Monthly Archives: March 2017

How the Italian Futurists shaped the aesthetics of modernity in the … – The Conversation UK

Posted: March 4, 2017 at 12:43 am

Visions of the future, from the early 20th century.

This article is based around a transcript of a segment from The Anthill 10: The Future, a podcast from The Conversation. Gemma Ware, society editor at The Conversation and a producer of The Anthill, interviewed Selena Daly, an expert on the Italian Futurists.

When the Italian journalist Filippo Tommaso Marinetti went off to the frontlines of World War I, he was thrilled to be pedalling there on a bicycle. Back in 1915, bikes were an avant-garde mode of transport and Marinetti was an avant-garde kind of guy. Hed made waves across Europe a few years earlier when he launched the Futurist Manifesto.

Selena Daly: Marinetti, who was a master at advertising and self-promotion, got the first manifesto published on the front page of the Paris daily newspaper Le Figaro in February of 1909. This really was a very bold launch of an artistic and cultural movement at this time and got a lot of attention also around the world.

Selena Daly is a lecturer in Italian studies at University College Dublin and an expert in the Italian Futurists. Marinettis vision of the future was built around high praise for technology and the aesthetics of modernity.

SD: So he praised in this manifesto the speeding automobile, steamships, locomotives. All of these technologies that perhaps to our eyes now may seem a little bit quaint but at that time were really at the cutting edge of technology. So very famously, Marinetti in that manifesto praised the speeding automobile as being more beautiful than the famous Greek sculpture the Winged Victory of Samothrace which stands in the Louvre then and still today.

It was a movement that began with literature and poetry and spread to sculpture, fine art, music and even textiles. For example, this 1921 piece called Fox-trot Futurist by an Italian composer, Virgilio Mortari, was influenced by the Futurists. Marinettis vision was as destructive and provocative as it was creative and forward-thinking.

SD: He felt that Italy as a country was completely weighed down by the baggage of the Renaissance and the baggage of ancient Rome and its classical past. And he really wanted Italy to just stop looking backwards always and instead look to what the future could offer them in terms of inspiration for art and literature. And in that first manifesto he says he wants to rejuvenate Italy which he found very stagnant and therefore he said that everyone should set fire to the libraries, flood the museums and in this way break all links with the past.

With World War I in the offing, Marinetti and his band of followers quickly agitated for Italy to join the fight. They felt that war would help bring their Futuristic vision into being.

SD: One of the most famous slogans that Marinetti coined was in that very first manifesto where he said that he praised war as the sole hygiene of the world. The idea there should be a purging war which would rid Italy and Europe of all of its obsession with the past and they could move forward to a brighter future.

It took nine months for Italys leaders to agree to join the war during which time the Futurists campaigned vigorously for intervention. When Italy did enter the war on the side of the Allies in May 1915, Marinetti and his group of fellow Futurists signed up as soon as they could.

SD: They were terribly excited by the bombardments. They found this to be an inspiration also for their art and in very many ways putting into practice what they had preached and what they had thought about and imagined in advance of World War I.

When the war ended in 1918, the Futurists went through an intense period of political engagement, forming the Futurist Political Party and forming a close alliance with Benito Mussolini and his Fascist movement. The Futurist party wanted to make Italy great again. They wanted a country that was no longer in servitude to its past where the only religion was the religion of tomorrow. Their manifesto promised revolutionary nationalism, and included ideas such as totally abolishing the senate and the gradual dissolution of the institution of marriage. A 1914 design by futurist architect Antonio Sant'Elia. Antonio Sant'Elia

SD: But in the end of 1919 there were Italian elections and the Futurists and the Fascists performed disastrously. So they received less than 2% of the vote in Milan and its at that point that Marinetti actually decides that parliamentary politics isnt for him and he withdraws. He disbands the Futurist political party and he withdraws completely from parliamentary politics because he feels disillusioned and he feels that the message that he has isnt getting through.

Post-1920, Futurism no longer goes down the parliamentary politics route but it was, after 1924, very closely aligned with Mussolinis Fascist movement. So while they may not have been engaged in parliamentary parties they were very much on the side of the Fascist regime and that didnt change at all during Marinettis lifetime.

Marinettis association with Fascism has tainted the Futurists legacy ever since.

SD: Obviously some Futurists distanced themselves from the movement because of this alignment with Fascism. But others didnt. Its interesting a lot of the art in the 1930s and some of the 1940s is what can be described as Fascist pro-regime art. There are a lot of portraits of Mussolini done in a Futurist style for example. And the Futurists, while they were never the official state art of Fascism because Mussolini never wanted to proclaim one art to be the state art of Fascism the Futurists were still featured at official events and did have this very strong alignment with Musssoinis regime at that time.

Marinettis allegiance to Mussolini went right up to his death in 1944 in Bellagio in the north of Italy, near to the puppet regime run by Mussolini towards the end of World War II.

SD: Because there was such a cult of personality also around Marinetti and he was really the focal point of the entire movement it did rather peter out at that stage after his death and then at the end of the war as well. So there were surviving Futurists who did try in the 1940s and 1950s to keep Futurism alive and there was an interest in Futurism most definitely, but it was tainted by Fascism and there was a reluctance in many circles to really address the Futurist art and Futurist literature on its merits because of the shadow of Fascism that was hanging over it.

Italys relationship with Futurism is still complicated, but some Futurist images have remained iconic.

SD: There is a sculpture of Boccioni, one of the most famous Futurist artists, actually featured on the Italian Euro 20 cents coin, just to give an indication of how important the Futurist aesthetic is to a vision of modern Italy today. Boccioni, died actually in 1916. He died under arms, he actually fell off his horse in training so he didnt have the glory of a battlefield death that he may have wished for because he was also very belligerent.

But he was never tainted by Fascism because he died before Fascism actually came into being. So therefore its much easier to place a Boccioni sculpture on a Euro coin in Italy because he doesnt really have those other connotations and other associations with Fascism.

And the Futurists did help shape the way others in the 20th century went on to imagine what the future could look like.

SD: The Futurist aesthetic had a very profound influence on the language of advertising for example in the 20th century. For example, BMW recently said that they were very much influenced by the Futurist aesthetic in the design of one of their cars. There are fashion houses that are still using Futurist prints and Futurist textiles to inspire their collections. There is still an affinity for the Futurist aesthetic even today.

So while Marinettis technological, streamlined vision of the future may have been born out of a specific political moment, it has continued to resonate. Even the generic use of the word Futurist today remains strongly connected to Marinettis vision from 1909.

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Businesses Need Futurism to Stay Ahead – Business.com

Posted: at 12:43 am

How futurism is becoming the newest business strategy and why it's important.

The technology market has been rapidly changing due to futurist ideas. Companies are investing money into technology that will safeguard their businesses for the future. Large businesses cannot prevent issues coming up in the near future, but hiring futurist experts will mitigate what is to come for them.

In 1980, Edward Cornish of the World Future Society gave some groundbreaking predictions. He made 29 predictions of what the future will look like, and 11 of them became reality. One of the first predictions he made was that there would be artificial hearts available for transplants, which came true a few years later. He predicted that the construction industry would mostly rely on automated machinery with minimal labor. Unfortunately, he also predicted that governments will struggle to distribute food and labor for the majority of workers.

Other experts in futurism agree that rapid technology changes are ruining certain businesses. Jobs are being lost around the world, and governments do not know how to cope with these changes. Both businesses and governments will need to study futurism in order to implement changes that safeguard their economies.

HR departments have been recruiting futurist experts to improve the efficiency of their departments. Futurists aid them in determining new skill sets that departments should be looking for to gain an edge in their industries.

Organizations like the Rockwell International Corporation have appointed their own teams to assess their goals of the future. These teams must analyze the climate of the market to determine what moves the company must take to still be alive in 10 years. The team will also assess multiple paths for the company to take for the predictions of many alternative futures.

Even small businesses can take advantage of following futurist ideas. Long-term trends will significantly impact the demand for small shops or services, and many businesses may even become irrelevant. When new technology is introduced to the marketplace, business owners should assess how they can take advantage of the new trend. If a new demographic is moving into certain neighborhoods, the local shops must conform to appeal to them. These are just a few basic examples of futurism.

Entrepreneurs of small businesses should focus on imagining what the customer will need in the near future. Focusing on small, short-term niches will assure a collapse of businesses after the niche dries up.

Becoming personally invested in a product is also a bad idea. Many products may not even meet the demands of the public. A good example is the hordes of forgotten projects on websites like Kickstarter.

Even simple gadget trends are changing the way technology businesses are going. The internet of things has made many companies shift toward internet connectivity in their devices. Refrigerators, video game consoles, televisions, doors, lights, toasters, ovens, coffee machines and other appliances have been conforming to IoT trends.

On the other hand, there is an overinvestment in certain technology gimmicks that draw away from more important things. Pagers were an obsession during the 1990s, but the market should have focused on expanding mobile phones instead. Answering machines are another device that was quickly made irrelevant due to the rapid changes in phone technology.

Hotels have also been adapting to the way the internet shifts the market. Online booking is practically a must, since the majority of bookers are finding the hotel from the internet. Airbnb certainly changes accommodation prices in many tourist areas, and prices may shift down or up. The future of travel accommodation is shifting toward alternative means, so hotels must figure out a way to mitigate this.

Technology marches on, and the needs of consumers will keep changing with it. Businesses should be doing everything they can to future-proof themselves as much as possible.

Image from Michael R. Ross/Shutterstock

Jason Hope

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The Upcoming Economic Recession in 2017 Has Already Begun – Lombardi Letter

Posted: March 2, 2017 at 2:48 pm

The Upcoming Economic Recession Could Be Far Worse Than the Great Recession of 2008

The United States. is heading toward another economic recession in 2017. If the U.S. enters a recession, it wont be long before the rest of the world follows suit. There is an unusual level of uncertainty because the dark years of the Great Recession, or the 2008 recession, that started in 2008 have given way to real growth.

Global growth predictions stand at three percent. But in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, including the U.S. and Germany, gross domestic product (GDP) could hit just below two percent. In some once-leading economies like the U.K. and Italy, growth might reach one percent. In countries outside the OECD, GDP growth might be just above four percent.

Overall, after the last recession, these figures should have been much higher. Instead, the economic recovery is lukewarm at best. Its not enough, then, to speak of an upcoming recession. The world never came out of the last recession. Even China has been forced to revise its GDP growth expectation downward.

China expects six to 6.5% growth in 2017. It could be as low as 5.5% in 2018. The next four years will feature several new terms that all begin with the word Trump. Trumponomics is one of the key terms that will help define the next era. What defines Trumponomics or, if you prefer, Donald Trump policies?

By the new U.S. presidents own description, infrastructure development will play a significant role in driving economic recovery. Infrastructure will serve as the base for Trumps America First policy. But America First represents a much bigger disruption to the current globalist system. More than infrastructure, the America First policy brings back mercantilist policies.

This is not altogether bad. But it might be altogether impossible to achieve. Trumps program is mercantilist because it wants to reduce Americastrade deficit by using its geopolitical clout to curb surplus from its main trading partners. Thus, Trump has essentially put China, Mexico and, evidently, the European Union (EU) on notice.

The problem is that the world has moved away from mercantilism over the past few decades. It has been moving away from that model, in fact, since the end of World War II. To promote greater security and lasting peace, states gradually lifted trade restrictions. In mercantilism, however, the state is solely dedicated to the promotion of its own national wealth.

Mercantilism wants to protect local products from external competition, while aggressively promoting exports and industrialization. It was a policy that found its most aggressive expression in the 16th17th centuries. It was the result of capital influx in the form of precious metals mined in colonies to build up bullion rather than the multilateral free/freeish trade of the present.

The classic mercantilist state was Imperial Spain. The Spanish crown sought to accumulate a maximum of precious metals as a source of national wealth. The Trump administration would not reach that level of mercantilism. It would not pull out of international trade altogether, but it would tend to generate inflation and, therefore, higher interest rates.

Of course, it is the job of every state to protect its national interest. But the current global approach stressed that states could obtain the best compromise between growth and security through cooperation. Thus, looking out for the benefits of trade groupsor trade agreementsbecame the norm.

Apart from the EU, perhaps the most advanced example, there are important trading blocs such as ASEAN in Asia or Mercosur in Latin America. Agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) were the latest such effort and one of the most ambitious where the United States was concerned.

Not surprisingly, one of President Trumps first executive actions was to pull the United States out of the TPP. That was the first big mercantilist signal. The problem is that the rest of the world does not seem ready to go back to that model. Thats why there is no certainty that such a move improves the U.S. economic outlook 2017.

Indeed, because the U.S. seems to be the only economic power willing to exhume mercantilism from the tomb of dead economic theories, it will face resistance. In reality, the Trump administration cannot pull away from global trade. That would kill American business. Trumps policies might favor local production and tax certain imports from China, but Trump may face challenges.

Trump wants to cut imports but promote American exports. He has not shown any sign of discouraging American industrial output. On the contrary, he wants to increase it. But the idea that America can both defend its domestic market from imports while encouraging exports around the world doesnt work. The rest of the world operates through trade blocs and agreements, and substitutes for American industrial products exist.

In addition, by pulling away from globalization, Trump would be doing a major disservice to the United States. Perhaps the point became lost during the presidential campaign, but no country, not even China, has gained as much from globalization as the United States. American technology has spread worldwide.

Global entrepreneurs have invested in the United States; they have listed their companies on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The world invests in U.S. real estate and lives and breathes U.S. culture. Mercantilism may backfire, should it defy logic and socio-economic evolution, to become popular again.

Rather, while increasing the chances of a global economic recession, Trumps neo-mercantilism puts the U.S. economy at greater risk. Yet, many rightly wonder, givenall the risk of Trumps policies, where are the signs of aneconomic recession?

It seems not a day goes by that Wall Street doesnt hit a new record. The performance of the stock markets, and Wall Street in particular, speaks for itself. It was Dow 20,000 in December 2016. Two months later, the Dow seems headed for 21,000. But the stock market is detached from the real economy. Therefore, is the U.S. heading toward economic recession?

Dont let the Dow Jones fool you. Trumponomics does have a special appeal for free markets. In theory, it promises fewer taxes, fewer regulations, more investment, and more spending on infrastructure. The effect of what Trumps policies might unleash on the American economy should not be underestimated.

President Trumps mercantilist and nationalist stance presents risks for the American and global economy. Simply put, the U.S. is still deeply intertwined in worldwide financial and economic affairs. A radical change of approach will therefore cause disruption. Perhaps, in time, some economies will recover, but the effects of the 2008 recession remain.

In other words, while there has been a financial recovery, the real economy remains in a recession state. The much-heralded recovery has not yet completed its course, if it ever began. One of the reasons is that investment has slowed down without recovering.

In this context, there is a pessimistic probability. Good political sense, reinforced by economic history, suggests that should Trump truly unleash a mercantilist and protectionist economic policy, he would trigger an equal escalation in the opposite direction. Its not quantum physics, its basic mechanics: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Yes, you recognized that as Newtons Third Law of Motion. It doesnt just apply to physics. Trumps economic aggression against China and Germany, and also Mexico and Japan, could backfire. These are the biggest exporters of the planet. They have considerable external surpluses.

The United States cannot afford the luxury of protectionism. Not in this world and not now. Trump has claimed that Chinas trade surplus is the result of a deliberate policy of devaluing its currency, the yuan. Nothing could be further fromthe facts. China has tried its hardest to stem capital flight. Thats what has caused the yuan to fall.

Trump has accused Germany of manipulating the euro to its sole benefit at the expense of its EU partners. He may be more correct on Germany than on China, given what many Europeans say, but such logic also has flaws. Trumps mercantilism would promptly crash with harsh reality.

The United States is much more involved in world trade than in the golden age of American supremacy, in the immediate aftermath of the world war. Trades share of GDP has more than tripled since 1950, from four percentthen to 13% in 2016. More significantly, the peak in manufacturing jobs in the U.S. has been declining since the 1950s.

When Trump speaks of bringing back manufacturing jobs, he seems to neglect some basic facts. In the 1950s, manufacturing jobs accounted for about 30% of the total. By 2016, the share had dropped to eight percent. (Source: Tough talk on trade will not bring jobs back, The News, February 6, 2017.)

When you add the protectionism that Trumps mercantilist policies will generate, it seems impossible to achieve that kind of leap into nostalgia. Trumps policies would surely achieve one thing: a drop in world tradewhich is already sluggishand an economic recession worldwide. All the while, the higher Fed interest rates would exacerbate that risk, while boosting the value of the dollar, making U.S. goods less competitive.

As a result, the recent market euphoria and the Trump effect are more the products of the American economic recovery that began a year ago. The stock markets are feeding themselves, surprised that general consumer appetite has not dwindled. But, this is short-term.

Trumps protectionist policies would enforce duties of up to 35% on foreign goods. This would certainly achieve the goal of making imported products more expensive. But, it would drastically reduce consumers purchasing power. It would also cut the competitiveness of American companies, which depend on the imported components.

Meanwhile, China and Europe could also increase tariffs as a reaction. This would result in an all-out trade war. The whole global economy would suffer severely from the resulting isolationism. The first effect would be the loss of millions of jobs worldwideand the United States would not be spared. The result is depression, not even recession: total economic collapse.

The markets are not interpreting Trumps policies as much as what the president has said about his policies. There is a difference. Trumps policies do not represent anything new, much less revolutionary. They are a mild version of basic mercantilism. Under Trump, America expects to grow by promoting as much economic activity as possible within its own borders.

Trump has already shown he plans to protect American industry through tariff barriers. Trump plans to increase spending on the military, which is good for defense sector stocks. But a bigger military might be needed to enforce the kind of political power relations to support exports. Of course, a bigger military and ever more expensive equipment require taxes.

Trump has not indicated where the money to fuel this kind of economy would come from. He wants to reduce taxes. In any economic outlook 2017, Trump has generated risks linked to protectionism, populism, anti-Europeanism, anti-China sentiments, and immigration.

As for the latter, the economic success of the U.S. is strongly dependent on the knowledge and experience of immigrants. Innovation would suffer. Many experts, scientists, and academics, would tend to avoid visiting the U.S. because of doubt about their status. Lets not forget that the leaders of the U.S. atomic program or the space program were immigrants.

Trump has overshadowed the more pressing issues of an aging population and the technological/digital revolution, which will make much of current work redundant. Robots are ready to replace many human functions. These factors, left unheeded, have dangerously become less pressing, even if they are much more destabilizing.

Trump might try to mitigate the effects of his protectionism. He will likely dissuade the U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen from raising U.S. interest rates to keep the dollar competitive. If Yellen doesnt comply, Trump would find an old trick from his The Apprentice handbook: Youre fired, Janet!

To protect yourself against the risk of the almost inevitable recession on the horizon, there are solutions. Learn what you can now, while others revel in the fragile safety of the markets.

Ed Vasicek: The ever-surfacing future has arrived – Kokomo Tribune

Posted: at 2:47 pm

Although I frequently drive through downtown Kokomo, I still marvel at new construction and recently completed marvels. A dozen years ago, who could have predicted todays Kokomo?

No one can predict the future. We can make predictions, and sometimes (just by virtue of statistical probability) they are going to be right. Tomorrow, for example, the temperature is going to be (1) typical, (2) warmer than usual or (3) colder than usual. If I make enough guesses, I will accurately predict the future temperature perhaps a third of the time.

Futurists men and women who specialize in studying trends and taking the futures pulse tend to offer visions of the future that are worth noting, even if they sometimes miss the mark. When documented changes are already occurring, we need to wake up and smell the coffee.

When I was a lad, one major fear was an over-crowded world. We were told mass starvation and a host of others woes would characterize our planet because the earth could not sustain the large population looming at our door.

I am not sure when the sky-is-falling bunch turned their focus elsewhere, but when was the last time you heard a political crusader rant and rave about overpopulation? There is a reason for this silence, according to bbc.com:

Its a largely untold story gradually, steadily the demographic forces that drove the global population growth in the 20th Century have shifted. Fifty years ago the world average fertility rate the number of babies born per woman was five. Since then, this most important number in demography has dropped to 2.5 something unprecedented in human history and fertility is still trending downwards ... The population will continue to grow as the Peak Child generation grows up and grows old. So most probably three or four billion new adults will be added to the world population but then in the second half of this century the fast growth of the world population will finally come to an end.

Our quest to consider the future leads us to Bill Gates. Bill Gates is not so much a futurist as he is a man who makes the future happen. Gates is quite concerned about germ warfare. According to futurism.com:

When billionaire and philanthropist Bill Gates gave a speech at the Munich Security Conference for the first time Saturday, he argued a very alarming possibility: the future of international security will be fought on the biological front. Specifically, Gates warned about the dangers of a bioterrorist attack that could wipe out 30 million people in less than a year and how were not prepared for it.

... What makes Gates warning even more alarming is the fact that bioterrorism can now be done from behind a computer. Its also true that the next epidemic could originate on the computer screen of a terrorist intent on using genetic engineering to create a synthetic version of the smallpox virus ... or a super contagious and deadly strain of the flu, said Gates.

His suggestion: We need to develop the facilities to develop vaccines within 90 days instead of the more typical two-year period. Will our governments take note?

Lets move on to renewable energy. Green energy is no longer a futurists dream, but a dream that is clearly materializing. One state, Texas, leads the way. According to theguardian.com:

For Texas, this most Republican-dominated, oil-rich and fracking-friendly of states has found itself with the improbable status of being a national leader in this growing form of renewable energy.

Texas has 11,592 turbines and an installed wind capacity of 20,321 megawatts, according to the American Wind Energy Association: three times as much capacity as the next state, Iowa. (California is third.) For the 12-month period ending in October last year, wind provided 12.68% of Texass electricity production equivalent to powering 5.7 million homes.

The ever-surfacing future has arrived and continues to arrive at breakneck speed!

Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune. Contact him at edvasicek@gmail.com

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This Is Why The Youth Is Picking Up Arms In Kashmir – Youth Ki Awaaz

Posted: at 2:47 pm

Excessive military presence in public spaces, a rigid approach adopted by the ruling power in India and, most importantly, the grave human rights violations in the aftermath of the deathof militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani have increased home-grown militancy and radicalization among the Kashmiri population.

Educated youth havingpicked up arms to fight for a cause, lackgenuine training and are these days giving a tough time to the highly equipped government forces. Although, the situation exhibits that the current situationin Kashmir is similar toan armed struggle, it can never be compared to the insurgency of the 90s. The popular local support, the seed sown by Burhan Wani and the unrest after his death have motivated the educated youth towards militancy.

They feel that the government of India does not care about their pain and suffering due to the lingering Kashmir issue. In such circumstances, declaring militancy because of lack of economic opportunities and frustration due to high unemployment is contradictory to their demands.

Before the 2016 unrest, the Indian army under theArmed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) used to cordon off the whole area or village for anencounter with armed militants. After Burhan Wanis killing, the whole scenario has changed. Now, the local populace come out on the streets during search operations and start throwing stones to help the militants escape. Many civilians have lost their lives and a large number of people have been injured. With such obstructions the army has, on several occasions, called off the search operations.

Recently, armed personnel of the 55 Rashtriya Rifles (a Special Operation Group of Jammu & Kashmir Police from Pulwama and Newa) cordoned off Urivan village after a tip-offthat two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were hiding there. When the government forces started a combing operation, the local population attacked the army and SOG personnel with stones, thus, forcing the men in uniforms to vacate the site.

The armed forces in Kashmir are now taking stern steps to deal with the people who help militants. They have been directed to use only rifles and drop their batons. This direction has comeafter General Bipin Rawat issued warnings of harsh action against those who help militants escape.

The army has also tried the use of soft measures like using smoke cover to prevent locals from obstructing operations but this has not yielded much result, forcing them to consider using harsher methods. The state government has now decided to impose strict restrictions within a radius of three km from the site of any counter-insurgency operation in Kashmir.

On the other hand,students in the Valleys educational institutes, including those at Kashmir University, are now openly cautioning the government to end oppression and suppression of the people of Kashmir otherwise they will be left with no choice but to pick up guns. Recently, despite the ban on students politics, there was a protest march inside the campus of Kashmir University expressing solidarity with the families of militants and civilians killed in an encounter in Kulgam South Kashmir. Shouting pro-azadi(freedom) and anti-India slogans, the protesting students carried banners reading, End Occupation, Free Kashmir.

Nowadays, informers have become a new headache for the army units in Kashmir. Twice in the past fortnight, the armys local informers in the Valley double-crossed them and gave ared herring to the units involved in operations, leading theminto the militants trap.

Undoubtedly, there is much support to the militants in Kashmir by the local people, but the fact is that youngsters mostly get killed within a period of a month or two after joining militancy. Every encounter ends on a bitter note. Sometimes, civilians also fall to the bullets from the forces. Militant, innocent, policeman or even army at the end of the day, is made up by humans who lose their precious lives. To end the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir, the ruling partyhas to shun its stubbornness and initiate a process by taking concrete and honest steps for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

The writer can be reached at: [emailprotected]

Duterte renews attack on Church as he defends war on drugs – Inquirer.net

Posted: at 2:46 pm

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech on Thursday, March 2, 2017, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway. (Photo from a video by RTVM)

CORDOVA, Cebu President Rodrigo Duterte stepped up his attacks again on Thursday against the Catholic Church, whom he had been accusing of hypocrisy as he defended his administrations war against illegal drugs.

In a speech laced with profanities, Duterte pointed out that priests were fond of wearing golden cross on their chests and using golden chalices while living in palaces.

In contrast, he added, Jesus Christ was nailed to a simple wooden cross and used wooden cups.

Mga pari wa nay gibuhat ug dili magyawyaw. Gwapog mga palasyo. Ibaligya na ninyo. Palit ninyog bugas ihatag sa pobre. Nya undang nag pang (kolekta). Kung dili, ipadakop ta mo. Extortion, he said, speaking in Cebuano, his native tongue.

(Priests do nothing else but rant. They live in palaces. You should sell those and use the money to buy rice for the poor. And stop collecting money. If you dont, I will have you arrested for extortion.

Duterte was here to grace the groundbreaking ceremony for the third bridge that would connect Cebu Island and Mactan Island.

The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) in Cordova town is a Public-Private Partnership between Cordova town and Cebu City and the private proponent Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. (MPTDC), which is owned by Manny Pangilinan.

Duterte was supposed to arrive at 3:00 p.m. at the boundary of Barangays Dapitan and Pilipog in Cordova to head in the lowering of the time capsule on the site where the bridge would be constructed.

But he arrived at 4:50 p.m.

His 30-minute speech was focused mostly on defending his war on drugs and his scathing attacks against the Catholic Church.

Catholic Church leaders have repeatedly condemned Dutertes war on drugs, which has claimed at least 7,000 lives.

But Duterte maintained that he was committed to stop illegal drugs in the country.

Fathers, monsignors, bishops, this means to say: Marami pang patayan to, kasi lalaban talaga yan, he said.

(Fathers, monsignors, bishops, this means to say: There will be more killings, because they will really fight back.

It wont end tomorrow for as long as there is a drug pusher and drug lord, he added.

He pointed out that while the Catholic priests would not want any more deaths in the ongoing war against drugs, the list of identified drug personalities could not just be disregarded.

He said he would order the precinct commanders in towns and cities all over the country to give the Catholic priests a list of all persons playing drugs and destroying lives of innocents.

Theres a whale of a difference between killing an innocent person and killing a criminal. They ought not to be mixed up, he stressed.

I do not need martial law, he went on. I do not need to declare a suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. You destroy my country, you destroy the youth, I do not give a shit kung tanan pari magluhod, maghangad langit, mag ampo (if all the priest kneel down and pray and beg). I have a country to preserve and that is the Filipino nation. It has nothing to do with religion.

The President also alludedthe contents of the report of the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW).

According to the 124-page report, more than 7,000 people have been killed mostly by unidentified gunmen and some during police operations since Duterte assumed office in July 2016.

But Duterte pointed out that the government had also lost its share of law enforcers. Among them, he said, were the 32 soldiers and 29 police officers who went after the drug laboratories, including in Mindanao.

He said it was his order to the police and military to hunt down drug personalities. If they would violently resist, then law enforcers should just kill these personalities instead of being killed themselves.

I will kill you if you destroy the youth of my land. They are our assets, Duterte said. /atm

Duterte renews attack on Church as he defends war on drugs - Inquirer.net

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State Dept. Official Praises Mexican Efforts in War on Drugs – New York Times

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State Dept. Official Praises Mexican Efforts in War on Drugs
New York Times
WASHINGTON One of the few senior Obama administration appointees still at the State Department delivered a ringing endorsement on Thursday of Mexican efforts to stop illegal drugs from entering the United States, just as the Trump administration is ...

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State Dept. Official Praises Mexican Efforts in War on Drugs - New York Times

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Military involvement in drug war to worsen rights abuseKarapatan – Inquirer.net

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A human rights groupon Thursdayclaimed that the involvement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs will only worsen abuse on human rights.

AFP signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)on Tuesday. The said memorandum stated that the military will lead anti-drug operations in conflict-affected areas.

It will worsen the impact on the civil and political rights of poor Filipinos, without addressing the social, economic and political bases of the problem of illegal drugs, Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said.

With the AFPs notorious record of human rights abuses against civilian communities through counter-insurgency programs like Oplan Kapayapaan and its all-out war campaign, there is no doubt that the AFP will further its militarist policies and approach in suppressing struggling communities using the mantle of the war on drugs, she added.

READ:PNP memo cited as proof kills authorized

The group reiterated that the government should instead uphold social and economic rights of people, instead of curbing peoples civil and political rights.

The provision of secure jobs with living wages, access to social services, and empowerment of the people through organizations, unions, and cooperatives are the most effective deterrents against the use and trade of drugs, Palabay said. ASU/rga

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Military involvement in drug war to worsen rights abuseKarapatan - Inquirer.net

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Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling: Learn How to Stop …

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Learn How to Stop Gambling and Regain Control of Your Finances and Relationships

It can happen to anyone from any walk of life: Your gambling goes from a fun, innocuous diversion to an unhealthy preoccupation with serious consequences. Whether you bet on sports, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slotsin a casino, at the track, or onlineif your gambling becomes a problem, it can strain your relationships, interfere with work, and lead to financial disaster. You may even do things you never thought you would, like stealing money to gamble or pay debts. It may feel like you cant stop, but with the right help, you can overcome a gambling problem or addiction and regain control of your life.

What you can do

Gambling addictionalso known aspathological gambling, compulsive gamblingorgambling disorderis an impulse-control disorder. If youre a compulsive gambler, you cant control the impulse to gamble, even when it has negative consequences for you or your loved ones. Youll gamble whether youre up or down, broke or flush, happy or depressed, and youll keep gambling regardless of the consequenceseven when you know that the odds are against you or you cant afford to lose.

Of course, you can also have a gambling problem without being totally out of control. Problem gamblingis any gambling behavior that disrupts your life. If youre preoccupied with gambling, spending more and more time and money on it, chasing losses, or gambling despite serious consequences in your life, you have a gambling problem.

A gambling addiction or problem is often associated with other behavior or mood disorders. Many problem gamblers also suffer with substance abuse issues, unmanaged ADHD, stress, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. To overcome your gambling problems, youll also need to address these and any other underlying causes as well. The first step is to separate the myths from the facts about gambling problems:

Myth: You have to gamble every day to be a problem gambler.

Fact: A problem gambler may gamble frequently or infrequently. Gambling is a problem if it causes problems.

Myth: Problem gambling is not really a problem if the gambler can afford it.

Fact: Problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. Too much time spent on gambling can also lead to relationship and legal problems, job loss, mental health problems including depression and anxiety, and even suicide.

Myth: Having a gambling problem is just a case of being weak-willed, irresponsible, or unintelligent.

Fact: Gambling problems affect people of all levels of intelligence and all backgrounds. Previously responsible and strong-willed people are just as likely to develop a gambling problem as anyone else.

Myth: Partners of problem gamblers often drive problem gamblers to gamble.

Fact: Problem gamblers often rationalize their behavior. Blaming others is one way to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, including what is needed to overcome the problem.

Myth: If a problem gambler builds up a debt, you should help them take care of it.

Fact: Quick fix solutions may appear to be the right thing to do. However, bailing the gambler out of debt may actually make matters worse by enabling gambling problems to continue.

Gambling addiction is sometimes referred to as a "hidden illness" because there are no obvious physical signs or symptoms like there are in drug or alcohol addiction. You may have a gambling problem if you:

Feel the need to be secretive about your gambling.You might gamble in secret or lie about how much you gamble, feeling others wont understand or that you will surprise them with a big win.

Have trouble controlling your gambling.Once you start gambling, can you walk away? Or are you compelled to gamble until youve spent your last dollar, upping your bets in a bid to win lost money back?

Gamble even when you dont have the money. You may gamble until youve spent your last dollar, and then move on to money you dont havemoney to pay bills, credit cards, or things for your children. You may feel pushed to borrow, sell, or even steal things for gambling money.

Have family and friends worried about you.Denial keeps problem gambling going. If friends and family are worried, listen to them carefully. Its not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Many older gamblers are reluctant to reach out to their adult children if they've gambled away their inheritance, but it's never too late to make changes for the better.

Take this test to find out.

In the last 12-months, have you:

1. Needed to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement??

2. Felt restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling?

3. Made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling?

4. Often been preoccupied with gambling, such as reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, or thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble?

5. Gambled when feeling distressed in some way, such as anxious, stressed, lonely, guilty, or depressed?

6. After losing money gambling, returned another day to get even or chase your losses?

7. Lied to conceal your gambling?

8. Jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or school or career opportunity because of gambling?

9. Relied on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling?

Please answer all the questions

Interpreting the score:

4 to 5: Indicates a MILD gambling problem

6 to 7: Indicates a MODERATE gambling problem

8 to 9: Indicates a SEVERE gambling problem

This questionnaire is not intended to replace professional diagnosis.

Adapted from: DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria: Gambling Disorder

The biggest step to overcoming a gambling addiction is realizing that you have a problem. It takes tremendous strength and courage to own up to this, especially if you have lost a lot of money and strained or broken relationships along the way. But many others have been in your shoes and have been able to break the habit. You can, too.

Seek help for underlying mood disorders. Depression,stress, substance abuse, oranxiety can both trigger gambling problems and be made worse by compulsive gambling. Even when gambling is no longer a part of your life, these problems will still remain, so its important to address them.

Learn to relieve unpleasant feelings in healthier ways. Do you gamble when youre lonely or bored? Or after a stressful day at work or school? Gambling may be a way to self-soothe unpleasant emotions. But there are healthier and more effective ways of managing your moods, such as practicing relaxation techniques.

Strengthen your support network.Its tough to battle any addiction without support, so reach out to friends and family. If your support network is limited, there are ways to make new friends without relying on visiting casinos or gambling online.Try reaching out to colleagues at work, joining a sports team or book club, enrolling in an education class, or volunteering for a good cause.

Join a support group. Gamblers Anonymous, for example, is a twelve-step recovery program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous. A key part of the program is finding a sponsor, a former gambler who has experience remaining free from addiction and can provide invaluable guidance and support.

Its true: the Internet has made gambling far more accessibleand harder for recovering addicts to avoid relapse. Online casinos and bookmakers are open all day, every day for anyone with a smartphone. But staying in recoverymaking a permanent commitment to stop gamblingis still possible if you:

One way to stop gambling is to remove the elements necessary for gambling to occur in your life and replace them with healthier choices. The four elements needed for gambling to continue are:

A decision:For gambling to happen, you need to make the decision to gamble. If you have an urge:stopwhat you are doing and call someone,thinkabout the consequences to your actions,tellyourself to stop thinking about gambling, andfindsomething else to do immediately.

Money:Gambling cannot occur without money. Get rid of your credit cards, let someone else be in charge of your money, have the bank make automatic payments for you, close online betting accounts, and keep only a limited amount of cash on you.

Time:Even online gambling cannot occur if you dont have the time. Schedule enjoyable recreational time for yourself that has nothing to do with gambling. If youre gambling on your smartphone, find other ways to fill the quiet moments during your day.

A game:Without a game or activity to bet on there is no opportunity to gamble. Dont put yourself in tempting environments. Tell gambling establishments you frequent that you have a gambling problem and ask them to restrict you from entering. Remove gambling apps and block gambling sites on your smartphone and computer.

Maintaining recovery from gambling addiction or problem gambling depends a lot on finding alternative behaviors you can substitute for gambling. Some examples include:

To provide excitement, get a rush of adrenaline

Sport or a challenging hobby, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, or Go Kart racing

To be more social, overcome shyness or isolation

Counseling, enroll in a public speaking class, join a social group, connect with family and friends, volunteer, find new friends

To numb unpleasant feelings, not think about problems

Therapy, consult Helpguides Emotional Intelligence toolkit

Boredom or loneliness

Find something youre passionate about such as art, music, sports, or books and then find others with the same interests

To relax after a stressful day

As little as 15 minutes of daily exercise can relieve stress. Or deep breathing, meditation, or massage

To solve money problems

The odds are always stacked against you so its far better to seek help with debts from a credit counselor

Feeling the urge to gamble is normal, but as you build healthier choices and a strong support network, resisting cravings will become easier. When a gambling craving strikes:

Avoid isolation.Call a trusted family member, meet a friend for coffee, or go to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.

Distract yourself with another activity, such as going to the gym, watching a movie, or practicing a relaxation exercise for gambling cravings.

Postpone gambling.Tell yourself that youll wait 5 minutes, fifteen minutes, or an hour. As you wait, the urge to gamble may pass or become weak enough to resist.

Visualize what will happen if you give in to the urge to gamble. Think about how youll feel after all your money is gone and youve disappointed yourself and your family again.

If you arent able to resist the gambling craving, dont be too hard on yourself or use it as an excuse to give up. Overcoming a gambling addiction is a tough process. You may slip from time to time; the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and continue working towards recovery.

Seeking professional help or seeing a therapist does not mean you are weak or cant handle your problems. Therapy can give you tools and support for coping with your addiction that will last a lifetime. Problem gambling can sometimes be a symptom of bipolar disorder, so your doctor or therapist may need to rule out this disorder before making a diagnosis.

Inpatient treatment programs are an option for those with severe gambling addiction who are unable to avoid gambling without round-the-clock support.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) for gambling addiction focuses on changing unhealthy gambling behaviors and thoughts, such as rationalizations and false beliefs. It can also teach you how to fight gambling urges and solve financial, work, and relationship problems caused by problem gambling.

The Four Steps Program is a variation of CBT aimed at changing your thoughts and beliefs about gambling in four steps: re-label, reattribute, refocus, and revalue. See Resources and References below.

Marriage and credit counseling can help you work through specific issues created by problem gambling.

While compulsive gamblers need the support of their family and friends to stop gambling, its common for loved ones to have conflicting emotions. You may have tried to cover up for the gambler or spent a lot of time trying to keep him or her from gambling. At the same time, you might be furious at your loved one for gambling again and tired of trying to keep up the charade. The gambler may also have borrowed (or even stolen) money from you with no way to pay it back, sold family possessions, or run up huge debts on joint credit cards. As hard as it is seeing the effects your loved ones problem, you cannot make someone stop gambling. The decision to quit has to be theirs.

When faced with the consequences of their actions, a gambler can suffer a crushing drop in self-esteem. This is one reason why there is a high rate of suicide among problem gamblers.

When gamblers feel hopeless, the risk of suicide is high. Its very important to take any thoughts or talk of suicide seriously. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or for a suicide helpline outside the U.S., visit Befrienders Worldwide.

Source: Dept. of Health & Addiction Services

Problem Gambling Awareness Month – WMDT

Posted: at 2:46 pm

Annual Problem Gambling Awareness Month

MARYLAND - Problem Gambling Awareness Month starts today, nationwide.

And Maryland Lottery and Gaming is just one organization doing their part.

47 ABC spoke with Carole Gentry, the director of communications.

Gentry said the state's casinos pay annual assessment fees, which are set aside for "responsible gambling programs".

She said last year, the state collected $3.8 million in fees.

I mean for most people gambling, play at casinos, playing the lottery it's a form of entertainment. But there is a small percentage of people who have a problem with gambling and this is a great way to raise awareness about that, Gentry said.

47 ABC also spoke with Loreen Rugle, the program director at Maryland's Center of Excellence on Program Gambling.

Rugle said that stereotypes about gambling addictions often involve greed.

She adds that this month, the aim is to erase those stereotypes while providing help and resources for those with gambling addictions.

It's your neighbors, your friends, your family. And most people feel so shameful to talk about it. They let it progress until they hit absolute bottom before they reach out and let anybody know, Rugle said.

Both Gentry and Rugle stress that if you, or someone you know, might be struggling with a gambling problem there is a toll free number to call.

1-800-GAMBLER provides confidential, free assistance to connect with local counselors and treatment providers.

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Problem Gambling Awareness Month - WMDT

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Monthly Archives: March 2017

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Duterte renews attack on Church as he defends war on drugs – Inquirer.net

State Dept. Official Praises Mexican Efforts in War on Drugs – New York Times

Military involvement in drug war to worsen rights abuseKarapatan – Inquirer.net

Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling: Learn How to Stop …

Problem Gambling Awareness Month – WMDT

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