Category Archives: Transhuman News

Bassem Youssef - Comments to self-censorship
Bassem Youssef explains how negative comments can subconsciously change the opinion you present in your show if you aren #39;t careful.From:CairoLiveTVViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:31More inNews Politics

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Bassem Youssef - Comments to self-censorship - Video

News Harvard professor warns of state secrecy since 9/11.

Harvard Professor of history of science Peter Galisonsuggested that censorship and state secrecy are far more extensive and intrusive today than at any previous time in United States history in a talk entitled War, Censorship, and the Mind in Harper last Friday afternoon.

In his talk, Galison spoke on the history of censorship in the U.S. and its effect on the individual psyche. He called censorship in this country a distinctly modern idea and broke it down into three periods that correspond with military action: the Great War (19141918), the Long War (19391989), and the Terror Wars (2001present).

Censorship in the first period resulted from the Espionage and Sedition Acts, which banned speech disruptive to the U.S. militarys recruitment efforts for the First World War and the releasing of sensitive material like tactical maps. These efforts were of small scope and applied to only a small number of subjects.

By contrast, in the last period, brought about by the terrorist attacks of September 11, ordinary centers of civilian life such as airports and personal computers have become fronts in the war on terror and as a result, state surveillance has grown.

Simultaneously, the 2001 U.S.A. Patriot Act and so-called State Secrets Privilege have expanded the scope of classified information to 117 broad categories of government information by what Galison called a radiative effect of secrecy by default.

When the government started adding and other information to lists of classified materials, thats where the tether breaks, Galison said. With this change, the ontology of secrets shifted from forbidding utterances to forbidding entire domains of knowledge.

Galison called this latest advance para-secrecy and channeled his concern into his 2008 film Secrecy, which he co-produced with fellow Harvard professor Robb Moss. Galison screened a clip from the film suggesting that extensive secrecy policies have led to unconstitutional invasions of civilian privacy and human rights violations such as those documented at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.

At the individual level, as early as 1897 Freud made the connection between the Austrian government censoring letters and newspapers and individuals censoring their own thoughts and developing neuroses. Galison worried that the significant growth of censorship since then could have profound negative psychological consequences. We have no idea what para-secrecy does to the human mind, he said.

Galison gave the lecture as the 2012Critical Inquiryvisiting professor, which includes his giving two public lectures and teaching a Ph.D. seminar called Building Crashing Thinking, which investigates the question, How did the machines we make turn around to remake us?

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Prof presents history of censorship during wartime

Irshad Manji at Wanderlust Whistler #39;s Speakeasy Lecture Series 2012
The New York Times calls Irshad Manji "Osama bin Laden #39;s worst nightmare." Oprah Winfrey #39;s magazine has given Irshad its first annual Chutzpah Award for "audacity, nerve, boldness and conviction." She takes both as compliments. Irshad is Director of the Moral Courage Project at New York University #39;s School of Public Service. The project teaches young leaders to challenge intellectual conformity and self-censorship. She is also a senior fellow with the European Foundation for Democracy, which promotes universal human rights and freedom of conscience. We were very honored to have Irshad visit us at Wanderlust Stratton to discuss unity, community, and communication. She opened the floor to questions about "Islam! Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask" and what ensued was an extremely honest and participatory discussion about how we can create greater understanding and compassion in our world. She recently spoke on a panel (Sept 2012) with His Holiness the Dalai Lama about finding the "Common Ground for Peace", and even more recently (Nov 2012) was awarded the "Humanist of the Year" Award from the Society for Ethical Culture. We encourage you to learn more about her Moral Courage Project, by signing up on her website and fanning up the social media pages below: http://www.irshadmanji.com http://www.facebook.com twitter.com Wanderlust Festival is also endebted to Hay House (www.hayhouse.com) who helped us realize the entire 2012 Speakeasy Lecture Series across all four ...From:WanderlustFestivalViews:3 0ratingsTime:01:11:34More inTravel Events

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Irshad Manji at Wanderlust Whistler's Speakeasy Lecture Series 2012 - Video

Panaji, Nov 20 (IBNS)

Renowned Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi has described censorship as a world problem and called for reasonable ways to handle it.

"Censorship is an ugly method of improving our life," he said and added that police states tackle this problem in a harsh way, while democratic nations do it in a far more reasonable manner.

Zanussi, who will be honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on Tuesday evening, was addressing the media here in the morning.

Known for producing acclaimed films like Camouflage, Family Life, The Silent Touch, The Contract and Revisited, Zanussi pitched for great ideas to shape the world.

Replying to a question on censorship issues in India, he said, "Internet may build a completely new society or it may destroy us, so the big challenge is to find a balanced way."

His film "Illumination" will be shown at the festival.

Talking about Indian Cinema, the Polish Master said that Independent Cinema and the popular films are complimentary and one must respect the later for being the representative of common culture, though not satisfying to personal tastes at times.

On cinema in his home country, Zanussi said, though it is doing well on a contemporary note, but they are not well recognized as was the case during the political turmoil of early 80's.

He said life is better now in Poland than the Communist era, but the young filmmakers have to cope up with new tragedies and new injustices.

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Censorship is a world problem: Zanussi

Panaji, Nov 20 (IANS) Renowned Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi feels censorship is a global problem.

"Censorship is an ugly method of improving our life," said Zanussi, who will be honoured Tuesday with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening ceremony of 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

He said that police states tackle this problem in a harsh way, while democratic nations do it in a far more reasonable manner.

Speaking to media persons here Zanussi said, "Internet may build a completely new society or it may destroy us, so the big challenge is to find a balanced way."

Talking about Indian cinema, he said that independent cinema and the popular films are complimentary and one must respect the latter for being the representative of common culture, though not satisfying to personal tastes at times, said a statement.

Known for his artistic and acclaimed films like "Camouflage", "Family life", "The Silent Touch", "The Contract" and "Revisited", Zanussi said of Polish cinema now that "though it is doing well on a contemporary note, but they are not well recognized as was the case during the political turmoil of early eighties."

Describing cinema as a young discipline, the he said that his own best is yet to come.

His film "Illumination" will be shown at IFFI.

Originally posted here:
Censorship world problem: Polish filmmaker

Panaji, Nov. 20 (ANI): Renowned Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi has described censorship as a world problem and called for reasonable ways to handle it.

"Censorship is an ugly method of improving our life," said Zanussi, and added that police states tackle this problem in a harsh way, while democratic nations do it in a far more reasonable manner

Replying to a question on censorship issues in India, Zanussi said 'Internet may build a completely new society or it may destroy us, so the big challenge is to find a balanced way'. His film "Illumination" will be shown at the festival.

Talking about Indian Cinema, he said that Independent Cinema and the popular films are complimentary and one must respect the later for being the representative of common culture, though not satisfying to personal tastes at times.

On cinema in his home country, Zanussi said 'though it is doing well on a contemporary note, but they are not well recognized as was the case during the political turmoil of early 80's'.

He said, life is better now in Poland than the Communist era, but the young filmmakers have to cope up with new tragedies and new injustices. Dwelling on the subject of Physics, which Zanussi studied and its relationship with cinema, he said, physics when taken seriously is not engineering but closer to Philosophy.

Describing Cinema as a young discipline, the Polish Master, who produced more than 80 films and documentaries, said that his best is yet to come.

Zanussi, who will be honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa this evening, was addressing the media here this morning.

Known for producing acclaimed films like Camouflage, Family life, The Silent Touch, The Contract and Revisited, Zanussi pitched for great ideas to shape the world. (ANI)

Originally posted here:
'Censorship is a world problem': Krzysztof Zanussi