U.S. Politics and the World; Political Discourse
View allAll Photos Tagged FoxNews
No, it wasn't Vaping as subsequent tests showed, & this case happened in last August
www.foxnews.com/health/teen-hospitalized-vape-related-hea...
The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2 : 17/3/2020
www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9
Vasa Prihoda spielt Dvorak Violin-Konzert live 1956
www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1PfgtsRgsA&list=RDo1PfgtsRgs...
*
Picasso and Matisse
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2eTU6fOEE
Van Gogh
' ... weeks before doctors were made aware of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, one of the European country’s leading medical experts said this week.'
In Writing
www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3076334/coronavir...
In Italian
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE4vsavV3zI
In Italian with Translation
haokan.baidu.com/v?pd=wisenatural&vid=490804299326395...
A recent Japanese phylogenetic study apparently suggests that the origin of the corona virus originated from US instead of Wuhan and so were most of it's offshoots elsewhere :
arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2002/2002.08802.pdf
The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2 : 17/3/2020
www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9
No, it wasn't Vaping as subsequent tests showed, & this case happened in last August
www.foxnews.com/health/teen-hospitalized-vape-related-hea...
I just got back from a trip out to Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and the Black Hills.
This mountain scene is from a hike out to Johns Lake in Glacier National Park. Hopefully I will be posting several more like it in the next few weeks if they turn out.
Sad to hear about this mountain biker in Glacier. We had just left a few days prior. www.foxnews.com/us/2016/06/30/sheriff-grizzly-kills-perso...
We had our bear spray with us on all hikes. Luckily it wasn't needed. We saw one bear cross the road as we were stopped in our car.
A rather strange sight in a small town that we passed through recently...and if you want information, you know where to go!
F-16 Fighting Falcon
The Lockheed Martin (formerly General Dynamics) F-16 represents the full range of capabilities possessed by the Air Force's tactical fighters. This highly maneuverable multi-role fighter has proven to be one of the world's best precision tactical bombers and air-to-air combat aircraft. The only modifications needed to prepare the aircraft for its air demonstration role are installing a smoke-generating system in the space normally reserved for the 20mm cannon, and the painting of the aircraft in Thunderbird colors.
Borrowed info from -----> www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104552/th...
Camera on tripod
1600 ISO
18 second exposure
Single Image-
News article just came out saying that the bright star (Betelgeuse) at top of photo is getting ready to explode - www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525695,00.html
Wendy Williams took time out from her nationwide tour to meet and chat with the Good Day Chicago crew.
Wendy Williams took time out from her nationwide tour to meet and chat with the Good Day Chicago crew. She also showed off her meteorological skills. youtu.be/ZxZnbT0XkbU
The Windy City Rollers took over the studio this morning! Some of Chicago's roller derby stars joined us to talk about a big match-up this weekend. bit.ly/nDZwwU
In the notes I’ve provided for these “peeps in the ‘hood” and “street where I live” Flickr albums, I usually write that I don’t include photos of drunks, bums, or homeless people. But since this photo is an exception to that self-imposed policy, I thought it would be a good idea to see how often it has happened; and by searching for “homeless” as a tag attached to my photos, I found that there are just under 50 in my overall Flickr archives of roughly 50,000 photos. Only about 7,000 of those photos are “public,” so you probably won’t even see a lot of the homeless people that I’ve photographed; but I hope that the ones you do see show a respectful and fairly sympathetic perspective.
Of course, not everyone does feel respectful or sympathetic toward the homeless people they see on the street; and that is just as much true here in New York City as it is in other cities across the country and around the world. New Yorkers are constantly being pushed, shoved, bothered, accosted, and harassed for money; and many of us have grown rather cynical about the presence of beggars, panhandlers, and other forms of homeless people. Indeed, just yesterday there was an article in our New York Post newspaper about a 43 year old former theater stagehand who says that he “rakes in up to $200 an hour” from kind-hearted New Yorkers by panhandling outside Grand Central Terminal (see “ New York City panhandler says he makes $200 an hour").
Obviously, I don’t know how common this situation really is. And I don’t know how many people are begging for money simply to buy more alcohol, drugs, or whatever pushed them onto the streets in the first place. I certainly have had the experience of seeing the same person in the same spot, day after day, always asking for a quarter or a dollar to buy some food. And I have had the experience — as have many well-intentioned people — of offering to bring an allegedly hungry person into a deli or MacDonald’s to buy him/her some food that can be eaten on the spot, only to have the offer scornful rejected. And I have to admit that I, too, have experienced the knee-jerk reaction that the homeless people on the street should just “get a job” and “work for a living,” in order to function in society the way most of my friends and I have done throughout our lives.
But I’ve been around for a long time now, and I’ve lived in this city for a long time; and while I may have only 50 photos of homeless people in my Flickr archives, I’ve seen several hundred more, if not several thousand. And while some may be phonies or scam artists, it seems to me that many of these people are overwhelmed and broken by the circumstances in which they find themselves. It may have been drugs or alcohol that pushed them over the edge; but it may also have been mental illness (or PTSD), or a physical injury, or an abusive spouse, or a string of bad luck that they didn’t anticipate, and simply couldn’t handle. I’ve also seen enough TV documentaries to appreciate that, in most cases, people don’t “flip” overnight from productive members of society, to people on the street. For most, it’s a long, slow, gradual descent into a world that they never imagined would happen to them. For others, I suppose, it may be a continuation of a life that was miserable even when they were children.
I don’t have the time, or the psychological energy, to stop and talk to every one of these people I see on the street. And if they were truly gifted con artists, I’m sure they could convince me that they were a victim of unfortunate circumstances, no matter how cynical a New Yorker I might be. Anyway, I only have a second or two to make a snap judgment as I walk by; and sometimes I decide to give them a dollar, or a pocket full of coins, while other times I shrug and just keep walking.
But I’m also a strong believer in the old adage that “what goes around, comes around”; and even though I think of myself as strong, tough, resilient, and resolute … I also realize, after seeing so many broken people on the street, that it could happen to me, too. Years ago, I stumbled across a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde called Pay It Forward, and while I don’t practice it as much as I should, the principle has stuck with me.
So, every time I see someone like this man on the street, I say to myself: pay it forward. Make someone’s like a little better today. Repeat.
***********************************
Sometime in 2014, I created Flickr album for photos that I had started taking with my iPhone5s; and a year later, in the fall of 2014, I started a new Flickr album for photos that I’ve begun taking with my iPhone6, and iPhone6+. But progress doesn’t stop (at least with Apple): as of October 2015, I’ve upgraded once again, to the iPhone6s and 6s+ (yes, both of them) and this new album contains photos created with those camera-phones
In last year’s Flickr album, I wrote, “Whether you’re an amateur or professional photographer, it’s hard to walk around with a modern smartphone in your pocket, and not be tempted to use the built-in camera from time-to-time. Veteran photographers typically sneer at such behavior, and most will tell you that they can instantly recognize an iPhone photo, which they mentally reject as being unworthy of any serious attention.
“After using many earlier models of smartphones over the past several years, I was inclined to agree; after all, I always (well, almost always) had a “real” camera in my pocket (or backpack or camera-bag), and it was always capable of taking a much better photographic image than the mediocre, grainy images shot with a camera-phone.
“But still … there were a few occasions when I desperately wanted to capture some photo-worthy event taking place right in front of me, and inevitably it turned out to be the times when I did not have the “real” camera with me. Or I did have it, but it was buried somewhere in a bag, and I knew that the “event” would have disappeared by the time I found the “real" camera and turned it on. By contrast, the smart-phone was always in my pocket (along with my keys and my wallet, it’s one of the three things I consciously grab every time I walk out the door). And I often found that I could turn it on, point it at the photographic scene, and take the picture much faster than I could do the same thing with a “traditional” camera.
“Meanwhile, smartphone cameras have gotten substantially better in the past few years, from a mechanical/hardware perspective; and the software “intelligence” controlling the camera has become amazingly sophisticated. It’s still not on the same level as a “professional” DSLR camera, but for a large majority of the “average” photographic situations we’re likely to encounter in the unplanned moments of our lives, it’s more and more likely to be “good enough.” The old adage of “the best camera is the one you have with you” is more and more relevant these days. For me, 90% of the success in taking a good photo is simply being in the right place at the right time, being aware that the “photo opportunity” is there, and having a camera — any camera — to take advantage of that opportunity. Only 10% of the time does it matter which camera I’m using, or what technical features I’ve managed to use.
“And now, with the recent advent of the iPhone5s, there is one more improvement — which, as far as I can tell, simply does not exist in any of the “professional” cameras. You can take an unlimited number of “burst-mode” shots with the new iPhone, simply by keeping your finger on the shutter button; instead of being limited to just six (as a few of the DSLR cameras currently offer), you can take 10, 20, or even a hundred shots. And then — almost magically — the iPhone will show you which one or two of the large burst of photos was optimally sharp and clear. With a couple of clicks, you can then delete everything else, and retain only the very best one or two from the entire burst.
“With that in mind, I’ve begun using my iPhone5s for more and more “everyday” photo situations out on the street. Since I’m typically photographing ordinary, mundane events, even the one or two “optimal” shots that the camera-phone retains might not be worth showing anyone else … so there is still a lot of pruning and editing to be done, and I’m lucky if 10% of those “optimal” shots are good enough to justify uploading to Flickr and sharing with the rest of the world. Still, it’s an enormous benefit to know that my editing work can begin with photos that are more-or-less “technically” adequate, and that I don’t have to waste even a second reviewing dozens of technically-mediocre shots that are fuzzy, or blurred.
“Oh, yeah, one other minor benefit of the iPhone5s (and presumably most other current brands of smartphone): it automatically geotags every photo and video, without any special effort on the photographer’s part. Only one of my other big, fat cameras (the Sony Alpha SLT A65) has that feature, and I’ve noticed that almost none of the “new” mirrorless cameras have got a built-in GPS thingy that will perform the geotagging...
“I’ve had my iPhone5s for a couple of months now, but I’ve only been using the “burst-mode” photography feature aggressively for the past couple of weeks. As a result, the initial batch of photos that I’m uploading are all taken in the greater-NYC area. But as time goes on, and as my normal travel routine takes me to other parts of the world, I hope to add more and more “everyday” scenes in cities that I might not have the opportunity to photograph in a “serious” way.”
***********************************
Okay, so now it’s October of 2015, and I’ve got the iPhone 6s/6s+. The the camera now has a 12-megapixel lens (instead of the older 8 MP version), and that the internal camera-related hardware/firmware/software is better, too. Obviously, I’ve got the newer iOS9, too, and even on the “old” phones, it now supports time-lapse videos along with everything else.
I’ve still got my pocket camera (an amazing little Sony RX-100 Mark IV, which replaces the Mark III I had last year), and two larger cameras (Sony RX-10 II, and Sony A7 II), but I have a feeling that I won’t even be taking them out of the camera bag when I’m out on the street for ordinary day-to-day walking around.
That will depend, obviously, on what kind of photos and videos the iPhone6s/6s+ camera actually capable of taking … so I’m going to try to use at leas one of them every day, and see what the results look like …
Like I said last year, “stay tuned…”
Il. Title- ( - sang sur mains - ) Mike Mullen having a nice steak dinner with a 'clear conscience' ... ( On top of dead Afghani civilians & dead soldiers.. Egomaniac.. ) Yes Wikileaks shared this piece inspired by them & their work: twitter.com/wikileaks/status/21824111844 it & the entire Wikileaks series is not- for sale.
At some point there may be an exhibition with funds going towards WL & Bradley Manning.
But for now none of the pieces in the series are commercially available or for sale to private individuals.
They do have free use by Wikileaks however.
More work to be posted soon.
Dimensions: 18" x 24.5" acid free paper, acrylics, gouache & ebony pencil
"Mr. Assange can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family," Mullen said."
www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/29/pentagon-wikileaks-bl...
MMm no- Mullen..How can we end these wars ASAP- & STOP you from getting any MORE blood on YOUR hands..
( News from Wikileaks Twitter feed, 8 - 19 - 2012: "In fact, being from another planet, he might even have picked up on something that most Americans would be unlikely to notice -- that, with only slight alterations, Mullen’s blistering comment about Assange could be applied remarkably well to Mullen himself. “Chairman Mullen,” that Martian might have responded, “can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he is doing, but the truth is he already has on his hands the blood of some young soldiers and that of many Afghan families.” "
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/opinion/main6748239.shtml )
War Diary - wardiary.wikileaks.org/ Timeline: wartimeline.haineault.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mullen#2007_Senate_testimon...
& from the Pentagon- "“We want whatever they have returned to us and we want whatever copies they have expunged… We demand that they do the right thing. If doing the right thing is not good enough for them, then we will figure out what alternatives we have to compel them to do the right thing." mashable.com/2010/08/05/pentagon-wikileaks-demand/
The NERVE.. -
Wikileaks - "What we didn't hear from the Pentagon last week: "killing all those innocent people is bad. Sorry. We will stop that" Thursday, August 05, 2010
YES.
-
"Thousands of children and adults had been killed and the US could have announced a broad inquiry into these killings, "but he decided to treat these issues with contempt''.
He said: "This behaviour is unacceptable. We will continue to expose abuses by this administration and others."" - www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/30/us-military-wikileak...
-
( From Wikileaks twitter- Aug 19 2010 _ ) -
Wikileaks vs the Pentagon: Phony Fingerpointing
Tom Engelhardt:: Who Really Has Blood On Their Hands?
"Consider the following statement offered by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a news conference last week. He was discussing Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks as well as the person who has taken responsibility for the vast, still ongoing Afghan War document dump at that site. "Mr. Assange,” Mullen commented, “can say whatever he likes about the greater good he thinks he and his source are doing, but the truth is they might already have on their hands the blood of some young soldier or that of an Afghan family.”
Now, if you were the proverbial fair-minded visitor from Mars (who in school civics texts of my childhood always seemed to land on Main Street, U.S.A., to survey the wonders of our American system), you might be a bit taken aback by Mullen’s statement. After all, one of the revelations in the trove of leaked documents Assange put online had to do with how much blood from innocent Afghan civilians was already on American hands.
The British Guardian was one of three publications given early access to the leaked archive, and it began its main article this way: “A huge cache of secret U.S. military files today provides a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan, revealing how coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents. They range from the shootings of individual innocents to the often massive loss of life from air strikes...” Or as the paper added in a piece headlined “Secret CIA paramilitaries’ role in civilian deaths”: “Behind the military jargon, the war logs are littered with accounts of civilian tragedies.
The 144 entries in the logs recording some of these so-called ‘blue on white’ events, cover a wide spectrum of day-by-day assaults on Afghans, with hundreds of casualties.” Or as it also reported, when exploring documents related to Task Force 373, an “undisclosed ‘black’ unit” of U.S. special operations forces focused on assassinating Taliban and al-Qaeda “senior officials”: “The logs reveal that TF 373 has also killed civilian men, women, and children and even Afghan police officers who have strayed into its path.”
Admittedly, the events recorded in the Wikileaks archive took place between 2004 and the end of 2009, and so don’t cover the last six months of the Obama administration’s across-the-board surge in Afghanistan. Then again, Admiral Mullen became chairman of the Joint Chiefs in October 2007, and so has been at the helm of the American war machine for more than two of the years in question.
He was, for example, chairman in July 2008, when an American plane or planes took out an Afghan bridal party -- 70 to 90 strong and made up mostly of women -- on a road near the Pakistani border. They were "escorting the bride to meet her groom as local tradition dictates." The bride, whose name we don’t know, died, as did at least 27 other members of the party, including children. Mullen was similarly chairman in August 2008 when a memorial service for a tribal leader in the village of Azizabad in Afghanistan’s Herat Province was hit by repeated U.S. air strikes that killed at least 90 civilians, including perhaps 15 women and up to 60 children. Among the dead were 76 members of one extended family, headed by Reza Khan, a "wealthy businessman with construction and security contracts with the nearby American base at Shindand airport."
Mullen was still chairman in April 2009 when members of the family of Awal Khan, an Afghan army artillery commander on duty elsewhere, were killed in a U.S.-led raid in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan. Among them were his "schoolteacher wife, a 17-year-old daughter named Nadia, a 15-year-old son, Aimal, and his brother, employed by a government department.” Another daughter was wounded and the pregnant wife of Khan's cousin was shot five times in the abdomen.
Mullen remained chairman when, in November 2009, two relatives of Majidullah Qarar, the spokesman for the Minister of Agriculture, were shot down in cold blood in Ghazni City in a Special Operations night raid; as he was -- and here we move beyond the Wikileaks time frame -- when, in February 2010, U.S. Special Forces troops in helicopters struck a convoy of mini-buses, killing up to 27 civilians, including women and children; as he also was when, in that same month, in a special operations night raid, two pregnant women and a teenage girl, as well as a police officer and his brother, were shot to death in their home in a village near Gardez, the capital of Paktia province. After which, the soldiers reportedly dug the bullets out of the bodies, washed the wounds with alcohol, and tried to cover the incident up. He was no less chairman late last month when residents of a small town in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan claimed that a NATO missile attack had killed 52 civilians, an incident that, like just about every other one mentioned above and so many more, was initially denied by U.S. and NATO spokespeople and is now being “investigated.” "
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/08/06/opinion/main6748239.shtml
-
"What is interesting is who is responsible for the killings.
Of the 1,325 civilian deaths recorded by the Afghan human rights group, 23 per cent were attributed to Nato or Afghan government forces. The Taliban and their allies were responsible for 68 per cent of the deaths.
The UN study claimed the civilian death toll was slightly lower at 1,271 with anti-government forces blamed for 76 per cent of the casualties.
Chronicling precise figures is extremely difficult because most parts of the country are inaccessible.
Crucially, both studies suggested that the proportion of deaths attributed to Nato and Afghan government forces were down compared to last year because of fewer air strikes.
This is important because clumsy air strikes on innocent villages and unfair raids on their houses has been driving a lot of Afghans to pick up arms on behalf of insurgents."
by, Hamida Ghafour
More: www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100811/OP...
& -
"My countrymen called me a prostitute
(Filed: 26/10/2004)
Fourteen months ago, Hamida Ghafour went to Afghanistan to cover her native countrys postwar reconstruction for this newspaper. But, as a westernised Afghan, her homecoming wasnt as welcoming as she had hoped"
www.afghanistan.org/news_detail.asp?17220
I am skeptical about agendas.. It can be confusing, this is why for better or worse one must have THE FACTS - it would have been better if we had them from the START.
Without facts no one cares what we do- or who we kill, because we simply don't have ANY concept of how a decade long war is going..
“The government is engaging in selective prosecution to ensure that employees keep their mouths shut,” says Stephen Khon, a lawyer specializing in whistleblowing cases. “All of a sudden the whistleblower becomes public enemy number one. There is no proportionality.” www.alternet.org/world/147778/how_the_military_destroys_t...
This- - you MUST watch-- It's of Afghani's asking for peace & for us to leave- "Wikileaks Assange, stand freely for love & we in Afg will stand with you.." From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9E_nXiPj9g
US war crimes: soldiers speak out. - www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj6s1V0Dpuw
From Wikileaks Twitter- "UNAMA Human Rights Unit issued recommendations in the report including:
• The Taliban should withdraw all orders and statements calling for the killing of civilians; and, the Taliban and other AGEs should end the use of IEDs and suicide attacks, comply with international humanitarian law, cease acts of intimidation and killing including assassination, execution and abduction, fully respect citizens’ freedom of movement and stop using civilians as human shields.
• International military forces should make more transparent their investigation and reporting on civilian casualties including on accountability; maintain and strengthen directives restricting aerial attacks and the use of night raids; coordinate investigation and reporting of civilian casualties with the Afghan Government to improve protection and accountability; improve compensation processes; and, improve transparency around any harm to civilians caused by Special Forces operations.
• The Afghan Government should create a public body to lead its response to major civilian casualty incidents and its interaction with international military forces and other key actors, ensure investigations include forensic components, ensure transparent and timely compensation to victims; and, improve accountability including discipline or prosecution for any Afghan National Security Forces personnel who unlawfully cause death or injury to civilians or otherwise violate the rights of Afghan citizens."
unama.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1741&ctl=Deta...
From Wikileaks Twitter- CBC
"A bomb is found tucked into a school typewriter. Insurgents dressed in military uniforms attack an education chief. School guards are tied up while the building is bombed to smithereens. Teachers and students at an all-girls high school are poisoned through the drinking water."
"School attacks
Year Number of attacks against schools
2005 98
2006 220
2007 236
2008 348
2009 610
Source: UNICEF. Data for 2008 and 2009 are from the UN Country Task Force on Children, and previous years are from the Ministry of Education."
"Education for children up in Afghanistan since 2002- .
"Nine years ago, about 100,000 students were enrolled in schools. The figure now stands at more than seven million students, one-third of whom are girls, according to the Afghanistan Ministry of Education.
"It's one of those sectors where we've seen radical and dramatic progress since 2002," notes Rowell.
"No one knows where the country is going … but education is a beacon of success."
Read more: www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/08/06/f-afghanistan-education...
& www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/database-afghan-war-logs/
""
"New Petition Gains Prominent Signatures: “Defend WikiLeaks – End the Secret Wars” - Sign: seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/64042
"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others may despise it, is the invention of good games and it cannot be done by men out of touch with their instinctive selves." - Jung.
Treating Soldier Stress: www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2008931_2172992,00...
"Afghan War Diary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Afghan War Diary (also called The War Logs) is a collection of internal U.S. military logs of the War in Afghanistan published by Wikileaks on 25 July 2010.
The logs consist of 91,731 documents, covering the period between January 2004 and December 2009. Most of the documents were classified as "secret", which The New York Times called "a relatively low level of classification".
As of 28 July 2010, only 75,000 of the documents have been released to the public, a move which Wikileaks says is "part of a harm minimization process demanded by [the] source". Prior to releasing the initial 75,000 documents, Wikileaks made the logs available to The Guardian, The New York Times and Der Spiegel in its German and English on-line edition which published reports per previous agreement on that same day, July 25, 2010."
&
"In June 2010, Guardian journalist Nick Davies and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange established that the US army had built a huge database with six years of sensitive military intelligence material, to which many thousands of US soldiers had access and some of them had been able to download copies, and WikiLeaks had one copy which it proposed to publish online, via a series of uncensorable global servers.
Wikileaks describes itself as "a multi-jurisdictional public service designed to protect whistleblowers, journalists and activists who have sensitive materials to communicate to the public."
In an interview with the U.K.'s Channel 4, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange said that "we have a stated commitment to a particular kind of process and objective, and that commitment is to get censored material out and never to take it down." He contrasted the group with other media outlets by saying that "other journalists try to verify sources. We don't do that, we verify documents. We don't care where it came from." He denied that the group has an inherent bias against the Afghanistan War, saying that "We don't have a view about whether the war should continue or stop – we do have a view that it should be prosecuted as humanely as possible." However, he also said that he believes the leaked information will turn world public opinion to think more negatively of the war."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_War_Diary
"War has become a luxury that only small nations can afford." -
Hannah Arendt
"The leak of tens of thousands of Afghanistan war-related documents tells us more than the sum total of many official communiqués about the war. On balance, more disclosure is a good thing, but the leaking of raw military intelligence is a special case that requires a careful, rather than a cavalier, approach.
There is not enough information about the war, and much official information is misleading. In Canada, the federal government's quarterly reports contain a few updates based on its goals in Kandahar, but little else that informs. The government has already shown itself to be an unreliable source on issues relating to Afghan detainees.
The situation is now too dangerous for the most trustworthy chroniclers – journalists, UN personnel – to go outside NATO-protected areas.
So reliable, independent information is lacking. The circumstances in this war make such information even more necessary."
www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/we-neede...
"Instead, many eyes will now pore over this data from many different directions, looking for patterns and attempting to eliminate the noise, disinformation and fog of war.
Many will look to it to criticise and condemn the US presence in Afghanistan, but if those on the other side – those who support such military incursions – have any sense, they too will use it to understand better the war in which they find themselves and adapt their counsel to fit more accurately the facts on the ground.
That’s the benefit, usually, of an open society. We get to triangulate on the truth by gathering facts in the public space, then providing them to all sides to chew over. We use this against our own illusions and those of more closed societies who can only view the world through one narrow perspective.": www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0730/1224275801...
( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_ecology )
"The first phase was chilling, in part because the banter of the soldiers was so far beyond the boundaries of civilian discourse. “Just fuckin’, once you get on ’em, just open ’em up,” one of them said. The crew members of the Apache came upon about a dozen men ambling down a street, a block or so from American troops, and reported that five or six of the men were armed with AK-47s; as the Apache maneuvered into position to fire at them, the crew saw one of the Reuters journalists, who were mixed in among the other men, and mistook a long-lensed camera for an RPG. The Apaches fired on the men for twenty-five seconds, killing nearly all of them instantly."
Read more www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khat...
"With the release of the WikiLeaks documents, Arab media may finally feel vindicated, as Western media finally start to give greater prominence to civilian casualties." newamericamedia.org/2010/07/wikileaks-documents-validate-...
"Wikileaks confirmed: A plan to kill American geologist with poison beer
The Wikileaks documents contain a claim that Pakistan and Afghanistan insurgents were working to poison alcoholic drinks in Afghanistan. While that's unproven, one US adviser in Afghanistan tells the Monitor he was almost poisoned that way in 2007." : www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0728/Wiki...
"This is duplicitous only if you close your eyes to the Pakistani reality, which the Americans never did. There was ample evidence, as the WikiLeaks show, of covert ISI ties to the Taliban. The Americans knew they couldn't break those ties. They settled for what support Pakistan could give them while constantly pressing them harder and harder until genuine fears in Washington emerged that Pakistan could destabilize altogether. Since a stable Pakistan is more important to the United States than a victory in Afghanistan—which it wasn't going to get anyway—the United States released pressure and increased aid. If Pakistan collapsed, then India would be the sole regional power, not something the United States wants."
www.billoreilly.com/site/rd?satype=13&said=12&url...
"How to read the Afghanistan war logs: video tutorial
David Leigh, the Guardian's investigations editor, explains the online tools we have created to help you understand the secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan": www.guardian.co.uk/world/datablog/video/2010/jul/25/afgha...
"Jonathan Foreman, writing for the right of center National Review's Corner blog, hopes the documents will force America to deal with the possible deceptions being made by ally Pakistan. "It is possible that the publication of documents that provide actual evidence — rather than rumors — of the role of ISI personnel in Taliban planning, logistics, and strategy will give the West greater leverage in dealing with Islamabad and might force Pakistan’s political elite to confront the reality of the ISI’s secret activities. If so, that would be a silver lining to what is otherwise a military disaster abetted by the U.S. and British media."
www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/NATL-The-Importance-o...
"The real significance of the Afghan war diaries lies in what Wikileaks represents as a movement, as an evolution in journalism. One analyst has called it the emergence of open source journalism. Julian Assange makes it possible for anybody anywhere in the world to submit secret documents for publication." www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Sevanti_Ninan/article541...
A War Without End: www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,708314,00.html
"Julian Assange on the Afghanistan war logs: 'They show the true nature of this war'
Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, explains why he decided to publish thousands of secret US military files on the war in Afghanistan Afghanistan war logs expose truth of occupation": www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jul/25/julian-assange...
The history of US leaks: www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-10769495
Freedom of Information Act: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act_(United_...
"A long-delayed Afghanistan war funding bill, stripped of billions for teachers and black farmers, is back before the House and walking now into the storm over the Internet leak of battlefield reports stirring old doubts about U.S. policy and relations with Pakistan.": www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40254.html & www.politico.com/news/stories/0710/40251.html
This is a large study/drawing, Assange/Wikileakers of the organization Wikileaks ( wikileaks.org ) uses 'matches from sources' to disclose US gov secrecy ( behind large black curtains ) & to also finally bring some much needed attention & closure to some of these revelations ( set ablaze ).
This ongoing series is dedicated to everyone who has needlessly had their lives destroyed, been injured or die in this almost past decade of war. For the sources, journalists & average citizens who risk their lives to inform us.
Reuters reporters Namir Eldeen, Saeed Chmagh & the good samaritan ( father ) who died trying to save them & of course his two surviving small children who will forever be impacted by the brutality of war for decades to come.
Please help Private Bradley Manning- www.bradleymanning.org/
"One surprising consequence of the war in Iraq is the surrender of postmodernism to a victorious modernism. This has been largely overlooked in North America.
In reaction to the U.S. intervention in Iraq, Jacques Derrida, a famous postmodernist, signed on as co-author of an article drafted by the German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, previously an opponent of his, in an unmistakable endorsement of modernist Enlightenment principles. Derrida, the apostle of deconstructionism, is now advocating some decidedly constructive and Eurocentric activism.
The article appeared simultaneously in two newspapers on May 31, in German in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as "After the War: The Rebirth of Europe," and in French in Libération, less triumphantly, as "A Plea for a Common Foreign Policy: The demonstrations of Feb. 15 against the war in Iraq designed a new European public space."
Other famous intellectuals joined in with supportive newspaper articles of their own: Umberto Eco (of The Name of the Rose) and Gianni Vattimo in Italy and an American philosopher, Richard Rorty. This provoked much discussion in Europe, but only a few comments so far in North America, the Boston Globe and the Village Voice being rare exceptions.
This week in Montreal, there was an anti-globalization riot in which windows were broken in protest against a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting. But the Habermas-Derrida declaration praises the WTO and even the International Monetary Fund as part of Weltinnenpolitik: maddeningly hard to translate, but something like "global domestic policy" or "external internal policy."
Yet it is not much of a stretch to claim the young anti-globalists as disciples of postmodernism and Derrida, who has hitherto been a foe of "logocentrism" (putting reason at the centre), "phallologocentrism" (reason is an erect male organ and, as such, damnably central) and Eurocentrism (the old, old West is the homeland of all of the above).
Derrida added a note to the article, observing most people would recognize Habermas's style and thinking in the piece, and that he hadn't had time to write a separate piece. But notwithstanding his "past confrontations" with Habermas (Derrida had objected to being called a "Judaistic mystic," for one thing), he agreed with the article he had signed, which calls for new European responsibilities "beyond all Eurocentrism" and the strengthening of international law and international institutions."
More: www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000361.php
"In early 2003, both Habermas and Derrida were very active in opposing the coming Iraq War, and called for in a manifesto that later became the book Old Europe, New Europe, Core Europe for a tighter union of the states of the European Union in order to provide a power capable of opposing American foreign policy. Derrida wrote a foreword expressing his unqualified subscription to Habermas's declaration of February 2003, "February 15, or, What Binds Europeans Together: Plea for a Common Foreign Policy, Beginning in Core Europe,” in Old Europe, New Europe, Core Europe which was a reaction to the Bush administration demands upon European nations for support for the coming Iraq War[25]. Habermas has offered further context for this declaration in an interview."
More: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%c3%bcrgen_Habermas#Habermas_and_D...
Habermas: ”The asymmetry between the concentrated destructive power of the electronically controlled clusters of elegant and versatile missiles in the air and the archaic ferocity of the swarms of bearded warriors outfitted with Kalashnikovs on the ground remains a morally obscene sight
I consider Bush' s decision to call for a "war against terrorism" a serious mistake, both normatively and pragmatically. Normatively, he is elevating these criminals to the status of war enemies; and pragmatically, one cannot lead a war against a "network" if the term "war" is to retain any definite meaning.”
Derrida: “To say it all too quickly and in passing, to amplify and clarify just a bit what I said earlier about an absolute threat whose origin is anonymous and not related to any state, such "terrorist" attacks already no longer need planes, bombs, or kamikazes: it is enough to infiltrate a strategically important computer system and introduce a virus or some other disruptive element to paralyze the economic, military, and political resources of an entire country or continent. And this can be attempted from just about anywhere on earth, at very little expense and with minimal means. The relationship between earth, terra territory, and terror has changed, and it is necessary to know that this is because of knowledge, that is, because of technoscience.
It is technoscience that blurs the distinction between war and terrorism. In this regard, when compared to the possibilities for destruction and chaotic disorder that are in reserve, for the future, in the computerized networks of the world, "September 11" is still part of the archaic theater of violence aimed at striking the imagination. One will be able to do even worse tomorrow, invisibly, in silence, more quickly and without any bloodshed, by attacking the computer and informational networks on which the entire life (social, economic, military, and so on) of a "great nation," of the greatest power on earth, depends.”
www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000361.php
I am incredibly- delighted at all the vital discussions about the war & US gov that are FINALLY taking place- & on a mass scale- as a result of this leak .. Simply miraculous..
FREEDOM & PEACE ( transparency, diplomacy & the evolution of such ) FOR ALL WAR NATIONS.
( WARNING - links ( after excerpt ) are NOT for sensitive viewers- ) "Wikileaks have released over 150 supressed images. This is the tip of the iceberg, keep looking, keep publishing.In the last week Wikileaks has released over 150 censored photos and videos of the Tibet uprising and has called on bloggers around the world to help drive the footage through the Chinese internet censorship regime — the so called “Great Firewall of China”The transparency group’s move comes as a response to the the Chinese Public Security Bureau’s carte-blanche censorship of youtube, the BBC, CNN, the Guardian and other sites carrying video footage of the Tibetan people’s recent heroic stand against the inhumane Chinese occupation of Tibet."
fortuzero.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/tibet-western-media-sa...
file.wikileaks.org/file/tibet-protest-photos/index.html
FREE TIBET!!!!!!!!!!!!
Also other dire & serious issues ( out of countless ) - that expose corruption by corporations & gov's:
"A documentary about intensive pig farming due to be screened at the Guardian Hay festival on Sunday is facing a legal threat from one of the companies it investigates. Pig Business criticises the practices of the world's largest pork processor, Smithfield Foods, claiming it is responsible for environmental pollution and health problems among residents near its factories."
www.guardian.co.uk/film/2009/may/29/pig-business-document...
"In an investigation broadcast on BBC Radio 5 on November 14, 2004,[79] it was reported that the site is still contaminated with 'thousands' of metric tons of toxic chemicals, including benzene hexachloride and mercury, held in open containers or loose on the ground. A sample of drinking water from a well near the site had levels of contamination 500 times higher than the maximum limits recommended by the World Health Organization.[80]
In 2009, a day before the 25th anniversary of the disaster, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi based pollution monitoring lab, released latest tests from a study showing that groundwater in areas even three km from the factory up to 38.6 times more pesticides than Indian standards."
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal_disaster
-
The Blue Mask - Lou Reed - www.goear.com/listen/9960779/the-blue-mask-lou-reed ( & O Superman ) www.goear.com/listen/02cf55d/o-superman-(for-massenet)-la...
Lou Reed The Blue Mask
Lyrics:
They tied his arms behind
his back to teach him how to
swim They put
blood in his coffee and milk
in his gin They stood over the
soldier in
the midst of the squalor
There was war in his body and
it caused his
brain to holler
Make the sacrifice
mutilate my face
If you need someone to kill
I'm a man without a will
Wash the razor in the rain
Let me luxuriate in pain
Please don't set me free
Death means a lot to me
The pain was lean and it made
him scream he knew he was alive
They put a
pin through the nipples on his chest
He thought he was a saint
I've made love to my mother,
killed my father and my brother
What am I
to do
When a sin goes too far, it's
like a runaway car It cannot
be controlled
Spit upon his face and scream
There's no Oedipus today
This is no play you're thinking you
are in What will you say
Take the blue mask down from my face and
look me in the eye I get a
thrill from punishment
I've always been that way
I loathe and despise repentance
You are permanently stained
Your weakness buys indifference
and indiscretion in the streets
Dirty's what you are and clean is what
you're not You deserve to be
soundly beat
Make the sacrifice
Take it all the way
There's no won't high enough
To stop this desperate day
Don't take death away
Cut the finger at the joint
Cut the stallion at his mount
And stuff it in his mouth
---
-
"He who joyfully marches to music rank and file, has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice. This disgrace to civilization should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, how violently I hate all this, how despicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action. It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder. "
Albert Einstein
IMAGINE THE HAPPINESS & GREAT WORK AHEAD OF US WE COULD HAVE AT THE END OF THE WARS!!!!!!!!!
www.goear.com/listen/48d6016/hora-de-la-mehedinti-romania...
NO MORE WAR & FREEDOM FOR ALL WAR NATIONS!!!!!!!!!
Peace.
HERALDO, OREILLY, HANNITY, all afraid to interview Michael Savage.
Greta is the only one that could begin to match wits with this firery AMERICAN VOICE of democracy who unveils the truth beneath the PC mentality of the USA.
Please stand with me on my CAMPAIGN TO MAKE THE MEDIA ACKNOWLEDGE MICHAEL SAVAGE as a positive American who wants to preserve our independence and freedom.
Will FOX have the courage to interview a man who has been banned from Britain because of speech their past PM considered not to her liking?
Photojournalism
m.elpais.com.uy/informacion/protesta-esposas-liberados-ca...
m.wgauradio.com/ap/ap/top-news/uruguay-ex-gitmo-inmate-ar...
www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/23/former-gitmo-detainee-ar...
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guan...
www.rollcall.com/news/setting_the_record_straight_on_the_...
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guan...
www.latinpost.com/articles/53374/20150514/guantanamo-bay-...
news.yahoo.com/uruguay-mujica-improvised-ex-guantanamo-detainees-202414894.html
www.onenewspage.us/video/20150427/2805944/Uruguay-Foreign...
www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-30/guantanamo-deta...
rt.com/news/254961-guantanamo-inmates-camp-uruguay/
freebeacon.com/issues/former-gitmo-prisoners-demand-repar...
www.wsj.com/articles/deal-for-ex-guantanamo-inmatesin-uru...
rt.com/usa/253033-uruguay-guantanamo-detainees-protest/
news.yahoo.com/former-guantanamo-detainees-keep-protest-u...
www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/04/25/guantanamo-d...
www.latinpost.com/articles/49958/20150426/former-guantana...
dunyanews.tv/index.php/en/World/275774-Guantanamo-exinmat...
www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/25/ex-guantanamo-detainees-...
www.washingtonpost.com/world/after-12-years-in-guantanamo...
www.salon.com/2015/04/25/former_guantanamo_detainees_keep...
www.thefrontierpost.com/article/287789/guantanamo-ex-inma...
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guan...
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/guan...
exguantanamorefugeesinuruguay.wordpress.com
elpais.com/m/elpais/2015/04/28/inenglish/1430222274_06035...
www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2015/04/30/403276388/ex-gitmo...
12/16/2021 6 a.m.
141871
786
28
A television showing the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is seen playing in a livingroom in Ashton, Idaho September 10, 2024.
Will Be A Lot of Small Things...
Here's some small (though actually significant) things you can do today to help democracy:
1. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security is taking calls about Bannon's appointment to the NSC. You can call: 202-224-4751. Tell them you don't want a racist and fascist running our security.
2. Call and/or email your congress person. Here's a quick lookup if you don't know who that is:
Email or call them to oppose Bannon, DeVos, Sessions (those are the big ones) and the Muslim ban. When you call, you will be talking to a Congressional aide and it will take less than 5 minutes. They will jot down your name and occasionally you can leave contact info. for them to get back to you. Most of the time, if you mention you are an active voter and are paying attention to how your congress person votes on an issue, that is enough to do the trick to get the information passed along.
3. The Army is actually taking feedback about the Dakota Access Pipeline. This is an environmental nightmare and opposed by all of the indigenous groups in the area for good reason. Leave your feedback:
actionnetwork.org/letters/submit-your-eis-comment-to-the-...;
4. Grab Your Wallet! We're in an era where profits are more important than people so check out this listing of Trump supporter-businesses and email them telling them you will boycott their product because of it. I sent out about 10 emails last night after I found both Uber and Nordstrom were disassociating themselves from Trump (that's huge!)
5. Take a poll from Fox News! No, seriously. Take the poll. Our government has decided to censor and not allow in most media at this point as they are textbook fascists performing an experiment of modern horror on America. So, the prized baby media of our celebrated Fascist in chief is Fox News. So, for one, tell Fox News you disagree with his policies. And, additionally, it's a relief to see the results on many of these questions. Is Trump right about firing Sally Yates? 65% say no. Is he correct about immigrant restrictions? 77% say no. This is Fox news viewers people....
nation.foxnews.com/poll/index.html
6. Sign some petitions. If you're too tired from protesting or just too fearful at the moment, the very basic thing you can do is to sign petitions. There's been a lot of talk about how petitions might not mean anything and, while I agree it's more meaningful to call your congress person, relate that you are a voter and are paying attention, it is still a fun and easy way to express your voice and, after you fill out your info. once, it auto populates for the rest and you can sign about 20 petitions in less than five minutes. Done and done...invigorating when you see how many other hundreds of thousands of Americans agree with you.
7. Have conversations with people...start with your coworkers and family....including (gasp) your republican family members. Appeal to the goodness of them and their sense of nationalism. They want a strong America...well, selling guns to people who are mentally ill without background checks while deporting highly qualified individuals does not make for a strong America. Reference the Constitution which they are supposed to hold dear themselves. Appeal to them as Christians, women, human beings-whatever. Just find that common ground of conscience that would alert them that what is happening is woefully wrong. If you can't talk about politics in person because you don't feel comfortable, talk about politics on social media-destroy lies like the so called Bowling Green Massacre that never happened Kellyanne Conway made up last night. Make sure that for every lie they spout, you spout the truth. Twitter and Facebook are excellent references for that...most people get their news from social media these days anyway (can't blame them when all of the good news sources have been censored and Trump won't allow a recording to be made when he calls Putin) The other funny thing that happened last night is the Trump memo got out that women should dress like women so everyone started tweeting and uploading photos of famous women and how they dressed, the best being this one: pbs.twimg.com/media/CdCLAAsWoAEEP16.jpg
8. Protest. It's easy to say Resist! Resist! But, really mean it. Get out there on the streets...I am a regular protestor in Chicago and, yes, I would probably be protesting some of Hillary's policies too just in case you're wondering. Some people concerned about protesting ask me things like, "Aren't you afraid of getting hurt?" or "Aren't you afraid of getting arrested?"
Right now, by and large, the public agrees with us. Trust me...40% of people want impeachment...60% disapprove of his presidency so far according to recent polls done in America. Most of the police officers agree with you even though they might not say it. You don't have to break the law...protesting is your democratic right and fascist Trump WILL take it away from us if you don't exercise it. These protests are peaceful and passionate. Add to that energy. Plus, it's a great way to connect with other people in your community. The street is the new bar. Meet people, congregate, fall in love. Just voice your democratic freedom.
Another question people ask me about protesting is where to find out the information. Here's a great website with specific information: mashable.com/2017/02/01/how-to-find-protests-online-trump...
Last, you might live in a place that is not by a major city...well, then organize a protest in your town. Why does that make a difference? Trust me, it DOES. Chicago residents were recently very impressed when three suburbs, Oak Park, Morton Grove, and Evanston (not near to each other) organized three separate protests on different days. The reason why these protests are especially important is that it goes against the idea that it's only those city folk who are against Trump. No, it's not...and proving that in every small suburb, town, and city there will be people who are willing to be a light in the darkness is extremely important.
The next huge protest might be the March For Science on April 22cnd. Visit marchforscience.org for more information on participating and/or starting one in your own city!
9. I put this one at the end not because of lack of importance but because I have tried several times and cannot get through.
House Speaker Paul Ryan's Washington D.C. office is allowing callers to express their opinion regarding the Affordable Care Act, often called the ACA or, more simply, Obamacare.
The survey can be accessed by calling either (202) 225-3031 or (202) 225-0600. In each case, there is a period of silence before callers are asked to press "2" if they want to "express [their] opinion on President [Barack] Obama's healthcare law"; for example, it took two minutes and 30 seconds before being able to begin the process while calling the latter number.
10. Donate $$$ The ACLU has received a ton of donations and that's great. Let's not forget also about Planned Parenthood: www.plannedparenthood.org/ and Refugees in America: www.rescue.org/topic/refugees-america
Have a nice day being politically active and standing up against tyranny! Make sure you take your vitamins and caffeine! Don't forget, a little bit of self care is important too in order to help you stay healthy and active.
Btw, this photo is actually from Ghent, Belgium but I liked the message so much, I felt it fit.
**Don't steal this image but spread this message.**
Amazing orange skies this afternoon from Hurricane Ophelia, giving unusual low light, almost darkness, with crazy sandstorm like reds and oranges in the middle of the day..
www.foxnews.com/science/2017/10/16/doomsday-orange-sky-fr...
video.foxnews.com/v/6160738942001/ my heart breaks for NYC, for mayor Giuliani who did so much for this city for 8 years, for my coworkers who are in medicine who went in in pandemic & now have to travel in this because they are frontline. For pharmacies that were burned to the ground and people can’t get their meds. For my partner who is afraid to go into work tomorrow. m.facebook.com/rinku.p.parikh/posts/pcb.2108440359301644/...
October 12, 2021: Rise and Resist welcomes Jen Senko author of "The Brain Washing of My Dad" at Fox News.
FoxNews Dobbsless, Lou Dobbs Jobless! - IMRAN™
From once decent business journalist on CNN to stupid joke on Fox News to being Dobbsless, mean jobless. Oh, the irony. Real fake-pundit falsely #FakeNews-claiming and falsehoods-spreading dodo Lou Dobbs, B’Bye! Irony. Karma. Fired/cancelled by.... drum roll... “cancel culture claiming” FauxNews! Now that’s Real News. 😄
© 2021 IMRAN™
#news #media #fakenews #FoxNews #LouDobbs
The Female Soldier, Juana Azurduy de Padilla sculpture comes with some political intrigue. The sculpture was a gift from the Government of Bolivia to the Government of Argentina.
I should rot in hell for using information posted by FoxNews but here it is:
15 December 2015
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – The presidents of Argentina and Bolivia have unveiled a statue of Bolivian war of independence heroine Juana Azurduy.
The 25-ton, 16-meter-high (52-foot-high) statue replaces a polemic statue of Christopher Columbus that was taken down in 2013.
The present from Bolivia was unveiled Wednesday (15 July, 2015) behind Argentina's presidential palace during an official visit by Bolivian President Evo Morales.
The Columbus statue became a political flashpoint between Argentine President Cristina Fernandez's center-left government and conservative Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri when it was brought down.
Argentina's Italian community and officials in Buenos Aires said the statue belonged to the city not the federal government. But Fernandez defended her decision to replace the Italian explorer with the South American independence heroine.
To calm the dissent the massive piece was moved from behind the Casa Rosada, to the Plaza del Correo, in front of the Kirchner Cultural Center in late 2015.
ABOUT THE SCULPTURE:
The sculpture is the work of Argentine sculptor Andrés Zerneri, built in bronze, weighs 25 tons and measures 9 meters square, and stands on a 7-meter stepped pedestal.
The sculpture was built in the sheds of the former Navy Mechanics School. It took 45 people 3 years to complete.
The sculpture rests on a six-meter base, which symbolizes a pyramid inspired by the Tiahuanaco culture.
Juana Azurduy has a sword in her left hand, as a symbol of liberation. On her back she has a baby supported by an aguayo, an artisan fabric that native women use to carry children.
The right hand is extended in a gesture of protection towards the child and towards the people, like the poncho that covers it, which imitates the folds of the wool of Native American ethnic groups.
ABOUT JUANA AZURDUY:
Juana Azurduy (1780-1862), also known as Juana Azurduy de Padilla, was a South American guerrilla leader who fought for independence from Spanish rule in the early 19th century.
Azurduy was born in Chuquisaca, in what is now Bolivia but was at the time part of the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata, a Spanish territory which controlled present day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay.
She was a mestiza by birth, born to a Spanish father and an indigenous mother, however following the death of her father she was raised to be a nun in a convent. She was expelled at the age of 17 for her rebellious behaviour.
Azurduy had a deep appreciation for the indigenous people of Bolivia and in addition to Spanish she spoke the South American languages Quechua and Aymara.
In 1805 she married a man who shared this passion, Manuel Padilla, with whom she had four children. When the Bolivian War of Independence began in 1809 both Azurduy and Padilla immediately joined the revolutionary forces and went on to command a 2000-strong guerrilla army in the fight against the Spanish.
Padilla was later made civil and military commander for a large area around Chuquisaca and by 1813 their army numbered nearly 10,000 soldiers.
Between 1811 and 1817, Azurduy fought in 23 battles in the effort to liberate the region. During this time Azurduy dressed in male cavalry uniform, keeping her hair under a military cap, and became proficient in fighting with swords, rifles and cannon.
08 March, 1816, her forces captured the Cerro Rico of Potosí, which was the main source of Spanish silver. During the battle Azurduy personally led a cavalry charge which captured the enemy standard.
For these acts she was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was personally honoured by General Manuel Belgrano, who gifted her with his own sword.
However Azurduy's successes came at great cost. Her children were captured by enemy forces and although she and Padilla launched a ferocious raid to save them, all of the children were killed.
Azurduy herself was injured in the attempt and Padilla was captured and killed in late 1816.
When the Spanish mounted heavy counter-attacks against Bolivian forces in 1818, Azurduy retreated with her forces into Northern Argentina. Here she continued to fight the Spanish with an army of 6000. She also gave birth to a new daughter in the middle of a battle, returning to the fight shortly after the child had been born.
In 1825 Bolivia declared independence and Azurduy was able to return to Chuquisaca. However her efforts in the wars were largely forgotten and she spent the rest of her life in poverty.
She died in obscurity in 1862, however her memory has been resurrected in more recent times.
She is now remembered as a national hero of both Bolivia and Argentina, has posthumously been granted the rank of General in the Argentinian army, and a 52-foot high statue of her was unveiled in Buenos Aires in July 2015.