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Science: BioMed and Tech News
Brain Implant Will Let Amputees Move Individual Fingers on Prosthetics With Thoughts Alone
To test the device, scientists at Johns Hopkins University recruited the help of an epilepsy patient who was preparing for surgery to pinpoint the source of his seizures. (The patient himself was not missing a limb.) The scientists used the same electrode array implanted in his brain to control the prosthetic limb. After mapping the parts of the brain responsible for individual finger control movements, the researchers programmed the prosthesis to move the corresponding finger. The details of the experiment can now be found in the Journal of Neural Engineering.
“We believe this is the first time a person using a mind-controlled prosthesis has immediately performed individual digit movements without extensive training,” said senior author Nathan Crone in a press statement. “This technology goes beyond available prostheses, in which the artificial digits, or fingers, moved as a single unit to make a grabbing motion, like one used to grip a tennis ball.
A Northeastern student is using 3D printing to make affordable prosthetics
Brian Fountaine knows how difficult it is to live with prosthetic limbs–10 years ago, he became a double below-the-knee amputee after sustaining a combat injury in Iraq.
Fountaine, an undergraduate graphic design student at Northeastern University, set out to find a way to make high-quality, life-changing prosthetics affordable. The answer he found was 3D printing prosthetics using carbon fiber, an idea so promising that the Ford Foundation awarded him $25,000 to make it happen.
“I’m for helping anybody who has any kind of a mobility or amputee problem that they would need addressed,” he says. “Everybody has their own unique injuries.”
Fountaine is also allowing other students in Northeastern’s College of Arts, Media, and Design to use the 3D printers purchased through his grant, in an effort to keep the flow of ideas going. It’s a gesture in keeping with Fountaine’s humble outlook on the project’s success.
OPIE to include Amputee Mobility Predictor in software
“The integration of the [Amputee Mobility Predictor] AMP into OPIE Software provides O&P practitioners a powerful tool to approach amputee care with an evidence-based practice approach - The AMP has the ability to determine the functional mobility of people with lower limb loss as defined by the Medicare Functional Classification Levels or K-Levels and is a measure of amputee function and impairment for the CMS mandated G-codes. Furthermore, goal-oriented interdisciplinary care coordination can more consistently be measured and communicated with this outcome measure. The AMP may be used by prosthetists, physical therapists and physicians for documentation and treatment planning.”
Advanced Rehabilitation Therapy Inc. is a therapist-owned and operated company that provides educational materials and seminars to the rehabilitation community.
Prosthetics: Amputee James Young unveils hi-tech synthetic arm inspired by Metal Gear Solid
The job advertisement was highly specific: applicants had to be passionate about computer games and live in the UK. Oh, and they also had to be amputees who were interested in wearing a futuristic prosthetic limb.
James Young knew straight away he had a better shot than most. After losing an arm and a leg in a rail accident in 2012, the 25-year-old Londoner had taught himself to use a video-game controller with one hand and his teeth. “How many amputee gamers can there be?” he asked himself.
For Mr Young, who unveiled the new prosthetic on Saturday at BodyHacking Con 2016, a conference in Texas devoted to “human augmentation”, the synthetic limb is likely to be life-changing, both in terms of its functionality and the levels of attention it will bring him. “I’ll be on stage in Texas talking about it,” he said before boarding his flight to the United States. “That will be a different level of attention – I’ll have to get used to it.”
Guaranteed Income - Switzerland
Every Swiss adult resident would have the right to guaranteed basic monthly income of 2,500 francs a month, if a proposal to be submitted to voters this summer is accepted.
Swiss to vote on guaranteed income for all
In this small country that has avoided most of the massive immigrant movements they want to provide universal welfare to all citizens.
The initiative, proposed by a group of intellectuals, was one of five subjects approved by the federal government on Wednesday for the ballot box on June 5th.
Switzerland will become the first country in the world to vote on the introduction of unconditional income' at the national level.
But it has not won much support from traditional politicians, even those on the left.
The initiative’s backers say it aims to break the link between employment and income, with people entitled to guaranteed income regardless of whether they work.
Each child would receive 625 francs a month.
The federal government estimates the cost of the proposal at 208 billion francs a year.
Around 153 billion taxes would have to be levied from taxes, while 55 billion francs would be transferred from social insurance and social assistance spending.
The action committee pushing the initiative consists of artists, writers and intellectuals, including publicist Daniel Straub, former federal government spokesman Oswald Sigg and Zurich rapper Franziska Schläpfer (known as “Big Zis”), the SDA news agency reported.
Personalities supporting the bid include writers Adolf Muschg and Ruth Schweikert, philosopher Hans Saner and communications expert Beatrice Tschanz.
The group said a new survey showed that the majority of Swiss residents would continue working if the guaranteed income proposal was approved.
Only two percent would stop working, while eight percent said they could envisage this possibility depending on circumstances.
“The argument of opponents that a guaranteed income would reduce the incentive of people to work is by this is largely contradicted,” the initiative’s committee said in a statement.
However, a third of the 1,076 people interviewed for the survey by the Demoscope Institute believed that “others would stop working”.
And more than half of those surveyed (56 percent) believe the guaranteed income proposal will never see the light of day.
20% of Portugal’s working-age population has gone to other European countries due to a lack of jobs. Portugal’s Premier, Antonio Costa, has sent letters to Austria, Greece, Italy and Sweden asking for their Arab and African illegal immigrants to replace them.
Costa told the EU parliament that Portugal should “set an example” and he is against “a Europe that closes its borders to block access to refugees…”
Arabs and Africans do not want to go to Portugal, and Costa feels his country has been left out of the diversity-fest. Just 32 illegal immigrants have actually wanted to get into the country in the last few years.
Portugal’s government has even sent an ambassador to the Greek illegal immigrant camps to encourage them to consider going to Portugal, but he’s had no success.
Teresa Tito Morais, head of the Portuguese Refugee Council said the country “needs to make its voice heard to migrants arriving in Europe,”
She said
>“The arrival of refugees will benefit the regions in the country that have become deserted,”
>“A large number of Portuguese have emigrated and certain regions need to regain some life.”
Refugees? Migrants? Even she can’t make her mind up what they are.
If the Portuguese government wanted to easily solve its declining population, then it would create jobs for Portuguese workers who have left the country. They would not have to spend millions of Euros to “integrate” them, because they ARE Portuguese.
But this is, as they say, ‘two birds with one stone’. They hope to take advantage of the illegal immigrant chaos so then can “diversify” Portugal. Because right now, it’s “too White” for them, and that’s not what Europe’s about anymore, apparently.
This “diversity for only White countries” agenda is actually White Genocide. Being “too White” is frowned upon by the elite of Western countries, and they hope to solve this “problem” by mixing us with different groups.
Genetic Engineering Updates October 2015
Genetic Engineering & NanoBioTechnology
We are rapidly approaching an era when it may not only be possible but also insuppressible that people will be able to modify their genes at low cost.
>Genetic engineering is probably the area of systems biology about which the general public has most awareness. One of its sets of tools is CRISPR, a genome-editing system that enables scientists to change the expression of genes in living cells.
>The ability to do this could mean the elimination of all kinds of genetic diseases or alteration of DNA in a way that becomes permanently sealed in the germ line, and therefore inheritable by future generations. It could mean the modification of future humans.
>There is a lot of research at a microbial level. Combining synthetic biology and methods for deciphering bacterial communication could lead to the creation of designer microbial services. Teams at Princeton University are investigating the ways in which bacteria use chemical signals to co-ordinate group behaviour.
>At Duke University, researchers have electronically linked the brains of rats, while in a pilot study at the University of Washington one person’s brain signal was sent over the internet to control the actions of another person’s hand. Could we, then, be on the brink of synthetic telepathy? Could we end up being able to communicate across species? It would make Doctor Dolittle obsolete.
>Biomimicry is an approach to human problems based on emulating nature’s own patterns and strategies, with a view to building more sustainable futures.
The very least brands could do now is stop thinking of themselves as operating systems and start thinking of themselves as living systems, building brands through biomimicry. For food, transportation and travel brands, health brands, and indeed any brand whatsoever, now is the time for a new metaphor.
A comprehensive system of Genetic Engineering necessarily includes Molecular engineering.
rug researchers have long looked to living organisms for inspiration, either mimicking or extracting chemical formulas from naturally occurring compounds. Bacteria and fungi, for example, produce a wide range of compounds—some of which give them a selective advantage in their own environments—that provide important pharmaceutical activities. One class of these natural compounds are the polyketides, which make up a large portion of the antibiotics (including erythromycin and tetracycline) and antitumor drugs (such as doxorubicin and epothilone) that have been isolated from various microorganisms…
>Early attempts at creating artificial polyketides focused on altering the functional characteristics of naturally occurring polyketides—the length of the chain, the building blocks, and the patterns of the branches.
>Chaitan Khosla and colleagues have taken this approach one very large step further. Rather than changing the machinery to modify the growing structure of a polyketide,
>they engineered bacteria to use an alternative, nonacetate primer molecule. This has important practical implications because some medicinally significant compounds do not use the usual acetate primer unit. By dissecting out the specificities of the “starter” and longer, multiunit “elongation” PKS enzymes and by mixing and matching modules, they have produced novel polyketide analogs (in this case, of anthraquinone) with more effective medically relevant properties. One of the compounds they engineered shows enhanced efficacy in blocking the growth of breast cancer cells that depend on the activity of the estrogen receptor, while a second polyketide inhibits an enzyme linked to adult-onset diabetes, demonstrating just two possible new therapeutic applications for synthesized polyketides. But, as the authors propose, this method promises to reveal new pharmaceutical agents that haven't even been discovered yet.
In decades to come, however much the well meaning worry about the nefarious applications of gene editing, the needs of the sick will continue to drive science and medicine forward - as they should.
Scottish Man arrested for posting "offensive" messages about refugees
A 41-year-old Scottish man was arrested after posting an allegedly 'offensive' message on Facebook about refugees.
The posts were supposedly about resettling refugees on the island where he lives.
According to Breitbart, The tiny Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde had a population of only 6,498 in 2011 and is now expected to take in 1000 Syrians.
Police told The Guardian that social media abuse towards Muslim migrants won't be tolerated.
“I hope that the arrest of this individual sends a clear message that Police Scotland will not tolerate any form of activity which could incite hatred and provoke offensive comments on social media,” Inspector Ewan Wilson said.
Oh, so having a different opinion than yours and voicing it on social media won't be tolerated?
This comes just days after a Danish man was charged for 'racist offenses' and was convicted for comparing Islam with Nazism. A case where the prosecution was able to successfully argue that Muslims are a 'race'.
When The Many Stop Fearing The Few
VIDEO: "When The Many Stop Fearing The Few"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckypeZctcGk
When Ex-French Foreign Legion commander Christian Piquemal was arrested after giving a speech at a PEGIDA rally in Calais, France. One man wasn't willing to back down like the rest. Even after being pepper sprayed, the man stepped forward against armored state enforcers. Despite his stand, the enforcers relentlessly sprayed him and the crowd behind forcing him into retreat. While one brave man can make a statement, it cannot compete with the fist of the State. But when many brave men step forward, victory is inevitable. The scenes shown afterward are from Geldermalsen and Heesch , two dutch towns where brave men demonstrated against council meetings that were discussing the creation of migrant centers. These brave local workers were not willing to sit by and allow these centers to be created, forcing the meetings to be closed. '''
Refugee centers have led to skyrocketing violent crime rates in their vicinity. Rape, theft and assault are common and following the events in German on New Years where thousands of migrants molested and even raped German girls coming home from a nights festivities, Europeans are openly declaring their opposition to this mass migration which no one has agreed to. Germany alone is predicting a $50 billion cost within the first two years with a projection of a further 10 million illegals entering Europe by 2020. Despite total public condemnation of the illegal migration, the complete media blackout regarding these events with police deliberately hiding information concerning the growing violence, Western European states are determined to open Europe's borders no matter the consequences. The people that suffer the most are the working class who do not have ability to escape the influx and have no safety net to deal with the stresses upon local institutions. Viva La Revolution!
Ankara Turkey Hit by Bomb
Turkey's capital Ankara rocked by deadly explosion
As of 17 Feb 2016 22:00 GMT - At least 28 killed and 61 wounded after car bomb reportedly targets military personnel travelling in heart of city.
Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr, reporting from Gaziantep, said officials believe a car bomb had caused the explosion on Wednesday evening and the target had been Turkish military personnel, who were travelling in a vehicle which was stopped at a traffic light.
The death toll rose steadily on Wednesday night, with those wounded in the blast sent to hospitals across the city.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for an urgent emergency meeting with top level security officials in Ankara.
"We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day," Erdogan said in a statement.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but government officials said they were treating the incident as a "terrorist" attack.
Analysts and unnamed Turkish officials said the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) armed group would be among the leading suspects.
The explosion was heard across the capital when it went off at about 6.15pm local time.
The attack happened at the height of evening rush hour, not far from Turkey's parliament, government buildings and military headquarters.
Witnesses shared images on social media showing a large plume of smoke rising into the sky and and local news footage showed a large fire burning at the site of the explosion.
"This is really in the heart of the Turkish capital - it is clearly a message to the Turkish government," Khodr said.
"This is the fourth major explosion in Turkey in the past few months."
'Terrorist' act
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said in a speech that the "blatant, treacherous attack" was well organised.
Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said on Twitter the attack was an act of terrorism. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, who had been due to leave for a trip to Brussels later on Wednesday, cancelled the trip, an official in his office said.
A Saudi-born Syrian suicide bomber, widely believed to be inspired by the Isamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), detonated a bomb in the historic district of Istanbul in January, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15 others.
Turkey has become a target for ISIL, with two bombings last year blamed on the armed group in the town of Suruc near the Syrian border and in the capital Ankara. The latter killed more than 100 people.
Violence has also escalated in the mainly Kurdish southeast since a two-year ceasefire collapsed in July between the state and the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) armed group, which has been fighting for three decades for Kurdish autonomy.
An official at the armed forces’ general staff confirmed military buses had been the target, hit by an explosive-laden car as they waited at traffic lights. The country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that the attack would only strengthen Turkey’s resolve against insurgents.
Plumes of smoke were seen rising over the area and the powerful blast was heard all over the city, sending residents to their balconies in panic. Television footage showed an intense fire around a burned-out bus and emergency vehicles rushing to the scene. A spokesman for the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), Ömer Çelik, said he strongly condemned the attack as a “heinous act of terrorism”.
The Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, cancelled a trip to Brussels to attend a security briefing. He said the authorities were looking into information they have received about the explosion on Wednesday night.
President Erdogan issued a statement saying: “We will continue our fight against the pawns that carry out such attacks, which know no moral or humanitarian bounds, and the forces behind them with more determination every day.”
Kurdish rebels, Isis and a leftist extremist group have carried out attacks in the country recently. Ankara was already on alert after 103 people were killed before the general election in October in a suicide attack on a pro-Kurdish rally, which the government blamed on Isis. A suicide bombing blamed on Isis killed 11 German tourists and one Peruvian in Istanbul in January.
Since last summer thousands of officers have been deployed in massive security operations against the PKK’s urban wing, and blanket curfews have been declared in several predominantly Kurdish cities and towns in the south-east of the country.
Hundreds have died in the ensuing clashes, including over 400 civilians, and human rights organisations have strongly condemned the ongoing violence.
Sweden and Scandinavia
Norwegian officials called the school guards "extra supervision". Critics said the plan to post security personnel near an Oslo school in case of assaults by newly arrived refugees was an ugly euphemism for intolerance.
Critics said that huh? Why would it be intolerance to keep your kids safe from sexual molestation and gang physical violence?
Across the border in the far northern Swedish town of Kalix, a traditional bastion of center-left politics, over 100 residents signed a petition against plans to turn a 19th century country house into a reception center for unaccompanied minors.
Kalix has a population of just over 7000 people.
The debate among these liberal Scandinavian stalwarts would have been unheard of a year ago, underscoring how concern about a record influx of immigrants is percolating into the Nordics' mainstream from the populist fringes.
Anti-immigrant, populist parties have gained support since some 250,000 refugees entered the Nordics last year.
This is a false number. Most immigrants to the scandinavian countries are neither spread into the northern parts of the region nor concentrated anywhere except the capital cities such as stockholm, the immigrants have also been coming for about a decade and the numbers of family members brought in are hard to find and track, that is in addition to the original illegal immigrants.
A record 163,000 refugees arrived in Sweden and the far right is vying for top spot in polls. In Denmark, the anti-immigration Danish People’s Party is the second largest in parliament.
But it is a backlash among the mainstream that may be the biggest change. There are signs that voters may be broadly supportive of immigrants but not in their own backyard. From welfare cuts to new ID checks, it is a trend that shows the limits of even some of Europe’s most open societies, and may represent a sea change for politics in Scandinavia.
"It's a big change happening close to us. In all neighborhoods there are concerns," said Pia Almvang, head of the parents' association at Lysaker primary school in a leafy well-to-do area of villas near Oslo, cut through by a motorway with cheaper four-storey blocks of flats built alongside. "The parents just want to look after their kids."
The town council agreed to parents' requests for extra security by a motorway underpass near a refugee center for 600 people that opened this month. After criticisms of "asylum guards" the proposal was withdrawn, but it had already polarized this middle class community.
A February survey showed immigration as the main concern for 40 percent of Swedes, easily trumping worries over failing schools, joblessness and welfare. The change over half a year was the biggest opinion swing in the poll's history.
From taking in Vietnam draft dodgers in the 1960s to Balkans war refugees in the 1990s, Sweden has been proud of its open door policy for decades. Norway has been among the leaders in helping refugees worldwide with aid.
While the asylum situation has led to an outpouring of support from many Swedes - charities reported record donations last year - it has also led others to worry about the effect on schools, crime and the country's welfare state.
>mentioning other european countries as well as asian ones
Notice this intentional effect to pretend that africans, arabs, and turks are not swarming en masse, into Sweden especially.3
Convince me to be a centrist
I will be open minded and will listen to any reasonable arguments. My only values are that heavy government is corrupt and that shit sucks.
Nationalism and what it means to you
Many arguments quickly devolve into arguments with jews about what is white and what mixedbloods will do in the coming racewar.
Nationalism comes in two overlapping flavours.
One is genetic and this results in similar behaviors and desires and allows for common goals despite low communication. If you had a twin, they could probably read your mind better than a lifetime spouse.
The other is cultural and this requires strong values to be the foundation of the culture. It is often closely tied to a geographic region which is preferred by most people in the nation and thus defended as if it were part of the bodies of the people.
The reason these two can not be entirely separated and must overlap is simply because similar people will result in similar views most of the time. There are components to this; such as the fact that culture (predisposition to actions, behaviors, beliefs) is genetic, understanding of your people despite any language barriers requires you have similar desires and ways of dealing with prolems, and a united front is over time always more successful than a diverse front.
Now a white nationalist is not a different kind of nationalist or someone that thinks all white people are a nation. A finger is not a hand, a nation is a subgroup of race and it does not mean race.
A white nationalist in America is going to believe in cultural nationalism and an overarching American nation. Most white nationalists also believe that the European race requires voluntary federation between the nations. A white nationalist despises the multicultural EU which actually hates Europeans as can be seen by the response to the flood of migrants.
So you are neither hwhite (European by blood) nor do you care for many of the European values, what does nationalism mean to you? The answers to this will vary because there are so many different types of people in the world that are not European. Here we will do a brief overview of the races and of certain types of mixbloods. Remember that all mixbloods can be misidentified by different groups so you run different risks depending on where you are.
If you are Asian and have lived in Asia for even part of your life you know nationalism binds you to your culture and to marrying your kind if you want approval of your parents and your community. Nationalism has not been shamed in most Asian nations yet and has had philosophies based on tribalism/nationalism for hundreds and thousands of years.
If you are African and have lived in Africa for even a part of your life you know that despite the various civil wars people know their own kind and there are many distinctions between the different nations of Africa. Nationalism has not had a strong chance to develop autonomously here due to various proxy wars of the past several hundred years.
If you are a native american then you have probably lived in the americas for your whole life and know that those tribes that do not maintain their traditions end up marrying out and losing identity over time. Nationalism is the only way you remain distinct instead of breeding more mixblood kids.
Mixbloods:
continued…
Anti Islam Rallies Across Europe
Several thousand Pegida supporters turned up in Dresden under clear blue skies in the early afternoon to march along the banks of the River Elbe, which flows through the city, to protest against mass immigration and the "islamisation" of Europe.
Absent was Lutz Bachmann, the movement's founder, owing to illness, organisers said.
Police, who deployed around 1,000 officers for the occasion, said Thursday they expected some 15,000 marchers to show up.
An AFP reporter said several thousand had answered the rallying call an hour after the event began at 1400 GMT.
Many held aloft banners criticising German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in the firing line for her liberal stance towards refugees, now increasingly coming in for criticism after Germany took in more than a million migrants last year.
Around 2,000 people – less than the 10,000 expected by police – meanwhile joined an anti-Pegida rally at which participants urged tolerance towards migrants.
Anti-Pegida marchers chanted slogans including "no place for Nazis" and "we don't need xenophobia, demagoguery or Pegida."
Pegida supporters counter that they are "European patriots against the islamisation of the west."
On January 23rd, they issued a call for supporters to march in 14 European cities.
The Calais march brought some about 20 arrests, local authorities said, and police responded with tear gas after scuffles broke out. Another rally in the southern city of Montpellier drew barely 200 people by mid-afternoon.
- 'Refugees welcome' -
In Prague, however, 5,000 people joined a rally organised by two far right groups, an AFP journalist said. Police arrested four people, a spokesperson said, without giving an estimate of the number at the demo which also attracted a counter rally.
In Dublin, scuffles broke out between people who had gathered to protest against the launch of Pegida in Ireland, and those who attended the launch of the group.
Germany - Catholic church says too many refugees
The German Catholic Church called for a reduction in the influx of refugees arriving in Germany, saying the country cannot take in "all the world's needy," according to an interview published on Saturday.
Germany has been struggling to cope with 1.8 million asylum seekers that arrived in 2015 and Berlin has not yet given an official estimate for how many it expects this year.
"As a church we say that we need a reduction in the number of refugees," Cardinal Reinhard Marx, chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, told the Passauer Neue Presse daily.
Germany cannot "take in all the world's needy," Marx added.
The question of how to respond to the migrant crisis, he asserted, should not solely be a matter of "charity but also reason."
However, Marx also expressed concern at a rise in xenophobia in Germany amid the worst refugee crisis that Europe has known since World War II.
A recent example came when Germany's eurosceptic right-wing populist AfD party suggested last week that police "if need be" should threaten to shoot migrants seeking to enter the country.
Border police "should be able if need be to have recourse to their firearms – as laid down by law," said party chairwoman Frauke Petry.
This type of speech is "unacceptable," said Marx, adding "Sadly there has always been a certain potential for right-wing extremism and racism in Germany."…
"This ideology has evidently been further consolidated," he said, lamenting that the belittling of foreigners had "reached the upper classes."
Anti-Islamic group Pegida, which began as a movement in Germany in mid-2014 and has since spread to France and other European countries, called on members and sympathisers from across Europe to march Saturday under the anti-migrant banner of "Fortress Europe".
Tradition is the foundation of culture
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt8QIFWaB70
Catholicism : Fight for your people or be the last generation
The reason foreigners can not into local culture.
It is not for lack of trying but for lack of knowing.
They will never understand our hard won truths. The blood t'was poured. They won't recognize our heroes.
Or understand what they fought for. They are not like our people. Not in thought, taste, or desire.
They do not enjoy what we hath. They will not enjoy what we shall.
We can not live together in a multiculti society.
We can only live in a diverse world when each group of people is left to their own sovereignty.
Catholicism is about a strong Europe enriched by European diversity, not "diversity" of foreigners.
Why educated Germans avoid social media
With just over 40 percent of German social media users classed as coming from a background of "high formal education" in OECD statistics released in November, a clear dividing line from other nations is clear.
In France, the figure is almost 50 percent, while around 70 percent of British social media users are well-educated – a figure matched by less-developed Turkey and former communist states like Hungary.
Stranger yet is the fact that more social media users – in fact, almost a majority – come from a low educational background.
Dr Klemens Skibicki, a professor at Cologne Business School's Institute for Internet Law and Communication, suggested a combination of factors are at work.
Aging society
Germany is an older society – in fact, it's the second-oldest society in the world.
With the median-aged German 46 years old, most people will look around and see little reason to get involved in social media, as none of their peer group are using it.
That's a big difference from a country like the USA, whose median age is ten years lower, or Turkey, where the median age dips below 30.
"Digital natives in Germany don't behave much differently from those in other countries – but here they're just a much smaller part of the population," Skibicki told The Local.
So far, so good – of the small proportion of Germans on social media, most are likely to be young and therefore less likely to be highly educated.
But age also has an indirect influence on the problem.
Fear-mongering
Most people's first impressions of social media come from traditional media – and while newspapers, radio and television in other countries have been enthusiastic, Skibicki accuses German media of over-caution and scare-mongering.
"The advantages are almost never discussed," Skibicki said.
Instead, a range of fears – for privacy, of profit-making, tax-dodging American companies moving into a German media space dominated by the public broadcasters, and so on – combine into a conscious or unconscious bias against social media among producers and consumers of German media.
"This mixture of protectionism and distate for communication organized through the market economy makes the educated classes see the power of social media more as a threat than an opportunity," Skibicki suggested.
And even more populist media such as tabloid Bild has turned to producing home-grown apps rather than seeking to build big communities on US platforms like Twitter or Facebook.
Story continues below…
Meanwhile, Germans have been happy to give government access to their data through the data retention programme (Vorratsdatenspeicherung) passed this year, Skibicki pointed out.
But at the same time, they've complained about the use that could be made of their information by companies like Facebook – and back new EU regulations to keep data in countries with strong protections.
Ultimately, Skibicki argued, "classical media see social media as a threat to their business model and so don't support it, but warn against it so as to keep their readers."
Given the way German demographics are developing, that may remain the case for some time to come.
Flint water victims can't sue the government. That's another crime.
6.4 percent of Flint's nearly 8,500 kids are now testing for dangerously high lead levels in their blood stream — up from 3.6 percent before the city switched them from Detroit water to toxic Flint River water. Many of these children have developed rashes and brittle bones and face the prospect of permanent brain damage, diminished IQ, and behavioral difficulties
>Michigan's state and local officials poisoned Flint's water with lead but innocent federal taxpayers are the ones having to foot the cleanup bill. President Obama has pledged to hand Flint $85 million in aid money. This sounds like a lot, but the fact of the matter is that it is far less than what Flint's victims would have gotten if a corporation — rather than government — had been the culprit. That's because, unlike private companies, the government is shielded from liability lawsuits.
>After initially giving Michigan Governor Rick Snyder only $5 million in going away money to help Flint residents buy water filters and bottled water, President Obama finally acquiesced this week to pleas for more help and authorized another $80 million. Now he's also considering Snyder's request for extending Medicaid eligibility to all Flint children up to age 21 regardless of their income or insurance status.
>Setting aside the Medicaid expansion, the $85 million in federal aid combined with the $28 million in state aid that Snyder has arranged, works out to on average $1,000 for each of Flint's 99,700 residents — or about $4,000 for a family of four.
But kids are not the only ones hurt. Around 85 people have been diagnosed with Legionnaire's disease — a particularly horrible form of pneumonia — compared to around six to 13 in a normal year. Ten of them have already died.
>The lead poisoning occurred because Flint failed to treat water with phosphorous, something that corroded the coating inside city pipes and home plumbing, allowing lead to leach in. Though switching back to treated water has diminished the lead content for now, the danger of lead poisoning will always remain unless all the piping is refitted. But replacing city pipes will cost up to $1.5 billion. This would be difficult for even a financially healthy city, let alone one that can't even pay its existing bills and has unfunded pension liabilities of $1.1 billion.
>What's more, each homeowner will face at least $4,000 to install a new water heater, plumbing system, and a new service line connection, as The Washington Post points out. And then of course there is the hit to Flint's already declining property values as the city further cements its reputation as an irremediable basket case.
>It is an understatement to say that Flint residents are in for some very tough times. But compare the pittance that they will get to the compensation that General Motors and Toyota crash victims received.
>GM had to pony up $35 million to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) and $900 million to the Justice Department in penalties for the faulty switch in its 2005 Cobalt that was linked to 125 deaths and 250 injuries. What's more, despite the totally deplorable liability shield or immunity from personal injury lawsuits the automaker received from the Obama administration as part of its 2009 bankruptcy restructuring, it still paid $625 million in compensation to the victims. And of course it recalled and fixed all the 2.6 million affected vehicles. All in all, it was down $1.5 billion.
>The main reason that they don't have a prayer of collecting much more is something called the doctrine of sovereign immunity.
>But don't stand on one foot waiting for a privatization program to catch on because in liberal land privatization is anathema. Liberals consider clean, drinking water a "public good" that ought to be immune to privatization and the profit motive. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank, hilariously enough, even tweeted: "Flint isn't a failure of government at all levels. It's a failure of Gov. Snyder's private-sector theology." Never mind that the Flint water system is owned and operated by the government from top to bottom.
>Flint ought to be a wakeup call for liberals to stop putting religious faith in government. Until they smell the (clean water) coffee, future victims of future Flints will suffer without relief.
Heil Hitler
Border SECURITY CUT - WHERE IS OUR SECURITY!
The Obama administration is cutting back on border security that Congress has already funded and is drawing bipartisan criticism from lawmakers in the process.
Operation Phalanx, an aerial surveillance program that employs military units to aid in border security, faces a 50% cut at the Department of Homeland Security – even though it was fully funded by Congress.
The DHS move drew fire from Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
“It has come to our attention that for calendar year 2016 the DHS requested 3,850 hours of persistent aerial detection, situational awareness and monitoring capability support for Operation Phalanx from the Department of Defense. This was 50% lower than that of recent years,” Cuellar and Abbott wrote Monday in a letter to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.
Since 2005, Texas has committed nearly $1.7 billion in state funds to border security. In addition, the state provides manpower, resources and oversight in support of Operation Phalanx through the Texas National Guard.
“It is our expectation that the federal government similarly fulfill its obligation when it comes to securing the border,” Cuellar and Abbott wrote.
Unlike Abbott, a persistent critic of President Barack Obama’s wide-ranging exercise of executive privilege, Cuellar previously called for the White House to take unilateral action on immigration.
Last September, Abbott’s office requested additional aerial observation resources along the Mexican border, a point reiterated in Monday’s letter. “Given the recent surge of migrants from Central America and Cuba along the southern border, we believe DHS should request more surveillance and security resources, not fewer,” Cuellar and Abbott wrote.
Last year’s plea went unanswered.
“The fact that DHS now appears to be taking the opposite approach is unsettling,” Abbott said.
DHS did not immediately respond to the latest Texas complaint.
Rational Approach to Environmental Problems
Is man-made climate change our biggest problem? Are the wildfires, droughts and hurricanes we see on the news an omen of even worse things to come? The United Nations and many political leaders think so and want to spend trillions of tax dollars to reverse the warming trend. Are they right? Will the enormous cost justify the gain? Economist Bjorn Lomborg, director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, explains the key issues and reaches some sobering conclusions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgm3QOWt6Tc
So in essence, we are better off investing in the research for efficiency in the use of these sustainable sources of energy rather than subsidizing the current inefficient and highly expensive models.
These sick banking globalists want your race to die. They will only proliferate their bloodline, even if they appear similar to you they are not. They hate you and everything about you.
They don't care about your obsession with genderfluidity or your obsession with multicult appeasement. They absolutely do not care that you have an ivy league degree or that you managed to earn a few million dollars before you reached your thirties.
All they want is a more complete control over your mind and body.
They have all the money they need, so long as you let them tell you what is valuable and what is currency.
Artificial Intelligence, Technological Singularity, Transhumanism
What is /midpol/ opinion on transhumanism?
The way I see it for those that care about it there are adoptionists of all new tech and then there are luddites that hate most tech that isn't essential to survival. They don't care much for shit like washing machines either.
Those are the extreme ends.
There is also the idea that transhumanism is a child fantasy and that responsible and voluntary use of tech won't ever result in any transhumanist dreams.
Medical technology aside does tech generally do much for us?
Cars help keep us sedentary and force the need for advanced exercise monitoring devices and softwares. Trucks might be useful but trains and barges do the same job.
Planes? Entirely convenience for tourism. We get most of our foods by train or barge.
Military tech is one to argue about; On one hand it is necessary to develop newer tech to thwart enemies with last years tech, On the other hand it actually robs less violent tech.
Supporters of military tech try to point to civilian use of tech developed for military use but they fail to acknowledge opportunity costs and inevitability. Touch Phones for example were inevitable and many early market arrivals were in the early 90s.
Food Storage tech doesn't even need a whole sentence because there are many great uses for it that would drive demand despite any military needs.
Transhumanism can be defined as the idea that through human creations and manipulations of cells we can transcend what would develop by simply having lots of sex and having lots of babies. That there will come a time when we approach true AI as well as the ability to build advanced robots that cooperate with our organic machinery within the cells.
You could even argue transhumanism is using reading glasses or clothes - but luddites would laugh you out of the room if you do that.
I'm answering the repeated recruitment threads on /b/, and I'd like to ask a few questions of everyone here to determine your political slants or lack thereof.
1) What is the ideal balance of power between people, government, and corporations? Must governments and/or corporations exist to serve the people, or are they allowed to use and abuse the public to their own ends?
2) What do you think of identity politics? What is the ideal immigration policy for a Western nation? What do you think of affirmative action? What do you think of white guilt? Should freedom of speech be limitless to the point of legitimate public endangerment or should it be suspended to spare people's feelings?
Answer as many or as few as you like, I just want to gauge what kind of people inhabit this board.
US Presidential Elections 2016
On this day in exactly one years time the US Presidential Elections will take place.
What are your predictions?
Random Political Videos
ITT Random political videos
what is midpol about?
Prove you aren't another shard of kosher leftism
There are billions of dollars moving around at any given hour making sure the status quo is preserved. Mind you if there were an objective left right spectrum then we've been sliding left since mid1960s
Who decides what is harmony?
Can you define indifference?
Do you attack extremist groups like a typical leftist?
/politics/ merger & recruitment thread
Greetings, I am the BO of /politics/ and I am currently trying to unify the alt /pol/ boards into one. Is there a reason you guys would not care to join us?
If you have any questions about /politics/ or me, feel free to ask.
Europa must survive
This video will not be online long, download and mirror it while you can.
I gain nothing from this. Editing takes a lot of work and time, if you want to support me, you can do it with BTC at 1ybX49kKFNN7hKnrzaegnha4Fy9WrFATu
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly."
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, 106-43 BC
You are witnessing what will be shown to future generations as the reason for the fall of an Empire.
At current immigration levels and disappearing birth rates native Europeans are destined to become a minority in their own countries within decades. This is already the case for many of Europe's largest cities.
Europeans have effectively lost their right to exist as cultures and nations in their own homelands and are facing extinction.
Millions of young Muslim men leave behind their family, pay thousands to criminal traffickers to reach the land they have been promised by European politicians illegally.
Dubbed by the media as "refugees", they cross through 6-10 safe countries to reach wealthy nations like Germany or Sweden where they hope to receive a better life at the expense of the taxpayer.
Only a fraction of them are Syrian, as they enter unfiltered, without any documents and without any legitimate right to claim asylum. Women and children are rarely seen, except in the cherry-picked sob stories of the media.
Any indigenous resistance of Europeans who refuse to hand over the countries of their ancestors to often radical and criminal Muslim foreigners is labeled "hateful", "racist", even "Nazi".
The level of cultural, moral and political subversion with egalitarian and Marxist ideologies has reached levels the KGB would never have dreamed of. Equality and tolerance are lies that serve none but a few.
The Left, mainly orchestrated by Zionist interests, is destroying our countries from the inside. Patriotism, the most basic and fundamental trait of any nation that wants to survive, has become something to be ashamed of.
Feminism has destroyed family values and birth rates. Healthy nationalism has been replaced with a culture of guilt, self-hatred, apathy, degeneracy and pathological altruism. We are told to embrace "diversity", in reality this simply means instead of just being a global minority, Europeans are supposed to become a minority in their own countries as well. No civilized society can keep up with the birth rate of third world immigrants, especially when the main goal is integration rather than assimilation. Parallel societies breed poverty, crime and radicalism.
Multiculturalism has never, at any time in human history, worked anywhere. If you believe otherwise, you're delusional. In fact it's the primary reason for every major conflict.
The crimes committed by the EU against the European peoples are directly in violation of the 1948 UN genocide convention, Article II: (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Because of this injustice, far-right parties everywhere in Europe are gaining astonishing amounts of support, becoming the biggest parties in some countries.
Any European that does not rise up to defend his country from foreign invasion because he's too scared of words does not deserve it.
We are still at a point where you will not get imprisoned for your political opinion in most European countries, but this will change very soon. Do not be apathetic, do not be weak. Be someone that can be proud to call himself European.
going to fly off the deep end here
>US will spend 43 million dollars on a gas station in the middle of nowhere in the desert in afghanistan
>$7000 coffee makers
>$600 toilet seats
>$37 for A screw
>$435 for a hammer
>$285 screwdriver
>$387 flat washer
>$469 wrench
>$214 flashlight,
>$437 tape measure
>$2,228 monkey wrench,
>$748 pair of duckbill pliers
>$74,165 aluminum ladder
>$659 ashtray
>$1,118.26 for a spare plastic cap for a navigator’s stool on a B-52 bomber (worth about two cents)
>Defense Accounting Finance Service writes $22 billion in checks every month
>Mark Krenik (pentagon officer) created a phony company and then billed himself $504,000. He had to repay the money, but was not sentenced to prison. Probation only, and a $495 fine. He told the federal judge that he did it because everyone else in his section was doing to the same, but he was not required to name names.
>Sgt. Robbie Miller convicted and sent to prison for stealing $1 million. would not have been caught but was involved in affairs with female co-workers. Agents say they got Miller when he was hauling evidence out of the office to burn it.
>Contractors were billing $300 a night hotel rooms, private jet flights, meals at five star restaurants and bar bills to the government.
>Air Force non-commissioned officers like Miller, who handle giant
accounts at Dayton, call any vendor account that is less than $100,000
“budget dust” and say it’s not worth the time or effort trying to
recover.
>hundreds of billions into stupid wasteful trash every year
>monsanto claims it needs to genetically modify our crops and use pesticides because it helps make the world a better place
>has the biggest and most expensive military and military budget in the entire world that makes the nasa budget look like pocket change in comparison
>claims space travel is too expensive
>claims they can't afford a living wage
>claims they can't give war veterans all the help they need as t.v. commercials go on and on with sad country music with vets missing arms and legs "help the veterans!"
>claims they can't cure Cancer/HIV/Ebola/ as the pink ribbon shows up on KFC chicken buckets everywhere that contain cancer causing ingredients
>claims they can't afford universal health care
>claims they can't house every homeless person
>claims they can't grow all crops organically
>claims they can't feed the poor unless the people themselves donate food, time, and money.
>claims people absolutely must pay taxes because otherwise they would go to jail for making the country crumble apart in failure.
http://msgboard.snopes.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=96;t=000012;p=0
http://www.wnd.com/2000/10/4314/
http://articles.latimes.com/1986-07-30/news/vw-18804_1_nut
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_CIA_drug_trafficking
DailyFail: https://archive.is/RnMCc
BostonHerald: https://archive.is/ojJ6p
How to calmly deal with Crises?
When a situation like this is instigated and gets more volatile daily, how do we calmly deal with it?
How do you calmly deal with some of these major developments that will affect you one way or another soon if they haven't already? How do you calmly deal with these issues when they inevitably hit you directly in the face?
What are your views on the goverment hiding secrets?
Do you care?
Give me your view.
Also, Dubs get?
FUCK CENTRISM
FUCK YOU
Without devolving into THE JEWS and such should the US retain its allied status with Israel? Should we be sending them foreign aid? Should we be sending them arms and assisting them in military operations?
So the US is now deploying fifty special ops members to Syria to act in an advise and assist role for the rebels. Oddly enough I'm glad we're getting more involved directly with Syria. The entire region is essentially what happens when the international community kicks the can down the road and allows people who have special interests in the region to push the envelope.
Russia has been the Assad regime's arms seller for many years. For them this whole thing is basically big business. The longer the war continues the more money and influence they gain. The people of the US are so war weary when a situation which might actually require international military intervention arose we decided to just try to ignore it until it went away.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have fucked up our perception of military force. We have such an aversion to using it but our entire nation is geared towards maintaining the military industrial complex Eisenhower warned against.
So here we are proxy wars once again and another terrorist group we've essentially founded and armed. If we'd just tell Israel to go fuck themselves and remain allies with Saudi Arabia things would be so much simpler.
I don't like war, I don't like that we spend half of our budget on military upkeep and development, but we're constantly playing catch up to shitty policy decisions made over the last century.
So /midpol/, I know I've been ranting but I'd like to get your opinion on this: what exactly are we fucking doing in Syria? What should we be doing? How in the fuck do we keep Putin from resurrecting the USSR?
Closing Euro Tunnel? Calais Crisis
Calais crisis far from over as thousands of immigrants head for the UK
The Channel Tunnel will be closed at night if the Calais crisis worsens under plans being considered by ministers - as it emerged that an African migrant walked almost its entire length.
Ministers have sought legal advice on what was described by Whitehall sources as the “nuclear option” of closing the tunnel to freight and passenger trains overnight.
The proposal, which has been discussed at meetings of the government’s emergency Cobra committee, follows concerns that the number of services at night is increasing the risk of migrants making it through the tunnel.
It comes as a Sudanese man was arrested by British police on Tuesday just steps away from the mouth of Eurotunnel in Folkestone, Kent, after dodging trains travelling at 100mph.
Haven't heard of the Calais crisis?
Don't worry the media tries to spam other non-stories to keep it out of the spotlight. You probably don't know as an American what the Calais Crisis is.
Thousands of migrants who are camped in Calais are attempting to reach the UK by crossing the Channel.
Some try to stow away on lorries bound for cross-Channel ferries. During recent strikes by French ferry workers, which closed the Channel Tunnel, migrants openly tried to board lorries stuck in traffic on the roads leading to the port. There have also been some reports of migrants attempting to stow away in people's cars.
Most recently, activity has shifted more to the Channel Tunnel. Migrants attempt to stow away on lorries headed for the Eurotunnel, or jump or cut security fences to try to hide on Eurotunnel trains themselves.
Eurotunnel has described "nightly incursions", with groups of up to hundreds of migrants attempting to breach security at once.
How long has this been going on?
While the number of migrants is currently at a high, the issue is far from new. In 1999, the controversial Sangatte refugee camp was opened in Calais, attracting thousands of would-be asylum seekers and people traffickers.
Its closure in 2001 and 2002 - on the orders of France's then minister of the interior, Nicolas Sarkozy - led to riots. Since then migrants have continued to arrive in Calais and build makeshift camps near the port. French authorities estimate there are about 3,000 people currently living in the camps known as "the Jungle", although other estimates put the higher.
The issue made headlines again in September last year after a ferry bound for the UK was stormed by about 235 illegal migrants.
The Home Office said Border Force and the French authorities together prevented more than 39,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally in 2014/15 - more than double the number prevented the previous year, while Eurotunnel, which operates the Channel Tunnel says it has blocked 37,000 attempts since January.
And this leads to:
Mandatry ID cards (soon)
Identity cards are now "essential" in the wake of the Calais migrant crisis, campaigners have claimed.
The report said: "In the longer-term we must return to the introduction of ID cards.
"The French are right to point out that the absence of ID cards in the UK makes it far too easy for migrants to stay on illegally and find work in Britain."
"There are no ID cards. They can easily find work outside the formal economy, which is not really controlled."
ID cards were first mooted by the Labour government in 2003. However, the project was scrapped by the coalition in 2010.
MidPol Philosophy
There comes a time in the life of an intelligent man when you realize moderation and ambivalence are the extremes of harmony and balance.
You accept reality how it is and anticipate the massive forces in chaos around you.
Channeling forces already at work before your input, you redirect the powers around you to maximize output.
Some other sentient beings openly try to move mountains without patience and spend great efforts to move waters and rocks. You observe.
Undeniable truths become obvious and weaving your wisdom within the chaos you obtain your goals with no apparent energy wasted, did you do that? No one needs to know and you move on silently.
You are the unseen and your desires are held under control. You are not unkind but you do not feed the child an ice cream which could trigger obesity. You see a wild bear and you do not charge it with a spear or projectile. It moves on and your desires are achieved.
When the enemy is at an advantage; A coward runs. A wise man retreats. A brave man dies fighting; prepared, you strike at the precise weakness of the enemy who may feel brave with their apparent advantage.
You are calm and peaceful. Your obstacles crumble under their own mass. Your tools are efficient. No challenge is unanswered. You use rules which are useful and break rules which are inconsequential. Neither boastful nor spiteful your pride is within.
Brazil Viral Outbreak
Brazilian Brain Damaged Babies due to Virus
With major events coming up like Carnaval there are fears that the virus will spread across the entire country. The virus is confirmed to cross the placental barrier and can often cause microcephaly.
It is transmitted directly between mosquitoes and humans with only a 10 day incubation in mosquitoes.
The virus can be sexually transmitted.
A major problem with the virus is that it has no cures, no vaccines, no treatments. It causes only mild flu symptoms but due to a rapid spread from primarily africa and southern Asia to the Polynesian region as well as Carribeans and South America it has become a pandemic.
The virus is not restricted to one or a few species of arthropod and has been isolated from a dozen mosquito species, though as of yet spreading primarily by daytime active mosquitoes.
Is Race Real? Are humans different species?
The heaviest bluepill in politics or perhaps in general is that race isn't real and that humans can't go through speciation. The roots of this ideology are back in the enlightenment era when men believed that having some brown persons dressed up and taught to speak proper english proved their ideas of everyone being created equal.With this as the primary argument it follows that many important and interesting questions are left outside of the frames of the discussion. This is a tactic used by leftists regularly - Pay Attention.
When you get accused of talking about race which isn't real anyways you evil white patriarch you are being prompted to defend yourself. This has already had the desired affect if all you follow up with is how humans were isolated for thousands of years on separate continents with almost no transfer between them. We now have proof that the little transfer there was would be like putting polar bears in the amazon in otherwords genes that helped you survive in one area wouldn't help you so much in a completely different area especially if they made you appear strange and become an outcast from society.
So important and interesting questions like which traits would help you survive in 1000 BC India as opposed to 1000BC scandinavia are left out of the discussion altogether. Questions like whether it even makes sense that simply adding as much diversity as possible to the genepool is beneficial. And why would it be? Snakes don't need amphibian genes though their diversity would surely be increased if they had more of those. What about questions like if there are many known recessive genes that cause diseases when homozygous then surely there must be some recessive genes that benefit the organism when homozygous?
Race can not exist. It can not be allowed to. For if it did then the class warfare of hating the rich for being rich would end. The real warfare of hating the banksters and lawmakers that control the currency and landownership would be distinguishable from simply hating the rich. We could not be guilt tripped to accept the tightening noose of economic poverty in the name of helping the poor.
If race exists then it is justified to encourage as many of the european race as possible to have as many kids as possible in the current times. If race does not exist then everyone must equally be encouraged not to have more than 1 child.
Race is a social construct. Stop being so privileged you white patriarch!
Look at politics and realize it.
The world will need a fanatic militant movement that is decentralized which will behead islamists and beat all the capitalist empowered feminists until they fuck off.
Traditionalism had the biological norms and took it for granted.Your great grandfather and great grandmother being prime examples of femininity and masculinity were products of their time.
This movement, not to be properly called "new" will take those aspects as well as the sane aspects of science and militarize them.
A woman is valuable because she does what a man can not do - her body an ideal environment for the baby in the uterus and her gentleness and breasts ideal for the infant.
A man is valuable for his ability to focus all his energy on one task and the body physically attuned to greater strength and stamina.
A man who kills those who threaten his people is a hero; a man who loves all is a coward.
One family doing this in the western world sounds like a short event until arrest
Now imagine a movement like this that is in the millions before being uncovered or understood and it happens while the western world crumbling from the inside is unable to slow its growth.
Tell this to all who hear you because this is coming.
All valued for their strengths and respected for individual choices but encouraged to use those strengths for the good of their people.
Foreign settlers not welcome.
Taxation/Extortion not welcome.
Can you deny that a movement that empowers its women in the correct biological roles (that are actually needed by all women and most realize it too late in their 30s) , rejects every cancer that has decimated population numbers in one form or another at every collapsing empire, and rejects bullshit religions that thwart technological and informational progress is already rising on the decaying corpse of western civilization?
Time for a rejuvenating power has come. Old ideas are neither all good nor all bad and only a dead fool would deny what works while his people fail to reproduce. Technology can be a curse but not if it adheres to biology and enhances it. Instead of being used to replace everything natural it strengthens the biology of the users and is reconstructed by them instead of reconstructing them.
The time for mercy and compassion is over when the recipients of those gifts seek to destroy the kind givers.
Now is the time for protecting your people and your culture by every means necessary. The weak who speak derision will die in the filth they sow.
This undeniable truth is here before you. Create your future and defend it.
BBC interview with Shaker Aamer, censorship?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekgd9cEouFM
So people have been speculating that there has been heavy censorship between 00:01:00 and 00:01:30. If you watch the video you can see strange skipping and cutting, the BBC's excuse for this was that it's just a glitch and it happened because the file was so big, which any /tech/ies will know is most likely bullcrap.
Also, would appreciate it if anyone with a big enough hard drive and some time could download the video in case it gets removed.
what are the benefits of extremist ideologies?
what are the benefits of extremist ideologies?
If any?
It seems like by their very nature they never get even a third of the populations support and must be implemented by threat and violence.
WHY BOTHER?
A SHITTY VERSION
By any means - kill all the white race
How is forced assimilation /diversity White genocide?
Raphael Lemkin, a lawyer, invented the term “genocide” and is responsible for its legal definition today.
Lemkin defined genocide as follows:
“Genocide does not necessarily mean the immediate destruction of a nation” . . . “It is intended to signify a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.The objectives of such a plan would be the disintegration of the political and social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to such groups.”
Today, the United Nations Genocide Conventions legally defines genocide as follows:
(a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
In our case, “diversity” – but only for White countries – is violating section C, therefore “diversity” is White genocide.
Mild Message about Migrants
Ron Paul with Liberty Report
Portugal's Socialists to Form New Government
Portugal's Socialist party is poised to form a left-wing governing alliance with the eurosceptic radical Left in a bid to become the country's new government.
Following an election stalemate in which the opposition Socialists came in second place to the incumbent conservatives, leader Antonio Costa has said he is ready to strike up an alliance to become the country's new prime minister.
The eurosceptic Left Bloc and Communist Party both received 10.2pc and 8.3pc of the national vote share respectively. However, Mr Costa has affirmed that he will only head up an alliance that would pursue policies that will keep the country in the euro, four years after it received an €78bn international bail-out.
"Although the negotiations are obviously still underway, at this moment, everything indicates that the Socialist Party is in better condition to be able to lead a more stable government solution,” said Mr Costa, a former mayor of Lisbon.
October's general election saw the ruling coalition of prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho lose its majority, despite coming in first place with 37pc of the vote. Mr Coelho's government had zealously implemented spending cuts and tax hikes as part of the country's bail-out deal.
Mr Costa had vowed not to provide parliamentary support for a conservative-led minority government, throwing Portugal's economic progress into doubt.
The political vacuum has seen already seen Portugal become the first eurozone country to fail to submit its draft budget plan to the European Commission.
Portugal's former creditors, including the International Monetary Fund, have urged any new government to stick to the path of austerity and structural reforms in order to return the economy back to health.
First They Jailed the Bankers, Now Every Icelander to Get Paid in Bank Sale
Iceland Viking Blood
https://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=34640
First, Iceland jailed its crooked bankers for their direct involvement in the financial crisis of 2008. Now, every Icelander will receive a payout for the sale of one of its three largest banks, Íslandsbanki.
If Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson has his way —and he likely will —Icelanders will be paid kr 30,000 [$233.50] after the government takes over ownership of the bank. Íslandsbanki would be second of the three largest banks under State proprietorship.
“I am saying that the government take [sic] some decided portion, 5%, and simply hand it over to the people of this country,” he stated.
Because Icelanders took control of their government, they effectively own the banks. Benediktsson believes this will bring foreign capital into the country and ultimately fuel the economy — which, incidentally, remains the only European nation to recover fully from the 2008 crisis. Iceland even managed to pay its outstandingdebt to the IMF in full — in advance of the due date.
Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Budget Committee vice chairperson, explained the move would facilitate the lifting of capital controls, though he wasn’t convinced State ownership would be the ideal solution. Former Finance Minister Steingrímur J. Sigfússon sided with Þórðarson, telling a radio show, “we shouldn’t lose the banks to the hands of fools” and that Iceland would benefit from a shift in focus to separate “commercial banking from investment banking.”
Plans haven’t yet been firmly set for when the takeover and subsequent payments to every person in the country will occur, but Iceland’s revolutionary approach todealing with the international financial meltdown of 2008 certainly deserves every bit of the attention it’s garnered.
Iceland recently jailed its 26th banker —with 74 years of prison time amongst them — for causing the financial chaos. Meanwhile, U.S. banking criminals were rewarded for their fraud and market manipulation with an enormous bailout at the taxpayer’s expense.
Men may choose to make sex robots
Over and over again I have warned people. Feminists really don’t grasp the nature of the beast they’re fucking with.
What few people are willing to discuss is the predatory nature of men. I don’t mean sexual predator. I mean as in we are killers. We are the most successful killers in the history of the planet.
And what makes us so successful? We butcher the competition. We outright murder any and all threat on any level. Competing for food? We kill you. Competing for territory? We kill you. Competing for resources? We kill you. And we’re not passive about it.
We will fucking look up your address and we will take an ax to you. Medical science is mostly the science of killing. Agriculture is a science of slavery. We, often with little consideration, are completely willing to adjust the very genetics of something to our benefit. We have designed tiny microbial slaves who live only for our benefit.
We are the most powerful species ever. And it’s thanks to this asshole:
Your everyday ordinary man. The only creature on the planet that is ostensibly competing with, and very adept at murdering, every single other life form on the planet.
And this is who Feminists want to throw down with. Do you know what will happen if men start to view women as “the enemy”?
What do you think would be the response if men woke up tomorrow fully cognizant of the extent many feminists were willing to go to to control men? I shudder to think of it.
Breaking News!
new /midpol/ color and layout gives everyone a headache
>in other news the bernstein bears get kicked in the toilet
European Genocide (Anti White)
They will not stop until every last vestige of your great peoples is gone
I am half iranian and half jewish but my mother was not a jew and my father was an atheist that avoided and hated jewish culture. I want to tell you, I've been around the world in my time. The countries that have not been colonized by Europeans are unliveable. The countries that are not European majority are lower tier than the Eurosphere.
But Don't let me, a halfbreed with no European ancestry, tell you. Listen.
The next time you’re visiting New York City, you may be alarmed to find street signs which say some pretty anti-White things.
One sign has a picture of a camera and reads “WHITE GUILT IS COMPLACENCY“.
But why is this argument only ever applied to White places? Ever heard any so-called “anti-racist” groups complain that Africa is “too Black” or that the Middle East is “too Brown”? I’ve never, ever heard them say that, have you?
To these “anti-racist” groups, it’s always about White people. They keep targeting White people like were are the ultimate evil on the planet.
But to me, at least, their actions speak louder than their words: anti-racist just means anti-White.
They don't even think White Genocide is possible??!
I have written before about how dog whistle rhetoric Republicans use about “taking their country back” feels strangely isolating to me. In general I pass as a white person but every once in a while I am reminded that my status as the daughter of a Latino immigrant means my privilege is conditional on the whims of other white people. And the whole idea that there is a “white genocide” going on is just such a reminder.
The slogans and propaganda of white supremacists are becoming more and more commonplace online. “Antiracist = antiwhite” and “#WhiteGenocide” pop up when you’d least expect to see them. Like in the responses to this tweet about the governor of Minnesota congratulating the Lynx for the WNBA championship.
The entire concept of “White Genocide” is preposterous and offensive. Immigration is the foundation of the United States, and I believe that we are better equipped to deal with it socially and culturally than much of Western Europe, simply because we have been doing it on a larger scale for longer.
There is no wrong way to have an ethnicity or a nationality. The existence of immigrants and people of color is not genocide, and to say so is both bigoted and contrary to the founding principles of this country. So many great Americans were immigrants or the children of immigrants. And we are better and stronger and richer for their contributions. Anti racist does NOT equal anti white. But to be anti-immigrant is anti-American.
Not only do I find the idea of white genocide absolutely hilarious and disappointing at the same time – considering the years of imperialism and genocide most of the world suffered during white colonial rule – I also find it incredibly disturbing.
Every day we are bombarded with messages and images that praise whiteness — from movies, TV shows, advertisements and the media in general. During these moments I don’t see any black, brown, asian or arab bodies gracing the scene telling me it’s okay to be you. No, never that.
The argument of an anti-white society or white genocide taking place is absolutely preposterous and I’m not here for this. Sorry we’re asking you for a slice of the cake but don’t worry, you still have the rest of it.
Hello fellow >>>/pol/ iticians
We have a major problem on our hands.
The Jew has successfully tricked people into fighting race wars instead of overthrowing their governments;
into using corrupt government currencies instead of bit coin and a dozen other free alternatives.
The Jew has tricked them into accepting capitalism with all its government buying scandals and warmongering lies.
While some have accelerated a war on straight European Race men- others have decided that the biggest problem is Islam and the hordes coming from the Muslim lands.
The biggest problem is government and its many tentacles that infiltrate and corrupt everything they rake over.
From public education to zoning laws in cities.
From subsidization of major corporations to income taxes on individuals but not on corporate profits.
Even if you think government is necessary - the current governments in power are against man - against honest living. They perpetuate minor problems into bigger ones to make sure they remain relevant.
Know the real struggle here. A relatively few men with political and international business empires that have survived the centuries are strangling everyone to maintain their unnatural hierarchy. Humans are not a hive. Those who want leadership let them choose. And those who seek no guidance let them walk their own paths.
The modern governments consider all who aren't in the ruling ranks to be brainless drones. Are you a brainless drone? Do you not have a right to control your own body?
There is no new world to go to. And if we ever get off this earth while they still rule going to new worlds will not be as open as it was to go to the Americas.
Save this planet from these corrupt souls. Do not hide from criticism. You deserve everything you strive for. Fight for it. And the future generations will be so lucky not to live in a world prison.
I KNOW WHY NOTHING HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER
people were waiting, following all the signs that were happening, everything was falling into place and the economy was set to have an immeasurably huge crash, JADE HELM 15, and all the like was all set to come crashing down all at once. I'm not here to prove that "OH LE NO ANOTHER HAPPENING IS HAPPENING" I'm here to say that I know EXACTLY why nothing insanely important happened in september.
The reason is: everyone would not shut up about it. people everywhere and the entire internet exposed everything and screamed to the top of their lungs "THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING" and people actually made themselves ready, people prepared, the government got scared, and everyones mom said you going to live with your aunti and uncle in bel air.
you and me and everyone else opened the door, exposed all the truth on the floor, and we all walked the dinosaur.
do you understand what I'm saying? we lifted the curtains, we wrote a complaint to everyone. WE TOLD THE TEACHER ON THEM.
probably their only stupid backup plan was to let "nothing" actually "happen" so that everyone would run around screaming AHAHA I TOLD YOU NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN! I TOLD YOU YOUR STUPID CONSPIRACY THEORIES WERE FALSE YET AGAIN!!!
but I'm here to tell you that you all did great. a handshake to 8chan and a salute to liberty and freedom.
Space Updates
SPACE TECHNOLOGY
Nuclear Thermal Rockets
NASA is about to fund renewed research and experimentation into NTRs. Public approval will be hard
With the capability of generating high thrust and 100% more specific impulse than the best chemical rockets, the time and cost-saving potential of nuclear thermal rockets (NTR) for deep-space missions is once again gaining interest at NASA. Although never flown, the NTR concept is relatively simple. The rocket engine is based around a nuclear fission reactor, which heats the liquid hydrogen (LH2) propellant instead of igniting combustible fuel.
The resulting hot gas is pumped into a separate high-pressure chamber, which, through valve 11 communicates with tube shocks. At the other end of the shock tube we find structed diffuser serves to concentrate the energy of the shock wave, and the valve 12, connecting tube with a nozzle rocket.
Duty cycle engine is as follows: pump 5 takes the working fluid from the reservoir and high-pressure pumps it through a reactor, where it evaporates and is heated to about 2500° C — and then injected into the high-pressure chamber. Shock tube at this point is still filled with gas of low pressure left over from the previous cycle. Then the valve 11 to quickly open, compressed gas, bursting into the pipe instantaneously compresses and heats the gas in the tube, causing the appearance in it of a strong shock wave.
A proposed space elevator stretching 12 miles into the stratosphere could cut out the need for rockets to shuttle astronauts into space, according to a proposal from a Canadian company.
It sounds like an idea out of a science fiction novel, but Thoth Technology has been granted a patent for an inflatable, pneumatically pressured tower stretching 12.5 miles high. The top of the so-called space elevator would serve as a liftoff point to space, potentially saving more than 30 percent of the fuel of a conventional rocket, according to the company.
"From the top of the tower, space planes will launch in a single stage to orbit, returning to the top of the tower for refueling and reflight," Brendan Quine, the inventor of the ThothX Tower, said in a statement.
By removing the need for the vertical launch of a rocket, energy can be saved, allowing space passengers to catch a horizontal flight, much like a passenger plane, from the top of the space elevator.
Aside from being a final stop for astronauts before heading out of this world, Quine wrote in a filing with the United States Patent Office that the tower could help with wind-energy generation, communications, scientific research and tourism.
While it's just an idea for now, the patent moves it one step closer to potentially being another way to revolutionize space travel.
A potential advancement in the United States’ electric propulsion capability for the future of spaceflight is being underscored by a new NASA contract to support work on the VASIMR project – short for the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket.
VASIMR works with plasma, an electrically charged gas that can be heated to extreme temperatures by radio waves and controlled and guided by strong magnetic fields.
Ad Astra Rocket Company announced today that it has completed contract negotiations with NASA on the group’s Next Space Technology Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) award and are now entering the execution phase of the project.
Long duration, high-power test
Under the award, Ad Astra is to conduct a long duration, high-power test of an upgraded version of the VX-200™ VASIMR prototype, the VX-200SS (“SS” for steady state), for a minimum of 100 hours continuously at a power level of 100 Kilowatts.
Testing will be conducted in Ad Astra’s large, state-of-the-art vacuum chamber in the company’s Webster, Texas facility.
The NASA and Ad Astra executed the contract — a three-year, fixed price agreement — on August 7, 2015 for a total value of just over $9 million.
The agreement is structured as a one-year contract with two additional one-year extensions based on the accomplishment of mutually agreed upon progress milestones, Ad Astra added in their press statement.
NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems Program sponsors NextSTEP awards in a 50/50 cost partnership with industry.
Former astronaut, Franklin Chang Díaz, serves as Chairman of the Ad Astra Board and Chief Executive Officer – a space traveler with NASA for 25 years and a veteran of seven space shuttle flights.
Abortion = Murder
All life is precious.
Human life is our own and especially needing protection.
Whether it was a drunk "mistake" sex.
Or an unfortunate and violent one.
We can not fix one tragedy by allowing another
Heartbeats start at 5-8 weeks since conception.
We can hear and remember sounds from the third trimester.
Only the weak would allow the defenseless to die.
Marco Rubio
When Life Begins
Flat Earth thread.
It's the biggest secret being kept from us by the Jews
Since you're reading this, you've either just discovered this board or you're checking up on it. Ask anything on your mind ITT and we can start a discussion.
Do you vote in elections /midpol/? Is there any party you typically vote for? Who are some people you've voted for in the past? If not, what are your reasons for not voting?
UK Tax Credit Cuts
There is a big debate in the UK after David Cameron announced he would reduce tax credits (benefits) and introduce a National Living Wage (higher wages). There are two types of tax credits in the UK: Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. The less generous handouts should save government £4.5bn a year.
Under government proposals, the income threshold for Working Tax Credits - £6,420 - will be cut to £3,850 a year from April.
In other words, as soon as someone earns £3,850, they will see their payments reduced. The income threshold for those only claiming CTCs will be cut from £16,105 to £12,125
The Tories also claim that families will be better off but the Independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says that millions of working people will lose an average of £1,000 a year.
However, The House of Lords voted to delay these cuts by 289 : 272 votes.
Should there be cuts to welfare in the UK?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34631156
What is your oppinion on global warming /midpol/?
So since we actually have a few people coming by now, I gotta ask:
Since all political opinions are allowed here, what is your political alignment? Do you even have one?
Sleep African Americans - Sleep Apnea
Sleep disorders are a significant contributor to racial health gaps and if we could treat them then there would be reduction in health disparities.
What they found was a community unfamiliar with sleep health and hesitant to undergo lab tests. One of their studies tracked 421 black patients who were referred to get tested for sleep apnea. Just 38 percent showed up to get a diagnosis (even though all were called by the doctor to remind them of their appointments). Of those 38 percent, nearly all received a positive diagnosis. Many of those referred for sleep tests were obese, hypertensive, and had high cholesterol. Missing out on sleep treatments meant they were missing out on an opportunity to manage those conditions as well.
Jean-Louis joined NYU in 2013. In his current study—which is being funded by the NIH at a cost of $423,750—he and his colleagues are trying to figure out whether simple interventions could better diagnose and treat minorities for sleep apnea. (For the first year, the study was only for blacks; now it has been opened up to all minorities.) Hence the team’s visit to places like Christ Church International. “Girardin’s studies are pioneering,” says Twery of the NIH, “in the sense he is doing community-based research to understand the cultural basis of the problem and how to improve the health of these communities.”
Jean-Louis says he has preliminary data that shows this approach is working. People who receive culturally tailored sleep education are, he says, four times more likely to make an appointment for a follow-up exam. “And once they are in, they will actually stay in,” he says.
For privacy reasons, the NYU team wouldn’t put me in touch with any participants in the study. But the lead peer health educator introduced me to her sister, Kimberly Turner, a 55-year-old African-American resident of Canarsie, Brooklyn, who had been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Before she was diagnosed, she told me, she felt like she was in the Twilight Zone. Time seemed to disappear. A coworker sitting next to her would suddenly vanish. She’d stop at a red light and then, an instant later, car horns would be blaring at her. She would wonder: “Did that really happen?” She hadn’t realized she was falling asleep during the day. “You start to question everything,” she says.
Turner was tired all the time. She woke up with terrible headaches. All the clues pointing toward apnea were there, but she didn’t realize something might be wrong with her breathing during sleep until her husband told her. “He just literally said that I stopped breathing, and I was like, ‘You’re kidding me, I don’t stop breathing.’ I had never really heard of it at that point.”
SLEEP APNEA IS the most extreme manifestation of the sleeping problems that disproportionately affect black Americans. But focusing on community-based health education—as Jean-Louis is doing—may help not just with sleep apnea but with other sleeping problems, too. And if his interventions work, they could be scaled up.
Ultimately, sleep may offer researchers a way to attack seemingly even more intractable health problems—including those that disproportionately affect black Americans. “Not only might sleep be a potential causal factor in health disparities making things worse, it might be a potential place to help the situation,” Grandner says. “If you take someone who is not getting enough sleep, and you increase their sleep, can that prevent some of these things”—obesity, diabetes, heart disease—“over time? That’s still an open question.”
Tomfohr also sees some cause for optimism. “I don’t think this is totally fatalistic,” she says. “My hope is that this is addressable from multiple levels—that we can identify people who are at risk for sleeping poorly, and then we can do good interventions to help them sleep better, so this isn’t a sentence towards getting cardiovascular disease, or getting sick, or getting diabetes. I have a hopeful feeling about this.”
Theresa May condemns lack of black police officers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34600290
>She singled out four forces for having no black police officers - but two of those constabularies hit back, saying they had at least one black officer.
>During a speech to the National Black Police Association conference, Mrs May said "diversity profiles" showed no force had a black and minority ethnic representation reflecting its local population.
Here's an idea why not just leave people alone to get whatever job they want?
Advice
I've always held some personal views on alot of things, but i've never really felt knowledgeable enough on the topics to argue or discuss anything about them. Does anyone here on /midpol/ have any relatively non-biased sites where I could read up on political matters and the like?
palestine - israel
Israel Must leave Palestine they arn't from there those zinost will get kicked i promise you that the killing of the children must stop the american Support is rediculous every day i ask my self why brittan stared this jewish state. the occupaion must stop the acts are rising more and more people are realizing how politcaly fucked up isreal is they are make the people turn in to killers god damn it palestainens are ready to loose their lives and family to stop the occupation something must be done
FREEE Palestine
Switch and Bait
>Germany and the European Union as a whole are hoping that Turkey will agree to curb migrant traffic to Greek islands, some of which lie just a few miles from the Turkish coast, and also to take back asylum-seekers whose claims for refugee status in the European Union get rejected.
>As an inducement, Brussels is offering to give billions of euros in extra European funding for Turkey and also to speed up visa-free access to Europe for Turkish citizens, a politically delicate issue at a time when most governments are scrambling for ways to limit, not expand, access to their countries.
>The union’s top executive, Jean-Claude Juncker said Thursday that talks with Turkey were “moving in the right direction” and officials here said Turkey had assented to a preliminary accord during talks Thursday in Ankara with Frans Timmermans, the Commission’s vice president.
>But national governments, many of which are reluctant to grant visa-free access to Turks, must now sign off on the terms of any agreement.
>Turkey, relishing the leverage that Europe’s desperation has given it, has driven a hard bargain, with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu telling Turkish television that his county would not take back migrants rejected for asylum in Europe unless Turks were allowed to travel to Europe without visas.
>Under political pressure at home to curb an influx of asylum seekers to Germany, which now expects 1.5 million migrants in all this year, Ms. Merkel has increasingly looked to Turkey as a possible solution and is due to travel there on Sunday to appeal for help from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey will get billions of funding in Euros.
Turkish citizens will be able to travel to europe visa free.
You are told this is to reduce immigrant invasion but that is not the only place that the foreigners are coming from.
And the real problems of millions of foreigners on the shores are all ignored.
" Many of them, moreover, do not think of themselves as “victims” in the broad sense of being inconvenienced by rules imposed by distant Eurocrats. Increasingly, Europeans are becoming victims in the more
narrow sense of the word—that is, victims of violent crimes: rape, assault, and robbery. That kind of victimhood has been a problem for quite a while. Sweden has long had the dubious distinction of having the
world’s second highest incidence of rape, and it’s estimated that over the last two decades, approximately one million English women and girls have been raped by (mostly Muslim) immigrants. The new wave of
Muslim immigrants—75 percent of whom are single males—seems likely to create many new rape victims. As Pat Condell, an acerbic YouTube commentator, puts it, “the European Union is importing a violent,
misogynistic rape culture that directly threatens the safety of women.” "
While on the other hand you have a constant campaign by major news sources to tell you that theres only 40 000, maybe 68 000 "refugees" in total. We know for a fact that over a million migrants have arrived in Germany illegally this year and there are similar numbers in UK, and Sweden. This swarm of opportunists makes its way from the shores of greece and italy and from any way that they can find in. Some go around the far side of Russia to turn around and penetrate Sweden from the north.
Germnay Migrant Crisis
>"Germany expects to take in 800,000 migrants this year - four times last year's total."
Who will benefit from heavy migration and who will lose out?
What are the long-term consequences of this?
What is /midpol/'s opinion on the current Greek crisis?
>The global economy faces a financial bubble from central banks pumping cash into economies
JUST
Midde East and North Africa
A huge blaze engulfing Libya's biggest fuel storage facility in the capital, Tripoli, has spread to a second tank.
Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) has described the fire as "out of control".
It comes hours after the authorities appealed for international assistance to try to contain the blaze.
The government blames clashes between rival militias for starting the fire, which it says may cause a humanitarian and environmental disaster.
At least 97 people have been killed in fighting between rival militia groups battling for control of Tripoli's main airport in the past week.
Evacuation
Firefighters almost managed to put out the blaze when it took hold of a first tank but had to withdraw after fighting resumed in the area, Libyan oil company spokesman Mohamed Al-Harrai told the BBC.
He said shrapnel hit the second fuel tank, igniting it, and the fuel compound was still being hit.
The government has been unable to disarm the numerous armed groups controlling large parts of the country, which are behind Libya's worst violence since the 2011 uprising that toppled Col Muammar Gaddafi.
It has led some Western governments to urge their nationals to leave and withdraw foreign staff from their embassies in Tripoli.
Libyan government officials have warned of the possibility of a break-up of the country if clashes over Tripoli airport continue.
Members of the Islamist Libya Revolutionaries Operations Room (LROR) are trying to seize control of the airport, which has been in the hands of the Zintan militia since the overthrow of Col Gaddafi.
In Benghazi, at least 38 people were killed in clashes between between troops loyal to the Libyan government and Islamist fighters on Sunday.
The trash crisis has ignited the largest Lebanese protests in years and has emerged as a festering symbol of the government's paralysis and failure to provide basic services. It was sparked by popular anger over the heaps of trash accumulating in Beirut's streets after authorities closed the capital's main landfill on July 17 and failed to provide an alternative.
The protests quickly moved beyond just the trash in the streets to target an entire political class that has dominated the country and undermined its growth since the civil war ended in 1990. Lebanon has a confessional power-sharing system that often leads to incessant bickering and cronyism among the country's politicians.
Thousands of people have taken part in huge demonstrations over the past two weeks. Among other things, they are demanding new parliament elections, to be followed by presidential elections.
The country has been without a president for over a year, and members of parliament have illegally extended their term twice amid disputes over an election law.
After meeting for three and a half hours, leaders of Lebanon's various sectarian blocs issued a brief statement, saying the talks would resume in a week.
"They did not even bother to meet tomorrow or the day after, they postponed it for a week and came out without any decision," said Assaad Thebian, an organizer with the main group behind the protests, which calls itself "You Stink."
"They showed that they are indifferent and should not be in leadership positions," he told The Associated Press.
"This dialogue is a joke. They are meeting to see how they can split the cheese," said Marwan Basha, a 57-year-old engineer taking part in the sit-in near parliament, as riot police stood nearby. His T-shirt had Arabic words on the front, asking: "Where is the water, where is the electricity, where are the job opportunities?"
On the barbed wire that separates protesters from the building, activists pinned a large banner with the pictures of the 128 members of parliament reading: "You have failed at everything … Go Home."
So far, the only response to the growing protest movement has been a promise by the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, for the high-level talks among the politicians.
His call has been backed by the main political leaders, who attended the meeting Wednesday, but it was unclear how such talks among the same veteran politicians being vilified by the protesters would help break the deadlock.
The leaders are deeply divided over core issues, such as what a new election law would look like, and whether it should be passed before or after a president is elected.
The Right way to use Genetic Modification
Throughout history, people have relied on plants for medicines…
Mayapples churn out podophyllotoxin to defend against would-be munchers… So the pair made tiny punctures in the leaves of healthy Himalayan mayapples provided to them by a commercial nursery, testing them before and after to see which new proteins appeared around the damaged tissue. They discovered 31, which they categorized by probable function.
The pair then narrowed the likely candidates for enzymes in podophyllotoxin production by focusing on members of four classes known to carry out the right types of chemical reactions. They then spliced genes for each of these enzymes into bacteria known to infect Nicotiana benthamiana, a fast-growing relative of tobacco that serves as a sort of lab rat of plant biologists.
Gene modification in untransformed human intestinal cells is an attractive approach for studying gene function in intestinal diseases…
Modern gene-editing tools such as CRISPR/Cas9—a technique which can reportedly edit the genomic sequence in a highly targeted way—are "not only very precise, but also easy, inexpensive, and, critically, very efficient," the group said.
Earlier this year, Chinese scientists reportedly edited the genomes of human embryos in what was described as "a world first" by the journal Nature.
This and other topics about and related to genetics at >>>/genes/
Venom used to Heal
Toxin into Brain to Heal it from Cancer
A study has found over a hundred proteins identified as possible anti-cancer agents in Centruroides tecomanus scorpion venom from Colima, south-west state of Mexico. The preliminary investigation was carried out by specialists of the faculty of chemistry at the University of Colima (UCOL), who have identified peptides that destroy cancer cells in vitro.
A study has found over a hundred proteins identified as possible anti-cancer agents in Centruroides tecomanus scorpion venom from Colima, south-west state of Mexico.
The preliminary investigation was carried out by specialists of the faculty of chemistry at the University of Colima (UCOL), who have identified peptides that destroy cancer cells in vitro.
Laura Leticia Valdez Velazquez, head of research, said that when the toxin, derived from scorpion venom, invades channels in the cells with this disease, it produces cellular damage and kills the cells.
"We have identified a highly selective group of peptides, which indicates that they could specifically bind to cancer cells and cause their death," she indicates.
Centruroides tecomanus species is one of the most poisonous scorpions in the country. The UCOL already has the genetic sequences of the protein components of the venom.
The scientific team took advantage of the great number of scorpions found in Colima. They began with the collection and extraction of poison, inoculating and immunizing rabbits.They studied the venom with the support of Lourival Possani, from the Institute of Biotechnology of the National Autonomous University od Mexico (UNAM).
The researcher explains that UCOL undertook the task of characterizing each component from the arachnid toxins, among the most poisonous on the continent. Currently, it has identified a group of 10 peptides in order to evaluate whether they have greater toxic effect against lymphoma cells.
"The venom toxins act on ion channels of the cancer cell damaging them. Our interest is for the cell to be selectively removed. We have found that these peptides have affinity with these cells, and could specifically bind to them and induce cancer death."
In parallel, the research team of the UCOL conducted a study on the effect of scorpion venom in models of Parkinson's disease.
People with Parkinson's are affected because neurons are damaged and dopamine production is inhibited. The team has tested the scorpion venom toxins in animal models, noting that these toxins are attached to receptors on dopaminergic neurons and increase the release of dopamine, with future promising effects for sufferers of this disease.
It’s been pointed out that while the paint helps during surgery, it’s the surgery part that needs to be replaced completely if possible. Surgery is always going to inflict damage even if it does remove the tumor completely and save someone’s life. However, if you’ve got a substance that makes its own way to the brain tumor through the blood stream, maybe it can be adapted in the future to also take some tumor-killing drugs along with it and remove surgery from the equation.
The advantage of exploring specific toxins is how selective they are when attaching to their targets within the body – minimizing the potential for unwanted side effects.
"Toxins have evolved for millions of years to target a specific receptor," says Manjunatha. Also important is their potency, as just a small amount can have fatal effects.
Have some banners
.
India Strategic Uranium Reserve
Department of Atomic Energy is carrying out nuclear energy programme in India.
The Indian Nuclear Power Programme has the following three stages.
The Indian Nuclear Power Programme has the following three stages.
1.First Stage: It is already commercial now, comprised setting up of PHWRs (pressurized heavy water reactors) and associated fuel cycle facilities. PHWRs use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant. The देसीgn, construction, and the operation of these reactors are undertaken by public sector undertaking the NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited). The company operates 16 reactors (2 Boiling Water Reactors and 14 PHWRs) with a total capacity of 3900 MWe.
2.Second Stage: It was envisaged to set FBRs (Fast Breeder Reactors) along with Reprocessing plants and plutonium-based fuel fabrication plants. Plutonium is produced by irradiation of Uranium-238. The Fast Breeder Programme is in the technology demonstration stage. Under this stage, the IGCAR (Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research) has completed देसीgn of a 500 MWe PFBR (prototype fast breeder reactor) being implemented by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam).
3.Third Stage: The Indian Nuclear Power Programme is based on the thorium-uranium-233 cycle.Uranium-233 is obtained by irradiation of thorium. Presently this stage is in technology development phase. The ongoing development of 300 MWe AHWR (advanced heavy water reactor) at BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) concerns thorium utilization and its demonstration.
Over the past one year, India has been pursuing its case to buy uranium from different countries including Australia and Canada. It is also procuring uranium from Russia. India renewed a contract with the Central एशियाn country to procure 5000 MT of uranium.
After a record production this year, India is working on creating a 'strategic uranium reserve' to ensure its atomic power reactors do not face shortage of the crucial nuclear fuel.
"The reserve pool could be anywhere between 5000 MT to 15,000 MT which can last for 5-10 years," said a senior government official.
India's first indigenously देसीgned 500-MW fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam would start nuclear power generation by September.
This project will be completed at any cost now," Mr Fadnavis told PTI.
The Jaitapur project, where the French company Areva is setting up six nuclear reactors with a total power generation capacity of about 10,000 MW, has been stuck for long due to differences over the cost of electricity.
Canada will supply 3,000 MT of uranium over the next five years at a cost of USD 254 million.
"For a developed country to be a partner country of a state is not a small decision… I will return home tomorrow but I can never forget Canada's love," he said.
Prime Minister Harper described Mr Modi's visit as "historic" and said his country wanted to work with India in enhancing trade, investments and working in the security area.
India will sign a contract with Kazakhstan to procure 5,000 metric tonnes of uranium Kazakhstan is one of the major uranium suppliers to India. It has 15 per cent of the world's uranium resources and became the leading uranium-producing country in 2009.
Apart from Kazakhstan, India also has an agreement with Uzbekistan, another Central एशियाn country, to procure uranium.
India's reactors had been running under capacity for all these years due to lack of fuel.
India and Australia had last year signed a landmark civil nuclear deal, clearing the way for Canberra to sell uranium to the energy-starved country for power generation.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on Thursday to locate the first internationally-controlled bank of low-enriched uranium in the ex-Soviet nation to ensure fuel supplies for power stations and prevent nuclear proliferation.
Set to become fully operational in 2017, is intended to provide IAEA member states with confidence in a steady and predictable supply of fuel even if other routes are disrupted.
The storage facility will be located not far from Semipalatinsk where the Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons. By the time of its 1989 closure following growing popular protests, Semipalatinsk had held 30 surface, 88 atmospheric and 340 underground tests.
The mineral-rich Central एशियाn nation of 17.5 million is the world's largest uranium producer and holds more than 15 percent of global uranium reserves, second only to Australia. It has no nuclear power stations of its own.
Marine organisms changing due to Ocean Acidification
Are organisms able to adapt and thrive despite rapid climate changes?
Marine organisms living in acidified waters exhibit a tendency to nurture their offspring to a greater extent than those in more regular conditions.
Researchers at Plymouth University have found that polychaete worms located around volcanic vents in the Mediterranean grow and develop their eggs within the protection of the family unit - in contrast to closely-related species that release them into the water column to fend for themselves.
The scientists say the findings could provide an important insight into how organisms might adjust to increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the sea - and the ramifications that might have for future biodiversity.
> "One of the most interesting annelid worms here typically grows to around 3cm in length and is found on the seafloor. It was previously thought that their breeding is triggered by a full moon, when they swim up to the surface and release - or 'broadcast' - their eggs.
>But our studies at the CO2 vents off Ischia have found something very different: those species living near the volcanic vents, in waters rich in carbon dioxide, seem to have adapted to the harsher conditions by brooding their offspring."
The team found that 12 of the 13 species that had colonized the vent area exhibited brooding characteristics, most notably producing fewer and larger eggs that were usually retained within some form of protective sac. Ten of those species were in higher abundance around the vents than in the ambient areas surrounding them - some by a ratio as high as nine-to-one.
The observation that brooding worms dominated the CO2 vent areas, and existing evidence of physiological and genetic adaptation in vent-inhabiting species, prompted the researchers to take immature adult Platynereis dumerilii specimens and attempt to cross breed them in the laboratory. A male - taken from the ambient control area - and a female - from the vent zone - almost immediately began to breed. But instead of the typical broadcast pattern, the eggs produced were five times larger than the average and were laid in a complex tube structure or brooding pouch.
When genetic analysis was conducted, it became clear that worms from inside the CO2 vents were from a sibling species of Platynereis massiliensis, one that has diverged from Platynereis dumerilii in the recent past - confirming that all of the polychaete species are brooders of some sort.
Environmentalists Getting Murdered in Brazil
The killers came from the forest, the very same forest Raimundo Santos Rodrigues so loved.
The environmentalist had spent years defending one of the last pristine swathes of the eastern Amazon rain forest from loggers, miners and farmers. But his activism had earned him enemies in Brazil’s northern state of Maranhão.
And on Tuesday afternoon, those enemies pounced.
Santos Rodrigues and his wife were riding their motorbike from the market back to the Biological Reserve of Gurupi when two men suddenly emerged from the treeline, witnesses told local media. As the couple crossed a bridge, the gunmen opened fire, hitting both the environmentalist and his wife.
To ensure their objective, the assassins ran up to Santos Rodrigues and stabbed the injured man to death. His wife, Maria da Conceição Chaves Lima, was rushed to the hospital and is expected to live.
Santos Rodrigues had been a “marked” man because of his environmentalism, said a man who spoke to G1 anonymously for fear of also being targeted.
“Loggers hated him because he denounced them,” said a co-worker, also anonymously. “He was very active in the region, defending the community, attending the Union of Rural Workers of Bom Jardim.”
Officials have promised a thorough investigation and are treating the murder as an attack on a public official. Santos Rodrigues was a volunteer with the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, part of the Ministry of the Environment.
“It will be treated with top priority,” said Alexandre Saraiva, a federal police superintendent.
But that promise appears hollow against the bloody reality in Brazil, widely considered the most dangerous country on earth for environmentalists.
Between 2002 and 2013, at least 448 environmentalists were killed in Brazil, according to Global Witness. That equates to roughly half of all the environmentalists murdered worldwide during that period.
According to local watchdog CPT, the grim tally is even worse: More than 1,500 Brazilians have been killed over the past 25 years fighting deforestation, and another 2,000 have received death threats, Men’s Journal reported in 2012.
Last year, 29 Brazilian environmentalists were murdered, again more than any other country, according to Global Witness.
The reasons behind Brazil bewildering conservationist killing spree are simple. The country’s land ownership is “among the most concentrated and unequal in the world,” leading to conflicts between subsistence farmers or indigenous groups and “well-connected landowners over who has the legal right to forests and land,” according to Global Witness.
“Magnates buy off local politicians and policemen, and kill anyone who challenges their agricultural practices,” according to Men’s Journal.
As in the slaying of Santos Rodrigues, environmentalists are in most danger inside or at the edges of the Amazon. The giant rain forest — which some activists fear will be half gone by 2030 — is the site of 68 percent of all such murders, according to Global Witness. First the trees are cut down by loggers, which then opens the land up to cattle ranchers, soy farmers or miners.
“Many people from the logging and mining companies think the only way to solve problems is by killing the people who defend the forest,” federal prosecutor Felício Pontes told Men’s Journal.
Like the Amazon itself, the problem of violence against environmentalists is shared by many Latin American countries. Last year, at least 25 environmentalists were killed in Colombia, according to Global Witness. Honduras (12), Peru (9), Guatemala (5), Paraguay (3) and Mexico (3) also reported multiple murders of conservationists in 2014.
Although more than 80% of the killings were in Latin and Central America, Asian environmentalists are also at great risk. Fifteen Filipinos were killed in 2014, followed by Thailand (4), Indonesia (2) and Myanmar (2), again according to Global Witness.
Almost none of these murders are ever solved, the group says. A 2014 Global Witness report found that 908 activists were killed in 35 countries between 2002 and 2013, yet there were only 10 convictions.
“What feeds the violence is the impunity,” Isolete Wichinieski, national coordinator of the Brazilian group Commisão Pastoral da Terra, told the Guardian.
how do we make /midpol called /pol and /pol called /rightpol
/pol/ raids
Why are the /pol/tards so spiteful and agitated lately? Is it because of a couple anti-/pol/ /b/ threads?
CEO Robots & Executive Robots
Could computers take over the boardroom?
Sure Sure. You want to say that all work that produces physical objects is "easy" and that computers are naturally superior to man at software if they gain any level of "intelligence".
Okay.
Computers from the ground up were originally built as information and control systems. Management.
So why are workers replaceable but management would not be?
Executives, bankers, and "charismatic" CEOs are far more replaceable than skilled workers.
''iCEO, a software prototype designed to test whether high-level management can be automated, was launched recently with encouraging initial results. In a 2015 article in Harvard Business Review, Devin Fidler of the non-profit group Institute for the Future outlined what iCEO can teach us about the future of the job world, and specifically, the future of the management structure in the corporate world.
On a base level, the virtual management system automates complex work by dividing it up and assigning out small individual tasks. The creators of the program decided to run experiments to see how far the software could be pushed into traditionally human territory. In the first real test of the software program’s higher-level abilities, iCEO oversaw the completion of a 124-page report in just weeks, when it would have taken months via a traditional management-employee structure.
The quality of iCEO’s work was as impressive as its speed, and the computer program required little human intervention to get the job done. While the software is still rudimentary, in a year or two, the technology could likely be applied to a number of industries. iCEO has already dabbled in sales, quality assurance, and hiring. It’s also capable of operating Amazon’s Mechanical Turk micro-work platform, which many corporations already use. When it comes to management, however, many corporate executives fancy themselves immune to the robot takeover. Fidler claims they have a rude awakening coming.
“Executives tend to assume that their underlings will bear the main brunt of changes to the future of work, while their own positions are immune. They are incorrect,” Fidler writes. “The same cost/benefit analyses performed by shareholders against line workers and office managers will soon be applied to executives and their generous salaries.”''
Whether we start seeing managers and executives disappearing or merely shifting and sharing their duties, the reality of coming change can’t be ignored. In the corporate world, the evolution of technology in the workplace will be especially interesting, as CEOs and other high-powered executives will increasingly be forced to justify their worth…
One highly visible foray into automated management has upset workers and caused one company to take a public-relations beating. Starbucks employs a widely-used software program that examines sales patterns and other data to determine scheduling of its baristas. The practice was thrown into harsh light in a lengthy New York Times feature that documented the consequences of an algorithm-dictated schedule on flesh-and-blood workers. Such computer programs do not take into account how unpredictable hours may or may not mesh with the needs of workers who must account for child care and other domestic obligations. Starbucks said it gives baristas a week’s notice of their hours, but the Times found few instances of that happening.
The article drew hundreds of responses—from workers in big-box retail, grocery chains, banks, medical facilities and a major art museum—who complained that computerized scheduling systems had left their lives a time-management hell. “This automated software removes the human equation,”wrote a Lowe’s worker from Woodbury, N.J. “This system has massively strained my family life and has had a hand in ruining relationships. And to add insult to injury, the schedule barely receives a passing glance by management.”
Another recent study, by the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg also found humans willing to take orders from computers, but much less readily than from other humans. Participants were asked to perform a menial task (renaming computer files) for 80 minutes, and a computer named “Nao” was able to exert enough authority to keep 46% of participants on task for the full 80 minutes even as they voiced a desire to quit. Humans were almost twice as likely —86%—to obey another human, in this case an actor in a white lab coat. Still, researchers were struck that “even after trying to avoid the task or engaging in arguments with the robot, participants still (often reluctantly) obeyed its commands. These findings highlight that robots can indeed pressure people to do things they would rather not do.…”
Robot Portfolio managers:
Kin Discrimination in microorganisms
“Often when we see these kinds of social incompatibilities, or greater cooperation between close relatives than between strangers, it’s interpreted in the context of kin selection theory, which posits that cooperation—at least within species—will evolve when there’s preferential interactions that occur between relatives that share genes for cooperation,” said Gregory Velicer of ETH Zürich, who led the work. “[We have found that] reduced cooperation between different types can arise not because of any selection for incompatibility, per se, but rather simply because you had these different complex social systems evolving independently of one another.”
Under certain conditions, genetically identical colonies of M. xanthus swabbed on opposite ends of an agar plate grow toward one another, merging to form a single colony. But as Velicer and his colleagues found in a previous study, some samples of M. xanthus collected from a small area of soil did not grow together on agar plates; rather, they bumped up against one another other in the center of the dish, or, in some cases, they approached one another but did not quite touch, leaving strips of bare—or sparsely populated—agar between them.
More recently, the researchers observed a second kind of kin discrimination. On nutrient-deficient agar, starving M. xanthus colonies form fruiting bodies, which release hardy spores that can withstand harsh conditions and be reactivated when nutrients are more readily available. In experiments in which two colonies that were genetically identical—save for a genetic marker—were swabbed onto a nutrient-poor plate, the resulting fruiting bodies were often chimeric, containing cells originating from both colonies. In contrast, fruiting bodies from genetically dissimilar colonies remained separate and were rarely chimeric.
“Many diverse organisms, including animals, fungi, bacteria, and protozoans, exhibit kin discrimination,” Elizabeth Ostrowski, who studies kin discrimination in social amoebae at the University of Houston but was not involved in the work, wrote in an e-mail to The Scientist. “Despite being common, it is unclear whether these abilities are adaptations that act to limit cooperation to close relatives (who share and thus pass on the same genes) or whether they evolved for some other function and only incidentally have these functions.”
For the present study, Velicer’s team set out to test whether kin discrimination could arise not as a result of competition between different bacterial strains, but independently between populations derived from a common ancestor and grown in isolation under different conditions. The researchers sampled from two cultures of M. xanthus that were genetically identical, save for a marker gene, and cultured them under 12 different conditions—variable agars and environments. The samples were left to grow on their respective plates for two weeks before the researchers transferred each sample to a new plate to repeat the process 18 or 40 times, depending on the environmental conditions.
The resulting populations showed kin discrimination against the population from which they were sampled in nearly two-thirds of the cases examined. Further, replicate populations grown under the same conditions—and selective pressures—also showed kin discrimination against one another in more than half of the team’s experiments.
To explore the genetic basis of kin discrimination, the researchers sequenced the genomes of the terminal populations and their progenitor cultures. They did not find a single mutation present in all populations that developed kin discrimination. Further, the team found that mutations associated with kin discrimination against a population’s progenitor culture in one strain also appeared in strains that did not exhibit kin discrimination.
“We often think of [organisms that show kin selection] as having a very similar strategy,” said Rafael Rosengarten, a postdoctoral researcher who studies kin discrimination in Dictyostelium in the lab of Gad Shaulsky at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas. “This study almost makes it seem like there really isn’t a strategy.”
CHINESE EXPLOSION damage continues
FUEL DEPOT EXPLOSIONS HEART FROM MILES AWAY
12 FIREFIGHTERS now killed trying to save people hurt within the blast radius
Specific cause unknown as of yet. Large and serial explosions melt steel beams in the compound.
Many volatile chemicals were over safety limits.
The country's National Earthquake Bureau said the first blast had a force equivalent to three tons of TNT, and the second had the equivalent of 21 tons.
Police said an initial blast took place in shipping containers at a warehouse for hazardous materials owned by Ruihai Logistics.
State media said senior management of the company had been detained by authorities, and that President Xi Jinping has demanded severe punishment for anyone found responsible for the explosions.
"At first I felt quakes on the bed and then I heard wind rushing into my room, my windows exploded. The door was shaking," Wendy Zhou, a 26-year-old primary school teacher, told NBC News. She was more than six miles away.
Surrounding area heat damage.
>Several thousand imported cars stored at the site were burned or destroyed, state media reported. They included more than 2,700 Volkswagens, 1,500 Renaults and 4,000 Hyundai and KIA vehicles.
So by keynesianism we know that thousands of jobs got created amirite?
>As often during disasters, Chinese authorities tried to keep a tight control over information. Users on China's Twitter-like Weibo complained that their posts about the blasts were deleted, and the number of searchable posts on the disaster fluctuated, in a sign that authorities were manipulating or placing limits on the number of posts.
This is what USA wants with their citizens eventually.
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/daylight-shows-scenes-devastation-tianjin-least-17-dead-n408946
SUPER COMPUTER SEVERAL KILOMETRES DISTANT UNDAMAGED
shut down as a safety precaution
DARPA GENETIC ENGINEERING
DARPA’s CAPP’s current goal is to discover biotechnological methods that allow soldiers to function without food or sleep for up to 7 days
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), often known as the “mad scientist wing” (Gayle, 2012) of the DoD, has allocated an annual budget of $2 billion to several different projects all working towards building a supersoldier( Posel, 2013, para. 1). The main hope for accomplishing such a feat lies in genetic engineering,
DARPA’s Continuous Assisted Performance Program’s current goal is to discover biotechnological methods that allow soldiers to function without food or sleep for up to seven days (Seal, 2003).
Scientists have looked to the animal kingdom for these answers, with a particular interest in bottlenose dolphins and the sled dogs of the Iditarod. Sam Ridgway, Ph.D. in neurobiology from the University of Cambridge and President of the National Marine Animal Foundation, is conducting research to discover how dolphins remain vigilant for extended durations of time. Scientists have found that these mammals have to ability to practice unihemispheric sleep (Castro, 2003). The phenomena is that while one hemisphere of the brain is asleep, the other half remains alert. When tired, the dolphin simply wakes up the now refreshed portion of its brain while the weary section goes to sleep. Studies starring two bottlenose dolphins have repeatedly demonstrated the animals’ ability to last five days in this state with no decrease in activity or attentiveness. By determining which genes make this inherent trait possible, DARPA hopes to trigger the same ability in its soldiers
DARPA is also attempting to alter the genes that control the body’s metabolism (Posel, 2013, para. 5).
By modifying the rate at which fat is converted into pure energy, soldiers could, in theory, go without food for days. The most promising avenue of inquiry is a project investigating the Huskies and Malamutes of the Iditarod and how they are capable of running thousands of miles without developing extreme debility. The head of the project, Dr. Michael S. Davis, professor of Veterinary Physiology at Oklahoma State University, has discovered that these dogs reserve their fat and glycogen stores by spontaneously changing their metabolic rates. This capability allows the animals to run 100 miles a day with a slowed metabolism similar to the one assumed when sleeping; in less than 24 hours, they are able to switch back to their usual metabolic rate, one that is similar to a man’s (Robson, 2008). If this genetic trait could be adapted to humans, soldiers would have insurmountable endurance and stamina on the battlefield.
Lab Made Cell Production Upgrades
building the cell starting with the minimum/core set and adding on the extra desired functions, like chemical production
A new study led by bioengineers at the University of California, San Diego defines the core set of genes and functions that a bacterial cell needs to sustain life. The research, which answers the fundamental question of what minimum set of functions bacterial cells require to survive, could lead to new cell engineering approaches for E. coli and other microorganisms, the researchers said.
The findings are published online in the early edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of August 10, 2015.
This core set of genes is “the smallest common denominator that microbes need to have to become functional,” said Bernhard Palsson, the Galetti Professor of Bioengineering at UC San Diego and corresponding author on the paper. “If the cell lacks any of the genes from this set, the cell can neither function nor survive.”
According to the researchers, these findings could open up new avenues for cell engineering applications. Consider, for example, the genetic engineering of microbes to make value-added chemicals. This engineering process is typically done by making changes to the genetic makeup of a cell, which can end up toying with the cell’s core genes and functions, resulting in a “sick” cell.
Rather than risk compromising the cell’s core genes and functions, a new engineering approach could involve building the cell starting with the core set and adding on the extra desired functions, like chemical production. The PNAS paper presents the minimum core components that are absolutely necessary to include in the blueprints of an engineered cell.
popsci summary https://archive.is/EPmOm
study https://archive.is/HWhs3
Turkey Elections
We have witnessed the nationalists' enmity toward the HDP grow every day. They have even called on the Constitutional Court to close down the pro-Kurdish party. It is obvious that they do not want to discuss any aspect of the Kurdish question; they want to identify the HDP with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is a great injustice to the pro-Kurdish party.
I personally do not like to see a political party, which has a key position in Parliament, use all of its energy to attack another opposition party.
Obviously, they will not have anything positive to say about the Kurdish question, about the EU, or about minorities, etc. These are all problematic issues for the party and their electorate. However, some of their latest discourse resembles hate speech and has started to adopt quite a threatening tone.
As Today's Zaman reported yesterday, Devlet Bahçeli, the chairperson of the MHP, even uttered these words quite recently: “Those pathetic people who relax in their summer homes in İzmir or Marmaris, who refused to vote for the MHP to counter the [ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party)] but who instead have opened up the way for the HDP to enter Parliament, those without honor who live in Bosporus mansions, who sip their whisky and who voted for the HDP… You all can go and form a coalition with the HDP.”
As if this was not enough, one of Bahçeli's consultants said on a TV program that the party “has a list of 3,000 of these people without honor,” in an obvious threat to intellectuals, opinion makers and the like.
A political party has criminalized, stigmatized and demonized another party and those who support them. Do not forget that HDP headquarters and election campaign offices were attacked perhaps 200 times by those who used a hand gesture symbolizing a wolf's head to symbolize affiliation with the MHP. Their most recent words have the potential to provoke new attacks on the HDP and its supporters.
I have read in news reports that a group of human rights advocates have brought a complaint before prosecutors, saying that the MHP's words targeting the HDP constitute hate speech and incite people to hatred.
We know that cases have been brought against Selahattin Demirtaş after he was targeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who claimed that Demirtaş's statements had played a role in inciting violence during the Kobani protests.
A majority of Turks see Erdogan as the biggest obstacle to a coalition deal while almost two thirds see recent military action as part of an attempt to achieve different results at an early election, a poll by research company Gezici showed on Tuesday.
The survey showed 56.8 percent of those asked saw Erdogan as the main block in coalition negotiations. A quarter blamed the opposition for the lack of progress, while less than 20 percent saw Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as responsible.
If the June 7 vote were to be re-run this Sunday, little would change, the poll suggested. The AKP would still be unable to govern alone while the pro-Kurdish HDP, whose strong performance cost the AKP its majority, would stay in parliament.
The poll of 4,860 people, taken on July 25-26, put the AKP on 41.9 percent, up slightly from 40.9 percent in June. The main opposition CHP, which has been in coalition talks with the AKP, saw its support rise just over a percentage point to 26.3.
The MHP lost one percent to 15.3 percent, while the pro-Kurdish HDP slipped to 12.3 percent from 13.1.
The AKP held a final day of exploratory coalition talks with the CHP on Monday, but there were few signs of concrete progress.
Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc described the talks as "positive" but said the ball was now in CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu's court.
"If the day come when Kilicdaroglu says 'sorry, but we will not form a government [with you],' then we will alter our course to the MHP. I believe we can form a government [with the MHP] if we can reach a common understanding," Arinc told reporters.
Nationalism and Its Effects on Peace in Europe
With global crisis, unemployment, dissatisfaction, poverty and intolerance has increased and with it also nationalism. Political parties with nationalist platforms are rising and gaining more support around the world and Europe is no exception.
In Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom and across Europe we can see the rise of the right. The financial crisis in the Eurozone and beyond has triggered rising of nationalists and far-right political parties.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) on 9th of July released a report about the dramatic increase in anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, online hate speech and xenophobic political discourse as the main trends in 2014.
Nationalism can be positive with legitimacy, promotion of nations and inspiration for citizens or negative by creating tensions between different ethnicity and groups in or outside the country. Some negative aspects of ideology or political movement can be seen in the latest football matches in the Balkans, where supporters of team groups have burned many national flags and hooliganism that is the result of long lasting hatred and nationalism on the ground. Every country has its own history and different positions, but still similarities could be found.
The country all news is regarding to in recent times is Greece. A known slogan “Greece for Greeks” is well known in its anti-austerity party. Attacks against minorities and immigrants with racism are seen in one of the European Union (EU) members. Golden Dawn neo-Nazi party is linked to hundreds of violent attacks against minorities.
It is known for anti-immigration, racist-nationalist worldview. With elections being held this year in January the party captured 6.3% of the vote and 17 senate seats in Hellenic parliament and become the country’s third largest party. In 2014 the party won 9.4% of votes in European parliamentary election and with it 3 seats out of 21.
The party has been put on a trial this year for its criminal activity.
Nationalism in Greece has divided citizens and noncitizens to us and them and created the gap between both. With the economic crisis, Greeks debt, overall economic meltdown, unemployment and increasing number of refugees from different countries, the party led by Nikos Michaloliakos has gained more support and caused even greater intolerance to foreign people in need. Unfortunately, they are not the only one spreading intolerance. Many politicians have a stance against immigrants, which shapes the Greeks’ attitude towards nationalism
How does this board work? The "middle" of a political spectrum is just the people who don't conform to either "side". If half your opinions are "left" and half are "right", you're directly in the "center." But which opinions are on which "side" doesn't matter. You'd share the same spot with somebody who has the exact opposite opinions on everything, because you both have an even split.
Reading on Politics (PDF)
Also check out >>>/pdfs/ if you haven't already
Social Justice, while it has a place in the world, is unfortunately filled with some of the most misguided, insecure, and/or terrible people.
What are some of the most hilarious feminist signs you've seen?
What's /midpol/'s stance on open source software? Do you use Linux or any other Open Source Alternative to Windows and Mac? What do you think of proprietary software? How should people be payed for coding?
WTO
What is midpol's opinion about WTO?Personally I think that it is cancer and its only purpose is for the acquisition of cheap labor by multinationals. What say you?
Should the confederate flag fly over state capitals when it encourages racism?
Alright /midpol/, it's time to ask the big question:
What do you think of Jews?
Traditional Left-Right Paradgim
I created a political paradgim using the traditional left-right paradgim. I want other people's opinions on it. Tell me if I left anyone out, or got something wrong.Can 3rd-positionists give me a rundown on their sub-ideologies?
UN?UN?UN?UN?
What does /midpol/ think about UN?
I feel like nobody is talking about UN at all. Therefore this thread is created for this! Plz no bAn.
Great board idea
Have an IP friend!
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement can cause psychological damage. I think there should be restrictions on how long you can be left alone unless you are a violent threat to society.
Hello, /midpol/. I just wanted to let you know that I'm the new board owner of >>>/kind/, and I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to drop in and say hello. It's not really devoted to the discussion of topics pertaining to politics, but I think kindness is or should be a virtue valued by all, irrespective of political affiliation!
Check out our politics thread: >>>/kind/221
Winners Don't Do Pills
In my opinion there is no more harmful idea in political discourse than "the pills." It is most commonly used by the right, but all political groups have made use of a similar idea at some point in their history.Consider the origins of the term. In the film 'The Matrix,' the protagonist Neo is offered a red pill that represents seeing the Matrix as a simulation and a blue pill that will allow him to go back to his ordinary life. The red pill is a "painful truth" and the blue pill is "blissful ignorance."
The problem when applying this metaphor to political issues is that it allows total dismissal of ones opponents. The belief that ones position represents a "painful truth" that must be accepted allows anyone who objects to be dismissed as too weak or cowardly to see an obvious fact.
However, a "fact" is nothing more than empirical data that can be verified. While it it is true that some facts are willfully ignored by certain parts of the population, an opinion or a position is not a fact.
It is a fact that, on average, a greater percentage of blacks than whites have been convicted of crimes in the United States in its recorded history.
It is an opinion that this difference is caused by institutionalized racism which causes blacks to be targeted more often by law enforcement.
It is also an opinion that blacks are an inferior race which is inherently predisposed to antisocial criminal behavior.
Both of these opinions can be supplemented with facts to make them more valid. Both require this support before acting on them can be justified. The "reality" is that there are no easy answers that make either opinion an unassailable fact. If that is "reality," who really took the blue pill?
>more divide and conquer
ffs. /pol/ was supposed to be a place for political discussion, now the board split into all these hugboxes.
Eventual Fall of Oil
What is /midpol/'s thoughts on what is going to happen to the oil based powers in the future? Looking at what is happening right now to Russia and Venezuela, what happens if oil is replaced in terms of need? What will happen especially in the middle east with Iran and Saudi Arabia and Syria? I feel like once oil is gone or replaced catastrophe will happen.
Convictions
Do you have them, /midpol/?
This is an interesting video the SwedishDemocrat party made, talking about the election and the state of the nation.
Isn't it kind of interesting how polarized peoples views of Sweden as a nation are?
This board needs some liveliness, so I'll post some generic content to freshen it up.
Fill in the map as you please. I made it myself, so please feel free to adjust it.
Serious Discusion
Hi, I'm a communist trying to flee the circlejerk culture of /leftypol/ and the shitposting response to my attempts of conversation on /pol/ both here and at halfchan. Pic unrelated, trying to lure people here to insult me for frogposter only to make them stay for discussion.
Fellow Libertarians on /midpol/, what is your opinion on the Free State Project?
https://freestateproject.org/
For those of you not in the know, it is a movement to give libertarians the ability to actually have a presence in a state, by asking Libertarians to pledge a move to New Hampshire, which is arguably the most based state in the union right now when it comes to politics, personal freedom, and economic freedom. For example, they just outlawed Police from using Military equipment. They are also one of the few states left where putting on a seatbelt or acquiring auto insurance isn't against the law, but that doesn't stop most of them from doing that anyway.
And the ones in state (including the early movers) are even making a difference there, doing their own things, like cryptocurrency activism + setting up actual bitcoin ATMs, getting their own businesses to accept gold and silver, and getting libertarians state government.
It's time for a really big question /midpol/ which may or may not induce a flamewar: What do you think of some of the other politics boards?
Ferguson Thread
A bit late maybe, but it's probably time to ask another important question: what is /midpol/'s stance on Ferguson?
Search-and-rescue operation underway after AirAsia plane vanishes with 162 on board
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/12/28/airasia-plane-missing-with-162-on-board-indonesia-media-report/Indonesia and Singapore have launched a search-and-rescue operation after an AirAsia flight disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board early Sunday.
Flight 8501 was scheduled to make a relatively short early-morning flight from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore but lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 6:24 a.m. local time (6:24 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday), approximately an hour before it was due to land.
Eleven minutes earlier, according to Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, the pilot had "asked to hinder cloud by turning left and go higher to 34,000 feet." Murjatmodjo said that there was no distress signal from the plane. AirAsia Indonesia had earlier confirmed that the pilot had asked to change course due to bad weather in the area.
Officers shot at in Florida and Los Angeles
http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/29/justice/police-shot-at/Two Los Angeles police officers were shot at Sunday night while they drove their patrol car, police said. The officers returned fire, authorities said, and no one was injured.
One suspect was arrested and two weapons, including a rifle, were recovered. Another remains at large, prompting an hourslong manhunt involving about 100 officers, LAPD Capt. Lillian Carranza said.
And there was a second incident over the weekend in which police were fired at, this one in Florida on Sunday morning.
Will NYPD police deaths impact protests? Thousands honor slain NYPD officer
Someone fired three bullets at two deputies with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office as they sat in their patrol car.
"Both deputies reported hearing the whizzing sound of each projectile as they flew by," the sheriff's office said. "Deputies did not see the suspect or the vehicle from which the shots were fired."
Banners & Flags
Post banners for the board and discuss if we should have board flags here.
Net Neutrality Discussion thread
There seems to be a big divide on ths topic in the past year, so let's get a Net Neutrality discussion thread going.What is your opinion on the whole debate? How much control do you believe Governments and/or Corporations should have on the internet? What should and should not be illegal?
Sex, sex and sex
Let's kick off this board with one of my favorite topics. I love sex, and I know a lot of other people do too. The problem is, everyone likes their sex differently, and people tend to get really upset at others who are "sexually immoral."Thing is, they're right. Sex is important, and important things need rules. The debate that's needed is what those rules should be. So, in this ITT thread we, the (in)sane wayward sons of /pol/, will discuss sex. Start by introducing your personal stance on this subject.
1. What are your personal tastes? What fetishes do you have? What is your sexual orientation?
2. What do you believe about the metaphysics of sex? Why do people feel the urges and desires that they do? What is the "correct" basis of desire?
3. What are your ethics surrounding sex? When is it appropriate? With whom? Under what circumstances? Does your position on this differ from your legal beliefs?
4. What is your opinion on sex in law? When is it appropriate? With whom? Under what circumstances? Does your position on this differ from your ethical beliefs?
5. If you could change one thing about how humanity or the world at large views sex, what would it be?
After you introduce your position, feel free to argue and shitpost nonstop. Have fun, sexy anons~
>>>/fchart/ here
what is /midpol/'s opinion of mass transportation? vital infrastructure, or a waste of money and time? please discuss
What is your opinion on religion and general spirituality? Are you a religious person? If so, what religion do you fall under? Or are you Agnostic or Atheist? What is your opinion of others in your group? Do you believe your group is what society as a whole needs, or does some sort of change need to be made?