#but sure the west has stabilized the public health situation right right

[immigrationquebeccanada]

21 Amazing Things You Should Know Before You Migrate to Canada

It's hard not to get eager about Canada migration. The place is delightful and the people are renowned for their good characters. You have a bowl of maple syrup for breakfast, ski to work and say 'sorry' to everybody en route. Simply be mindful so as not to chance upon any bears. We'd prefer to disclose to you all the most significant things about existence in the Great White North, from ice-hockey and twofold duplicates to packed away milk. So, read on!

1. Canada is huge

Canada's extraordinary for people who like it, in light of the fact that there's totally heaps of it. The nation is the second biggest on the world after Russia estimating almost ten million square kilometers. In the event that that doesn't mean anything to you, think about this: you could fit the United Kingdom into Canada more than 40 times. It would take you more than four years to walk its coastline, in the event that you ever wanted. The city of St John's in Newfoundland (east coast) is in reality nearer to London than it is to Vancouver (west coast). Wood Buffalo National Park is greater than the Netherlands. To make everything a touch more reasonable, Canada is divided into ten provinces and three territories. Simply take the nation each piece in turn.

  2. The cities are world class

Metropolitan life in Canada is the honey bee's knees. In the Economist's 2017 ranking of the world's most liveable urban areas, no under three Canadian urban communities put in the best ten. They were Vancouver (third), Toronto (fourth) and Calgary (fifth). The five variables were medical services, education, infrastructure, environment, and stability. It's hard to believe, but it's true, these urban communities are basically asking to be lived in. With regards to the significant stuff, the Canucks just ca-thump the ball directly out of the park. One thing to be cleared , the capital of Canada is Ottawa, not Toronto.

3. It’s very multicultural

People simply love moving to Canada, and Canada simply adores having them over. Over 20% of Canadians were conceived in another nation, and this is required to reach almost half by 2031. That is an insane pace of migration, however there's all that anyone could need space to go around. There are almost 200 nationalities the nation over (and more than 250 ethnic origins), including heaps of Aboriginal people. We surmise Canada is only a major, lovely rainbow.

  4. Two official languages

One authority language was insufficient for the Canadians, so English and French have equivalent status over yonder. In the event that you believe that sounds troublesome, envision being in Singapore (four official languages) or India (sixteen official languages). You don't generally see the Frenchness of the nation except if you're in the eastern territory of Quebec, where people are making a decent attempt to keep things as French as could reasonably be expected. There are laws upheld by the OQLF (essentially the language police) to ensure everybody utilizes enough French. In the event that a shop doesn't put French on its signs and welcome its clients in French, it's in difficulté.

  5. You’ve got good healthcare options

Canada's medical services are the jealousy of their American neighbors toward the south. It's an expense financed Medicare system where the government pays for people's fundamental health insurance, which is then conveyed by the private area. It resembles the NHS; in the event that you require any fundamental clinical services, you get them for free. It just includes a touch of waiting.

Indeed, Canada's hold up times aren't incredible; a 2017 Commonwealth Fund survey found that solitary 43% of Canadians see a medical professional around the same time as looking for help. Luckily there are heaps of ways around this, for example, being companions with a doctor, marrying a doctor,, or surely becoming a doctor. All joking aside, considering your private healthcare options is really reasonable, especially in the event that you need to evade those long holding up times.

  6. The landscapes are beautiful

Indeed, the urban areas are good, however the spaces between the cities are far and away superior. 90% of Canadians live inside 100 miles of the American borders, which implies there's a genuine measure of space for investigating in the north. In the event that you need to move away from different people for some time (or surely forever) at that point the open door's there. Beside bubbling deserts and tropical rainforests, Canada basically has each scene going. There's the tough coastline of Pacific Rim, the supernatural Meadows in the Sky, and the rock piles of Gros Morne, to give some examples. The Alberta Badlands are especially very nice in the event that you need to feel like a cowpoke in an old western film. Yee-haw!

  7. Lakes, lakes and more lakes

You know the familiar axiom: everybody's either a freshwater individual or a saltwater individual? Indeed, with the longest coastline on the planet and 20% of the Earth's lakes, Canada has the best of the two universes. New people and pungent people can live respectively in concordance. There are around 2,000,000 lakes in Canada, including the totally walloping Lake Superior, which is about the size of Maine. You can do all the fun watersports that the Australians do, however without stressing over the sharks. It's one major straightforward sprinkle party over yonder.

  8. It’s freezing cold

There's a bad situation for words like 'chilly and 'nippy' in Canada. At the point when we state it gets cold, we mean truly ridiculous cold. Aside from the nation's west coast in British Columbia, no place else in Canada does the normal temperature surpass zero in winter time. Tremendous pieces of the nation can plunge as low as - 30°C or - 40°C, which makes going outside genuinely unenjoyable. Toss in the serious breeze chill and nature are an off limits. The coldest temperature ever recorded in North America was in Yukon, Canada in 1947 at - 63°C, which is truly equivalent to the surface temperature of Mars. Out of nowhere those lakes don't appear to be engaging.

  9. They’re obsessed with ice-hockey

Hitting a weighty item around with sticks wasn't hazardous enough for the Canadians, so they chose to do it on ice. What else would you say you are intended to do with each one of those solidified lakes in the winter? Referred to just as "hockey" over yonder, the sports is fundamentally a religion. Just to give you a thought, the Canada versus USA men's hockey last at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 was the most watched in front of the TV broadcast in Canadian history. There's even an image of children playing hockey on a solidified lake (known as shinny) on the Canadian $5 bill. It turns out the game was really developed in England, but don't tell any Canadians that.

10. Milk comes in bags

On the off chance that you think purchasing a major plastic sack of milk sounds odd, you are completely right. It's a peculiar practice that goes on all through Ontario and Quebec. Three individual bags of milk are set in one bigger sack, which the sharp Canadian milk-consumer at that point hauls home. The customary container of milk appears to work for every other person, yet in certain pieces of Canada it's the bag or nothing. When the nation changed to the metric system in 1970, milk makers needed to change every one of their machines so they could create diverse estimated bottles. Bagging it up just appeared to be much simpler. So here we are.

  11. Everyone loves poutine

Poutine is Canada's public dish. "Poutine" is slang in Quebec province for "a mess", which is essentially what you get. Chips shrouded in sauce and half-dissolved cheddar curds. It doesn't seem like an especially humble supper, yet the Canadians love it in no way different. It was invented in 1957 when a driver requested that somebody put cheddar on his chips and sauce. One person needed a touch of cheddar and out of nowhere a public dish was conceived. Gourmet specialists around the nation have attempted to make it a touch more extravagant, tossing in things like lobster and foie gras, however it's a losing fight. Simply keep an eye out for those calories; a side request of poutine in Burger King contains 740 of them. Heavy meal.

  12. And maple syrup

Truly, the generalization is valid; Canadians are distraught for maple syrup. That sweet, sweet goo can be found in virtually every kitchen the nation over. The stuff basically courses through their veins. Maple trees are all over Canada and they're wonderful, turning a brilliant red shading in the fall. Some time ago, locals in Quebec told the French the best way to gather the sap from maple trees, and afterward the French bubbled it to make the syrup. It was an upbeat coordinated effort that Canada is extremely glad for. The bubbling cycle expands the sugar content in the sap from around 2-8% to a monstrous 70%, which is completely unfortunate for your teeth. Today, Canada produces 71% of the world's maple syrup, and the US is their greatest client. In 2012, thieves attacked Canada's maple syrup holds and took US$30 million worth of maple syrup. That is one sweet heist.

  13. They had a flag design competition

How would you make a public banner that the entire nation is happy with? You request that they plan it. In 1965, Canada understood that they actually didn't have an official banner, so the people at the top concluded they ought to get one. Different nations had just taken all the straightforward plans, so the Canadians needed to get imaginative. Furthermore, kid did they convey! An aggregate of 3541 banner plans were put together by residents the nation over, with the vast majority of them including either a maple leaf, a beaver, a fleurs-de-lys or a Union Jack (and now and then each of the four on the double). The triumphant passage originated from Colonel George F. G. Stanley, with his basic red and white maple leaf plan. The one we as a whole know and love. Also, the one that all Canadian voyagers demand having on their knapsacks.

  14. The education is top notch

In Canada, school is cool. With regards to showing their children, the Canadians don't play. In the OECD's 2017 positioning of nations' grown-up training levels (in light of the level of long term olds with a degree), Canada started things out with 56.27%. It may be awful for your teeth, however maple syrup unmistakably accomplishes something for the mind. In the event that you end up in a bar test against a lot of Canadians, it's likely best to return home before it gets excessively humiliating.

  15. Learn the slang

'Canadian English' is an extraordinary sort of English. The Canucks talk their own language and it can confound the hellfire out of any ill-equipped outsider. There are just so often you can request that somebody rehash themselves before you simply gesture and grin. The most popular expression is 'eh', which Canadians like to slap on the finish of practically any sentence. Explanations, questions, affronts, orders; everything is reasonable game with regards to 'eh'. In the event that somebody goes to the "biffy" at that point they're set for the latrine. In the event that it's cool, at that point you'll require a "hat" (a beanie) on your head. A $1 coin is a "loonie" and a $2 coin is a "toonie". The lively word for a kilometer is a "klick". On the off chance that anybody converses with you about "the 6ix", they're discussing Toronto. At the point when they state "about", it seems like "aboat". It's all exceptionally overpowering.

  16. Sorry!

"Sorry" is Canada's most significant word. Each Canadian is only edgy to apologize to different Canadians at some random chance. They're a broadly obliging pack, and "sorry" is their meat and potatoes. Toss enough "sorry"s at a circumstance and there is no reason to worry. Stroll down a road or through a grocery store and you'll hear constantly it. Actually, Canadians utilize the word such a great amount of that in 2009 they needed to pass an 'Expression of remorse Act' in Ontario. It implies that if any Canadian says 'sorry' at the hour of a wrongdoing or episode, it won't consider an affirmation of blame – only a declaration of compassion. Without this, there'd presumably be a ton of regretful Canadians in jail.

  17. Timmies is everywhere

In a rundown of exceptionally Canadian things, Tim Hortons is likely third – soon after maple syrup and expressions of remorse. Referred to warmly as 'Timmies', it's a chain of espresso and doughnut shops and there are branches all over the place. They're in shopping centers, train stations, films, public stops, the rundown goes on. Practically every town across Canada has a Timmies. On the off chance that a space opens up on the high road, it will get loaded up with a Timmies. Leave your nursery sufficiently long and it will in the end grow a Timmies. Evidently eight out of each ten cups of espresso bought in Canada are from Timmies (source: Timmies). A public most loved is the Timmies "twofold", which is an espresso with two sugars and two creams. An additional huge one of those has 340 calories. Have too some twofold pairs and you'll be in a tough situation inconvenience.

  18. Canada’s furry friends

The moose and the beaver are Canada's public mascots. They're both on the cash, and the pair of them were lining up directly behind the maple leaf to go on the banner. Nonetheless, likewise with most public creatures, they've gotten somewhat of a bug. A moose regularly weighs between 350-450kg (contingent upon sexual orientation), which is fine. Be that as it may, they simply love to go across streets, and they're not awesome at it. Moose-vehicle impacts can be intense, so you'll see heaps of caution signs on Canadian streets. The beavers are planning something sinister either. They're assaulting canines, gnawing hands, flooding streets and just for the most part causing devastation. Certain people have attempted to separate them however it's exceptionally disputable. Simply take a gander at how adorable a child beaver is (called a unit). Envision separating that.

  19. Beware of the bears

Canadian bears. They're somewhat less "fun and fleecy" than the beavers and a smidgen more "large and perilous". In the event that a bear needs to murder you, it can and it will. There are three sorts of bears to stress over, from least to generally terrifying: wild bears, mountain bears and polar bears. Wild bears don't will in general go close to people except if they're really starving. They're incredible tree-climbers and there are around 500,000 of them the nation over. Wild bears are a lot greater (around seven feet tall when standing), so they can't climb trees however they can run more than 30 mph. Numbering around 20,000, grizzlies are considerably more liable to assault people than their little dark siblings. At last, there are the polar bears. There are around 17,000 polar bears in Canada, which is about 70% of the whole worldwide populace. Super cold, these ones need no encouragement to assault you. Inhabitants of Churchill, Manitoba really leave their vehicle entryways opened on the off chance that somebody needs cover. Fortunately polar bears actually haven't turned out to be the means by which to open a vehicle entryway.

20. There are bridges for animals

One answer for all the creature vehicle crashes in Canada is to assemble spans for them. Also, it really works. The extensions are lush, verdant and only a stunning method to go across the street. They're a raving success with the creatures in Banff National Park; somewhere in the range of 1996 and 2012, eleven types of enormous vertebrate were recorded utilizing these scaffolds more than 150,000 times. This incorporates moose and bears – creatures that would positively have caused a genuine mishap in the event that they took the standard street course. Certain moose were so quick to utilize the extensions that they were traverse them before they'd even completed the process of being assembled. Banff has started the precedent and now puts across Canada have connect fever, for example, British Columbia and Alberta. It's a success win for all.

  21. Pekwachnamaykoskwaskwaypinwanik

It may seem as though a feline has quite recently strolled over the console, yet this is really a spot in Canada. It's a lake and its name (in the local Cree language) signifies "where the wild trout are gotten by fishing with snares". Magnificently, there is no deficiency of crazy spot names in Canada. A few people simply haven't accepted the position genuinely enough. Look at these towns and towns: Goobies, Dildo (Newfoundland), Balls Creek, Lower Economy, Mushaboom (Nova Scotia), Punkeydoodles Corners, Crotch Lake, Ball's Falls (Ontario), Finger, Flin Flon (Manitoba), Mosquito Grizzly Bear's Head Lean Man, Eyebrow and Big Beaver (Saskatchewan). The best part is that there's Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! In Quebec. Indeed, there are really two 'Ha!'s.

Final Thoughts

Ideally you're feeling beautiful Canada-insane in the wake of understanding that. It's a tremendous, lovely and multicultural nation with all that anyone could need enjoyable to go around. Get yourself a hockey stick and a bag of milk and you'll be an out and out Canadian before you know it. What's more, you shouldn't let the bears put you off – they simply make going external a smidgen all the more energizing. Now are you excited to move in Canada?

[bountyofbeads]

‘Absolutely No Mercy’: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/16/world/asia/china-xinjiang-documents.html

“Freedom is only possible when this ‘virus’ in their thinking is eradicated and they are in good health."

THE XINJIANG PAPERS

‘Absolutely No Mercy’: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims

More than 400 pages of internal Chinese documents provide an unprecedented inside look at the crackdown on ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region.

BY AUSTIN RAMZY AND CHRIS Buckley | Published November 16, 2019 | New York Times | Posted Nov. 16, 2019 |

*PART 1/2

HONG KONG — The students booked their tickets home at the end of the semester, hoping for a relaxing break after exams and a summer of happy reunions with family in China’s far west.

Instead, they would soon be told that their parents were gone, relatives had vanished and neighbors were missing — all of them locked up in an expanding network of detention camps built to hold Muslim ethnic minorities.

The authorities in the Xinjiang region worried the situation was a powder keg. And so they prepared.

The leadership distributed a classified directive advising local officials to corner returning students as soon as they arrived and keep them quiet. It included a chillingly bureaucratic guide for how to handle their anguished questions, beginning with the most obvious: Where is my family?

“They’re in a training school set up by the government,” the prescribed answer began. If pressed, officials were to tell students that their relatives were not criminals — yet could not leave these “schools.”

The question-and-answer script also included a barely concealed threat: Students were to be told that their behavior could either shorten or extend the detention of their relatives.

“I’m sure that you will support them, because this is for their own good,” officials were advised to say, “and also for your own good.”

The directive was among 403 pages of internal documents that have been shared with The New York Times in one of the most significant leaks of government papers from inside China’s ruling Communist Party in decades. They provide an unprecedented inside view of the continuing clampdown in Xinjiang, in which the authorities have corralled as many as a million ethnic Uighurs, Kazakhs and others into internment camps and prisons over the past three years.

Read the Full Document: What Chinese Officials Told Children Whose Families Were Put in Camps

The party has rejected international criticism of the camps and described them as job-training centers that use mild methods to fight Islamic extremism. But the documents confirm the coercive nature of the crackdown in the words and orders of the very officials who conceived and orchestrated it.

Even as the government presented its efforts in Xinjiang to the public as benevolent and unexceptional, it discussed and organized a ruthless and extraordinary campaign in these internal communications. Senior party leaders are recorded ordering drastic and urgent action against extremist violence, including the mass detentions, and discussing the consequences with cool detachment.

Children saw their parents taken away, students wondered who would pay their tuition and crops could not be planted or harvested for lack of manpower, the reports noted. Yet officials were directed to tell people who complained to be grateful for the Communist Party’s help and stay quiet.

The leaked papers offer a striking picture of how the hidden machinery of the Chinese state carried out the country’s most far-reaching internment campaign since the Mao era. The key disclosures in the documents include:

• President Xi Jinping, the party chief, laid the groundwork for the crackdown in a series of speeches delivered in private to officials during and after a visit to Xinjiang in April 2014, just weeks after Uighur militants stabbed more than 150 people at a train station, killing 31. Mr. Xi called for an all-out “struggle against terrorism, infiltration and separatism” using the “organs of dictatorship,” and showing “absolutely no mercy.”

• Terrorist attacks abroad and the drawdown of American troops in Afghanistan heightened the leadership’s fears and helped shape the crackdown. Officials argued that attacks in Britain resulted from policies that put “human rights above security,” and Mr. Xi urged the party to emulate aspects of America’s “war on terror” after the Sept. 11 attacks.

• The internment camps in Xinjiang expanded rapidly after the appointment in August 2016 of Chen Quanguo, a zealous new party boss for the region. He distributed Mr. Xi’s speeches to justify the campaign and exhorted officials to “round up everyone who should be rounded up.”

• The crackdown encountered doubts and resistance from local officials who feared it would exacerbate ethnic tensions and stifle economic growth. Mr. Chen responded by purging officials suspected of standing in his way, including one county leader who was jailed after quietly releasing thousands of inmates from the camps.

The leaked papers consist of 24 documents, some of which contain duplicated material. They include nearly 200 pages of internal speeches by Mr. Xi and other leaders, and more than 150 pages of directives and reports on the surveillance and control of the Uighur population in Xinjiang. There are also references to plans to extend restrictions on Islam to other parts of China.

Though it is unclear how the documents were gathered and selected, the leak suggests greater discontent inside the party apparatus over the crackdown than previously known. The papers were brought to light by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that their disclosure would prevent party leaders, including Mr. Xi, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions.

The Chinese leadership wraps policymaking in secrecy, especially when it comes to Xinjiang, a resource-rich territory located on the sensitive frontier with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Predominantly Muslim ethnic minority groups make up more than half the region’s population of 25 million. The largest of these groups are the Uighurs, who speak a Turkic language and have long faced discrimination and restrictions on cultural and religious activities.

Beijing has sought for decades to suppress Uighur resistance to Chinese rule in Xinjiang. The current crackdown began after a surge of antigovernment and anti-Chinese violence, including ethnic riots in 2009 in Urumqi, the regional capital, and a May 2014 attack on an outdoor market that killed 39 people just days before Mr. Xi convened a leadership conference in Beijing to set a new policy course for Xinjiang.

Since 2017, the authorities in Xinjiang have detained many hundreds of thousands of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Muslims in internment camps. Inmates undergo months or years of indoctrination and interrogation aimed at transforming them into secular and loyal supporters of the party.

Of the 24 documents, the directive on how to handle minority students returning home to Xinjiang in the summer of 2017 offers the most detailed discussion of the indoctrination camps — and the clearest illustration of the regimented way the party told the public one story while mobilizing around a much harsher narrative internally.

Even as the document advises officials to inform students that their relatives are receiving “treatment” for exposure to radical Islam, its title refers to family members who are being “dealt with,” or chuzhi, a euphemism used in party documents to mean punishment.

Officials in Turpan, a city in eastern Xinjiang, drafted the question-and-answer script after the regional government warned local officials to prepare for the returning students. The agency coordinating efforts to “maintain stability” across Xinjiang then distributed the guide across the region and urged officials to use it as a model.

The government sends Xinjiang’s brightest young Uighurs to universities across China, with the goal of training a new generation of Uighur civil servants and teachers loyal to the party.

The crackdown has been so extensive that it affected even these elite students, the directive shows. And that made the authorities nervous.

“Returning students from other parts of China have widespread social ties across the entire country,” the directive noted. “The moment they issue incorrect opinions on WeChat, Weibo and other social media platforms, the impact is widespread and difficult to eradicate.”

The document warned that there was a “serious possibility” students might sink into “turmoil” after learning what had happened to their relatives. It recommended that police officers in plain clothes and experienced local officials meet them as soon as they returned “to show humane concern and stress the rules.”

The directive’s question-and-answer guide begins gently, with officials advised to tell the students that they have “absolutely no need to worry” about relatives who have disappeared.

“Tuition for their period of study is free and so are food and living costs, and the standards are quite high,” officials were told to say, before adding that the authorities were spending more than $3 per day on meals for each detainee, “even better than the living standards that some students have back home.”

“If you want to see them,” the answer concluded, “we can arrange for you to have a video meeting.”

The authorities anticipated, however, that this was unlikely to mollify students and provided replies to a series of other questions: When will my relatives be released? If this is for training, why can’t they come home? Can they request a leave? How will I afford school if my parents are studying and there is no one to work on the farm?

The guide recommended increasingly firm replies telling the students that their relatives had been “infected” by the “virus” of Islamic radicalism and must be quarantined and cured. Even grandparents and family members who seemed too old to carry out violence could not be spared, officials were directed to say.

“If they don’t undergo study and training, they’ll never thoroughly and fully understand the dangers of religious extremism,” one answer said, citing the civil war in Syria and the rise of the Islamic State. “No matter what age, anyone who has been infected by religious extremism must undergo study.”

Students should be grateful that the authorities had taken their relatives away, the document said.

“Treasure this chance for free education that the party and government has provided to thoroughly eradicate erroneous thinking, and also learn Chinese and job skills,” one answer said. “This offers a great foundation for a happy life for your family.”

The authorities appear to be using a scoring system to determine who can be released from the camps: The document instructed officials to tell the students that their behavior could hurt their relatives’ scores, and to assess the daily behavior of the students and record their attendance at training sessions, meetings and other activities.

“Family members, including you, must abide by the state’s laws and rules, and not believe or spread rumors,” officials were told to say. “Only then can you add points for your family member, and after a period of assessment they can leave the school if they meet course completion standards.”

If asked about the impact of the detentions on family finances, officials were advised to assure students that “the party and the government will do everything possible to ease your hardships.”

The line that stands out most in the script, however, may be the model answer for how to respond to students who ask of their detained relatives, “Did they commit a crime?”

The document instructed officials to acknowledge that they had not. “It is just that their thinking has been infected by unhealthy thoughts,” the script said.

“Freedom is only possible when this ‘virus’ in their thinking is eradicated and they are in good health.

SECRET SPEECHES

The ideas driving the mass detentions can be traced back to Xi Jinping’s first and only visit to Xinjiang as China’s leader, a tour shadowed by violence.

In 2014, little more than a year after becoming president, he spent four days in the region, and on the last day of the trip, two Uighur militants staged a suicide bombing outside a train station in Urumqi that injured nearly 80 people, one fatally.

Weeks earlier, militants with knives had gone on a rampage at another railway station, in southwest China, killing 31 people and injuring more than 140. And less than a month after Mr. Xi’s visit, assailants tossed explosives into a vegetable market in Urumqi, wounding 94 people and killing at least 39.

Against this backdrop of bloodshed, Mr. Xi delivered a series of secret speeches setting the hard-line course that culminated in the security offensive now underway in Xinjiang. While state media have alluded to these speeches, none were made public.

The text of four of them, though, were among the leaked documents — and they provide a rare, unfiltered look at the origins of the crackdown and the beliefs of the man who set it in motion.

“The methods that our comrades have at hand are too primitive,” Mr. Xi said in one talk, after inspecting a counterterrorism police squad in Urumqi. “None of these weapons is any answer for their big machete blades, ax heads and cold steel weapons.”

“We must be as harsh as them,” he added, “and show absolutely no mercy.”

In free-flowing monologues in Xinjiang and at a subsequent leadership conference on Xinjiang policy in Beijing, Mr. Xi is recorded thinking through what he called a crucial national security issue and laying out his ideas for a “people’s war” in the region.

Although he did not order mass detentions in these speeches, he called on the party to unleash the tools of “dictatorship” to eradicate radical Islam in Xinjiang.

Mr. Xi displayed a fixation with the issue that seemed to go well beyond his public remarks on the subject. He likened Islamic extremism alternately to a virus-like contagion and a dangerously addictive drug, and declared that addressing it would require “a period of painful, interventionary treatment.”

“The psychological impact of extremist religious thought on people must never be underestimated,” Mr. Xi told officials in Urumqi on April 30, 2014, the final day of his trip to Xinjiang. “People who are captured by religious extremism — male or female, old or young — have their consciences destroyed, lose their humanity and murder without blinking an eye.”

In another speech, at the leadership conclave in Beijing a month later, he warned of “the toxicity of religious extremism.”

“As soon as you believe in it,” he said, “it’s like taking a drug, and you lose your sense, go crazy and will do anything.”

In several surprising passages, given the crackdown that followed, Mr. Xi also told officials to not discriminate against Uighurs and to respect their right to worship. He warned against overreacting to natural friction between Uighurs and Han Chinese, the nation’s dominant ethnic group, and rejected proposals to try to eliminate Islam entirely in China.

“In light of separatist and terrorist forces under the banner of Islam, some people have argued that Islam should be restricted or even eradicated,” he said during the Beijing conference. He called that view “biased, even wrong.”

But Mr. Xi’s main point was unmistakable: He was leading the party in a sharp turn toward greater repression in Xinjiang.

Before Mr. Xi, the party had often described attacks in Xinjiang as the work of a few fanatics inspired and orchestrated by shadowy separatist groups abroad. But Mr. Xi argued that Islamic extremism had taken root across swaths of Uighur society.

In fact, the vast majority of Uighurs adhere to moderate traditions, though some began embracing more conservative and more public religious practices in the 1990s, despite state controls on Islam. Mr. Xi’s remarks suggest he was alarmed by the revival of public piety. He blamed lax controls on religion, suggesting that his predecessors had let down their guard.

While previous Chinese leaders emphasized economic development to stifle unrest in Xinjiang, Mr. Xi said that was not enough. He demanded an ideological cure, an effort to rewire the thinking of the region’s Muslim minorities.

“The weapons of the people’s democratic dictatorship must be wielded without any hesitation or wavering,” Mr. Xi told the leadership conference on Xinjiang policy, which convened six days after the deadly attack on the vegetable market.

THE SOVIET PRISM

Mr. Xi is the son of an early Communist Party leader who in the 1980s supported more relaxed policies toward ethnic minority groups, and some analysts had expected he might follow his father’s milder ways when he assumed leadership of the party in November 2012.

But the speeches underscore how Mr. Xi sees risks to China through the prism of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which he blamed on ideological laxity and spineless leadership.

Across China, he set about eliminating challenges to party rule; dissidents and human rights lawyers disappeared in waves of arrests. In Xinjiang, he pointed to examples from the former Soviet bloc to argue that economic growth would not immunize a society against ethnic separatism.

The Baltic republics were among the most developed in the Soviet Union but also the first to leave when the country broke up, he told the leadership conference. Yugoslavia’s relative prosperity did not prevent its disintegration either, he added.

“We say that development is the top priority and the basis for achieving lasting security, and that’s right,” Mr. Xi said. “But it would be wrong to believe that with development every problem solves itself.”

In the speeches, Mr. Xi showed a deep familiarity with the history of Uighur resistance to Chinese rule, or at least Beijing’s official version of it, and discussed episodes rarely if ever mentioned by Chinese leaders in public, including brief periods of Uighur self-rule in the first half of the 20th century.

Violence by Uighur militants has never threatened Communist control of the region. Though attacks grew deadlier after 2009, when nearly 200 people died in ethnic riots in Urumqi, they remained relatively small, scattered and unsophisticated.

Even so, Mr. Xi warned that the violence was spilling from Xinjiang into other parts of China and could taint the party’s image of strength. Unless the threat was extinguished, Mr. Xi told the leadership conference, “social stability will suffer shocks, the general unity of people of every ethnicity will be damaged, and the broad outlook for reform, development and stability will be affected.”

Setting aside diplomatic niceties, he traced the origins of Islamic extremism in Xinjiang to the Middle East, and warned that turmoil in Syria and Afghanistan would magnify the risks for China. Uighurs had traveled to both countries, he said, and could return to China as seasoned fighters seeking an independent homeland, which they called East Turkestan.

“After the United States pulls troops out of Afghanistan, terrorist organizations positioned on the frontiers of Afghanistan and Pakistan may quickly infiltrate into Central Asia,” Mr. Xi said. “East Turkestan’s terrorists who have received real-war training in Syria and Afghanistan could at any time launch terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.”

Mr. Xi’s predecessor, Hu Jintao, responded to the 2009 riots in Urumqi with a clampdown but he also stressed economic development as a cure for ethnic discontent — longstanding party policy. But Mr. Xi signaled a break with Mr. Hu’s approach in the speeches.

“In recent years, Xinjiang has grown very quickly and the standard of living has consistently risen, but even so ethnic separatism and terrorist violence have still been on the rise,” he said. “This goes to show that economic development does not automatically bring lasting order and security.”

Ensuring stability in Xinjiang would require a sweeping campaign of surveillance and intelligence gathering to root out resistance in Uighur society, Mr. Xi argued.

He said new technology must be part of the solution, foreshadowing the party’s deployment of facial recognition, genetic testing and big data in Xinjiang. But he also emphasized old-fashioned methods, such as neighborhood informants, and urged officials to study how Americans responded to the Sept. 11 attacks.

Like the United States, he said, China “must make the public an important resource in protecting national security.”

“We Communists should be naturals at fighting a people’s war,” he said. “We’re the best at organizing for a task.”

The only suggestion in these speeches that Mr. Xi envisioned the internment camps now at the heart of the crackdown was an endorsement of more intense indoctrination programs in Xinjiang’s prisons.

“There must be effective educational remolding and transformation of criminals,” he told officials in southern Xinjiang on the second day of his trip. “And even after these people are released, their education and transformation must continue.”

Within months, indoctrination sites began opening across Xinjiang — mostly small facilities at first, which held dozens or hundreds of Uighurs at a time for sessions intended to pressure them into disavowing devotion to Islam and professing gratitude for the party.

Then in August 2016, a hard-liner named Chen Quanguo was transferred from Tibet to govern Xinjiang. Within weeks, he called on local officials to “remobilize” around Mr. Xi’s goals and declared that Mr. Xi’s speeches “set the direction for making a success of Xinjiang.”

New security controls and a drastic expansion of the indoctrination camps followed.

“The struggle against terror and to safeguard stability is a protracted war, and also a war of offense,” Mr. Chen said in a speech to the regional leadership in October 2017 that was among the leaked papers.

In another document, a record of his remarks in a video conference in August 2017, he cited “vocational skills, education training and transformation centers” as an example of “good practices” for achieving Mr. Xi’s goals for Xinjiang.

The crackdown appears to have smothered violent unrest in Xinjiang, but many experts have warned that the extreme security measures and mass detentions are likely to breed resentment that could eventually inspire worse ethnic clashes.

The camps have been condemned in Washington and other foreign capitals. As early as the May 2014 leadership conference, though, Mr. Xi anticipated international criticism and urged officials behind closed doors to ignore it.

“Don’t be afraid if hostile forces whine, or if hostile forces malign the image of Xinjiang,” he said.

‘ROUND UP EVERYONE’

The documents show there was more resistance to the crackdown inside the party than previously known — and highlight the key role that the new party boss in Xinjiang played in overcoming it.

Mr. Chen led a campaign akin to one of Mao’s turbulent political crusades, in which top-down pressure on local officials encouraged overreach and any expression of doubt was treated as a crime.

In February 2017, he told thousands of police officers and troops standing at attention in a vast square in Urumqi to prepare for a “smashing, obliterating offensive.” In the following weeks, the documents indicate, the leadership settled on plans to detain Uighurs in large numbers.

Mr. Chen issued a sweeping order: “Round up everyone who should be rounded up.” The vague phrase appears repeatedly in internal documents from 2017.

The party had previously used the phrase — “ying shou jin shou” in Chinese — when demanding that officials be vigilant and comprehensive in collecting taxes or measuring harvests. Now it was being applied to humans in directives that ordered, with no mention of judicial procedures, the detention of anyone who displayed “symptoms” of religious radicalism or anti-government views.

The authorities laid out dozens of such signs, including common behavior among devout Uighurs such as wearing long beards, giving up smoking or drinking, studying Arabic and praying outside mosques.

Party leaders reinforced the orders with warnings about terrorism abroad and potential copycat attacks in China.

For example, a 10-page directive in June 2017 signed by Zhu Hailun, then Xinjiang’s top security official, called recent terrorist attacks in Britain “a warning and a lesson for us.” It blamed the British government’s “excessive emphasis on ‘human rights above security,’ and inadequate controls on the propagation of extremism on the internet and in society.”

It also complained of security lapses in Xinjiang, including sloppy investigations, malfunctions in surveillance equipment and the failure to hold people accused of suspicious behavior.

Keep up the detentions, it ordered. “Stick to rounding up everyone who should be rounded up,” it said. “If they’re there, round them up.”

The number of people swept into the camps remains a closely guarded secret. But one of the leaked documents offers a hint of the scale of the campaign: It instructed officials to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in crowded facilities.

‘I BROKE THE RULES’

The orders were especially urgent and contentious in Yarkand County, a collection of rural towns and villages in southern Xinjiang where nearly all of the 900,000 residents are Uighur.

In the 2014 speeches, Mr. Xi had singled out southern Xinjiang as the front line in his fight against religious extremism. Uighurs make up close to 90 percent of the population in the south, compared to just under half in Xinjiang over all, and Mr. Xi set a long-term goal of attracting more Han Chinese settlers.

He and other party leaders ordered a quasi-military organization, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, to accelerate efforts to settle the area with more Han Chinese, the documents show.

A few months later, more than 100 Uighur militants armed with axes and knives attacked a government office and police station in Yarkand, killing 37 people, according to government reports. In the battle, the security forces shot dead 59 assailants, the reports said.

An official named Wang Yongzhi was appointed to run Yarkand soon afterward. With his glasses and crew cut, he looked the picture of a party technocrat. He had grown up and spent his career in southern Xinjiang and was seen as a deft, seasoned official who could deliver on the party’s top priorities in the area: economic development and firm control of the Uighurs.

But among the most revealing documents in the leaked papers are two that describe Mr. Wang’s downfall — an 11-page report summarizing the party’s internal investigation into his actions, and the text of a 15-page confession that he may have given under duress. Both were distributed inside the party as a warning to officials to fall in line behind the crackdown.

Han officials like Mr. Wang serve as the party’s anchors in southern Xinjiang, watching over Uighur officials in more junior positions, and he seemed to enjoy the blessing of top leaders, including Yu Zhengsheng, then China’s most senior official for ethnic issues, who visited the county in 2015.

Mr. Wang set about beefing up security in Yarkand but he also pushed economic development to address ethnic discontent. And he sought to soften the party’s religious policies, declaring that there was nothing wrong with having a Quran at home and encouraging party officials to read it to better understand Uighur traditions.

When the mass detentions began, Mr. Wang did as he was told at first and appeared to embrace the task with zeal.

He built two sprawling new detention facilities, including one as big as 50 basketball courts, and herded 20,000 people into them.

He sharply increased funding for the security forces in 2017, more than doubling spending on outlays such as checkpoints and surveillance to 1.37 billion renminbi, or about $180 million.

And he lined up party members for a rally in a public square and urged them to press the fight against terrorists. “Wipe them out completely,” he said. “Destroy them root and branch.”

But privately, Mr. Wang had misgivings, according to the confession that he later signed, which would have been carefully vetted by the party.

He was under intense pressure to prevent an outburst of violence in Yarkand, and worried the crackdown would provoke a backlash.

The authorities set numeric targets for Uighur detentions in parts of Xinjiang, and while it is unclear if they did so in Yarkand, Mr. Wang felt the orders left no room for moderation and would poison ethnic relations in the county.

He also worried that the mass detentions would make it impossible to record the economic progress he needed to earn a promotion.

The leadership had set goals to reduce poverty in Xinjiang. But with so many working-age residents being sent to the camps, Mr. Wang was afraid the targets would be out of reach, along with his hopes for a better job.

His superiors, he wrote, were “overly ambitious and unrealistic.”

“The policies and measures taken by higher levels were at gaping odds with realities on the ground and could not be implemented in full,” he added.

To help enforce the crackdown in southern Xinjiang, Mr. Chen transferred in hundreds of officials from the north. Publicly, Mr. Wang welcomed the 62 assigned to Yarkand. Privately, he seethed that they did not understand how to work with local officials and residents.

The pressure on officials in Xinjiang to detain Uighurs and prevent fresh violence was relentless, and Mr. Wang said in the confession — presumably signed under pressure — that he drank on the job. He described one episode in which he collapsed drunk during a meeting on security.

“While reporting on my work in the afternoon meeting, I rambled incoherently,” he said. “I’d just spoken a few sentences and my head collapsed on the table. It became the biggest joke across the whole prefecture.”

Thousands of officials in Xinjiang were punished for resisting or failing to carry out the crackdown with sufficient zeal. Uighur officials were accused of protecting fellow Uighurs, and Gu Wensheng, the Han leader of another southern county, was jailed for trying to slow the detentions and shield Uighur officials, according to the documents.

Secret teams of investigators traveled across the region identifying those who were not doing enough. In 2017, the party opened more than 12,000 investigations into party members in Xinjiang for infractions in the “fight against separatism,” more than 20 times the figure in the previous year, according to official statistics.

Mr. Wang may have gone further than any other official.

Quietly, he ordered the release of more than 7,000 camp inmates — an act of defiance for which he would be detained, stripped of power and prosecuted.

“I undercut, acted selectively and made my own adjustments, believing that rounding up so many people would knowingly fan conflict and deepen resentment,” Mr. Wang wrote.

“Without approval and on my own initiative,” he added, “I broke the rules.”

BRAZEN DEFIANCE

Mr. Wang quietly disappeared from public view after September 2017.

About six months later, the party made an example of him, announcing that he was being investigated for “gravely disobeying the party central leadership’s strategy for governing Xinjiang.”

The internal report on the investigation was more direct. “He should have given his all to serving the party,” it said. “Instead, he ignored the party central leadership’s strategy for Xinjiang, and he went as far as brazen defiance.”

Both the report and Mr. Wang’s confession were read aloud to officials across Xinjiang. The message was plain: The party would not tolerate any hesitation in carrying out the mass detentions.

Propaganda outlets described Mr. Wang as irredeemably corrupt, and the internal report accused him of taking bribes on construction and mining deals and paying off superiors to win promotions.

The authorities also emphasized he was no friend of Uighurs. To hit poverty-reduction targets, he was said to have forced 1,500 families to move into unheated apartments in the middle of the winter. Some villagers burned wood indoors to keep warm, leading to injuries and deaths, his confession said.

But Mr. Wang’s greatest political sin was not revealed to the public. Instead, the authorities hid it in the internal report.

“He refused,” it said, “to round up everyone who should be rounded up.”

______

Design and development by Rebecca Lieberman. Additional production by Jessica White.

______

To omit identifying markings, these documents have been retyped to resemble the originals.

[xtruss]

Official Review Exposes How US Reconstruction of Afghanistan was Built on Death, Fraud and Lies

— 19 August, 2021 | RT

— By Kit Klarenberg, an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. Follow him on Twitter @KitKlarenberg

FILE PHOTO. American soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division deploy to fight Taliban fighters as part of Operation Mountain Thrust to a U.S. base near the village of Deh Afghan in the Zabul province of Afghanistan. © Getty Images / John Moore

The shocking extent of America’s failure to build a safe and secure Afghanistan is laid bare in a newly published report. It spells out in explicit detail the mind-boggling corruption and incompetence that doomed the mission.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has issued a withering review of American reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, outlining several “lessons learned” from the calamity.

In all, Washington spent two decades and $145 billion attempting to westernize the country, while struggling to maintain a corrupt, unpopular and illegitimate government in power, and battling an ongoing insurgency against the Taliban and a constellation of armed militias. The report pulls absolutely no punches, finding that almost every US-bankrolled project in Afghanistan was subject to industrial scale grift, delivered wildly over budget, failed in its objectives, and strengthened the Taliban. In far too many cases, these efforts led to people being killed.

References to corruption run rampant throughout – yet, somewhat unbelievably, Washington was said to have “initially failed to recognize the existential threat that corruption posed to the reconstruction effort.” Planners reportedly assumed fraud could only ever be the “deviant criminal behavior of individual Afghan officials,” and concluded that extensive use of contractors would ensure reconstruction endeavors remained above board and on budget.

In reality, this reliance precipitated a veritable feeding frenzy of “virtually unchecked” waste and fraud, enabled in part by an almost total lack of oversight over how funds were spent. Numerous examples of rank incompetence on the part of contractors are also documented – a military compound constructed for $2.4 million being completely unusable as it was carelessly built outside the security perimeter of the base for which it was commissioned is perhaps the most farcical.

In another instance, bogus humanitarian agency USAID awarded a contract for the design and construction of two vast new hospitals, at a combined cost of $18.5 million, without consulting local officials, or considering whether the government could actually foot the annual operating and maintenance bills, which would be up to six times that of the hospitals they replaced. By the time the Afghan Ministry of Public Health learned of the project, construction had been ongoing for a year.

Despite such embarrassments, the dollars kept flowing in ever-greater volumes over the years. As it was the easiest thing to monitor, funds being spent on programs “perversely” became “the most important measure of success,” and the best, if not only, way of demonstrating to an increasingly skeptical US Congress, and the American public, that reconstruction wasn’t a total failure.

With a combination of “overoptimism, an institutional drive to produce good news stories, and the imperative to show progress in time to serve the ends of various political timetables,” producing a situation in which Washington was spending money “faster than it could be accounted for,” the primary goal of reconstruction became “producing good news…as quickly as possible,” and there was “little appetite for honest assessments of what worked and what did not.”

In turn, this created an incentive structure that greatly encouraged officials not to report abuse or fraud, while contractors benefiting from the gravy train were likewise unwilling to speak up about problems. Complicating the issue further, USAID officials were frequently “bulldozed” by the military into implementing projects in places “far too dangerous for them to have a stabilizing effect.”

After Afghan defeat, West must realize that not everyone wants democracy with ‘Netflix & LGBT marches’ – senior Ukrainian official. 18 August, 2021

In these cases, USAID depended on contractors, who could visit locations too risky for US government employees to tread. This meant, though, that monitoring a project’s implementation was extremely difficult, with the agency’s staff “sometimes unable to establish with confidence even the most basic information.” On occasion, what could be verified was in fact bogus – the review records how a Kandahar-based business would for a fee provide contractors with generic photographs of completed projects, replete with fake geotags, to defraud USAID.

Over and over again, US officials completely misjudged whether particular initiatives would be remotely appropriate for the Afghan context. For instance, between 2003 and 2015, Washington spent over $1 billion on rule of law operations in the country, with around 90% invested in developing a formal, Western-style legal system.

The set-up was, however, alien to most Afghans, who favored “informal, community-level traditional dispute resolution mechanisms,” and believed the new system to be impractical and ineffective. In turn, the Taliban created a parallel structure along traditional lines, providing citizens with “a semblance of security and justice.” Their role in maintaining and managing this in turn “generated at least a modicum of legitimacy for the group” among locals, and reinforced the notion they were a credible governance actor.

Other security drives were similarly counter-productive. In 2000, the Taliban collaborated with the United Nations to eradicate opium production in Afghanistan, resulting in one of the most successful anti-drug campaigns in history, with a 99% reduction in poppy farming in areas controlled by the group, which had accounted for roughly three-quarters of the world’s supply of heroin. The US invasion ended this, and despite spending $9 billion on counternarcotics efforts since 2002, the cultivation of opium in Afghanistan has trended upward ever since.

The explosion of the opium trade funded the Taliban insurgency, meaning poppy fields were heavily defended, and many security services operatives, civilians, US Drug Enforcement Administration agents, and contractors were killed or severely wounded on counternarcotics missions. Even successful incursions were “often only possible under the protection of significant coalition and Afghan security forces,” who couldn’t stay indefinitely in target areas as a deterrent. As a result, these wins were “temporary and unsustainable,” and became ever-shorter lived as coalition forces began to retreat.

Then again, Afghan security forces were typically ill-equipped to deal with any serious security issue. After levels of insurgent violence “skyrocketed” in 2006, Washington attempted to fill the ranks of the Afghan army as quickly as possible, and duly reduced training to just 10 weeks.

This produced a largely inexperienced and unqualified military, with a huge level of turnover – by 2020, the need to replace roughly a quarter of the force each and every year was considered ‘normal’. Untold numbers of Afghan soldiers moreover went AWOL over the years, including hundreds who were being trained in the US.

Poor training likewise hampered development of the Afghan National Police, resulting in the force being “largely unaware of their responsibilities and defendants’ rights under the law,” and “routinely [engaging] in torture and abuse,” destroying their credibility with the public. Meanwhile, recruits for the Afghan Local Police, informal militias charged with keeping the peace in conflict-scarred areas that have likewise been accused of human rights violations, were often Taliban fighters, who’d been allowed to keep their weapons and join if they agreed to stop undermining the government.

This dire security situation only enriched militia groups, as private security firms paid to protect US government officials and projects resorted to spending a “substantial” portion of their budgets on bribing insurgents to “refrain from attacking convoys and project sites” – making them “in effect unofficial subcontractors” to Washington.

US government funds also reached the pockets of violent extremists “through a web of corruption that encompassed Afghan officials, drug traffickers, transnational criminals, and insurgent and terrorist groups.” However, “prosecuting these officials, or even removing them from office, proved extremely difficult,” since it would entail “dismantling major pillars of support for the government itself,” including its electoral institutions, in the process severely undermining its public legitimacy.

“When you look at how much we spent and what we got for it, it’s mind boggling,” a senior Department of Defense official is quoted as saying – and it’s just as mind boggling that the report makes repeated reference to “future reconstruction missions elsewhere around the world.”

Clearly, the most obvious lesson of the review – that never again should the US undertake nation building efforts in far-flung states its imperial interventions and meddling have comprehensively destroyed, of which its leaders know nothing – doesn’t feature on the syllabus. Citizens of countries the world over, particularly those living under US-mandated ‘enemy’ regimes, are surely desperately hoping they’re not next in the reconstruction firing line.

[dlamp-dictator]

Allen’s Seinen Adventure

Well... it’s finally happening, I’m finally talking about Seinen manga like I said I would last month. This is my first time talking about manga specifically and tagging it, so... hello manga readers and fandom people reading this, as well as my usual followers that like these sorts of essay-type posts I do when I’m not shitposting about Blazblue. For those that don’t know, I’m Allen X, I post little essays about niche fandom stuff I’m into on tumblr called Ramblings, and every so often try to write stories and fanfics when the mood hits me. A month back I made a post saying I was going to talk about Seinen manga since I’ve reached that lovely age of 23 where theses types of manga would interest me given my age group. I’ve been buying more and more manga in this genre as of late and I wanted to give my thoughts on the ones that have grabbed my interest and why I like them.

In my last Rambling on this topic I said I was going to try and make separate essays for each Seinen manga I wanted to talk about, but... I can’t. I just can’t. I realized it when I talked about Symphogear, I really don’t feel comfortable breaking down manga and anime the way I do with video games. I don’t know, video games are more inclusive and universal than anime and manga. When I talk about video games, gameplay, enjoyment factor, and so on, I feel like I’m talking on a level that everyone would get, at least every gamer. With manga and anime... it’s kind of niche genre, especially the stuff I’m into, so to try and talk about them in the same manner of general appeal and interest just doesn’t feel right to me. Plus, God forbid I miss something super vital about an anime or manga from my western perspective and get roasted for not understanding something in context and harping on it... God, that’s a fear I have every time I tag a Rambling. 

In any case, I figured I’d do this in the style I do my Anime Updates. I’ll give a brief summary of each manga, say what I like about them, what I don’t, and if I think others should into it. So, let’s get started.

Oh actually, before I get started, just gonna’ warn everyone now that since I’m talking about Seinen manga, sexual content is bound for all that I talk about. I won’t be showing pics or anything, but just know these are +18 rated manga. Anyway, back on topic... 

So, first up is Murcielago. If I had to give this show a western comparison I’d say the show Archer would be a good one. Now, I’ve only seen bits of season 1 of Archer, but I think the idea is the same. Murcielago is about a State Appointed Executioner named Kuroko Koumori, a former serial killer turned government agent, and the adventures she goes on with her loli sidekick and driver Hinako as she kills, slaughters, and executes criminals just as, if not more, dangerous than she is, as well as attempt to bang every female without a two-mile radius. Actually, now that I think about I think Killer is Dead is better comparison for this manga. Now if only Kuroko gets voiced by Patrick Seitz if an anime comes out... 

I don’t know, there’s just something engaging about watching this sex-addicted, murderous lesbian go about her day. This is sort of a popcorn read, something wacky and ridiculous that just makes you laugh. The gore is over the top, the situations Kuroko gets into are just so nonsensical that you can’t help but laugh at them, and the way she gets out of jams and gives out cheesy one-liners just makes me think this manga is just a hyper-violent, hyper-sexual action movie with an sociopath protagonist. And I'm always cracking up a little when I see Hinako react to all the hyper-violence going on around her. The fact that Hinako is so innocent and carefree despite who she works with is actually pretty endearing. I like how she’s, for the most part, an innocent little loli just having to put up with all of Kuroko’s shit. I hope it remains a running gag that Hinako is at most just inconvenienced by all the violent, sexual nonsense around her and is never truly effected by it.

Like I said, this manga’s a popcorn read, and if you need some crazy, B-tier action movie nonsense in your manga collection, I recommend buying this when you can. The second volume is out and it concludes the Murder House arc. I’m looking forward to volume 3 and seeing where it goes from there.

And since I’m sticking this in the Murcielago tag, yes Murcielago Lamborghini fans, Kuroko does, in fact, drive Murcielago Lamborghini. Well, Hinako drives it specifically, crashes it every other chapter, and Kuroko buys her a new one in the following chapter... I hope that remains a running gag too.

Next up is Ubel Blatt, AKA, Not-Berserk. 

Now, before everyone tells me to stop reading this and start reading Berserk just hear me out. The main thing keeping me from reading Berserk is the fact that it’s currently on volume 38 here in the West, and I’m not sinking money into an on-going manga that’s ran that long. My personal rule for long-running manga is that if it exceeds past 18 volumes I either stop at 18 or whatever arc I feel is a good stopping point and wait until that manga finishes, or I have a damn good reason to pick it up again and sink all that money back into something that could get put on hiatus at a moment’s notice depending on that artist’s health and condition. Berserk... is just too risky an investment for me to get into, and Ubel Blatt’s plot is telling me that this manga’s gonna have a clear ending at some point, likely around the volume 15 mark, so I’m choosing this one for my edgy, medieval, violent story... thing. I was scrolling around the tags a bit for Ubel Blatt to get a consensus on this manga and saw a few people essentially calling this a poor man’s Berserk. Well folks, since I’m poor as hell I’ll glad sink money into what is currently at volume 10 and not play catch up with Berserk until it finishes.

Now, onto the manga itself,  I find Ubel Blatt interesting in that this series has a very clear goal and that main character is making clear strides in accomplishing that goal. The main character, Koinzell, simply wants to avenge himself and his fallen comrades after being betrayed by his former allies. It’s... basically an even edgier Tales of Beresia except with a half-fairy-elf man instead of Velvet Crow. The world is already saved, but the ones that were sacrificed for that end are less than happy about it and want revenge at the cost of screwing the stability of the world over again. I’m on volume 3 at this point and I’m pretty hooked. It really does remind me of Tales of Beresia with out they show the heroes being flawed and even devious, but the public love them regardless... well, those that aren’t being enslaved by their rule anyway. 

I especially like female lead, Aht. I’ve always like the warrior-princess archtype, and Aht is definitely winning me over with her loyalty toward Koinzell, even willing to change her body and appearance to help him in combat. My only regard about her is that we don’t get to see her in that badass black dragon rider armor she was wearing in the first few volumes when she was going to try and kill Koinzell for killing her brother. That armor just hit all my aesthetics for warrior princesses... but alas, I still like her though. 

I believe this manga is up to volume 10 here in the States. Now I say 10, but it’s numbered 9... for some inane reason there’s volume 0 that is not a prologue volume, so please read, as it is mandatory to understand the plot... it’s the one thing I’m gonna’ knock about this manga, but it’s a good read so far. Looking forward to getting the rest on payday.

Alright, time to talk about a manga I’ve been reading exclusively online for awhile now. As of this point I know the light novel of Goblin Slayer is out in the West, but I’m... hesitant to get it since I was hoping the manga would come first, and I honestly prefer manga to light novels anyway, the only exception I made was Magical Girl Raising Project. According to Amazon a physical copy will be for sell around December and there is a digital version out, so I think I’ll get the digital copy as a way to support the series.

 Anyway, Goblin Slayer is basically about... the adventures of a goblin slayer. Yeah, I know it sounds generic, but it’s good, I swear. In Generic RPG Video Game World #492, this fine fellow kills goblins and only goblins after they killed his family. He is basically medieval Batman if Batman killed. He knows everything about goblins and how to kill them, and with his party of a healer, an archer, a shaman, and a dwarf, he’ll make sure all of them pay for taking away the ones he loved. 

This manga is a bit of a deconstruction of typical RPG tropes. If you guys are familiar with anime Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, then I’d say this is very similar to that, but with more mature themes in it. I found the world of Generic RPG Video Game World #492 rather interesting in how the goblins themselves are enough of a threat that they can kill newbie adventurers who are unprepared (and often are given goblins are seen as weak in this universe), but not enough of a threat for the higher leveled adventurers to bother fight them without high prices. It creates a cycle a of death and tragedy, real depressing stuff as the characters lament on their situation. The Goblin Slayer’s party members slowly start to understand why he hunts goblins and only goblins despite his rank, and the healer is such an endearing character. I like her interactions with the Goblin Slayer. Her innocence really compliments his gruff, silent nature, and she’s one of the few that can get more than a sentence out the guy save for his other love interest the Female Farmhand. 

...

...

...

I know it sounds like I’m giving them generic names and whatnot, but manga really doesn’t give these characters names, like, at all. The Goblin Slayer is just called the Goblin Slayer by everyone in-universe, the healer is called Priestess I believe, and so on. It’s... really weird, but it works. I like where the story’s going so far, and it tempts me to get the light novel to see where things go from there. I’ll skim a few pages next time I head to the bookstore and see if the writing interests me.

In name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Lord grant me strength as I speak about this manga. 

So... Tsugumomo... where do I even begin with this one? I dread talking about this manga. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine, emphasis on guilty. I... don’t know if I can do this, but I’ll try.

Before I start, I’ll say this much, I like the premise. It’s basically a more Japanese version of Soul Eater. Special beings called, well, Tsugumomo, are objects that gain sentience after generations upon generations of use. Once sentient, they can take a human form and weaponize their original form so that exorcist can use them as tools and weapons to battle against evil spirits and demons. So yeah, basically a mix of Soul Eater and Twin Star Exorcist, other manga I happen to enjoy reading. And being the giant weeb I am, anything with a Japanese aesthetic to it is gonna’ get my interest. It’s how I got into Nioh, it’s how I got into Samurai Warriors and the Warriors series, so it appealed to me on a surface level. So when the anime came out, I watched the first episode and... immediately dropped the show there. The first minute had me clicking away to something else since it opened on a boob gag with middle school aged characters. However, episode 3 had a really good fight scene in it, I saw some gifs of it, and being a sap for a good fight scene, I gave it another shot. Episode 2 wasn’t that bad, episode 3 wasn’t either, but... I believe it was episode 5 that had me drop the anime again. I’m not against middle school aged characters discussing sexual topics, but... well, I can’t stand the first omnibus volume of Negima! for a reason. However, much like Negima! I decided to see if the manga was just as bad. After all, if The Sacred Blacksmith had talk me anything, it was that anime spin offs tend to play up the fanservice for the sake of making a quick buck. So i went to the manga to see if that was the case.

It was the exact opposite. The anime turned down the fanservice by quite a degree.

However... despite that, I’m still interested in the story. I’m going to spoil a bit from her, so be warned.

Much like with Negima! I skipped quite a few chapters, starting at around chapter 72, when they went into Kanaka, the main character’s mother, and Kiriha’s, Kazuya’s former Tsugumomo, past and relationship. I didn’t want to bother reading chapters of fanservice to get to what was interesting, so I skips around until I found something worth reading, and boy was this part worth reading. I found Kanaka to be real interesting character. It an interesting take on the whole “Too Strong to be Approached” angle. Or I really liked how she was emotionless until she was able to find a good opponent to fight and then essential became a more cheerful version of Blazblue’s Azrael, her strength being seen as something to be feared to the point of the Exorcist organization literally feeding her demons and evil spirits from their SSS-rank list just to make sure she wouldn’t try to take them out due to boredom. I liked how she trained her kids solely so they could give her a good fight when they mature. Her personality and how she grew in those chapters really hooked me to her character. 

To read those chapters, get attached to those characters, only to realize both Kanaka and Kiriha were dead and that Kanaka’s son had to kill his own mother because of a mistake he made when he was younger... I was shocked by how invested I was already. 

Also, there’s a tournament arc going on as of chapter 100, and learning about the exorcist academy and how they have different political beliefs in how Tsugumomo should be treated interests me as well, so there’s that.

With Tsugumomo I feel like it’s a Shounen manga trying to be a Seinen one by adding a bunch of nudity and sex scenes. Trust me, there are enough bare breast and sex scenes to be a hentai in this. And this very much much hits a nerve when it comes to my limits on fanservice. Dear god, the lewdness of this manga. I swear every chapter someone’s getting naked for some asinine reason or another. The sheer amount of underage nudity and sexual content is just enough to make me [RETRACTED]. Seriously, this the manga equivalent of Shadow the Hedgehog and the Dante’s Inferno video game. The mature themes in this manga detract more than add to the story...  Also, Kazuya’s character design makes me want to stab my eyes out, but that’s a story for another day.

Again, I didn’t read anything else before that, so if anything I think Kazuya’s abilities are a little OP since what was keeping him from his full potential was goddamn amnesia of all things, but... I’ll let it slide since I don’t have the full context. Much like Wanna’ be the Strongest in the World and Ikkitousen, I wouldn’t recommend this manga to anyone, I can’t do it with a clear conscience, but this is certainly a guilty pleasure of mine... and boy do I feel guilty for liking it.

And lastly, to get the taste of Tsugumomo out my mouth, we have a good manga, The Scared Blacksmith. I’m gonna’ be brief with this one because talking about Tsugumomo drained me a tad, but... 

I. Love. This. Manga. 

I just finished it last week and I’m so glad I bought. I’m actually shocked this is a Seinen. Save for a bit of fanservice in a first few volumes and... the stuff that happened in volume 6, this manga’s actually clean for the most part. It’s mostly about the Knight Cecily Campbell and her life in the Independent Trade City... no, that’ really the city’s name. Okay, quick tangent, but what’s with these fantasy Seinen manga and their borderline parody location names? I know the names just serve a means to an end in the grand scheme of things, but... really? 

Anyway, Cecily Campbell is a female knight joined the knight guard since she’s the only daughter of a noble family of knights, and... the story takes off from there. Again, Tsugumomo drained me a tad, but trust me when I say this manga is good. It’s got action, romance, a decent female character. I said this before in some of my other Ramblings, but Cecily is one of my favorite female characters ever. The anime didn’t do her justice... but anyway, this is a good manga overall. It fully out in the West so I recommend you all buy it when you can.

And so... on a lackluster note, I ended my rambling about Seinen manga. I’ll do The Sacred Blacksmith justice a later day. I’m beat now, so I’m gonna’ just... read some manga, maybe draw a bit... feel free to message me if you guys have question... I’m just... gonna’ be here. Phew, I’m tired now...

[hudsonespie]

The China Challenge: Remaking the Landscape of Transatlantic Security

For much of its history, China has been a major global power.

And after a lapse of three centuries, it has made a resounding comeback.

Over the last four decades, China has re-emerged as the world’s largest trade and shipping nation, the second biggest economy, the second biggest military power, and a technological giant.

Our security has always been affected by developments in other parts of the world, including in Asia. Not least because the two countries that have had the greatest impact on European security – Russia and the US – are Pacific powers.

Today, however, China’s influence is much more direct. China is no longer only a regional power affecting US military posture in the Pacific. It is a global power.

With the means and capabilities to influence international law and institutions.

With the strength and technology to be a key competitor of the US in some areas.

And with a value set that differs from our liberal norms.

It was in a period of great power rivalry that the international system was established.

The current era is different, though. Gone is the iron curtain. Our economies are intertwined; markets have become global and the level of interdependence between countries is higher than we ever imagined it would be.

The differences between military and civilian technology have also become more subtle. And the world seems poised for a fourth industrial revolution that could once again transform our societies in profound ways.

In other words, not only will a new bipolar order be very different from the past one. Our old mental maps, strategies and solutions will probably be highly inadequate as well.

Containment, for instance, is not a viable path to the future we want. China is the largest trading partner for more than 100 countries, and it is a major stakeholder in global health efforts. It is both the world’s largest coal nation and a major innovator in renewable energy.

Indeed, when it comes to addressing some of the major challenges of our time, China is an indispensable partner. And we need to develop our cooperation further.

If we are to keep the transatlantic bond strong, we must also use other means than we did 30 years ago. The transatlantic community is not only bigger today. It is also much more diverse.

So how can we pursue a constructive relationship with China and safeguard the benefits of globalisation, while enhancing our security and keeping the transatlantic bond strong?

***

Over the past few decades, China’s GDP has increased 25 times in real terms, poverty is down more than 65 percentage points since 1990, while infant mortality has dropped a whopping 91 percentage points since 1970.

China has become a massive manufacturing base and a huge market, importing everything from salmon to semiconductors.

Norway has benefited from China’s growth in cheap imports and high prices on our exports.

The financial crisis that began in 2009 would have hurt the global economy far more, had it not been for the cushioning effect of China’s continued growth.

Meanwhile, on the international stage China is engaging in the current multilateral system.

In the 1984, China acceded to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, and for years it has abided by the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Between 2000 and 2018, China supported 182 of 190 UN Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions on states violating international rules.

With 2,500 deployed personnel, China has more UN peacekeepers, than the other permanent UN Security Council members combined. And it is the second largest funder of the UN and UN peacekeeping missions.

Finally but importantly, China has not been involved in armed conflict or insurgencies since the early 1980s.

***

But, increasingly the praise for China’s achievements is giving way to concerns – from many quarters – about the aims and ambitions of the emerging superpower:

Concerns that China is using various methods, including cyber operations, in influence campaigns across the world.

Concerns about the human rights situation in China

Fears that China will dominate technology development in the future, including in the military domain.

Concerns about the Chinese model of state capitalism and whether or not it allows for free and fair competition.

And worries from countries in the region about China’s role in the South China Sea.

This widespread unease is not surprising. To a certain degree it has to do with the sheer size and global reach of the new China. The pace at which it has risen to prominence. As well as a growing awareness of differences in terms of political values, ideals and worldviews.  

A more powerful China is seeking to influence and shape multilateral institutions in line with its interest.

Militarily speaking it has also grown much stronger. 30 years ago, it would not have made it onto Nato’s top five list, in terms of military spending. Today, China’s military budget is about as big as all of Nato’s European military budgets combined.

Chinese capabilities are also developing at an staggering rate. In some areas – missiles, cyberspace, artificial intelligence – China is seen not only as a near-peer competitor, but as a real contender and a leading innovator.

 ***

Most observers tend to agree that we are seeing a more multipolar, or even bipolar, world order in the making.

But we have to remain prudent and balanced in our assessment of the implications of this.

The world is changing, but it has not been turned upside down.

Nato remains the backbone of Norway’s security policy, and the US remains our most important ally.

The course of history is not deterministic either.

Bipolarity does not inevitably lead to instability, rivalry or conflict. What matters is the way we handle it and the choices we make. As the past 40 years have shown, the emergence of new powers can also contribute greatly to global wealth, stability and security.

Euro-Atlantic security is still primarily evolving in response to events in our own region, such as:

• A more capable and assertive Russia; • An unstable North Africa and Middle East; and • A bigger and more diverse Alliance.

This is unlikely to change in the short term. The same holds true for Allied cohesion. In the long run, rivalry between great powers might take its toll on this cohesion. But as interesting as such speculation may be, it is still far from being a reality. Allied cohesion is still predominantly challenged by internal factors, such as:

• The issue of burden-sharing; • Pressure against common values emanating from within the alliance; and • Member states having different threat perceptions.

China’s rise may amplify these challenges. Burden-sharing, for instance, may become an even more pressing issue, as US military needs in the Indo-Pacific continue to increase.

But again, we are not there yet. In fact, the US presence in Europe is larger today than it has been for years. And while the US expects Nato Allies to deliver on the two percent pledge, the US has required far more of some of its allies in Asia.

Developments in threat perceptions across the Alliance also lend little credence to the idea that the two continents will drift apart in the near future. Attitudes seem to a certain degree to be converging rather than diverging on China – a trend that is also consistent with Allied history.

In contrast to many other international organisations, Nato has tended to grow stronger and more united in the face of external challenges. The Suez crisis, 9/11 and the Korean war are three very different, but compelling examples of this.

***

We should not overestimate China’s influence on transatlantic cohesion. But nor should we underestimate its impact on international peace and security. Power shifts bring both opportunities and challenges.

First, in terms of technology. Global markets, where mature and emerging actors compete, are key to developing the technology we need to address major common challenges. But new technology will also change the face of defence and deterrence in the future.

High-end capabilities (cyber capabilities, advanced missile systems, drones and autonomous platforms), are becoming far more prevalent and accessible. This is the case for a growing number of countries, not only for China. It is already challenging the West’s military power. And it will make it even more expensive for us to maintain our technological edge in the years to come.

This is not a ‘China challenge’ per se. But China is seen as the main competitor to the US in this area, and this triggers public debate on rivalry between the US and China.

Second, the distinction between civilian and military innovation is becoming less clear-cut than it was in the past. GPS, the internet, digital cameras and computers all originated in the military domain and then made the transition to our daily lives. Today the tide is turning.

In an increasing number of strategically important areas, the private sector is spearheading innovation, research and development. The strongest powers of tomorrow will probably be those that are most successful at quickly identifying and using civilian technology and effectively integrating it into military strategy and doctrine.

Indeed, our defence and security will continue to become more reliant on a private sector that is both global and digital. And by extension, our value chains are getting longer, more complex and potentially more vulnerable.

Third, the rivalry between China and the US is not primarily of a military nature. It is also economic, cultural and political. When it comes to security, Europe is not wedged between two great powers. But a more multipolar or bipolar world order will challenge us in other areas.

We must make sure that supply chains that are critical to Allied defence and deterrence are reliable and secure. But containment cannot be our answer. Closed economic systems may be very secure, but they will not produce the technology and trade dividends we need to meet other objectives: to resolve the climate crisis, reach the Sustainable Development Goals or reform our welfare societies so that they can effectively deal with an aging population.

So where do we draw the line? How do we protect critical infrastructure and intellectual property while maintaining global markets and ensuring fair competition?

Fourth, more is at stake today than the last time the world faced bipolarity: world markets, free trade, institutions and agreements are all vital to the way our world works. Ideally, we should now be further developing the international architecture. Instead, we are increasingly caught up in an effort to safeguard the existing system in the face of growing pressure, rather than adapting it to new challenges.

In terms of disarmament, we already know to a large degree what mechanisms and tools work. They have been tried and tested during, as well as after, the Cold War. That is to say, under both a bipolar and a unipolar order. But at present, the political climate does not allow us to move forward as we should have done.

Last but, not least, China and the West have different value sets. During the Cold War, our different values were to a certain extent confined to specific countries or blocs of countries. Today, our value sets meet, compete and are played out in the same arenas.

China seems increasingly intent on influencing international law and institutions, and does not shy away from exerting pressure on countries that make choices that are not to its liking. This is by no means unique to China. In fact, it is quite common for great powers. But the differences between our value sets make it more challenging than before. 

***

So how can we deal with these challenges?

Power shifts and multipolarity have traditionally been associated with a number of risks: shifting and opportunistic alliances, secrecy, and inherent instability. I do not believe there is a single way to avoid dangers of this kind. We have to pursue multiple tracks at the same time.

First, we have to preserve the multilateral system. And we need to do so by being both innovative and pragmatic.

China is benefiting hugely from international stability and the current world order. It continues to work within the market-based world economy, and within the structures of existing multilateral institutions.

As a major stakeholder in the international system, China should be allowed and encouraged to take full part and play a constructive role in the whole range of existing multilateral institutions.

The process of admitting China on equal terms into existing institutions has been too slow. For instance, the IMF and the World Bank remain Euro-American in important respects, at least in terms of their formal governing structure.

It will be just as important to include China fully when new rules have to be made, such as in the areas of trade and intellectual property, cybersecurity and social media, and climate change.

The engagement of all great powers in international governance has been one of the strengths of the international system we have built since 1945, in contrast to previous structures.

We, for our part, have to be pragmatic. Norway is cooperating more closely with likeminded countries. But in key areas such as climate or trade, we should not be averse to also cooperating with other countries, like China, when they have a similar interest in finding constructive solutions.

Second, foreign policy can never be only interest-driven. We will always work to protect and promote international law and human rights, which are of fundamental importance to international relations, and to our countries and populations. This is also why I was very clear in my support for the Foreign Minister of Sweden before Christmas, in the face of Chinese criticism. As liberal European countries, we cannot, and will not, renounce the values that have made our countries free and prosperous. Freedom of expression is fundamental to our societies and must be respected.

As partners Norway and China discuss areas where we agree and disagree, and we meet regularly to consult. We advance Norwegian interests comprehensively. We discuss how to develop our cooperation. And we voice our concern about the human rights situation in China. The situation in Xinjiang is of special concern, and has been addressed repeatedly in bilateral meetings. The last being our political consultations on 9 January. And multiple times in the UN, both in Geneva and New York.

We addressed Xinjiang during the Universal Periodic Review of China in November 2018; when we adopted the report in March 2019; in a joint letter with 21 other countries to the UN Human Rights Council in July; in a national statement at the Human Rights Council session in September; and most recently at the UN in New York in October last year.

Third, Nato is both a North Atlantic defence alliance and a political alliance. We do not see a big role for the Alliance in Asia. But it needs to have situational awareness in regions that may have a bearing on transatlantic security. The Indo-Pacific region is very important to the US. It is a region where the US has key allies. And just like the North Atlantic, it is a region where modern capabilities are being put into operation, and where the future of defence and deterrence may be defined.

Norway has therefore welcomed discussions in Nato on developments in China and the Indo-Pacific region. Strengthening the political bonds among allies has always been key to forging a strong alliance that can adapt to new challenges.

Norway has, for years, also been a strong advocate of further developing Nato’s partnerships with Asian countries, including China. Dialogue on different levels is the best antidote to suspicion, distrust and misunderstandings.

We also have common interests that could form the basis for future cooperation. Today, much is being written about China’s new facilities in Djibouti. We tend to forget that a decade ago the same region (the waters outside the Horn of Africa) was where Chinese and Nato vessels first sailed alongside each other, in the fight against piracy. Albeit as part of separate operations.

I am encouraged by China’s willingness in recent years to take strong responsibility for UN peacekeeping. Complex crises across the globe are increasing the requirements of UN peace operations, in terms of finances, personnel and capabilities. Indeed, China’s growing capabilities are not only a challenge, they are also an opportunity. They can pave the way for closer cooperation in areas such as counter-piracy, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping.

Fourth, as Nato Allies, we must strengthen efforts to build resilient societies. Not to contain China, but to tackle the inherent weaknesses and challenges of global and digital supply chains.

Our defence and deterrence not only rely on military capabilities. They also rely on a resilient civilian sector and resources must be available and reliable in a crisis.

However, in striving to achieve that end, we must maintain a principled and transparent approach with regard to how we regulate our markets. We will always do our utmost to maintain competition and allow all companies to bid on public contracts in the civilian sector.

Indeed, competition is essential to fostering new technology at affordable prices.

Competition is a two-way street. We expect China to make every effort to ensure its markets are open to our capital, products and services, in the same way as Europe is open to Chinese exports and investment. And it must refrain from practices that distort competition or infringe on intellectual property rights.

Fifth, Nato Allies and European partners should strengthen their industrial and technological cooperation. We have to make sure that enough resources are invested in research and development. Moreover, a bipolar or multipolar world order is likely to create further inflationary pressure in the defence sector. Therefore, we should revitalise our efforts to promote smart defence in Nato, and make sure we get as many capabilities out of our resources as possible. Norway is also supportive of initiatives such as the European Defence Fund, the European Intervention Initiative, Pesco and Nato’s Framework Nation Concept.

Finally, but importantly, for the first time in 400 years, the world’s political and economic centre of gravity is shifting away from Europe and towards Asia. This is happening as we are on the brink of what some have called a fourth industrial revolution. With breakthroughs expected in areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and autonomous systems

However, despite all these changes, our security architecture (CFE, the now-defunct INF, New Start, Open Skies, the OSCE, the Council of Europe etc.) remains, by and large, Euro-Atlantic and adapted to the world as it was in the 1940s or mid-1990s.

This is by no means an excuse for the attempts we are seeing by some to undermine the European security architecture. But in a number of areas there certainly seems to be a need for agreements, institutions and practices that also include emerging military powers such as China. Without China’s participation, there is a risk that new disarmament agreements, for instance, will be irrelevant.

***

In conclusion, the path ahead of us is full of dilemmas and difficult decisions. We have to find the right balance between cooperation and competition. Between security and prosperity.  

In line with its size and power, China will seek to shape international norms and institutions in its image, just as other great powers have done before it. And as a result of its economy, size, military power and technology, it will continue to evolve as serious contender to US and Western power.

But provided we manage to safeguard the multilateral system, China’s rise will also continue to provide opportunities for the rest of the world, as it has done over the past 40 years, in many different areas.

Should Norway succeed in winning a seat in the elections to the UN Security Council this June, China will be a partner in many of our priority areas. We are already working together in the area of peace and reconciliation, where China is playing a key role in many critical situations. I outlined Norway’s main priorities in the area of peace and reconciliation in a keynote speech at a peace conference during my last visit to Beijing.

These and a range of other examples show the benefits of co-existence and cooperation with major rising powers. Inevitably, there will be competition, disagreement and also the potential for conflicts. But I firmly believe that vigilance and engagement within the framework of a strong multilateral system is the answer. Containment, confrontation and decoupling are not.

Ine Eriksen Søreide is Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs. Søreide's statement was delivered at the  Leangkollen conference on defence and security policy on February 3.  

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/the-china-challenge-remaking-the-landscape-of-transatlantic-security via http://www.rssmix.com/

[winniegist]

Child Support Enforcement in Utah

Some parents avoid their responsibilities to their children. This is growing problem that impacts the financial stability of many families across Utah. When children don’t receive the expected child support payments, many aspects of their lives can be affected, including their health care, education, and extracurricular activities. The loss of financial support can have a profound impact on your children. The law requires this support and it should be honored. Ask a Salt Lake City child support attorney about how a child support order can be enforced. At Ascent Law, we want to help you if you are in this situation.

THE OFFICE OF RECOVERY SERVICES (ORS)

They are responsible for enforcing child support in Utah. Parents who struggle with their finances and who are unable to provide child support as established by the court can seek assistance from the ORS. If you are a parent who is not receiving child support from your former spouse, you can also ask them for help. Some of the services the ORS provides include:

Help when parents move to a different state.

Taking funds from the non-custodial parent’s account and withholding income.

Report missing child support.

Driver’s license suspension.

Deducting funds from other assets and filing liens.

TAKE YOUR CASE TO COURT

Child support is one of the most contentious aspects of family law. Some methods employed by the ORS are not enough to recover the funds your child needs. The judge may need to force your former spouse to provide child support by using an order that will force your ex to pay. A Salt Lake City child support attorney can explain the whole process. Some things the judge may do include:

Issuing fines against your former spouse.

Your ex-spouse may be guilty of contempt of court.

Holding your former spouse in jail until he or she pays.

AVOID RETALIATION

If your former spouse has missed child support payments, you cannot withhold visitation from him or her. It’s unlawful since your ex’s visitation rights are also legal. In other words, you could be facing the same penalties your ex is facing for not providing child support. Ask your attorney what to do in these types of situations.

SEPARATION MISTAKES THAT COULD HARM YOUR DIVORCE PROCESS

If you and your spouse recently decided to informally or legally separate, it is important for you to take a few pieces of straightforward advice into consideration. True, you are likely receiving loads of unsolicited and unwanted advice from loved ones, colleagues, acquaintances and strangers. You can take or leave this advice as you please. But when it comes to choices that could ultimately affect your divorce process, should you ultimately decide to file for divorce, it is important to keep a few tips in mind.

First, understand that you are in a vulnerable place right now, even if you have built up numerous defense mechanisms or healthy behaviors that are leaving you feeling fairly strong and focused. When individuals are vulnerable, they are prone to acting on impulse and emotion. Please check your decisions at any time that they are coming from a place of impulse or emotion. Failure to do so can result in actions you will almost certainly regret. Second, start thinking about how any financial decisions you make now may affect a property division settlement in the future. Making large purchases, selling off significant assets, diving into debt and otherwise engaging in major financial decisions is generally a poor idea during separation. These actions could be perceived negatively by a judge or they could result in other harmful and unforeseen consequences.

Even if your separation is informal, consider speaking with an experienced family law attorney before you make any major financial, impulsive or emotional decisions that could haunt you later. Your future self may thank you profusely for taking this action.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Going Public with your startup in Utah

Lessons Learned from 50 Cent’s Bankruptcy

Real Estate Lawyer

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Family Lawyer

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/child-support-enforcement-in-utah/

[aretia]

Child Support Enforcement in Utah

Some parents avoid their responsibilities to their children. This is growing problem that impacts the financial stability of many families across Utah. When children don’t receive the expected child support payments, many aspects of their lives can be affected, including their health care, education, and extracurricular activities. The loss of financial support can have a profound impact on your children. The law requires this support and it should be honored. Ask a Salt Lake City child support attorney about how a child support order can be enforced. At Ascent Law, we want to help you if you are in this situation.

THE OFFICE OF RECOVERY SERVICES (ORS)

They are responsible for enforcing child support in Utah. Parents who struggle with their finances and who are unable to provide child support as established by the court can seek assistance from the ORS. If you are a parent who is not receiving child support from your former spouse, you can also ask them for help. Some of the services the ORS provides include:

Help when parents move to a different state.

Taking funds from the non-custodial parent’s account and withholding income.

Report missing child support.

Driver’s license suspension.

Deducting funds from other assets and filing liens.

TAKE YOUR CASE TO COURT

Child support is one of the most contentious aspects of family law. Some methods employed by the ORS are not enough to recover the funds your child needs. The judge may need to force your former spouse to provide child support by using an order that will force your ex to pay. A Salt Lake City child support attorney can explain the whole process. Some things the judge may do include:

Issuing fines against your former spouse.

Your ex-spouse may be guilty of contempt of court.

Holding your former spouse in jail until he or she pays.

AVOID RETALIATION

If your former spouse has missed child support payments, you cannot withhold visitation from him or her. It’s unlawful since your ex’s visitation rights are also legal. In other words, you could be facing the same penalties your ex is facing for not providing child support. Ask your attorney what to do in these types of situations.

SEPARATION MISTAKES THAT COULD HARM YOUR DIVORCE PROCESS

If you and your spouse recently decided to informally or legally separate, it is important for you to take a few pieces of straightforward advice into consideration. True, you are likely receiving loads of unsolicited and unwanted advice from loved ones, colleagues, acquaintances and strangers. You can take or leave this advice as you please. But when it comes to choices that could ultimately affect your divorce process, should you ultimately decide to file for divorce, it is important to keep a few tips in mind.

First, understand that you are in a vulnerable place right now, even if you have built up numerous defense mechanisms or healthy behaviors that are leaving you feeling fairly strong and focused. When individuals are vulnerable, they are prone to acting on impulse and emotion. Please check your decisions at any time that they are coming from a place of impulse or emotion. Failure to do so can result in actions you will almost certainly regret. Second, start thinking about how any financial decisions you make now may affect a property division settlement in the future. Making large purchases, selling off significant assets, diving into debt and otherwise engaging in major financial decisions is generally a poor idea during separation. These actions could be perceived negatively by a judge or they could result in other harmful and unforeseen consequences.

Even if your separation is informal, consider speaking with an experienced family law attorney before you make any major financial, impulsive or emotional decisions that could haunt you later. Your future self may thank you profusely for taking this action.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Going Public with your startup in Utah

Lessons Learned from 50 Cent’s Bankruptcy

Real Estate Lawyer

Injury Lawyer

Family Lawyer

Tax Lawyer

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/child-support-enforcement-in-utah/

[advertphoto]

Child Support Enforcement in Utah

Some parents avoid their responsibilities to their children. This is growing problem that impacts the financial stability of many families across Utah. When children don’t receive the expected child support payments, many aspects of their lives can be affected, including their health care, education, and extracurricular activities. The loss of financial support can have a profound impact on your children. The law requires this support and it should be honored. Ask a Salt Lake City child support attorney about how a child support order can be enforced. At Ascent Law, we want to help you if you are in this situation.

THE OFFICE OF RECOVERY SERVICES (ORS)

They are responsible for enforcing child support in Utah. Parents who struggle with their finances and who are unable to provide child support as established by the court can seek assistance from the ORS. If you are a parent who is not receiving child support from your former spouse, you can also ask them for help. Some of the services the ORS provides include:

Help when parents move to a different state.

Taking funds from the non-custodial parent’s account and withholding income.

Report missing child support.

Driver’s license suspension.

Deducting funds from other assets and filing liens.

TAKE YOUR CASE TO COURT

Child support is one of the most contentious aspects of family law. Some methods employed by the ORS are not enough to recover the funds your child needs. The judge may need to force your former spouse to provide child support by using an order that will force your ex to pay. A Salt Lake City child support attorney can explain the whole process. Some things the judge may do include:

Issuing fines against your former spouse.

Your ex-spouse may be guilty of contempt of court.

Holding your former spouse in jail until he or she pays.

AVOID RETALIATION

If your former spouse has missed child support payments, you cannot withhold visitation from him or her. It’s unlawful since your ex’s visitation rights are also legal. In other words, you could be facing the same penalties your ex is facing for not providing child support. Ask your attorney what to do in these types of situations.

SEPARATION MISTAKES THAT COULD HARM YOUR DIVORCE PROCESS

If you and your spouse recently decided to informally or legally separate, it is important for you to take a few pieces of straightforward advice into consideration. True, you are likely receiving loads of unsolicited and unwanted advice from loved ones, colleagues, acquaintances and strangers. You can take or leave this advice as you please. But when it comes to choices that could ultimately affect your divorce process, should you ultimately decide to file for divorce, it is important to keep a few tips in mind.

First, understand that you are in a vulnerable place right now, even if you have built up numerous defense mechanisms or healthy behaviors that are leaving you feeling fairly strong and focused. When individuals are vulnerable, they are prone to acting on impulse and emotion. Please check your decisions at any time that they are coming from a place of impulse or emotion. Failure to do so can result in actions you will almost certainly regret. Second, start thinking about how any financial decisions you make now may affect a property division settlement in the future. Making large purchases, selling off significant assets, diving into debt and otherwise engaging in major financial decisions is generally a poor idea during separation. These actions could be perceived negatively by a judge or they could result in other harmful and unforeseen consequences.

Even if your separation is informal, consider speaking with an experienced family law attorney before you make any major financial, impulsive or emotional decisions that could haunt you later. Your future self may thank you profusely for taking this action.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!

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Facebook May Spend $1 Billion On Precursor Video Recording In 2018

When our company first set out to map the industry of feminist political economic situation, in late 2007, the US as well as Europe were actually being actually trembled through economic crisis. I believe that the blend of guy as well as robotics will certainly be challenging in many cases as well as there are going to be a lot of protection to it by some folks however that is actually visiting take place and it'll be interesting to see the shift as we become much more open up to the probabilities which modern-day robot modern technology uses our company. There are actually a lot of achievable main reasons, it depends upon the person, yet several much older individuals still find a check out as precious jewelry, as opposed to simply one thing operational that informs the time, so they prefer to have a nice view.|Yet another highrise deluxe house tower is actually soon to begin in Center City, at 1919 Market Road, on the section from 20th & Market Streets This new tower gones on the internet site from a visible yard right at the center of Center City's most extensive and also tallest office corridor. 134 For a perspective from Iranian-Israeli associations as timeless Middle Eastern power problems, see Trita Parsi, Israeli-Iranian Relationships Assessed: Strategic Competition off the Electrical Power Pattern Perspective," in Homa Katouzian as well as Hossein Shahidi, eds, Iran in the 21st Century: National Politics, Business Economics and also Clash ( Nyc: Routledge, 2008), 136 - 157.|An additional highrise luxurious home tower is actually quickly to begin in Inner city, at 1919 Market Street, on the section from 20th & Market Streets This brand new tower performs the web site of an obvious lawn right during Inner city's biggest and also highest workplace hallway. By time I left behind that specific work, I had actually additionally been associated with training other junior developers and also I always remembered a considerable amount of what I had gained from my manager, as well as administered it to educating the brand-new designers, as well. The youthful still handled to reside daily with some positive outlook but the more mature people were heavily cynical, expecting exile to Siberia or even had retreat in booze and also took such convenience as they might in their good friends as they tried to overlook the wear and tear in the city, the rubble, the rubbish, the dead steeds, the left cable cars.|Our experts better obtain this out of the way immediately; I am sure several of you may be inquiring on your own, Is Cold Harbour really a part of the Isle of Canine?" It's a valid question - the area has actually consistently been actually isolated from the remainder of the Island, and also that performs have a various sense to this in some respects, heightened by the number of old as well as in some cases large houses that consists of and also the unique lack from post-war authorities real estate. I presume there was some mixed reporting there certainly, yet I can easily inform you this, I have actually resided in this organisation a long period of time, and this business is actually back to where that was - that's back to where this was actually, and that's better, as well as this's climbing up, as well as I view those concerns, commonly communicating, responsible for us, which I'm incredibly happy with that.|When our team initially laid out to map the field from feminist political economic situation, in overdue 2007, the United States and Europe were actually being actually drunk by economic crisis. Turning away off the Area dragon our team go up the A10 as well as review Excellent Eastern Road this time turning west down Holywell Street. FY 2017 operating cash flow seems unlikely to approach anything near $4.47 an allotment. Inning accordance with Glassdoor, around 27,000 claimed found and also former staff members of Wal-Mart that provided on-line assessments have actually collectively ranked the provider 3.1 out of 5 celebrities, a relatively neutral score on Glassdoor. When you look at that the room capacity is 75 as well as with merely about TWENTY seats, and Poznajfitzycie-2016.Info that also our company offer many of them 2 and also 3 opportunities- that is a considerable amount of food items for a lot of individuals. Today's telephone call will consist of opening up statements and a question-and-answer treatment along with management connecting to the Company's profits launch. The 4th and also 5th doors show width signs for relocating averages and also for the inventories producing highs or lows for different time covers varying off 10 days as much as 150 days, respectively. When the market cools down, a probably celebration in between now and also 2020, I 'd bet that Visa will certainly possess a tough time holding onto its present evaluation. Ronnie Chance (New York City: Free Push, 2008), and also Ami Pedahzur, The Israeli Top Secret Solutions and the Struggle Against Terrorism ( The Big Apple: Columbia College Press, 2009). Organisation Insider inquired AllBright, which counts God Davies from Abersoch and Sherry Couto CBE amongst its consultants, how much funds this's increased up until now to acquire women creators yet the provider refused to share the amount. If you have actually concerned Vegas searching for low-cost buffets as well as 99 cent shrimp mixed drinks, allow's hope you bore in mind to bring your time machine. As Alex discussed, there were actually some certain operational selections that were actually created in the one-fourth, which have caused cash streams versus our original direction. As kept in mind, today's beginning point is actually the Drapers' Venue on Throgmorton Road. That amazes me occasionally that any person goes back when there's the risk of checking out playgrounds in Barking, castles in Warwickshire or one more report off my regional bus visit, which is barely "must check out" topic material for the average individual in the street. Undoubtedly, in comprehensive analysis on choice traps," males show up even more prone compared to girls to what is referred to as an overconfidence predisposition." The advancement of overconfidence," a 2011 research study released in the science publication, Attribute, ended that overconfidence takes full advantage of personal health and fitness ... just as long as profit from contended resources are actually sufficiently big." Completely huge" might well describe bonus offers in the tens from countless bucks to specific Wall Street investors and banks. That's remarkable to find so many folks still residing listed here that bear in mind the "good old times" in Orlando. As a matter of fact, Key Road Funding remains in an organization of its very own. Existing ratio (CR) is yet another simple but saying to procedure of a firm's economic stability. This additional low will certainly turn up in to a nor'easter and also shift eastern northeast to merely off the New England coast over night delivering snow and storm to the Northern Country advanced tonight via Friday. So, on Stock market, to advancement, girls must fit into the male-dominated, hierarchical globe from Stock market-- or leave behind.

[johnvonstach]

Some Updated Tips On Simple Tactics For Vpower Solar Energy

Although solar energy has been around a while, many different people are still interested in the topic. The key to becoming an authority on solar energy is to spend sufficient time learning all you can about its true potential. The article that follows is a great place to begin the process.

When thinking about going solar, start out small. This can be done in a couple of ways. The first is to get solar panels that you can attach onto windows – these can be used to recharge portable electronic gadgets. Camping equipment that is solar powered is also very helpful. Every little device you switch to solar will shave a bit from your utility bill.

Panels that are easily rotated have the best efficiency. If you need to install panels that are fixed, a compromise will need to be reached in terms of optimal angles for winter and summer.

Should your solar panels fail to work as they should, it is good to have a backup plan. Generators are a good idea, though you might also stay connected to a main grid so that you can access power when necessary. If you choose to get a generator, keep a few on hand and test them on a routine basis.

There are many changes from year to year with solar energy systems. The costs have dropped and the rigs are more efficient than ever. Whether looking for a big system for your business or a smaller one for your home, if you search thoroughly you can find the right one.

You can add pathway lighting to your home or your business today to get started on harnessing the power of the sun. Exterior lights can be powered at night by the power of the sun which is gathered during the day. They’re simple to install and add a bit of charm to the outdoor area.

Solar panels are installed initially at the optimal location and angle that maximizes exposure to the sun, but things can happen over time that adversely affects the exposure. Check regularly to be sure that trees aren’t overgrown and blocking the sunlight you need for your solar panels.

Turn your panels as the seasons change. As the seasons change, the amount of sunlight hitting your home, as well as the direction of that sunlight, will change as well. Altering the angle will ensure you continue to gather the proper amount of power for your home.

You should consider installing solar panels as an important home improvement project. Check out contractors as you would if adding an addition to your home. You should carefully consider each aspect of the contract, and you might want an attorney to look it over.

Hang-dry your clothes on an outside line. It may be an old idea, but it still works! Rather than using electricity to both wash and dry your clothes, just put your clothing on the clothesline to dry. Your clothes will get dry and you will save some money and energy.

People are very interested in solar power today. Do more research on solar power and do not hesitate to share your findings with friends and relatives. This article has given you many great pointers about solar energy exploration.

White House officials and outside advisers suggested Hicks’ departure would strengthen chief of staff John Kelly’s control over what has been an oftentimes chaotijc West Wing. In a statement, Kelly said Hicks had become “a trusted adviser and counselor,” but behind the scenes the pair had occasionally clashed over her more informal role. Kelly had begrudgingly supported making Hicks communications director after the short-lived tenure of Anthony Scaramucci, in an effort to integrate her role into the rest of the White House’s communications strategy. Hicks said in a statement, “There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump.” She added she wished Trump and his administration the “very best.” A former Ralph Lauren fashion model and public relations pro who worked for Trump’s daughter Ivanka, Hicks, 29, had no political background when Trump asked her to serve on his campaign. Before Wednesday’s announcement, Hicks had not been happy for some time, according to two people with knowledge of her thinking who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. One person said Hicks had been increasingly feeling the stress of the position. She was an unconventional campaign press secretary, rarely mixing it up with reporters, almost never giving interviews and, despite Trump’s fondness for cable, staying off TV. She spoke at a rally exactly once in December 2016, after Trump beseeched her “to say a couple of words.” She said nine: “Hi. Merry Christmas everyone, and thank you, Donald Trump.” Within the White House, she was seen as a stabilizing force on Trump, who at times would grow unhappy when she was not around. As the West Wing was riven by rivalries in the early months of the administration, she allied herself with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner in opposition, at times, to the nationalist forces led by then-chief strategist Steve Bannon. Hicks, who has long tried to avoid media attention, was thrust into the spotlight recently when it was revealed she had been dating former Staff Secretary Rob Porter. He left the administration after accusations that he had abused his two ex-wives became public. Hicks helped craft the White House’s initial supportive response. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that Hicks would remain at the White House “for several weeks” and denied that Hicks’ decision to leave had anything to do with her lengthy testimony before the House Intelligence Committee.

For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.sooeveningnews.com/zz/news/20180228/breaking-white-house-communications-director-hope-hicks-resigns

Some New Guidance On Rapid Systems In Sault Ste Marie

Marie Animal Care and Control services,” says Cindy Ross, Shelter Manager, Humane Society. “Pet licensing has been proven to result in high return to owner rates and eliminates the possibility of a pet being adopted to a new family because their owner could not be found. We encourage all pet owners to register their animals for this invaluable service.” A registered pet also assists the Humane Society in the event of an emergency or evacuation such as severe weather conditions, human health emergencies, transportation accidents, flooding and wildfires. The City’s Animal Care and Emergency Response plan aims to control and support the humane care and treatment of companion animals during an emergency situation. “Emergencies can happen at any time. If your pet is lost in the event of an emergency or evacuation, a registered pet is easily identifiable and returned to its owners as quickly as possible. The Emergency Management Division cannot emphasize enough the importance of getting your dog registered annually,” states Lauren Perry, Emergency Management Coordinator, City of Sault Ste. Marie. Licensing revenues stay local and allows the shelter to reunite lost cats and dogs with their owners, shelter and feed lost animals, educate owners about responsible pet ownership, manage adoption programs for unclaimed pets, assist emergency first responders and social agencies with animal concerns and provide emergency services for injured animals. In addition, licenses allow dogs admission into the City’s Strathclair Dog Park. Unlicensed dogs may be subject to a Provincial Offences fine. Licenses must be purchased on or before March 31 of each year and are available at the Sault Ste. Marie Humane Society or online at ssmhumanesociety.ca .

http://saultstemarie.ca/Newsroom/January-2018/A-license-is-a-pet-s-ticket-home.aspx?feed=news

VPOWERENERGY|130 Hood St, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6C 6E5, Canada|http://vpowerenergy.com|+1 705-759-3899|JOHN STACH VPOWERENERGY

A Few Ideas For Effective Solar Power Sault Ste Marie Solutions

Have you been considering using solar energy? You can use solar energy to benefit both your business and your home. Review this piece to discover the great aspects of solar power and how it can be used effectively.

There are a couple of different photo-voltaic panels to choose from. Less expensive panels are usually poly-crystalline, but they are not as effective as the more expensive mono-crystalline panels. If you want to power your whole home with solar energy, you are best off purchasing the most technologically advanced system you can afford.

If you are prepared to invest long-term, solar energy is an excellent way to save energy and save money. Solar panels are quite expensive and it could take years before your panels are paid off and you actually start saving money on energy. If you are planning on moving, then you might want to hold out on purchasing the solar energy system until you are in a more permanent home.

Try to find grants and rebates that can reduce the installation cost of your solar panels. Your solar energy system can cost quite a bit to get started with, but there is help available usually. Do your research and you may find great programs that offer rebates, grants or other incentives to help you get the solar power equipment to get you started. The cost savings can be substantial. You could deduct some expenses via your taxes.

A panel system that tracks the sun is a great option if you can afford it. The sun is followed as it moves through the sky with these systems. These cost more than fixed panel systems, but the extra energy created will make it worthwhile.

If you’ve installed panels, keep an eye on the inverter. A green light is normal. An indicator light that is off or is blinking is cause for an expert. You likely can’t diagnose this problem alone. A technician should visit for free if you have a warranty for 25 years, which is standard.

Two of the most popular ways to cut heating costs include installing solar water heaters and solar panels. You will need 5 hours of sunlight a day to keep the panels working their best. Solar water heating is often used to reduce the cost of heating a swimming pool.

If you want to have a new house built, consider solar energy. Solar energy might be the most modern thing in producing energy, and it has almost no effect on the environment. This is the ideal time to conduct more research on solar energy.

You need to be aware of the amount of energy you use. Prior to going over to solar power, you should have a solid idea of your power needs. In order to pick the right size, this information is critical. Check your bills for a year for the best estimate possible.

Having read the article above, you should now know how beneficial solar energy is. Don’t be kept in the dark! Apply these tips at home or at your business and discover the great benefits of green power.

To read more about vpowerenergy personal solar power generator Sault Ste Marie visit https://www.johnvonstach.com/vpowerenergy/

The post Some Updated Tips On Simple Tactics For Vpower Solar Energy appeared first on VSP North America.

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[oselatra]

Halfway home with the Arkansas legislature

The session grinds on with tort reform, charter schools, criminal justice, voter ID, transparency, alcohol turf wars and more.

We're at the point in the 2017 session of the Arkansas General Assembly in which most of Governor Hutchinson's major legislative priorities have passed: tax cuts, changes to the higher education funding formula, a variety of "efficiency" measures. But a broad assortment of other proposals remains very much in play. It's almost impossible to keep up with the blizzard of bill filings, amendments and committee and floor votes, let alone the ideological faults, transactional calculations, petty feuds and unlikely alliances that shape life at the Capitol.

With that in mind, we've compiled a sampling of legislative action from the past week. It's nowhere near comprehensive. The legislature also acted on bills to allow more guns on college campuses, to curtail the Freedom of Information Act regarding the Capitol police and to require greater transparency in campaign finance filings, among many other things.

The legislature is scheduled to recess April 7, with a return for formal adjournment May 5. That leaves the next five weeks for all kinds of other mischief to gain traction, from a to-be-amended "bathroom bill" targeting transgender people to a sweeping school voucher program. There's also some good legislation yet to be acted on, including a much-needed proposal by Rep. Clarke Tucker (D-Little Rock) to disclose shady political expenditures during campaign season and a bill, pushed by the governor, to end the state's odious practice of celebrating Robert E. Lee's birthday on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. And although both the House and the Senate have each proposed one constitutional amendment for the 2018 ballot, they could still refer out a third such measure by meeting jointly.

For the gory details on all of this legislation and more, visit the Arkansas Blog (arktimes.com) or our partners at the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network (arknews.org).

So much for the Seventh Amendment

Senate Joint Resolution 8 by Sen. Missy Irvin (R-Mountain View), the proposed "tort reform" amendment to the state Constitution, is almost certainly headed to the 2018 ballot. After being amended in a House committee last week, it passed the House on Monday and was re-referred back to the Senate.

SJR 8 originally contained $250,000 caps on the noneconomic and punitive damages that may be awarded to a claimant in a civil suit, but the amendment, by Rep. Bob Ballinger (R-Hindsville), raised those caps to $500,000. There are exceptions on the punitive cap if compensatory damages are above a certain level or if the defendant intentionally harmed the claimant. As in the original measure, attorney fees would be capped at 33 1/3 percent of net recovery, and authority for judicial rulemaking would be transferred from the courts to the legislature (this drew opposition from the Arkansas Supreme Court). Ballinger and other supporters say SJR 8 would prevent unnecessary lawsuits and create a better climate for business, thereby spurring economic growth.

Among the fiercest critics of the proposal was Rep. Douglas House (R-North Little Rock), who said SJR 8 abridged the constitutional right to a trial by jury. "If you brought up something to limit the Second Amendment, the right to carry arms, everybody would be up in arms," he said in committee. "But the Seventh Amendment, which is also part of the Bill of Rights, so many people are willing to throw it in the trash can." He said it was wrong to cap damages. "Would you take $500,000 if I was sitting here cleaning my pistol and I shot your privates off, so you couldn't have a sex life? ... Sorry, feel real bad about that. But that's the limits," House declared.

Another GOP opponent, Rep. Jimmy Gazaway of Paragould, took to the House floor to proclaim SJR 8 protected "the wealthy, the powerful, the insurance companies, the nursing homes." Establishing a cap on damages awarded in the event of a death should cause Republicans to ask whether they are "truly pro-life" he said. (House and Gazaway are both attorneys.) Nonetheless, it passed the House 66-30.

The public school building giveaway

It's a boon for charter schools and bad news for traditional public school districts. Senate Bill 308 by Sen. Alan Clark (R-Lonsdale) would grant Arkansas charters the right to use public school facilities that are unused or underutilized and give them right of first refusal to purchase those facilities at fair market value. Clark portrayed the proposal as common sense: "It's to prevent empty buildings from sitting and falling down while we're not using them. It's as simple as that," he told the Senate Education Committee.

But traditional education advocates point out that charters and traditional public schools are in direct competition for students and dollars. Forcing districts to sell real property to a competitor gives charters quite the advantage, they say. "We keep talking about local control, but this is taking away local control," Sen. Linda Chesterfield (D-Little Rock) said in committee. Some members of the Little Rock delegation see the bill as directly targeting the Little Rock School District, which will soon shutter at least two buildings (due to declining enrollment at those campuses) and which faces mortal competition from charter operators. Clark said his bill was motivated by a situation in Helena-West Helena, where a charter school's attempts to buy a vacant elementary school were initially rebuffed.

The bill passed out of committee on a voice vote and won passage in the full Senate, 25-4. It now heads to a House committee.

Incremental reform on criminal justice

Arkansas's prison population has grown faster than all other states' in recent years, largely due to a massive influx of probation and parole violators. The omnibus criminal reform bill Senate Bill 136 wouldn't come near to fixing all that ails Arkansas's troubled system, but it's a good start.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson (R-Little Rock), would redirect parolees and probationers who commit minor violations of the terms of their supervision from long stays in prison to terms in the range of 45 to 90 days in community correction facilities. The bill would also require new law enforcement hires and some existing officers to receive crisis intervention training so they could better respond to someone having a mental health episode and de-escalate the situation, rather than carting them to jail. Governor Hutchinson has allocated $5 million in his proposed budget to support the creation of at least three Crisis Stabilization Units, where people suffering from behavioral health episodes would receive treatment. The sites of the CSUs haven't been selected.

The bill is the culmination of 18 months of research and analysis by the nonprofit Council of State Government's Justice Center, which calls its project "Justice Reinvestment." The idea is that this will allow the state to save money and those savings can be reinvested in the system to make Arkansas safer. State prosecutors held up SB 136 for weeks in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but they've now stood down. After clearing the Senate on Monday, 27-4, the bill is up for a vote in House Judiciary, possibly this week.

The great wine war

Some legislative fights have nothing to do with ideology or principle and everything to do with the political brawn of dueling business interests. Senate Bill 284 by Sen. Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs) and Rep. Jon Eubanks (R-Paris) is such a bill: It would allow sales of all wine in grocery stores, rather than just Arkansas and small-farm wine.

In one corner are most of the state's liquor stores, whose business models are built on Arkansas's byzantine alcohol sales rules (including the silly prohibition on wine sales in grocery stores). In the other is an alliance between big grocery retailers, led by Walmart, and county line liquor stores. The huge county line stores, which rely on business from neighboring dry counties, broke from their brethren to join forces with the bill's supporters in return for a purely self-interested deal. Their 30 pieces? Walmart and others would call an eight-year moratorium on efforts to spur local option alcohol elections in dry counties.

The bill passed out of committee, but failed in the House on Monday, 47-33 (with 12 legislators voting present, a sign of its contentiousness). It will surely be back for another vote.

Barrier to the ballot

On Thursday, the House approved a joint resolution to create a constitutional amendment to again require Arkansas voters show photo I.D. when casting a ballot. The vote on HJR 1016 by Rep. Robin Lundstrum (R-Elm Springs) was 73-21. If it wins passage in the Senate, it will be sent to voters in November 2018.

A voter I.D. bill by Rep. Mark Lowery (R-Maumelle) has also passed the House and will likely soon win approval in the Senate as well. However, some Republicans remain concerned Lowery's bill will be insufficient to withstand a court challenge, since a previous voter I.D. measure was overturned by the Arkansas Supreme Court. They feel a referred constitutional amendment is the only sure route to creating a permanent voter I.D. requirement in the state.

Rep. Warwick Sabin (D-Little Rock) spoke against the bill in committee and asked Lundstrum for examples of the type of voter fraud that her measure would combat. When Lundstrum said she couldn't give specific examples, Sabin replied, "We actually do have examples of people who have been disenfranchised as a result of voter I.D. being enacted previously, but we don't have any examples of voter fraud occurring through impersonating a voter." Lundstrum insisted that such examples exist. "I apologize, I didn't bring a list of them with me today," she said.

Max Brantley, Lindsey Millar and the Arkansas Nonprofit News Network's Ibby Caputo contributed reporting.

Halfway home with the Arkansas legislature

[winniegist]

We are getting divorced, later

The climate in Washington and uncertainty of where healthcare will end up has some couples rethinking their divorces. I’ve seen this before as a divorce lawyer.They are deciding to stay together to keep their current health insurance. This does not mean they are salvaging their marriage or there is any hope for a reconciliation. It simply means they are working on postnuptial agreements that outline how the finances and benefits will be distributed pending an official divorce. Other couples have chosen to finalize divorce documents but not sending them in until they know what will happen to healthcare. Previously couples could obtain a legal separation and be able to keep benefits for up to three years. However, companies no longer allow the legally separated partner to stay on employer plans. This leaves spouses with few options and this is the solution that many have come to.

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

Women, especially suffered the most from a divorce prior to the Affordable Care Act. They would quickly be kicked off of healthcare plans their spouses had at work and would be unable to find an affordable plan. Under Obamacare, insurers were required to provide health care plans to anyone with a pre-existing condition. By no means is the current healthcare act fool proof but it has allowed more independence when getting a divorce. Now that it is being threatened, couples are reconsidering their options.

UNABLE TO MOVE ON

Divorces are caused by many things and couples who still care for their partner’s well-being will separate but help as much as possible to help them keep their benefits. This is a difficult situation for both spouses to be in. They want to move on with their lives and start anew but are tied together legally. When they start dating again and get into a new relationship, it can even put a strain on the new relationship because the partner might not be as understanding. This can also cause a complication for the divorcing partners as there can be an added pressure to get a divorce faster. This can foil the plan of staying together or holding the divorce for the sake of health insurance. Couples can only hope that Washington finds a health care solution or leave the Affordable Care Act in place.

RELIGION: SOMETIMES A TOUGH ISSUE TO CONFRONT IN CHILD CUSTODY

An important issue that sometimes comes up in Utah child custody cases is religion. Maybe one parent practices one faith, while the other parent practices another. Or maybe both parents practice the same faith, but one parent observes particular religious tenets while the other parent doesn’t. In any case, child custody and visitation arrangements should always be based on the best interests of the children.

It is completely understandable that each parent will want to adhere to his or her belief system, as well as pass religious (or secular) values on to their children; So, when it comes to visitation schedules, how can parents compromise in matters of faith?

With many religions, the issues to consider in child custody are clothing, food and the observance of other religious practices such as prayer and holidays. When there is a conflict, these are not easy matters to confront, but if parents want to avoid going to family court, it is important to remember that compromise is usually necessary.

Parents trying to set up a workable visitation schedule often have to address the question of where the children will go on certain holidays. Children, and especially younger ones, depend on routine for a sense of stability, so divorcing parents may want to establish exactly which religious holidays will be observed at which residence. Even if a sudden change of plans is necessary, that issue can be addressed when the time comes. In any case, it is better to have a plan in place rather than assume life will go smoothly.

The in-house observance of religious tenets is another issue that sometimes leads to conflict between parents. This issue can perhaps be even more contentious than parenting time on religious holidays. If parents have child custody and visitation concerns related to religious practices, then consulting with a Utah family law attorney may be helpful in understanding exactly what rights parents have.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will help you.

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