but I've read it several times now, and each time I learn something new. My local library has this book too! I'm impressed with this library!
@VENISE – I do agree with you about drugs and the criminalisation of the drug industry – that's what's caused all the grief, in all areas, particularly the death toll and wasted lives. This doesn't mean that I'm 'soft on crime' particularly violent crimes, but I realise that anyone who's just a bit smart knows, that locking up addicts with hardened criminals only results in better and 'cleverer' criminals – very stupid in my view, doesn't solve the crime/drug problem, only helps destroy more lives! We do little to nothing to prevent these people ending up in jail, and we do less re rehabilitation when they're there – we just build more jails? Very stupid! The US are realising that it doesn't work- we're following them down the same road. Pretty damned stupid I believe! We're also locking up juveniles without bail, even though their alleged crime may not result in a custodial sentence if found guilty, and of course, many are not convicted at all. What does that do to the young person, in overcrowded detention centres, and then they're put in adult jails with 'career' criminals?
In NSW we finally had a young Minister who had alternatives, but he was rolled in Cabinet(lack of money?) and so he resigned in disgust and frustration. Fr Chris Riley(Youth off the Streets program) also resigned from the committee working with him! Verysad indeed!
I watched a documentary on the Oil Industry(still have it on tape I think) where the big 'boys' of oil stated quite matter of factly, that the foreign policy and the energy policy of the US would be closely linked for some time to come. The US hadn't discovered any new oil in their country since the 1970's – they're getting pretty desperate? Prior to BP's present situation??
The US 'created' Osama bin Laden to try and get rid of the Russians in Afghaistan – they gave him heaps of money and encouraged the poppy growers so the pro US northern alliance had money to buy weapons. They were warned that they were creating a 'monster' but as with Saddam Hussein, they lacked foresight and weren't very smart. Saddam was a bastard, but he was 'their bastard' until he changed his mind. Both the Thatcher govt and US govt's fawned all over Saddam, and they voted down all attempts in the UN(or anywhere else for that matter) when they wanted to stop him – they knew what he was doing to his own people, but like the Taliban under Clinton, they could 'live with that'? I don't recall any Australian govt speaking out against Saddam Hussein – until George W. Bush did! We let him get away with his brutal dictatorship too – it was in our interests?
The bin Laden family and the Bush family had business interests in common. In fact, it wasn't until after 9/11 when Bush Snr withdraw from his involvement in the Carlyle Group – not a good look if your son wants to get rid of bin Laden, although, as I said before, they let the extended bin Laden family leave the US the day after 9/11? Didn't even question them? Very strange indeed!
I've also read in several diferent articles, that the Taliban offered to hand over bin Laden IF the US provided evidence of his involvement in 9/11 – Bush & Co didn't comply? Bush went right off his 'determination' to capture bin Laden, and he's rarely mentioned in the areas where you'd think he'd be a pre-ocupation? Also very strange!
The Military Business in the US spends 40c in every $1, and has been the major policy initiative of the US since the end of WW2. As Arandandti Roy said, 'once countries manufactured weapons to fight wars, now they manufacture wars to make weapons' or words to that effect? True! The US has either interfered with(as in Chile, El Salvador, Honduras & Haiti to name just a few) or invaded over 45 countries since the end of WW2. They spend $500,000 to kill one of the enemy, but only spend a miniscule amount on their own so called soldiers by comparison. Tough luck if they get killed or injured. There's at least 100,000 homeless veterans in the US. A high number have lost at least one limb, and domestic violence numbers are horrific in these relationships!
I think every so-called 'leader' should have to follow his or her kids into 'battle'? Then we'd see a sharp decrease in the number of wars etc. How many in the US govt or ours for that matter have sons or daughters in the military? Very, very few I suggest! I think Michael Moore covered this question in Farenheit 9/11 – and got the same answer. In fact, some crossed the road rather than appear on camera! I guess courage isn't their strong point either!
"Last week, with very little fanfare, Afghanistan became the longest war in US history."
Sorry – my comment before was inaccurate. The US Government began sending its so-called "military advisors" to Vietnam in 1955 and official military involvement ended in 1973. Unofficial involvement (CIA etc) was undoubtably earlier and later than these dates.
While it might be hard to pinpoint when the conflict became an "American war", it is hard to argue that deploying thousands of military personnel doesn't constitute involvement in a war, particularly considering their "advisory" nature is generally treated as a fiction.
The argument that the Afghanistan is now a longer war than Vietnam relies on starting the latter conflict with the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in 1964 which I think is misleading.
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More Videos...
BIG 3 upgrade #1 zero gauge wire UPDATE 1
the location of my alt is beyound little bus... but now its done this is the first vid i will make another one of it all finished
HKS V3 SUPERCHARGER for FR-S / BRZ
HKS has revised the popular FR-S/BRZ Supercharger Kit to make even more power. The V3 Supercharger kit features a revised inlet pipe with a larger inside diameter than the previous version. The restrictor plate has also been removed, as well as a larger Supercharger pulley. These changes optimize the airflow into the Supercharger, allowing a slower spinning, but more efficient airflow. The reduction in Supercharger speed, along with the less restrictive air flow, allows for a larger volume of air and cooler intake temperatures than before, creating more power than previous variations of the kit. In addition, the V3 Supercharger is available with an optional Flash Editor with pre-programmed tunes for 91 octane and E85. A 93 octane calibration is also available exclusively through HKS USA and participating HKS USA Pro-Dealers. Flash Editor calibrations and Dyno results were generated using the required #50003-M50HL HKS Super Fire Racing Spark Plugs, #33002-BT001 HKS Exhaust Manifold, #33004-BT002 HKS Front Pipe, and #32016-AT023 HKS Hi-Power Spec-L Exhaust. #12001-KT003 GT S/C System Pro FR-S MSRP $3,800.00 #12001-KT003A GT S/C System ECU Package FR-S MSRP $4,100.00
1300hp HKS R35 GTR NOB Time Attack Sepang
Dubbed "The World's Fastest GTR", the HKS GT1000+ GTR, together with Nobuteru Taniguchi recently made an explosive entry onto TIMETOATTACK stage with a never before seen, blazing laptime of 2:07.193. Full story and video here: http://wp.me/peOlx-lWH Subscribe and see more of these videos here! : https://goo.gl/NoLv3X http://www.timetoattack.net HKS's pièce de résistance R35 GTR has every available HKS part thrown into it. As the name suggest, the GT1000+ produces in excess of 1200hp and began life from a 4.1L stroked VR38 featuring reinforced components, matched with not 6 but 12 pieces of 575cc injectors to provide enough race juice for when twin GT1000 turbochargers introduce an atomic surge of Boost at full chat. he GT1000+ GTR won't go far if not for the work that had gone into transmission engineering. The standard twin clutch box had been reworked with bigger and stronger gearset, ensuring the 'box's ability to withstand up to 1400hp. Exterior and Aero wise, a huge part was contributed by BenSopra, where everything from the front and rear bumpers, diffusers and such were applied. The HKS GT1000+ if you hadn't already know runs on Advan full slicks and during the attack weekend, it was a classified as a demo contender. The TIMETOATTACK platform allows for Semi Slick tyres only. Even so, the sheer rarity and performance of the HKS GT1000+ GTR has inspired many at the fateful weekend, clocking in at an untouchable lap of 2:07.193! It is no doubt the lowest lap time figure we've seen throughout the years of TIMETOATTACK and is one to be inspired from and perhaps see a worthy contender challenge it in the near future. For more on the HKS Premium Day + TIMETOATTACK Final Round 2015 read our event report here: Greatest event in TIMETOATTACK history – The 2015 Season Finale. http://www.zerotohundred.com/2015/greatest-event-in-timetoattack-history-th e-2015-season-finale/ This HKS Premium Day themed TIMETOATTACK Season Finale 2015 was brought to you by: HKS Co Ltd Japan Prince Lubricants Hankook Tire Korea VW Wing Hin Autohaus RevoZport Wing Hin Motorsports Garage R Singapore ProArt Malaysia Stand 21 Exotic Mods Everco Malaysia TSW Wheels TRD Malaysia RenaultSport Lexus Wing Hin Auto Carriage Motorsport Playground RaceChip Malaysia Pentagon Enterprise Blastacars Malaysia Protech Malaysia GoPro Malaysia Colourshift Autospray 833 Motorsports SuperKart Indoor Karting Arena LMS Lifestyle Motorsports Singapore Warranty Smart Malaysia Do visit http://www.timetoattack.net for complete results, lap times and everything about TIMETOATTACK! Stay tuned as we update you on our plans for 2016!
HKS Hi-Power Ti
2003 Honda Accord LX 4cyl 2.4L revving with HKS Hi-Power Ti 130mm [shell size], 96mm [tip], 60mm [piping] muffler. i do not own copy rights to this Party Rock Anthem instrumental, just used it for some awesome background music... EVERYDAY IM SHUFFLIN'!

subset: commoncrawl


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Question: What were your impressions of Saddam Hussein's appearance in court last week? Are you worried he will use his platform in an open trial to stir up divisions in Iraqi society?
Answer: The most important principle we are following in the new Iraq (is) that the law is the highest level in the government or in the new Iraq. We do not intend to make Saddam's trial a political one. This should be according to the law and according to the procedures of the legal system. Right now in Iraq we have a judicial system that's separate from the government, and we have great trust and confidence in our judges. We do not want to influence the trial, and he should have a fair chance in defense. But the government has to have a fair chance in presenting the charges. And whatever the law says � definitely we will abide by that and respect it. What we want really is for justice to be served.
Q: Did you watch the televised proceedings? What were your impressions of Saddam Hussein?
A: I watched it. He was trying to tickle people's feelings. Iraqis know better. Personally, I have no personal comments.
Q: Do you expect that elections will be held by January as scheduled?
A: We in the interim government are very committed to make sure, to spend all our efforts, exert all our efforts so that we can meet the deadline set by the Transitional Administrative Law. It does not serve anybody to try to delay these elections. But definitely this has to depend heavily on the security situation. In Iraq, we are trying to rebuild our security forces as fast as we can in a way that does not reduce the quality of their training. I am very optimistic that things will start improving drastically because we have no other choice but to move forward.
Q: If the security situation gets worse, could elections be delayed?
A: I think we've been through the worst part of it. � This is turbulence. This is random killing. This is terrorism. Terrorism can never prevail. That's why I am very confident.
Q: How is the fight against the insurgency changing now that Iraqis are taking a bigger role and U.S. forces are pulling back?
A: The multinational force's mission is to help us maintain stability and defend the sovereignty of Iraq. Iraqi security forces can help in a very different way because, after all, preserving law and order is a police job. It depends heavily on intelligence information. In order to infiltrate the bad people, you have to have the same complexion and speak the same language. Definitely, it will help a lot having Iraqis working there. But we need to keep cooperating with the multinational forces in order to enhance the level of training of our security and military forces.
Q: A spokesman for Prime Minister Iyad Allawi suggested over the weekend that the new government may offer amnesty to insurgents who fought against U.S. forces.
A: It's not like that. (The amnesty would apply to) people who have been deluded into participating or causing some problems. This will exclude rapists, hostage takers and killers.
Q: Is the government planning to impose martial law or grant itself other emergency powers to deal with the insurgency?
A: Every government all around the world has the right to have the option of imposing martial law. We in Iraq do not want to go to that extreme, given the fact that we are really keen to build democracy in Iraq. Our main mission is to make life more positive and very comfortable to Iraqi people, their dignity preserved. However, we are reaching half-way (toward martial law) by having what we call the Public Safety Law. That will (target) bad elements who are (performing) acts which are illegal or which destabilize and terrorize the country. We are very careful about doing it in a way that will not make things difficult for law-abiding citizens. We are not going to incriminate anybody by their ideologies. We are going to incriminate people by their deeds if they are wrong.
Q: What would be some of the powers the government would get under that law?
A: It's like the prime minister can move armies to certain areas. For instance, he can seal off a city. All these things will come out when it's been signed and it's going to be signed very soon — a couple of days.
Q: Do you expect to run for office yourself when elections are held?
A: Well, it depends on seeing what I have done during this time. If I feel I am doing something really productive to the national cause and if definitely I see that people are approving my performance and if I see that my private situation allows me, I would be pleased to run for office.
Q: Under this interim government, what is your role as president and what is your relationship with the prime minister?
A: It's more like the Turkish style. This is where the prime minister goes to the daily duties, and the council of ministers will draft a law. It will be passed to the president. The president and the vice presidents have to unanimously approve it in order for it to be effective. We will have a major role in drafting the strategies of this country, whether in foreign relations, economy, oil, national security — most of the issues. It's the macro part of the government we are involved in.
Q: The presidency has been described as largely ceremonial.
A: No, it's not. We are trying to help each other. This is a national salvation government. This is more like a coalition, where everybody is jumping in to help the save the country.
Q: Are you worried about Iran's influence in Iraq?
A: If we're talking about Iran as a government, they understand clearly that any instability in Iraq will have a very negative impact on all our direct neighbors. They are very logical people. They would understand that. But definitely there are insurgents coming. They might come from anywhere else also. But the public in Iraq feels that our own problems are our own problems, and we don't really appreciate any interference in our own domestic business, the same as others don't want us to interfere in their business.
Q: Do you feel that Iran is interfering in Iraq's affairs?
A: I didn't say that. I said the government of Iran (is) smart enough to act very cooperatively with us. But probably there are elements who are out of the government. It might come from anywhere else. I have great confidence in our neighbors in Iran and their willingness to build a healthy positive relationship with Iraq.
Q: How would you describe the insurgents? Who are they?
A: It's no mystery. The best description of them is that they are the enemies of the Iraqi public. They go and do an atrocious act and kill foreigners and Iraqis. And those Iraqis are not top-ranking officials. These are people who go out in the morning, like a fisherman, to bring food home for his kids by the end of the day, and (they are) children going to school. These are murderers. Some of them might be wrongfully oriented in religion or they might be some of the Saddam loyalists, remnants who want to take Iraq back to the Dark Ages. But the whole Iraqi public understands now that these are their enemies; these are our enemies as Iraqis.
Q: Who is the government going to resolve Kurdish claims for autonomy?
A: Kurdish people are part of our society. They are the second major ethnic group in Iraq (after Arabs). The Kurdish leaders are Iraqi leaders. When Baghdad was liberated, among the first leaders to arrive in Baghdad were the two major Kurdish leaders, (Masoud) Barzani and (Jalal) Talabani. We have drafted the Transitional Administrative Law in which we Iraqis have great pride. We all signed it duly. It gives Kurdistan federalism, which will regulate the relationship between the central government and the regional government. There is no turning back on that. Federalism for Kurdistan is a fact and it's going on.
Q: What do you think of the United Nations decision not to recognize the Kurdish federalism plan when it passed a resolution acknowledging the interim government?
A: What happened in the UN, I was not pleased. It was part of a compromise of superpowers. It was a game that was played between the superpowers. We were in the crossfire there. But definitely federalism for Kurdistan is a fact, and I'm one of the biggest supporters of it.
Q: What role will clerics play in politics?
A: (Grand Ayatollah Ali) Sistani should be our role model. We are blessed to have such a guy.
Q: What about (radical Shiite cleric) Muqtada al-Sadr?
A: He has first to rid himself of the charges against him, then he must dissolve his army.
Q: Will U.S. support of Israel cause tension between the United States and Iraq?
A: We in Iraq have big problems of our own� But the Israeli-Palestinian issue has to be resolved in a fair way for the stability of the Middle East and the whole world � The U.S. did us a big favor (by getting rid of Saddam). We count on the U.S. as the superpower.
Q: How would you evaluate the U.S. occupation?
A: The media has been very unfair to the occupation. Eighty-five percent of the things they did were good. Look at it. We can speak out now. We have 120 newspapers. Under Saddam people were told what to eat. Now Iraqis are free. People can criticize us daily. We go out and speak to the people. Iraqis deserved much better than the way they were treated by Saddam. Even Hitler didn't kill his own people.


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Audio Sequencer / Music Studio Software
This project received 11 bids from talented freelancers with an average bid price of $6223 USD.Get free quotes for a project like this
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Project Description
We require an audio sequencer / music studio software created for Windows. The software should be similar to MixCraft / Garage Band with all the core functions of an audio sequencer. To speed up this urgent project we would like to start with an open source audio sequencer(is there any?) or you already have source code. The modify the UI then add more features as per our client request.
This is an urgent job that have a strict deadline of 2 months. You will need to submit a build every week to show your progress. You should also have professional knowledege about sound processing since we require a feature of "auto accompany" to be added to the sequencer. Basically when user plugs in an usb midi keyboard, they can choose accompany style and the software will play the accompany synchonously as the user plays the midi keyboard.
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See here, 1. What an abominable thing sin is, and how hateful sometimes it is made to appear, even to the sinner himself. When his conscience is convinced, or he feels smart from his sin, he is sick of it, and vomits it up; he seems then to detest it and to be willing to part with it. It is in itself, and, first or last, will be to the sinner, more loathsome than the vomit of a dog, Ps. 36:2. 2. How apt sinners are to relapse into it notwithstanding. As the dog, after he has gained ease by vomiting that which burdened his stomach, yet goes and licks it up again, so sinners, who have been convinced only and not converted, return to sin again, forgetting how sick it made them. The apostle (2 Pet. 2:22) applies this proverb to those that have known the way of righteousness but are turned from it; but God will spue them out of his mouth, Rev. 3:16.
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Research, Development, and Engineering Metrics
We seek to understand how the use of Research, Development, and Engineering (R,D&E) metrics can lead to more effective management of R,D&E. This paper combines qualitative and quantitative research to understand and improve the use of R,D&E metrics. Our research begins with interviews of 43 representative Chief Technical Officers, Chief Executive Offices, and researchers at 10 research-intensive international organizations. These interviews, and an extensive review of the literature, provide qualitative insights. Formal mathematical models attempt to explore these qualitative insights based on more general principles. Our research suggests that metrics-based evaluation and management vary according to the characteristics of the R,D&E activity. For applied projects, we find that project selection can be based on market-outcome metrics when firms use central subsidies to account for short-termism, risk aversion, and scope. With an efficient form of subsidies known as "tin-cupping," the business units have the incentives to choose the projects that are in the firm's best long-term interests. For core-technological development, longer time delays and more risky programs imply that popular R,D&E effectiveness metrics lead researchers to select programs that are not in the firm's long-term interest. Our analyses suggest that firms moderate such market-outcome metrics by placing a larger weight on metrics that attempt to measure research effort more directly. These metrics include standard measures such as publications, citations, patents, citations to patents, and peer review. For basic research, the issues shift to getting the right people and encouraging a breadth of ideas. Unfortunately, metrics that identify the "best people" based on research success lead directly to "not-invented-here" behaviors. Such behaviors result in research empires that are larger than necessary, but lead to fewer ideas. We suggest that firms use "research tourism" metrics, which encourage researchers to take advantage of research spillovers from universities, other industries, and, even, competitors.
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Volume (Year): 44 (1998)
Issue (Month): 12-Part-1 (December)
Pages: 1670-1689
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- Holmström, Bengt, 1989. "Agency Costs and Innovation," Working Paper Series 214, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
- George J. Stigler, 1961. "The Economics of Information," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69, pages 213-213.
- Zvi Griliches, 1990.
"Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey,"
NBER Working Papers
3301, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 287-343 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Griliches, Zvi, 1990. "Patent Statistics as Economic Indicators: A Survey," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 1661-1707, December.
- Jeffrey I. Bernstein & M. Ishaq Nadiri, 1989.
"Research and Development and Intra-industry Spillovers: An Empirical Application of Dynamic Duality,"
Review of Economic Studies,
Oxford University Press, vol. 56(2), pages 249-267.
- Jeffrey I. Bernstein & M. Ishaq Nadiri, 1986. "Research and Development and Intraindustry Spillovers: An Empirical Application of Dynamic Duality," NBER Working Papers 2002, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Bernstein, Jeffrey I. & Nadiri, M. Ishaq, 1988. "Research and Development and Intraindustry Spillovers: An Empirical Application of Dynamic Duality," Working Papers 88-06, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University.
- Julio J. Rotemberg & Garth Saloner, 1995. "Overt Interfunctional Conflict (and its Reduction Through Business Strategy)," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 26(4), pages 630-653, Winter.
- Jaffe, Adam B, 1989. "Real Effects of Academic Research," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(5), pages 957-970, December.
- Richard R. Nelson, 1959. "The Simple Economics of Basic Scientific Research," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 67, pages 297-297.
- repec:fth:harver:1473 is not listed on IDEAS
- Mansfield, Edwin, 1980. "Basic Research and Productivity Increase in Manufacturing," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(5), pages 863-873, December.
- Henry Grabowski & John Vernon, 1990. "A New Look at the Returns and Risks to Pharmaceutical R&D," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(7), pages 804-821, July.
- Taylor, Curtis R, 1995. "Digging for Golden Carrots: An Analysis of Research Tournaments," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(4), pages 872-890, September.
- Block, Zenas & Ornati, Oscar A., 1987. "Compensating corporate venture managers," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 41-51.
- Cohen, Wesley M & Levinthal, Daniel A, 1989. "Innovation and Learning: The Two Faces of R&D," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 99(397), pages 569-596, September.
- Gary Erickson & Robert Jacobson, 1992. "Gaining Comparative Advantage Through Discretionary Expenditures: The Returns to R&D and Advertising," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 38(9), pages 1264-1279, September.
- Holmstrom, Bengt, 1989. "Agency costs and innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 305-327, December.
- Rebecca Henderson & Iain Cockburn, "undated".
"Scale, Scope and Spillovers: The Determinants of Research Productivity in Drug Discovery,"
Working Papers
ec25/94, Department of Economics, University of Lancaster.
- Rebecca Henderson & Iain Cockburn, 1996. "Scale, Scope, and Spillovers: The Determinants of Research Productivity in Drug Discovery," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 27(1), pages 32-59, Spring.
- Acs, Zoltan J & Audretsch, David B & Feldman, Maryann P, 1992. "Real Effects of Academic Research: Comment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(1), pages 363-367, March.
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If you're 'Real Housewives of Atlanta's Kim Zolciak, you got more than your vocal chords to worry about when performing on stage in front of 10,000 men in Palm Springs—especially when you're wearing a low-cut black tutu!
Thankfully, Kim's live rendition of her hit 'Tardy for the Party' is in front of 10,000 gaylicious men, but regardless, the wigged-out blond still doesn't want the possibility of full-blown silicone spillage!
Check out this suspense-filled clip of Monday night's episode as Miss Boobilicious is seconds away from performing and suddenly gets hit with another wardrobe malfunction: Her undies are going peek-a-boo in the wind!
[iframe http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/tv/The-Real-Housewives-of-Atlanta/101262/1609110806/Kim-s-Boobs-Are-Falling-Out/embed 580 476]
The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.


text:
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This is your resource to discuss support topics with your peers, and learn from each other.
03-22-2012 09:38 AM - edited 03-22-2012 09:41 AM
Dear Blackberry Dev and AppWorld Support
This is an open letter to you from a handful of indie developers who are very upset watching AppWorld Playbook market being littered with spammy one day apps like made by Handster Inc (http://bit.ly/GFR5ME)
This is not a personal attack on Handster Inc, but rather a plea to RIM to increase the quality of reviews and not allow spam tactics from some developers.
AppWorld for Playbook used to be a very user friendly market filled with higher quality apps, but now it's becoming a spam app wasteland with few quality apps at the top and all new quality apps from indie devs at the bottom, buried by free spammy apps in the middle. This gives a potential Playbook customer a very bad taste in their mouth. We already are seeing this reaction from the majority of our app customers, and that's the reason they can move on to Kindle Fire or future 7" iPad 3.
Look at the apps from Handster Inc - they are clones of the same app with different titles. I should point out that the majority of those titles infrige on trademarks and copyrights like Dora, Simpsons, etc. I see more than 500 apps being published by them, and if they would be all unique, we would not say anything. There are 30+ jigsaw puzzle and learn something apps from them in each category.
If you look at the Strategy category in AppWorld for Playbook - the whole category is littered by the same cloned app with different names.
Let's make the AppWorld for Playbook and upcoming BB10 a better place for customers and serious indie developers! Dont let spammers ruin the market.
03-22-2012 10:40 AM - last edited on 03-22-2012 10:54 AM by Chronos
Just blame RIM for the free PB give away. You will never see illegal content on the BB apps. Someone app RIM should be fired for this. How can they let this <Inappropriate Content Removed> go unnotice for so long?
This is why I never going to install any Android apps.
I feel your pain, but Handster is an Android aggregator (i.e. Independent Android store) and Handster was invited and approved by RIM. Actually any aggregator can flood AppWorld, here is the official invitation:
RIM wants high app numbers... and they will get it one way or another. It is over 60,000 apps and counting...
Btw Handster came to AppWorld few months before the free PB offer.
Well, sounds like RIM is shooting themselves in the foot...
We are starting to get negative reviews/impressions of the Playbook market from app users in general - this is not a good rebound strategy for RIM if they want to keep their market position... The overall app quality is dropping fast.
I remember Apple was in the same position and now they are removing spammy apps.
what the ffffffff....???????
They just dumped an entire alt market into the playbook catalog? Are you kidding me?
Dozens of copyright violations in there, as well. Looks like several duplicates of other apps, as well.
How is this acceptable???
I think we need to start the petition to RIM headquaters, a class action sort of...
This will really kill the Playbook and future BB10 market, because the end user sees those apps as a product of RIM and not individual developers (the phenomena I discovered last few years).
I might be wrong on the duplicate apps, just saw a few that I had seen before, I hadn't noticed that they were "Handster" before instead of their original authors.
Copyright violations there aplenty, though. Just an example, ol' George Lucas's lawyers love to go after people who use "light saber" in any context. :-S


text:
Removing the old
Rex Fleming, project engineer for the Kansas Turnpike, explains when — and how — crews will remove the existing bridges, now more than 50 years old.
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Displaying 51-75 of 6216 results
New Food and Beverage Rollout: April 2012
New food and beverage products on the store shelves this month.
February 2005 New Food Rollout
The best new foods of 2005, out on shelves and in cupboards.
Natural Products Expo a Newsmaker
In addition to the annual raft of novel products, Whole Foods announces GMO labeling requirement at the show.
Heart Health Becoming a Major Concern for Aging Baby Boomers
Food and beverage manufacturers look to grains and soy to help boost formulations.
Mars, Nestle Among Product of the Year Winners
Consumer survey finds 8 food and 14 nonfood winners
Different Mixers for Different Food Blending Applications
Mixing and blending are fundamental to many food processes, and matching the machine to the application is the first step in ensuring consistent results and quality outcomes.
2005 "Top 100" corporate profiles (1-25)
This article provides background information on the companies comprising Food Processing's Top 100. Our ranking reflects the 100 largest value-added food and beverage processors in the U.S. and Canada, the top producers (not necessarily marketers) of grocery store-ready packaged food products.
Can-Do Attitude: 200th Can-niversary timeline
You've come a long way baby! In honor of the can's 200th birthday, we're publishing a list of the can's most notable events in history.
Plum Organics No. 19 on Forbes Most Promising Companies List
Also acquires British company, adds former Senator Bradley to board.
Mintel Reveals 2014 Foodservice Trends
The food and beverage industry trend experts at Mintel recentlyl revealed their top five food service trends for 2014.
Toops Scoops: The Housewares Show Is a Foodie's Nirvana
Trends many of which transfer to food include return to frugality, seeing green, simple and multi-useful for today's consumers.
Vitamins Gaining New Popularity with Consumers
Vitamins are gaining new popularity as they claim specific health benefits; the word on a food label has consumer appeal.
Pure Pacific Organics Installs Automated Inspection System
Salinas, Calif.-based Pure Pacific Organics processes healthy foods, including organic fresh-cut products such as spring mix, baby spinach and more. Product quality and food safety are the driving forces, which led the company to search for an automated inspection system.
Food Ingredients That Prevent Cognitive Decline
Rapidly aging baby boomers demand mental health throughout life.
Marketing to Baby Boomers
America's 75 million Echo Boomers are coming of age; are you marketing to them?
Happy Family Bought by Groupe Danone
Dannon parent acquires 92 percent of seven-year-old toddler food company.
Widespread Milk Tainting According to China Probe
Nearly 10 percent of milk samples from three top Chinese dairy companies was tainted with melamine
2009 Processor of the Year: Nestle USA
A $101 billion global company works hard at understanding shoppers with a $60 weekly food budget.
Congress Scrambles to Pass Food Safety Legislation
As Congress has argued over health care reform, financial reform, two wars, a mortgage crisis and unemployment, amending the U.S. food safety system was put on the back burner. In Part 1 of our series on food safety in the food processing industry, we investigate the legislative issues behind ...
New Food and Beverage Rollout: September 2012
Convenience is the name of the game for our September 2012 new food and beverage rollout. Consumers can dine on ethnic cuisine, homemade comfort foods, desserts and healthy fare without putting in long hours.
Wellness Food Trends for 2010
Our annual look at the future of better-for-you foods.
Contrite Maple Leaf Vaults to Forefront of Food Safety
After a 2008 outbreak of listeria killed 22 consumers, Maple Leaf Foods promised it would become a leader In food safety and would share any knowledge it had on the subject with other processors. In Part 3 of our series on food safety in the food processing industry, we talk about food safety ...
Eating Habits Should Change as We Age
Develop products for more, smaller meals and add longevity-promoting ingredients.
USDA Unveils MyPlate, Replaces Food Pyramid
New MyPlate seen as an 'uncomplicated symbol to help remind people to think about their food choices in order to lead healthier lifestyles.'
IFT 2009 - Anaheim Hosts IFT'S Annual Meeting and Food Expo
Anaheim will play host to IFTs Annual Meeting and Food Expo June 6-9.
Displaying 51-75 of 6216 results


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- New York Mets 59FIFTY On-Field Authentic Alternate Hat
- Throw on the official on-field cap of your favorite MLB team in the New Era 59FIFTY MLB Authentic Cap.
- This hat features CoolBase technology to wick sweat away from the body.
- The official team logo is embroidered on the caps front with the official MLB logo embroidered on the caps rear.
- 100% polyester.
- Imported.
Customer Reviews
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text:
The crew at Duross & Langel can teach you how to make natural cleaning supplies.
Give your under-the-sink space a makeover. DIY cleaning products can be a snap to whip up, and they'll make your house sparkly and smelling fresh — without any ammonia or bleach.
"This is one of those no brainers," says Steve Duross of Duross & Langel on 117 S. 13th St. "It's incredibly simple to do, and it's a healthy, natural way to clean your home."
Duross & Langel doesn't carry household cleaners — the store stocks its shelves with handmade soaps, lotions and candles. But Duross and store manager Sarah Evancho still like to experiment with cleaners and other DIY products in the upstairs kitchen (usually home to the soap-making). If it can be described as "pure," "natural" or "earth-friendly," they're into it.
"People are getting more savvy about chemicals — they want simpler products. And people love the idea of brewing up their own stuff," Duross says.
All-natural cleaning products don't have a long shelf life, but mixing up enough for a cleaning session or two is quick. "For furniture polish, for example, you take vinegar, olive oil and fresh orange peels, throw everything in a spray bottle and shake it up," Duross says. "There aren't a lot of moving parts."
Three easy recipes
All-purpose cleaner:
Ingredients:Sage, or another essential oil or herb (For buying essential oils, Duross recommends NewDirectionsAromatics.com. They're not cheap, he warns, but since you're only using a few drops at a time, they last.)1 part warm water1 part vinegar1/2 part alcohol1 drop dish soap
Preparation:Muddle or twist herbs into a spray bottle. Add liquids. Shake and start to clear away the bad juju.
Furniture polish:
Ingredients:Orange essential oil and a few orange peels1/4 cup vinegarAbout a tablespoon of olive oil
Preparation:Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Shake. Use.
Bathroom scrub:
Ingredients:Six drops of essential oil, such as citrus, eucalyptus or mint1 cup borax1/2 cup baking soda1/2 cup washing soda1/4 cup coarse sea salt
Preparation:Combine all ingredients in a jar. Shake. Use on tub, tiles, sink and toilet bowl.
Earth Day open house
Duross & Langel is hosting a "how to" open house April 22. Drop in anytime 5:30-7 p.m. for an informal demo on making natural, chemical-free cleaning products.


text:
In a message dated 6/9/98 5:02:19 PM Central Daylight Time,
firstname.lastname@example.com writes:
<< I recently received Bill Zumbar's price list, Adrian's Flowers of
Fashion, and was pleased to see that he included mature clump size
for his small hostas. Does anyone else find this information as useful
as I do? It seems that even if a plant has a small leaf size it forms a
clump larger than I'd planned on. >>
Hi Joanne and other hosta folks,
What is Adrian's Flower's of Fashion? and how can I get a copy. I would
find this size info useful too. I have several small hostas (and big ones
too) that need planting and I was just going to look up the dimensions in
Wade's old catalog or any other catalogs I have. There usually is some
discrepancy and I've wondered if most people get the clump dimensions from
their own gardens or take them from some other generally accepted source.
What do you all think?
Cindy Johnson
White Bear Lake, MN
zone 4a
Cindy Johnson
White Bear Lake, MN
zone 4a
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text:
Savory Pheasant
|2 , cut in serving pieces
|Seasoned flour
|1⁄4 Cup (4 tbs)
|2 Tablespoon
|2 , chopped fine
|Sweet vermouth
|1⁄2 Cup (8 tbs)
|Tomato paste
|1 Teaspoon
|1⁄8 Teaspoon
|1 Teaspoon
|Ground pepper
|1 Dash
Dust pheasants with seasoned flour; brown in butter.
Transfer to roaster.
Add onions to butter in skillet; cook until transparent.
Addvermouth, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook for a few minutes.
Pour around pheasant.
Spread soft butter on pieces of bird.
Roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Arrange pheasant on toast; pour sauce over each piece.
Garnish with watercrest.
Rate It
Nutrition Rank
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: Complete recipe
Calories 3552 Calories from Fat 1575
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 175 g269.7%
Saturated Fat 58.8 g293.9%
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 1200.6 mg400.2%
Sodium 2876.6 mg119.9%
Total Carbohydrates 82 g27.4%
Dietary Fiber 7 g27.9%
Sugars 15.4 g
Protein 375 g750.3%
Vitamin A 73.3% Vitamin C 177.1%
Calcium 32.2% Iron 130.6%
*Based on a 2000 Calorie diet


text:
By Angie Romero | 10/20/2009 - 16:02
I don't agree with Venezuela's politics (or Hugo Chavez's antics, I should say) but I do tip my hat off to El Sistema, the government-subsidized music education program. The best thing to come out of there is 28-year-old Gustavo Dudamel, the newly minted Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Read more
By Grace Bastidas | 10/05/2009 - 14:16
Hailed as a rock star in the world of classical music, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel made his anticipated debut on Saturday as the director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic with a five-hour free concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The big welcome celebration was titled "Bienvenido Gustavo!" and it drew musicians such as jazz great Herbie Hancock and pianist Alfredo Rodríguez, along with celebs like Andy Garcia and Jack Black, who was blown away by the 28-year-old maestro.
Read more


text:
blackberry google sync application required
This project received 4 bids from talented freelancers with an average bid price of $238 USD.Get free quotes for a project like this
Project Budget$30 - $250 USD
Total Bids4
Project Description
we want an application with our branding that blackberry contacts, calender, tasks easily synchronize through this app just 1 click. we would be launch this app in blackberry app world.
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- Forbes
- The New York Times
- Time
- Wall Street Journal
- Times Online


text:
The Semantic Web: Research and Applications
Volume 3532 of the series Lecture Notes in Computer Science pp 439-454
Activity Based Metadata for Semantic Desktop Search
- Paul Alexandru ChiritaAffiliated withL3S Research Center, University of Hanover
- , Rita GavriloaieAffiliated withL3S Research Center, University of Hanover
- , Stefania GhitaAffiliated withL3S Research Center, University of Hanover
- , Wolfgang NejdlAffiliated withL3S Research Center, University of Hanover
- , Raluca PaiuAffiliated withL3S Research Center, University of Hanover
* Final gross prices may vary according to local VAT.Get Access
With increasing storage capacities on current PCs, searching the World Wide Web has ironically become more efficient than searching one's own personal computer. The recently introduced desktop search engines are a first step towards coping with this problem, but not yet a satisfying solution. The reason for that is that desktop search is actually quite different from its web counterpart. Documents on the desktop are not linked to each other in a way comparable to the web, which means that result ranking is poor or even inexistent, because algorithms like PageRank cannot be used for desktop search. On the other hand, desktop search could potentially profit from a lot of implicit and explicit semantic information available in emails, folder hierarchies, browser cache contexts and others. This paper investigates how to extract and store these activity based context information explicitly as RDF metadata and how to use them, as well as additional background information and ontologies, to enhance desktop search.
Chapter Metrics
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- Title
- Activity Based Metadata for Semantic Desktop Search
- Book Title
- The Semantic Web: Research and Applications
- Book Subtitle
- Second European Semantic Web Conference, ESWC 2005, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, May 29–June 1, 2005. Proceedings
- Pages
- pp 439-454
- Copyright
- 2005
- 10.1007/11431053_30
- Print ISBN
- 978-3-540-26124-7
- Online ISBN
- 978-3-540-31547-6
- Series Title
- Lecture Notes in Computer Science
- Series Volume
- 3532
- Series ISSN
- 0302-9743
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- Copyright Holder
- Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
- Additional Links
- Topics
- Industry Sectors
- eBook Packages
- Editors
- Asunción Gómez-Pérez (16)
- Jérôme Euzenat (17)
- Editor Affiliations
- 16. Facultad de Informática, Dpto. de Inteligencia Artificial, Ontology Engineering Group, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
- 17. INRIA Rhône-Alpes & LIG
- Authors
- Paul Alexandru Chirita (18)
- Rita Gavriloaie (18)
- Stefania Ghita (18)
- Wolfgang Nejdl (18)
- Raluca Paiu (18)
- Author Affiliations
- 18. L3S Research Center, University of Hanover, Deutscher Pavillon, Expo Plaza 1, 30539, Hanover, Germany
Continue reading...
To view the rest of this content please follow the download PDF link above.


text:
> Hi Chris. Thanks... that would work except the footballs I have in mind
> are fruits and seed. What I'm looking for is "best guess" since I don't
> have the scales, beakers, and what-not to do displacement. So here's
> the problem; maybe you'll see a better way to attack it.
Well, maybe you could just do displacement in a big bowl. Puree the
fruit pulp and put it into a sandwich baggie.
Then you could measure out a certain amount of water -- say four cups.
Submerge the baggie and mark the new water line.
Remove the baggie, then fill the bowl up to that new mark. Pour out the
water and measure it, subtract the initial amount of water (i.e. four cups)
and that will tell you the volume of the fruit pulp.
If you use a tall narrow cylinder for your bowl you're more likely to get
accurate results. Do this for both your fruit and theirs, then compare
the overall volume differences...
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A documentary in process on Atlantic Yards by Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley, The Battle of Brooklyn, can't, as Galinsky acknowledges, "do justice to the complex issues that have been raised by this project and this story. We'll leave that task to Norman Oder and his blog, The Atlantic Yards Report." (Um, thanks.)
The excerpts released so far, as noted below, convey some of the drama of the AY conflict that is difficult to convey in prose.
Here's the "cast": Daniel Goldstein, Shabnam Merchant, Marty Markowitz, Bruce Ratner, Letitia James, Patti Hagan, Norman Siegel, Michael Bloomberg, Frank Gehry. (I've been interviewed for the film, as well, though the filmmakers' aim is to avoid talking heads.)
Goldstein, an old friend of Galinsky, is the protagonist, at least as the trailer suggests, and the filmmaker is obviously sympathetic to the opposition. Then again, as I've quoted former New York Times Public Editor Daniel Okrent, "Fairness requires the consideration of all sides of an issue; it doesn't require the uncritical reporting of any."
Goldstein meets Lewis
The filmmakers recently put up a clip of Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn's Goldstein confronting ACORN leader Bertha Lewis after a press conference on affordable housing. As Galinsky writes:
After the event, Daniel Goldstein confronts her with the fact that tenants are already being pushed out. She admits that ACORN hasn't actually talked to any of the tenants yet. She then argues that the developer has nothing to do with greedy landlords forcing out tenants before they buy the property.
This is not a gotcha moment, but instead a small part of a complex tale. We feel that it is relevant to follow up on published reports that call into question the relationship between the developer and ACORN. At issue is the fact that the developer gave a $500,000 grant and $1,000,000 low interest loan to ACORN in the midst of a previous scandal when many long time donors refused to continue supporting them.
I think the clip also clearly shows something else: the theatrical Lewis knows she can be intimidating, but Goldstein is not intimidated.
Marty's "Russian dressing"
In a fortuitous moment, the filmmakers years ago filmed Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz as claiming the project "puts the Russian dressing on a great pastrami sandwich." (It's about 2:27 of the trailer below.)
Whether Markowitz considers the sale of the Nets to Russian mogul Mikhail Prokhorov such an equivalent is yet unknown.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
The resonance in "The Battle of Brooklyn" documentary: an ACORN encounter and some "Russian dressing"
Posted by Norman Oder at 5:26 AM
Labels: Mikhail Prokhorov
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