Category: government

Inside Assad’s Syria | FRONTLINE

On By Rick McIn ethics, government, Islam, things getting worseLeave a comment

Like most people who have visited Syria, I loved the place. The people are extremely welcoming to visitors.

I’ve been following the terrible, terrible disaster. With sadness.

I thought I knew something about the civil war. The best information I’ve seen is a new 55min documentary by PBS correspondent Martin Smith.

On-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts from Syrians caught in the crisis.

Click PLAY or watch a trailer on YouTube.

Insanely, it highlights a new tourist resort in Homs only 10 miles from rebel fighting. 😦

After watching it, I blame the U.N. Security Council much more. Russia is propping up al-Assad.

Bashar Hafez al-Assad is the President of Syria, commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces, General Secretary of the ruling Ba’ath Party and Regional Secretary of the party’s branch in Syria. In 2000 he succeeded Hafez al-Assad, his father, who had led Syria for 30 years until his death. …

In 1994, after his elder brother Bassel was killed in a car crash, Bashar was recalled (from Medical School in England) to Syria to take over Bassel’s role as heir apparent. He entered the military academy, taking charge of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon in 1998. In December 2000, Assad married Asma Assad …

Once seen by the domestic and international community as a potential reformer, Assad disappointed those expectations definitively when he ordered mass crackdowns and military sieges on Arab Spring protesters, leading to the Syrian Civil War. …

… the United States, Canada, the European Union and the majority of the Arab League have called for al-Assad’s resignation from the presidency. …

… an inquiry by the United Nations human rights chief found evidence to implicate Assad in war crimes and crimes against humanity. …

Bashar_and_Asmaa_al-Assad_in_Moscow

Hafez al-Assad has to go. He’s not as bad as we’ve heard, but he’s bad. When al-Assad does flee, more innocents will die in the resulting fight for power. I can’t see any road map to peace in the near future. Many Syrians are willing to die in that struggle. 😦

Asma al-Assad was born to Syrian-born parents, raised and educated in the United Kingdom, and graduated from King’s College London in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and French literature. …

She was described by analysts and in media as an important part of the public relations effort of the Syrian government early in her tenure as first lady and she was credited with taking progressive positions on women’s rights and education. …

Laura once had lunch with the first lady. She and the war criminal have 3 children: Hafez, Zein, and Karim. 😦

deaths from extremist attacks USA since 9/11

On By Rick McIn ethics, firearms, government, Islam1 Comment

I don’t see how authorities could have stopped most of these extremist attacks. 😦

… both tolls are tiny compared with the tally of conventional murders, more than 200,000 over the same period. But the disproportionate focus they draw in the news media and their effect on public fear demand the attention of any administration. …

Deaths From Extremist Attacks in the U.S. Since 9/11

deaths

Bill Gates – Cheap, Clean Energy

On By Rick McIn climate change, economics, ethics, governmentLeave a comment

I’m in Paris today with several world leaders for a big announcement on energy and climate change. It is deeply moving to be in this city just two weeks after the horrific attacks here, and I am inspired by the way the French people have persevered in such a difficult time.

Two related initiatives are being announced at today’s event. One is Mission Innovation, a commitment by more than ten countries to invest more in research on clean energy. The other is theBreakthrough Energy Coalition, a global group of private investors who will support companies that are taking innovative clean-energy ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace. Our primary goal with the Coalition is as much to accelerate progress on clean energy as it is to make a profit.

Here’s the thinking behind these two efforts. …

A Big Win for Cheap, Clean Energy

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

former ISIS hostage says “Strikes on Isis Are a Trap”

On By Rick McIn ethics, government, IslamLeave a comment

I strongly believe the best strategy to reduce the risk of terrorist attacks in Canada is for western nations to withdraw from the Middle East.

Nicolas Henin would not agree with me, I think.

Nicolas Henin is a French Journalist who was held hostage by Isis for 10 months. One of his jailers was Mohammed Emwazi, known as “Jihadi John”.

Listen to what Nicolas has to say about Isis, our treatment of refugees and most importantly: what it’ll take to defeat them. …

Films For Action

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

on American poverty

On By Rick McIn Apple, economics, education, ethics, governmentLeave a comment

In his book on the American South, Theroux is very critical of the Clinton foundation. Bill Clinton is from Arkansas. Yet seems to have done very little as a philanthropist to help his home State. Some people in the American south live in worse poverty than some in Africa.

PAUL THEROUX:

… China has been enriched by American-supplied jobs, making most of the destined-for-the-dump merchandise you find on store shelves all over America, every piece of plastic you can name, as well as Apple products, Barbie dolls or Nike LeBron basketball shoes retailed in the United States for up to $320 a pair. …

… if there was one experience of the Deep South that stayed with me it was the sight of shutdown factories and towns with their hearts torn out of them, and few jobs. There are outsourcing stories all over America, but the effects are stark in the Deep South. …

When Mr. Cook of Apple said he was going to hand over his entire fortune to charity, he was greatly praised by most people, but not by me. It so happened that at that time I was traveling up and down Tim Cook’s home state of Alabama, and all I saw were desolate towns and hollowed-out economies, where jobs had been lost to outsourcing, and education had been defunded by shortsighted politicians. …

Some companies have brought manufacturing jobs back to the United States, a move called “reshoring,” but so far this is little more than a gesture. It seems obvious that executives of American companies should invest in the Deep South as they did in China. …

The Hypocrisy of ‘Helping’ the Poor

Deep-South-Four-Seasons-on-Back-Roads-copy-350x252

California has a poverty rate of 23.8%, the highest of any state in the country …

The US Census declared that in 2010 15.1% of the general population lived in poverty:

9.9% of all white persons
12.1% of all Asian persons
26.6% of all Hispanic persons (of any race)
28.4% of all black persons.

wikipedia

If you are in the poverty demographic, you should certainly campaign against the Republican Party. Those people (in general) try to move as many dollars from the poor to the rich. 😦

American companies will eventually reshore factories. When it’s financially advantageous. That could be soon.

Apple – the most profitable company in the world – has made some attempts. Those have been problematic, so far.

stop logging the Ghost watershed

On By Rick McIn ethics, friends, government, health & fitnessLeave a comment

I signed a Change.org page:

Petitioning Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, Honourable and 2 others

Call for an immediate moratorium on logging in the Ghost Watershed.

Ghost watershed

Anna Glaser’s family has a vacation home in the Ghost. Spray Lake Sawmills wants to cut down as many trees as possible. Spray Lake Sawmills is the bad guy. 😦

Here’s Anna’s take on the situation – Ghost Stories

Here are Anna’s family and friends of the Ghost protesting.

2michael-glaser-stop-ghost-clearcut-protesters

flowers and candles are here to protect us

On By Rick McIn firearms, government, Islam1 Comment

Like most people, I’ve been extremely pissed off since the Beruit and Paris attacks. Especially since I’m spending the week with some excellent Gymnastics coaches from Jordan, Iran, France, Lebanon, Qatar, Yemen, Palestine, Egypt, …

This is the most uplifting thing I’ve seen since. Hopefully we can all start turning the corner as this boy has.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Or share it on Facebook.

congratulations Aung San Suu Kyi

On By Rick McIn government, travelLeave a comment

 

Suu Kyi’s party wins historic majority in Myanmar polls

Aung San Suu Kyi party wins enough seats to be able to choose Myanmar’s next president, according to official results.

12-1447311820-aung-san-suu-kyi1

Travel Myanmar. 🙂

 

on Islamophobia

On By Rick McIn ethics, GOP USA, government, Islam, things getting worseLeave a comment

Does this image make you fearful or angry?

burka

When they get home and remove the abaya, underneath women are often wearing expensive designer clothes and jewelry. Arab men love expensive garments, as well, but are as covered up head-to-foot in their own traditional ‘thawb’.

men-in-white

Islamophobia (or anti-Muslim sentiment) is a term for prejudice against, hatred towards, or fear of the religion of Islam or Muslims. The term entered into common English usage in 1997 …

Some commentators have posited an increase in Islamophobia resulting from the September 11 attacks, while others have associated it with the increased presence of Muslims in the United States, the European Union and other secular nations. …

There is no shortage of guys like this in 2015. Politicians use fear of Islam to motivate him to show up at the polls on election day.

islamophobic I’ve spent a lot of time in Muslim nations since 1994. I just left Saudi Arabia. Arrived Qatar.

For men, Islamic nations are very hospitable.  Most lists of friendliest nations include Syria, Jordan and Iran. I’ve not been to Iran. But of the 70 nations I have traveled, Syria and Jordan were by far the most welcoming. Egyptians I found very warm too.

I can’t say much about Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. But, it’s much more complicated than you and I know.

More university graduates in Saudi Arabia are Saudi women than men, and female literacy is estimated to be 91% (though lower than male literacy) is far higher than just 40 years ago. The average age at first marriage among Saudi females in the kingdom is 25 years. …

The World Economic Forum 2013 Global Gender Gap Report ranked Saudi Arabia 127th out of 136 countries for gender parity. …

same hate new target

Islamophobia is fairly new. When I was in school the evil enemy was the Commies. It was the Cold War. Friends of mine parroted Better Dead than RED.

better dead than red

I recall how shocked Richard Englehardt was when I told him I would not fight the Russians. Most of my sport heroes were Soviet gymnasts. Many of my coaching mentors were Russian. In fact, I told REnglehardt, I’d probably be better off coaching under the Red Menace.

My grandparents immigrated from Ireland. In that era they suffered persecution.

no-irish-sign-1

(I’d heard about signs like this.  But one historian argues they are a myth.) 

It seems to be human nature to want to hate some enemy. The enemy frequently changes. Haters not so much. 😦

related – Guardian – America’s embrace of Islamophobia is new – but not surprising

in praise of Angela Merkel

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

… naysayers are wrong to suggest she has lost her way on migration. Quite the opposite.

During the crisis the Lutheran pastor’s daughter has found a forceful political and moral calling.

Mrs Merkel did not cause the onrush of migrants, as her critics maintain. The migrants were coming anyway: she acted to avert a humanitarian disaster. Fences will not hold back the flow. Mrs Merkel can neither stop the wars that drive people out of their homes nor set the policies of the countries they pass through. Her critics offer no plausible alternative.

Short of overturning international and European law, and watching refugees drown or die of exposure, EU countries must process the claims of asylum-seekers. The question is: will the process be orderly or chaotic? …

The indispensable European

Angela Merkel faces her most serious political challenge yet. But Europe needs her more than ever

Forbes – The World’s Most Powerful People – #2 Angela Merkel

angela-merkel-2011-7-19-10-0-51