#at least in my country the amount of other disabled people i met is minimal and finding other disabled peopld my age?? impossible

[kurv4]

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[parniarazi]

Experiencing the magic of some of the most ancient art and architecture of humanity was an unreal journey over the last few weeks. Through 6 cities and 3 countries in the span of 2 weeks, I learned so much from such a little amount of time. That’s my favorite thing about travel - you gain a sense of wisdom and culture that nothing else can give you in such a short time period. From my visit to my birthplace of Iran last summer, to my mini-tour of Europe this summer, I’m so grateful to have the privilege of traveling at this age. The sense of cultural understanding I’ve gained from these experiences is invaluable. I hope this post can give some tips to anyone interested in international travel and simply highlight some things I learned from my trip.

The first thing I had to deal with before even leaving for the airport was packing. Like many people, I have a tendency to overpack so I really challenged myself to pack light for this trip. For my trip to Iran last year, I really only needed about half the stuff I brought in my checked bag. For this trip, I took a carry-on suitcase and mini backpack. This was also necessary because I was traveling between cities and countries in Europe. Keeping it light is important, as well as making sure you keep liquids to a minimum and placing heavier items toward to bottom. I became a pro at washing some of my underwear and clothes in the shower with soap so I could re-wear it. Smart packing is totally essential for a long international trip, so I’d even suggest making sure you have good quality luggage before you leave to make transporting it easier and worry-free.

Another thing people can underestimate or overlook is transportation. We mainly used public transportation, because taxis can be overpriced and hard to track down. Public transportation can save lots of money (you can use towards food and shopping instead!) and even be kind of fun once you get the hang of it. Do some research beforehand and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Luckily, I was warned about pickpocketers and we made sure to keep our important items secure and out of back pockets or easy to reach places. Keeping your stuff safe and even locked is definitely a good idea in the crowded areas.

Before you leave get tickets online to any places you’re visiting that require them. Seriously, you won’t be able to thank yourself enough when you get to skip a giant line of tourists waiting to buy tickets or get in. However, you should also be ready for lines and lots of walking, so take your comfiest shoes or even buy insoles! We walked between 5-10 miles on an average day in the city wandering and sightseeing. Not to mention the stairs - if you have any sort of disability make sure you find out if places are accessible beforehand. We saw the Louvre, Vatican Musem, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Church, and several other of the worlds most famous museums and it is so worth being on your feet for a long time! The biggest thing that took me by surprise was the crowds (especially because I have anxiety) in places you wouldn’t expect it. Everything is tiny in Europe, and although people had told me this I really didn’t know how tiny until I experienced it myself. Coming from big ol’ Texas, it was definitely a culture shock and surprise.

This is a given for travel - but be open and relax! Things will go wrong or be different than you expect and that’s all part of the journey. I tried to remind myself of this often but there were plenty of times I felt exhausted, drained, and frustrated. Be sure to plan for wiggle room and rest days in your schedule, especially if it’s a longer trip with more travel like mine! You want to utilize your time but also keep in mind you won’t enjoy it if you’re still jet lagged or tired and hungry. I had some horrible migraines and trouble sleeping during my trip and it made a few of the days really difficult for me so I wish I had known this before I went!

The culture shock was real! I already mentioned how tiny everything is in Europe, but it was also amazing to me the way the people and culture varied, not only from the U.S., but also from each other. In France, people were overall kind, beautiful, and diverse in looks. Their lax drinking laws were amazing when we bought a bottle of wine in the park in front of the Effiel tower! In Italy, the culture is laid back and not necessarily harsh, but a bit intense. Less people spoke English here than in any other country we visited, so pick up some basics before you go on Duolingo! Overall though, the stereotype of Europeans being snobby was mostly true in my experience - so don’t take things personally! In Germany, you definitely see color far and few between, and people are harsher/not friendly. Like most places though, the younger generation is better and picking up on these universal things faster with connection through internet/social media. This observation while I was abroad really made me think about how incredible it is to really be one of the first generations to grow up with the internet. We are the most connected and globally aware generation ever because of this, and it allows us to have so much more in common despite how different where we live is.

I definitely experienced some culture shock (and severely missed air conditioning and ice in drinks) but I also realized that people truly do have more in common than we do differences. I also realized how huge of a privilege it is to be able to express individuality and have your hierarchy of needs met to a point where you’re concerned about self-realization and the such. I was expected Europe to be a lot more advanced, but seeing the way a lot of people still live there made me realize no where in the world is like America. We have insane privileges and abundant lives here that other people could hardly fathom - and not even the cliche of poor people in ‘third world’ countries - but even the middle classes of European countries can’t live the way Americans do. Not meaning this in any sort of nationalist way, but simply a reminder of our privilege and abundance in comparison to even the greatest other countries in the world. However, aside from that privilege check, this experience also taught me I need to minimize my consumption of stuff I don’t really need and end some unsustainable practices (like plastic consumption). Traveling makes you realize how much you really need vs. what you just buy to fill up space.

Another deeper thought I had while on this trip was really in conjunction with my trip to Iran last summer. Iran had places just as brilliant, historic, and tourist-worthy, yet it’s only places like the Effiel Tower and Venice that you see in movies or in a positive light. The Middle East and Africa have some of the most beautiful and ancient art, incredible nature, and are parts of the world worth exploring. It’s deeply saddening that it’s European colonialism that ruined these parts of the world and made them impoverished, corrupt, and dangerous, as they so appear to be by our Western media (because this is all they show us). If Iran was free from its government, it could be a major travel destination because it was honestly just as rich in culture and art than these famous places like Paris or Rome. If Egypt wasn’t colonized and all their things weren’t stolen or taken, it would be worthy of the world’s largest museums. This serves as a reminder that our world is still in the aftermath of colonialism and our mindsets about the world are still so deeply rooted in colonialism and Eurocentricity.

Overall, it was breathtaking to see places like the Berlin Wall, the Coloseum, Trevi Fountain, and Venice all in one trip. I ate some of the most unique and delicious food I’ve ever had, saw some of the oldest and most famous art and architecture, and got real with myself about things like environmental sustainability and Eurocentrism. I get what people mean when they say the world is their teacher, but I think the most incredible level of knowledge is achieved when that combines with education. If I could go back, I would have definitely studied abroad during my undergrad, but nonetheless the way my education elevated and contributed to my trip was something hard to describe. It’s really cool to step into an entirely new place but have some mental background that makes at least a few things familiar.

What will the world teach me next?

[southeastasianists]

In the early 1960s, as the conflict in Vietnam between communist and US-backed anti-communist forces gained traction, US intelligence operatives focused their attention on Laos, Vietnam’s sleepy neighbour that, at the time, was populated by 2.2 million people. The “secret war” that was to come – an anti-communist paramilitary operation waged by the CIA with support from the Hmong ethnic minority – would see the US carry out the heaviest bombardment in history.

In A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA, a forthcoming book to be released 24 January by Simon & Schuster, author Joshua Kurlantzick uses recently declassified records and extensive interviews with former CIA operatives to shine new light into this war and the mission behind it, known as Operation Momentum.

In A Great Place to Have a War, Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, profiles four major players in the war: the CIA operative who engineered the operation, the gregarious general who led the Hmong army in the field, the US State Department staffer who took charge of the war as it grew, and the unpredictable paramilitary specialist who trained the Hmong army – and is believed to be the inspiration for Marlon Brando’s character in Apocalypse Now.

Ahead of the book’s launch on Tuesday, Kurlantzick spoke to Southeast Asia Globe about what inspired his research, the stunning scope of the war, and how it sparked the growth of an autonomous CIA in the 21st century, one that continues to wage shadow wars around the world.

****

What prompted you to write this book and investigate the origins of the CIA? What were the most interesting things you found out?

I was based in Bangkok in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a reporter, and I travelled to Laos a lot at that time – and have since. I became fascinated by how this war had really had an enormous impact on Laos, and yet had been largely forgotten in the US, and so had been kind of part of a pattern of US foreign policy in which countries can become central to policy-making – even tiny countries like Laos – and then there is a 180-degree shift, and those countries are all but ignored. Also, I had done a fair bit of research on the early days of the CIA for one of my previous books, a biography of Jim Thompson, the famous American expatriate in Thailand and former intelligence officer. That research drew me into the early days of the CIA, and then I became fascinated with how the CIA shifted – how it shifted from a small, analytic/spying organisation into one that was much more responsible for paramilitary activities, and one that became, increasingly, one of the most important actors in US foreign policy-making.

Can you tell us a little bit about some of the major characters in this book, their significance, and how you came across them?

All four of the major characters in the book have now passed away. One of them, the former US ambassador to Laos, William Sullivan, I never met. I did, however, speak to many of his former aides and received his personal memoirs; he also wrote several published books about his diplomatic career. Sullivan played a unique role: he was the US ambassador but essentially co-managed a war along with the CIA. I met Vang Pao, the leader of the Hmong forces, about a decade ago, while researching a magazine article… and spoke with him at length about Laos and the Hmong-American community. I spoke with the other two main characters, Bill Lair and Tony Poe, at various times by phone and in person before they passed away; Bill Lair was the CIA operative who conceived of the war effort, and later was disillusioned by it as it morphed from a small-scale effort to assist the Hmong to a massive war that did not really, in his mind, put the priorities and interests of the Hmong and other Laotian anti-Communists first. Lair wound up leaving the operation as it grew in size and he became more disillusioned, and he saw it as too Washington-centred and Washington-dominated. I think he always regretted what had happened in how the war was run.

Can you explain the scope of this war – how big it was and its role within the Vietnam War?

It eventually developed into a war that consumed hundreds of thousands of anti-communist and communist Laotian troops, and lasted for nearly two decades in Laos. Given the size of Laos – it’s tiny – this was a huge war for the country. And at least early in the conflict, in the early 1960s, Laos was a high national security priority for US administrations – it was one of the main foreign policy topics of discussion in the transition period between the Kennedy and Eisenhower administrations. This might seem amazing today, since Laos has totally dropped off the US foreign policy radar, but it was true in the early 1960s. Kennedy devoted his first foreign policy-related press conference to Laos, actually. It was certainly subsumed within the Vietnam War; and, as the war went on, one of the problems was that Washington wanted to use Laos as a theatre to chew up North Vietnamese troops, but in doing so, it often chewed up Laotian anti-communist forces at a rate they could not sustain.

How did the CIA’s war in Laos pave the way for its current ‘shadow wars’ around the world?

The Laos war was really the first conflict in which the CIA (along with the US ambassador in Laos) was given such a control of a conflict – arming local forces, advising them, coordinating bombing efforts, even doing some actual fighting by CIA operatives. The conflict made the CIA a more central actor in the US foreign policy apparatus, and entrenched paramilitary work within the CIA in a way it hadn’t been before. This entrenchment never fully went away, and in the current war on terror, the CIA, along with Special Forces, plays a central role assisting foreign forces, overseeing drone strikes, conducting strikes on the ground in places from Pakistan to Somalia. And all of this is done with relatively little oversight, as happened in Laos; there is far less oversight of the CIA and Special Forces than there is of the conventional US military. This might be good, politically, for an American administration, but it’s highly problematic as a way of conducting low-level wars all over the globe.

How is Laos still dealing with the remnants of this war?

Laos is still really shattered by the remnants of the war, and will be for decades. There remains a vast amount of unexploded bombs in the country, and a significant portion of the country was disabled by the war, and the infrastructure (which was already minimal) was destroyed. The civil war split the country in many ways, and since 1975, the Laotian regime has remained a repressive, one-party state. It isn’t really a communist state, but it’s certainly one of the most repressive states in the world, even though when you visit the country, it does not seem as menacing, outwardly, as a place like North Korea or Eritrea or even Cambodia. But it is. And the war drove a high percentage of the population into exile, becoming refugees; this robbed the country of educated people, and Laos still struggles from that exodus.

[lovetinycollectorinternetth-blog]

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[healthpolicymaven]

How America Co-opted the Future of Generation X and Y and How We Can Fix It

Bernie Sanders was no fluke, his appeal to the youth of Generation Y and to some extent Gen Xers is marked by real evidence showing how their futures have been muted by financial decisions made by Congress. The President of the nation, theoretically, is elected by us, although recent elections have shown the arcane electoral vote, meant to secure the democracy when many voters were illiterate, has called this into question. It turns out the electoral college is just another version of the “old boys club”. This article examines the social contract for Social Security which the United States has made with its working class and what that means for the future for your children and grandchildren, in other words, those whom will be paying the tab.

Payroll tax rate is based on wage income and is split evenly  between the employer and the employee

In 1940- The Social Security tax was 1% capped at $3,000; Medicare did not exist then

In 1977- The SSI tax was 5.85% of wages, capped at $16,500; Does not include the  Medicare tax

[1]

In 2017, the SSI tax is 12.4% of wages, capped at $127,200; Does not include the  Medicare tax, which is separate

 When Social Security was enacted, it was meant as a pension for those whom would otherwise be destitute. Retirement age, at which a beneficiary could start to draw benefits was age 65, when the law was enacted on August 14, 1935, by President Franklin Roosevelt. [2] Life expectancy at the time was 62.9 years, so as you can see, only the lucky ones received any benefit. Fast forward to 2017 and life expectancy is dependent on where you live, and other factors, some women will live past 86. But the mean life expectancy for all people living in the U.S. is 79 years.[3] This ranks the U.S. 49th in the world, below all countries with national health plans and at the bottom of all industrialized countries.  South Korea, Jordan, and Hong King residents all live longer than Americans living in the U.S.

Currently, residents whom have met the minimal ten years of contributions under include-able wages are eligible to start drawing benefits as early as 62, with a reduction, or age 66 ½, depending on their birthdate. The government has an incentive, of 8% per year in increased benefits to delay until age 70.

Mean income is the earnings amount by which an equal  number of workers are above and below this value

In 1940, the mean income was $1,368, with an unemployment rate of 18.26% and no  unemployment benefits[4]

In 1977, mean incomes was $12,224, with an unemployment rate of 7.5%, with  unemployment benefits

In 2017, the mean income is $44,980, [5]  with an unemployment rate of 4.3% as of May [6]

Though the unemployment rate is certainly low in 2017, it was just a few years ago when the nation’s banking system collapsed due to junk bond deals packaging subpar mortgages as investments, and provided to people who could not afford them. This fraud was conducted by all levels of banks (Lehman Brothers) and the insurance industry (AIG), many of whom went bankrupt, but not until thousands of American homeowners lost everything first.

Purchasing Power-to maintain the same value this is how  much you would need

$1 in 1940

Would need to be $4.33 in 1977

And $17.47 in 2017

Earnings needed to maintain equivalent value of mean wage  in 1940

$1,368 in 1940 would need to be

$5,921.49 in 1977 and 

$23,893.49 in 2017

 Though gross wages have increased over the years, real purchasing power has not kept up, as this table shows. Americans are only making a little over twice the 1940 per worker mean wage, when you adjust for inflation. The mean wage for all working Americans, which isn’t the average, but the midpoint, with an equal number of workers falling below the standard and above it, is currently $44,980 annually. So, for 77 years, this is not a lot of progress for workers, mainly because they have fallen behind since the 1970’s. Rising productivity of American workers has not resulted in a commensurate rise in wages for most workers, so the Republican trickle-down theory hasn’t worked. Real rise in wages, adjusted for inflation has been stagnant since 1980, the Reagan era.

 Change Social Security to a Farer More Secure System

Currently, a worker in the United States must accumulate forty quarters or ten years with earnings of at least $1,260 a quarter or $420 a month, to be eligible to apply for full social security benefits, depending on their age. Wow, what a deal, all you must do is work for a week each quarter, based on the current U.S. wage and you will have a pension! We can all think of our aunties and grandmas who took advantage of this benefit, by working part-time low-wage jobs, not because they needed to, but for spending money. I can’t think of any other part-time low wage job that comes with a lifetime pension.

Change #1 Social Security Benefits should be based on fulltime earnings for at least 10 years, not part-time. Working part-time does not guarantee you a pension.

Change #2 Social Security should pay more to workers who work longer, for example, workers who work unceasingly for 40 or 50 years, should get a larger benefit than those who work only 10 or 20 years, it is the time value of money. This would change the incentive from “do your bit to get minimum benefits’, to contributing longer for a proportionally greater earned reward. Though currently, Social Security offers a sizeable benefit increase to those who wait until maximum retirement age of 70, it does not look at the length of service.

 Spousal benefit provisions under Social Security allow full benefits to inure to persons who marry multiple times, ala Donald Trump. Though the worker’s tax contribution to the social security fund was capped, apparently the benefits which may be paid out are not. For example, a spouse, either male or female can elect to claim 50% of the partner’s social security benefits. Essentially, this means the value of the Social Security payout has increased by 50%, without paying additional taxes. And here is the real pot sweetener, anyone who has been married for ten years and has not remarried before age 60, gets this extra windfall election. The ex-wife can claim a benefit of 50% of her husband’s social security benefits, years after the divorce, but this doesn’t reduce his take, it is just a bonus to her from the federal government. And, the current wife (male or female) is still eligible to claim her share of the spouse’s social security pay out as well.

Change #3 You are welcome to marry as many times as you can stand, but the government is under no obligation to support your multiple wives/husbands. The total spousal benefit needs to be revised and social security benefits paid to ex-betrotheds should come out of a limited benefit based on the working spouse’s contributions. In other words, if $300,000 is allocated for spousal benefits, that amount must be allocated between all the former “love-of-my-life’s,” not increased exponentially because of salacious decisions.

 Survivor benefits can be collected by widows or widowers as early as age 60 and this means, if your spouse has died and was collecting Social Security or was eligible to collect, you can elect to collect full benefits, based on your spouse’s social security. Later, you can decide to switch to your own benefit, if it would pay more money.

Change #4 This seems like gambling against the house and holding the aces; once you start drawing your social security benefits, you don’t get a do-over. If you select your half of his benefits at age 60, that is what you get.

 Survivor benefits for children, are only payable for unmarried children until age 18 or 19, if they are still in high school. Children of a disabled or deceased social security participant are eligible to receive benefits if the parent had paid enough into the system, which we discussed, is a mere ten years of earnings. Since it sucks to lose a parent, or to have a disabled one, let’s leave this as is.

 Social security taxes have doubled in the last forty years and are not keeping up with the benefits which will be paid out to baby boomers, whom are now starting to enjoy their unreduced benefits. Since the younger generation will most assuredly be expected to pay higher taxes in Social Security and of course, Medicare, we need to shore up their future. It is time to have a national pension or Individual retirement account for those under age 45. Designate part of what they contribute to Social Security to their own private account, ideally 50%, but I will leave that up to U.S. Treasury and Social Security Administration to discern.  The money contributed to Social Security, would not be able to be borrowed against and hence, safe from creditors, could not be used for medical care, and would not be accessible until age 62.

Change #5 Let Gen Xers and Generation Y start their own government protected individual retirement accounts. At least they will have some money for their future and they won’t have to feel so bad about paying those extra taxes for boomer benefits.

 It is time for older Americans to wake up to the debt we have left our youth, who will be paying for our bad decisions for a lifetime. If I hear one more senior citizen, enjoying their social security checks and Medicare complain we can’t have socialism, I am going to remove your dentures. And this is the healthpolicymaven signing off encouraging you not to sign blanket releases when you are admitted to a hospital, please add the line, “I agree to pay for services of in-network providers,” as recommended by Dr. Elizabeth Rosenthal in her book, How Healthcare Became Big Business and How We Can Take It Back.”[7]

 This article was written by Roberta E. Winter, a freelance journalist and author of https://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-U-S-Health-Care-Personal/dp/1442222972

[1] https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/cbb.html

[2] https://www.ssa.gov/history/briefhistory3.html

[3] http://www.geoba.se/population.php?pc=world&type=15

[4] https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2012/spring/1940.html

[5] https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t19.htm

[6] http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/national-employment-monthly-update.aspx

[7] http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-review/sickness