#primer minister's office

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

Opposition within the Federal Administration to the Defence of Canada Regulations (DOCR)

As already suggested, the provisions for arbitrary detention were controversial within the federal Public Service. The opinions of the RCMP and Defence, and ultimately King and Lapointe, were countered by those of External Affairs officials, doubly important since King was directly responsible for External Affairs, the Prime  Minister’s Office, and even by some senior officials within Justice and Finance.

In June,  1938, officials in Justice, including deputy minister Plaxton, argued to Lapointe against the arbitrary detention provisions. Their argument was unsuccessful. The Justice officials had compared arbitrary detention to a totalitarian practice in Germany and Italy known as preventive detention, whereby critics of the government were arrested. Plaxton called the arbitrary detention provisions of the DOCR “…violently repugnant to the fundamental constitutional rights of a British subject.” Furthermore, the Criminal Code already outlawed sedition, and naturalization certificates for Europeans easily could be revoked, if necessary. 

After the DOCR was adopted in September of 1939, a sub-committee chaired by External Affairs was made responsible for application of the regulations to Fascists and Nazi sympathizers. Norman Robertson, assistant under-secretary was responsible for this sub-committee, and was succeeded in this role by Lester Pearson when Robertson was named to replace the deceased O. D. Skelton as under-secretary of External Affairs. Justice chaired a sub-committee dealing with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and communists. Robertson and Pearson were great reformers, and were typical of the men who worked in  External Affairs during this era. The Department had done much to increase the autonomy of Canada within the British Commonwealth, indeed, even to create and define the Commonwealth. External Affairs officials enjoyed considerable, public prestige. 

Nevertheless, their political boss, Mackenzie King usually followed the advice of his Quebec lieutenant, Ernest Lapointe, minister of Justice, when differences of opinion emerged. These differences emerged right from the beginning. In July, 1939, the sub-committee studying emergency legislation requirements reported to the government about the fundamental conflict between External Affairs and the Justice Department.

It is felt by some members of the committee that persons of hostile internationalist affiliation may attempt to impede the war effort of the nation  by the dissemination of news or propaganda or by other means, and that it is, therefore, necessary to provide for a means of taking swift and effective action against such persons, whether they be British subject or aliens. Other members feel that it is an unnecessary interference with the liberty of the subject.

Just before the war, the RCMP proposed a list of 641 names of possible internees, all leftists, ninety percent of which were Europeans. Robertson was beside himself. Where were the names of the fascists? The RCMP had no such list. Robertson consulted writings by Fred Rose, then leader of the young communists in Quebec, who had researched and written about the subject. Eventually, Robertson was able to produce a list of 325 Nazi sympathizers among German-Canadians.

In the fall of 1939, Lapointe proposed regulation 39A to prohibit publication and distribution of documents which might hinder the prosecution of the war or the security of the state. John Read, legal counsel for External Affairs, summarized the unsuccessful opposition of External Affairs to Lapointe’s proposal.

The reasons advanced for these drastic regulations presumably are that the communist movement is taking part in an international campaign under the control of Moscow against the British Empire.

If this were true, existing laws against sedition would suffice. Read added further that the proposed regulation was well conceived if its aim was to support a Nazi or Fascist revolution in Canada. Read’s document was an impassioned plea in favour of democracy.

Already, free discussion in Canada is blanketed and discouraged by censorship, by colonialism, by the docility of our people… We are called  upon by this Order-in-Council to submit to the police methods of totalitarian states. Instead of a bill of rights, we have a string of ‘verbotens’. In fighting for the liberty of Poles and Czechs, we are to sacrifice the liberty of Canadians. After revising section 98 and in most cases, condemning the Padlock Law, we are to enact far more sweeping restrictions.

After the German invasion of the U.S.S.R. in June, 1941, the RCMP’s anti-communism wore out its welcome in the Prime Minister’s Office. In 1942, King’s Principal Secretary, W. J. Turnbull, wrote to his boss complaining about the RCMP’s red-hunting. 

Apparently, there are in the… police, some men like the notorious [staff] Sergeant [John] Leopold, whose jobs seem to depend on continuing to uncover Bolshevik plots… I would think that a change of policy might well be indicated to them [the police], with Russia a valiant ally.

Sources of Anti-communism Support, therefore, for the DOCR within the federal administration was not unanimous. The forces countering the DOCR were significant: the Prime Minister’s Office; External Affairs; sometimes even senior officials in the Justice Department and in the Department of Finance were offended by the breaches in traditions of British law contained in the DOCR. They were ranged against Defence and the RCMP, King and Lapointe, as well as the federal Department of Munitions and Supply, of which the minister was C. D. Howe.

The RCMP’s clumsiness in administering the DOCR made many senior officials wary, so that the federal police’s sway eventually was diminished. There was another element to the work of RCMP, however, which continued to grow  throughout the war: fingerprinting of ordinary Canadians, as part of wartime security screening. Once considered odious by most Canadians and applicable only to the criminal element, fingerprinting spread to include one in five Canadians during the war. The million Canadians who served in the military, as well as merchant seamen and certain public servants were fingerprinted by the military or by the RCMP. Moreover, by 1945, another million Canadians who worked in the 500 or so companies that had government procurement contracts, by order of Howe’s Department of Munitions and Supply, and in public utilities or oil refineries and even distilleries, had been subjected to fingerprinting, thus, to control by the RCMP. Fingerprints of about 2.3 million civilians and military  people were collected from Canada’s 1941 population of only 11.5 million."

- Michael Martin, The Red Patch: Political Imprisonment in Hull, Quebec during World War 2. Self-published, 2007. p. 80-83

[sixpossumsinatrenchcoat]

Genocide in Palestine: It’s Really Not Complicated

An accessible primer designed to sway the “both sides are wrong” people in your life

(context: i put this together for my own parents, but decided to share it in case it could help anyone else. i think a lot of us feel like we're just shouting into an echo chamber & only being heard by people who already agree.... so this was my attempt at making something that could help carry the truth outside of our activist bubble! feel free to copy/paste whatever, tweak the language so it's in ur own words, etc.)

The context:

A brief history of Israeli occupation

A long track record of peaceful protest (all met with slaughter)

An exemplary essay on the Palestinian experience of the global climate around occupied Palestine

The situation in Palestine today:

Is this genocide?

Indisputably, yes.

But if you can’t take my word for it, listen to the experts:

Holocaust survivors protesting for a free Palestine

The resignation letter from the Director of New York Office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights (I strongly recommend reading at least the first page) (full letter here)

More from the former UN Director

Every single country in the UN voting yes on a ceasefire & then being blocked by the US and a handful of our military allies

Explicit genocidal intent from Israel's Public Diplomacy Minister

Explicit genocidal intent (en masse) in the Zionist movement

Another Auschwitz survivor speaking out (this man is now dead, this video is >13 yrs old) (these atrocities have gone unpunished for decades)

Why anti-Zionism is NOT anti-Semitism: 

A brief background on Zionism

The IDF employs the same violence against Jewish Israeli citizens who don’t support the genocide:

Zionist forces brutally assault Orthodox Jews in the streets of Jerusalem for opposing genocide in Gaza

Holocaust survivors protesting for a free Palestine

More support for anti-Zionism from a Jewish woman raised by a Zionist family

Israeli citizens speaking out against the IDF:

Israeli teens serving jail time for refusing to serve in the IDF

Another Jewish Israeli speaking out against Palestinian occupation

Evidence that the IDF is fabricating claims to rationalize further violence (and is actively responsible for much of the actual damage): 

“Baby teeth from infants burned alive” debunked by experts, (addtl dentists weighing in)

Accusing Hamas of war crimes committed by the IDF

Scenes from Israel & Palestine before Gaza’s power grid got cut

Recent atrocities: a not-remotely-comprehensive list

Thousands of children dead. Not claimed to be dead without any evidence—actual children with names and verifiable identities, crushed and burned alive. 

The 2023/2024 school year in Gaza has been formally canceled because every single student is dead.

IDF targeting designated “safe” evacuation routes:

https://www.wionews.com/world/israeli-strikes-kill-gaza-civilians-including-children-on-safe-routes-reports-646972 (Sidebar: can we talk about the use of quotation marks around “kill” here? ‘Oops, my hand slipped onto the trigger of a gun and then someone got “ouch-ed” by a “bullet!” Clumsy me!’) 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/14/gaza-civilians-afraid-to-leave-home-after-bombing-of-safe-routes 

IDF targeting hospitals:

Al Quds Hospital

Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital

Cutting Gaza’s power grid

The indiscriminate use of weapons banned by the Geneva Convention. White phosphorus does not stop burning till it reaches bone. They are crop dusting refugee camps and schools with this. This is not just hearsay, this has been eyewitness-confirmed by international journalists & Amnesty International. 

They dropped it on a fucking school. Full of children. Burned alive from the inside out. There are literally no words.

More evidence

As of 11/2, lsrael has dropped 25,000 tons of explosives on Gaza Strip, which is equivalent to the explosive force of two nuclear bombs.

IDF targeting refugee camps:

Jabalia refugee camp:

More on Jabalia

A second blast on Jabalia in 2 days (there’s since been a third)

Israeli soldiers starting a “kidnapping challenge” in which Palestinians in the West Bank are kidnapped and blindfolded. TikTok is filled with videos of Israeli soldiers and civilians participating.

Pogroms & forced displacement in the West Bank

Targeting journalists & silencing dissenters

Cholera outbreaks from contaminated water & infant death from dehydration due to Gaza being (deliberately) cut off from clean water

Hundreds of Palestinian workers abducted & tortured without ever learning the charges

The Bottom Line: the IDF claims to be targeting Hamas, but they’ve razed entire cities to the ground. They target churches, mosques, & synagogues alike. They target refugee camps and schoolyards and bucolic farmland. This is not about tracking down a few terrorists, this is about wiping out an ethnic group in order to occupy their homeland. 

The human side: individual voices & experiences

A message from a doctor in Gaza

A young video blogger reporting from Gaza 

Palestinian children speaking out

The faces of the people we’re targeting. 

(There’s obviously a tremendous amount of this, most of which is much much harder to watch. But I am emotionally exhausted so for now I’ll just leave it at that.)

Does this mean you condone Hamas?

No. Do you condone decades of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement? 

Or, put differently: Palestine has been under violent imperialist rule for years, with similar atrocities / acts of violence / systematic displacement taking place for literal decades. As I keep hearing from better-informed activists than myself, this did not start on October 7th. (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, I could go on but you get the idea). And after decades of peaceful protest and pleas to be seen, the first time that Palestine has ever received this much media attention was after the violence on 10/7. Do I think it’s good to harm civilians? No. Obviously not. But I think it’s worse to bomb thousands of civilian buildings for decades on end without any oversight, accountability or consequence. 

Unfortunately, no dominant system of power has ever been dismantled without bloodshed. Targeting civilians is atrocious, but that’s what Israel has been doing for decades, and no one batted an eye until Palestine struck back. 

If this is true, why is this my first time hearing about it?

Let’s talk about:

The Propaganda Machine!

A silly & unexpectedly informative overview of the propaganda machine… ~in song~

One very small example

Reuters provides a good example of how journalists rely on readers’ short attention span to paint Palestinians as monsters:

Let’s start with the headline: [Freed Israeli hostage says 'I've been through hell']

Yikes! Yeah! Makes sense! Being kidnapped is really scary! The front half of the article describes the pain and terror of that kidnapping in detail. But if you scroll down to the bottom, you get to read her account on her time as a hostage: 

"When we got there, first of all they told us that they believed in the Koran and that they would not harm us," she recounted. A group of five people from her kibbutz were held together, each with an individual guard who stayed with them 24 hours a day. Lifshitz said a doctor visited them every other day and brought them the medicines they needed. "They took good care of the wounded," Lifshitz said. Video of her release on Monday showed her turning around to shake the hand of a masked captor. Asked why she had done that, she replied: "They treated us gently and met all our needs."

Sidebar: did you know that Hamas was willing to free all hostages in exchange for the release of the countless Palestinians imprisoned by the IDF on no charges whatsoever? I sure didn’t! Because U.S. media doesn’t cover those stories. Because the corporations funding these atrocities have financial interest in maintaining Israel’s status as innocent victims, and the entire civilian population of Palestine as a living smokescreen for Hamas. 

Examples of the U.S. trying to maintain its facade as “the good guy” — The U.S. takes credit for restoring power to Gaza when in fact it was Palestineans on the ground who restored their own power

Thanks to pressure from a massive groundswell of grassroots support, the media climate has changed in the past week alone, but I swear to god that one week ago (10/26), I googled “attacks on Palestine” / “bombings in Gaza” and Google EXCLUSIVELY provided results on the Oct 7 attack on Israel.

The US govt attempting to run further arms deals in secret with zero oversight, inured from all checks & balances, in order to hide our involvement in these atrocities

I have yet to see a single one of these massive protests in the news

But if this is really genocide, why is the US still siding with Israel? 

A very thorough explanation from a former Stanford professor.

(The short version: Israel has long been America's attack dog in the Middle East, and allows us unparalleled access to the resources that we want to take advantage of. It's the military-industrial complex at its most insidious. If you can’t accept that answer, please just listen to the podcast.)

Misc. addtl resources: 

A helpful thread addressing common pro-Israel arguments

An excellent reading list compiled by people much smarter than me

Okay, so we’re funding a genocide. What can I do?

Buy e-sims to get Gaza back online

Contact your local legislators. This google doc makes it insanely easy to send an auto-email in protest to every single bill funding the genocide. It’ll help if you change the language a tiny bit to keep it from getting flagged as spam, but whatever you’ll actually do is better than nothing. Mobile version here.

Boycott the companies most actively lobbying for further violence

TALK ABOUT IT. EVEN WHEN IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE. Especially when it’s uncomfortable. The government is depending on our exhaustion, our desensitization, our silence & our compliance. Do Not Let Them Get Away With It. If nothing else, your support helps suffering people to feel a tiny bit more seen. That should be reason enough.

Who are you (and what’s your agenda)?

Nobody, really. Just some privileged American who’s been watching our president stand around spouting bullshit about how, “oh, well, there’s no way to know…” while my twitter feed overflows with on-the-ground footage of the worst shit I have ever seen. I’m sharing this anonymously because I have a hard time feeling visible on the internet (I don’t have any social media accounts under my real name, just goofy fandom aliases to post about my dumb hyperfixations). But it’s also because it doesn’t really matter who I am. I’m not half as educated as any of the folks linked above, so the most I can do is compress & compile the resources that a lot of folks—namely, those who get their news from mainstream media—don’t get to see. 

If you’re so unqualified, why are you making this? What’s your game here 🤨🤨🤨

It’s pretty fuckin selfish, but I guess my immediate agenda is to be able to talk to my parents again? To have a real conversation without the constant fear that someone’s about to say something that’ll make me totally shut down, just because they get their info from the news. If it can do that much, I’ll be… still drenched in despair, I guess, but maybe 1% less anxious? 

Beyond that, I feel like a lot of us feel like we’re shouting into an echo chamber. Like, all of this info is out there, but it only forms a larger picture if you’re already, constantly plugged in. I think that in a lot of cases, our (very justified) anger winds up alienating folks whose main flaw is just… trusting the resources that they’ve been taught to trust. So I liked the idea of making something that would feel accessible to folks who sit outside of our bubble—something that could be informative without coming off as shout-y or judgmental. Hopefully I came close? 

…End of day, I guess it feels better than doing nothing.

[qnewsau]

Hepburn Shire Council launches Rainbow Action Plane

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/hepburn-shire-council-launches-rainbow-action-plane/

Hepburn Shire Council launches Rainbow Action Plane

Hepburn Shire proudly celebrates the launch of the Council’s inaugural Rainbow Action Plan for LGBTIQA+ inclusion.

Residents from Daylesford’s Rainbow community came together with Mayor Brian Hood, Minister for Equality Harriet Shing and Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas to officially launch the plan last week.

“The Rainbow Action Plan commits Council to actions that will foster a safer and more welcoming community for all LGBTIQA+ people.” Mayor Brian Hood said.

“We recognise and celebrate the important contributions that our LGBTIQA+ people, businesses and visitors bring to the life of our Shire.”

“Together, we share an inclusive, resilient, vibrant, sustainable, innovative and diverse community.”

The plan will help to ensure that all LGBTIQA+ people feel supported, connected, visible and safe.

Home of ‘The Big Rainbow’ and Australia’s largest regional pride festival Chillout, Action Plans such as this are still needed even is spaces our communities thrive.

“It is such an amazing and well-needed policy to get accepted into our community for the safety of all the Rainbow Families that reside in Hepburn Shire.” Max Primer told us.

“I feel so proud to be a part of this historic legislation”

Primer from the LGBTIQ advisory committee is one of the individuals who helped prepare the Action Plan for the council.

Why does Daylesford need that?

Hepburn Shire Council is one of only 18 local government authorities in Victoria to adopt an LGBTIQA+ Action Plan.

“It’s been four years In the making and our lgbt advisory committee has worked closely with the community and our inclusion officer Brett Dunlop in getting everything together .” Emma Westerbeek from Words of Winter told us.

“We are a progressive community and hope to pave the way for councils around us to action their own.”

“Having worked across many festivals increasing diversity and inclusion, it’s so wonderful to see our rainbow action plan in place and beginning to take great momentum for important changes for our community.”

Council said in a statement that this is ‘further evidence of our role as a leader in gender equality and equity and in promoting respect and safety in our community.’

‘It will also guide the Council in providing an inclusive workplace for its LGBTIQA+ staff and volunteers.’

“Through this Rainbow Action Plan, Council re-commits to achieving equality for LGBTIQA+ people.” Councilor Hood said.

“We will work to end LGBTIQA+ discrimination, and we affirm and defend the fundamental human rights of LGBTIQA+ people.”

You can read Hepburn Shires Rainbow Action Plan here.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

[periodistasworld]

The President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador considered that the British government will resolve the issue of the resignation of Liz Truss, and other peoples of Europe that face political and economic problems and crises. As you may remember, Liz Truss, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announced her resignation just six weeks after taking office, deepening the political crisis in the country and especially within the Conservative Party. Truss arrived at Downing Street on September 6 to replace Boris Johnson, but his short term in office has since been marked by political and economic chaos. — which also led to the resignation of her interior secretary — and lawmakers from her own party eventually stopped supporting her. He recalled that in the past he had been invited to parliament by Corvin from the Labor party. According to their rules they speak in a row and very brief and quick interventions, it is a tradition that the prime minister attends the British parliament weekly.

El Presidente de México Andrés Manuel López Obrador consideró que gobierno británico resolverán el tema de la renuncia de Liz Truss, y otros pueblos de europa que enfrenten problemas y crisis políticas y económicas. 

Como se recordará Liz Truss, primera ministra del Reino Unido, anunció su renuncia apenas seis semanas después de asumir el cargo, profundizando la crisis política en el país y especialmente dentro del Partido Conservador. 

Truss llegó a Downing Street el 6 de septiembre en reemplazo de Boris Johnson, pero desde entonces su corto período de gobierno ha estado marcado por el caos político y económico. 

—que llevó además a la renuncia de su secretaria de Interior—, y los legisladores de su propio partido finalmente dejaron de apoyarla. 

 

Recordó que en el pasado fue invitado al parlamento por parte de Corvin del partido laborista. 

De acuerdo a sus reglas hablan de corrido y muy breves y rápidas intervenciones, es una tradición que la primer ministra acuda semanalmente al parlamento británico. 

 

Enviado desde Outlook

[girasolesyseda]

Spanish about Politics – Vocabulary and phrases for conversation

La monarquía - monarchy

La república - republic

La democracia - democracy

La dictadura – dictatorship

El presidente - President

El vicepresidente- Vice President

El primer ministro- Prime Minister

El congresista - congressman (in some countries, like the US)

El diputado - congressman (in other countries, like Spain)

El senador - senator

El ministro de Economía - Minister of Economy

El secretario de Educación - Secretary of Education

El politico - politician

El candidato - candidate

El portavoz - spokesperson

El rey - king

La reina - queen

El príncipe - prince

La princesa - princess

El votante – voter

Votar - to vote

meter la papeleta en la urna - to put the ballot in the ballot box

gobernar - to govern

aprobar una ley - to pass a law

corromperse - to become corrupt

formar una coalición- to build a coalition

nombrar a un ministro / secretario - to appoint a minister / secretary

dimitir - to resign

postularse a presidente / presentarse a president - to run for president

dar un discurso - to give a speech

celebrar un mitin- to hold a political rally

hacer campaña - to campaign

El parlamento - parliament

El congreso - congress

El senado - senate

La Casa Blanca - White House

El ala oeste - west wing

El despacho oval - Oval office

El día de las elecciones - Election Day

La votación - the vote

El debate televisado- televised debate

La encuesta - opinion poll

El gobierno - government

La ideología - ideology

La oposición - opposition

La papeleta - ballot

La urna - ballot box

El partido politico- political party

Las primarias - primaries

La campaña - campaign

Moderado - moderate

Radical – radical

Ideology Meaning Person

El conservadurismo– conservatism - conservador

El progresismo – progressivism - progresista

El socialism – socialism - socialista

El comunismo – communism - comunista

El anarquismo – anarchism - anarquista

El liberalism – liberalism - liberal

El capitalism – capitalism - capitalista

El fascism – fascism - fascista

El centrismo – centrism - centrista

La izquierda - the left - izquierdista

La derecha - the right – derechista

[gray-learns-languages]

Politicians - Los Políticos

disclaimer: as usual, let me know if i made any mistakes. Also, this is heavily based off of american politics, so please tell me some regional words/other words i should add because i want to include other countries

attorney general - el ministro/la ministra de Justicia chancellor - el canciller, el ministro congressman/congresswoman - el diputado/la diputada, el/la congresista Democrat - el/la demócrata First Lady - la primera dama governor - el gobernador/la gobernadora head of state - el/la jefe de estado House (of Representatives) - la Cámara (de Representantes) judge, justice - el/la juez, el magistrado/la magistrada leader - el líder mayor - el/la alcalde minister - el ministro office - el cargo, el puesto party leader - el/la líder del partido (político) politician - el político/la política president - el presidente/la presidenta prime minister - el primer ministro/la primera ministra Republican - el republicano/la republicana secretary of state - el secretario/la secretaria de Estado, el ministro/la ministra de asuntos exteriores secretary of the interior - el ministro/la ministra del interior Senate - el Senado senator - el senador/la senadora speaker of the House - el presidente/la presidenta de la Cámara spokesperson - el/la portavoz statesman - el hombre de estado undersecretary - el subsecretario/la subsecretaria vice president - el vicepresidente/la vicepresidenta

election vocabulary list

[fromgreecetoanarchy]

[Video] Chile: Protester evades 5 riot police bikers chasing him down (Never give up!) [Video recorded in Temuco, Chile, 7 November 2019] Not Falling for It: How the Uprising in #Chile Has Outlasted State Repression And the Questions for Movements to Come  As of today—Friday, November 8, 2019—the government of Chile has spent three full weeks switching back and forth between strategies of brutality, division, and deceit without yet succeeding in stemming the tide of resistance. The events of these weeks offer a useful primer in strategies of state repression and how to outmaneuver, outsmart, and outlast them. On October 6, the Chilean government headed by rapacious billionaire Sebastián Piñera announced a new austerity package that would further impoverish struggling Chileans. Unfortunately for the authorities, it was an inopportune moment to squeeze an already restless population. The next day, in Ecuador, thousands of indigenous people arrived in the capital city to protest an austerity package, occupying the Parliament building and clashing with police forces. On October 14, the Ecuadorian government backed down, repealing the austerity bill.That same day, students swung into action in Chile, organizing a series of mass fare-dodging protests against the hike in public transit costs. These culminated on October 18 in clashes, vandalism, and arsons that damaged 16 buses and 78 metro stations, as well as various banks and several other major buildings, including the headquarters of the Italian energy company Enel. In retaliation, Piñera announced a state of emergency and curfew, hoping to bludgeon the population back into submission. Conspiracy theories have circulated about the arsons. This always happens when ordinary people manage to get the better of the authorities, shocking those who take it for granted that the state is the only protagonist of history. Conspiracy theories about how the government arranged for the destruction of its own public transit infrastructure are disempowering and irrational; they also obscure what was strategic about the arsons. Whether by smashing the turnstiles or burning entire stations, it was precisely by making business as usual impossible that demonstrators made the desperate circumstances of their daily lives a problem for their rulers. Without the vandalism and looting, the movement would never have become the force that it is. The next day, October 19, Piñera suspended the metro price increase. The speed with which he did this shows that he knew he had pushed people too far. If he could have waited to suspend the fare increase, he might have been able to announce it later, in order to give demonstrators a feeling of accomplishment and get them out of the streets; instead, having already pushed his luck, he had to suspend it immediately in hopes of discharging popular resentment before the crisis deepened. It didn’t work. For a government, the goal of making concessions is only to trick enough people into leaving the streets that it will be possible to isolate and defeat those who remain. On October 20, Piñera expanded the state of emergency to most of the country, announcing from the headquarters of the army that his government was “at war against a powerful and implacable enemy.” This gesture, and above all the place from which he spoke, was a not-so-coded declaration that he intended to return Chile to the murderous state violence of the Pinochet dictatorship. Yet once again, the people in the streets did not back down. They continued to demonstrate, even as the military injured and killed people, and they refused to permit the authorities to sow divisions, sticking together with the same cohesion that has given the movement in Hong Kong its long life. This is why, on October 23, Piñera was forced to announce the suspension of the whole austerity package and the introduction of some minor reforms—what Chileans have been calling “table scraps.” Again, Chileans knew better than to settle for this. That same day, Chile’s trade unions declared a general strike. On October 25, the largest demonstration in Chilean history took place, bringing 1.2 million people into the streets of Santiago to show that they supported this movement that had originated in massive public criminal activity and continued in defiance of the express orders of the government. This was a massive defeat for Piñera—it showed that he could neither resolve the situation by brute force nor by petty bribery. This is why, on October 26, he promised to lift the State of Emergency and to swap out some of the ministers in his government—though not to relinquish power himself. He also changed his rhetoric, congratulating Chileans on a “peaceful” demonstration and suggesting a distinction between law-abiding families and criminal hooligans. Let’s review: when Piñera couldn’t suppress the movement by police violence, he played for time by suspending the fare increase—while declaring martial law and mobilizing the army. When didn’t work, he shifted to a new strategy of divide and conquer, flattering the majority of Chileans by suggesting that their concerns were legitimate while demonizing the brave demonstrators who launched the movement. Now that things seem to have plateaued—not to say calmed down—Piñera is trying, yet again, to return to his original strategy of brute force. On November 7, he introduced an array of bills to increase the penalties for militant protest tactics including self-defense against police and concealing one’s identity against state surveillance. Congratulate the movement on its victories, but crack down on the means by which it won them. Over 7000 people have been arrested and many thousands injured; despite their obvious loyalty to the uniformed mercenaries of the state, prosecutors admit to over 800 allegations of police abuse, torture, rape, and battery. Piñera has expressed his “total support” for the conduct of the police and military throughout this sequence of events, but he is saying that all this brutality is not enough—in addition to arresting, beating, shooting, and killing people, he wants the police and military to be able to imprison additional massive numbers of people for long periods of time. Make no mistake, the movement in Chile would not have gotten off the ground if not for the students organizing mass illegal activity. It would not have spread countrywide if not for the vandalism, arson, and acts of self-defense against police attacks. It would not have created a crisis that demanded a response if not for looting and disruption. To make a distinction between the “law-abiding” participants and the “criminals” in the movement is to say that it would be better if the movement had never taken place—it is an attempt to ensure that no such movement will ever take place again.We have seen this many times before. The movement against police and white supremacy that burst into the public consciousness with the riots in Ferguson only got off the ground because the original participants openly attacked police officers, burned down buildings, and refused to divide into “violent” and “nonviolent” factions. Democracy itself, the system via which Chile, the United States, and so many other nations are governed, began in blazing crime; if not for criminal revolutionaries, we would still be living under the heel of hereditary monarchs. Once again, the movement in Chile faces a crucial juncture. If the majority of the participants accept Piñera’s flattery and congratulate themselves on being “peaceful” and “honest” in contrast to those who are “criminals,” this will enable him to push through draconian measures to ensure that it will never be possible for Chileans to defend themselves against austerity measures again. On the contrary, what is needed is for the tactics of the “criminals” to spread to every honest citizen, to every person who sincerely wants peace. Neither Piñera nor anyone else who aims to rule by force will ever create peace; it can only arise when their totalitarian aspirations are thwarted. To understand what Piñera wants, we need only look at what has happened in Egypt. Since regaining control of the country with the military coup in 2013 and introducing new measures like the ones Piñera is proposing, military strongman al-Sisi has [crushed protests] of all kinds. He now aspires to rule until at least the year 2034. Those who make only half a revolution dig their own graves, as the saying goes. So the stakes are high. Demonstrators in Chile must permanently delegitimize the instruments of state power such as the police, the courts, and the army, making it impossible for them to maintain order by any combination of brutality, concessions, and prosecution. This is the only way out of the nightmare of neoliberal austerity. This is how movements win against oppressive governments: by a winning combination of confrontational direction action, solidarity across different demographics and tactics, persistence, and strategic innovation. The movement in Chile has demonstrated this already. (Text published by CrimethInc) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VRQ2A_vCag

[semirahrose]

Nirvana in Fire (for the hopelessly confused)™.

Or, “How to survive the first few episodes.”

Nirvana in Fire takes in medias res to a new level, then throws in an ensemble cast in the middle of political machinations to top it all off. It may be one of the best shows you’ll ever watch, but only if you can survive the beginning.

Unless you've read the novel it’s based on, the Confusion is Real. Some viewers may be reliant on subtitles in their native language and have less time to commit faces to memory. The first episodes are central, but very hard to digest. Here’s something for folks who want to give the show a shot but also want to live. 

(Nothing on these graphics or in the accompanying text includes info beyond the first two episodes and the beginning of the third.)

Lin Shu (A.K.A Mei Changsu, Su Zhe): Man on a mission. One-stop-shop for all your hurt/comfort needs. Prodigy, was once a skilled fighter. “Died” in Meiling at 19 years old. Has been plotting and dealing with an as-yet unspecified illness in the 12 years since the massacre of the Chiyan army. Goal: get justice, root out corruption in the court, put his friend ▼ on the throne. Method: get invited to capital by his pal Jingrui and get cracking.

Xiao Jingyan: Very hotheaded if you know which buttons to push. (Everyone knows which buttons to push.) Traits of note: Loyalty, rock-solid moral backbone, occasional leaps before looking, eviscerating snark and a give-no-f***s attitude. Still mourning Lin Shu (and many others). Won't show up until episode 2. (Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it...) Hates strategists, which is too bad for our main character ▲, but also good for him, because while Prince Jing is busy hating him—and MCS purposely makes it easy for Prince Jing to do just that—he won’t find it easy to question his strategist’s motives and uncover his true identity.

And now for a rousing round of...

On first watch, it’s really hard to parse allegiances. Too many shifty folks Doing Secret Stuff. Below are some simple charts to demystify the first two episodes. 

The charts have simple information. Consult them if you just want a quick primer. If you need more in-depth information, see the bullet-pointed lists below.

Xie Yu, father of Jingrui and husband of the Emperor’s sister Liyang, plays at being neutral but is actually supporting the crown prince, all while knowing that his younger son by blood, Xie Bi, is supporting Prince Yu. Because of the custody arrangement due to Jingrui’s uncertain birth status, he is close friends with the Zhuo family, who are masters of a sect of martial arts outside the capital. He uses them regularly to do his dirty work.

The Zhuo family (above: father Dingfeng and son Qingyao) is a martial arts family.  In this episode, they attempt to assassinate prince Yu while he is outside the capital. (Jingrui has no freaking idea any of this is going on. Completely clueless.)

When that doesn’t work, Qingyao moves to help an elderly couple (pictured above), get to safety from some of Prince Yu’s supporters (ish) in big boats, who would really like to kill them. Mei Changsu slides in like a true drama queen, playing the flute, and the couple does, indeed, get to safety. This couple, as revealed at the end of the episode, has dirt on Duke Qing, an influential minister under Prince Yu’s control. Duke Qing and his people have been appropriating property and killing folks, among other things. It is to the Crown Prince’s advantage that Duke Qing is put on trial, so Xie Yu asks the Zhuos to ensure the couple’s safe passage. 

Basically, this whole episode is about the two highest ranked princes (jerks, the both of them), trying to one-up, smear, and/or kill one another.

Turns out that, while Prince Yu went in person to Langya Hall to ask how to become Emperor, the Crown Prince sent some of his supporters to ask for the very same information. They both receive it in episode 1.

At the end of the first episode, you see Nihuang and the Emperor speak with Xia Dong, an investigative officer. The Emperor has successfully received the elderly couple’s report. He sends Xia Dong to investigate its veracity.

Xiao Jinghuan, Prince Yu: Xiao is his surname, and the name his father emperor and all his brothers share. The “Jing” in his given name is, you might notice, a bit of a theme. All the children of the emperor have this character in their names. (Xiao Jinghuan, Xiao Jingxuan, Xiao Jingyan.) Though Xiao Jingrui, son of the Xie and Zhuo families, has that whole imperial name thing going, he is not related to the emperor. The reason will be explained mid episode 3, actually!

Qin Banruo is very smart and has a network of spies she puts to use for Prince Yu’s benefit. 

Duke Qing  has been stealing land and murdering people. Things like this are not too terribly out of the usual for the supporters of the Crown Prince and Prince Yu, or the princes themselves.

Xie Bi wholeheartedly supports Prince Yu because he’s swallowed Prince Yu’s facade of wisdom and kindness hook, line, and sinker. Has absolutely no idea that his father, Xie Yu, is supporting the Crown Prince in order to play both sides. Xie Yu, however, is aware of his son’s allegiances.

We are now done with the primary princes and their supporters. Here are a lot of cool folks who show up in the first episodes and very short descriptions of their roles/relationships. None are affiliated with/supporting the Crown Prince/Prince Yu.

Commander General Meng Zhi: The only person Lin Shu/Mei Changsu informed of his plans before arriving in the capital. He was worried for Lin Shu and strongly advised him never to return. Knew Lin Shu when he was a boy, and once fought with the Chiyan Army. Now is in charge of the Imperial Guard. Will not act to harm the Emperor directly, but supports Mei Changsu’s bid for justice.

Li Gang shows up in the first episode giving a report to Mei Changsu/Lin Shu. Nice guy, member of Jiangzuo Alliance. Mother hen of MCS.

Xia Dong and Nihuang would have been close friends, but their respective positions in the massacre put them at odds. Xia Dong lost her husband, and believes the Lin family murdered him to keep him from reporting the “rebellion.” Mu Nihuang lost Lin Shu, to whom she was once engaged, and believes in the Lin family’s innocence. Xia Dong is about ready for Nihuang to marry so Nihuang’s connection to the Lins is no longer hanging between them. She hates Prince Jing because he has actively defended the Lin family in the past. The emperor mostly wants to tie Nihuang to a husband in order to control her.

Yan Yujin and Xiao Jingrui: Very close friends. Jingrui spent some time with his Other Dad outside the capital, exploring. He goes to pick up his friend Mei Changsu, since he has received news that Mei Changsu is suffering from a serious illness. He and Yujin go to invite MCS to the capital to recover at Jingrui’s family’s manor. (All according to Mei Changsu’s plan.)

Grand Princess Liyang: Soft-spoken. Unbreakable. Core of steel. Does not deserve to be married to Xie Yu, honestly. :(

Grand Empress: AKA that nice old lady who will make you cry in ep 2.

Mu Qing: Nihuang’s brother. Very, very invested in her suitor tournament and is angry that any of those fools would dare to seek his sister’s hand. Nosy, sweet, best intentions. Will fight everyone.

Tingsheng: I can’t spoil you, but keep an eye on him. Good fella, wants to learn how to read.

Lin Chen, friend of Mei Changsu and inveterate troll. Young master of Langya Hall. Exhausted doctor to Mei Changsu. 1000% done with everything. Also a troll. He gave both princes the exact same information when they came to ask after the throne: If they wanted to become Emperor, they’d need none other than Mei Changsu himself.

[fatehbaz]

6 October 2019: More news on the local extinction of endangered, rainforest-dwelling southern mountain caribou in the British Columbia and US portions of the Pacific Northwest. Indigenous leaders of Tsilhqot’in National Government (First Nation headquartered in BC) are aiming to create their own herd-management plan in the Chilcotin, Thompson, and Kootenay regions. The tentative First Nation proposal is in defiance of BC provincial government’s plans to move forward with wolf culls, resort development, and continued logging contracts. West Moberly First Nation will also consult on a caribou recovery plan in the coming weeks. The Tsilhqot’in announcement comes just days after the US federal government finally granted Endangered Species Act protections for all herds of southern mountain caribou, on 2 October 2019 - despite the fact that the last caribou within US borders went extinct in January 2019.

A quick primer: The so-called southern mountain caribou is a distinct ecotype and population of caribou which dwells exclusively in the mountains of the inland temperate rainforest and interior cedar-hemlock zone in the Columbia Mountains of eastern British Columbia, and previously lived in cedar-hemlock forest of northeastern Washington State, northern Idaho, and northwestern Montana. The caribou finally was declared formally extinct within the borders of the contiguous United States in January 2019, when the last 3 members of the South Selkirks herd of southern mountain caribou were taken from Idaho and relocated farther north in BC. Other ecotypes of caribou previously lived in the northern Great Lakes region and New England until their extinction in recent decades, but this is the first time that the entire reindeer/caribou species (Rangifer tarandus) has been extinct in the contiguous US. The South Selkirks herd was the only herd which the US had recognized as formally endangered. On 2 October 2019, though, the US extended formal endangered status to all herds of southern mountain caribou.

[Base layer source from BC government; labels/text by me.]

-

In this map from the animal’s Species at Risk Act recovery strategy report from the Canadian federal government, the distribution range of the southern mountain caribou is displayed in pink-ish/red-ish. [Full report available here.]

-

[Original caribou distribution range map, source; and inland temperate rainforest map source. Some labels/edits by me.]

-

“First Naiton in B.C. to devise own caribou herd-management plan, blames province for not doing enough.” [6 October 2019. Wendy Stueck. The Globe and Mail.]

A B.C. First Nation says it will come up with its own plan to manage dwindling caribou herds in the Chilcotin region, saying the provincial government is not doing enough to protect the animals. “We’re on the brink of extinction for caribou in the Chilcotin and we can’t just sit by and think the Province of B.C. is going to save our caribou – they’ve managed [them] almost to extinction,” Joe Alphonse, tribal chair of the Tsilhqot’in National Government (TNG), said in an interview on Oct. 4.

Mr. Alphonse said the TNG’s “herd management plan,” announced on Oct. 2, will involve asking snowmobilers and logging contractors to stay out of certain areas in the Chilcotin region, an area west of Williams Lake in the B.C. Interior. “There has to be a ban of logging in areas where there are woodland caribou, there has to be a ban of snowmobiling … when you ride through in the winter, what you’re doing is creating trails for wolves to hunt,” Mr. Alphonse said.

The First Nation’s decision highlights continuing concerns over caribou in British Columbia, where the provincial government recently proposed an emergency wolf cull in part of the province as a stopgap protection measure as a contentious recovery plan is reworked.

“For threatened caribou populations, decreasing the number of wolves in caribou habitat is the quickest and most effective management tool to reverse population trends in the short term," said a letter, dated Aug. 22, from the province to First Nations and other groups, including the B.C. Wildlife Federation. B.C. is home to 54 herds of woodland caribou, including the southern mountain caribou, a group of herds listed as threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act since 2003. Caribou numbers have been declining for decades because of factors including habitat loss, dropping from an estimated 40,000 animals 30 years ago to about 15,500 today.

In May, 2018, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna concluded southern mountain caribou were at “imminent threat,” opening the door for an emergency order from the federal government. Such an order would allow the federal government to make decisions about resource development that is normally within the jurisdiction of provincial governments, such as logging and mining.

The province, wanting to head off an emergency order, worked on a plan with the federal government and the West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations. But when the province unveiled draft agreements this past March, there was a public backlash over potential restrictions on logging and backcountry access. [...]

In a letter to the province this past May, Ms. McKenna warned that the “prospect of an emergency order cannot be ignored” and urged the province to move quickly. But that emergency order never came. With a federal election campaign under way and the government in caretaker mode, Ms. McKenna’s office referred questions to the federal Department of the Environment.

Protecting caribou is “primarily a provincial and territorial responsibility,” but the department continues to work with all partners, including B.C., to support southern mountain caribou, spokeswoman Samantha Bayard said on Friday in an e-mail. Asked if Ms. McKenna had sought an emergency order, Ms. Bayard said any recommendations or deliberations regarding an emergency protection order are a matter of cabinet confidence. [...]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Oct. 2 recognized 17 herds of southern mountain caribou as endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Previously, the agency listed only the South Selkirk herd as a federally endangered species. The new ruling means habitat will be protected, even though the animals have disappeared from the United States in recent years, said Sean Nixon, a lawyer with Ecojustice in Vancouver.

“We have this bizarre situation where there are no caribou left in the U.S., but they’re protecting the species habitat so that caribou can return … while we still have mountain caribou in B.C. but the province isn’t providing any meaningful protection for the species’ habitat," he said.

A meeting of a “leadership table” on the caribou recovery plan is scheduled for this month, West Moberly First Nations Chief Roland Willson said. Mr. Willson wants to see more than stopgap measures, saying caribou need protected habitat to thrive. “Wolves are an issue, but the reason the wolves are an issue [is] because of development,” Mr. Willson said.

[Source.]

This is a cow waking up. She was one of the last 3 caribou to have lived in the contiguous US; she was part of the South Selkirks herd. In January 2019, the 3 caribou were taken from Idaho and relocated to near Revelstroke in BC. [Source: B.C. Ministry of Forests.]

[warninggraphiccontent]

29 November 2019

Manifesto destiny

What do this year's manifestos have to say about data, digital, open government and technology?

While we wouldn't expect them to get into the finer points of digital government and better uses of data in government - not in themselves the most doorstep-friendly of issues - there's a fair amount in there. Online harms, cybersecurity, citizens' digital rights, using data to better understand barriers to diversity (very Race Disparity Audit) and general references to technology across various sectors all make an appearance. There's not that much on open data or open government (beyond an eye-catching Lib Dem promise on a citizens' assembly on algorithms), or much detail on the Conservative promise to improve the use of data, data science and evidence in government (#classicdom). We've got a summary here, the Ada Lovelace Institute have one here, and Peter Wells has a thread on each here.

It's interesting to compare with the 2017 versions. The Conservatives apparently promised some new bodies on the use and ethics of data, and geospatial data - whatever happened to those? - while Labour promised to keep the Land Registry and all its data under public control (repeated this time around) and extend freedom of information to private providers of public services (ditto). No mention of Freedom of Information in the Lib Dem manifesto for the first time in a while.

There'll be some more on manifestos on this week's Inside Briefing podcast. We looked at, or rather listened to, prime ministerial tenure last week.

And in brief:

It was a real pleasure to chair Will from Full Fact, Liz from Digital Action, my old boss Martin from King's and the chair of the Electoral Commission, Sir John Holmes, on whether we can trust our electoral system in an age of rapidly evolving technology. All killer, no filler, as the kids say - well worth a watch or listen.

And if you liked that, you may like some of our other #IFGElection2019 events, including one next week on other aspects of our electoral system.

Another important event: on starting a career in public policy. Thinking about a career in public policy? Never thought about a career in public policy? Want to get started in thinktanks, or still wondering what a thinktank is? Come and have your questions answered on Monday 9 December.

To the Argentine Embassy for the launch of the Bennett Institute's new report on digital government in Argentina since 2015. Excellent discussion, excellent report, excellent empanadas.

No Data Bites next week - we're hoping to get started again in February. But as well as watching all the previous ones back, you can join us for some drinks on Wednesday - get in touch via Twitter if you'd like to join.

RIP Clive James.

It's easy to forget in the midst of the election campaign but it is nearly Christmas. Come and celebrate with my choir, the New Tottenham Singers, on Saturday 14 December.

Have a great weekend

Gavin

Today's links:

Graphic content

Let's talk about MRP

The key findings from our MRP (YouGov)

Election Centre (YouGov)

MRP election poll: Boris Johnson heads for big majority* (The Times)

Poll forecasts Commons majority for Boris Johnson* (FT)

How do pollsters predict UK general election results? (FT)

Manifestos

Where does the climate emergency first get mention in the party manifestos? (Tortoise)

A chart based analysis of the text in the Conservative and Labour manifestos (Daniel Tomlinson)

Manifesto word count (me for IfG)

#GE2019, etc

Top target seats in the 2019 general election – interactive (The Guardian)

Meet Parliament’s class of 2019* (The Economist, via Tom)

What happens if a prime minister loses their seat in a general election? (IfG)

A New Class Of Angry Partisan Facebook Pages Are Dominating The Online War In The British General Election (BuzzFeed)

Trust in civil servants/politicians (me for IfG)

Veracity Index (Ipsos MORI)

We're now three weeks without a Secretary of State for Wales (me for IfG)

Long term trend shows decreasing concern over economy, unemployment, rise of Brexit (Ipsos MORI)

Women in parliament (Alice for IfG)

Tax and spend

This is how marginal taxes work (Mona Chalabi)

Explaining progressive income tax (Matthew Armstrong)

Divided and connected: Regional inequalities in the North, the UK and the developed world – State of the North 2019 (IPPR)

Elections elsewhere

Hong Kong election results mapped* (New York Times)

A Staggering Number of Candidates Are Running for U.S. President* (Bloomberg)

Who is ahead in the Democratic primary race?* (The Economist)

Everything else

How Do You Find Good NFL Defenders? By Measuring What’s Not There. (FiveThirtyEight)

A kaleidoscope of river pollution (The ENDS Report)

Die letzten Mieter (Zeit Online)

Pope Francis, globe-trotting at an age when other popes have eased up, is trying to transform the church through his travels* (Washington Post)

Data and #dataviz

Survey of public sector information management 2018/19 (data.gov.nz)

Make your own UK General Election maps (Flourish)

Lowering the bar (Full Fact)

Reddit's Bar Chart Race moratorium is a good thing for #dataviz. Here's why. (Andy Cotgreave)

Meta data

Poll position

How YouGov's 2019 General Election model works (YouGov)

FAQs about YouGov's 2019 general election MRP model (YouGov)

MRP Estimates and the 2019 General Election (Anthony B. Masters)

Why you should take YouGov's MRP with a pinch of salt; Six thoughts on YouGov's MRP model of the 2019 election* (New Statesman)

Brexit didn’t cause all our divisions (UnHerd - although...)

Forensic polling analysis shows how Boris Johnson is on course to win—and how he can be stopped* (Prospect)

What to make of the polls? (Will Jennings)

The hidden predictor? Council control (Ian Warren)

Four Problems With 2016 Trump Polling That Could Play Out Again in 2020* (New York Times)

Election 2019: Can we trust our electoral system? (Institute for Government)

Manifestos

General Election 2019: manifesto tracker (Institute for Government)

Manifestos still matter even though their promises aren't being delivered (Institute for Government)

Tech/data in the 2019 manifestos (Peter Wells)

How will data and AI work for people and society after the UK General Election 2019? (Ada Lovelace Institute)

2019 Manifesto - 'Towards a Better Future' (techUK)

The Startup Manifesto (The Entrepreneurs Network/Coadec)

Future of the web

Contract for the Web (World Wide Web Foundation)

Tim Berners-Lee unveils global plan to save the web (The Guardian)

Read Sacha Baron Cohen's scathing attack on Facebook in full: 'greatest propaganda machine in history' (The Guardian)

Platforms don't exist (Ben Tarnoff)

Internet Harms: We need a Regulator, not a Censor (Martin Stanley for the Bennett Institute)

Internet world despairs as non-profit .org sold for $$$$ to private equity firm, price caps axed (The Register)

Oil, data, data, oil

Oil is the New Data (Logic)

The Next Big Cheap: Calling data “the new oil” takes its exploitation for granted (Real Life)

Data, transparency, openness

Unlocking the value of London’s public sector data (Eddie Copeland)

What does transparency mean? (Understanding Patient Data)

Open government must be more than a commitment on paper* (Apolitical)

11 thoughts on Donald Trump, Transparency and Records (Ben Worthy)

Cabinet Office ignores court order to release secret fracking report (The Guardian)

Open Banking: Consumer consent frameworks around the globe (ODI/Equifax)

Thierry Breton to be in charge of leading new ‘EU data strategy’* (Politico)

Everything else

Better than ethics (Rachel Coldicutt, Doteveryone)

Help TheyWorkForYou make sense of Parliament (Crowdfunder)

Taiwan is making democracy work again. It's time we paid attention* (Wired)

Facebook’s only fact-checking service in the Netherlands just quit (The Verge)

OPSI Primer on AI for the Public Sector (OECD, via Marcus)

Opportunities

AWARD: 2020 Statistical Excellence in Journalism awards launched (Royal Statistical Society)

JOB: RESEARCHER/POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLAR, AI ON THE GROUND INITIATIVE (Data & Society)

JOB: Director of Standards & Interoperability (NHS England)

JOB: Senior Researcher: Court Monitoring and Open Justice (Spotlight on Corruption)

JOBS: 2020 US Election (FT)

JOBS (Luminate)

And finally...

Thanksgiving

The Ultimate Thanksgiving Dinner Menu (FiveThirtyEight)

9 charts to be thankful for this Thanksgiving (Vox)

Practice makes perfect: Carve this virtual turkey* (Washington Post)

Politics

How the UK are predicted to vote is... (@notstelfc, via Haydon)

Winning here. Hang on... (via Alasdair)

Medieval Catholicism nudged Europe towards democracy and development* (The Economist)

Irish parliament red-faced over printer too big to fit through doors (The Guardian, via Alice)

Fibonacci Day

Fibonacci Anonymous meetings this afternoon... (Moose Allain)

A poem (Brian Bilston)

Everything else

How Emojis Have Invaded the Courtroom (Slate)

The Big Data of Big Hair (The Pudding)

Same. (@kamal_hothi)

Day in the life of a data journalist. (David Ottewell, via Graham)

Warning: Reading the Wikipedia entry for the guy who invented the bar chart will give you multiple cases of serious whiplash (Tom Wilson, via Tim)

Hi, I'm Bill gates and today I will teach you how to count to ten (@OneDevloperArmy)

[kathslibrary]

for research purposes, does any British person wants to tell me how exactly does becoming "primer Minister" works? the voting system? how many years do they stay in office or is it until they die? what does the queen do exactly in this situation? I been researching for hours and i still haven't found any straight answer to this questions 😭

P.S.: yes, this is for a fanfic

[thesecrettimes]

Georgia to Replace Crypto Rules to Incorporate EU Guidelines, Legalize Trade

The government of Georgia has approved amendments to the legal framework for the Caucasian nation’s financial sector, including additional regulations for crypto and fintech activities. The move aims to align Georgian law with relevant EU provisions.

Parliament of Georgia to Vote on Crypto Legislation in Coming Months

A legislative package expanding the regulatory framework for companies dealing with crypto assets has been submitted to the parliament by the government in Tbilisi. Its adoption is planned for the fall session of the legislature, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili announced. Quoted by the Business Media news outlet, he elaborated: We expect that in the fall, Georgia will have updated legislation that will significantly develop the financial sector. According to Levan Davitashvili’s statement, the draft legislation prepared by the Georgian government has been tailored to achieve convergence with three important directives of the European Union — the Payment Services Directive (PSD 2), Capital Requirements Directive (CRD), and the Virtual Asset Service Providers Directive (VASPs). This transposition of the VASPs directive, which envisages granting legal status to entities involved in virtual assets trading and defining their obligations and rights, will be one of the most important steps towards the sustainable regulation of the Georgian crypto industry, the report notes. It is “particularly important for the formation of a legal environment for crypto services and crypto exchanges in Georgia,” Davitashvili emphasized.

Georgia Strives to Become a Crypto Hub

The Georgian economy minister considers the synchronization of the country’s financial legislation with the EU directives as a first move toward reaching the ultimate goal of turning Georgia into a crypto hub. That vision of that has been featured in the small nation’s development strategy for 2020-2025 period which was approved by the executive power two years ago. Business Media also remarks that the new legal framework will make it easier for major players in the global crypto industry to establish presence in Georgia. Among them is the world’s leading digital asset exchange, Binance, which is considering to open a regional office in the country but is still awaiting for the introduction of a licensing regime. The latest regulatory development comes after a meeting of Georgian Primer Minister Irakli Gharibashvili with other key participants in the crypto market, including representatives of the blockchain company Ripple and another large cryptocurrency exchange, FTX. Both companies signaled their interest in setting up offices in Georgia. Do you think Georgia has the potential to become a cryptocurrency hub? Tell us in the comments section below. Read the full article

[aldiafl]

El primer ministro iraquí sobrevive a un "intento de asesinato" tras un ataque con dron cargado de explosivos contra su casa en Bagdad

El primer ministro iraquí sobrevive a un “intento de asesinato” tras un ataque con dron cargado de explosivos contra su casa en Bagdad

Seis miembros de la fuerza de protección personal de Mustafa Al Kadhimi fueron heridos. El primer ministro de Irak, Mustafa al Kadhimi.Foto: Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Handout / Reuters Un dron cargado de explosivos atacó la residencia del primer ministro iraquí, Mustafa al Kadhimi, este domingo en Bagdad en lo que el Ejército iraquí describió como un “intento de…

[seehonduras]

seehonduras_history_onthisdate

06 SEPTEMBER 2000 MILLENNIUM SUMMITS WERE HELD

The Millennium Summit was a meeting of several world leaders that took place from 6 to 8 September 2000 at United Nations headquarters in New York City to discuss the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century. More than 150 heads of state, heads of government, princes, vice presidents, deputy prime ministers and other delegates attended, making this summit the most world leaders for the year 2000.

The Millennium Summit was chaired by the United States and jointly by The President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, and the President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma.

Finland and Namibia

The President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, and the President of Namibia, Sam Nujoma, co-chaired the Millennium Summit. This was due to the presidency of the General Assembly of Theo-Ben Gurirab in the fifty-fourth session and that of Harri Holkeri in the fifty-fifth session. The heads of state of Finland and Namibia were therefore chosen to chair the summit.

Delegation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea

Kim Yong Nam, head of state of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, canceled his visit to the Millennium Summit after an incident at an airport in Frankfurt, Germany. He and the other diplomats were inspected by American Airlines officials. The diplomats demanded diplomatic immunity, which can free them from any police officer while visiting other countries.

Delegation of Tuvalu

Tuvalu was admitted to the United Nations the day before the Millennium Summit began on 5 September 2000. This country was accepted as the 189th member of the United Nations, marking Tuvalu's most important achievement since independence in 1978.

PARENTS DELEGATE TITLE NOTES

Kofi Annan Secretary-General of the United Nations

AfghanistanBurhanuddin RabbaniPresident of Afghanistan

AlbaniaRexhep MeidaniPresident of Albania

AlemaniaGerhard SchroederChancellor of Germany

AndorraMarc Forné MolnéPrimer Minister of Andorra

AngolaJoão Bernardo de MirandaMinister for Foreign Affairs

Antigua and BarbudaLester BirdPrimer Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

Arabia SaudíAbdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-SaudCrown Prince de Arabia Saudi

AlgeriaAbdelaziz BouteflikaPresident of Algeria

ArgentinaFernando de la RúaPresident of Argentina

ArmeniaRobert KocharyanPresident of Armenia

AustraliaJohn HowardFirst Minister of Australia

AustriaThomas Klestil Federal President of Austria

AzerbaijanHeydar Alirza oglu AliyevPresident of Azerbaijan

BahamasOrville Turnquest first minister of the Bahamas

BangladeshSheikh HasinaPresident of Bangladesh

BarbadosBillie MillerVice

BahrainMuhammad ibn Mubarak ibn Hamad Al Khalifah Bahraini Foreign Minister

BelgiumGuy VerhofstadtPrimary Minister of Belgium

BelizeSaid MusaPrimer minister of Belize

BeninMathieu KérékouPresident of Benin

BelarusAlexander LukashenkoPresident of Belarus

BirmaniaWin AungMinister

BoliviaHugo BanzerPresident of Bolivia

Bosnia and HerzegovinaAlija IzetbegovićPresident of Bosnia and Herzegovina

BotswanaFestus G. MogaePresident of Botswana

BrasilMarco MacielVice President of Brazil

Brunei DarussalamHassanal BolkiahSultan of Brunei

BulgariaPetar StoyanovPresident of Bulgaria

Burkina FasoMichel Kafando Head of Delegation

BurundiSeverin NtahomvukiyeMinister

BhutanSangay Ngedup Prime Minister of Bhutan

Cape VerdeAntónio Mascarenhas Monteiro President of Cape Verde

CambodiaHun Sen Prime Minister of Cambodia

CameroonPaul BiyaPresident of Cameroon

CanadaJean ChrétienPrimer of Canada

QatarI bin KhalifaEmir of Qatar

ChadNagoum YamassoumGofess head

ChileRicardo Lagos EscobarPresident of Chile

ChinaJiang ZeminPresident of the People's Republic of China

CyprusGlafcos CleridesPresident of Cyprus

ColombiaAndrés Pastrana ArangoPresident of Colombia

ComorosAzali Assoumani Head of State

Côte d'Ivoire Minister

Costa RicaMiguel Ángel Rodríguez EcheverríaPresident of Costa Rica

CroatiaStjepan MesićPresident of Croatia

CubaFidel Castro RuzPresident of Cuba

DenmarkPoul Nyrup Rasmussen Head of Government

DjiboutiIsmaïl Omar GuellehPresident of Djibouti

DominicaRoosevelt Douglas Head of Government

EcuadorGustavo Noboa Bejarano Head of State

EgiptoAmr Moussa Minister

El SalvadorFrancisco Guillermo Flores Pérez Head of State

United Arab Emirates Shaikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al SharqiVice Vice-President of the United Arab Emirates

EritreaIsaias Afwerki Head of State

SlovakiaMikuláš Dzurinda Primer Of Slovakia

SloveniaMilan KučanPresident of Slovenia

EspañaJosé María Aznar President of the Government of Spain

United StatesBill ClintonPresident of the United StatesCountry host of summit

EstoniaMart Siimann Head of Government

EthiopiaMeles Zenawi Head of Government

FilipinasJoseph EstradaPresident of the Filipines

FinlandTarja Halonen Head of StateVice-President of the Summit

FranciaJacques ChiracPresident of the French Republic

GabonThe Hadj Omar Bongo Head of State

GambiaYahya A.J.J. Jammeh Head of State

GeorgiaEduard A. Shevardnadze Head of State

GhanaJerry John Rawlings Head of State

GrenadaKeith MitchellSo head of government

GreeceCostas Simitis Prime Minister

GuatemalaAlfonso Portillo Cabrera President of Guatemala

GuineaLamine Sidimé Head of Government

Guinea BissauKumba Yalá Head of State

Equatorial GuineaTeodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo Head of State

GuyanaBharrat Jagdeo Head of State

HaitiRené Préval Head of State

HondurasCarlos Roberto Flores Facussé Head of State

HungaryFerenc MádlFess of State

IndiaAtal Bihari VajpayeeFirst Minister of India

IndonesiaK. H. Abdurrahman WahidPresident of Indonesia

IranSeyed Mohammad KhatamiPresident of Iran

IraqTariq AzizVice

IrlandaBertie AhernTaoiseach

IcelandDavíð Oddsson Head of Government

Islas MarshallKessai NotePresidente de the Marshall Islands

Solomon IslandsJeremiah Manele Head of Delegation

IsraelEhud BarakPrime Minister of Israel

ItalyGiuliano Amato Prime Minister

JamaicaJames Patterson Head of Government

JapanYoshirō MoriPrime Minister

JordanAbdulá II of JordanFeed of State

KazajistánNursultan NazarbayevPresident of Kazakhstan

KenyaDaniel arap MoiPresident of Kenya

KirguistánMuratbek Imanaliyev Minister

KiribatiTeburoro TitoPresident of Kiribati

KuwaitJaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-SabahMinistro

LaosSomsavat LengsavadVice

LesothoPakalitha Mosisili Head of Government

LatviaVaira Vīķe-Freiberga Head of State

LebanonSélim Tadmoury Head of Delegation

LiberiaMonie Captan Minister

LibiaAbdel Rahman Shalgham Minister

LiechtensteinMario Frick Head of Government

LithuaniaValdas Adamkus Head of State

LuxembourgMme. Lydie PolferVice

MacedoniaBoris TrajkovskiSo Head of State

MadagascarDidier RatsirakaPresident of Madagascar

MalasiaFor Seri Syed Hamid Albar Minister

MalawiBakili MuluziPresident of Malawi

MaldivasMaumoon Abdul GayoomPresident of the Maldives

MaliAlpha Oumar Konaré President of Mali

MaltaEdward Fenech Adami Head of Government

MarruecosMoulay RachidCrown Prince of Morocco

MauricioAnund P. Neewoor Head of Delegation

MauritaniaMaaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed TayaPresident of Mauritania

MéxicoErnesto ZedilloPresidente de the United Mexican States

Micronesia, Estados Federados deLeo A. Falcam President of the Federated States of Micronesia

MónacoAlberto IICrown Prince of Monaco

MongoliaNatsagiin Bagabandi Head of State

MozambiqueJoaquim Alberto ChissanoPresident of Mozambique

NamibiaSam NujomaPresidente de NamibiaCo-Chair of the Summit

NauruBernard DowiyogoPresident of Nauru

NepalGirija Prasad Koirala Head of Government

NicaraguaArnoldo Alemán LacayoPresident of Nicaragua

NigerNassirou Sabo Minister

NigeriaOlusegun Obasanjo President of Nigeria

NoruegaHarald VRey of Norway

New ZealandHelen Clark Prime Minister

OmánSayyid Faisal Bin Ali Bin Faisal Al-SaidMinistro

NetherlandsWim KokPrimer Minister of the Netherlands

PakistanPervez MusharrafChief Executive of Pakistan

PalauHersey Kyota Head of Delegation

PalestinaYasser ArafatPresidente de the Palestinian National Authority

PanamaArturo VallarinoVicePresident of Panama

Papua New GuineaMekere Morauta Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

ParaguayJulio César FrancoVicepresident of Paraguay

PeruAlberto FujimoriPresident of Peru

PoloniaAleksander Kwaśniewski President of Poland

PortugalAntónio GuterresPrimer Minister of Portugal

Reino UnidoTony BlairPrimer minister of the United Kingdom

Syrian Arab RepublicFarouk Al-Shara'Minister

Central African RepublicMarcel MetefaraMinister

Czech RepublicVáclav HavelPresident of the Republic

República de CoreaKim Dae-jungPresidente of the Republic of Korea

Republic of MoldovaPetru LucinschiPresident of Moldova

Republic of the CongoDenis Sassou Nguesso President of the Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the CongoAbdoulaye Yerodia NdombasiMinistro

Democratic And People's Republic of KoreaKim Yong Nam Head of StateDid not attend - see below

Dominican RepublicHipólito Mejía DomínguezPose head of state

RwandaPaul KagamePresident of Rwanda

RomaniaEmil ConstantinescuPresident of Romania

RusiaVladimir PutinPresidente de the Russian Federation

SamoaTuiloma Neroni Slade Head of Delegation

Saint Kitts and NevisDenzil DouglasFeed of Government

San MarinoMaria Domenica Michelotti

Gian Marco MarcucciCaptains Regent of San Marino

Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesCharles Antrobus Head of State

Saint LuciaKenny Anthony Head of Government

Santa SedeAngelo SodanoHighest-ranking official

Sao Tome and PrincipeMiguel TrovoadaPresident of Sao Tome and Principe

SenegalAbdoulaye WadePresident of Senegal

SeychellesClasses Morel Head of Delegation

Sierra LeoneAhmad Tejan KabbahPresident of Sierra Leone

SingaporeGoh Chok Tong Prime Minister of Singapore

SomaliaAbdiqasim Salad HassanPresidente de Somalia

Sri LankaLakshman KadirgamarMinistro

SwazilandMswati IIIRey of Swaziland

SudáfricaJacob ZumaVicepresidente de South Africa

SudanOmar al-BashirPresident of Sudan

SwedenGöran Persson Prime Minister of Sweden

SuizaAdolf OgiHighest-ranking official

SurinamJules AjodhiaVicepresidente de Suriname

TailandiaSurin PitsuwanMinistro of Foreign Affairs of Tailandia

TanzaniaJakaya Mrisho KikweteMinistro

TajikistanEmomali RakhmonovPresident of Tajikistan

TogoGnassingbé EyadémaPresident of Togo

Tonga'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata Head of Government

Trinidad and Tobago Panday Police Head of Government

TúnezZine El Abidine Ben AliPresident of Tunisia

TurkmenistanBatyr BerdiýewMinistern foreign minister of Turkmenistan

TurquíaAhmet Necdet Sezerpresidente also Turkey

TuvaluIonatana Ionatana Prime Minister of Tuvalu

UcraniaLeonid KuchmaPresident of Ukraine

UgandaYoweri Kaguta MuseveniPresident of Uganda

UruguayJorge Batlle IbáñezPresident of Uruguay

UzbekistanIslam KarimovPresident of Uzbekistan

VanuatuBarak Sopé Prime Minister of Vanuatu

VenezuelaHugo ChávezPresident of Venezuela

Vietnam President of Vietnam

Yemeni Abdullah Saleh President of Yemen

ZambiaFrederick ChilubaPresident of Zambia

ZimbabweRobert MugabePresident of Zimbabwe