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Daily Archives: March 19, 2017
New bombshell for self-employed: pay 400% more NICs or lose state pension – The Guardian
Posted: March 19, 2017 at 4:19 pm
A tough lesson: part-time tutors are one of the groups likely to be hit by the little-known change. Photograph: Alamy
Jane Clark, a self-employed maths tutor who earns around 2,500 a year, faces a 400% increase in her national insurance contributions (NICs) if she wants to retain her right to a state pension.
That equates to an extra 588 a year, which is a good chunk of Clarks earnings and she is far from alone. Potentially, several hundred thousand self-employed people who earn below 6,000 a year will be clobbered, unless the government brings in measures between now and April next year to reduce the impact.
Philip Hammond had to ditch his grand plan to increase class 4 NICs for the self-employed just a week after he announced it in the budget. Its a spectacular U-turn but it doesnt mean the self-employed have got off scot-free.
While the chancellors latest announcement means middle and higher-earning self-employed people those who would have been hit by the increase are now off the hook for the time being, their less well-off counterparts are not so lucky.
The government is pressing ahead with the previously announced abolition of class 2 NICs for the self-employed from April 2018. As things stand, this means many of Britains lowest-earning self-employed workers will either have to pay an extra 588 a year, or lose their entitlement to a state pension.
Tutors are just one of the groups likely to be affected by this little-known change, which could disproportionately impact women. Others who could be hit include those, for example, in hairdressing, and people working in the arts.
Clark is in her 50s and lives in the West Country, and while her earnings are relatively small, she and her husband are not solely reliant on her income he receives a pension.
Class 2 NI is payable at the rate of 2.80 per week for the self-employed who earned more than 5,965 in 2016-17. Crucially, though, those who earn less than that can choose to pay class 2 NI contributions in order to gain entitlement to a state pension. Thats exactly what Clark does she voluntarily pays 145.60 a year (ie, 52 x 2.80). But from April 2018 she wont be able to do that she will have to either pay class 3 voluntary contributions, at a cost of 733.20 a year at current rates, or give up on a state pension. Thats a 404% increase.
Clark told the Guardian the extra 587.60 represents a sizeable slice of her earnings. She says: Until now, the low-paid self-employed have had, in some ways, quite a good deal via class 2 contributions. This will certainly affect many negatively by making it harder for them to accumulate pension rights.
She adds: Its going to affect mostly women. Id say probably older women whose husbands work or are retired, and who are suddenly going to have this huge change put upon them. For example, if you have a husband working who earns enough so that you dont get tax credits. Im not saying Im terribly poor my husband has a pension, and we do have money which we live off. Its not in itself that theres anything wrong with it its just that no one has highlighted these changes, and maybe there should be a period during which they are phased in.
This change only affects self-employed people whose earnings are below whats known as the small profits threshold (SPT), currently 5,965. However, there are more people in that bracket than you might think.
A few days ago the Office for National Statistics revealed that in 2015-16 there were 967,000 people with an annual income from self-employment of less than 5,965.
It is important to make clear that not all of these people will be adversely affected. Those with profits below the SPT, but who are eligible for national insurance credits, would continue to build up qualifying years for the state pension. This typically includes people who receive certain benefits (eg, working tax credit or universal credit), parents of children under 12, foster carers and those receiving carers allowance.
If you are not eligible for NI credits, and want to protect your future entitlement to the state pension, you would need to pay voluntary class 3 contributions, says the government. The current rate is 14.10 a week or 733.20 a year.
Another Guardian reader got in touch to say that nobody in the media seems to have picked up on this, adding that many of the low-earners affected will be people starting up and being self-employed for the first time, or those who can only work part-time because, perhaps, they have caring commitments for children, sick or elderly family members, or they work in low-paid sectors like the arts.
Can it be true that the government is really hammering people earning just a few thousand pounds a year in this way? We asked the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG) of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, and its technical director Robin Williamson confirmed this was the case. He told us: If youre opting into class 2 at the moment to preserve your state pension entitlement, from 2018 youre going to have to pay five times more if you want to maintain that contribution. This particular group of people will be worse-off.
But others will argue that even paying the increased 733.20 a year still gives the self-employed a very good deal. In simple terms, it means that, over 35 years, they would pay 25,600 at current rates to obtain the right to a full state pension, currently worth 8,093 a year.
Of course, the government may put transitional arrangements in place to mitigate the cost of the changes. As this week has shown, things can move fast in the world of NICs. Williamson reckons that if the government doesnt do something, theres going to be another big outcry.
HM Revenue & Customs says: Abolishing class 2 NICs removed a regressive levy on the self-employed. We expect a very small proportion, around 2%, will choose to pay class 3 NICs to build entitlement to contributory benefits, such as the new state pension which is worth 1,800 a year. Choosing to do so is entirely voluntary.
This 1,800 is the difference between the 8,093 new pension annual amount and the 6,203 basic state pension annual amount for 2016-17.
Jane Clark is not her real name
The low-paid self-employed arent the only ones who face having to cough up more money because of the scrapping of class 2 national insurance contributions in April 2018. Others affected range from fishermen to people doing volunteering work overseas.
As we explain above, the self-employed who earn less than a certain amount, are able to voluntarily pay class 2 NI contributions to gain access to the state pension.
However, they are also paid by certain groups who are not necessarily self-employed in the UK, in order to gain access to contributory benefits. They include those working abroad, either on a self-employed or employee basis. They will need to pay class 3 voluntary NICs instead to protect their state pension record, following the abolition of class 2 NICs. On a BritishExpats.com website forum, one poster said: It used to be an excellent deal, now its just a great deal.
Meanwhile, the special rates of class 2 contributions which two other categories of people share fishermen and volunteer development workers (those who take part in projects in developing countries) are able to pay, will no longer be available in future.
Share fishermen are those who work in the UK fishing industry and are paid a share of the earnings, or profits, of the boat they work on. They can pay 3.45 a week. Those doing voluntary work abroad are able to pay 5.60 a week.
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New bombshell for self-employed: pay 400% more NICs or lose state pension - The Guardian
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How strongly do you value yourself? – Huffington Post
Posted: at 4:19 pm
We know we will not tolerate abuse, harm, or destruction. When fear surfaces in our lives, we honor who we are and respect our limits. When we know our worth, we are not constantly depending on external stimulation to prove or affirm ourselves.
No one can abuse or love us beyond the point of which we abuse or love ourselves.
When we loose sight of ourselves we act from a place of deep need for attention and recognition. Consequently, generating drama and chaos in our lives and the lives of those around us. This is the shadow side of fear- disconnection, falsehood, and pain. When we choose to embrace the light of fear we willingly accept an invitation to gain personal freedom.
In fear based thoughts, we have access to our story and we realize that the story we choose to tell is just that - a choice.
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are" - Anais Nin
Get curious about your story What are the themes that continue to come forward? That is, what are the constant, "I can't, I should've, it will never work," stream of thoughts, ultimately causing further pain and suffering. We most commonly experience this pain and suffering as anxiety, depressive symptoms, low energy and disconnection.
Claim your power and make a shift What if I told you that as easily as it is to think and allow thoughts based in fear to germinate, it is just as easy to pivot and invest in thoughts around possibility and opportunity. The moment we decide to stand behind ourselves, to fully support our intention of wanting to feel good- we affirm our value and worth. Because the truth is: we are priceless and we are all destined for a beautiful life.
We all deserve to know how good we truly are, and we all deserve support, kindness, and respect for the simple reason that we exist. Heal any feelings of lack and your sun will shine brightly. Give more to yourself, committing to building yourself to fullness. Personal power can express itself in any situation and guides us through the maze of resistance and opposition placed on our path to help us grow and mature.
Feel into your personal empowerment and navigate the world in a balanced and considerate way. Take the time to remember who you are.
When we love and value ourselves, we are better able to respond to situations through love and compassion. It's ok to give ourselves permission to thrive, using all that we experience for opportunities of growth and expansion. It truly is ok to let the inner measuring stick go!
The way we view and hold ourselves becomes translated into every experience and exchange we have. True personal freedom and happiness starts within.
Gianpaolo Gentle
Jennifer is passionately committed to serving as a nurturer, supporting others in navigating their own personal journey of healing, enlightenment and awakening. Combining her varied trainings and degrees in counseling, self-inquiry and coaching to support your unique aspirations, you are invited to unlock the passions of your heart. Learn more...
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‘Reclaiming Manhood: Male Empowerment Summit’ Saturday … – WKYC-TV
Posted: at 4:19 pm
Male Empowerment Summit' Saturday
WKYC 6:28 PM. EDT March 18, 2017
Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed (Photo: Sean Forester, WKYC-TV)
CLEVELAND - It's harder to do the right thing than the wrong thing. And making tough choices builds character.
That was the message Saturday to Cleveland boys at a special youth summit.
While the title of this male empowerment summit is "Reclaiming Manhood," it was really about being a leader in the community, and growing into responsible adults.
The summit was free and designed for young men ages 11-17 and focused on personal responsibility and address topics ranging from manhood and character development, leadership and strategies for spiritual, personal, and professional growth, according to the event organizers.
It was sponsored byWake Up Call Communications and the Union Miles Development Corporation
Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed was among those addressing these young men.
Reed explains why these lessons are so critical.
2017 WKYC-TV
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Women’s Empowerment Week coming to Montclair in April – NorthJersey.com
Posted: at 4:19 pm
A postcard advertises Women's Empowerment Week in Monclair.(Photo: Mollie Shauger/NorthJersey.com)
April in Montclair begins with a focus on women.
Organized by the Montclair Center Business Improvement District and presented by Schumacher Insurance, Montclair's second"Women's Empowerment Week," from April 1 to 9,will include a forum inthe Wellmont Theater, a schedule of talks by experts from diverse fields, a self-defense workshop,and more.
We have assembled some of the leading experts on empowerment, entrepreneurship, health and personal fulfillment to speak throughout Montclair Center, stated Israel Cronk, executive director of the Montclair Center BID.It really speaks to our community that so many accomplished people want to volunteer their time to sharing their stories and helping others.
"The momentous time of celebrating women is now, statedHoney Correia, president of Schumacher Insurance Agency.
Throughout the week, locations throughout Montclair Center will collectfunds, clothing and personal hygiene products for Essex Countys rape care center, SAVE of Essex County, a program of the Montclair-based Family Service League, according to a release.Thecollections will fund work providing rape care packages to sexual assault victims, a 24-hour emergency hotline, and victim counseling and support.
Last year's initial event focused just on gathering donations for the Family Service League and SAVE of Essex County. This year's week has "grown exponentially," to include a host of events, according toAnn Marie Sekeres of the Montclair Center BID.
"The whole idea of having events and talks is completely new," Sekerestold The Montclair Times.
More than $3,000 and more than 1,000 items for rape-care packages were donated last year, according to Christine Ferro-Saxon, executive director of Family Service League/SAVE of Essex County.
The packages for victims of sexual assault include things like clothing, snacks and toiletries, andare given to victims at the hospital, as they are often required to give up their clothes for evidence and they can't eat, drink or bathe before they're examined, Ferro-Saxon stated.
Unlike last year's Women's Empowerment Week, held in the summer, this year's will directly tie in with Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which is April, she noted.
As the countys designated rape care center, we really appreciate the support and interest from the community to keep our vital work going, stated Ferro-Saxon.
The weeks events will begin on Saturday, April 1 with a self-defense empowerment workshop inthe YMCA, 25 Park St.,at 1:30 p.m. The workshop is a $10 donation, with all proceeds going to SAVE of Essex.
To register for the workshop, visit familyserviceleague.org.
At 2 p.m., Montclair Riding Company will host a talk by Shari Ives, owner of Motorcycle Training Schools, about the freedom of motorcycle riding.The talk is free, but donations to SAVE of Essex are encouraged.
Sunday, April 2, will featurean evening event at Studio Air Aerial Dance and Fitness Center, 180 Bloomfield Ave. The event, Strength in Silk, will be a one-hour aerial silks class for the community to come together and support SAVE of Essex.The class is a $25 minimum donation, and allproceeds will be donated to SAVE.The class is open to all levels.RSVP at StudioAir.rocks.
The Womens Empowerment Forum on Tuesday, April 4, will include enlightening and inspirational stories from local women ofdistinction, including WOR radio host Joan Herrmann, career and life coach LauraBerman Fortgang, Montclair Township Councilmember Renee Baskerville, producer and activist Peg Cafferty, business owner and teacher Omni Kitts Ferrara, and Masiel Rodriquez-Vars, executive director of theMontclair Fund for Educational Excellence. The event will be hosted by local entrepreneur Donna Miller.
Donna Miller, founder and president of C3 Workplace in Montclair, will host the Women's Empowerment Forum on April 4.(Photo: Montclair Center BID/Special to NorthJersey.com)
For tickets, visit montclaircenter.com or tiny.cc/womenforum.
From Wednesday, April 5, through Friday, April 7, more than30 talks have been scheduled throughout downtown Montclair Center bywomen professionals, health and nutrition expertsand entrepreneurs.
These talks include Elisa Charters of Latina Surge speaking about empowerment and equal pay, Virginia Cornueand Linda Lombri discussing life after retirement, artist Stephanie Spitz and artist/owners Amy Tingle and Maya Stein sharing about their lives in art, and Serena Chen, M.D., discussing IVF and talks about entrepreneurship, surviving trauma, fitness and health.
Check montclaircenter.com for the developing schedule of talks.
Attendees will be asked for a small donation ($2-5) to benefit SAVE of Essex.
Ladies Night Out on Friday, April7, includes events and specials throughout downtown Montclair and "selfie stations."
More more information, visitmontclaircenter.com/newjersey/women-empowerment-week/.
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Women's Empowerment Week coming to Montclair in April - NorthJersey.com
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Quicken Loans is actively looking for people to fill some key jobs this spring and summer – WXYZ
Posted: at 4:19 pm
DETROIT (WXYZ) -
Quicken Loans the Detroit-based online lender thats been on Computerworlds Best Places to Work in IT list for 11 years running is hiring.
The company has also been named to Fortune magazines list of 100 Best Companies to Work For for the past 12 years! It ranked as high as Number 2!
Quicken Loans prides itself on providing a fun, collaborative work environment thats not stuffy or bureaucratic. And its grown to become one of the largest full-service residential mortgage lenders in the country.
Jobs offer excellent benefits packages which include a 401(k) match, medical/dental/vision & more. Personal empowerment coaching, leadership training, and ongoing personal growth training are also offered.
Incentives include contests and rewards such as trips, event tickets, cash prizes and more.
TOP 4 OPEN POSITIONS
1. Information Security Engineers The engineering job is one that Quicken Loans describes as a rock star who delivers security solutions and regularly consults the IT teams and other business experts to help interpret and communicate risk. Requirements include:
5 years of experience in a technical information technology role
Experience in Microsoft Windows preventative and detective controls, internal certificate authorities, Microsoft Active Director design/architecture & security data loss/leak prevention and multifactor authentication
Understanding of network design, encryption/PKI, mobile security, network security technologies and vulnerability management
2. Information Security Architects -- These hires are primarily responsible for interacting with development teams, other Software Architects and the business to help define how the business should develop secure solutions. Requirements include:
5 years of experience in general software development
Strong experience in web development and object orientated languages
Experience building processes for secure development within an enterprise using Waterfall, Agile and/or a hybrid development
Familiarity with secure software development lifecycle maturity models such as BSIMM and Microsoft SDL
Strong experience with relational database schemas and SQL
3. Mortgage Bankers These employees guide clients towards strong financial decisions and help them achieve their personal and financial goals. This position has real earnings potential.
New hires will receive 15 weeks of paid mortgage banker training and on-the-job coaching with real-time feedback. Mortgage Bankers get to use what the company calls cutting-edge, lightning-fast technology Its called Rocket Mortgage for a reason!
Requirements include:
Superb communications skills
Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
A positive attitude and desire to truly help people
4. Summer Internships Company leaders say these opportunities are about much more than making coffee or pushing paper. Interns get to learn about the industry and career they might want. They gain priceless hands-on experience across a wide variety of fields with those at Quicken Loans and Quickens Family of Companies. Responsibilities include:
Contacting third party clients regarding ordering
Follow up on and process homeowners insurance needed to close loans
Pull production reports
Develop and create presentations
Work on special projects as requested
APPLY ONLINE HERE FOR JOBS AT QUICKEN LOANS
You can always find helpful resources for your job search on http://www.mitalent.org.
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Quicken Loans is actively looking for people to fill some key jobs this spring and summer - WXYZ
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On Thinx And The Complicated Politics Of Empowerment Brands – NYLON
Posted: at 4:19 pm
On March 8, International Women's Day, I made my way to Washington Square Park in the heart of New York City's Greenwich Village, a place with a long history of social activism and protest. Along with thousands of women and men, I was headed to a rally which would serve to give voices to so many of the marginalized women whose views and needs are all too often shut out of our national conversation, particularly now in the era of Trump.
Over the years, I've attended many protests at the parkwith its wide-open acreage, it's an excellent meeting point for large groupsfor everything ranging from anti-war demonstrations to Black Lives Matter marches, and it's never not inspiring to stand with other New Yorkers and feel like you're a part of something bigger. And yet this time felt different; as I approached the familiar pathways, rather than filled with protestors or even regular park-goers, they were lined with people selling buttons and T-shirts, hats and bandanas, all emblazoned with messages of empowerment, most frequently the words "she persisted." The cost for this merchandise ranged from about two to 20 dollars, but the irony of this blatant consumerism on a day which has its roots in the socialist movement was priceless.
The selling of empowerment is nothing new, of course, although its rapidly increasing deployment in the last few years can still feel surprising. And the fact that I have the capacity to still be shocked is in itself surprising; I do, after all, work at a women's magazine, one which not only covers the type of products that are usually described (self- or otherwise) as empowering but which has itself used the term descriptively on many occasionsand usually to great effect. It makes sense that young women, a demographic which has long felt and been powerless, would find this type of rhetoric appealing; power can be hard to come by for this community, its siren call seductive for even the savviest of consumersno matter if it is being promised by a deodorant or underwear brand.
It's complicated. On a personal level, "empowerment" is not something that appeals to me as a concept at all, but the reason for that goes beyond my ever-present cynicism and reveals something fundamental about me and my privilege: As a well-educated white woman born into a world of valuable social and cultural capital, I didn't really need all that much empowerment. I had power already.
Still, though, I find it hard to be completely dismissive of the term, even if I don't embrace it myself because, for many women, the reality of seeing themselves represented in ad campaigns and of having their lifestyles validated has actual value. For women who have historically been marginalized to suddenly be publicly told that they are beautiful and their bodies deserve to be seen and their voices deserve to be heard, this type of thing can make a difference; and not just to a brand's targeted demographic, but also to the young men who see a different type of model on the billboards lining the streets and the posters on the subway cars.
Certainly, consumers aren't so naive that they don't know what it is that's happening when every other ad campaign these days promotes empowerment and when it's clear that it's only a matter of time before the words "she persisted" are trademarked. Buying a trend doesn't necessarily mean buying into it, after all. Targeted audiences can know that brands are promoting a product with dollar signs in mind rather than, like, good vibes, but they can also think it's preferable that the messages being used right now are ones of inclusivity and diversity, no matter the intent.
Problems arise, though, when brands which are supposed to stand for tolerance and diversity and, yes, empowerment are revealed not to practice what they preach. The same cognitive dissonance that I experienced at last week's Women's Day rally cropped up again this past Tuesday when Racked published an expose about the brand Thinx, which sells "period underwear," along with a healthy dose of empowerment via its viral marketing campaigns and diverse array of models.
Racked's Hilary George-Parkin reported that there was a big difference between Thinx's "message and their reality," and that while the brand preaches female empowerment, its work culture is one of "substandard pay, flimsy benefits, and scarce perks," with a shamefully inadequate maternity leave policy on the books ("two weeks leave at full pay plus one week at half pay for the birthing parent, and one week leave at full pay plus one week at half pay for the non-birthing parent"). George-Parkin spoke with many Thinx employees, all of whom reported the surreal experience of working for the brand's co-founder and onetime CEO, Miki Agrawal, who's highly touted in the media as being an ultra-feminist, while also knowing that, while they still believed in the product and brand mission, Agrawal was not above calling a former employee "a bitch" and remonstrating her current employees if they asked for a raise.
Agrawal has responded to the Racked article in a Medium post, published today, in which she blames the company's problems on its fast growth and her lack of know-how when it came to basic things like hiring someone to work HR. Agrawal's explanation for the accusations now leveled at her company is in itself fraughtit ends with a Teddy Roosevelt quote which praises entrepreneurs and derides critics as cowardsand notably fails to contradict many of her former employees' accusations, instead focusing on the good parts of working at Thinx (there were team retreats and bonuses), and adopting a tone of "hey, we all make mistakes, right ?? :)"
But it's hard not to wonder if this might signal some sort of tipping point when it comes to the selling of empowerment. (Another indication that we've reached its nadir is the announcement of a forthcoming children's book titled She Persisted and written by none other than Chelsea Clinton.) This isn't to say that brands will stop pushing empowerment as a means of selling to women; this isn't even to say that they should stop doing it. It's, after all, better than bombarding consumers with the sexist advertising messages of past years, when the peak of a woman's achievement meant the attainment of one end of the Madonna-whore binary or the otherand nothing in between.
Instead, perhaps this is the point where consumers will stop listening simply to the outward-facing messages that brands present, and start paying attention to their internal workings. The branding of female empowerment probably isn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon, but it's up to us to make sure that when companies talk about women's power, we as consumers make sure their money's where their mouths are. And if not? We should take our dollars elsewhere.
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On Thinx And The Complicated Politics Of Empowerment Brands - NYLON
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The Fake Freedom of American Health Care – New York Times
Posted: at 4:18 pm
New York Times | The Fake Freedom of American Health Care New York Times Such is the cost of freedom. As House Speaker Paul Ryan put it in a tweet: Freedom is the ability to buy what you want to fit what you need. Vice President Mike Pence picked up that baton: Obamacare will be replaced with something that actually ... |
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‘This isn’t freedom’: Chris Wallace grills Paul Ryan for plan to crush seniors with health care costs – Raw Story
Posted: at 4:18 pm
Fox News host Chris Wallace pointed out to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Sunday that his plan to reform the health care system would crush older Americans by forcing them to either drop insurance coverage or pay thousands more.
During a Sunday interview, Wallace said that 24 million fewer Americans overall would have insurance under the Ryan plan in 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
You said that part of that is that this is what freedom looks like, Wallace recalled. But is the major decrease in the number of people according to the CBO who will have health insurance, is it freedom or is it that some people will no longer be able to afford health insurance under your plan?
Wallace noted a CBO estimate which said that a 64 year old making less than $27,000 a year will pay $14,600 a year for health insurance instead of the $1,700 they pay now under President Barack Obamas law.
What theyre saying is that this isnt freedom, this isnt people voluntarily deciding not to have health insurance, Wallace remarked. Its that your plan makes it unaffordable for people.
Ryan argued that Obamacare was not going to last, and he agreed that older people were not getting enough assistance under his plan.
Were not going to make people buy something thats so expensive that they cant afford, that the market is not going to offer, the Speaker insisted. And so where I dispute that comparison is it suggests that were going to have the same kinds of plans being offered in 10 years that Obamacare would otherwise offer.
The person in their 50s or 60s does have additional health care costs than, say, a person in their 20s and 30s, Ryan continued. Youre right in saying and we agree we believe we should have even more assistance and thats one of the things were looking at for that person in their 50s and 60s.
So, youre going to change the plan? Wallace pressed.
That is among the things were looking at doing, yes, Ryan replied cagily. And the point I would say is, were going to let people buy what they want to buy. Were going to have more plans being offered, more choice and competition.
Watch the video below from Fox News Sunday, broadcast March 19, 2017.
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Bush announces launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2003 – Politico
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George W. Bush said: Helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable and free country will require our sustained commitment. | AP Photo
On this day in 2003, President George W. Bush announced the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The U.S.-led invasion was, according to Bush, aimed at ridding Iraq of its dictator, Saddam Hussein, and eliminating its ability to store, develop and deploy its stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.
In a nationwide televised address, Bush said: Helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable and free country will require our sustained commitment. He acknowledged the substantial domestic opposition to the war and said that he had only reluctantly authorized the invasion. At the same time, the president noted his administrations refusal to live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder.
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Within six weeks, the pre-emptive strike morphed into an occupation. Saddam's eventual capture by U.S. troops led to his trial in an Iraqi court, which sentenced him to death by hanging.
A post-invasion investigation by the Iraq Survey Group concluded that Iraq had ended its nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs in 1991 but that it intended to resume production if sanctions were lifted. Some investigators concluded Saddam, when it came to the offending weapons, was engaged in a big bluff.
Although Bush announced on May 1, 2003, that the U.S. mission had been accomplished, violence against coalition forces and among sectarian groups soon escalated into a full-fledged insurgency. Strife between Sunni and Shiite Iraqis continued, and the violent group Al Qaeda in Iraq, which used suicide bombers, emerged.
During the wars most intense phase, which lasted more than four years, U.S. casualties climbed to more than 3,000, with more than 23,000 wounded. Iraqi civilian fatalities were estimated at more than 50,000.
In February 2009, President Barack Obama announced an 18-month withdrawal window for combat forces, with some 50,000 troops remaining to advise and train Iraqi security forces and to provide intelligence.
After the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by December 2011, a violent insurgency of mainly Sunni Islamic Islamist fighters targeting the Iraqi government gained force. By June 2014, Sunni Islamic, jihadist and ISIS militants, already having achieved territorial successes in the Syrian civil war, had conquered the Iraqi cities of Samarra, Mosul and Tikrit, and threatened the Mosul Dam and Kirkuk, where Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga troops took control from the Iraqi government in Baghdad.
An Iraqi counterinsurgency effort, supported by U.S. airstrikes and an ever-increasing number of combat advisers, remains underway. President Donald Trump has pledged that ISIS will be eradicated under his watch.
SOURCE: FIASCO: THE AMERICAN MILITARY ADVENTURE IN IRAQ, BY THOMAS E. RICKS (2006)
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Bush announces launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 19, 2003 - Politico
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Islam’s lessons on freedom and democracy – WatertownDailyTimes.com
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From his hateful tweets and provocative rhetoric to his new (and now failed) executive order banning Muslims and refugees all over again, President Donald Trump is driven by the idea that Islam is a threat to what makes us American.
Trump has declared that Islam hates us. There is, he says, an unbelievable hatred. Stephen K. Bannon, one of his chief advisers, claims that we are in an outright war against ... Islam and doubts whether Muslims that are shariah-adherent can actually be part of a society where you have the rule of law and ... are a democratic republic. He believes Islam is much darker than Nazism and seems to agree with HUD Secretary Ben Carson that Islam is a religion of domination.
But Trump and his administration could learn a thing or two about American values such as freedom and equality from the religion and people they so hate.
In Islams founding story, after Muhammads death, it was unclear who would lead the nascent Muslim community. Typically, succession disputes make for great drama. This one, however, was more C-SPAN than Game of Thrones.
Rather than intrigue or bloodshed, believers pursued democracy. Only by the peoples consent, they reckoned, could a ruler justly be named and a community freely governed. They chose Abu Bakr, one of Muhammads companions. His inauguration speech, according to one of Muhammads earliest biographers Ibn Ishaq, was brief (though were not sure how big the crowd was). It went something like this: Im no better than any of you. Only obey me if I do right. Otherwise, resist me. Loyalty means speaking truth. Flattery is treason. No human, but God alone is your lord.
Abu Bakr sought to guard the people against domination by making himself accountable to them. The people obliged, securing their liberty. They could call him out at any time, and he had to listen. He even had to ask permission for new clothes.
His successor, Umar, carried the legacy forward. Publicly rebuked by a woman for overstepping the law, Umar responded: That woman is right, and I am wrong! It seems that all people have deeper wisdom and insight than me.
This spirit of accountability and liberty would become enshrined as a religious duty in Islam, though as with any tradition, these values are not always upheld. Nonetheless, every Muslim has the obligation to command right and forbid wrong, correcting and resisting any who betray justice, rulers included. That Abu Bakr and Umar are paradigms of good Islamic rule for well over 1 billion Sunni Muslims tells us something about this traditions love for freedom, whether or not its followers always live up to their ideals.
So does the 12th-century theologian al-Ghazali, one of Islams most beloved figures. In his most famous political work, an open letter to a young sultan, Ghazali famously defends a golden rule of liberty: The fundamental principle is ... treat people in a way in which, if you were subject and another were Sultan, you would deem right that you yourself be treated. Nothing a ruler would not himself endure has any place in politics. While sin against God can be forgiven, violation of this rule cannot: Anything involving injustice to mankind will not in any circumstance be overlooked at the resurrection.
Ghazali tells rulers that on judgment day, not God but the people will determine their fate: The harshest torment will be for those who rule arbitrarily. He sounds striking similar to James Madison writing in Federalist 57, for whom rulers will be compelled to anticipate the moment when their exercise of power is reviewed, and they must descend to the level from which they were raised. Only in Ghazalis vision, the tyrant descends to hell.
Of course, like their Western counterparts, many Muslim regimes fail to honor this vision of liberty. But it is women and men like Malala Yousafzai, Humayun Khan and the hopeful youths who filled Tahrir Square who are faithful to the best of Islam, not the likes of the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Saudi princes.
For Islam and the American founders alike, freedom is about protection from arbitrary power and rule by law, not the caprices of men. Theirs is a vision where citizens stand not in slavish deference to masters but on equal terms with all. This vision animates our whole system of governance. It was this vision Lincoln endorsed when he wrote, in words that echo Ghazali: As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. And it was this vision Sojourner Truth, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Harvey Milk invoked when they each demanded that equality before the law be still further expanded so that it would eventually include not just straight white men but everyone.
This vision is under threat in a way it rarely has been in our history. But it is under threat not by Islam, but by Trump and his administration.
Trumps first Muslim ban was an act of brazen, unconstrained power and barely concealed animus. The second ban is more of the same. The blessing of the first was just how blatantly it betrayed our deepest values. The danger of the second is its attempt to conceal its dominating and bigoted aims. No serious observer thinks these bans make us any safer. Instead, they seek to circumvent rule of law, roll back libertys benefit and wage Bannons war with Islam. They give Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and other agents discretionary power to decide on a whim whether to sever families, deport refugees and detain Muslims. And they make Trump and his cronies unaccountable arbiters of who really loves the very American values the administration is busy betraying.
Trump wants to return America to its former greatness. But when it comes to freedom, Ghazali and Abu Bakr have far more in common with Madison and Lincoln than with terrorists and tyrants who claim Islams mantle. For that matter, they have far more in common with this countrys great lovers of liberty than does the current president.
So, instead of banning Muslims, Trump should listen to them: He might learn something about liberty and equality, two values he seems not to have learned to love from our own nations history or the Constitution he swore to uphold.
Decosimo teaches religion, ethics and politics at Boston University and is writing a book on freedom and domination in Christianity and Islam.
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Islam's lessons on freedom and democracy - WatertownDailyTimes.com
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