http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=fa6_1313252338 Items in channel 'MB-UK' Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:39:15 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?channel_token=fa6_1313252338 Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:14:42 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=460_1355968685 MB-UK The polarized politics of our time, joined with an appetite for pigeonholing, exert pressure on everyone to categorize themselves. Sometimes people declare themselves for "isms" that they have not plumbed. An example in point is conservatism. The politicians who now travel under the banner of "conservatism" happen to espouse views and methods that, so we shall see, are incompatible with the philosophy bearing that name. Meanwhile members of the opposing political party have imbibed a dose of the wisdom conveyed by conservatism. This includes a cautious disposition to welcome expert reasoning about economic policy, reasoning of the sort desperately needed for recovery. As the details of this become clear in the following, so do voters' alternatives in the forthcoming election. Conservatism, as eloquently introduced by Edmund Burke (1729-1797), advocates esteem for government and established institutions. It holds that within them lies an accumulated wisdom that citizens and their leaders should respect and consult. Revering the established order, its constitution, and its history, conservatism cultivates a cautious disposition. Legislators should proceed by careful deliberation guided by the counsel of prudence. Policy should change incrementally. When government errs, all citizens should, in Burke's words, "approach to the faults of the state as to the wounds of a father, with pious awe and trembling solicitude." The Pseudoconservative Radical Attack Today's Republican Party consists of pseudoconservatives, wearers of the "conservative" mantle who repudiate conservatism. Rather than esteeming government, they disdain it. They seem to delight in ridiculing government's failings. To their candidates, one might put the question, if you despise government, why do you want government jobs? But let us leave aside their personal ambitions, and consider their views and methods. Since the Reagan administration, Republicans have vented their dislike for government by, in their words, "starving the beast." In this explicitly avowed scheme, they contrive first to reduce taxes (mostly for corporations and the rich) so as to deprive the federal government of revenue, then invoke the diminished revenue as the pretense for insisting that expenditures must be slashed (especially for social programs) on pain of increasing the deficit. They insist on the expenditure reductions regardless of the contractionary effect on national income, the direct increase in unemployment (as if millions of government employees weren't employees) and the indirect increase in the private sector, and regardless of the hardships for program beneficiaries. To force execution of this scheme, last year the pseudoconservatives wielded the hammer of refusing to increase the debt ceiling and threatening to shut down the government again. That brinkmanship damaged the credit of the U.S. Because of the terms on which the starvationists reluctantly later agreed at the witching hour to raise the debt ceiling, there now looms "the fiscal cliff." Even though their spate of deregulation contributed to a near financial meltdown, they urge deregulation once again. The pseudoconservatives presently propose to reduce taxes further, this in the guise of a fiscal stimulus. They would include high-income taxpayers in this relief, suggesting that doing so will boost consumer spending. That suggestion is belied by the rich's low marginal propensity to consume. That low propensity would allow a tax increase for those taxpayers to reduce the deficit without dampening spending. But the starvationists refuse, since that would feed "the beast." The starvationists have also trained their sights on decimating the welfare state and on transforming Social Security and Medicare by privatizing them. The foregoing are not incremental changes. Nor the fruits of respect for government and its embodied wisdom. They are radical. In respect of government, Burke admonished that one "should never dream of beginning its reformation by its subversion." Yet during the Great Recession, the pseudoconservatives have practiced "Republican economic sabotage," this as part of the systematic obstruction of virtually all substantive action in Congress. Evidently they imagine that contriving ruin will induce voters to put them in charge. That they stoop to deliberately harming the country in quest of power gives the lie to any pretense of prudence or good judgment. Respect for government would lead a genuine conservative, with Burke, "to look with horror on those children of their country, who are prompt rashly to hack that aged parent in pieces . . . in hopes that by their poisonous weeds, and wild incantations, they may regenerate the paternal constitution." The pseudoconservatives evidently believe that the Constitution needs them to fix it. At any given time the Republicans advocate a plethora of amendments-reportedly more than 40 in the current Congress alone. They would amend to prohibit abortion, repeal the Sixteenth Amendment (or if that fails, require a two-thirds majority to increase taxes), repeal the Seventeenth Amendment, impose term limits, prohibit same-sex marriage, and on and on. Their short-sighted "balanced budget" amendment, so Kenneth Arrow and other Nobel laureates in economics have objected, "would mandate perverse actions in the face of recessions." Were that straitjacket to have been imposed during the Great Depression, the U.S. would not have had the means by which it recovered. A genuine conservative also studies and reveres the law. Burke was renowned for legal erudition. But often when today's pseudoconservatives hear of a judicial decision whose conclusion does not jibe with their preconceptions, they leap within moments of the news to condemn the decision. They do not first (or perhaps ever) read it, hence do not know its reasoning. This manifests disrespect for the legal and judicial system. The more the pseudoconservatives learn about our system of government, the less they seem to like it. When they urge that judges "interpret the law rather than make it," they reveal misunderstanding of a common law system, wherein more law is made in judicial opinions than in statutes. So much is apparent from a mere glance at the stacks of a law library. The only appellate judges who do not make law are on vacation. The last Republican administration defied the rule of law-by presidential declarations that the president is not bound by statute, by appointments to the judiciary of subscribers to that preposterous claim, by wiretapping citizens without warrants, and by torturing prisoners. While the terrorists thought that on September 11, 2001 they had destroyed buildings, the impetuous reaction shook our legal institutions. Bruce Fein, associate deputy attorney general under Reagan, testified before Congress that the last Republican administration "vandalized the constitution every bit as much as the barbarians sacked Rome in 410 A.D." The Iraq war was commenced on the basis of misrepresentations and in the absence of any actual or imminent attack by Iraq on any state, thus ostensibly violating international law as established in the Charter of the United Nations. The U.N., a bedrock of the international order that took two world wars to establish, has been scoffed at by pseudoconservatives, who have even blocked payment of U.S. dues. Antigovernment vitriol taken to extremes has even resulted in domestic violence (e.g., the bombing in Oklahoma City). It is at least a mercy that the radical claim that the president is not bound by the law is now dead for lack of a proponent-unless, that is, a pseudoconservative were elected president. A Platform on Stilts Pseudoconservatives cling to the label "conservatism" in the belief that they have invented a new version. In modern history, usage of "conservative" and "liberal" have sometimes nearly reversed from one era to another. But in light of that very history, "conservative" rings hollow for a view stridently opposed to government and fostering radical change by schemes as reckless as crippling and shutting down the government. Regardless, labels disguise detail. What matters is whether a labeled platform is supported by convincing reasoning. The pseudoconservative platform, by dint of self-contradiction, collapses for lack of a foundation. We see this by first scanning some of the contradictions. Government is an ill (Health and Human Services, Education, Housing and Urban Development, EPA, SEC, et al.); government is not an ill (Defense, CIA, Homeland Security, FBI, Commerce, et al.). Government should not enlarge (the safety net for the poor); government should enlarge (a near doubling of defense expenditures). Government should not intrude (financial industry, gun ownership, oil exploration, corporate spending on elections, regulation in general); government should intrude (abortion, collective bargaining by public employees, same-sex marriage, surveillance and wiretapping of citizens without warrants). Government does not create jobs; there are too many government employees. Sacrificing human life is impermissible (abortion, embryonic stem cell research); sacrificing human life is permissible (capital punishment). Government should not subsidize persons who can fend for themselves (the poor); government should subsidize persons who can fend for themselves (oil companies). The federal government should not determine a matter traditionally left to the states (in general); the federal government should determine a matter traditionally left to the states (prohibition of abortion, definition of marriage). Government should not use tax incentives to induce behavior (purchase of medical insurance); government should use tax incentives to induce behavior (oil depletion allowance). How did this cornucopia of contradiction originate? For pseudoconservatives, specific policies (e.g., deregulation of the financial industry) evidently came first. Then the pseudoconservatives devised more general claims (e.g., "government should not intrude") to serve as reasons for policies, these for use in political discussion. Thereafter they have been content to leave the general claims in contradiction. What is so bad, a pseudoconservative may ask, about self-contradiction? After all, contradiction can be amusing. Yogi Berra once said of a restaurant, "No one goes there any more; it's too crowded." But the absurdity of believing contradictory propositions is demonstrated by the theorem of logic that, if given two contradictory premises, one could (by a disjunctive syllogism) prove anything-"the moon is made of green cheese," you name it. Because contradictory premises cannot both be true, and each refutes the other, any speaker who asserts contradictory premises succeeds only in demonstrating that the speaker is not credible. Pseudoconservatism, being composed of contradictions, cannot possess a true foundation, since a truth cannot logically imply a contradiction. Hence pseudoconservatism collapses into a prejudice, i.e., a stance adopted without a cogent foundation, then held despite even self-contradiction. Rational listeners have no reason to vote for an unfounded position, and every reason to reject a self-contradictory one. A Voter's Perspective in the Great Recession Various self-described "mavericks" will protest that they do not subscribe to each of the planks of the pseudoconservative platform. In former times, such a stance might interest a voter declaring, "I vote for the person, not the party." But today we observe that at least on major issues, members of Congress consistently hew to a party line. Any congressional candidate that we elect is an almost guaranteed vote for a party's legislative agenda. Formalizing their commitment to "starving the beast," almost every Republican member of Congress has signed a pledge that they will never vote for any tax increase. Having discovered that the Republicans repudiate conservatism and are mired in self-contradiction, we may next ask, has anyone else taken on board the wisdom bequeathed by conservatism? As the pseudoconservatives are wont to complain, it happens that the Democrats esteem government. They propose incremental changes with an eye toward effects on program beneficiaries, take counsel from the history of economic policy during the Depression and New Deal, and oppose starvation schemes and imprudent deregulation. They seem content with the Constitution save for rare consensus amendments, and pay respect to our common law system, the United Nations, and the established order. The Democrats also have a long history of heeding advice from leading lights of the economics profession, in part because both assign high priority to full employment of resources and economic growth. Economists generally recommend gradual fiscal policy changes, this to avoid untoward effects when perturbing a complex national economy not fully understood. To this cautious disposition, conservatism lends its support. To avoid contracting the economy before it has recovered, and to avoid hardships for the needy, the current Democratic administration would effect deficit reduction by decreasing expenditures over time, supporting programs that enhance productivity, and increasing marginal rates for high-income taxpayers. (As noted, their consumer purchasing is relatively insensitive to tax rates.) In opposition to any such economic reasoning, the engine of pseudoconservatism is fueled by high-octane anti-intellectualism, a mien dismissing universities as "gulags with libraries."---- Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/louis-m-guenin/pseudoconservative-great-recession_b_2003930.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=460_1355968685 MB-UK Why American Republicans Are Not Conservatives and Are an Embarrassment to Real Ones republicans, conservatism, not, quite, delusional, americans, USA, merry, christmas, liveleak, nutters, pseudoconservatism, liberals Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:13:58 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b2c_1355602255 MB-UK The shooting in Connecticut is the second-worst mass shooting in recent American history. Some groups, which campaign for tougher restrictions on access to weapons, have already renewed their calls for a change in the law. But many other Americans remain determined to defend their constitutional rights, arguing that more restrictions on gun ownership will lead to more crime. Bill Hayton reports.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20741912 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b2c_1355602255 MB-UK US society divided over gun controls usa, gun, control, divide Sat, 15 Dec 2012 14:19:36 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dee_1355598883 MB-UK The United States is in mourning following one of the worst school shootings in American history. A gunman shot dead 20 young children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday morning. In an emotional interview for ABC, teacher Kaitlin Roig describes how she asked pupils to be quiet as they hid in a classroom, waiting to be rescued. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=dee_1355598883 MB-UK US shooting: 'I thought we were all going to die' usa, shooting, newtown, interview, teacher Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:26:45 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=740_1355520143 MB-UK Ut Supra http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=740_1355520143 MB-UK US President Obama's Statement on the Newtown Shooting usa, president, obama, statement, white, house, newtown, shooting Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:21:01 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=009_1355508944 MB-UK As many as 27 people have been killed, including many children, in a shooting attack at a primary school in the US state of Connecticut, US media say. At least a dozen children are among the dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, the Associated Press reported. Earlier, the gunman was reported to have been killed and at least three people were taken to hospital. A news conference is imminent and the state Governor Dannell Malloy is on his way. Police arrived at the school soon after 09:40 local time (14:40 GMT), with a full search of the site carried out soon after. Schools across the district were immediately on lock-down as a preventive measure, officials say. Meanwhile, the three people who have been taken to hospital are in "very serious condition", Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton told CNN. 'Collecting facts'There are unconfirmed reports of two shooters, according to a report in the local Hartford Courant newspaper. As the situation began, police received a call reporting that a gunman was in the school's main office. One person there had "numerous gunshot wounds", the Courant added. One witness speaking to CNN said that shots were heard coming from the hall. There "must have been 100 rounds" fired, she told the channel. Local media have reported that firefighters instructed children to close their eyes and run past the school's office as they exited the building. Other sources suggest that some of the shots were fired in a school classroom. With the children now evacuated, aerial images of the school show several emergency vehicles still at the scene and scores of cars surrounding the area. Teams of officers are on the scene, some with dogs, as a thorough search of the school continues. A local NBC news channel said that a hospital in nearby Danbury had reported receiving three injured patients. Several parents are reportedly at the school, standing by and waiting for more information. Officials say they are trying to unite children with their parents. Sandy Hook School - described by correspondents as a highly rated school - has cancelled its kindergarten class on Friday and will not operate midday bus runs, the school's website says. The public school has more than 600 students in classes from Kindergarten to 4th Grade - including students aged from five to 10. On its website, Danbury Hospital said it was aware of a "situation" at the school. "Please know we're collecting facts now and will be back to you as soon as possible with the most accurate information," the hospital said in a statement.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20730717 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=009_1355508944 MB-UK Another Shocking US Shooting - '27 dead' in Connecticut primary school school, shooting, 27, dead, children, connecticut, primary Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:25:38 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=612_1355397785 MB-UK Japan has accused China of violating its airspace for the first time after a Chinese government plane flew near disputed East China Sea islands. Fighter jets were scrambled after the plane was seen around 11:00 local time (02:00 GMT) near one of the islands, spokesman Osamu Fujimura said. Japan lodged an immediate protest with Beijing, he said. The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have been a long-standing source of tension. A total of eight F-15 fighters were sent after reports of the presence of the plane, which belong to China's State Oceanic Administration - a state body tasked with law enforcement in Chinese waters. Japan's defence ministry said it was the first intrusion into Japan's air space by a Chinese government aircraft since the military began keeping records in 1958. Last year, Japan said two Chinese military planes flew near the area, but did not enter the country's airspace. Mr Fujimura called the incident "extremely deplorable", saying it followed a report from the coast guard that Chinese surveillance ships had also been seen in waters near the islands earlier in the day. "It is extremely regrettable that, on top of that, an intrusion into our airspace has been committed in this way," he said. The Chinese ambassador in Tokyo had been summoned to hear a formal Japanese protest, he said. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei, however, said during a regular news briefing that the plane's flight was "completely normal". "The Diaoyu islands and affiliated islands are part of China's inherent territory," he said. "The Chinese side calls on Japan to halt all entries into water and airspace around the islands." Japan controls the islands, which are also claimed by Taiwan. Close to strategically important shipping lanes, the waters around the islands also offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits. The dispute over their ownership has rumbled for years but the Japanese government's acquisition of three of the islands from their private Japanese owner in September sparked a renewed row, triggering a diplomatic chill and public protests in some Chinese cities. Since then Chinese ships have been sailing in and out of waters around the islands, prompting warnings from Japan. It is not clear whether this is a move by the Chinese side to escalate the dispute, or a one-off event designed to remind Japan of unsettled history, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Tokyo. Today marks the 75th anniversary of the start of the Nanjing massacre, where Japanese troops killed tens of thousands of Chinese civilians in China's old capital, Nanjing, in 1937. The incident also comes days before a Japanese general election thought likely to result in a change of government in Tokyo.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20707760 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=612_1355397785 MB-UK Japan accuses China of airspace intrusion over islands japan, china, airspace, intrusion, accusation, islands, disputed Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:17:35 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=76c_1355339526 MB-UK It is not exactly Checkpoint Charlie in Cold War Berlin. But a row of flower pots marking the border between the US and Canada is still provoking controversy in the communities affected. The villages of Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec, had long been separated by a border that seemed to exist in name only. But over the past decade fears about terrorism, smuggling and illegal immigration have led to increased security. Metal fences - and in the case of Church Street, flower pots - now block some roads. Residents who cross illegally face fines of $5,000 (lb3,106). Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20649024 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=76c_1355339526 MB-UK Flower Pots Border Divides US and Canada flower, pots, border, divides, us, canada, 9/11, security Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:48:38 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=320_1355309203 MB-UK Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested some opposition politicians are in the pay of foreign interests, saying it is unacceptable. In an annual state-of-the-nation address in Moscow strong on patriotic themes, he talked of the need to preserve Russian national identity. He urged more births, saying a family with three children should be the norm. On the economy, Mr Putin said he wanted to "de-offshore" Russian business and curb fraud in public spending. Appealing to patriotic feeling, Mr Putin pointed out that Russia had no worthy monument to its dead of World War I, an event largely eclipsed by the October Revolution of 1917. It is his first such speech since being re-elected in March for a third term following a winter of political protests over ballot-rigging and state corruption. His return to office has been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent with the arrest of opposition activists and introduction of restrictive legislation. Opposition leaders are locked in a dispute with the city authorities in Moscow over plans for a protest march on Saturday. Mr Putin gave no names when he made his accusation of foreign interference. "Any external interference in our affairs is unacceptable," he said. "A politician who receives money from beyond the borders of the Russian Federation cannot be a politician on its territory," he said to applause. In July, Mr Putin signed a bill forcing foreign-funded non-governmental groups (NGOs) involved in political activity to register as "foreign agents" in Russia. Critics condemned the move as a bid to gag NGOs which exposed vote-rigging and other abuses. The Russian president said political diversity was a "definite boon for the country". However, a "civilised dialogue" was only possible with "those political forces which table their proposals and defend them within the law". "We need to draw up a set of rules, as it were, for well-intentioned political competition," he said. 'De-offshore'Russians, Mr Putin said, should remember they had "1,000 years of history". This should give them "inner strength". Russia must remain a sovereign and influential country and retain its national identity, he told parliament. He quoted the late writer and former Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn: "To be a patriot is first and foremost to serve in one's own country." On the economy, Mr Putin said: "Our entrepreneurs have often been accused of lacking patriotism." He criticised companies carrying out their business in offshore jurisdictions. "According to available data, nine out of 10 transactions by them are not regulated by our laws." State procurement must become more transparent and auditing of budgetary spending must be tightened, he said. He said that programmes to address Russia's long-term population decline were now working and in the past five months, the population had begun to grow naturally, with births exceeding deaths. Alexei Navalny, the anti-corruption blogger who spearheaded protests a year ago, poured scorn on the claim. "It makes me mad when he lies about 'succeeding in stabilising demography'," Mr Navalny wrote on his Twitter account. "These are just the children of the Soviet baby boom giving birth. With no help from any Putin." Mr Navalny and others have pledged to go ahead with their march on Saturday despite failure to agree a route with the authorities.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20691886 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=320_1355309203 MB-UK Putin warns of foreign meddling in politics in Russia putin, russia, foreign, meddling, politics Wed, 12 Dec 2012 05:46:35 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c0e_1355309029 MB-UK Renovations in Amsterdam apartments - nicknamed "halal homes" in the press - have sparked a political row in the Netherlands. About 180 apartments in Amsterdam have been given special makeovers which suit the wishes of Muslim residents. Features include individual taps that can be used for ritual cleansing before prayers and sliding doors to keep men and women apart. Some right-wing politicians have been stirring up public opposition, warning that anyone asking for such modifications should "leave for Mecca". From the outside, the apartments look no different from other social housing blocks in the residential area of Bos and Lommer, in the less opulent western reaches of the capital. Aynur Yildrim gives a tour of her home with the enthusiasm of an inspired estate agent. In the bathroom she bends to reveal the lowered water point - a modification that, in some variation, might equally exist in non-religious homes. But it is the perceived religious aspect of these changes that has made them so controversial. And it is in the tidy kitchen that the distinction is most striking, as Ms Yildrim shows off the sliding doors. "I wanted a closed kitchen, in order to be able to close the kitchen off now and then for a bit more privacy. Sometimes we like to be separated, the women on one side and the men on the other." Wim de Waard of the housing association Eigen Haard insisted that the changes were "absolutely not religiously inspired - they are just practical adaptations". The adaptations followed consultations with local residents, including Muslim groups. Mr de Waard stressed that apartments were not reserved for Muslims - homes were assigned on the basis of rank on the waiting list, size of household and income. For many Dutch people, living in a historically tolerant and liberal country, the idea of separating men and women has led to some criticism that these buildings are effectively condoning some kind of gender inequality. The controversial anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders accused the Dutch authorities of subsidising a "medieval gender apartheid". He has publicly prophesied about an impending "ghettoisation" of Dutch neighbourhoods - not unusually strong words from a man who once appeared in court for his strident rhetoric. Mr Wilders was cleared of inciting religious hatred two years ago. After a poor performance in recent parliamentary elections, Mr Wilders may be angling to woo immigration-conscious right-wing voters again with his strong, headline-grabbing statements. Recent opinion polls suggest that if there were to be an election tomorrow, his Freedom Party (PVV) would win. A Dutch property developer and PVV supporter said he was "shocked" by the "halal homes" concept. "It's a ridiculous idea, I thought it was a joke," he complained. "It turns into reality. The rules of the Koran are discrimination, it is stimulating discrimination. It's taking us back to medieval times." "These immigrants are from lower social classes, they're not educated, they're bringing those values to our Dutch society - the opposite should happen, they should adapt to our modern and free values. We should teach them to integrate. This is backwards. What if it were on buses? If we were to separate men and women on buses it would be like discrimination again, here in the Netherlands. It's crazy. I can't believe it. It frightens me." But many residents in the area seem to accept that what their neighbours do in the privacy of their own homes is entirely up to them. Tess Duijghuisen lives in the same block and said: "A lot of new people arrived here lately, a lot of young people like me, so trust me, there's no problem of ghettoisation. "And there are a lot of exchanges between people from all nationalities, which makes life much nicer here." On internet forums, some users have made light of the renovations, with comments such as, "I believe in the power of disco, please can I have a disco ball built into my apartment?" When I asked Dutch followers on Twitter why the opposition, they told me "it's wrong that inequality should be subsidised by tax money" and that another country's traditions "may be offensive to others". It is a debate over the public versus private spaces. When the public purse is used to part-fund modifications, which many see as the religious antithesis of traditional Dutch society, conflict emerges. Public funding is actually in the form of a guarantee, the housing association says. Yet it is still perceived as a subsidy. The housing association says the complex is completely mixed, that the homes have been renovated to improve their "rentability" and that it is just trying to keep everyone happy. Many would argue that that is a tough ambition to fulfil - whether in religion, politics or our private lives.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20679558 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=c0e_1355309029 MB-UK Netherlands 'halal homes' ignite religious row netherlands, halal, homes, row, religion, muslims Wed, 12 Dec 2012 02:26:07 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=446_1355296622 MB-UK A gunman has opened fire at a shopping mall near the city of Portland, Oregon, killing two people and himself. One other person was seriously injured at the Clackamas Shopping Center and taken to hospital, Lt James Rhodes of Clackamas County Police said. Officials say the gunman killed himself after the shooting spree. Police who arrived at the scene did not fire. Dozens of police and emergency medical teams searched the premises for shoppers hiding inside, Lt Rhodes said. The shooting began at about 15:30 PST (23:30 GMT) in Clackamas, a suburban town on the southern fringe of Portland, in the middle of the Christmas shopping season. Witnesses said the gunman opened fire several times while on the second floor of the shopping centre, near the food court and Macy's department store. Police have recovered a gun, but said they were still searching the mall for any other evidence, as well as anyone who had locked themselves inside a store during the alert. "We know of several groups of employees that have locked themselves in break rooms and bathrooms," Lt Rhodes said. "One at a time, very carefully, we are addressing each of those groups." Taylor Gibson, a employee at Build-a-Bear, said when she first heard the shots, she and others rushed customers to the back room and closed the store's front gate. "That gate takes 30 to 45 seconds to close," she told the Oregonian . "Honestly, as I was shutting that gate I was waiting for that person to walk up the hallway and shoot me." Multiple witnesses reported to local media that the gunman was wearing a mask and brandishing an assault-style rifle. Evan Walters, who worked at the mall and was locked inside a store, told local broadcaster KATU he saw two people who had been killed, and he and other store employees placed sheets over the bodies. In a statement, Oregon governor John Kitzhaber said: "my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families... I have directed State Police to make any and all necessary resources available to local law enforcement".---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20690215 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=446_1355296622 MB-UK Deadly Oregon shooting at Clackamas shopping centre oregon, shooting, clackamas, shopping, centre, usa Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:57:22 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bb6_1355255434 MB-UK Asia will wield more global power than the US and Europe combined by 2030, a forecast from the US intelligence community has found. Within two decades China will overtake the US as the world's largest economy, the report adds. It also warns of slower growth and falling living standards in advanced nations with ageing populations. Global Trends 2030 , issued to coincide with Mr Obama's second term, says it aims to promote strategic thinking. Published every four years, the report from the National Intelligence Council (NIC) aims to draw together a wide sweep of "megatrends" driving transformation in the world. 'Slow relative decline'The NIC suggests that by 2030, Asia will have more "overall power" than the US and Europe combined - taking into account population size, gross domestic product (GDP), military spending and investment in technology. "China alone will probably have the largest economy, surpassing that of the United States a few years before 2030," the report says. "Meanwhile, the economies of Europe, Japan, and Russia are likely to continue their slow relative declines." But the report says it does not anticipate that China will emerge as a superpower in the mould of the US, forging coalitions to take on international issues. Speaking at a news briefing, Mathew Burrows, counsellor to the National Intelligence Council said: "Being the largest economic power is important... it isn't necessarily the largest economic power that always is going to be the superpower." The "megatrends" identified by the report include individual empowerment and transfer of power from the West to the global East and South. It highlights ageing societies and a growing middle class, as well as diminishing natural resources, as key global themes. Within the next two decades the US will achieve energy independence, and the size of urban populations around the world will rise sharply, the report says. But, the report adds, questions about the global economy, governance, evolving methods of conflict, regional spillover, new technologies and the future role of the US could dramatically impact the global picture over the next 20 years. The study is the fifth in a series. The last edition was published in 2008.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20671917 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=bb6_1355255434 MB-UK Asia 'to eclipse' US and Europe by 2030 - US report asia, usa, europe, economy, 2030, overtake, report Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:48:50 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=86c_1355257640 MB-UK The Church of England and Church in Wales will be banned in law from offering same-sex marriages, the government has announced. Other religious organisations will be able to "opt in" to holding ceremonies, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said. But she added that the Church of England and Church in Wales had "explicitly" stated strong opposition and would not be included. The plans are due to be introduced before the next election, in 2015. Labour backs the changes, which apply to England and Wales, and urged ministers not to be "too reserved" in promoting them. The Church of England and Roman Catholics, among other denominations, have voiced opposition to same-sex marriage and are expected to oppose the bill, even with its caveats. But some religious groups, including Quakers, Unitarians and Liberal Judaism, are in favour. In her statement, Mrs Miller promised a "quadruple lock" to protect religious freedom, involving: No religious organisation or individual minister being compelled to marry same-sex couples or to permit this to happen on their premises Making it unlawful for religious organisations or their ministers to marry same-sex couples unless their organisation's governing body has expressly opted in to provisions for doing so Amending the 2010 Equality Act to ensure no discrimination claim can be brought against religious organisations or individual ministers for refusing to marry a same-sex couple The legislation explicitly stating that it will be illegal for the Church of England and the Church in Wales to marry same-sex couples and that Canon Law, which bans same-sex weddings, will continue to apply Mrs Miller said the Church of England and Church in Wales had "explicitly stated" their opposition to offering same-sex ceremonies, so the government would "explicitly state that it will be illegal for the Churches of England and Wales to marry same-sex couples". She also said: "I am absolutely clear that no religious organisation will ever be forced to conduct marriages for same-sex couples, and I would not bring in a bill which would allow that. "European law already puts religious freedoms beyond doubt, and we will go even further by bringing in an additional 'quadruple legal lock'. But it is also a key aspect of religious freedom that those bodies who want to opt in should be able to do so." For Labour, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, welcomed the announcement, saying : "We should not stop people from getting married and getting that recognition from the state on grounds of gender or sexuality. "And we should not here in Parliament say that some loving relationships have greater value than others." Plans to legalise same-sex marriage have divided the Conservative Party and more than 100 Tory MPs are thought to be against the idea. Religious freedomOne of these opponents, Peter Bone, asked the Commons: "How dare the secretary of state try to redefine marriage?" Richard Drax said: "I would like to ask the Secretary of State and the government what right have they got, other than arrogance and intolerance, to stamp their legislative boot on religious faith?" Another, Sir Tony Baldry, who speaks for the Church of England in Parliament, said: "For the Church of England, the uniqueness of marriage is that it does embody the distinctiveness of men and women. "So removing from the definition of marriage this complementarity is to lose any social institution where sexual difference is explicitly acknowledged." The Catholic Church stepped up its opposition, accusing ministers of ignoring a 600,000-signature petition supporting the status quo. Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, and Archbishop Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Southwark, said opponents of gay marriage should lobby MPs "clearly, calmly and forcefully, and without impugning the motives of others". In a statement, they said: "The meaning of marriage matters. It derives that meaning from its function as the foundation of the family. "The union of one man and one woman for love and mutual support and open to procreation has over the centuries formed a stable unit we call the family." But the Archbishop of Wales said that making it illegal for the Church in Wales to offer same-sex marriages would be a "step too far". "In my personal opinion it's a great pity it's illegal for us not to even have the possibility to do it," said Dr Barry Morgan. "It should be left for us to opt in or opt out." The Bishop of Leicester, the right reverend Tim Stevens, warned the issue was creating a division between the political classes and practising religious people. He spoke out against the government's proposals in the House of Lords and said ministers needed to work towards a consensus on the matter. But former bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries of Pentregarth, said in response that a "fair number" of serving bishops supported gay marriage but were unable to say so publicly. Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that he believed same-sex marriages should be allowed in churches - but only if there was a "100%" guarantee that no church, synagogue or mosque would be forced to hold one against their wishes. A number of other senior Tories, including Education Secretary Michael Gove, London Mayor Boris Johnson and former Prime Minister John Major, have also backed same-sex marriage by religious bodies. Ben Summerskill, chief executive of the gay rights organisation Stonewall, said: "We're delighted about the government's statement today and welcome the promise to legislate for equal marriage as warmly as on the three previous occasions that this announcement has been made. "We're particularly pleased that ministers have been persuaded to extend their original proposal in order to permit same-sex marriages for those religious denominations that wish to hold them. This is an important matter of religious freedom." 'Husband' and 'wife'The consultation on plans for same-sex marriage received 228,000 submissions. In its response to the consultation the government says it has no plans to change the definition of adultery or non-consummation of a marriage - which means neither could be cited as grounds for divorce in a same-sex marriage, unless the adultery was with someone of the opposite sex. They also dismiss the fear that the terms "husband" and "wife" could be removed as a result of same sex marriages. The government says: "That is not the case - on the contrary these proposals will allow more people to use those terms. "Couples will continue to be able call each other whatever they wish in their personal life, and in legal and official documents, the terms husband and wife will continue to be used." They also say that teachers "particularly in faith schools will be able to continue to describe their belief that marriage is between a man and woman whilst acknowledging and acting within the new legislative position which enables same sex-couples to get married".---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20680924 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=86c_1355257640 MB-UK Gay marriage to be illegal in the Church of England gay, marriage, illegal, church, of, england, uk