The National Assembly (NA) yesterday approved the appointment of Mr Thongsing Thammavong as the new Prime Minister of Laos, replacing Mr Bouasone Bouphavanh who resigned from his post due to family issues.
New NA President Ms Pany Yathortou congratulates Mr Thongsing Thammavong on his appointment as Prime Minister, while President Choummaly Sayasone ( centre ) looks on. –Photo Khamphan
Mr Bouasone was appointed Prime Minister of Laos at the Preliminary Session of the NA Sixth Legislature in June 2006. During his term the Lao economy grew steadily despite a number of challenges including natural disasters and the global economic crisis.
The country was able to maintain political stability and security. The socio-cultural sector developed to a higher level and the livelihoods of local people also improved. Foreign policy led to many achievements that contributed to enhancing the role and reputation of Laos in the international arena.
Mr Thongsing served as NA President before he was nominated as the sixth Prime Minister of Laos since national liberation in 1975 by the President of the Lao PDR Mr Choummaly Sayasone.
NA Vice President Ms Pany Yathortou was appointed as the new NA President to replace Mr Thongsing and is the first woman appointed to the position since 1975.
Mr Thongsing was Minister of Culture from 1983 to 1988 and Vientiane Mayor from 2002 to 2006. He pledged to ensure firm political stability and security in society and actively implement the renovation policy of the Party to explore the potential of all business units and encourage everyone to participate in socio-economic development and budget plans for 2010-11.
“I will improve the way the government works to ensure state activities are timely, transparent, united and harmonious and create favourable conditions for the business sector and for the Lao people to earn a living based on the law,” he said.
The NA also approved the appointment of Prof. Dr Bounyong Boupha as Vice Chair of the NA Foreign Relations Committee.
NA members debated the new appointments, with most in favour of the outcome, recognising their importance for political purposes and national development.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong: biography
Mr Thongsing Thammavong was appointed Prime Minister of Laos at the 10th Ordinary Session of the Sixth Legislature of the National Assembly on Thursday.
The sixth prime minister of the Lao PDR was born on April 12, 1944, in Xoneneua village, Viengthong district, Huaphan province.
He now lives in Sisangvone village, Xaysettha district, Vientiane. Lao Loum in ethnicity, he was educated to secondary school level and holds a diploma in political ideology.
Mr Thongsing joined the revolutionary movement on August 18, 1959, before becoming a member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on July 12, 1967.
From 1952 to 1958 he was a student in Xamneua district, Huaphan province. He then became a military medical student and served on the battlefield in the Laos-Vietnam border area from 1959 to 1960.
He attended cultural training from 1960 to 1963 before becoming Deputy Director of Xamneua Secondary School. He was Director of the lower secondary school and director of the Education Department in Xiengkhor district, Huaphan province.
From 1971 to 1976, he was Director of the upper secondary school and teacher training school in Sopbao, Viengxay district.
From 1976 to 1979 he held several positions. He was initially Deputy Director of the Personnel and Organisation Department of the Ministry of Education, then became Deputy Director of the Vocational Education Department and Acting Director of the Personnel and Organisation Department.
Mr Thongsing studied politics and administration from 1980 to 1981 before becoming a standby Party Central Committee member as well as President of the Newspaper and Radio Committee and Deputy Head of the Party Propaganda and Training Board from 1982 to 1983.
From 1983 and 1988, he served as Minister of Culture. From 1989 to 1991, he was Party Secretary and Vice President of the People's Supreme Assembly and was promoted to Acting President of the Assembly from 1991 to 1992.
At the Fifth Party Congress in 1991, he was elected Party Politburo Member and Head of the Party Central Committee Office.
At the Sixth Party Congress, he was elected Party Politburo Member, Head of the Party Central Committee Office and Standing Party Politburo Member.
In 2002, Mr Thongsing was elected as a Party Politburo Member and the Mayor of Vientiane, and in 2006 he was elected President of the National Assembly.
The sixth prime minister of the Lao PDR was born on April 12, 1944, in Xoneneua village, Viengthong district, Huaphan province.
He now lives in Sisangvone village, Xaysettha district, Vientiane. Lao Loum in ethnicity, he was educated to secondary school level and holds a diploma in political ideology.
Mr Thongsing joined the revolutionary movement on August 18, 1959, before becoming a member of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party on July 12, 1967.
From 1952 to 1958 he was a student in Xamneua district, Huaphan province. He then became a military medical student and served on the battlefield in the Laos-Vietnam border area from 1959 to 1960.
He attended cultural training from 1960 to 1963 before becoming Deputy Director of Xamneua Secondary School. He was Director of the lower secondary school and director of the Education Department in Xiengkhor district, Huaphan province.
From 1971 to 1976, he was Director of the upper secondary school and teacher training school in Sopbao, Viengxay district.
From 1976 to 1979 he held several positions. He was initially Deputy Director of the Personnel and Organisation Department of the Ministry of Education, then became Deputy Director of the Vocational Education Department and Acting Director of the Personnel and Organisation Department.
Mr Thongsing studied politics and administration from 1980 to 1981 before becoming a standby Party Central Committee member as well as President of the Newspaper and Radio Committee and Deputy Head of the Party Propaganda and Training Board from 1982 to 1983.
From 1983 and 1988, he served as Minister of Culture. From 1989 to 1991, he was Party Secretary and Vice President of the People's Supreme Assembly and was promoted to Acting President of the Assembly from 1991 to 1992.
At the Fifth Party Congress in 1991, he was elected Party Politburo Member and Head of the Party Central Committee Office.
At the Sixth Party Congress, he was elected Party Politburo Member, Head of the Party Central Committee Office and Standing Party Politburo Member.
In 2002, Mr Thongsing was elected as a Party Politburo Member and the Mayor of Vientiane, and in 2006 he was elected President of the National Assembly.
WikiLeaks reveals NATO attack plan against Russia
One of the telegrams are signed by the head of the State Department, Hillary Clinton. "The plan is secret," emphasized Clinton, to the astute U.S. diplomats at NATO.Luis Britto GarciaCaracasThe British newspaper The Guardian printed a telegram reproduced by the WikiLeaks site, this time a NATO plan for a massive attack on Russia. The plan for large-scale war against the Russians predicts the displacement of nine military divisions from the U.S., Britain, Germany and Poland.
According to the Guardian, the attack is predicted to include the ports of Germany and Poland to be used to receive the naval assault from the U.S. and Britain.
Members of the Russian government protested against the plan - as it is the same thing that has been revealed through the publication of telegrams between embassies and the U.S. government by WikiLeaks.
"We have to receive guarantees that such plans are going to be canceled and that NATO does not consider Russia an enemy country," affirmed the Russian envoy to NATO at the last meeting held in Lisbon.
One of the telegrams is signed by the very head of the State Department, Hillary Clinton, dated January 26, to the American diplomats at NATO. She emphasizes that the plan has to be kept in strict secrecy. "The United States believes strongly that this plan should not be discussed in public. They are classified as "the top secret level of NATO," the telegram says.
"Public discussion of contingency plans would undermine their military value," she adds, "allowing them to expose NATO's plans. This weakens all of our allies."She also directs American diplomats to lie to the press, in case of leaks. She suggested evasive answers such as: "NATO does not discuss specific plans." Agents are instructed to say that "the plans of NATO, are not directed at any country."The Russian representative, Dmitry Rogozin, specifically questioned this last passage of Hillary's telegram. "Who else would this military plan be directed toward? Against Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, against polar bears or against the Russian bear?" He was ironic. A member of the Foreign Ministry, who requested anonymity from the Guardian, was more direct saying, "this and other documents stunned and provoked many other questions."
Furthermore, the Guardian highlights his amazement that the Yankee diplomats' telegrams treat the subject with total levity because "there is not one mention or concern about the potentially catastrophic implications of such an armed clash between the two largest nuclear powers in the world."The pretext for the attack plan is to defend the new Baltic members of NATO, which happen to surround Russia, namely Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The telegrams suggest "to expand the plan that already exists for the defense of Poland." It just so happens that the Russians did not develop any consolidation of specifically targeted missiles against ground and air from Poland or other countries, but built their own protection, contrary to what the U.S. did with the "missile shield" planned by the Bush administration.
In a telegram dated October 2009, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, says that both Hillary Clinton and President Obama expressed support for the development of the military plan against Russia.Daalder suggests to not to make it clear that Russia is a potential target, by the adoption of a "generic plan" for moving troops to the Baltic countries while not mentioning against whom these troops would be directed - in case of leak - not to cause or provoke constraints with Moscow. Well as felt and suspected by Russian Representative Rogozin: "If we are going to hunt rabbit, why do you have weapons to kill bear?"
According to the Guardian, the attack is predicted to include the ports of Germany and Poland to be used to receive the naval assault from the U.S. and Britain.
Members of the Russian government protested against the plan - as it is the same thing that has been revealed through the publication of telegrams between embassies and the U.S. government by WikiLeaks.
"We have to receive guarantees that such plans are going to be canceled and that NATO does not consider Russia an enemy country," affirmed the Russian envoy to NATO at the last meeting held in Lisbon.
One of the telegrams is signed by the very head of the State Department, Hillary Clinton, dated January 26, to the American diplomats at NATO. She emphasizes that the plan has to be kept in strict secrecy. "The United States believes strongly that this plan should not be discussed in public. They are classified as "the top secret level of NATO," the telegram says.
"Public discussion of contingency plans would undermine their military value," she adds, "allowing them to expose NATO's plans. This weakens all of our allies."She also directs American diplomats to lie to the press, in case of leaks. She suggested evasive answers such as: "NATO does not discuss specific plans." Agents are instructed to say that "the plans of NATO, are not directed at any country."The Russian representative, Dmitry Rogozin, specifically questioned this last passage of Hillary's telegram. "Who else would this military plan be directed toward? Against Sweden, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, against polar bears or against the Russian bear?" He was ironic. A member of the Foreign Ministry, who requested anonymity from the Guardian, was more direct saying, "this and other documents stunned and provoked many other questions."
Furthermore, the Guardian highlights his amazement that the Yankee diplomats' telegrams treat the subject with total levity because "there is not one mention or concern about the potentially catastrophic implications of such an armed clash between the two largest nuclear powers in the world."The pretext for the attack plan is to defend the new Baltic members of NATO, which happen to surround Russia, namely Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The telegrams suggest "to expand the plan that already exists for the defense of Poland." It just so happens that the Russians did not develop any consolidation of specifically targeted missiles against ground and air from Poland or other countries, but built their own protection, contrary to what the U.S. did with the "missile shield" planned by the Bush administration.
In a telegram dated October 2009, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, says that both Hillary Clinton and President Obama expressed support for the development of the military plan against Russia.Daalder suggests to not to make it clear that Russia is a potential target, by the adoption of a "generic plan" for moving troops to the Baltic countries while not mentioning against whom these troops would be directed - in case of leak - not to cause or provoke constraints with Moscow. Well as felt and suspected by Russian Representative Rogozin: "If we are going to hunt rabbit, why do you have weapons to kill bear?"
Children replace their own parents with computers
Educational computer games for children develop important skills - diligence, ingenuity and attention. Yet, psychologists warn: overindulgence can lead to an eventual decline of the ability to fantasize and difficulties with analyzing and synthesizing information.
Children are bored. Parents are too busy. Our life is too complicated and confusing for children, as a result they confide in their "iron friend," the computer. It is almost impossible to eliminate it from the modern life.
And it is not necessary. Yet, if adults make their choice consciously, children have become a "digital generation" beyond our control. Children like playing with the computer because computers never get tired or offended. Therein lies the greatest danger to the psyche: children soon begin to associate the computer with a friend. Here is the expert advice of the Research Institutes of Hygiene and Health of Children and Adolescents NTSZD RAMS:
Psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists around the world explore the problem of computer addiction particularly closely as the main risk group is teenagers.
It is in the virtual world where teenagers acquire their own space. That virtual world can ignore the real-world problems with learning difficulties, lack of understanding from parents, and poor physical shape. Teens get their own space that no one else can access. There are no responsibilities, but the anonymity allows combining imaginary and real qualities in a virtual image. They can make their own decisions without fearing the consequences, because any mistake is easily corrected.
Under the influence of such "opportunities" the reality is distorted. As a consequence, teenagers develop dangerous qualities: emotional coldness, isolation, psychological infantilism (inability and unwillingness to take responsibility and control their actions).
Obsessive-compulsive dependence
Several main types:
Compulsive Web surfing: an endless trip to the World Wide Web searching for information. Addiction to the virtual communication and virtual dating: large volumes of correspondence, continued participation in chat rooms, web forums, excessive number of friends and acquaintances in the network. Compulsive gambling: an obsessive fascination with computer games on the network. Online gaming, unnecessary purchases from online stores, and constant participation in online auctions.
How to recognize when your child has become an Internet addict
American scientists 14 years ago released a list of signs that make it possible to distinguish a "user" from an "addict:"
Frequent insuperable need to go online.
Unsuccessful attempts to control duration, limit or stop online sessions.
Constant need to increase sessions' time.
Hiding Internet habits from others
Nervousness, anxiety and depression occurring in the absence of Internet access.
Decreased performance, withdrawal from obligations.
Risk of losing valuable personal relationships (family, friends, work).
Using the Internet to escape from problems and bad mood.
How not to let children become addicted to the Internet
Most importantly - do not blame the child, because it will only exacerbate the conflict. Immediately set a limit to the activities on the computer and try to stick with it. Do not offer your child to "play" on your computer, offer new knowledge and skills (e.g.," let's learn to count). This way your child will treat the computer as a tool for gaining certain knowledge.
The rules should be flexible and there should not be too much of them. Parental requirements must not conflict with the vital needs of the child (motion, knowledge, communicating, and games). The rules should be agreed between all adult family members. The tone of the ban should be explanatory and friendly, and not forced. First of all parents will have to use the computer less themselves and spend more time with their children.
For many parents the need to communicate with their own children has long been a burden. Praise them for any, albeit insignificant "achievements." Help your teenager to gain confidence in the real rather than virtual world.
Children are bored. Parents are too busy. Our life is too complicated and confusing for children, as a result they confide in their "iron friend," the computer. It is almost impossible to eliminate it from the modern life.
And it is not necessary. Yet, if adults make their choice consciously, children have become a "digital generation" beyond our control. Children like playing with the computer because computers never get tired or offended. Therein lies the greatest danger to the psyche: children soon begin to associate the computer with a friend. Here is the expert advice of the Research Institutes of Hygiene and Health of Children and Adolescents NTSZD RAMS:
Psychologists, psychiatrists and sociologists around the world explore the problem of computer addiction particularly closely as the main risk group is teenagers.
It is in the virtual world where teenagers acquire their own space. That virtual world can ignore the real-world problems with learning difficulties, lack of understanding from parents, and poor physical shape. Teens get their own space that no one else can access. There are no responsibilities, but the anonymity allows combining imaginary and real qualities in a virtual image. They can make their own decisions without fearing the consequences, because any mistake is easily corrected.
Under the influence of such "opportunities" the reality is distorted. As a consequence, teenagers develop dangerous qualities: emotional coldness, isolation, psychological infantilism (inability and unwillingness to take responsibility and control their actions).
Obsessive-compulsive dependence
Several main types:
Compulsive Web surfing: an endless trip to the World Wide Web searching for information. Addiction to the virtual communication and virtual dating: large volumes of correspondence, continued participation in chat rooms, web forums, excessive number of friends and acquaintances in the network. Compulsive gambling: an obsessive fascination with computer games on the network. Online gaming, unnecessary purchases from online stores, and constant participation in online auctions.
How to recognize when your child has become an Internet addict
American scientists 14 years ago released a list of signs that make it possible to distinguish a "user" from an "addict:"
Frequent insuperable need to go online.
Unsuccessful attempts to control duration, limit or stop online sessions.
Constant need to increase sessions' time.
Hiding Internet habits from others
Nervousness, anxiety and depression occurring in the absence of Internet access.
Decreased performance, withdrawal from obligations.
Risk of losing valuable personal relationships (family, friends, work).
Using the Internet to escape from problems and bad mood.
How not to let children become addicted to the Internet
Most importantly - do not blame the child, because it will only exacerbate the conflict. Immediately set a limit to the activities on the computer and try to stick with it. Do not offer your child to "play" on your computer, offer new knowledge and skills (e.g.," let's learn to count). This way your child will treat the computer as a tool for gaining certain knowledge.
The rules should be flexible and there should not be too much of them. Parental requirements must not conflict with the vital needs of the child (motion, knowledge, communicating, and games). The rules should be agreed between all adult family members. The tone of the ban should be explanatory and friendly, and not forced. First of all parents will have to use the computer less themselves and spend more time with their children.
For many parents the need to communicate with their own children has long been a burden. Praise them for any, albeit insignificant "achievements." Help your teenager to gain confidence in the real rather than virtual world.
Life without Islam means road to hell?
German Islamists predicted hellish torment for the German Chancellor if she does not accept Islam. Is Angela Merkel threatened only by Muslim hell or is she a candidate to hell from a Christian perspective as well? And what is hell? Hieromonk Nikanor (Lepeshev), a teacher of the Khabarovsk Theological Seminary, talked about it with Pravda.ru.
If you die without accepting Islam, you will go to hell forever and will be there to suffer torments worse than you can imagine, says a video message of a radical Muslim association, The Invitation to Paradise to Angela Merkel and the heads of security agencies in Germany, quoted by Blagovest-info with a reference to Spiegel magazine.
The members of the Islamist group believe that Islam is not just the only way to ensure that the soul gets a prosperous fate after death, but the only proper form of government. Employees of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (the German intelligence services engaged in surveillance of extremist groups in Germany) consider that the leader of The Invitation to Paradise Pierre Vogel promotes the idea of jihad through his radical sermons. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere does not rule out that in the future the activities of the association The Invitation to Paradise may be outlawed.
As we know, Angela Merkel is a Lutheran. Her father was a very influential Lutheran theologian who first served as a pastor at the parish church, then led the college for pastors. What kind of afterlife awaits posthumous Angela Merkel and other Lutherans from the standpoint of orthodox theologians?
"True union with Christ is possible only in His true Church, which is the Orthodox Church. It was founded by the Savior through His apostles two thousand years ago. Only in this church we can gain freedom from the sin, Satan and hell. Being outside the Orthodox Church - in other faith, other religion, in a state of religious indifference or atheism - is not salvation, it is destructive for the soul," hieromonk Nikanor (Lepeshev) told Pravda.ru.
At the same time, according to the teacher of the seminary, "God is love, and it is impossible to imagine that He had made a large part of humanity simply as the firewood for the hell fire. This gives us hope that He will find a way to save those who for valid reasons, due to objective circumstances, could not become children of the Orthodox Church, but were searching for God and tried to be faithful."
"This is evidenced, for example, by the words of St. Nectarios of Optina. Remember the incident of the Life of St. Gregory of Rome, who begged the soul of pagan emperor Trajan, the persecutor of Christians, from hell. A very important point: if the salvation of these people happens, it happens through no other means than the Orthodox Church, but solely through its prayers. That is entirely thanks to it, not as something to bypass it. Thus, the words of martyr Cyprian of Carthage "without the Church there is no salvation" fully retain their power." said Father Nikanor.
What is Hell and what are the tortures for unrepentant sinners? According to the hieromonk, "hell is a state of separation of the soul from God. Actually, if we, for whatever reason, are alienated from the Lord, then the hell in our mind begins here and now, on Earth. And after the death its natural continuation follows."
"What does separate us from God? It is sin. And this sin is personal - one or another violation of the evangelical precepts, which are to love God and people. And the original sin is the hereditary spiritual disease, the damage to our common human nature that we all passed down from generation to generation, from Adam and Eve after they moved away from God," stressed Father Nikanor.
According to him, "deliverance from both original and personal sin is found in Christ. By his incarnation, earthly life, atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, the Son of God defeated the sin, Satan, hell and death. He freed us from their power. And we partake in His victory in the sacraments of the Church: in Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Confession ... But the connection with God and salvation from hell is not automatic, not magical. It demands our personal involvement, our constant effort. That is, a deed of conscious Christian life. The mechanical participation in the sacraments without internal regeneration does not save us from hell."
Does the Orthodox Church teach that sinners in hell are awaited by boiling pots, frying pans and other quite tangible instruments of torture? "According to Ven. Isaac, unrepentant sinners are punished in hell by a "whip of love."That is, the torments of conscience, late remorse that they sinned against God's love, rejected it, closed it for their hearts," said the priest.
"The holy fathers also expressed the idea that the source of hellish sufferings is our sinful passions and lusts. If the human soul during life on earth is not cleared from them, after death they will burn and tear it from the inside. In describing some visions, as well as, for example, the icons of the Last Judgment, we can see glowing images of frying pans, boiling-water pots, tearing of the body with hooks, etc. But these are only the symbols of unbearable anguish of conscience and those lingering sinful passions that will burn and tear the souls of unrepentant sinners," he concluded.
If you die without accepting Islam, you will go to hell forever and will be there to suffer torments worse than you can imagine, says a video message of a radical Muslim association, The Invitation to Paradise to Angela Merkel and the heads of security agencies in Germany, quoted by Blagovest-info with a reference to Spiegel magazine.
The members of the Islamist group believe that Islam is not just the only way to ensure that the soul gets a prosperous fate after death, but the only proper form of government. Employees of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (the German intelligence services engaged in surveillance of extremist groups in Germany) consider that the leader of The Invitation to Paradise Pierre Vogel promotes the idea of jihad through his radical sermons. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere does not rule out that in the future the activities of the association The Invitation to Paradise may be outlawed.
As we know, Angela Merkel is a Lutheran. Her father was a very influential Lutheran theologian who first served as a pastor at the parish church, then led the college for pastors. What kind of afterlife awaits posthumous Angela Merkel and other Lutherans from the standpoint of orthodox theologians?
"True union with Christ is possible only in His true Church, which is the Orthodox Church. It was founded by the Savior through His apostles two thousand years ago. Only in this church we can gain freedom from the sin, Satan and hell. Being outside the Orthodox Church - in other faith, other religion, in a state of religious indifference or atheism - is not salvation, it is destructive for the soul," hieromonk Nikanor (Lepeshev) told Pravda.ru.
At the same time, according to the teacher of the seminary, "God is love, and it is impossible to imagine that He had made a large part of humanity simply as the firewood for the hell fire. This gives us hope that He will find a way to save those who for valid reasons, due to objective circumstances, could not become children of the Orthodox Church, but were searching for God and tried to be faithful."
"This is evidenced, for example, by the words of St. Nectarios of Optina. Remember the incident of the Life of St. Gregory of Rome, who begged the soul of pagan emperor Trajan, the persecutor of Christians, from hell. A very important point: if the salvation of these people happens, it happens through no other means than the Orthodox Church, but solely through its prayers. That is entirely thanks to it, not as something to bypass it. Thus, the words of martyr Cyprian of Carthage "without the Church there is no salvation" fully retain their power." said Father Nikanor.
What is Hell and what are the tortures for unrepentant sinners? According to the hieromonk, "hell is a state of separation of the soul from God. Actually, if we, for whatever reason, are alienated from the Lord, then the hell in our mind begins here and now, on Earth. And after the death its natural continuation follows."
"What does separate us from God? It is sin. And this sin is personal - one or another violation of the evangelical precepts, which are to love God and people. And the original sin is the hereditary spiritual disease, the damage to our common human nature that we all passed down from generation to generation, from Adam and Eve after they moved away from God," stressed Father Nikanor.
According to him, "deliverance from both original and personal sin is found in Christ. By his incarnation, earthly life, atoning death on the cross and resurrection from the dead, the Son of God defeated the sin, Satan, hell and death. He freed us from their power. And we partake in His victory in the sacraments of the Church: in Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Confession ... But the connection with God and salvation from hell is not automatic, not magical. It demands our personal involvement, our constant effort. That is, a deed of conscious Christian life. The mechanical participation in the sacraments without internal regeneration does not save us from hell."
Does the Orthodox Church teach that sinners in hell are awaited by boiling pots, frying pans and other quite tangible instruments of torture? "According to Ven. Isaac, unrepentant sinners are punished in hell by a "whip of love."That is, the torments of conscience, late remorse that they sinned against God's love, rejected it, closed it for their hearts," said the priest.
"The holy fathers also expressed the idea that the source of hellish sufferings is our sinful passions and lusts. If the human soul during life on earth is not cleared from them, after death they will burn and tear it from the inside. In describing some visions, as well as, for example, the icons of the Last Judgment, we can see glowing images of frying pans, boiling-water pots, tearing of the body with hooks, etc. But these are only the symbols of unbearable anguish of conscience and those lingering sinful passions that will burn and tear the souls of unrepentant sinners," he concluded.
U.S. becoming less "free"
In the U.S., there are several laws that criminalize what they call "espionage" that are committed by what they call "insurgents." However, when U.S. intelligence agencies organize and finance the same in other countries, they are called "dissidents.
" Or is it "freedom fighters?"Within these laws could be cited the Espionage Act, in force since 1917, according to the wishes of President Woodrow Wilson that restricted opportunities guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States that any citizen may speak out against the country's entry in the First World War, a war that the president saw as vital to the interests of the nation.
Today we would say that it was for national security.Many citizens, including union leaders, educators, journalists, artists and academics protested against U.S. entry into that war. All of them were threatened and some were brought before courts for violating the Espionage Act, even though their only crime was exercising their rights from the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Some of those arrested were given penalties of up to ten years in prison, where they were subjected to inhumane conditions and frequent beatings by other inmates and sometimes by their jailers.
All this was done together with the necessary publicity for others to feel the terror and decide that they do not need not to be involved in these situations.During the era of George W. Bush, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and certain functions assigned to it, they tried to revive the Espionage Act, but had limited success in these aims.
Now under the Obama administration, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, again attempts are being made to rely on the outdated and unconstitutional legislation to try to apply to
function the case of Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) and also to terrorize those who in future may seek to imitate him.
In this case, the Obama administration is trying to ignore that the United States Constitution provides for freedom of the press, that very same freedom they have accused other countries of violating.
To make this dark maneuver, the State Department has proclaimed that they do not recognize Julian Assange as a journalist, but as a "political actor." (Which is dangerous for their own employees who act as "bloggers" or are themselves "independent journalists," they also could be considered "political actors").
Calling Assange a "political actor" was the bright idea of the Assistant Secretary of State, P.J. Crowley, by stating that the person had a "political purpose" behind his activities, which the U.S. government was considering incompatible with the activity of a journalist. (An interesting definition that leaves entirely without argument the bloggers and "independent journalists" that have been created by the U.S. and regularly receive instructions and the necessary funding to conduct their work for "political" purposes, not journalism).
The U.S. Constitution sets no term limit neither to "press freedom," or conditions to exercise the same in the capacity of journalist, and it has also not established who could qualify as such. The term "political actor" is a fabrication of the Obama administration to try to limit the rights of its citizens to exercise the established provisions in the amendments to the Constitution.
To the extent that the existing police state advances in the United States, freedoms will disappear.
" Or is it "freedom fighters?"Within these laws could be cited the Espionage Act, in force since 1917, according to the wishes of President Woodrow Wilson that restricted opportunities guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States that any citizen may speak out against the country's entry in the First World War, a war that the president saw as vital to the interests of the nation.
Today we would say that it was for national security.Many citizens, including union leaders, educators, journalists, artists and academics protested against U.S. entry into that war. All of them were threatened and some were brought before courts for violating the Espionage Act, even though their only crime was exercising their rights from the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Some of those arrested were given penalties of up to ten years in prison, where they were subjected to inhumane conditions and frequent beatings by other inmates and sometimes by their jailers.
All this was done together with the necessary publicity for others to feel the terror and decide that they do not need not to be involved in these situations.During the era of George W. Bush, with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and certain functions assigned to it, they tried to revive the Espionage Act, but had limited success in these aims.
Now under the Obama administration, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, again attempts are being made to rely on the outdated and unconstitutional legislation to try to apply to
function the case of Julian Assange (WikiLeaks) and also to terrorize those who in future may seek to imitate him.
In this case, the Obama administration is trying to ignore that the United States Constitution provides for freedom of the press, that very same freedom they have accused other countries of violating.
To make this dark maneuver, the State Department has proclaimed that they do not recognize Julian Assange as a journalist, but as a "political actor." (Which is dangerous for their own employees who act as "bloggers" or are themselves "independent journalists," they also could be considered "political actors").
Calling Assange a "political actor" was the bright idea of the Assistant Secretary of State, P.J. Crowley, by stating that the person had a "political purpose" behind his activities, which the U.S. government was considering incompatible with the activity of a journalist. (An interesting definition that leaves entirely without argument the bloggers and "independent journalists" that have been created by the U.S. and regularly receive instructions and the necessary funding to conduct their work for "political" purposes, not journalism).
The U.S. Constitution sets no term limit neither to "press freedom," or conditions to exercise the same in the capacity of journalist, and it has also not established who could qualify as such. The term "political actor" is a fabrication of the Obama administration to try to limit the rights of its citizens to exercise the established provisions in the amendments to the Constitution.
To the extent that the existing police state advances in the United States, freedoms will disappear.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
WikiLeaks or WikiLies?
Online whistle blower WikiLeaks unveiled a new batch of compromising materials. This time correspondence of American diplomats was leaked, which clearly shows that the U.S. did not stop its subversive activities against other countries. The published papers can also adversely affect the relationship between certain countries. The main question is who benefits from it.
On November 28 online whistle blower WikiLeaks unveiled another portion of compromising materials. While earlier the website published documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this time they made public secret correspondence of American diplomats. Most materials relate to the period of 2004 - 2010.
Most of them are recordings of conversations of American diplomats with foreign politicians, officials and individuals in different countries, as well as reports about the events in different countries and analysis of the situation. According to Der Spiegel, these documents are interesting precisely because diplomats and politicians did not expect them to be published and openly expressed their opinions. The psychological characteristics of foreign leaders devised by American diplomats are particularly of interest.
Russia Today: WikiLeaks expose the trust deficciency of US diplomacy
For example, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is compared to Hitler in U.S. diplomatic files, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel is called "risk averse and rarely creative." French President Nicolas Sarkozy was nicknamed "the emperor with no clothes."
Diplomats talked of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as "physically and politically weak" and "feckless." He is particularly disliked by the American diplomats for his friendship with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
In turn, the latter is called by American diplomats the "alpha male," "Batman" and "brutal politician." Dmitry Medvedev, in contrast, is called "pale and hesitant'' ''who plays Robin to his strongman Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ''Batman.''
However, the greatest harm to the United States could be caused by making public methods of work of the American diplomats. Judging by the documents available in open access on WikiLeaks, Washington spied on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the representatives of this international organization in Russia, China and other countries. Allegedly, the secretary of state Hillary Clinton gave an executive order to do so in July 2009.
The degree of the U.S. influence on the foreign policies of other countries is obvious because before the controversial speech by Iranian President Ahmadinejad at the UN General Assembly, the State Department sent a directive to the members of the European countries to leave the hall, which was done nearly by everyone.
A great part of the compromising materials refers to the U.S. actions in the former Soviet Union. For example, following the instructions from Washington, Tajik President Rakhmonov dismissed the head of narcotics control Mirzoyev, who allegedly posed a threat to the President.
American diplomats in Ukraine do not look well either. According to the available documents, they were poking their noses into all internal affairs of this country. This emphasizes the fact that Americans do not intend to abandon attempts to influence certain countries around the world.
Take, for example, the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft, who, speaking of the beginning of the August war confuses Ossetian villages subjected to shelling with the Georgian ones. On the other hand, based on the analysis of other documents, it becomes clear that the "confusion" was deliberate.
For example, back on August 7, he reported to Washington that the Georgian troops moved to the borders of South Ossetia, and after the failure of the Georgian adventure, he wrote to the State Department about the need to insist on "absolute innocence of Georgia." In fact, the same information is contained in the reports of the U.S. ambassadors in other countries.
The qualifications of a number of American diplomats raise serious questions. For example, the U.S. ambassador to Russia puts too much trust into one group of sources and is not inclined to analyze the information in conjunction with other documents. In particular, we are talking about the reasoning of the deputies from the Communist Party about the future of the "ruling tandem."Some of the documents look more like jokes. Among the published materials WikiLeaks has a message from a "source" according to which the head of Russia presidential administration Vladislav Surkov is a fan of rap music who is asking someone to bring him rap albums from New York.
Yet, there are documents that deserve serious attention. For example, the reports from U.S. embassies on their participation in promotions of the Russian opposition and gathering information about the stability of the ruling regime.
Judging by the reaction of Washington, this leak is extremely unpleasant. Indeed, thanks to the scandalous publications the entire world had the opportunity to assess the methods of the American diplomacy and the extent of its influence on the planet.
The official White House described the actions of the portal as "irresponsible and dangerous" because they damage the national interests of America. "These revelations could harm the United States and our interests," said State Department spokesman F. J. Crowley. "They will create friction between our diplomats and our friends around the world."
According to a White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, the leak threatens the activities of the American diplomats and cooperating foreign counterparts. This way, they virtually recognized the genuineness of the documents.
They were echoed by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who believes that this event is the "September 11 for the world of diplomacy." According to him, after such publication the trust between Washington and Rome "will be undermined." However, everyone who is one way or another affected by these publications have to swallow it all. After all, the U.S. is obviously not the country to be fighting with.
There is nothing disturbing for the American-Italian relations in the fact that Berlusconi was called the names he deserves to be called.
The question arises as to how these documents fell into the hands of journalists. It is believed that the source of current leakage is a fellow of the American U.S. military intelligence Bradley Manning. The question is how such a volume of documents was left unprotected, and why no heads are rolling in the States.
One of the reasons is that essentially there is nothing new in these documents. Nobody has illusions as to how the U.S. acts and what methods it uses. We all know what role, for example, American diplomats have played in nearly every revolution in Latin America. We know how the money and weapons got into the hands of the groups they support. We know that Americans carefully pushed the French out from their colonies and how they continue to destroy the remnants of the French influence in Africa and Oceania.
However, the helplessness of the most powerful nation in the world to the threat posed by a website is still surprising. Before publishing another portion of compromising material, Assange said that now hidden diplomacy will become impossible. Criminal plans and conspiracies will be leaked. He added that the world has entered a new phase - a strip of honesty and openness.
It is worth mentioning that back in the summer of this year unprecedented pressure was put on the founder of the whistle blower site Julian Assange.
It involved initiating criminal proceedings against him on charges of harassment. However, despite this, the leak continues. According to the Wikileaks, another 250 thousand documents will be soon available in the open access.
The content of some materials already made public makes one carefully consider the true purpose of the publication. Take, for example, reports of American diplomats regarding the statements of the Azerbaijani leadership about Russia. According to these "documents," the Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev is afraid of the imperial ambitions of the latter and is critical of the Russian system of government. In particular, the U.S. report has mentioned that the President of Azerbaijan allegedly said that "you cannot cook two heads in one pot," alluding to the ruling "tandem."
In addition, some "documents" cannot withstand criticism. For example, the statements of US diplomats that during the negotiations Sarkozy-Medvedev in August of 2008, the French president allegedly grabbed the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and called him a liar are no more than a tale. The grounds for such conclusions were allegedly the statements of the French negotiators.
Note, however, that at a difficult time for Russia, Nicolas Sarkozy, in contrast to the American political elite, has shown himself at his best, playing a significant role in minimizing the consequences of the August war.
Therefore we cannot rule out the fact that this is a deliberate leak made by the United States, whose goal is to cause fights among different countries, including Russia.
On November 28 online whistle blower WikiLeaks unveiled another portion of compromising materials. While earlier the website published documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this time they made public secret correspondence of American diplomats. Most materials relate to the period of 2004 - 2010.
Most of them are recordings of conversations of American diplomats with foreign politicians, officials and individuals in different countries, as well as reports about the events in different countries and analysis of the situation. According to Der Spiegel, these documents are interesting precisely because diplomats and politicians did not expect them to be published and openly expressed their opinions. The psychological characteristics of foreign leaders devised by American diplomats are particularly of interest.
Russia Today: WikiLeaks expose the trust deficciency of US diplomacy
For example, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is compared to Hitler in U.S. diplomatic files, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel is called "risk averse and rarely creative." French President Nicolas Sarkozy was nicknamed "the emperor with no clothes."
Diplomats talked of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as "physically and politically weak" and "feckless." He is particularly disliked by the American diplomats for his friendship with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
In turn, the latter is called by American diplomats the "alpha male," "Batman" and "brutal politician." Dmitry Medvedev, in contrast, is called "pale and hesitant'' ''who plays Robin to his strongman Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's ''Batman.''
However, the greatest harm to the United States could be caused by making public methods of work of the American diplomats. Judging by the documents available in open access on WikiLeaks, Washington spied on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as well as the representatives of this international organization in Russia, China and other countries. Allegedly, the secretary of state Hillary Clinton gave an executive order to do so in July 2009.
The degree of the U.S. influence on the foreign policies of other countries is obvious because before the controversial speech by Iranian President Ahmadinejad at the UN General Assembly, the State Department sent a directive to the members of the European countries to leave the hall, which was done nearly by everyone.
A great part of the compromising materials refers to the U.S. actions in the former Soviet Union. For example, following the instructions from Washington, Tajik President Rakhmonov dismissed the head of narcotics control Mirzoyev, who allegedly posed a threat to the President.
American diplomats in Ukraine do not look well either. According to the available documents, they were poking their noses into all internal affairs of this country. This emphasizes the fact that Americans do not intend to abandon attempts to influence certain countries around the world.
Take, for example, the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia John Tefft, who, speaking of the beginning of the August war confuses Ossetian villages subjected to shelling with the Georgian ones. On the other hand, based on the analysis of other documents, it becomes clear that the "confusion" was deliberate.
For example, back on August 7, he reported to Washington that the Georgian troops moved to the borders of South Ossetia, and after the failure of the Georgian adventure, he wrote to the State Department about the need to insist on "absolute innocence of Georgia." In fact, the same information is contained in the reports of the U.S. ambassadors in other countries.
The qualifications of a number of American diplomats raise serious questions. For example, the U.S. ambassador to Russia puts too much trust into one group of sources and is not inclined to analyze the information in conjunction with other documents. In particular, we are talking about the reasoning of the deputies from the Communist Party about the future of the "ruling tandem."Some of the documents look more like jokes. Among the published materials WikiLeaks has a message from a "source" according to which the head of Russia presidential administration Vladislav Surkov is a fan of rap music who is asking someone to bring him rap albums from New York.
Yet, there are documents that deserve serious attention. For example, the reports from U.S. embassies on their participation in promotions of the Russian opposition and gathering information about the stability of the ruling regime.
Judging by the reaction of Washington, this leak is extremely unpleasant. Indeed, thanks to the scandalous publications the entire world had the opportunity to assess the methods of the American diplomacy and the extent of its influence on the planet.
The official White House described the actions of the portal as "irresponsible and dangerous" because they damage the national interests of America. "These revelations could harm the United States and our interests," said State Department spokesman F. J. Crowley. "They will create friction between our diplomats and our friends around the world."
According to a White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, the leak threatens the activities of the American diplomats and cooperating foreign counterparts. This way, they virtually recognized the genuineness of the documents.
They were echoed by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who believes that this event is the "September 11 for the world of diplomacy." According to him, after such publication the trust between Washington and Rome "will be undermined." However, everyone who is one way or another affected by these publications have to swallow it all. After all, the U.S. is obviously not the country to be fighting with.
There is nothing disturbing for the American-Italian relations in the fact that Berlusconi was called the names he deserves to be called.
The question arises as to how these documents fell into the hands of journalists. It is believed that the source of current leakage is a fellow of the American U.S. military intelligence Bradley Manning. The question is how such a volume of documents was left unprotected, and why no heads are rolling in the States.
One of the reasons is that essentially there is nothing new in these documents. Nobody has illusions as to how the U.S. acts and what methods it uses. We all know what role, for example, American diplomats have played in nearly every revolution in Latin America. We know how the money and weapons got into the hands of the groups they support. We know that Americans carefully pushed the French out from their colonies and how they continue to destroy the remnants of the French influence in Africa and Oceania.
However, the helplessness of the most powerful nation in the world to the threat posed by a website is still surprising. Before publishing another portion of compromising material, Assange said that now hidden diplomacy will become impossible. Criminal plans and conspiracies will be leaked. He added that the world has entered a new phase - a strip of honesty and openness.
It is worth mentioning that back in the summer of this year unprecedented pressure was put on the founder of the whistle blower site Julian Assange.
It involved initiating criminal proceedings against him on charges of harassment. However, despite this, the leak continues. According to the Wikileaks, another 250 thousand documents will be soon available in the open access.
The content of some materials already made public makes one carefully consider the true purpose of the publication. Take, for example, reports of American diplomats regarding the statements of the Azerbaijani leadership about Russia. According to these "documents," the Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev is afraid of the imperial ambitions of the latter and is critical of the Russian system of government. In particular, the U.S. report has mentioned that the President of Azerbaijan allegedly said that "you cannot cook two heads in one pot," alluding to the ruling "tandem."
In addition, some "documents" cannot withstand criticism. For example, the statements of US diplomats that during the negotiations Sarkozy-Medvedev in August of 2008, the French president allegedly grabbed the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and called him a liar are no more than a tale. The grounds for such conclusions were allegedly the statements of the French negotiators.
Note, however, that at a difficult time for Russia, Nicolas Sarkozy, in contrast to the American political elite, has shown himself at his best, playing a significant role in minimizing the consequences of the August war.
Therefore we cannot rule out the fact that this is a deliberate leak made by the United States, whose goal is to cause fights among different countries, including Russia.
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