News for today's 2018

Human Trafficking Awareness Month

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLDD0iqWRK9yw2uGEqmo6vqTCyjWlnEZTOU0TzhCT5LqoKuG_cX5i8xfttyoroOX_qNkPvl8Shv28y0d-28c67gix7Ku9gEOEr9FNx-iI6__rlvTscU-nUe0q4nR9c6rkxtBFCSrmh_Q/s1600/Human+Trafficking+Slavery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLDD0iqWRK9yw2uGEqmo6vqTCyjWlnEZTOU0TzhCT5LqoKuG_cX5i8xfttyoroOX_qNkPvl8Shv28y0d-28c67gix7Ku9gEOEr9FNx-iI6__rlvTscU-nUe0q4nR9c6rkxtBFCSrmh_Q/s320/Human+Trafficking+Slavery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month so Wednesday on <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid" target="_blank">IWS</a> we did one of our rare serious shows and the topic of the day was Human Trafficking. Our special guest was Katherine who is an activist who has worked for years to help end human trafficking and the flesh trade not just in the US, but worldwide. She was a great guest who did an amazing job of laying everything out for us and our audience wonderfully. <br /><br />Did you know …<br /><br />- there are more slaves today (30 Million worldwide!) than at the height of the Atlantic Slave trade?<br /><br />- a human being can be sold into slavery for as little as $90 USD? (and resold and resold and resold)<br /><br />- Human Trafficking is a $32 BILLION Dollar a year business? It’s almost as big as running guns and drugs and far less dangerous. <br /><br />- around 80% of trafficking involves the sex trade? The rest are forced labor, “bonded” labor and even people used to harvest human organs?<br /><br />- around 50% of trafficked people are children?<br /><br />- the punishment for selling a child is far less severe than getting caught with or selling drugs or a gun. <br /><br />- an estimated 30,000 victims of sex trafficking die each year from abuse, disease, torture, and neglect.<br /><br />- UNICEF estimates that 300,000 children younger than 18 are currently trafficked to serve in armed conflicts worldwide.<br /><br />We discussed these numbers and what they all mean with Katherine. And were then joined by our good friend <a href="http://hihidi.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dianne</a> who had a few questions of her own. It was a very informative and enlightening show. Check out the show and learn more about this terrible activity and how you can do your part to help stop it. Then visit these sights for even more info …<br /><br /><a href="http://www.polarisproject.org/" target="_blank">The Polaris Project</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/" target="_blank">Not For Sale</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.ijm.org/" target="_blank">International Justice Mission </a><br /><br /><br />Again, very special thanks to Katherine for being our guest and being so awesome! <br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4240871&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4240871&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;">Listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/">internet radio</a> with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">Im With Stupid</a> on Blog Talk Radio<br /><br /><br /></div></div>

Human Trafficking Awareness Month

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month so Wednesday on IWS we did one of our rare serious shows and the topic of the day was Human Tr...

LATAM WATCH: CHILE - THE YEAR AHEAD

7:31 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0YxYCWsipTcE0islXhM3GcW7wY8FvMzaT3buzUsGFgVSgrudKHP5tNwcd_tjUGyXa-xMLh7TUj2idTE6oe8BsPDmhtcWMUlYq9_eR8pUOwlCfEgHzF5zXps60-eAa14skH9mS-t4ontN/s1600/Chile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU0YxYCWsipTcE0islXhM3GcW7wY8FvMzaT3buzUsGFgVSgrudKHP5tNwcd_tjUGyXa-xMLh7TUj2idTE6oe8BsPDmhtcWMUlYq9_eR8pUOwlCfEgHzF5zXps60-eAa14skH9mS-t4ontN/s320/Chile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR, CHILE FACES CHALLENGES FROM SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AT HOME, AND FROM BORDER DISPUTES ABROAD</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="color: blue;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">THE YEAR AHEAD</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2012 saw the largest student demonstrations in CHILEAN history, as well as a scandal in the police force and high-profile resignations in the government of President Sebastián Piñera. With presidential elections in the offing, 2013 promises to be another year of political and social upheaval in the narrow Pacific nation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DOMESTIC POLITICS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHILEANS will go to the polls in November 2013 to elect their next president. Two candidates lead from the right: former Defense Minister Andrés Allamand, and former Public Works Minister Laurence Golborne.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though she has not yet declared whether she will seek the presidency, Socialist former president Michelle Bachelet is the clear front-runner from the left—and indeed, in the race as a whole. As of the New Year, 54 percent of <a href="http://diario.latercera.com/2013/01/04/01/contenido/pais/31-126833-9-cep-michelle-bachelet-seria-electa-en-primera-vuelta.shtml" target="_blank">poll</a> respondents would choose Bachelet to be their next president.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If she decides to run, Bachelet—and any other presidential hopefuls—will have to officially declare candidacy by the end of March.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since leaving the presidency in 2006, Bachelet has traveled the world building international goodwill as the first Undersecretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, giving her a likely foreign policy advantage against her opponents should she decide to enter the race.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">FOREIGN POLICY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In CHILEAN foreign policy, 2013 will bring closure on the border dispute with PERU, but may see a rise in tensions over boundaries between BOLIVIA and CHILE.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In December the International Court of Justice at The Hague heard arguments from PERU and CHILE on the disputed maritime borders between the two nations’ waters. PERU claims a larger share of the valuable coastal fishing waters, arguing that a 1950 pact with CHILE should be invalidated.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG11a2O6zVNmtNmMBJTae_APMq238YFjdPeawOfXvkYZTeWao-qRBct53E3t4p8p7Zx2_55XiYfv7gKa6OTIasel_rilnWdEMEp7RXJ3tlHk4P7Ix93CayGt9N8pxMhUB81bjKlPJMd8gW/s1600/470px-Map_of_the_War_of_the_Pacific.en.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG11a2O6zVNmtNmMBJTae_APMq238YFjdPeawOfXvkYZTeWao-qRBct53E3t4p8p7Zx2_55XiYfv7gKa6OTIasel_rilnWdEMEp7RXJ3tlHk4P7Ix93CayGt9N8pxMhUB81bjKlPJMd8gW/s400/470px-Map_of_the_War_of_the_Pacific.en.svg.png" width="311" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><u><b>Background Information: </b></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Read chapter</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">: <i><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">CHILES NEVER-ENDING TERRITORIAL CLAIMS at:</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/malvinas-30-years-on_30.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/malvinas-30-years-on_30.html</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="mw-headline"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Read chapter: CLAIMS ON PATAGONIA at:</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina%E2%80%93Chile_relations#Beagle_conflict">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentina%E2%80%93Chile_relations#Beagle_conflict</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHILE CLAIMS LAND FROM ARGENTINA</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_conflict">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle_conflict</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHILEAN leaders have promised to respect the Hague court’s decision, but a loss would be a blow to national pride. CHILE has managed to keep claims from PERU and BOLIVIA for territorial redress at bay since the 1800s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CONTROL OF FRESHWATER SUPPLIES: BOLIVIA’S LEVERAGE OVER CHILE? </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Old tensions between BOLIVIA and CHILE over borders may flare up in 2013. BOLIVIA has long desired to reclaim lost access to the Pacific Ocean from CHILE. BOLIVIAN President Evo Morales may be <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/americas/21566673-evo-morales-tries-swap-stream-piece-chilean-seafront-trickle-down-diplomacy?zid=305&ah=417bd5664dc76da5d98af4f7a640fd8a" target="_blank">planning</a> to harness the power of water, specifically the freshwater flowing from BOLIVIA into CHILE in the Silala River. Most of the water in this river that originates in BOLIVIA is consumed in CHILE, and could be used as leverage against CHILE.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BOLIVIAN Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca told the press that his government’s ‘total disposition’ to engage in dialogue with CHILE.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ENERGY AND ECONOMY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition to being vulnerable to water scarcities, CHILE struggles to secure enough energy to fuel its growing OECD economy.</span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcrk5dgThpPijgFikYr7xKWMRMihC0K_3WY3gsW0JnZ13JsgMN5OVVkGuyGEqNBneh-BqLNR3lXhrOZ6avBqcYjNMLc1vnlnyM517g1j8D0byX_-mFUQo4Gr2hYW5OAyx9uO2VPrxgzU9/s1600/Chile2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcrk5dgThpPijgFikYr7xKWMRMihC0K_3WY3gsW0JnZ13JsgMN5OVVkGuyGEqNBneh-BqLNR3lXhrOZ6avBqcYjNMLc1vnlnyM517g1j8D0byX_-mFUQo4Gr2hYW5OAyx9uO2VPrxgzU9/s320/Chile2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santiago de Chile</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHILE’S growth prospects also depend on CHINA, where demand for primary commodities has fueled a boom in CHILE and elsewhere in SOUTH AMERICA. If the CHINESE economy experiences the ‘hard landing’ some see beginning, the sharp drop in demand for CHILEAN copper would reduce GDP growth rates.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Several projects that would boost domestic energy production and, supporters argue, increase growth, have been delayed due to protest from social movements or failure to secure approval from the National Environmental Commission (Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente—CONAMA).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CONAMA issues environmental impact assessments (Sistema de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental—SEIA) that determine whether new projects can begin. At the end of 2012, CONAMA <a href="http://www.elp.com/news/2012/12/20/chile-seia-approves-86-mw-hydroelectric-projects-in-2012.html" target="_blank">approved</a> only seven hydroelectric projects for 2013. The seven projects are all for small-scale hydroelectric plants, with a combined capacity of 86 MW.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Larger projects are still awaiting approval, and would undoubtedly provoke opposition from environmental activists. In 2012, planning for the massive Hydroaysén hydroelectric dams in Patagonia <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-07/colbun-is-open-to-selling-patagonian-power-project-stake.html" target="_blank">stalled</a> after intense backlash and <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/video/69549826-patagonia-hydroelectric-dam-spurs-protests-in-chile.html" target="_blank">protests</a> from activist groups.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">SOCIAL MOVEMENTS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Activists had a big year in 2012, and the momentum of social movements promises to continue into 2013, driven by high-profile issues like education reform and presidential elections.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 2013 budget includes record education spending. Student activists, however, say the measures Piñera’s government has taken do not go far enough, and they have promised to continue mobilizing in favor of less <a href="http://www.americasquarterly.org/Higher-Education-in-Chile" target="_blank">expensive</a> higher education.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The violence that sometimes accompanied education protests in 2012 threatened to alienate some of CHILE’S middle classes. 2013 will be a test of how the student movement can continue its high-profile demonstrations while retaining support among the non-student population.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Another case of a violent minority threatening the success of a social movement is that of the Mapuche indigenous movement. The Mapuche community’s struggle for rights over traditional lands has been marred by a series of violent attacks on landowners.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And elderly landowning couple in Araucanía, SOUTHERN CHILE was killed in an arson attack on 4 January.  President Piñera announced that he would apply the country’s strict and controversial anti-terror bill to the violence in the Araucanía region. Piñera told the press that ‘this fight is not with the Mapuche community, but with a criminal minority.’</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If the violence in La Araucanía continues it will damage Piñera’s already-low approval ratings and attract further scrutiny from international critics of the government’s treatment of the Mapuche community.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As always in CHILE, nature may hold surprises in the year to come. At the end of December the Copahue volcano on the CHILE-ARGENTINA border started spewing ash. The nation has over 2,000 volcanoes and is also vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis. A recent <a href="http://www.latercera.com/noticia/negocios/2012/12/655-498958-9-a-59-llega-el-total-de-viviendas-reconstruidas-tras-terremoto-de-2010.shtml" target="_blank">report</a> found that only 59 percent of the houses destroyed in the 2010 earthquake have been rebuilt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By </span>Amelia Josephson<br /><span id="post_author_author"><a href="http://www.pulsamerica.co.uk/author/amelia/" title="More about Amelia Josephson "></a> </span><span id="post_author_create"></span></div>

LATAM WATCH: CHILE - THE YEAR AHEAD

IN A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR, CHILE FACES CHALLENGES FROM SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AT HOME, AND FROM BORDER DISPUTES ABROAD THE YEAR AHEAD 201...

Learning to Stand after the Fallout

7:02 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWnb79Dq56mCXRKcSaprnNHV74U57nWEPLzLF76BWCHLlj7uQE8HeP8lacbCETTVpEenkbN4qko0CTAs9YL58etyx4FgerdnkQF-cXDgWGBZhdizp243YsUEghErE_WiGEVSsaqeyyW0q/s960/Photo%252520Jan%2525208%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A21%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1357787200774.96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWnb79Dq56mCXRKcSaprnNHV74U57nWEPLzLF76BWCHLlj7uQE8HeP8lacbCETTVpEenkbN4qko0CTAs9YL58etyx4FgerdnkQF-cXDgWGBZhdizp243YsUEghErE_WiGEVSsaqeyyW0q/s500/Photo%252520Jan%2525208%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A21%252520PM.jpg" width="500"></a></div> <p>I'm sitting in the stands after just dropping my friend <a href="http://www.angelamaiers.com" target="_self" title="">Angela Maiers</a> off at the airport in Albany. I have to admit, I've been a bit reticent to share lately. Some things aren't worth sharing -- or maybe shouldn't be shared, as an especially harsh critic emailed me back about a month a go -- who is really interested anyway. Just be an information source, Vicki, not  a person.</p> <p>There are times, I must admit, that I'm not standing - I'm crawling. Trying to just keep moving forward any way I can. Between the three kids and the 100 kids at school and the 125 computers and 3 servers, websites, blog, collaborators, and all the maelstrom of just living life - when I begin to doubt not only my mission but that I have a mission at all.</p> <p>In my 20's I was quite self confident. I was an optimist. I was ambitious. I was a go-getter - ready to get things done - I did things - things weren't done to me. I I I I ... oh my goodness, it makes me nauseous to think of how things were. When I had a close person to me become down, or, as it happens, depressed - not only did I not understand, I made it worse - heaping guilt upon them for having a hard time, or feeling down. It might have been brought on by a failed business or a death, but to me, back then, before I KNEW and LIVED, I was so sure that although you can't help what happens in life, you can <strong><em>CONTROL</em></strong> how you think about it. You can <strong><em>CONTROL</em></strong> your feelings.</p> <p>Spoken like a neophyte at the game of living life. Control how you feel? Really? You can CONTROL that? You can MAKE yourself an optimist? Really?</p> <p>Those of you who watch me online could hastily dismiss all of this and say </p> <p>"Ah, she's suffering from burnout- she finally did it - she just did too much."</p> <p>But it isn't burnout. It has really been fallout. </p> <h3>Fallout is not the same as burnout</h3> <p>Life decays. People get older, including you and me. People die, things change, the natural radioactive decay of life hits you. Sometimes you open a horrible, "rich" deposit of radioactive material - dare I use the word rich, and your life has just been turned into a complete unrecognizable thing that you just didn't plan. Babies are born. Babies graduate. Babies aren't babies any more. Babies have babies and sadly, babies die. Schools open, schools close. Upsize, downsize, right size, incise. You get seized by change of all sizes.</p> <p>The radioactive decay of life can hit you, and you can be bouncing along happily one moment and the next in a fetal, fallout induced ball just trying to live from moment to moment.</p> <p>You can't talk yourself out of it, into it, over it or around it. </p> <p>And right now in education there is a ton of fallout.</p> <p>Education, and rightly so, is on the hotseat as we realize that in our attempt to create "to do" lists that we've forgotten our "to be" list, as my friend Angela Maiers so aptly said during the last two days of professional development she's done at my school. </p> <p>Maybe I've been afraid to admit the struggles of life that I've been having. I mean, no one really cares about me, as the emailer told me just a month a go. A somewhat unkind lady, on her path to correct me and tell me she was ashamed of me, just had to "put me in my place."</p> <p>And, as I talked to Angela today, she said, "why do we women do this to each other?" There are a few prima donna perfectionists whose job it is to straighten out the world and make them fly right. Well, I'm here to tell you - if you're a prima donna perfectionist -- someone who is radioactive by nature - man or woman - sending your negative decay into the world - GET LOST.  I'm done with you. You are radioactive, negative and there is enough natural decay in life itself to be around you or listen to you. </p> <p>Life is tough. Teaching is tough. Being a mom is completely heartwrenching and exhausting. It is natural and there and nothing any of us can do about it.</p> <p>But I've been straightened out in these last two days with Angela. Yes, we talked about technology. Yes, we talked about 21st century skills and more, but more than that we talked about our to be list. Our to be list as a school and our to be list as professionals. </p> <p>It starts with who you and I want to be. We must reframe our thinking by surrounding ourselves with mentors and inspiring people. <strong>We must replenish our hearts before we can think about putting something new in our minds</strong>. And we MUST -- I repeat MUST realize and understand that other educators, people, parents, and students are experiencing the stress of life too.</p> <h2>Walk Slowly Through the crowd</h2> <p>My pastor, <a href="http://www.michaelcatt.com" target="_self" title="">Michael Catt</a>, says, "Walk slowly through the crowd, because everyone has a hurt."</p> <p>Everyone has a hurt. Everyone. You, me, everyone. And when it is too much, we experience fallout, not burnout. It takes time to heal and move forward. </p> <p>There are times such fallout doesn't really make us wonder if we have a purpose but if we have anything at all. If it matters at all.</p> <p>But there is the opposite of fallout. And although, you and I can't influence millions - or maybe we can, but most of us won't, we can, however, come in contact with many people who we influence.  We can have the natural radioactive decay of life, or we can be the inverse - replenishers - sending tiny micro-particles of encouragement, a good deed, a kindness. A simple #youmatter into the world to help another person know that they are important. </p> <p>You never know who needs that micro-encouragement - that little deed that you think is so little but may save the life of another.</p> <p>I no longer tell people to "get over it" or "just control your thinking." That is hogwash, or perhaps more accurately, radioactive misthink.</p> <p>Instead, I want to be the person radiating the hope and encouragement this world needs. I can do this because I know the ultimate Encourager who replinishes me when I completely fall out from the fallout of the radioactivity of life.</p> <p>Here are some tips that are helping me stand after the fallout that I'm recommending may help you.</p> <h4>1. Maintain and improve physical health</h4> <p>Here's what I'm doing for starters: </p> <p> </p> <p>- 8 hours of sleep a night</p> <p>- pushups and situps every morning -doesn't matter how many as long as they are both more than yesterday</p> <p>- 2 glasses of water in the morning before I do anything or eat anything else</p> <h4>2. Carefully scrutinize the particularly radioactive situations and people in your life and working to shield yourself wherever possible</h4> <p>- If it is a situation - can I change it, can I propose solutions?</p> <p>- If it is a person - can I avoid them or remove them from my life?</p> <h4>3. Pick the 5 "mentors" or heroes of your life and study how to emulate those people</h4> <p>Angela Maiers has her "dream team" of 5 great people on her bulletin board who make up her people she wants to emulate. She said in our training this week that the people you want to emulate and fill your mind with have the most influence on who you become. I'm working on my dream team right now but have decided to fill my reading list with some biographies. While I haven't picked my entire dream team except one, there are some candidates (you can see the current list in the picture.)</p> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-6zZKNkTXSUq0zDvWY5OOx9QDbkTVQX3p7h0RYqtY9DuGgCCJ71Uht-AEFPTDg7jruM-ErgRXC8b2-nQ1eMCCEe7IPnnkWryHO2L60s6JW8nwkN29QWa8Av_ol4jpSi6WqkQ4Az8PQWg/s960/Photo%252520Jan%2525209%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525209%25253A32%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="375" id="blogsy-1357787200762.3157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-6zZKNkTXSUq0zDvWY5OOx9QDbkTVQX3p7h0RYqtY9DuGgCCJ71Uht-AEFPTDg7jruM-ErgRXC8b2-nQ1eMCCEe7IPnnkWryHO2L60s6JW8nwkN29QWa8Av_ol4jpSi6WqkQ4Az8PQWg/s500/Photo%252520Jan%2525209%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525209%25253A32%252520PM.jpg" width="500"></a></div> <p> I'm reading some of the writings now of Mother Theresa - truly a great humanitarian and Christian who inspired everyone she met - she's blowing me away. </p> <h4> 4. Start your "to be" list before you get the "to do" list too far along</h4> <h4>5. Come up with a system to keep a master list of current projects.</h4> <p>I'm keeping my master list of projects in Evernote, primarily using '<a href="http://www.thesecretweapon.org/" target="_self" title="">the secret weapon</a>' series of posts to guide me with the system. This is important because, often fallout happens because you've got too many things going. The natural stress of any one of them emits radioactive stress in your life but with so many, it can become too much very quickly. I keep one evernote note for each major task with a good name and use the numbering system in the secret weapon. So, daily I review everything tagged ".Active Project" and "1-Now" and weekly I review everything for planning purposes. At the top of each note I have typed Next action: so I know what is next.</p> <h4> 6. Encourage others</h4> <p>I'm putting myself back out there in the hopes that encouraging you and being transparent about my recent bout with fallout will help some of you experiencing the same thing. If you want to help yourself, take steps to help and encourage others.</p> <p>Show others that they matter. Say thank you. Encourage others and be the kind of person you want others to be to you. Today as I worked the youth room during church, I started off by having a pity party - two ladies came in and were talking to each other. They introduced themselves and I said Hi back but they looked awkwardly at me and then started talking to each other. All I could think of was how I was the newcomer and felt so alone and awkward and they were leaving me out. It was horrible. </p> <p>But then, I just waited a bit and started talking to different people - after a bit, I finally ascertained that one of them was new and the other was pretty new - they felt awkward too. If I had a pity party and kept my mouth shut and pouted about how they should treat me instead of putting myself out there to reach out to them, I would have been a fool. We were all in the same boat and I ended up having great conversations with each of them before the night was over as I learned about their stories. Be the encouragement you want to receive in the world.</p> <p>Walk slowly through the crowd, everyone has a hurt.</p> <h2>Final words.</h2> <p>Tonight at church supper I had a conversation with a completely frustrated teacher. She's being evaluated under the new Georgia teacher evaluation system and today was the day for her students to take their reading "test." Well, last time they had her students write, and then take another test, so, she assumed they would do something similar.</p> <p>This time, they took the Accelerated Reader "STAR" test and were expected to gain 20% in their reading percentile between fall and now but the test was a different test (not apples to apples.) Her kids had a gain but not enough - she felt deceived and measured unfairly - she says the tests are never the same and can't be compared and she doesn't know how to prepare the kids. She feels let down by a system that is supposed to fairly hold accountable and was crushed. She is living in a radioactive situation.</p> <p>Many of you are too.</p> <p>I just want to tell you all that I understand. I care. I'm there and have been there. Maybe if we get through this together, we can all improve this profession we so love and keep our lives intact. I'm not telling you to control your feelings or get over it. I am telling you to keep going and to calm down and step back and first, start taking care of yourself physically and then put the other pieces in place to help negate the barrage of unhealthy microsituations you're finding yourself in and to shield yourself from what you can.</p> <p>This isn't burnout many of us are feeling, it is fallout - let's see it for what it is so we can shed the guilt and stop trying to solve this problem in a way that isn't appropriate. In burnout, you stop doing things. In fallout, you start shielding yourself and start choosing your situations and and people. </p> <p>Hey you. Yes, you, the person still reading this post. </p> <p>YOU MATTER. YOU ARE IMPORTANT. YOU WILL MAKE IT. One foot in front of the other, one step at a time. It will happen. Give yourself time and make good decisions. </p> <p>You can do it and so can I. Thanks, my dear friend Angela, for being my friend and picking me up when I just didn't even think I could crawl -- now, I think I'm going to stand and tell and help others that they can too.</p> <p>Remember your noble calling, teacher.  </p> <p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad" height="20" src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" />Written by Vicki Davis, author - Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds - Posted with Blogsy from my iPad</a></div>

Inspiration Teaching Learning to Stand after the Fallout

I'm sitting in the stands after just dropping my friend Angela Maiers off at the airport in Albany. I have to admit, I've been a b...

Today's archidose #643

7:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

Here are some photos of the Kursaal Auditorium in San Sebastián, Spain, by Rafael Moneo (1999). Photographs are by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/">Pawel Paniczko</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/8076737035/" title="Kursaal by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr"><img alt="Kursaal" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8076737035_d35d25f134_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/8079489650/" title="Kursaal by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr"><img alt="Kursaal" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8475/8079489650_94dbea90ca_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/8076728036/" title="Kursaal by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr"><img alt="Kursaal" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8076728036_189773c821_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/8076747883/" title="Kursaal by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr"><img alt="Kursaal" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8076747883_b6aa19466d_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/8076694614/" title="Kursaal by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr"><img alt="Kursaal" height="427" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8187/8076694614_867c44d092_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwape/8076762173/" title="Kursaal by Pawel Paniczko, on Flickr"><img alt="Kursaal" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8076762173_694f7be38c_c.jpg" width="534" /></a><br /><br />To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:<br /><blockquote>:: Join and add photos to the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/archi-dose/">archidose pool</a>, and/or<br />:: Tag your photos <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/archidose/">archidose</a></span></blockquote>

Today's archidose #643

Here are some photos of the Kursaal Auditorium in San Sebastián, Spain, by Rafael Moneo (1999). Photographs are by Pawel Paniczko . To contr...

SYRIA: ASSAD FIRM IN THE SADDLE

2:28 PM Tukiyooo 0

<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">DEBKAfile reiterates what GEOPOLITICAL ANALY<span style="font-size: large;">SIS<span style="font-size: large;"> AND MONITORING</span></span> has claimed since the beginning of the Syrian conflict…….</span></b></span></span><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzUIML-aEdhioDNYvkFSntHIdEiH5_8YYK0lylzkgz6zj1ALIW7qhgZ9D7LuRktNc2UUisohX7fhbo-QbhZZ2xDcAf88K9HgojL15goz8UJxHOekKchfOpGsEVMf3CVCXNEsrXFW_Gwd6/s1600/syria.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzUIML-aEdhioDNYvkFSntHIdEiH5_8YYK0lylzkgz6zj1ALIW7qhgZ9D7LuRktNc2UUisohX7fhbo-QbhZZ2xDcAf88K9HgojL15goz8UJxHOekKchfOpGsEVMf3CVCXNEsrXFW_Gwd6/s400/syria.gif" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">………….ASSAD FIRM IN THE SADDLE, PERMITS SYRIAN, TURKISH IRANIAN POWS SWAPS </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Via DEBKA<i>file</i> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">CHANCES OF SURVIVAL HAVE IMPROVED</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The three-way prisoner exchange of thousands of SYRIAN, TURKISH and IRANIAN prisoners in Damascus and four other SYRIAN cities marked a turning-point in the 22-month old SYRIAN conflict which has cost upward of 60,000 lives. This was the first deal the Assad regime and the rebels have agreed and carried through since March 2011. It was made possible by Bashar Assad’s confidence, in the face of Western predictions of his imminent downfall, that his chances of survival had improved against the forces determined to oust him, while SYRIAN rebel leaders grasped they had better deal with the hated SYRIAN ruler for any hope of preserving any of their war gains.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmZO36HzDh0zQGurJd3inUP39SC8vDyOISRKzTfW1v2TCm455UoH894J69m98_-EwQSI84yOjWko2PFZIkNehkoc71jV0uEkcx9f9JycYaNcGfgIw3_cZQ4lvSOVBItipvNATyofodd7D/s1600/130106_syria_assad_660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmZO36HzDh0zQGurJd3inUP39SC8vDyOISRKzTfW1v2TCm455UoH894J69m98_-EwQSI84yOjWko2PFZIkNehkoc71jV0uEkcx9f9JycYaNcGfgIw3_cZQ4lvSOVBItipvNATyofodd7D/s320/130106_syria_assad_660.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><b>Latest <span style="color: blue;">public <span style="color: blue;">speech</span> by Assad</span></b></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Altogether, the Assad regime released SYRIAN 2,130 civilians, including 73 women and a number of foreigners, some of them TURKS, and obtained the release of 48 IRANIANS held for six months by the rebel Free SYRIAN Army. The FSA claimed they were Revolutionary Guards officers and men, while Tehran insisted they were pilgrims visiting holy sites in SYRIA.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The prisoner exchange was organized by teams of the TURKISH Muslim extremist IHH- humanitarian relief foundation.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">IC (INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY)TACTICAL RETRIEVE - IN ORDER TO AVOID ANOTHER LIBYAN STYLE FIASCO? </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">debkafile's military and intelligence sources report, that the prisoner swap marked a moment in the ongoing  transition of the SYRIAN crisis from an international issue with a say for the UNITED STATES, EUROPE and some PERSIAN GULF EMIRATES, into a domestic contest, in which regional mediators - in this case QATAR and TURKEY - had a role to play. For now, the Obama administration and NATO appear to have moved back from the military arena and left a clear field to the management of Moscow, Tehran and Ankara.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Four steps marked this transition from the third week of December 2012:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">1. On December 22, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced the SYRIAN government had “consolidated its chemical weapons in one or two locations amid a rebel onslaught and they are under control for the time being.” Lavrov did not say who was in control of the weapons and why he thought they were out of danger of falling into rebel hands.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">2.  The day before this announcement, US naval and air forces, piling up in waters opposite SYRIA from the third week of November, were abruptly ordered to pull back, a sign that the Obama administration had washed its hands of any military intervention in SYRIA without publicly stating this.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />3. In the first week of January, 2013, the SYRIAN army finally repulsed a major SYRIAN rebel assault on Assad’s largest chemical weapons depot at the Al Safira military complex near Aleppo.<br />In this engagement, too, the insurgents demonstrated they were capable only of limited, local gains, but not up to capturing major targets such as major cities and military sites. They were therefore not equal to vanquishing the army still loyal to Bashar Assad.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><br />4.  The place of the departed US fleet in the eastern Mediterranean was gradually filled by a large influx of RUSSIAN naval and marine forces<a href="http://www.debka.com/article/22663">.</a> And so, when the SYRIAN ruler rose to deliver a speech at the Damascus opera house, he knew he could afford to flout the calls for him to step down and declare he no longer takes dictation from the West. He knew that moored off the SYRIAN coast were up to 20 RUSSIAN warships carrying more than 2,000 RUSSIAN marines - on top of unwavering IRANIAN support for his regime.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The prisoner swap may usher in a lull in the fighting, some of debkafile's military and intelligence sources believe – especially in consideration of the exceptionally harsh winter conditions besetting the region. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">During that time, the two warring sides may try and feel their way toward more local or limited understandings as well as replenishing their military and diplomatic resources – either for a final winning throw or to improve their bargaining positions in future negotiations which were kicked off by the prisoner swap.<br />For now, Assad is evidently here to stay. To remove him, the rebels will have to reach him with an assassin’s bullet.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Background Information <span style="font-size: large;">by</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">  </span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SYRIAN REGIME LIKELY TO SURVIVE UPRAISE (2011)</span></i></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/06/syrian-regime-likely-to-survive-upraise.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/06/syrian-regime-likely-to-survive-upraise.html</a></span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ASSAD FIRMLY IN CHARGE IN SYRIA (March 2012)</span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/syria.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/03/syria.html</a></span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SYRIA SWITCHING PERCEPTION - INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLE</span></i></b></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/syria-switching-perception.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/05/syria-switching-perception.html</a></span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ISRAEL’S INTERESTS (June 2012)</span></i></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">……..This is almost certainly because the ISRAELI Prime Minister would, on balance, prefer the Assad regime to continue; it is a known quantity and any new regime could severely destabilize the effective balance-of-power between two uneasy neighbors’………… </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(Read the entire article at:</span></i><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-feasts-and-rites-of-confusion.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-feasts-and-rites-of-confusion.html</a>and</span></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-israel-iran-and-usa.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/06/syria-israel-iran-and-usa.html</a></span></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">  </span></i></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">On 3<sup>rd</sup>December 2011 GEOPOLITICAL ANALYSIS AND MONITORING wrote: </span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">SYRIA….WHY?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">The ongoing conflict in SYRIA has become a complex situation in which no one can verify what actually is occurring in the country and what intentions are behind the uproar. If adhering to main stream media information the Free SYRIAN Army and the SYRIAN opposition council in the UK are waging a war for freedom and democracy.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">If one looks at the situation from an alternative angle the situation is more complex and one could come to the conclusion that indeed foreign entities are waging a PSY OPS war which is supported by foreign entities in which TURKEY was chosen to play the proxy for the USA in order to topple the SYRIAN Regime. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">THE ALTERNATIVE TO LIBYAN STYLE INTERVENTION SYRIA – PSY OPS AND INFILTRATION THROUGH PROXY’S</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">The big question is the why? In recent past it was assumed that though ASSAD is a brutal dictator, it was the better evil then to have an unstable fundamentalist Islamic Regime governing Syria which in most likelihood would end in civil war, something ISRAEL and the USA would dearly try to avoid. Now it seems that this theory is one of the past. There are entities that sincerely wish to tumble the ASSAD regime, no matter the cost. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">A LIBYAN style NATO intervention in SYRIA had been ruled out from the beginning since RUSSIAS and CHINAS have vetoed such move right from the start. Furthermore it is and was difficult to sell such expensive intervention to potential voters among western “coalition countries” in times of a major financial crisis where the same governments demand from citizens as well as industries to curb in spending, thus it would have been hard to sell such expensive military style intervention to the public.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">This still leaves us with the question why suddenly so much emphasize is put on the tumbling of the ASSAD regime. Regardless of the outcome of the SYRIAN sage, life for the common people will not turn for the better and democracy will continue to be just a dream in the region.</span></span></div>

SYRIA: ASSAD FIRM IN THE SADDLE

DEBKAfile reiterates what GEOPOLITICAL ANALY SIS AND MONITORING has claimed since the beginning of the Syrian conflict……. ………….ASSAD FIRM...

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SYRIA: ASSAD FIRM IN THE SADDLE

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