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followingmywanderlust · 4 years

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Paulo Brenninkmeijer: Words from A World Traveler

Travel To Gain A Better Understanding of Humanity

When walking through the stunning architecture of College Hall at Endicott College, Paulo exclaims, “It’s just like home!” Born in Brazil and raised in the United Kingdom, Paulo has experienced different cultures from the start of his life. Brenninkmeijer has a German heritage and Dutch nationality and has lived an untraditional life through his family’s business. Paulo speaks Dutch, German, and English fluently, but is also in the process of learning Spanish and Portugese.

China, Hong Kong, Greece, Sri Llanka, Ecuador, Columbia, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Galapagos Islands, Turks & Caicos, Antigua, Maldives, Dubai, and most places in Europe and America are just some of the places Paulo has visited. Paulo has seen an impressive chunk of the world before reaching the age of twenty, and has experienced different cultures, the beauties of nature, and rare wildlife.

ABOUT THE FAMILY BUSINESS

Paulo’s legacy comes from a 179-year-old family business which invented ready-made clothing. The business led the discount retail market in Europe for about 60 years since it’s start in 1841, but it continues to succeed today. Paulo exclaims that the company is able to remain profitable in contemporary society when he states, ” the business diversified its assets in 1999 when entering the Real-Estate market and then in 2002 entering the Private Equity sector where we have also been proven to thrive for the last twenty years.” Paulo’s Basisjaar allowed him to travel the world and enter the businessworld at a young age.

SCHOOLING

Because of Paulo’s upbringing in a business environment he had a different schooling experience. Paulo attended Worth Abbey for his secondary school in the United Kingdom, but at the age of sixteen, Brenninkmeijer chose to learn about the family business to develop the necessary skills that could eventually contribute to his success. Now twenty years old, Paulo is a freshman international student at Endicott College studying International Business and Administration.

When asked how his travelling and work affected his schooling, Brenninkmeijer found both negative and positive effects. Paulo states, “when I should have been studying, I was working in a high-paced, fast-moving environment throughout Europe and I didn’t really have the chance to get to university at the age that I should’ve gone.” At the age of twenty, Paulo is almost two years older than most freshmen at the school, but he feels he is more mature and business savvy.

Another negative that Brenninkmeijer has faced as a result of his real-life work is that he didn’t do learn business through the typical system of ‘book-learning’ but he learnt about it through first hand experience. Paulo says that, “in terms of academics I would say I am very slow and need to get used to learning without doing.”

Additionally, because of his ambitious experiences in the working world, Paulo finds flaws in the current business simulations used in his classes at Endicott. Brenninkmeijer asserts, ” the algorithm is completely rigged and it’s nothing like the real business world. I [talked] about it with my Dean and he understands perfectly.”

Although Paulo’s unconventional teenage years have some pros and cons, his experience in travel outweighs what some people may travel throughout their whole lives.

IMPORTANCE OF TRAVEL

Brenninkmeijer is a strong supporter of travel and would recommend it to anyone. When asked why travel is important, Paulo articulates that people should travel in order, “to understand humans, to understand different cultures and be able to mix in with them and build yourself as a person – learn to become more open- and not only that, there are also aspects of nature, architecture, there are so many different things that will change your life and help you experience a different lifestyle – you really put a different value on life after seeing more things that are beautiful.” Not only will one be able to value life more after finding more beauty, but travelers have a better understanding of humanity which is crucial to meeting new, interesting people.

According to Paulo, individuals who travel will not only learn about the “circle of life,” but also about themselves. In his experience, Brenninkmeijer has found growth in travel. As he describes this growth, “It’s made me a lot more susceptible to things that I didn’t know were possible or could happen. I mean I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people I didn’t know existed, made loads of good friends, good connections, and obviously learn a lot about cultures,” says Paulo. “And it helps you be more extrovert, it helps you be that person who isn’t afraid of approaching a foreign group and wanting to intertwine with them and work with them.” Making connections is something that Paulo has learned the significance of over the years, as he still keeps in touch with people he has met in his travels.

In addition to growing to be more extroverted and cultured, Paulo remembers to remain true to himself. He explains, “And at the end of the day I still have my own values, I’m still my own person, I didn’t change to belong.” It is crucial to be unapologetically yourself when meeting new people in order to spread your own values and culture to others.

Paulo notes the importance of love when discussing travel. “And then I also think it’s taught me that I guess finding something you love should be everyone’s primary goal in life” he says. “I’m in one of those positions where it’s very difficult to do that whilst always traveling and trying to find the next big adventure.”

There are many things that make traveling important, and Brenninkmeijer has experienced most of them.

EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT CULTURES

As an international student who has travelled to more than a dozen countries, Paulo has noted the importance of learning about different cultures.

Paulo has spent months at a time in America and has observed some significant cultural differences between the United States and Europe. “I am naturally very biased,” Brenninkmeijer remarks when asked the culture of Europe compared to that of the United States. “I think the European cultures have far more to offer in terms of diversity and acceptance,” says Paulo. “I feel like [America] prioritizes power, and government and politics over social needs and the environment, and I think Europe has done a great job as a European Union itself and the United Kingdom supporting them managing to maintain a stable environment and we have free health care, free education, allowing us to make those kinds of decisions through more equal distribution.”

Brenninkmeijer also notes the working differences between Americans and Europeans, He says, “if you are an mployee in a lower-level social working environment in order to prosper, you need to pretty much do it by the book and work your way up. You need to follow the chain of command. Obviously it’s the same in Europe, but from what I’ve heard, Europeans are a lot more open and accepting when it comes to the chain of command. It’s almost considered ‘normal’ to contact your CEO and give them ideas and feedback you think the business could use to improve. I myself have witnessed this during an internship at Savills in the Netherlands.” Paulo also mentions that Americans have potential to greater opportunities due to the effort the government put into supporting start-ups and incubators.

After discussing the business opportunity differences between Europe and America, Paulo goes on to explain the difference in food, religion, and music.

Brenninkmeijer starts out by stating his opinion about American food, “The food in this country is awful.” According to Paulo, the European Food Administration have much higher standards for food and hygiene. Some of the Dutch MacDonalds for example have 5 star restaurant rating and sell real beef burgers for €21 ($22.77)! In his experience in America, Paulo has observed the hygiene in America, “If you go to restaurants around here, you can just tell that the glasses are all stained and those are small things that most people probably don’t look out for. And I also think the government doesn’t make enough effort to advertise healthy food or to put restrictions on the things that are bad for people in this country like they would do in some European countries.” Brenninkmeijer states that he gets homesick sometimes just longing for European food, “I miss having a good European meal.”

In terms of religion, Paulo mentions the difference he sees in how people express their faith. “I would say that we practice faith a lot more in Europe,” he says. “A lot more people go to church, a lot more people are open about their faith, and faith plays a very big role whereas in this mixed-college society, it’s not often spoken about and people aren’t very open about it.”

Interestingly, Paulo enjoys the music in America which he claims to be primarily trap and rap, but he also brings attention to an interesting point. Brenninkmeijer expresses that because of the legal drinking age of 21 in America, American teens do not get the same opportunities to experience the music that many European teens like the best. “I’ve been drinking ever since I can remember and that also has also allowed me to go to nightclubs and bars when you’re 16 and then when you’re 18 you’re allowed to go into the London, Paris, Milan and all the big countries clubs,” says Paulo, and he attributes his love for European club music to his clubbing experiences.

On both an economic and social scale, America and Europe have completely different cultures while still remaining the most prominent places on the globe.

STORIES

As you may have anticipated, Brenninkmeijer has his share of experiences abroad, both positive and negative. He has seen some of the most beautiful parts of the world, observed extremely rare wildlife, and met incredible people with fascinating stories.

Paulo has met some astonishing people in his journeys, but the craziest story he has heard comes from Lakaku who he met during his time spent in Kenya.

Lakaku is a Massai Warrior in Kenya who has 13 wives and 26 children. Paulo tells Lakaku’s story with fascination and passion. “When he was younger he used to be in the drug trade, he used to work for one of the dictators in Africa, and this was between the ages of 16 and 18. What he’d do is he’d take heroin in small medicine cups and he’d basically smuggle them across the border as a travelling man of Massai.”

“Then he met someone named Alex Hunter who was a white man who offered him a way out. He was doing a traveling safari in a car on the edge of the border. Alex saw this young man and (In Massai) basically said ‘Hey do you want to work for me, I have plans to start a camp in the Laikipia conservancy?’ Lakaku didn’t want to do it at first because he wanted to start his own tribe and in order to become the leader of a tribe you have to ‘show great courage’ such as killing a wild cat with your bare hands,” Paulo continues.

“Lakaku managed to do this with a dagger and basically what he did was he made himself bait for a group of hyenas and then when the hyenas attacked him he went for the leader of the pack – he still has scars all over his arms and his back from it – but once he killed the leader, naturally the other hyenas got afraid and they fled. He still carries the hyena pelt that he slaughtered that day and that’s what gave him a name in the Massai Warrior community and that’s what made him have the power and influence that he has in his own right.”

“He owns 13 cows, which in the Massai is probably the equivalent to hundreds or thousands, it has one of the highest values, it’s one of the most valued assets any man of Massai can have and in return for it, he has all these wives and all these children and he has his own village. He was a very interesting person, he didn’t speak any English, wore only a red rag over his shoulder, carried a bow & arrow, a spear, and a dagger on him at all times, he had really big ears because he carried these big, round disks in them, and he also carries one in his mouth, he was very skinny but at the same time incredibly strong, and completely fearless.”

In addition to meeting fascinating people, Paulo has been on some wild adventures and has even faced his fear of heights on multiple occasions. When asked to describe the most challenging thing done when traveling, Brenninkmeijer lists a series of absolutely chilling experiences he has faced. “If by traveling you mean doing a kind of military camp with a bunch of cadets from the UK, then spending 4 weeks in the wilderness almost getting trench foot after having walked through water for about 3 days and having your feet crunch up whilst being ordered to stay in your tent for reaching the 1st stage of trench foot and you barely being able to walk for a couple of days because your feet are so disgustingly shrivelled and wet, then yes, I would say that was a riveting experience,” says Paulo.

“But thats not all… along with that you can probably include going down really wet cliffs and hurting yourself a lot as well as being ordered to learn how to overcome ‘cold water shock’ – having your boat sunk and watching someone almost drown because if it.” Paulo also notes his other fascinating adventures including “being in a warzone in Columbia, working in Ol-Pejeta in Africa having orders to kill poachers whilst protecting endangered animals, going to Israel where two hours away more than 400 projectile missiles had just been fired into the country from the West Bank, I don’t know I think that’s some pretty weird things – or pretty crazy.”

Now most travelers do not run into these troubles, but due to Paulo’s loev for travel, he has faced many (terrifying) adventures in addition to positive experiences. One of these positive experiences comes from his travels to Ecuador when he was working there for four weeks.

“The Galapagos – it’s an omnibenevolent place. It’s so amazing and overpowering when you’re there because of the beauty of the people, the nature, the location, the animals. It’s pretty much a modern version of the Garden of Eden if I had to describe it,” he says. Everything seems perfect – all your troubles, all your worries, everything goes away. It’s just you, yourself, and this amazing awe that the area just emits – and that the people emit which is also why when you go there you just fall in love and you can’t have time for anything back home, you don’t have time for your little worries and little things in the world when there’s just so much amazement surrounding you.”

Nature and traveling can also be used as a therapeutic tool where visiting new, beautiful places can make individuals forget about any stresses they may have.

ADVICE

Paulo has both received advice and given advice to others about traveling.

The best advice he has received is to “Just to be yourself. Not care about what other people think, but always stay humble and know your roots.”

When asked to give advice, Paulo gave his own advice. “The same advice that I was given. Be yourself. Stay humble. It depends on where you’re going, it depends on who you’re with, it depends on the environment you’re in,” he says. “If I had to just give a piece of general advice, I’d say always think of the worst case scenario in wherever you’re going and have a backup plan and have a contact that you know you can rely on at all times. Maybe even have a satellite phone on you or something that you can always stay connected to someone who can help you out if something were to go wrong.”

Safety is important when traveling, and having a back up plan is crucial to feeling comfortable in a new place.

GET OUT THERE

Remember that wherever you go, it is important to “Just be yourself” and experience the world around you. Get ready to learn new cultures, see incredible wildlife, and take in the beauty of the world around you.

What are you waiting for? Go book your flight ticket.

for more visit: kyliebreenphotography.com

#interview #travel #traveling #advice #interantional #interesting #stories #blogging

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escaperiesworld · 5 years

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Everyone who’s reading my blog posts from time to time may have noticed that I focus on the nature of Latvia very much. Why? Well, first, I love nature and it is easy to focus on something you love. Nature has been the love of my life since I remember myself. And not only the nature of Latvia.

It’s not very surprising that I decided to become a biologist. Funny that during my studies I rarely met any study mate, who was as green as I was.

I have even a hypothesis that being a Riga City boy I probably value wild nature much more than those my friends coming from the countryside. They’ve had probably enough greenery during their childhood. Just my guess.

Whatever is the reason for me being so green I am more than 100% sure nature of Latvia won’t disappoint anyone who is of a similar mindset as I am and probably even some of those who aren’t. After all, if my passion for nature can convince someone to appreciate more greenery around us, we all will be the winners.

Here are the reasons I love nature of Latvia so much and I’m pretty sure you’ll love it too.

Why Nature of Latvia Is Actually the First and Main Reason To Come Here?

Latvia might not be a standard ecotourism destination that first comes to your mind. You might know something about our famous capital city Riga but probably not much more. Well, many of my guests refer to their friends, who were first surprised about their decision to visit Latvia.

It is true that Latvia is still somewhat off-the-beaten-path and under the radar destination for most of the travelers. Yet, once you come here you may guess, why you did not know about Latvia earlier.

Being by one third bigger than the Netherlands and Switzerland and twice bigger than Belgium Latvia has only 1.9 million people. This naturally makes plenty of room for nature. Nature of Latvia is still pristine and relatively untouched, making Latvia a perfect ecotourism destination in Northern Europe.

Visit Latvia and you’ll have a chance to see many nature values that had been lost in other parts of modern Europe decades ago. Today Latvia is one of the greenest countries in Europe.

Natural Habitats

Latvia is the home for many protected habitats of European Union (EU) and also international importance. For those looking for the full list, you can find it here.

#1: Baltic Sea & Stunning Sandy Beaches – Probably The Main Reason To Come

Latvia has for sure among the most stunning Nordic coastlines in the world. The beaches in Latvia are some of the best beaches in Europe. The Latvian Baltic Sea coast is more than 500 km (300 miles) long. It is largely secluded but at the same time mostly public and easily available for everyone.

A beach in western Latvia

Get to know more about the new long-distance coastal hiking trail in Latvia and Estonia called “Jūrtaka” or choose from any of the great shorter coastal hiking routes to enjoy Latvian beaches and pristine coastal nature at its utmost.

Boreal Baltic sandy beaches and different types of coastal dunes are the habitats of EU importance, many of them being well-preserved in Latvia.

Pāvilosta Grey Dune

#2: Dense Forests – Not Just The Source Of Timber

Latvia is the land of forests. Forests cover more than 50% of its territory, which is well above Europe’s average of 33%. Not surprisingly many goods, houses, etc. are made of wood here.

Dominating trees are pine, spruce, birch, and alder. There are coniferous, deciduous and lots of mixed forests. You’ll also see threes like oak, ash, elm, hazel, linden, maple, willow and other species typical and not that typical for Northern and Central Europe.

Pokaini Forest – The most mystic forest in Latvia

Latvian broad-leaved forests become especially beautiful during the fall. Gorgeous Gauja National Park is a popular destination during this season. Locals, especially from Riga, are heading to Sigulda town during the autumn’s weekends to admire the colors of changing seasons there. So you better choose working days to visit this place unless you enjoy crowds and lots of traffic.

Coniferous western taiga forests and different types of the rare natural old broad-leaved boreal and mixed forests are all big values that represent the greenery and nature of Latvia.

Boreal forest in Northern Europe

#3: Bogs, Fens & Mires – Places Of Pristine Nature

Natural bog-lands of Latvia are something not to miss when discovering the nature of Latvia. Many of these bogs and mires are truly wild and pristine. We still have unique bog habitats that had mostly disappeared in Western Europe. Such are active raised bogs, calcareous and alkaline fens, transition mires and more.

Some of the most amazing well-preserved raised bogs are very close to Riga. The most popular is the Great Kemeri Bog in Kemeri National Park and Cena Mire. You don’t need any special footwear to walk in these places, as there are wooden boardwalks set-up for visitors.

Good choices for visiting are also more distant Suda Mire in Gauja National Park, Teirumnīku Mire in eastern Latvia (Latgale), Vasenieku Mire in western Latvia (Kurzeme) or even the wild bog-lands of Slitere National Park and Ziemeļu Mire on Latvian/Estonian border.

Ziemelu Mire

#4: Lakes & Rivers – Your Endless Options For Kayaking/Canoeing Trips

The nature of Latvia is rich with freshwater. We are among the leaders of freshwater resources in Europe. Around 12,000 rivers and 3,000 lakes of different sizes are what makes Latvia so watery. Eastern region of Latvia – Latgale is even called the “Land of Blue Lakes”, and this is not without a reason. It’s rich with beautiful lakes.

There are seven protected freshwater habitats of EU importance in Latvia. The best way to enjoy Latvian rivers and lakes is to go for a kayaking or canoeing trip.

The most popular rivers for boating in Latvia are Gauja, Salaca, Abava, and Irbe. Check out for more details about the best kayaking trips in Latvia here.

#5: Grasslands – Important Part Of Latvian Traditions

For those looking for some open space, Latvian grasslands might be an attraction. There are ten protected grassland habitats of EU importance in Latvia. Although not always that well-preserved natural meadows are an important part of Latvian rural landscape.

Baltic tribes arrived in this region some 2000 years B.C. They brought many changes here, including agricultural traditions and open lands in the otherwise naturally forested places. Since then, pastures and meadows had gradually become an integral part Latvian rural landscape. Lots of them ceased to exist though during Soviet occupation when traditional agriculture practices were largely abandoned.

Natural meadows are an important part of Latvian traditions. Even in this modern world Latvians collect plants that grow in meadows for health and beauty treatment purposes (as well as wild berries and mushrooms in the forests and bog-lands for homemade food). Visit Latvia during the Summer solstice time (from 20 to 24 June) and you’ll see the importance of nature and greenery in our culture at its utmost.

Midsummer festival in Riga – Dzegužkalns park

For grassland habitats to be well maintained they must be managed. Today many EU and local initiatives support mowing and grazing of natural meadow habitats to increase and keep their biodiversity. Natural meadows are home for many insect species, rare plants, and birds’ species.

Wooded meadows hiking trail in Gauja National Park

If you want to see grassland management in action you may wish to visit the sites like nature parks “Pape Lake” and “Lake Engure” or Lielupe River Floodplain in Jelgava City. You’ll see amazing natural wetlands and semi-wild “grazing machines” – hairy highlander cows and konik horses – doing their grazing job there.

#6: Rocky Habitats & Caves

There are no mountains in Latvia. Yet, we have rocky habitats and caves here. These are very rare but “must” places to see in Latvia found mostly on the slopes of river valleys and on the vegetated sea cliffs of the Baltic Sea coast.

Steep Baltic Sea Coast

These are all generally “soft” limestone and sandstone formations, hence being very fragile ecosystems.

In some places, these are truly impressive monuments of Latvian nature. Gauja River Valley is the most famous place to go in Latvia with rocky riverbank slopes that are around 350 million years old. The best way to enjoy them is by kayaking or canoeing on this river.

Canoeing in Gauja National Park

In many places, it is also a great idea to go for a hiking trip in Gauja National Park.

Salaca river is another great boating destination to see this rare wonder of Latvia.

Salaca river valley

Not least impressive are the sandy cliffs on the western coast of the open Baltic Sea close to Jurkalne village. This is also a great place for coastal hiking and enjoying secluded beaches in Latvia.

Birds & other animals

Birds to see

During the spring and autumn migration periods (April-May and September-October) Latvia is a paradise for birdwatchers. The spring and autumn bird migration routes go across the country. In the autumn, birds travel from Scandinavia and northern Russia across Latvia to Southern Europe and Africa. Then they come back in the spring.

There are lots of shallow lagoon lakes along the Baltic Sea coast. The biggest ones are Engure, Kanieris, Pape, Babite and Liepaja lakes. We also have plenty of forests and flood-lands. This all makes Latvia a great dwelling place for many migratory bird species.

In case you are a keen bird-watcher you should not miss Kolka Cape, where the open Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga meet. Also, you might wish to check out Lubana Lake Wetland complex in the Eastern Latvia (Latgale). Lake Lubans is also the biggest lake in Latvia.

There are altogether 365 recorded bird species in Latvia. One species for each day of a short year, if I may say so. Woodpeckers and owls in the forests, ducks, seagulls and swans in the coastal area, Bittern in the reedbeds, Lesser Spotted Eagle in open places, Osprey and cranes in bog-lands, Corncrake in grasslands. These are just some samples of our feathered heroes.

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Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)

Corncrake (Crex crex)

Roller (Coracias garrulus)

There are also lots of bird watching towers set up at the best bird watching spots. Thus bird-watching is for sure one of the best things to do in Latvia. Ask locals to arrange a great bird-watching trip for you.

Some bigger animals

The nature of Latvia has also some bigger animals to offer. Some of the species are not that common in other parts of Europe. You can spot wolves, lynx, elks, deer, wild boars, lot of beavers, badgers, otters and even some bears here. You must be very lucky to see most of these wild animals in nature though because they are all very cautious. There is still an option to see them on a special nature trail in Ligatne, if you wish.

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Protected Areas – Best Places To Visit

There are 4 national parks, 42 nature parks, and 261 nature reserves in Latvia. We also have 4 strict nature reserves (not accessible to visitors), around 355 nature monuments, 7 protected marine areas, and the North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. There are lots of small protected areas called micro-reserves too. All these areas are set-up for the protection of species, natural habitats, and traditional landscapes. Many of them are great eco-tourism spots.

Here is a great movie about protected areas of Latvia. Enjoy!

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Most of the protected areas in Latvia are also the areas of European Union importance, which means that most of them are so-called Natura2000 network sites. The best and most diverse places to visit for those who want to explore nature in Latvia are the four national parks and North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve. Yet, there are also many other great smaller protected nature areas that a nature lover might want to check out.

You can find the full list of all protected territories in Latvia here.

#1: Gauja National Park – The “Must See” In Latvia

Gauja National Park is the oldest national park in Latvia. It is the most beautiful destination that attracts many visitors. You can soak up the beauty of pristine nature here, which is so different in each of the four seasons.

In spring and summer, it is a popular place for kayaking/canoeing in the gorgeous Gauja River Valley. In the autumn the beautiful broad-leaved forests in Gauja Valley turn into breath-taking yellow and red colors. While in snowy winter it is a great place for skiing. Gauja National Park is a “must see” place if you are interested to see the best of the nature in Latvia.

Gauja National Park

#2: Slitere National Park – The Wildest Place To Go

Slitere National Park is the wildest national park in Latvia. It is in the northwest part of the country and includes Kolka Cape – the place where the “two seas” meet: the open Baltic Sea to the West and the Gulf of Riga to the East. Earlier it used to be a strict nature reserve with a very limited public access. Today it is a national park open for visitors. In some parts, public access is restricted though to protect its natural values.

Slitere National Park is rich with pristine forests, untouched bog lands, and amazing sandy beaches.

View to the forests of Slitere National Park

#3: Kemeri National Park – The Place Of Magic Bog-lands

Kemeri National Park is the closest national park to Riga. This makes it also the most visited one. The most attractive parts for visitors are Great Kemeri Bog with its boardwalk. Lake Kaņieris is a perfect spot for bird watching and angling. The park is also famous for its sulfur springs.

Great Kemeri Bog

#4: Razna National Park – The Gem Of Eastern Latvia

Razna National Park is the youngest of all national parks in Latvia. It is in the eastern part of the country called Latgale. The park itself is named after a big Lake Rāzna, which is sometimes called the “Sea of Latgale”. Razna National Park has lakes and forests and the unique diversity of nature.

Razna National Park in Eastern Latvia (Latgale)

#5: North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve

North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve is the biggest protected area in Latvia. As the name itself suggests the reserve is in the northern part of Vidzeme (central) region of Latvia.

The reserve is a protected area of international importance recognized by UNESCO. The area includes lots of natural and cultural values and many smaller protected areas. You can enjoy the gorgeous Rocky Seashore of Vidzeme. Or you can also head to any of the remote and pristine bog-land areas near the Estonian border.

Vidzeme Rocky Seashore

The beautiful rivers of Salaca and Ruja, as well as Burtnieku Lake, are perfect places for kayaking/canoeing.

Ruja River

North Vidzeme Biosphere Reserve is a huge area to explore. Hence the motivation to visit Latvia again.

#6: Nature Parks

The most prominent protected areas mentioned above are not the only ones worth looking at when you visit Latvia. There are also smaller nature areas that you might be interested in. Such are:

“Lake Pape” Nature Park

The nature park of Lake Pape is the area in the very southwest part of Latvia. Lake Pape is a shallow lagoon lake. It is a perfect place for bird watching during the migration periods in the spring and summer. Pape is a remote place. Plan a visit there if you go to Liepaja City.

“Lake Pape” Nature Park: the only place in Latvia where the raised bog stretches into the beach

Nature Park “Bernati”

Nature Park “Bernati” is another great place near the Baltic Sea. It is only halfway between Liepaja city and Lake Pape. The beach is gorgeous here. Yet be careful while swimming in the sea! There are cunning rip currents in this area.

Nature Park “Piejura”

“Piejūra” means “at the sea” in Latvian. The name itself suggests that the park lays at the seacoast. If you come to Riga City or Carnikava and Saulkrasti towns, this is by far the closest natural area you can visit. Yet don’t let its location to fool you. You’ll find gorgeous beaches, sandy and grey dunes as well as amazing coastal pine forests here.

Nature Park “Piejura”

The nature in Latvia is abundantly present even in the big cities and towns.

“Lake Engure” Nature Park

Lake Engure is about 70 km/44 miles to the northwest from Riga. It is a shallow lagoon lake, hence being a paradise for migrating birds and a good place for bird watchers. It is much closer to Riga than the similar Lake Pape. The lake is close to the Gulf of Riga. Thus you can combine bird watching on the lake with a relaxed afternoon on a beach.

Abava Valley Nature Park

Abava Valley Nature Park is an amazing destination for a kayaking or canoeing trip. It has impressive landscapes, cozy old towns on their banks and natural diversity. Depending on which section of this river you plan to conquer you will get one or all these values combined.

Abava River Valley nature park

Nature Park “Daugavas loki” (Meanders of Daugava)

Nature Park “Daugavas loki” (Meanders of Daugava) is a scenic area in the very south-east part of Latvia. It is famous for its pronounced natural meanders of the biggest river of Latvia – Daugava. This is also the UNESCO heritage site. You will see totally different Daugava compared to the same river in Riga.

“Daugavas loki” is a beautiful place for kayaking and canoeing. You will witness amazing off-the-beaten-path nature spots here. The water tourism is not that well-developed on Daugava as it is on other popular rivers in Latvia. Hence you can ask a professional local adventure travel company to arrange your trip when visiting Latvia.

Nature park “Daugavas loki”

Lubana Wetland Complex – Birds’ Paradise

Lubans is the biggest lake in Latvia. The unique lake and the area around it are a wetland of international importance (a RAMSAR site). Lake Lubans is another great place for bird watching in Latvia. There are six bird watching towers available for this activity.

The area is the home for many protected species and habitats. You can also buy local fish and rent a boat here.

Summing-Up

It is common and natural that people first travel to the capital city of any less known destination. Therefore, Riga is probably more popular than Latvia itself. This is so far. Yet, once you get the first insights you want to know more, right? It is time to dig deeper. At this point let me introduce the real Latvia that starts outside Riga and consists mostly of nature.

Nature is one of the main reasons to visit Latvia. Amazing sandy and secluded beaches, vast forests, pristine bog-lands, the abundance of rivers and lakes and natural meadows are the main treasures worth coming for to Latvia. If ecotourism is what speaks to you, the diverse nature of Latvia and plenty of national and nature parks won’t let you be disappointed.

Now you know why I am so in love with the nature of Latvia, and it is likely that you will be too.

Why I Love Nature Of Latvia So Much – And Why You’ll Love It Too Everyone who’s reading my blog posts from time to time may have noticed that I focus on the nature of Latvia very much.

#latvia #visitlatvia #natureinlatvia #natureoflatvia

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patriotsnet · 3 years

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Who Were The Radical Republicans And What Did They Believe

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/who-were-the-radical-republicans-and-what-did-they-believe/

Who Were The Radical Republicans And What Did They Believe

What Are The Similarities And The Differences Between Lincoln The Radical Republicans And Johnsons Plan For Reconstruction

How the Republican Party went from Lincoln to Trump

Johnsons plan wasnt as willing to give as much freedom to newly free slaves as Lincolns was. Johnson wanted to give the land back to the south unlike the RR. Johnsons plan gave less protection to freed slaves then the Radical Republicans plan. Unlike the 10% plan, the plan they had wanted to punish the south.

Progressive Era And The Great Depression

Because of the Republican Partys association with business interests, by the early 20th century it was increasingly seen as the party of the upper-class elite.

With the rise of the Progressive movement, which sought to improve life for working-class Americans and encourage Protestant values such as temperance , some Republicans championed progressive social, economic and labor reforms, including President Theodore Roosevelt, who split from the more conservative wing of the party after leaving office.

Republicans benefited from the prosperity of the 1920s, but after the stock market crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression, many Americans blamed them for the crisis and deplored their resistance to use direct government intervention to help people. This dissatisfaction allowed Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt to easily defeat the Republican incumbent, Herbert Hoover, in 1932.

Recommended Reading: Can Republicans Vote In The Nevada Caucus

Why Did Lincoln And Johnsons Plans Fail

The Radical Republicans opposed Lincolns plan because they thought it too lenient toward the South. Radical Republicans believed that Lincolns plan for Reconstruction was not harsh enough because, from their point of view, the South was guilty of starting the war and deserved to be punished as such.

You May Like: When Did Republicans And Democrats Switch Platforms

Which Of The Following Was A Provision Of The Reconstruction Act Of 1867

The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 laid out the process for readmitting Southern states into the Union. The Fourteenth Amendment provided former slaves with national citizenship, and the Fifteenth Amendment granted black men the right to vote.

What are the four powers of the president as outlined in Article 2?

The New Deal Coalition

The countrys third critical election, in 1932, took place in the wake of the stock market crash of 1929 and in the midst of the Great Depression. Led by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Democrats not only regained the presidency but also replaced the Republicans as the majority party throughout the countryin the North as well as the South. Through his political skills and his sweeping New Deal social programs, such as social security and the statutory minimum wage, Roosevelt forged a broad coalitionincluding small farmers, Northern city dwellers, organized labour, European immigrants, liberals, intellectuals, and reformersthat enabled the Democratic Party to retain the presidency until 1952 and to control both houses of Congress for most of the period from the 1930s to the mid-1990s. Roosevelt was reelected in 1936, 1940, and 1944; he was the only president to be elected to more than two terms. Upon his death in 1945 he was succeeded by his vice president, Harry S. Truman, who was narrowly elected in 1948.

Don’t Miss: How Many Republicans Are In The 116th Congress

The Radical Republicans After The Death Of Thaddeus Stevens

Thaddeus Stevens died on August 11, 1868. After lying in the state in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, he was buried in a cemetery in Pennsylvania he had chosen as it allowed burials of both White and Black people.

The faction of Congress he had led continued, though without his fiery temperament much of the fury of the Radical Republicans subsided. Plus, they tended to support the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, who took office in March 1869.

Dont Miss: How To Get Rid Of Republicans

Andrew Johnson And Presidential Reconstruction

At the end of May 1865, President Andrew Johnson announced his plans for Reconstruction, which reflected both his staunch Unionism and his firm belief in states rights. In Johnsons view, the southern states had never given up their right to govern themselves, and the federal government had no right to determine voting requirements or other questions at the state level. Under Johnsons Presidential Reconstruction, all land that had been confiscated by the Union Army and distributed to the formerly enslaved people by the army or the Freedmens Bureau reverted to its prewar owners. Apart from being required to uphold the abolition of slavery , swear loyalty to the Union and pay off war debt, southern state governments were given free rein to rebuild themselves.

As a result of Johnsons leniency, many southern states in 1865 and 1866 successfully enacted a series of laws known as the black codes, which were designed to restrict freed Black peoples activity and ensure their availability as a labor force. These repressive codes enraged many in the North, including numerous members of Congress, which refused to seat congressmen and senators elected from the southern states.;

Recommended Reading: Who Supported The Republicans In The Spanish Civil War

Read Also: When Did Political Parties Switch Platforms

The Reconstruction Acts Spur Political Activity

Although not yet a part of the Constitution , African Americans’ right to vote was guaranteed by the Reconstruction Acts of 1867, which required the Southern states to approve the Fourteenth Amendment. Under the amendment, the number of congressional representatives of any state that prevented any of its male citizens from voting would be reduced. Suffrage meant more to blacks than any other right, for it gave them the power to take a prominent role in remaking their society. African Americans were now grappling with the complex questions of identity left in slavery’s wake: Should they leave behind or celebrate their African heritage? Were they really inferior, as whites had always told them? Did they see beauty in themselves? Being allowed to vote could only have a positive effect on African Americans’ self-image, and in the opportunities that would be available to them.

How Did The Radical Republicans Differ From The Republican Majority

Most Republicans Don’t Believe Biden Legitimate 2020 Winner: Polling

RepublicansmajorityRepublicanwereRadical Republicans

They both disagreed with Black Codes and wanted rights for African Americans. Moderate Republicans hope the government wouldn’t have to force the South to follow federal laws while Radical Republicans did.

Additionally, what was the radical Republican plan? The Radical Republicans‘ reconstruction offered all kinds of new opportunities to African Americans, including the vote , property ownership, education, legal rights, and even the possibility of holding political office. By the beginning of 1868, about 700,000 African Americans were registered voters.

Secondly, what did the radical Republicans believe?

The Radical Republicans believed blacks were entitled to the same political rights and opportunities as whites. They also believed that the Confederate leaders should be punished for their roles in the Civil War.

Did the radical Republicans favored emancipation?

Radical Republican. Radical Republican, during and after the American Civil War, a member of the Republican Party committed to emancipation of the slaves and later to the equal treatment and enfranchisement of the freed blacks.

Read Also: Who Controls Senate

An African American Majority In The South Carolina Legislature

Because blacks in South Carolina vastly outnumbered whites, the newly-enfranchised voters were able to send so many African American representatives to the state assembly that they outnumbered the whites. Many were able legislators who worked to rewrite the state constitution and pass laws ensuring aid to public education, universal male franchise, and civil rights for all.

Bookmark this item: //www.loc.gov/exhibits/african-american-odyssey/reconstruction.html#obj12

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mastcomm · 5 years

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Thailand, Coronavirus, Trump: Your Monday Briefing

Coronavirus deaths exceed toll from SARS

The death toll in China has risen to more than 800, surpassing the 774 deaths in the SARS epidemic of 2002-3. Here are live updates.

The number of new cases appears to have stabilized, but a senior official of the World Health Organization said, “It’s very, very early to make any predictions.”

A study of early cases in Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak, suggests a single patient spread the virus far and wide in a hospital.

Blowback in China: The authoritarian system President Xi Jinping built around himself is being tested. Though he has retreated from view, it may be difficult for him to escape blame. “What kind of government is this?” asks a family of three generations sickened by the virus and desperate for care in Wuhan. The city’s natives are being ostracized across China.

In Japan: More than 2,000 passengers are confined to their cabins on the docked Diamond Princess, fearful quarantine is putting them at greater risk.

Rare mass shooting shocks Thailand

A Thai soldier killed at least 29 people and injured dozens in a 18-hour shooting rampage at a military base and a shopping mall in the city of Korat, north of Bangkok, officials said. It was the country’s deadliest mass shooting.

How it unfolded: Thailand’s prime minister said a real estate dispute sparked the rampage. On Saturday, the soldier, Sgt. Jakkrapanth Thomma, 32, shot and killed a woman known for selling real estate to military officers, along with her son-in-law, who was a superior officer from the sergeant’s command.

The gunman posted an angry message on Facebook: “Nobody can escape death. Rich from cheating and taking advantage of people … Do they think they can take money to spend in hell?”

Then he went to a military base, killed another victim and stole an arsenal of weapons, which he took to the crowded Terminal 21 shopping center on Saturday afternoon, trapping many people inside for hours. A first police raid failed, and he was killed Sunday morning.

Watch: We compiled a brief video with images from the mall.

Sunday night vigil: Hundreds of people gathered near the mall, many writing tributes to the dead. “The society nowadays has turned into this?” said a 53-year-old university lecturer. “It’s devastating. My heart can’t handle it.”

What’s next: The country faces deeper questions about what happened, the government’s response and the underlying forces that led a young man to kill so many people randomly.

Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who served on the National Security Council, was marched out of the White House by security officers, along with his twin brother, Lt. Col. Yevgeny Vindman, on Friday. Within hours, against the advice of a handful of Republican senators, Mr. Trump also dismissed Gordon Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union.

The firings may presage a broader effort to even accounts with the president’s perceived enemies.

Political focus: Mr. Trump’s re-election campaign is focusing on improving his image among suburban voters and others who are uneasy about his politics and behavior. Some areas are already rallying around him.

Another political force: A community of right-wing conspiracy theorists called QAnon has reached from internet obscurity into political campaigns and beyond.

If you have some time, this is worth it

A battle for the future of the Nile

Ethiopia is staking its hopes on its $4.5 billion hydroelectric dam. Egypt fears the dam will cut into its water supplies. President Trump is mediating.

Egypt has controlled the Nile for thousands of years, but that could be coming to an end. Our reporting team explores the conflict in videos, maps, photos and interviews — including one with an Egyptian farmer facing catastrophe: “Our livelihood is being destroyed, God help us.”

Here’s what else is happening

Antarctica: The continent reached a record high on Thursday when a research station reported a temperature of 64.9 degrees Fahrenheit, or 18.2 degrees Celsius. Climate experts see the rare heat as an effect of global warming.

Venezuela: Faced with a severe economic crisis, the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, is ceding daily control of many oil fields to foreign firms, as the once proud state oil company shrivels.

Soccer: A group of former executives from the governing body for soccer in Africa have accused the Cairo-based organization of financial wrongdoing, and now an audit paints an ugly picture of millions of dollars in expenditures.

Snapshot: Above, a Nenets woman with a tray of stroganina in December. Fishermen and reindeer herders in northern Siberia have long snacked on raw, frozen fish and meat.

Australia Fare: The d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren Vale, South Australia, is a zany, adult fun house whose designer wants its restaurant to be the best in the world. Sometimes, maybe it is.

What we’re reading: This essay in Essence, addressing the attacks on the broadcast journalist Gayle King after she raised the question of an old, dropped rape accusation against Kobe Bryant in the wake of his death. “The term misogynoir — the special type of hatred directed against women of color — says it all,” says the briefings editor, Andrea Kannapell.

Now, a break from the news

Cook: Italian pasta and chickpea stew cooks in just one pan, and can be vegan by leaving off, or subbing, the final dusting of pecorino.

Read: “Saltwater,” a novel about a young Englishwoman questioning her place in the world, is among 10 new books we recommend.

Watch: The final season of Showtime’s “Homeland” has begun. Two of its stars, Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin, spoke to The Times about how the espionage drama has evolved.

Smarter Living: Want to improve your sleep? Our Wirecutter colleagues present hacks, tips and products that actually help in their “Five Days to Better Sleep” Challenge. (Sign up here).

And now for the Back Story on …

Revisiting ‘The Year of Africa’

Seventeen African countries shed their colonial status in 1960. Sixty years later, our archival storytelling team, Past Tense, paired photography from collections at The Times and elsewhere with writers and thinkers of African descent for a special section, “A Continent Remade.” Veronica Chambers, the editor of Past Tense, spoke with Adriana Balsamo about the project. Here are a few lightly edited excerpts from their conversation.

Can you speak to the decision to have more youthful writers be a part of the project?

We really wanted a certain dynamism to the conversation. And we thought that it would be interesting to ask youngish people who are really connected to the continent … and who have a sense of pride about it. David Adjaye, for example, spent years cataloging the architecture of Africa in a way that had never been done before. But he grew up half his life off the continent.

There’s always a period of discovery for someone who has a foot in a country, but didn’t necessarily grow up there. And especially because the countries are so young, it felt like it’d be interesting to ask these young people who in some ways really benefited from all of the good of independence — their lives were shaped by everything that came after — to look at the pictures and respond.

What is your favorite photo?

I think the mother and baby picture [with Imbolo Mbue’s essay] and the Miss Independence picture [with Luvvie Ajayi’s essay] were really important to me because those were the two I found first, in October 2018. I held onto those two pictures as a kind of proof of concept. I also love the picture at the United Nations by Sam Falk [with Mr. Adjaye’s essay]. He’s so special to the history of The Times and just to know what it must have meant for those men to be able to go and represent new nations. To say, “Our country is three months old and here we are. Let’s talk about how we fit into the rest of the world.” I think that’s pretty powerful.

What do you hope readers take away from the section?

We are really hoping that people on the continent will read the digital version, and we’ve worked really hard on the interactive. When you look at the news photographs, it was a time when very few New York Times readers would have been to the continent. And so when we look at where we are at 60 years later, there’s still a lot of people who have never been and may never go.

And I hope what readers will take from it is a sense of possibility on the continent that I believe continues to this day. A sense of beauty, a sense of community. And I hope, interest: I hope they will continue to read some of the writers we featured.

That’s it for this briefing. See you next time.

— Penn

Thank you To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is the trial of Harvey Weinstein. • Here’s our Mini Crossword, and a clue: Look forward to (four letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • The New York Times Company now has more than five million subscriptions, including 3.5 million that are digital-only. Thank you!

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networkingdefinition · 5 years

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Europe Quotes

Official Website: Europe Quotes

• A day will come when all nations on our continent will form a European brotherhood… A day will come when we shall see… the United States of America and the United States of Europe face to face, reaching out for each other across the seas. – Victor Hugo • A relatively small and eternally quarrelsome country in Western Europe, fountainhead of rationalist political manias, militarily impotent, historically inglorious during the past century, democratically bankrupt, Communist-infiltrated from top to bottom. – William F. Buckley, Jr. • Accordingly the Northern races of Europe found their inspiration in the Bible; and the enthusiasm for it has not yet quite faded away. – Lafcadio Hearn • Africa north of the Sahara, from a zoological point of view, is now, and has been since early Tertiary times, a part of Europe. This is true both of animals and of the races of man. – Madison Grant • After being boxed in by man and his constructions in Europe and the East, the release into space is exhilarating. The horizon is a huge remote circle, and no hills intervene. – Jacques Barzun • All black people who are even minimally conscious, black people who have ever experienced Europe’s technological power crusading in the vanguard of a civilizing mission, have profound feelings of inferiority and bitterly regret the fact that the Industrial Revolution did not agreeably commence in Dahomey or Dakar. Nothing is achieved by concealing this fact. – Lewis Nkosi • And everything stopped quite rapidly because I knew that nobody in Europe was able to go to space. It was the privilege of being either American or Russian. – Philippe Perrin • Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise in Europe and elsewhere in the world. We are losing our first-line antimicrobials. Replacement treatments are more costly, more toxic, need much longer durations of treatment, and may require treatment in intensive care units. – Margaret Chan • Anyone who knows history, particularly the history of Europe, will, I think, recognize that the domination of education or of government by any one particular religious faith is never a happy arrangement for the people. – Eleanor Roosevelt • As an observer of markets – whenever everyone focuses on one thing – like Greece and Europe – maybe they miss issues that are far more important – such as a meaningful slowdown in India and China. – Marc Faber • Asia’s crowded and Europe’s too old, Africa is far too hot and Canada’s too cold. And South America stole our name, let’s drop the big one. – Randy Newman • Aside from rabid Islamists, no one who wishes to be taken seriously can publicly say anything bad about the old Jews of Europe without sounding like reactionary troglodytes. – Jacob T. Schwartz • Asking Europe to disarm is like asking a man in Chicago to give up his life insurance. – Will Rogers

• Be advised that there is no parking in Europe. – Dave Barry • Being and working in America, it’s very important to work hard, work smart and work in a certain way. France and Europe has, with the tradition and culture, it’s slow-moving and it’s not always good. – Mireille Guiliano • Being away from home gave me the chance to look at myself with a jaundiced eye. I learned not to be ashamed of a real hunger for knowledge, something I had always tried to hide, and I came home glad to start in here again with a love for Europe that I am afraid will never leave me. – Jackie Kennedy • But Maastricht was not the end of history. It was a first step towards a Europe of growth, of employment, a social Europe. That was the vision of Francois Mitterrand. We are far from that now. – Laurent Fabius • But the age of chivalry is gone. That of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded; and the glory of Europe is extinguished forever. – Edmund Burke • But, I’ve made films in Japan, in Yugoslavia, all over Europe, all over the United States, Mexico, but not Hollywood. – Sydney Pollack • Certainly the existence of these huge nuclear force was important for the ultimate confrontation, let’s say, over western Europe. You just can’t use them to deal with a situation like Afghanistan. – Lloyd Cutler • Civilization – and by this I do not mean talking cinemas and tinned food, nor even surgery and hygienic houses, but the whole moral and artistic organization of Europe – has not in itself the power of survival. It came into being through Christianity, and without it has no significance or power to command allegiance … It is no longer possible, as it was in the time of Gibbon, to accept the benefits of civilization and at the same time deny the supernatural basis on which it rests … Christianity … is in greater need of combative strength than it has been for centuries. – Evelyn Waugh • Companies in Europe should stop trying to do the U.S. version of a European idea. – Guy Kawasaki • Croatia did not want Europe to be divided as to the start of Croatia’s EU entry talks. – Stjepan Mesic • Does this boat go to Europe, France? – Anita Loos • Eighty percent of married men cheat in America. The rest cheat in Europe. – Jackie Mason • Europe and the U.K. are yesterday’s world. Tomorrow is in the United States. – Tiny Rowland • Europe cannot confine itself to the cultivation of its own garden. – Juan Carlos I of Spain • Europe cannot survive another world war. – Christian Lous Lange • Europe extends to the Alleghenies; America lies beyond. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • Europe has a long and tragic history of mostly domestic terrorism. – Gijs de Vries • Europe has to address people’s needs directly and reflect their priorities, not our own preoccupations. – Peter Mandelson • Europe has united, China is growing speedily and Russia possesses immense power in terms of fuel resources. The US administration cannot do anything about it. – Vladimir Zhirinovsky • Europe has what we [Americans] do not have yet, a sense of the mysterious and inexorable limits of life, a sense, in a word, of tragedy. And we have what they sorely need: a sense of life’s possibilities. – James A. Baldwin • Europe is a collection of free countries. – Douglas J. Feith • Europe is and will be a Union of States. – Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero • Europe is good at many things, which is why we are the largest exporter in the world. Thirty million people in Europe are employed in making our exports of goods and services. Just under 900 thousand of them are in Sweden. – Cecilia Malmstrom • Europe is so much the home of Horror, with its myths of vampires, werewolves, witchcraft and the undead, yet it’s like those myths were exported to Hollywood, leaving Europe the room to develop a new tradition as a way of processing its traumas, particularly the two world wars. – Mark Gatiss • Europe itself is an embodiment of this diversity. – Ulrich Beck • Europe thus divided into nationalities freely formed and free internally, peace between States would have become easier: the United States of Europe would become a possibility. – Napoleon Bonaparte • Europe to me is young people trying to appear middle-aged and middle-aged people trying to appear young. – Mike Myers • Europe was created by history. America was created by philosophy. – Margaret Thatcher • Ever since the Crusades, when Christians from western Europe were fighting holy wars against Muslims in the near east, western people have often perceived Islam as a violent and intolerant faith – even though when this prejudice took root Islam had a better record of tolerance than Christianity. – Karen Armstrong • Every time Europe looks across the Atlantic to see the American Eagle, it observes only the rear end of an ostrich. – H. G. Wells • Fascism is the result of the collapse of Europe’s spiritual and social order… catastrophes broke through the everyday routine which makes men accept existing forms, institutions and tenets as unalterable natural laws. They suddenly exposed the vacuum behind the facade of society. – Peter Drucker • For years, European leaders have pointed out that Europe is an economic giant, but a military pygmy. – George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen • For years, we’ve grown dependant on American consumers as the world’s spenders of last resort. They’ve kept Europe out of recession, allowed China to industrialise, and prevented global deflation. But at the same time, they’ve not been looking after their own futures. – Evan Davis • France and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing, though, is that people there know how to live! In America they’ve forgotten all about it. I’m afraid that the American culture is a disaster. – Johnny Depp • From the dome of St. Peter’s one can see every notable object in Rome… He can see a panorama that is varied, extensive, beautiful to the eye, and more illustrious in history than any other in Europe. – Mark Twain • Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will be rapid and discoveries made of which we have at present no conception. I begin to be almost sorry I was born so soon, since I cannot have the happiness of knowing what will be known a hundred years hence. – Benjamin Franklin • Germany is probably the richest country in Western Europe. Yet they wouldn’t take any television with Duke and Ella, their reaction being that people weren’t interested in it. – Norman Granz • Greater inequality in Europe has made people less happy. – Derek Bok • Guy Peellaert was to Europe what Andy Warhol was to America – except Guy had more talent! – Jim Steranko • He is not someone who went off to play in Europe and only a few Americans follow. He has the potential to be on magazine covers and more newspaper coverage. – Lamar Hunt • Hot, dry katabatic winds, like the south foehn in Europe, the sharav in the Middle East, and the Santa Ana of Southern California, are all believed to have a decided effect on human behavior and are associated with such health problems as migraines, depression, lethargy, and moodiness. Some scientists say that this is a myth. – Tim Cahill • I am a committed European; a united Europe is Romania’s future. – Victor Ponta • I am busy touring all over Europe, Japan, and Australia. – Suzi Quatro • I am not 100% English, I am actually part Italian and even part Hungarian. Therefore I feel very much part of Europe both in my upbringing and outlook. – Bruce Bennett • I am proud of the fact that women have been recognised as being as capable, as able to do the senior jobs in Europe as any man. – Catherine Ashton • I am very proud to be a part of the Livestrong Foundation. I am maybe only a member but I give everything I can to be sure that people understand that cancer is a disease for everybody – not only in France, in Europe, in Asia, it is all over the world. We must fight together, we must make something to fight the cancer, we must Livestrong. – Gregoire Akcelrod • I believe only in French culture and consider everything in Europe that calls itself ‘culture’ a misunderstanding, not to speak of German culture. – Friedrich Nietzsche • I believe that Europe without Britain at the heart will be less reform-driven, less open, less international Europe. – Jose Manuel Barroso • I can only paint in India. Europe belongs to Picasso, Matisse, Braque India belongs only to me. – Amrita Sher-Gil • I come from a small town and I come from a background where we didn’t have money to travel. I thought I’d have to join the military to get to Europe. So I’m thrilled to travel. – Chris Isaak • I defy anyone – and I have said this to the Germans – to build a solid, articulated, and viable Europe without France’s consent. – Pierre Laval • I enjoyed the two years I was with Clannad. I enjoyed touring. We toured a lot in Europe. – Enya • I expect that my readers have been to Europe, I expect them to have some feeling for a foreign language, I expect them to have read books – there are a lot of people like that! That’s my audience. – Alan Furst • I feel fully decided that we should all go to Europe together and to work as if an established Partnership for Life consisting of Husband Wife and Children. – John James Audubon • I got the travel bug when I was quite young. My parents took me and my sisters out of school and we travelled all over Europe. It was an eye-opening experience and, although I love Norway, I also enjoy visiting new countries. I don’t get homesick. – Magnus Carlsen • I grew up in Europe, where the history comes from. – Eddie Izzard • I had always been fascinated by the whole idea that Australia was this different ecology and that when rabbits and prickly pears and other things from Europe were introduced into Australia, they ran amok. – David Gerrold • I have to come to terms with the paternalism of American business. Companies are expected to take on so many social responsibilities which are the province of the state in Europe. – Nick Denton • I have visited some places where the differences between black and white are not as profound as they used to be, but I think there is a new form of racism growing in Europe and that is focused on people who are Middle Eastern. I see it. – Montel Williams • I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list. – Susan Sontag • I haven’t travelled that much before so this is the first time I get to see the big cities of Europe. I’ve never even been to US. – Ville Valo • I just went off for two months traveling around Europe on a motorcycle and pretty much turned my phone off. I did 5,000 miles with my dad. We went through Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Italy… and then I did Spain and France by myself. – Michael Fassbender • I learned that you can make a sci-fi film that is satisfying overseas. European people have everything in check. I’d make every sci-fi film in Europe. They only work 14 hours a day. After that, it’s overtime. – Michelle Rodriguez • I might have played a little bit more in Europe than I have in Japan. – Billy Higgins • I must walk toward Oregon, and not toward Europe. And that way the nation is moving, and I may say that mankind progress from east to west. We go eastward to realize history and study the works of art and literature, retracing the steps of the race; we go westward as into the future, with a spirit of enterprise and adventure. – Henry David Thoreau • I notice that teams are now more interested in Japanese players than when I first went to Europe. – Hidetoshi Nakata • I said, yet again, for Germany, Europe is not only indispensable, it is part and parcel of our identity. We’ve always said German unity, European unity and integration, that’s two parts of one and the same coin. But we want, obviously, to boost our competitiveness. – Angela Merkel • I saw what Purple meant to people and I still hear it now when I’m in Europe. I’m always shocked that I’m still asked about Purple because it was such a long time ago. – David Coverdale • I started writing and photographing for different publications and finally ended up being the correspondent in South Asia, for the Geneva-based Journal de Geneve, which at one time used to be one of the best international newspapers in Europe. – Francois Gautier • I still get invitations from all over Europe to speak at dinners, and it’s an honour that promoters and charities can use me to create income. – Frank Bruno • I think it does work. The fact that the law is there and injustices can be rectified, I think has a lot to do with the fact that the people in this country aren’t as frustrated as they are in some of these places in Eastern Europe and don’t resort to violent revolution. – Harold H. Greene • I think it is important for Europe to understand that even though I am president and George Bush is not president, Al Qaeda is still a threat. – Barack Obama • I think that after Church got his Ph.D. he studied in Europe, maybe in the Netherlands, for a year or two. – Stephen Cole Kleene • I think the race went as well as it could and I drove well to finish sixth. The chassis is working better and through the corners we are more or less there; we’ll move onto Europe and see if we can get further up the grid and keep improving. The weekend went pretty smooth for me until the end of the race, I don’t know what happened, but the team will have a look at it. – Daniel Ricciardo • I turn my eyes to the schools & universities of Europe And there behold the loom of Locke whose woof rages dire, Washed by the water-wheels of Newton. Black the cloth In heavy wreaths folds over every nation; cruel works Of many wheels I view, wheel without wheel, with cogs tyrannic Moving by compulsion each other: not as those in Eden, which Wheel within wheel in freedom revolve, in harmony & peace. – William Blake • I want the whole of Europe to have one currency; it will make trading much easier. – Napoleon Bonaparte • I was in Europe and it was at this stage that I fell in love with Americans in uniform. And I continue to have that love affair. – Madeleine Albright • I was with a folk trio back in ’63 and ’64, and we traveled all across North Africa, Israel, and Europe. – Creed Bratton • If Berlin fell, the US would lose Europe, and if Europe fell into the hands of the Soviet Union and thus added its great industrial plant to the USSR’s already great industrial plant, the United States would be reduced to the character of a garrison state if it were to survive at all. – Dwight D. Eisenhower • If Ireland is to become a new Ireland she must first become European. – James Joyce • If it was Europe that gave us on the coast some idea of our history, it was Europe, I feel, that also introduced us to the lie. – V. S. Naipaul • If Russia shuts off central Asia and the Caspian Sea from Europe, the European allies of the United States will be totally dependent on Russian gas and energy. – Mikhail Saakashvili • If there is one thing Britain should learn from the last 50 years, it is this: Europe can only get more important for us. – Tony Blair • If you look at most of the Royal Houses in Europe, the inbreeding was pretty outstanding. – Nikolaj Coster-Waldau • I’m not prepared to have someone tell me there is only one view of what Europe is. Europe isn’t owned by any of them, Europe is owned by all of us. – Tony Blair • Important as economic unification is for the recovery of Germany and of Europe, the German people must recognize that the basic cause of their suffering and distress is the war which the Nazi dictatorship brought upon the world. – James F. Byrnes • In 1990 we ran across Europe through 13 countries and covering 7,130 miles. – Dennis Banks • In 2012, the far-right Golden Dawn won 21 seats in Greece’s parliamentary election, the right-wing Jobbik gained ground in my native Hungary, and the National Front’s Marine Le Pen received strong backing in France’s presidential election. Growing support for similar forces across Europe points to an inescapable conclusion: the continent’s prolonged financial crisis is creating a crisis of values that is now threatening the European Union itself. – George Soros • In a few hundred years you have achieved in America what it took thousands of years to achieve in Europe. – David McCallum • In America, they shoot budgets and schedules, and they don’t shoot films any more. There’s more opportunity in Europe to make films that at least have a purity of intent. – Paul Bettany • In Europe and Australia, there is something called the Tall Poppy Syndrome: People like to cut the tall poppies. They don’t want you to succeed, and they cut you down – especially people from your own social class. – Mark Burnett • In Europe you learn not to fail, and in America you fail to learn. You need failure. – Hartmut Esslinger • In Europe, where human relations like clothes are supposed to last, one’s got to be wearable. In France one has to be interesting, in Italy pleasant, in England one has to fit. – Sybille Bedford • In Hamburg, there are three major orchestras, an opera house, and one of the great concert-hall acoustics in Europe at the Laeiszhalle, in a town a fifth the size of London. And that’s not unusual. In Germany, there are dozens of towns with two or three orchestras. The connection with music goes very, very deep. – Jeffrey Tate • In London it had seemed impossible to travel without the proper evening clothes. One could see an invitation arriving for an Embassy ball or something. But on the other side of Europe with the first faint tinges of faraway places becoming apparent and exciting, to say nothing of vanishing roads and extra weight, Embassy balls held less significance. – Robert Edison Fulton, Jr. • In Old Europe and Ancient Crete, women were respected for their roles in the discovery of agriculture and for inventing the arts of weaving and pottery making. – Carol P. Christ • In remembering the appalling suffering of war on both sides, we recognise how precious is the peace we have built in Europe since 1945. – Queen Elizabeth II • In the beginning, New York and I had kind of a love-hate relationship. It seemed so abrasive compared to Europe. But the transformation here in recent years is really something. I don’t think I would have seen as much change if I’d lived in any other city in the world. – Shalom Harlow • In the last quarter of the eighteenth century bourgeois Europe needed to emancipate itself from that combination of feudalism and commercial capitalism which we know as mercantilism. – C. L. R. James • In the villages in Europe, there are still healers who tell stories. – Yannick Noah • In this age of consumerism film criticism all over the world – in America first but also in Europe – has become something that caters for the movie industry instead of being a counterbalance. – Wim Wenders • In this country, the health concerns and the environmental concerns are as deep as in Europe. All the surveys show that. But here, we didn’t have the cultural dimension. This is a fast-food culture. – Jeremy Rifkin • Information and inspiration are everywhere… history, art, architecture, everything an illustrator needs. Europe is, after all, the land that has generated most of the enduring myths and legends of Western culture. – John Howe • Internal protectionism in Europe would be deadly, really a disaster for European economies. – Jose Manuel Barroso • It does not follow because many books are written by persons born in America that there exists an American literature. Books which imitate or represent the thoughts and life of Europe do not constitute an American literature. Before such can exist, an original idea must animate this nation and fresh currents of life must call into life fresh thoughts along the shore. – Margaret Fuller • It is hard to imagine that, having downgraded the US, S & P will not follow suit on at least one of the other members of the dwindling club of sovereign AAAs. If this were to materialise and involve a country like France, for example, it could complicate the already fragile efforts by Europe to rescue countries in its periphery. – Mohamed El-Erian • It is in order that France may find her place in the new Europe that you will respond to my appeal. – Pierre Laval • It is not to save capitalism that we fight in Russia … It is for a revolution of our own. … If Europe were to become once more the Europe of bankers, of fat corrupt bourgeoisies we should prefer Communism to win and destroy everything. We would rather have it all blow up than see this rottenness resplendent. Europe fights in Russia because it [i.e., Fascist Europe] is Socialist. what interests us most in the war is the revolution to follow The war cannot end without the triumph of Socialist revolution. – Leon Degrelle • It may be said that modern Europe with teachers who inform it that its realist instincts are beautiful, acts ill and honors what is ill. – Julien Benda • It’s been President Clinton’s dream that we’ll have finally a fully integrated Europe. – Warren Christopher • It’s hard to explain why I like Europe so much. – Broderick Crawford • It’s like night and day… to do business, in Europe, there is no bull, they are pretty straightforward. – Caprice Bourret • It’s monstrous that Europe, which is fighting for human rights, refused seriously sick Slobodan Milosevic treatment. – Vladimir Zhirinovsky • I’ve always held the view that great states need strategic space. I mean, George Washington took his space from George III. Britain took it from just about everybody. Russia took all of Eastern Europe. Germany’s taken it from everywhere they can, and China will want its space too. – Paul Keating • I’ve always liked traveling around Europe and seeing the architecture. The buildings in capital cities have been there for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years. Some look better than the new ones. – Joe Elliott • I’ve never really taken more than four days off, so it was a lot for me to go away for three-and-a-half months. I went all over Europe. I walked on a whole bunch of beaches and I did a lot of thinking. – Puff Daddy • I’ve worked behind counters serving food, and I’ve lived on the circus train, and I’ve led bicycle tours in Eastern Europe and the Balkans and Russia. I’ve been a key liner for a newspaper, I’ve done typesetting. Oh, all sorts of things. – Bonnie Jo Campbell • Japanese architecture is very much copied in this country and in Europe. – Minoru Yamasaki • Jesus was not a white man; He was not a black man. He came from that part of the world that touches Africa and Asia and Europe. Christianity is not a white man’s religion and don’t let anybody ever tell you that it’s white or black. Christ belongs to all people; He belongs to the whole world. – Billy Graham • Kosovo today is closer to Europe than other countries in the region of South Eastern Europe. – Ibrahim Rugova • Leisure was the sine qua non of the full Renaissance. The feudal nobility, having lost its martial function, sought diversion all over Europe in cultivated pastimes: sonneteering, the lute, games and acrostics, travel, gentlemanly studies and sports, hunting and hawking, treated as arts. – Mary McCarthy • Maimed but still magnificent… Europe’s mightiest medieval cathedral. – R. W. Apple • Many upscale American parents somehow think jobs like their own are part of the nation’s natural order. They are not. In Europe, they have already discovered that, and many there have accepted the new small-growth, small-jobs reality. Will we? – Daniel Henninger • Margaret Thatcher was fearful of German unification because she believed that this would bring an immediate and formidable increase of economic strength to a Germany which was already the strongest economic partner in Europe. – Douglas Hurd • Maybe this will be the beginning of a trend? Flat taxes, cutting foreign aid, a referendum on Europe, grammar schools. Who knows? – Nigel Farage • Modern Existentialism… is a total European creation, perhaps the last philosophic legacy of Europe to America or whatever other civilization is now on its way to supplant Europe. – William Barrett • Morality in Europe today is herd-morality – Friedrich Nietzsche • More and more do I see that only a successful revolution in India can break England’s back forever and free Europe itself. It is not a national question concerning India any longer; it is purely international. – Agnes Smedley • More than 95 percent of both legal and illegal immigration into the United States is non-white. Because of the way immigration law is structured, the highest-skilled nations on earth – those of Europe – are allowed only a tiny percentage of immigrants, while the third world nations such as Mexico are dumping their chaff onto American shores at the highest rate in history. – David Duke • More than any other in Western Europe, Britain remains a country where a traveler has to think twice before indulging in the ordinary food of ordinary people. – Joseph Lelyveld • Most Americans will be horrified that President Obama is compromising our deterrent to chemical and biological attacks on this country. Our allies will also be troubled by his aspiration to eliminate U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. – Frank Gaffney • Mother’s taste was eclectic and ranged from the ancient world to the contemporary from Europe to the U.S. – David Rockefeller • Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! – Ronald Reagan • Much of America is now in need of an equivalent of Mrs. Thatcher’s privatization program in 1980s Britain, or post-Soviet Eastern Europe’s economic liberalization in the early Nineties. It’s hard to close down government bodies, but it should be possible to sell them off. And a side benefit to outsourcing the Bureau of Government Agencies and the Agency of Government Bureaus is that you’d also be privatizing public-sector unions, which are the biggest and most direct assault on freedom, civic integrity, and fiscal solvency. – Mark Steyn • Obviously, there is diversity, but Europe is a union of diversity. – Jean-Pierre Raffarin • Of course, the simple explanation of the fact is that marriage is the most important act of man’s life in Europe or America, and that everything depends upon it. – Lafcadio Hearn • Only recently, during the nineteenth century, and then only in Europe, do we meet forms of the state which have been created by a deliberate national feeling. – Christian Lous Lange • Playing Chelsea is as tough a test as you’ll get in Europe these days. – Michael Carrick • Political union means transferring the prerogatives of national legislatures to the European parliament, which would then decide how to structure Europe’s fiscal, banking, and monetary union. – Barry Eichengreen • Purity of race does not exist. Europe is a continent of energetic mongrels. – H. A. L. Fisher • Recalling some of the most spectacular horrors of history – the burning of heretics and witches at the stake, the wholesale massacre of heathens, and other no less repulsive manifestations of Christian civilization in Europe and elsewhere – modern man is filled with pride in the progress accomplished, in one line at least, since the end of the dark ages of religious fanaticism. – Savitri Devi • Remember one thing – that Sweden is performing better than the rest of Europe. – Goran Persson • Romania will always defend the Roma’s right to move freely in Europe. They are European citizens and as long as there is no evidence they broke the law they should enjoy the same rights of any European citizen. – Traian Basescu • Russia will occupy most of the good food lands of central Europe while we have the industrial portions. We must find some way of persuading Russia to play ball. – Henry L. Stimson • Since creation of the E.U. a half century ago, Europe has enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history. – John Bruton • Since Europe is dependent on imports of energy and most of its raw materials, it can be subdued, if not quite conquered, without all those nuclear weapons the Soviets have aimed at it simply through the shipping routes and raw materials they control. – Barbara Amiel • Since the web is totally worldwide, we need a set of behavioural rules, laws they are commonly called, that are accepted worldwide. There is a big difference as to how things are treated in the U.S. and Europe and Asia. – Robert Cailliau • Smart, sustainable, inclusive growth is the key to job-creation and the future prosperity of Europe. – Jose Manuel Barroso • So Europe’s a big driver. And at one point, if the euro hadn’t devalued, they would have been making as much money as the US with half the stores. Returns were higher. – Jim Cantalupo • So perhaps the most worrying single remark made by a responsible banking official during the current crisis came from Jochen Sanio, the head of Germany’s banking regulator BaFin. He warned on Aug. 1 that his country could be facing the worst banking crisis since 1931 – a reference to the collapse of Austria’s Kredit Anstalt, which provoked a wave of bank failures across Europe. – Martin Walker • Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe. – Steven Chu • Southern Europe has not done enough to enhance its competitiveness, while northern Europe has not done enough to boost demand. Debt burdens remain crushing, and Europe’s economy remains unable to grow. – Barry Eichengreen • Spain and southern Italy, in which Catholicism has most deeply implanted its roots, are even now, probably beyond all other countries in Europe, those in which inhumanity to animals is most wanton and unrebuked. – William Edward Hartpole Lecky • Spain: A whale stranded upon the coast of Europe. – Edmund Burke • Systems of religious error have been adopted in times of ignorance. It has been the interest of tyrannical kings, popes, and prelates to maintain these errors. When the clouds of ignorance began to vanish and the people grew more enlightened, there was no other way to keep them in error but to prohibit their altering their religious opinions by severe persecuting laws. In this way persecution became general throughout Europe. – Oliver Ellsworth • Talking about a materialistic thing, I get about 13 times more royalties from Europe than I do from America. – Elliott Carter • Taming the financial markets and winning back democratic control over them is the central condition for creating a new social balance in Germany and Europe. – Sigmar Gabriel • Terrorism is an evil that threatens all the countries in Europe. Vigorous cooperation in the European Union and worldwide is crucial in order to meet this evil head on. – Jan Peter Balkenende • That in order to achieve the triumph of liberty, justice and peace in the international relations of Europe, and to render civil war impossible among the various peoples which make up the European family, only a single course lies open: to constitute the United States of Europe – Mikhail Bakunin • The 1992 crisis proved that the existing system was unstable. Not moving forward to the euro would have set up Europe for even more disruptive crises. – Barry Eichengreen • The best performers in Europe are those who use their welfare states to help people adjust to change. – John Monks • The British have been more up for it than the Americans were, particularly with respect to nudity in the show. In Europe there are adverts that show the breasts, so people are less frightened of that aspect of the show. Americans can withstand incredible violence on TV shows – which, as I come from England and Canada, I find difficult to stomach – but they are more puritanical when it comes to nudity on screen. – Kim Cattrall • The children are taught more of the meanest state in Europe than of the country they are born and bred in, despite the singularity of its characteristics, the interest of its history, the rapidity of its advance, and the stupendous promise of its future. – Henry Lawson • The Christian missionary may preach the gospel to the poor naked heathen, but the spiritual heathen who populate Europe have as yet heard nothing of Christianity. – Carl Jung • The construction of Europe is an art. It is the art of the possible. – Jacques Chirac • The Drafters of the Constitution were intent on avoiding more than 100 years of religious intolerance and persecution in American colonial history and an even longer heritage of church-state problems in Europe. – John M Swomley • The driving force behind the liberal counter-offensive in Europe has been a reaction against irresponsibility. – Jacques Delors • The electronic media introduced this idea to the larger audience very, very quickly. We spent years and years and years meeting with activists all over Europe to lay the groundwork for a political response, as we did here. – Jeremy Rifkin • The EU Constitution is something new in human history. Though it is not as eloquent as the French and U.S. constitutions, it is the first governing document of its kind to expand the human franchise to the level of global consciousness. The language throughout the draft constitution speaks of universalism, making it clear that its focus is not a people, or a territory, or a nation, but rather the human race and the planet we inhabit. – Jeremy Rifkin • The European Borders Agency in Warsaw has been created to help border forces in Europe cooperate more. – Gijs de Vries • The European Union, which is not directly responsible to voters, provides an irresistible opportunity for European elites to seize power in order to impose their own vision on a newly socially regimented Europe. – Maggie Gallagher • The first time I ever saw people of any color was when D-Day left from my hometown in England, to go and free Europe from the war. And there was every color you could imagine, and I’d not seen that in England. – Richard Dawson • The fortress of Europe with its frontiers must be held and will be held too, as long as is necessary. – Heinrich Himmler • The great mistake about Europe is taking the countries seriously and letting them quarrel and drop bombs on one another. – Edmund Wilson • The immense popularity of American movies abroad demonstrates that Europe is the unfinished negative of which America is the proof – Mary McCarthy • The military superiority of Europe to Asia is not an eternal law of nature, as we are tempted to think, and our superiority in civilization is a mere delusion. – Bertrand Russell • The more you travel, the better you get at it. It sounds silly, but with experience you learn how to pack the right way. I remember one of my first trips abroad, travelling around Europe by rail, fresh out of high school. I brought all these books with me and a paint set. I really had too much stuff, so I’ve learnt to be more economical. – Roman Coppola • The new architecture of transparency and lightness comes from Japan and Europe. – Arthur Erickson • The new century demands new partnerships for peace and security. The United Nations plays a crucial role, with allies sharing burdens America might otherwise bear alone. America needs a strong and effective U.N. I want to work with this new Congress to pay our dues and our debts. We must continue to support security and stability in Europe and Asia – expanding NATO and defining its new missions, maintaining our alliance with Japan, with Korea, with our other Asian allies, and engaging China. – William J. Clinton • The poor are the blacks of Europe. – Nicolas Chamfort • The primary goal of collectivism – of socialism in Europe and contemporary liberalism in America – is to enlarge governmental supervision of individuals’ lives. This is done in the name of equality. People are to be conscripted into one large cohort, everyone equal (although not equal in status or power to the governing class) in their status as wards of a self-aggrandizing government. – George Will • The principle of evil in Europe is the enervating spirit of Russian absolutism. – Lajos Kossuth • The Romans spent the next 200 years using their great engineering skill to construct ruins all over Europe. – Dave Barry • The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. – Alfred North Whitehead • The separation of church and state is extremely important to any of us who holds to the original traditions of our nation. . . . To change these traditions . . . would be harmful to our whole attitude of tolerance in the religious area. If we look at situations which have arisen in the past in Europe and other world areas, I think we will see the reason why it is wise to hold to our early traditions. – Eleanor Roosevelt • The settlement of America had its origins in the unsettlement of Europe. America came into existence when the European was already so distant from the ancient ideas and ways of his birthplace that the whole span of the Atlantic did not widen the gulf. – Lewis Mumford • The technologies which have had the most profound effects on human life are usually simple. A good example of a simple technology with profound historical consequences is hay. Nobody knows who invented hay, the idea of cutting grass in the autumn and storing it in large enough quantities to keep horses and cows alive through the winter. All we know is that the technology of hay was unknown to the Roman Empire but was known to every village of medieval Europe. Like many other crucially important technologies, hay emerged anonymously during the so-called Dark Ages. – Freeman Dyson • The territorial state is such an ancient form of society – here in Europe it dates back thousands of years – that it is now protected by the sanctity of age and the glory of tradition. A strong religious feeling mingles with the respect and the devotion to the fatherland. – Christian Lous Lange • The time is coming when the pressure of population on the means of subsistence will be felt here as it is now felt in Europe and Asia. Then will the world enter upon a new stage of its history – the final competition of races, for which the Anglo-Saxon is being schooled. – Josiah Strong • The tragedy of 9/11 galvanised the American superpower into action, leaving us in Europe divided in its wake. – Douglas Hurd • There are 20 million unemployed and what does the Constitution offer us in the Europe of 25, 27 and soon to be 30: policies of unrestricted competition to the detriment of production, wages, research and innovation. – Laurent Fabius • There are some great divers in Europe and I’m really excited about going to Eindhoven. – Tom Daley • There are the countries of the north of Europe taking decisions and the countries of the south of Europe that are living under intervention. This division exists. – Jose Maria Aznar • There is a grace of life which is still yours, my dear Europe. – Charles Olson • There is a hush over all Europe, nay, over all the world. Alas! it is the hush of suspense, and in many lands it is the hush of fear. Listen! No, listen carefully, I think I hear somethingyes, there it was quite clear. Dont you hear it? It is the tramp of armies crunching the gravel of the paradegrounds, splashing through rain-soaked fields, the tramp of two million German soldiers and more than a million Italiansgoing on maneuversyes, only on maneuvers! – Winston Churchill • There is an enormous difference between Russia and Western Europe. – Herman Gorter • There is no better protection against the euro crisis than successful structural reforms in southern Europe. – Mario Draghi • There is no desire from the new British players. They say their coach doesn’t travel with them so it’s hard, but I played hundreds of players from Eastern Europe and Russia who had no facilities at all. – Tim Henman • There is the grand truth about Nathaniel Hawthorne. He says NO! in thunder; but the Devil himself cannot make him say yes. For all men who say yes, lie; and all men who say no,why, they are in the happy condition of judicious, unincumbered travellers in Europe; they cross the frontiers into Eternity with nothing but a carpet-bag,that is to say, the Ego. Whereas those yes-gentry, they travel with heaps of baggage, and, damn them! they will never get through the Custom House. – Herman Melville • They have some pretty tough gun laws in Japan, as they do in any other civilized country in the world, and they’re not killing each other off with firearms. You have very violent films in Europe, yet it’s not causing the mayhem we see in our streets routinely here. – Michael D. Barnes • This film business, perhaps more so in America than in Europe, has always been about young sexuality. It’s not true of theatre, but in America, film audiences are young. It’s not an intellectual cinema in America. – Jacqueline Bisset • This revision of the Constitution will not be perfect. But at least the Constitution will not be inflexible. It will be a step towards the Social Europe which we wish. – Laurent Fabius • To be in Florence is to reflect on Europe’s intricate diversity – and its lost creativity. – Timothy Garton Ash • To enter Europe, you must have a valid passport with a photograph of yourself in which you look like you are being booked on charges of soliciting sheep. – Dave Barry • To persuade thinking persons in Eastern Europe that Central American Marxists – the Sandinistas, the guerillas in El Salvador – are in absurd and tragic error is not difficult. Poles and Czechs and Hungarians can hardly believe, after what they experienced under socialism, that other human beings would fall for the same bundle of lies, half-truths, and distortions. Sadly, however, illusion is often sweeter to human taste than reality. The last marxist in the world will probably be an American nun. – Michael Novak • To the chefs who pioneered the nouvelle cuisine in France, the ancienne cuisine they were rebelling against looked timeless, primordial, old as the hills. But the cookbook record proves that the haute cuisine codified early in this century by Escoffier barely goes back to Napoleon’s time. Before that, French food is not recognizable as French to modern eyes. Europe’s menu before 1700 was completely different from its menu after 1800, when national cuisines arose along with modern nations and national cultures. – Raymond Sokolov • To understand Europe, you have to be a genius – or French. – Madeleine Albright • Today, Germany is on the borders of Europe everywhere. – Heinrich Himmler • We are asking the nations of Europe between whom rivers of blood have flowed, to forget the feuds of a thousand years and work for the larger harmonies on which the future depends. – Winston Churchill • We are the country that has attracted the biggest volume of foreign investment in southeastern Europe in the past few years. Romania doesn’t need to beat itself, believing that it is a second-class citizen. – Traian Basescu • We cannot calculate the numbers of people who left, fled or were fished out of Europe just ahead of the Holocaust. – Gene Tierney • We don’t mind having sanctions banning us from Europe. We are not Europeans. – Robert Mugabe • We go to Europe to be Americanized. – Ralph Waldo Emerson • We have a firm commitment to NATO, we are a part of NATO. We have a firm commitment to Europe. We are a part of Europe. – Dan Quayle • We must rid this nation of the United Nations, which provides the communist conspiracy with a headquarters here on our own shores, and which actually makes it impossible for the United States to form its own decisions about its conduct and policies in Europe and Asia. – John T. Flynn • We stayed in some pretty shabby places in Europe. – Phil Collins • We swear we are not going to abandon the struggle until the Last Jew in Europe has been exterminated and is actually dead. It is not enough to isolate the Jewish enemy of mankind – the Jew has got to be exterminated! – Robert Ley • Well, I have concerns about the effectiveness of Europe to compete. – John Major • Well, what there ought to be is an international labor organization, a confederation of the trade unions of all the countries speaking for the workers who are competing with one another, and talking about the difference in wage levels between, say, Europe and Indonesia. – Richard Rorty • What we should grasp, however, from the lessons of European history is that, first, there is nothing necessarily benevolent about programmes of European integration; second, the desire to achieve grand utopian plans often poses a grave threat to freedom; and third, European unity has been tried before, and the outcome was far from happy. – Margaret Thatcher • Whatever else may divide us, Europe is our common home; a common fate has linked us through the centuries, and it continues to link us today. – Leonid Brezhnev • When I first was conducting as guest conductor in Europe 25 years ago, I would propose doing American pieces and grudgingly it would be accepted from time to time. – Michael Tilson Thomas • When I go to farms or little towns, I am always surprised at the discontent I find. And New York, too often, has looked across the sea toward Europe. And all of us who turn our eyes away from what we have are missing life. – Norman Rockwell • When I saw how the European Union was developing, it was very obvious what they had in mind was not democratic. In Britain, you vote for a government so the government has to listen to you, and if you don’t like it you can change it. – Tony Benn • When I search for Man in the technique and the style of Europe, I see only a succession of negations of man, and an avalanche of murders. – Frantz Fanon • When I’ve seen my operas in Europe, they have always struck me as more American than when I hear them here. I can’t tell you what that phenomenon is. – Carlisle Floyd • When we fled from the oppressions of kings and parliaments in Europe, to found this great Republic in America, we brought with us the laws and the liberties, which formed a part of our heritage as Britons. – Caleb Cushing • Whoever lights the torch of war in Europe can wish for nothing but chaos. – Adolf Hitler • Whoever speaks of Europe is wrong: it is a geographical expression. – Otto von Bismarck • With Christianity, freedom and equality became the two basic concepts of Europe; they are themselves Europe. – Peter Drucker • With few exceptions, democracy has not brought good government to new developing countries. What Asians value may not necessarily be what Americans or Europeans value. Westerners value the freedoms and liberties of the individual. As an Asian of Chinese cultural backround, my values are for a government which is honest, effective and efficient. – Lee Kuan Yew • With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his tracks in the war. When I got there, there was a certain satisfaction in finding I had it right – it does look like that. – David McCullough • Without Britain, Europe would remain only a torso. – Ludwig Erhard • Yes, it is Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals, it is Europe, it is the whole of Europe, that will decide the fate of the world. – Charles de Gaulle • You either believe in Europe at any price: in other words we have to be in Europe at any price because you can’t survive without it, or you don’t. If you don’t it tends to suggest there is a price which you are not willing to pay. – Liam Fox • You, the Spirit of the Settlement! … Not understand that America is God’s crucible, the great melting-pot where all the races of Europe are melting and re-forming! Here, you stand, good folk, think I, when I see them at Ellis Island, here you stand in your fifty groups, with your fifty languages and histories, and your fifty blood hatreds and rivalries. – Israel Zangwill • Your map of Africa is really quite nice. But my map of Africa lies in Europe. Here is Russia, and here… is France, and we’re in the middle – that’s my map of Africa. – Otto von Bismarck

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equitiesstocks · 5 years

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Europe Quotes

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years

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The Age of Football by David Goldblatt review – not just a beautiful game | Books

It is easily forgotten that the EU referendum fell in the days between Roy Hodgson’s hapless England football team grinding out a 0-0 draw with Slovakia to advance to the last 16 of Euro 2016 and it losing 2-1 to Iceland in a humiliating exit from the tournament. Donald Tusk tweeted presciently or gleefully: “UK-Iceland, 1-2. Winter is coming.”

Who knows how a swan song Wayne Rooney hat-trick in that game might have affected voting intentions a couple of days later? What is certain, however, is that only a government as insouciant or incompetent as David Cameron’s would have called a vote on Britain’s European future while fans clothed and tattooed in the flag of St George were defending the honour of our boys in the fountains and pavement cafes of France – and our up-and-at-’em footballing nation was sensing a new humiliation at the hands of those sophisticated operatives from across the channel.

In hindsight, the most telling image of England’s campaign was that of our travelling supporters army scarily outnumbered and battered by tooled-up Russian ultras, who delivered what appeared to be a calculated missive from the Putin government. The message on the stadium advertising hoardings underneath that image was the French tournament’s unfortunate motto: “Rendez-vous with history”.

David Goldblatt’s latest encyclopedic book on the reach of the global game misses no possible nuance in the symbolism of that particular stand-off. In analysing England’s football culture over the last 30 years he makes the point that it was at the generally joyful 1996 tournament that the union jack was abandoned by England’s fans and a new narrower nationalism emerged. He notes, too, the split that occurred between the followers of the national team, “more white and more working class”, and the audience for the sleek product of Premier League. “The innumerable St George’s flags were usually appended with the name of a club, mostly smaller northern and Midlands towns. The big clubs from England’s most globally connected cities (London, Manchester and Liverpool) were conspicuous by their absence.” That particular schism plays into the primary thesis of this book: that football, the most visible and entertaining expression of extreme global capitalism, has also been subject to the countervailing movement of populist jingoism.

Goldblatt’s previous books – The Ball Is Round: A Global History of Football, Futebol Nation: A Footballing History of Brazil, and The Game of Our Lives: The Meaning and Making of English Football – all had a slightly more hopeful cast than this one. They generally viewed the arc of the beautiful game, it seemed, as bending toward harmony between nations, the ultimate leveller of playing fields. Just over a decade on from that first book, however, Goldblatt emphasises more troubling evidence of the ways in which the sport has been used to divide peoples. As his analysis wanders across the globe, from Africa to Europe and South America, he provides thousands of examples of such political manipulation.

In the Middle East Goldblatt argues a three-sided match: “Regime v Street v Mosque”. He shows how football has been used both as a proxy for imperial ambitions in the Emirates – buying up foreign assets, parading the World Cup in Qatar as the ultimate bling on the world stage – and as a force of rebellion against Qur’anic stricture in Iran. Having originally outlawed football, Isis, under siege, typically “developed a more opportunist and pragmatic football theology”. They used tournaments as a way of recruiting students in Jordan and indulged foreign fighters with Xboxes and Fifa. In Mosul, in 2015, they allowed the Barcelona v Real Madrid “el clásico” to be broadcast for the first time in cafes and homes only to burst in and smash TV sets when they discovered that there was a minute’s silence at the match to honour the dead of the Paris terror attacks.

‘I would like to die playing football’: Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s prime minister. Photograph: Laszlo Balogh/Reuters

What is clear from Goldblatt’s indefatigable study is that, almost anywhere in the world apart from North America, no would-be dictator or democratic rabble-rouser or theocratic patriarch can afford to neglect the passions aroused in the hearts of football fans. Some have risen directly on that sentiment. The Bolivian president Evo Morales, in power since 2006, emerged from a poor family of llama farmers brandishing a football. Aged 13, he founded a club, Fraternidad, and went on to star in the side then captain and coach it. He did the same when he became head of a local union, running on the platform: “I would die fighting for people’s rights, but if I don’t get the chance, I would like to die playing football.” He subsequently combined the presidency with playing in the second tier of Bolivian football, and cemented 13 years of power by recruiting Fidel Castro and Diego Maradona in a regional protest against the Fifa directive that no international matches could be played above an altitude of 2,750m – Bolivia’s key weapon in qualifying tournaments against Brazil and Argentina. “Wherever you make love,” he announced, “you should play.”

That message – the supposed virility of strongman leadership – finds in football an easy symbol. Erdoğan in Turkey and Xi in China make football a campaign strategy; nationalists everywhere question the loyalties of multi-ethnic national sides. As Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker, noted, when things were going well “they were calling me Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker. When things weren’t going well, I was Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian striker of Congolese descent.”

Viktor Orbán, leader of the dictatorial Fidesz movement in Hungary, was, in Goldblatt’s account, a “fearsome five-a-side player” in a team called Fojikasor (“the beer is flowing…”). The future Hungarian president and the parliamentary speaker played alongside him. Among Orbán’s first acts in power was to create a central fund to rebuild the football grounds of every first and second division club in Hungary. Contracts went to Fidesz construction companies. The most lavish scheme was in Felcsút, Orban’s home village (pop: approximately 1,500), in which a stadium was created for the local team featuring a polished mahogany superstructure with fan vaulting.

Goldblatt could go on and often does. He references situationist theory and post-Marxist analysis, Guy Debord and Walter Benjamin as a twin strike force, to substantiate his persuasive belief that pretty much all of the hopes and inequalities and fears of contemporary society are played out in the spectacle of 11 v 11. This is not a book for the armchair reader of either football or global politics, but it is an irrefutable argument against anyone who might still suggest that either is only a game.

• The Age of Football: The Global Game in the Twenty-First Century by David Goldblatt is published by Macmillan (£25). To order a copy go to guardianbookshop.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £15, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99

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populistmedia · 6 years

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US Sate Department Announces End Of New World Order

Tuesday, Secretary Mike Pompeo delivered remarks in Belgium, titled: Restoring the Role of the Nation-State in the Liberal International Order. https://twitter.com/statedeptspox/status/1069900291238068224 From the Press Release: SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, Ian, for the kind introduction. Good morning to all of you; thank you for joining me here today. It’s wonderful to be in this beautiful place, to get a chance to make a set of remarks about the very work that you do, the issues that confront the Marshall Fund and confront our region as well. Before I start today with my formal remarks, it would be – I would be enormously remiss if I did not pay a well-deserved tribute to America’s 41st president, George Herbert Walker Bush. He was a – many of you know him. He was an unyielding champion of freedom around the world — first as a fighter pilot in World War II, later as a congressman. He was the ambassador to the United Nations, and then an envoy to China. He then had the same job I had as the director of the CIA – I did it longer than he did. He was then the vice president under Ronald Reagan. I got to know him some myself. He was a wonderful brother, a father, a grandfather, and a proud American. Indeed, America is the only country he loved more than Texas. (Laughter.) I actually think that he would be delighted for me to be here today at an institution named after a fellow lover of freedom, George Marshall. And he would have been thrilled to see all of you here, such a large crowd gathered who are dedicated to transatlantic bonds, so many decades after they were first forged. The men who rebuilt Western civilization after World War II, like my predecessor Secretary Marshall, knew that only strong U.S. leadership, in concert with our friends and allies, could unite the sovereign nations all around the globe. So we underwrote new institutions to rebuild Europe and Japan, to stabilize currencies, and to facilitate trade. We all co-founded NATO to guarantee security for ourselves and our allies. We entered into treaties to codify Western values of freedom and human rights. Collectively, we convened multilateral organizations to promote peace and cooperation among states. And we worked hard – indeed, tirelessly – to preserve Western ideals because, as President Trump made clear in his Warsaw address, each of those are worth preserving. This American leadership allowed us to enjoy the greatest human flourishing in modern history. We won the Cold War. We won the peace. With no small measure of George H. W. Bush’s effort, we reunited Germany. This is the type of leadership that President Trump is boldly reasserting. After the Cold War ended, we allowed this liberal order to begin to corrode. It failed us in some places, and sometimes it failed you and the rest of the world. Multilateralism has too often become viewed as an end unto itself. The more treaties we sign, the safer we supposedly are. The more bureaucrats we have, the better the job gets done. Was that ever really true? The central question that we face is that – is the question of whether the system as currently configured, as it exists today, and as the world exists today – does it work? Does it work for all the people of the world? Today at the United Nations, peacekeeping missions drag on for decades, no closer to peace. The UN’s climate-related treaties are viewed by some nations as simply a vehicle to redistribute wealth. Anti-Israel bias has been institutionalized. Regional powers collude to vote the likes of Cuba and Venezuela onto the Human Rights Council. The UN was founded as an organization that welcomed peace-loving nations. I ask: Today, does it continue to serve its mission faithfully? In the Western Hemisphere, has enough been done with the Organization of American States to promote its four pillars of democracy, human rights, security, and economic development in a region that includes the likes of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua? In Africa, does the African Union advance the mutual interest of its nation-state members? For the business community, from which I came, consider this: The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were chartered to help rebuild war-torn territories and promote private investment and growth. Today, these institutions often counsel countries who have mismanaged their economic affairs to impose austerity measures that inhibit growth and crowd out private sector actors. Here in Brussels, the European Union and its predecessors have delivered a great deal of prosperity to the entire continent. Europe is America’s single largest trading partner, and we benefit enormously from your success. But Brexit – if nothing else – was a political wake-up call. Is the EU ensuring that the interests of countries and their citizens are placed before those of bureaucrats here in Brussels? These are valid questions. This leads to my next point: Bad actors have exploited our lack of leadership for their own gain. This is the poisoned fruit of American retreat. President Trump is determined to reverse that. China’s economic development did not lead to an embrace of democracy and regional stability; it led to more political repression and regional provocations. We welcomed China into the liberal order, but never policed its behavior. China has routinely exploited loopholes in the World Trade Organization rules, imposed market restrictions, forced technology transfers, and stolen intellectual property. And it knows that world opinion is powerless to stop its Orwellian human rights violations. Iran didn’t join the community of nations after the nuclear deal was inked; it spread its newfound riches to terrorists and to dictators. Tehran holds multiple American hostages, and Bob Levinson has been missing there for 11 years. Iran has blatantly disregarded UN Security Council resolutions, lied to the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors about its nuclear program, and evaded UN sanctions. Just this past week, Iran test fired a ballistic missile, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Earlier this year, Tehran used the U.S.-Iran Treaty of Amity to bring baseless claims against the United States before the International Court of Justice – most all of this malign activity during the JCPOA. Russia. Russia hasn’t embraced Western values of freedom and international cooperation. Rather, it has suppressed opposition voices and invaded the sovereign nations of Georgia and of Ukraine. Moscow has also deployed a military-grade nerve agent on foreign soil, right here in Europe, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention to which it is a party. And as I’ll detail later today, Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for many years. The list goes on. We have to account for the world order of today in order to chart the way forward. It is what America’s National Security Strategy deemed “principled realism.” I like to think of it as “common sense.” Every nation – every nation – must honestly acknowledge its responsibilities to its citizens and ask if the current international order serves the good of its people as well as it could. And if not, we must ask how we can right it. This is what President Trump is doing. He is returning the United States to its traditional, central leadership role in the world. He sees the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. He knows that nothing can replace the nation-state as the guarantor of democratic freedoms and national interests. He knows, as George H.W. Bush knew, that a safer world has consistently demanded American courage on the world stage. And when we – and when we all of us ignore our responsibilities to the institutions we’ve formed, others will abuse them. Critics in places like Iran and China – who really are undermining the international order – are saying the Trump administration is the reason this system is breaking down. They claim America is acting unilaterally instead of multilaterally, as if every kind of multilateral action is by definition desirable. Even our European friends sometimes say we’re not acting in the world’s interest. This is just plain wrong. Our mission is to reassert our sovereignty, reform the liberal international order, and we want our friends to help us and to exert their sovereignty as well. We aspire to make the international order serve our citizens – not to control them. America intends to lead – now and always. Under President Trump, we are not abandoning international leadership or our friends in the international system. Indeed, quite the contrary. Just look, as one example, at the historic number of countries which have gotten on board our pressure campaign against North Korea. No other nation in the world could have rallied dozens of nations, from every corner of the world, to impose sanctions on the regime in Pyongyang. International bodies must help facilitate cooperation that bolsters the security and values of the free world, or they must be reformed or eliminated. When treaties are broken, the violators must be confronted, and the treaties must be fixed or discarded. Words should mean something. Our administration is thus lawfully exiting or renegotiating outdated or harmful treaties, trade agreements, and other international arrangements that do not serve our sovereign interests, or the interests of our allies. We announced our intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, absent better terms for the United States. The current pact would’ve siphoned money from American paychecks and enriched polluters like China. In America, we’ve found a better solution – we think a better solution for the world. We’ve unleashed our energy companies to innovate and compete, and our carbon emissions have declined dramatically. We changed course from the Iran deal, because of, among other things, Tehran’s violent and destabilizing activities, which undermined the spirit of the deal and put the safety of American people and our allies at risk. In its place, we are leading our allies to constrain Iran’s revolutionary ambitions and end Iran’s campaigns of global terrorism. And we needn’t a new bureaucracy to do it. We need to continue to develop a coalition which will achieve that outcome which will keep people in the Middle East, in Europe, and the entire world safe from the threat from Iran. America renegotiated our treaty, NAFTA, to advance the interests of the American worker. President Trump proudly signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement at the G20 this past weekend in Buenos Aires, and on Friday will submit it to the Congress, a body accountable to the American people. The new agreement also includes renegotiation provisions, because no trade agreement is permanently suited to all times. We have encouraged our G20 partners to reform the WTO, and they took a good first step in Buenos Aires this last week. I spoke earlier about the World Bank and the IMF. The Trump Administration is working to refocus these institutions on policies that promote economic prosperity, pushing to halt lending to nations that can already access global capital markets – countries like China – and pressing to reduce taxpayer handouts to development banks that are perfectly capable of raising private capital on their own. We’re also taking leadership, real action to stop rogue international courts, like the International Criminal Court, from trampling on our sovereignty – your sovereignty – and all of our freedoms. The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor is trying to open an investigation into U.S. personnel in connection with the war in Afghanistan. We will take all necessary steps to protect our people, those of our NATO allies who fight alongside of us inside of Afghanistan from unjust prosecution. Because we know that if it can happen to our people, it can happen to yours too. It is a worthy question: Does the court continue to serve its original intended purpose? The first two years of the Trump administration demonstrate that President Trump is not undermining these institutions, nor is he abandoning American leadership. Quite the opposite. In the finest traditions of our great democracy, we are rallying the noble nations of the world to build a new liberal order that prevents war and achieves greater prosperity for all. We’re supporting institutions that we believe can be improved; institutions that work in American interests – and yours – in service of our shared values. For example, here in Belgium in 1973, banks from 15 countries formed SWIFT to develop common standards for cross-border payments, and it’s now an integral part of our global financial infrastructure. SWIFT recently disconnected sanctioned Iranian banks from its platform because of the unacceptable risk they pose to a system – to the system as a whole. This is an excellent example of American leadership working alongside an international institution to act responsibly. Another example: the Proliferation Security Initiative, formed by 11 nations under the Bush administration to stop trafficking in weapons of mass destruction. It has since grown organically to 105 countries and has undoubtedly made the world safer. And I can’t forget, standing here, one of the most important international institutions of them all – which will continue to thrive with American leadership. My very first trip, within hours of having been sworn in as a secretary of state, I traveled here to visit with our NATO allies. I’ll repeat this morning what I said then – this is an indispensable institution. President Trump wants everyone to pay their fair share so we can deter our enemies and defend people – the people of our countries. To that end, all NATO allies should work to strengthen what is already the greatest military alliance in all of history. Never – never – has an alliance ever been so powerful or so peaceful, and our historic ties must continue. To that end, I’m pleased to announce that I will host my foreign minister colleagues for a meeting in Washington next April, where we will mark NATO’s 70th anniversary. As my remarks come to a close, I want to repeat what George Marshall told the UN General Assembly back near the time of its formation in 1948. He said, quote, “International organizations cannot take the place of national and personal effort or of local and individual imagination; international action cannot replace self-help.” End of quote. Sometimes it’s not popular to buck the status quo, to call out that which we all see but sometimes refuse to speak about. But frankly, too much is at stake for all of us in this room today not to do so. This is the reality that President Trump so viscerally understands. Just as George Marshall’s generation gave life to a new vision for a safe and free world, so we call on you to have the same kind of boldness. Our call is especially urgent – especially urgent in light of the threats we face from powerful countries and actors whose ambition is to reshape the international order in its own illiberal image. Let’s work together. Let’s work together to preserve the free world so that it continues to serve the interests of the people to whom we each are accountable. Let’s do so in a way that creates international organizations that are agile, that respect national sovereignty, that deliver on their stated missions, and that create value for the liberal order and for the world. President Trump understands deeply that when America leads, peace and prosperity almost certainly follow. He knows that if America and our allies here in Europe don’t lead, others will choose to do so. America will, as it has always done, continue to work with our allies around the world towards the peaceful, liberal order each citizen of the world deserves. Thank you for joining me here today. May the Good Lord bless each and every one of you. Thank you. (Applause.) FULL RELEASE Read the full article

#Featured #GeorgeH.Bush #NewWorldOrder

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olivereliott · 6 years

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The biggest hits (and a miss) from EICMA 2018

In Europe, the motorcycle industry is in booming. Sales rose over 7% in the first half of 2018 compared to the previous year, and Germany was the standout country with a rise of over 10%.

Europe’s biggest motorcycle market by sheer volume is Italy though, with 130,000 bikes sold in six months. Fittingly, Italy is also home to the huge EICMA motorcycle show, which has been running in Milan for the past week.

There’s been a real buzz around this year’s show, with dozens of new model debuts and concepts. These are our favorites, plus a potential major dud—and it was a hard job to choose.

Arc Vector Arc is a company you’ve probably never heard of, and neither had we. It’s run by former Jaguar engineer Mark Truman, and after he left the British car maker, Jaguar ploughed a substantial amount of cash into his new startup.

This is the first product: the Vector, a sportbike that weighs 220 kilos and pumps out 133 bhp and 292 foot-pounds of torque. It hits 100 kph in around three seconds, and transmits its instrument data to a heads-up display in a matching helmet.

Top speed is 150 mph (241 km/h) and range is 362 miles of urban riding. Yes, range—this is an electric motorcycle, with the battery cell and motor encased in a carbon fiber shell, and the suspension attached to the outside.

It’s the most advanced electric bike we’ve seen, and is priced to match—£90,000, or around $115,000 in US money. Could this be the Tesla of the moto world? [More]

MV Agusta Superveloce 800 MV Agusta is on a roll. It’s just raised a hefty €40 million ($45 million) in funding, it has a new CEO in the shape of the Russian businessman Timur Sardarov, and it displayed a slew of upgrades and range extensions on its stand at EICMA.

The 205 hp Brutale 1000 Serie Oro looked good, but we’ll take the Superveloce 800 concept, thank you. Due to go on sale in the second half of 2019, it’s based on the F3 800 sportbike—but wraps the existing mechanicals in sublime carbon fiber bodywork.

There’s more than a hint of classic 1970s racer in the styling, with a yellow tinge to the Plexiglas acrylic windscreen and circular LED headlight, and a leather strap over the fuel tank.

The TFT instrument is throughly modern though, and there’s a clever new sub-frame that will allow owners to switch from a single- to dual-seat configuration. Place your orders now—we’re betting that the queue has already formed. [More]

Royal Enfield Concept KX Eighty years ago, Royal Enfield made an 1140cc V-twin called the KX. These days they’re better known for big-value singles and parallel twins, but the Indian company dropped a surprise at EICMA—an 838cc bobber tribute to the original KX.

Royal Enfield has said that the Concept KX is not a pre-production model. We reckon that’s a shame, because it would appeal to riders who find the Indian Scout and Triumph Bonneville bobbers a little on the large side. It would be amazing if the girder front end made it onto a road bike too.

Interestingly, the V-twin engine was developed in association with Polaris Industries, which owns the (American) Indian brand. Polaris is a partner of Eicher Motors, the parent company of Royal Enfield. Make of that what you will… [Video]

Kawasaki W800 Cafe When Kawasaki retired the slightly underwhelming W800 a couple of years ago, we thought that was the last we’d see of the W series—especially when attention shifted to the Z900RS.

But the W800 is now back. It looks much like the previous model, but has a new frame design, a small fairing, slightly beefier 41mm forks and 18-inch spoked wheels front and back. No power figures are available for the 773cc air-cooled parallel twin, but we can assume the engine will be in the same 47 hp ballpark as the previous model.

It all sounds fine on paper. But the MSRP will be $9,799 in the US, which pitches the W800 into direct competition with the upgraded 2019 Triumph Street Twin, as well as established retros such as the $1,300 cheaper Moto Guzzi V7 III Stone. And then there’s the new Royal Enfield Continental GT 650, which will be priced at just $5,999—a whopping $3,800 cheaper. The W800 could be dead in the water as soon as it goes on sale. [More]

Husqvarna Vitpilen 701 Aero Concept Husqvarna is pushing the styling boundaries like no other motorcycle manufacturer at the moment. The Vitpilen and Svartpilen ranges have established a new design aesthetic, and are great to ride as well: we’ve just put 800 kilometers on a Svartpilen 401 in a long term test for a magazine, and loved it.

The Svartpilen 701 production bike was revealed at EICMA, but the visual fireworks came from this 701 Aero concept. It’s a stark, single-cylinder sportbike with styling that looks both retro and futuristic, and like nothing else on the market.

The idea is to explore a new direction: what if 1970s sportbikes had evolved in a different way? We’re all familiar with current bodywork trends that can be traced back half a century, but those trends could easily have spun off into a different aesthetic. The Aero is exciting thinking, and we’re hoping that Husky gives this one the green light. [More]

Triumph Bonneville T120 Diamond Edition Next year will be the 60th anniversary of the T120, and Triumph has revealed a ‘Diamond Edition’ to celebrate. There’s nothing radical happening on the mechanical front, but this limited edition looks stunning—and would fool a casual observer into thinking it’s a genuine vintage machine.

Just 900 Diamond Editions will be built, all with a subtle white and silver Union flag paint scheme on the tank. Plus glossy chrome detailing, polished engine cases and a numbered certificate signed by Triumph CEO Nick Bloor.

Trainspotters will also note the four-bar Triumph badge, which appears on a Triumph for the first time since the 1950s Thunderbirds. But with 80 horsepower on tap, this is a thoroughly modern roadster that will leave many contemporary-looking machines for dead at the traffic lights. We’re sold. [More]

Honda CB125X and CB125M concepts Small capacity bikes are getting a lot of attention at the moment, and Honda has jumped onto the trend with two killer concepts from its European R&D studio.

The bikes are based on the new CB125R, which is the smallest variant to adopt Honda’s ‘Neo Sports Café’ look. We’re not particularly sold on that look, but we love the style of these two mini bikes.

Honda categorizes the CB125M (above) as a supermoto, hence the 17” Marchesini forged aluminum wheels, slick tires and stubby SC Project exhaust. Unlike most sub-250cc road bikes, it looks sharp and balanced.

The CB125X (below) is supposedly an adventure tourer; in reality it’s more of a fun little dual sport that can handle fire trails as well as city streets. Visually, it fits into the aesthetic established by the big-selling Africa Twin, but the white finish of the prototype gives it an air of Scandinavian minimalism. [More]

There were plenty of other beautiful machines on display at EICMA, including several Indian FTR 1200s with different accessory packs, a productionized version of Harley’s LiveWire electric motorcycle, and an updated Diavel from Ducati.

Where would you spend your own hard-earned cash? Or lottery winnings?

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investmart007 · 6 years

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HARARE, Zimbabwe | The Latest: Counting underway in Zimbabwe's historic vote

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HARARE, Zimbabwe | The Latest: Counting underway in Zimbabwe's historic vote

HARARE, Zimbabwe — The Latest on Zimbabwe’s election (all times local): 9:30 p.m. The last of Zimbabwe’s voters have cast their ballots by the light of lanterns, candles and mobile phones as counting is underway in a historic election.

The final results are expected within five days in the first election since the departure of former leader Robert Mugabe, who led for 37 years but resigned in November under military pressure. Voting was peaceful in a break from the violence in past elections. The electoral commission says the average turnout was above 70 percent.

Zimbabweans hope a credible vote will bring the lifting of international sanctions and the revival of a shattered economy. ___ 7:20 p.m. Zimbabwe’s president is praising “a beautiful expression of freedom & democracy” after polls have closed in a historic election. President Emmerson Mnangagwa says on Twitter that millions have voted in “mutual respect & peace.” He urges the country to wait patiently for the electoral commission to announce the results.

Final results are expected within five days. Mnangagwa says that “no matter which way we voted, we are all brothers and sisters.” The election is the first since longtime leader Robert Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure after 37 years in power. Past votes were marked by violence and irregularities. Zimbabweans hope a credible vote will lift years of international sanctions and revive a shattered economy. ___ 7:05 p.m. Polls have closed in Zimbabwe’s historic election, the first since the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe. Millions have voted, turnout was high and the day was free of the violence that marked previous elections.

The 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe confidante, is in a close race with main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. The 40-year-old Chamisa has called the election a choice between Zimbabwe’s past and future.

Final election results are expected within five days. A credible vote is key to lifting international sanctions and attracting foreign investment to revive Zimbabwe’s shattered economy. The opposition has raised concerns about delays in urban areas and has vowed to protest if the election is flawed. ___ 6:15 p.m. It’s the final hour of voting in Zimbabwe’s historic election, with turnout high and free of the violence that marked previous years. For the first time, former leader Robert Mugabe isn’t on the ballot. Zimbabweans say they are eager for change after decades of turmoil and economic stagnation.

“Why would I fight my fellow Zimbabweans?” asks voter Tapiwa Kahondo. “I’m so happy for today, man. I’m so happy.” The opposition has raised concerns about delays in the voting in its stronghold urban areas, and it has warned it will organize peaceful protests if the elections are thought to be flawed.

One voter, Classified Chivese, says that “they may be peaceful but we don’t know how credible they are.” ___ 5:30 p.m. The head of the European Union mission monitoring Zimbabwe’s elections says his team has seen “huge differences” in the pace of voting at polling stations.

Elmar Brok says voters at one location waited less than an hour to cast their ballots while others at a nearby station waited more than half the day.

“In some cases, it works very smoothly,” Brok said. “But in others, we see that it’s totally disorganized and that people become angry, that people leave.” He also points out a case of the ruling party delivering 100 people by bus to vote in a district where they didn’t live. Brok says observers have to check whether it’s a single example or part of a pattern “which might have influence on the result of the elections.” ___ 1:45 p.m. Zimbabwe’s main opposition leader warns that “there seems to be a deliberate attempt to suppress and frustrate the urban vote.” Nelson Chamisa has expressed his concerns on Twitter but declares that “Victory is ours!”

The vote in Zimbabwe’s major cities is crucial to the opposition while rural areas traditionally back the ruling party. That can benefit President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

People in line when polls close at 7 p.m. can vote. The electoral commission says the turnout is high and voting has been peaceful, a contrast to the violence seen in past votes under former leader Robert Mugabe’s 37-year rule. This is the first election without Mugabe on the ballot. ___ 1:30 p.m. Scores of chanting Zimbabweans have gathered to see 94-year-old former leader Robert Mugabe vote, despite his troubled legacy. “We miss him. I last saw him ages ago,” says 22-year-old Everjoy Tafirei, 22. Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure after 37 years in power.

“I just want to see him face to face, even shake his hand as someone I have supported all my life. I still feel like he is my hero,” says 34-year-old Jacob Mucheche.

Mugabe struggled to walk into the polling station but raised his fist before entering, acknowledging the crowd. The warm reception was a stark contrast to the grim faces as Mugabe’s successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, voted earlier. ___ 1:25 p.m. Zimbabwe’s former leader Robert Mugabe has voted in the country’s first election without his name on the ballot. Struggling to walk, the 94-year-old Mugabe raised his fist for chanting supporters. Then he slowly made his way into the polling center and had his finger inked, and was assisted by his wife into the booth.

Mugabe, who stepped down in November under military pressure, emerged after months of silence on Sunday to declare that he would not be voting for the ruling party he long controlled. He indicated that 40-year-old opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is the only viable candidate.

Voting so far in the southern African nation has been peaceful, with a high turnout, after years of elections marred by allegations of rigging and violence. ___ 12:55 p.m. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission says it has referred to police at least two candidates who might have violated the law by campaigning after the cutoff time.

The chair of the commission is refusing to name names during a press conference but the candidates are likely President Emmerson Mnangagwa and main opposition challenger Nelson Chamisa. Both issued public statements on Sunday.

Campaigning ended 24 hours before polls opened Monday morning. Violations could be turned into a criminal or civil case. Zimbabwe faces a historic, and so far peaceful, election as it seeks to move beyond longtime leader Robert Mugabe, who stepped down in November under military pressure. ___ 12:25 a.m. A court in South Africa has set aside a decision to grant diplomatic immunity to Zimbabwe’s former first lady Grace Mugabe in a case where she was accused of beating a young model with an electrical cord.

South African media report that the South Gauteng High Court says the government decision last year was inconsistent with the constitution.

Mugabe was first lady when a young South African model accused her of assault in a Johannesburg hotel. Mugabe was allowed to leave the country, a decision that caused an outcry. Her husband, Robert Mugabe, was forced out of office in November under military pressure after a ruling party feud as the first lady appeared to be positioning herself for the presidency. ___ 11:45 a.m. Zimbabwe’s two main presidential candidates faced starkly different receptions as they voted in a historic election. Solemn faces greeted President Emmerson Mnangagwa as he arrived with his wife at a rural school in Kwekwe. There was no cheering, and people crossed their arms and watched as he left in his motorcade.

Meanwhile opposition leader Nelson Chamisa was swarmed by cheering, whistling supporters on the outskirts of the capital, Harare. And the mood at other polling stations was largely cheerful as people waited in line. Some arrived at 4 a.m., three hours early.

Mnangagwa previously lost parliamentary elections in his Kwekwe constituency and had been appointed by former leader Robert Mugabe to an unelected seat in parliament, leading to derisive comments from the opposition about his lack of electoral appeal. ___ 10:50 a.m. Zimbabwe’s state-run Herald newspaper is harshly criticizing main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on election day, calling him a proxy for former leader Robert Mugabe and rejecting his claims to represent change.

The front-page commentary follows Sunday’s remarks by the 94-year-old Mugabe that he would not vote for his former deputy President Emmerson Mnangagwa and that Chamisa is the only viable candidate.

“Now this is the man who tries a comeback by proxy,” The Herald says. Addressing the 40-year-old Chamisa, it continues: “You willingly become his cat’s paw while masquerading as an independent man representing a new generation.”

Chamisa has said he’ll accept the vote of Mugabe or any other Zimbabwean, saying it’s not his role to discriminate. Mugabe was forced to resign in November after a military takeover and a ruling ZANU-PF party move to impeach him, just weeks after he fired the 75-year-old Mnangagwa in a ruling party feud. ___ 10:25 a.m. A politician in the Zimbabwean opposition stronghold of Bulawayo says there are numerous reports of “voting going at a snail’s pace.” David Coltart, a supporter of opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, says he hopes election observers will pay special attention to the pace of voting “as it is a means of suppressing the urban vote.” Coltart says on Twitter that Zimbabwe’s electoral commission deliberately slowed voting in urban areas in the 2002 election to undermine the opposition, which traditionally has strong support in major cities.

Past elections have been marred by irregularities. But Zimbabwe’s electoral commission says this election — the first without longtime leader Robert Mugabe — will be free and fair. ___ 10:15 a.m. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has cast his vote in his constituency of Kwekwe, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of the capital, Harare.

Mnangagwa wore a scarf with the country’s national colors as he arrived at a primary school converted into a polling station, and chatted briefly with election workers after casting his ballot. He told reporters that he is committed to a Zimbabwe in which people have the “freedom to express their views, negative or positive.” He called the vote peaceful.

And he took the criticism of him by former leader Robert Mugabe on Sunday in stride, saying that “He is a citizen … He can engage me anytime.” ___ 9:55 a.m. A former Cabinet minister and opposition leader in Zimbabwe says it’s a “great day” for the country as it goes to the polls. Dumiso Dabengwa, head of the opposition Zimbabwe African People’s Union, tells the South African news outlet eNCA that the election offers two starkly different paths for Zimbabweans.

“It’s a decider as to whether Zimbabwe goes forward or remains stuck in the problems that it is facing today,” said Dabengwa, who was imprisoned for years without charge under former leader Robert Mugabe. He describes the vote as a choice between a “new, fresh start” and the “status quo.” Dabengwa says he supports main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa. ___ 9:45 a.m. Piercing whistles and cheers have greeted Zimbabwe opposition leader Nelson Chamisa as he votes in the country’s historic election. Crowds are swarming the 40-year-old lawyer and pastor at a polling station just outside Harare.

Chamisa is challenging the 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Zimbabwe’s first election without Robert Mugabe on the ballot. The contest could bring international legitimacy and investment or signal more stagnation if the vote is seriously flawed. ___ 9:15 a.m. One of Zimbabwe’s voters is the brother of Itai Dzamara, an activist abducted by suspected state agents in 2015 after urging longtime ruler Robert Mugabe to resign at a time when most Zimbabweans dared not do so.

Patson Dzamara says on Twitter that change is coming and he thanks his brother for “blazing a trail for me and others” with his brazen and sometimes solitary protests. “My brother Itai Dzamara, this is for you. I did it for you.”

The missing activist’s family and supporters have called on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former Mugabe enforcer, to explain what happened to Dzamara after he was bundled into a car by five unidentified men.

Mnangagwa, who took over after Mugabe resigned in November, has not responded. Mugabe on Sunday called Dzamara “that character” and claimed not to know about his fate. Patson Dzamara says he supports Nelson Chamisa, the main opposition leader. ___ 9:05 a.m. Zimbabwe’s president is urging the country to remain peaceful during a historic election, saying that “We are one people, with one dream and one destiny. We will sink or swim together.” The 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over after longtime leader Robert Mugabe stepped down in November under military pressure.

Mnangagwa’s top challenger is 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, who took over the main opposition party after the death of longtime Mugabe challenger Morgan Tsvangirai in February. Zimbabwe’s more than 5 million registered voters are forming long lines in the capital, Harare, and elsewhere. ___ 7:05 a.m. Zimbabweans are voting in their first election without Robert Mugabe on the ballot, a contest that could bring international legitimacy and investment or signal more stagnation if the vote is seriously flawed.

About 5.5 million people are registered to vote on Monday in this southern African nation anxious for change after decades of economic paralysis and the nearly four-decade rule of the 94-year-old Mugabe.

Long lines of voters are waiting outside some polling stations. Thousands of election monitors are in the country to observe a process that the opposition says is biased against them. The two main contenders are 75-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a former deputy president who took over from Mugabe last year, and Nelson Chamisa, who became head of the main opposition party just a few months ago.

By Associated Press

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mastcomm · 5 years

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Zanzibar in the Rain – The New York Times

If my circumstances had not been so dire — or rather, if my circumstances had been drier — I might never have found myself at the Zanzibar Curio Shop.

At first glance, the store did little to distinguish itself from other trinket purveyors besieging the tangled lanes of Stone Town, the historic quarter on the coast of Unguja, Zanzibar’s main island: “Hakuna Matata” T-shirts obscured the facade and tourists browsed souvenirs. In any other city, I’d breeze past. But sodden from the fury of a downpour, feigning interest in refrigerator magnets seemed a small price to pay for shelter.

“If you want to see the real history of Zanzibar, you have to come upstairs,” said Murtaza Akberali, who, with his brother, runs the store their father opened in 1968. And so I followed him through a portal to Zanzibar of yore: Hand-carved wood-and-brass trunks teetered against one wall; vintage cigarette ads from India and political posters from Tanzania formed a retro pastiche on another. The ceiling was an inverted necropolis of timeworn lanterns and teapots suspended from the rafters. Cameras and African tribal busts were jumbled in some nooks; others were orderly archives of domestic ephemera: a wall of grandfather clocks; a cluster of rusting keys, likely belonging to earlier iterations of the brass-studded doors I’d been compulsively Instagramming all over Stone Town. I flipped through bundles of black-and-white Indian matrimonial headshots, the subjects’ bouffants, curlicues of eyeliner and flared pants suggesting a 1960s provenance. In one room, I paused before a glass cabinet of daggers glinting with bejeweled and mother-of-pearl hilts.

You have to be careful, when writing about a place like Zanzibar, to not reduce it to a series of prosaic meditations on brilliantly sunny skies, blindingly white beaches and beguilingly azure waters. Even the British explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton wasn’t immune: “Truly prepossessing was our first view of the then mysterious island of Zanzibar,” he wrote in “Zanzibar: City, Island, and Coast” in 1872. “The sea of purest sapphire … under a blaze of sunshine which touched every object with a dull burnish of gold.”

To prevent such exaltations from finding their way into my own notebook, Zanzibar made sure I encountered nothing of the sort.

I’d landed on the first day of a delayed rainy season. While I’d been ready for showers, nothing, short of packing an ark, could have prepared me for the apocalyptic tempest that descended with my flight. Swimming in sapphire seas might have been out of the question, but I hadn’t considered swimming down streets that had been transformed into gushing canals. These were not silvery, romantic mists slinking through latticed rooftops; this was a miasma of damp and despair.

Undeterred, I brandished my umbrella like a shield and waded through the waterlogged streets of Stone Town. While I certainly wouldn’t have minded them, beaches and sunshine weren’t what had lured me, anyhow. As someone who’s lived in the Middle East, India and Africa, I’ve long been curious about the confluence of the three cultures on an archipelago that could, on a map, be mistaken for ink splotches in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Tanzania. The Swahili language spoken here is a composite of Bantu and Arabic, with tributes to Persian, Portuguese, English and Hindi. The architectural dialect is also complex: a dulcet dialogue between African, Arab, Indian and European influences. The briny air gnawing patterns into walls, the serpentine lanes shaded by filigreed balconies, and the ornately carved teak doors: All lend Stone Town a dreamlike beauty that even sheets of rain can’t obscure. The culturally layered cuisine I would sample, and the mishmash of trinkets I browsed at Zanzibar Curio Shop, scavenged from estate sales, told me more about Zanzibar than a sun-drenched beach ever could.

Where far-flung corners converge

“Zanzibar is not just one thing — Arab, Indian, Persian or Bantu. It’s what they call Swahili,” the fashion designer Farouque Abdela said. With his dark glasses, embroidered kofia hat and a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he doles out sharp one-liners, Mr. Abdela is hard to miss. But if you want to be certain to catch him, your best bet is dropping by the Emerson Hurumzi hotel, an elegant 19th-century mansion once owned by a wealthy adviser to a sultan. Mr. Abdela designed the hotel’s jewel-box interiors and holds court most mornings on a divan in its lobby.

“It’s very difficult for people to place Zanzibar. Is it the Orient? Is it African? What is it?” He paused. “I think that’s what makes it interesting.”

You can trace the cultures that mingled in Zanzibar through Mr. Abdela’s lineage: He is a native Zanzibari of Comoran, Indian and Arab descent, who spent much of his life in England before returning to Stone Town 16 years ago. “Zanzibar is the most peaceful place in the world,” he declared. “We are all one. I can’t go against Arabs, because I have a little blood of that. I can’t go against Indians, because there’s a little blood of that. You can’t pick a fight with someone because of their ethnicity or because of their faith.”

It’s a noble sentiment, but one that downplays Zanzibar’s complex and often tragic history. Straddling strategic coordinates for ancient trade routes, Zanzibar was, for centuries, where far-flung corners of the world converged. The region was settled by Bantus from mainland Africa, then Persians, Portuguese and Arabs, each wave leaving indelible influences on the language, dress, food and religion.

Today, Zanzibar’s population is almost entirely Muslim. For two centuries it was part of the Sultanate of Oman; for a brief period in the 1880s, the Omani capital was moved from Muscat to Stone Town. The archipelago became immensely wealthy from the brutal slave trade to both Europe and Asia, and was also a hub for ivory and spices. Europe’s scramble for Africa saw Zanzibar become a British protectorate in 1890, then finally, a violent 1964 revolution led to Zanzibar’s union with Tanganyika, now known as Tanzania.

Of pepper and cinnamon

Spices remain one of Zanzibar’s calling cards, though things have changed quite a bit over the centuries. “Back in the day, pepper had as much value as cocaine today,” said Raphael Flury, a Swiss lawyer who is now the director of the spice cooperative 1001 Organic in Stone Town.

These days, Zanzibar’s purported spice farms tend to mainly be for show, staging tours and performances geared toward visitors. In fact, many of the spices on sale in Zanzibar’s markets are imported. Seeking a less commercial outing, I joined Mr. Flury and Ethan Frisch, a New York-based entrepreneur whose company, Burlap & Barrel, imports spices directly from farmers around the world. Mr. Frisch was in Zanzibar on a sourcing trip, and on a rare morning when the sun pried its way out of the clouds and held the raindrops at bay, I tagged along as they met with farmers growing nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper.

“Spices have been ignored in the global food revolution,” Mr. Frisch said. “There are heirloom tomatoes, single-origin coffee — I’m trying to find heirloom spices.” While Burlap & Barrel procures everything from Icelandic kelp flakes to blue turmeric from Vietnam, Zanzibar had been Mr. Frisch’s first scouting trip, in 2016. “It’s a place ignored by the global commodity trade, but with a significant history of spice trade.”

A culinary adventure

But what really drew me to Stone Town, and what kept beckoning me out into the spongy air and sleepy off-season streets, was the food. The island’s long relationship with spices, and the cultures that converged in pursuit of them, have concocted a singular — and delicious — culinary tableau. In Zanzibar, fusion is a creed, not a craze.

“A mixture of culture, rather than food,” is how Mr. Abdela described urojo to me. The stew, popularly known as Zanzibar mix, is hearty, rainy-day food — best slurped, not eaten. “It’s all the cultures of Zanzibar in a little bowl.”

When I tried it for myself, it was as though my taste buds were circumnavigating the globe: a few chunks of mishkaki, or East African grilled meat, sliced off a skewer, were draped with Indian-inspired fried bhajias, local cassava strips and chunks of potatoes — originally introduced to the region from the Americas by Europeans — then layered with generous dollops of coconut chutney and fiery chile sauce and doused in a sour mango broth. The dumplings yielded deferentially to my fork, the soup was bright and citrusy, and each sloppy spoonful came laden with visions of the sunny afternoons and balmy weather that weren’t written in my destiny.

On most days, the storms were relentless, so it was a relief to escape the worst of the downpours with the promise of a meal. During one cloudburst, I ducked into Maa Sha Allah, a no-frills, cafeteria-style restaurant, to bide my time over a plate of beef masala; during another, I watched sheets of rain lash the beach from the cosseting confines of the Serena Hotel, where I tucked into kuku paka, a flavorful chicken-coconut stew, popular along the Swahili coast in Kenya and Tanzania. From a woman hunched in a sheltered nook off the side of the road I picked up a pillowy disk of mkate wa ufuta, sesame bread baked over coals, and ripped off chewy, perfectly charred chunks to nibble on a baraza, a shaded bench that’s a fixture outside traditional Swahili houses.

One sultry evening, I climbed a series of dizzying staircases of Escherian proportions to the rooftop of the Emerson Spice Hotel, where course after course of traditional Zanzibari dishes with contemporary twists — tuna timbale, roast sheli sheli (breadfruit), chaza mchicha (oyster wrapped in spinach leaves), and coconut-crusted kingfish — were served with a soothing staccato of rainfall against the roof and the call to prayer, echoing from dozens of surrounding mosques.

Zanzibar pizza

And yet the dish that had inspired my epicurean exploits was in danger of eluding me: the curiously named Zanzibar pizza, a snack I’d never tasted and yet had somehow developed an unlikely sort of nostalgia for; now I just needed a long-enough respite from the elements to find it.

You can smell Stone Town’s main culinary destination before you see it: the nightly open-air food market at the seafacing Forodhani Gardens. It’s usually a festive affair, but on my first visit, the weather put a literal damper on the market and washed the vendors out.

I returned to satisfy my craving on another drizzly evening, bypassing stalls cranking out sugar cane juice and urojo to make a beeline for a row of pizza hawkers with names like Mr. Delicious and Mr. Big Banana before the rains triumphed again. I watched, entranced, as a jovial chef — I’d gone with Mr. Nutella — rolled out a mound of greasy dough, slick with oil and likely more than a few dashes of perspiration and rainwater. Against that gleaming canvas, he scattered minced beef, sprinkled a chiffonade of onions, tomatoes and green peppers, dressed it all with salt, mayonnaise, cheese and achaar (a spicy condiment), then cracked an egg on top of it before slapping it on a griddle until it attained that optimal level of chewy-crispy communion. Think of it as an adopted sibling of Italian pizza: the same last name, but a completely different genetic makeup. The concoction was more crepe than pizza, but the result tasted just as delicious as its laundry list of components might portend.

I’d barely finished my last bite when I felt the unmistakable splat: first on my shoulder, then on my cheek, then on my head. Then everywhere, all at once. The rains were back without warning, though at this point I knew better than to expect one. I followed other diners to congregate under a feeble tent until it passed — but what was the point? Instead, I splashed my way back out into the sticky night, soggy but satisfied.

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alamante · 6 years

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WASHINGTON/JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he wanted U.S. President Donald Trump to be his guest in Moscow, an idea that the White House welcomed despite lingering criticism over the Helsinki summit.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 27, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The Russian leader said on a visit to South Africa for an economic conference that “appropriate conditions” were required in both countries for another summit to take place, an apparent reference to a political uproar in the United States last week after the two men met.

The White House said Trump was enthusiastic about another summit. Trump has said he wants to improve ties between the two nuclear powers, whose relations have dipped to a post-Cold War low in recent years.

“President Trump looks forward to having President Putin to Washington after the first of the year, and he is open to visiting Moscow upon receiving a formal invitation,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Separately, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said he was considering the possibility of the first talks in years between the defense chiefs of the United States and Russia. Mattis said there had been no decision.

Trump was criticized at home for failing to confront Putin publicly over Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election, and for seeming to contradict his own intelligence agencies on the threat from Russia. Trump has defended his conduct in a two-hour private meeting with Putin and at a joint news conference.

The White House said no agreements were reached other than having national security teams meet. No policy changes came out of the summit, Mattis said on Friday, adding he had also not been given new direction on Syria.

Moscow’s military support starting in 2015 of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war, Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia meddled in the election have soured relations.

Russia is under punitive sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union and wants them lifted.

Putin told reporters on Friday: “We need for the appropriate conditions to exist, to be created, including in our countries” for more U.S.-Russia summits.

Putin went on to say Russia was ready to greet Trump in Moscow. “Be my guest. He has such an invitation, I told him that.”

Following the backlash in the United States over Trump’s cordial public tone with Putin in Helsinki, U.S. and Russian officials backed away from Trump’s proposal to schedule a follow-up meeting in Washington in the fall.

The White House on Wednesday postponed that invitation until next year, when a federal investigation of Russian election interference could be finished.

The last time Trump was in the Russian capital was as a private citizen in 2013 to attend a Miss Universe beauty pageant. That visit surfaced in the FBI investigation of Russian election activities in the form of a dossier containing allegations that Trump had spent time with Russian prostitutes there. Trump has denied the allegations.

Efforts by both Trump and Putin to achieve detente have been fiercely resisted by U.S. lawmakers, including some in Trump’s own Republican Party, accusing him of being too friendly toward Putin, whom they consider an adversary of the United States.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded last year that Moscow waged an influence campaign to help Trump win the White House by hacking into Democratic Party computers and using fake social media accounts to denigrate Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Trump will convene his national security advisers on Friday for a meeting on election security because his advisers have warned him Russia continues efforts to interfere, less than four months before Americans vote to determine whether or not Republicans maintain control of Congress.

Trump has repeatedly denied his campaign colluded with Russia and has characterized the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as a witch hunt. Trump is infuriated by any suggestion he might owe his election victory to Russia.

Trump on Friday denied knowing in advance about a 2016 meeting his son Donald Trump Jr. and other campaign staff had at Trump Tower with a group of Russians who offered damaging information on Clinton. A CNN report said his longtime lawyer Michael Cohen planned to tell Mueller that Trump did know of the meeting.

(This story has been refiled to remove extraneous words in paragraph 17.)

Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Denis Pinchuk; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Grant McCool; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Jonathan Oatis

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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beautytipsfor · 6 years

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EU moves on migrant plans, while 100 reported missing at sea

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders Friday drew up new plans to screen migrants in North Africa for eligibility to enter Europe, saying they set aside major differences over stemming the flow of people seeking sanctuary or better lives. But the show of unity did little to hide the fact that the hardest work still lies ahead.

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ladyonly01-blog · 6 years

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The world’s largest [email protected]

The world ‘s most precious diamonds Diamonds, jewelry is the absolute king, with its eye-catching bright light champions. Diamonds in addition to our usual most common white diamond, there are many rare rare colors. Such as red, blue, purple, etc., is extremely rare, so this color diamonds are diamonds in the treasures, the price is much higher than the average diamond pricing standards. Here we come to introduce six of the world’s most precious diamonds is the world’s most beautiful diamonds. They are not only general, but also has a beautiful color and high quality. 1, pure water drill: a pure as water-like colorless transparent diamonds, especially those with light blue for the best. The world’s largest diamond and the world’s diamond is mainly this variety, such as “Joan Kerr” and so on. 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This type of replica Hermes jewelry wedding ring is generally not inlaid with large diamonds, and small diamond as embellishment. Double type – will be engaged and wedding ring overlap design, can be emphasized with his sense of dependency. Engraved type – will be a good oath, desire, two people’s name engraved on the ring or inward side, the theme is prominent, very meaningful, but also popular. Antique wedding ring – antique models of wedding rings because the models are very common, so apply to almost any number and combination of forms of wedding ring. This style of wedding ring, its borders and edges and corners are very particular about the mosaic requirements, is a very luxurious wedding ring choice. Luxury small grain – this ring is no main diamonds, the entire ring by a large number of small pieces of diamonds filled, giving a sense of luxury. Guangjuan: that Tianyuan ring, without any pattern, pattern and mosaic, multi-hand or mechanical hammer made. Flower ring: also known as the silk ring and wrapped around the ring, the pattern has the same knot or zodiac, etc., have their own characteristics. Especially the butterfly butterfly for the design of the most characteristics of the theme. The shape of the snake, wrapped around the fingers, on behalf of the sacred and eternal. This replica Van Cleef jewelry symbolism comes mainly from ancient Egyptians, who worship the snake. Egyptian emperor’s headdress will be the majority of snakes for the title. Nineteenth century snake ring shape is not horrible, but funny cute, with gold, ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamonds and burns good composition of the chic pattern, lines beautiful eye-catching, colorful. Fingers are long, fingers are different. Everyone’s fingers are different, the same diamond worn in the hands of different people, people feel will be different, cut enough to do the stupid things can not do. Then we choose what kind of diamond ring to achieve the role of beautify the hands of it? Look at the following content. First of all, want to use the diamond ring to beautify the hand type, it is necessary to look at the thickness of your fingers. According to the correct selection of diamond ring 3 big style and 3 major maintenance tips According to the correct selection of diamond ring 3 big style and 3 major maintenance tips The following three points to choose the diamond ring to beautify the hand type: 1. Short-type style of the couple ring style: a straight line style to modify the hand-type defects Short fingers should choose a straight line, lintel, pear-shaped ring, to avoid the round, square and rectangular gem couple ring. The design of the ring is preferably straight or oblique, as it makes the short fingers look slim. 2. Moderate finger type fake Cartier jewelry couple ring style tips: according to personal style to shape the hands of the charming If your fingers are medium, then you can according to hobbies and personal style to wear any shape of the ring. But remember that any ring should not be long to refer to the joints, nor can you widen the width of your hand. In this way, your hand type of modification can be reached the perfect state of graceful. 3. long finger type couple ring style tips: horizontal style to increase the charm of hand type More slender fingers, should wear horizontal lines of the ring, style, such as high-shaped, wide, multi-layer mosaic, round and square gems will look good. To avoid pear-shaped, lance and straight-shaped ring, because they will make your fingers look more thin, try to wear the same finger on the only fine ring, horizontal stripes and slender fingers match, can increase The charm of the hand. Sometimes the ring can shape your hand type, but may not be as you wish, style does not like friends, diamond quality poor friends, this problem will appear. If you choose professional customization, you can avoid such problems. According to their own ideas, to create your own love of the diamond ring, both to beautify the hand type, but also as your carat diamond ring dream. Maintenance of diamond ring: (1) diamond ornaments to be stored separately. Can not be put together with other jewelry, to avoid causing friction or oxidation damage the nature of diamonds. It is best to buy a few pieces of jewelry in full bloom to separate the collection. (2) absolutely in the good makeup, spray perfume before wearing diamond ornaments. Because diamonds have oil absorption, grease or dust will stick to the diamond surface to make it bleak. I suggest you can use alkaline detergent soaked in water for 1 to 3 minutes, then rinse with water rinse clean. (3) try to wear sweaters or knitwear when the attention of the body wearing a diamond ornaments have not been pulled off, after all, diamonds is not a bargain.

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