The Serious Side

I was in such a hurry today that I really screwed up my last post. Tried to correct it once but missed the second paragraph.

I meant to write "I guess I don't' associate racism, bigotry and sexism with politics. I see those traits essentially lacking of basic human decency."

Sorry

From Trump to Erdogan:
After the misled coup in Turkey (which had happened less than three weeks ago) Erdogan dismissed about 60,000 military and public staff, teachers and professors. 26,000 people are imprisoned. He also closed TV stations and newspapers. They all supported a religious leader called Gulen - as Erdogan said - who is responsible for the coup - as Erdogan said. He wants to reinvent death panalty - ex post facto! - to be able to use it on the rebels. He requested the States to extradite Gulen who lives in Pennsylvania and also requested Germany to extradite dissidents whom he calls 'terrorists'. Both countries refused and asked for proofs, so Erdogan accused both countries to host terrorists.

Now he continues his 'mission': 
He asked businessmen in Turkey to denunciate followers of Gulen, ' they could be anywhere, even members of your own family', he said.

Last Sunday in Cologne more than 40,000 people demonstrated PRO Erdogan, and many also demonstrated AGAINST him. Our highest courts refused to Erdogan to speak there via satellite and were therefore abused by him quite badly.

To be continued...

The thoughts in this article say it all really:


https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/aug/03/khizr-khan-at-arlington-cemetery-the-story-behind-the-picture

P.S.: I forgot to add that Turkey wants to join the EU *yippie*

PAN,
thanks for the finding. This article is really moving, and you're right, says it all...

Thanks PAN for The Guardian article. A very touching and moving story.

Carolh, Turkey is a conundrum for the U.S. We definitely don't like the way Erdogan has become far too authoritarian over the years but we need Turkey to keep the Syrian crisis in check. Nothing is easy in the Middle East.

PAN - Thanks for posting that article. A considerate author writing a respectful piece about someone is rare these days.

Something struck me, though, while I was reading the article. When he described Mr. Khan's son as "Muslim American" it bothered me. It seemed to somehow set him apart - to mark him as "other". And it isn't just him. It's labeling people "African American" or "Polish American" or whatever. It's divisive. It stresses our differences rather than what we have in common. We are all Americans, no matter where we came from.

In my mind this young man was an American of the Muslim faith, just as Donald Trump (unfortunately) is an American of German heritage.

Lizzy,
I thought the same when I read the article but thought this 'labeling people by their heritage, religion or skin color' is normal in the States.
It builds walls,  but on the other hand it reminds us that we've come that far: There are muslims in the U.S. army, as much as many other religions, skin colors and both sexes.

We've had this discussion with soccer players in Germany: One of our best players (also in the national team) had posted a photo of himself in Mekka which led to some nasty posts from right-wing politicians. In the end I realized that we've got four muslims in our national team which had never been an issue before...
And one of those politicians also said some nasty things about another one of our players who's black telling us that nobody wanted somebody like him as his neighbor. Which led to thousands of people inviting this player to move to their neighborhood....

In the area in Germany where I live, most people are lutherans. After WW II millions of people came from regions we lost to Poland, Czech and Russia, most of them were catholic. So all catholic churches in our area I know - at least the ones which wrre built after the reformation nearly 500 years ago, were built in the 1960s. My parents talked about these refugees because they both lived on farms and hosted families for years. They spoke with a different accent, had another religion, and since they'd lost everything, were even poorer than the other kids. So there often were two groups of kids: the local kids on the one hand, and the refugees on the other side. Of course these 'borders' got lost within one generation.
But the same thing happened after the reunification in 1990, and these 'borders' and prejudices still exist in our heads.

Carolhathaway - Those "borders" never go away - and there's no reason why they should. People need to remember their origins and history. It makes them who they are. BUT, it shouldn't keep them separate from their fellow citizens or make them feel unwelcome in their own country.

In the US, especially, I think more people need to be reminded that NONE of us originated here. We are ALL immigrants - even the "Native Americans" who were probably the first ones here - they came from other places, too! Maybe if we stopped the labeling, the prejudice would decrease.

Lizzy,
you just nailed it! Thank you so much for your thoughts which are so true!!!

Tonight the Olympics will be opened in Rio.
And for the first time there will be a team of refugees from different countries to remind us that about 60 million people are on the run worldwide...
There are refugees from Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and other countries who will start under the Olympic flag.

Great 
Really great

it's me,

just want to make sure you are doing ok. I heard about the terrible earthquake in central Italy last night. It sounds like at least one small town was destroyed.

I just read about the earth quake two towns were destroyed , what a tragedy  . I hope it's me is o.k.

Just to say, we have quite a few posters from Italy - it's me, Lelacorb and Socimar to name just a few. To all of them, I hope you and your families are safe and well and far away from danger.

Thank you very much  all fine here 


But sadly many are already dead or in danger there 

It's about the difficulties  to get there
Little villages on mountains 

And they say in the area they come in group of 2
2 big earthquakes in one or few days


Today there were already many others earthquakes 
Maybe 4 
Not as big as the first one
But heavy too

And those villages are mostly old structures
Or 
Unfortunately
Not so young to be built with recent antiseismic dispositions



I'm getting myself far away from tv 
They always keep telling same news for hours
And 
Find every way to send horrible images 
I know 
I can't bear 

Just saw that there was a 6.8 earthquake in Myanmar as well. Prayers to all.

Right!

So glad you are ok it's me. It is very sad. And it is hard to watch the tv news for too long. It gets overwhelming. My thoughts are with you and your fellow Italians.

I saw pictures of one of the small towns devastated by the earthquake and it reminded me of the towns where 'The American' was filmed. So beautiful but they seemed so vulnerable to Mother Nature.

You are perfectly right ...

My thoughts are also with all of you in Italy.

This shows us how powerless we are against the elements...

Donna,
I remember I saw an interview with Anton Corbijn who talked about this earthquake which happened the same day he was going to meet with George to talk about the project. 
And there's a scene in 'The American' where George, after he's decided not to stay in the town he's told to stay, crosses a bridge, and a sign says 'L'Aquila' and he decides to go somewhere else. L'Aquila was where they wanted to shoot the movie, and it was destroyed in that earthquake.

So many people are killed and hurt, so much infrastructure, culture, history and past is destroyed - and so much hope...

2009 earthquake damage at L'Aquila visited by George, Bill Murray and Walter Veltroni:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TnccOyyEfg

https://youtu.be/tOxH1Mvi90k


Oh my

Already 7


7 years ago!!

It's me, I remember when George and Bill Murray visited L'Aquila. I can't believe it was 7 years ago. Isn't L'Aquila not too far from Amatrice?

carolhathaway I remember that scene! Wasn't it Corbijn (and possibly George) who decided to use some of the residents of L'Aquila in 'The American'?

Now it's dark and I'm sure the rescue efforts are a race against time to try to get to those still buried under the rubble. It is very sad. I wonder how L'Aquila is doing now? Have they been able to successfully recover and rebuild their town ......

Changing the subject for the moment but I just saw something really bizarre on tv ....

Nigel Farage, Mr. Brexit and the former leader of the nationalist party in the UK was at a rally tonight speaking in support of Trump! In Jackson, Mississippi of all places. Incredibly bizarre and rich ....

Yep. Wonder how much they're paying him, Donnamarie!

He has reportedly said that he is NOT supporting Trump per se, but talking to the crowds about how a non-politician can get results too.

Right. Bet Trump's not going to interpret it that way - or his followers come to that!! I despair.........


Oh, and this is much more interesting..............

https://jerrygarrett.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/ten-secrets-behind-the-filming-of-george-clooneys-the-american/

PAN thanks for that article. As a big fan of 'The American' it was a terrific and fun read!

If Farage is planning on being paid he shouldn't hold his breath. Trump has a remarkable habit of not paying people for services rendered.

PAN and it's me,
thanks for the videos of George and Bill visiting L'Aquila. At least I hadn't seen them before but I like the fact that they tried to bring attention to this town and help the people.
Donna, I just checked the distance between L'Aquila and Amatrice, it's just about 30 miles away. There are two tectonic plates in thyt area which cause the earthquakes. I just read that they already found 240 dead (since the earthquake happened at night, everybody was sleeping) and can only hope that they will still be able to find some alive today...

By the way: Isn't that Walter Veltroni in the videos? The former Mayor of Rome who married George and Amal?

About Farage etc. supporting Trump: 
There seems to be a strong global connection between right-wing politicians, our right-wings also support Trump. And so do the ones in France, Italy etc. Something that really worries me. 
And could let you think that there might be somebody 'behind the scene' who leads this. Maybe too much conspiracy...

Oh, by the way: one of the leaders of the new 'Alternative for Germany' party (the one who talked about shooting refugees at the borders) now says that everybody should have a gun at home to protect himself. Does that dound any familiar to you?

Yes
The Number of victims is constantly increasing ... 




And Veltroni, yes
It's him there


I remember G gave money to build a "cinema" sort of tent
To make ppl meet in a larger place

it's me, I saw pictures this morning of the devastation in the town of Amatrice. There is barely a building still standing. And the aftershocks continue. It was heartwarming to see a young girl rescued alive yesterday. And a baby too. I hope there is still a chance more people will be found alive today.


carolhathaway, the laughable thing about Trump is that he really isn't an ideologue. He says anything to get attention and keep hold of his base supporters. He isn't a Republican, a Democrat or an Alt Right politician. He's actually an idiot but that isn't a party ... yet. He has no core beliefs or convictions. It's just about him.
He has just hired as his new campaign executive a man who heads up an alt right news organization, Breitbart News (heavy into conspiracy theories). But now he is starting to soften his views on immigration and deportations. That will not sit well with the alt right. So stay tuned to see where he will stand tomorrow. Or next week. As long as the spotlight (positive or negative) stays on him he succeeds ... at least in his twisted mind.

Donna , are you sure idiot is not a party I think their other name is Republicans. He is calling Hillary a bigot really and what the heck is he.

Donnamarie wrote:He isn't a Republican, a Democrat or an Alt Right politician.  He's actually an idiot but that isn't a party ... yet.  

LOOL!!!
Are you sure about that?

Donnamarie wrote:But now he is starting to soften his views on immigration and deportations.  That will not sit well with the alt right.  So stay tuned to see where he will stand tomorrow. Or next week.  As long as the spotlight (positive or negative) stays on him he succeeds ... at least in his twisted mind.

So just imagine he'd become POTUS and changed his view on friendships with other countries, starting or ending wars, using nuclear weapons, the economy etc. within days... 
Politics and decisions don't effect just your own country (at least unless you don't live in North Corea), they always have effects on other countries as well... So ruining your own country is one thing, ruining the world economy or starting a war is something totally different...

Yep carolhathaway it's a real issue. Some of our governmental officials who have been abroad have said that foreign leaders are really concerned about how a Trump presidency could affect our international relationships. He has already talked about the use of nuclear weapons and questioning the effectiveness of NATO. His soft spot for Russia is a bit concerning too.
Hahahaha.

Agree there are a lot of Republicans who would qualify for the idiot party. They aren't all wacky but I think every one of the Tea Party should be considered for lifetime membership.

Well, our Secretary of State already said he'd be very worried having to deal with a President Trump. The only problem is - if he'd really be elected they'd have to cooperate, so it would be difficult if politicians spoke out against Trump...

I had a real interesting day yesterday: I sing in a choir, and we talked about helping refugees, but didn't just want to donate money to a church, Red Cross or another organization that helps refugees.
Our conductor also teaches kids to play the violin, and together we decided to organize a concert to help a specific family from Afghanistan. 

The father had worked as a driver for the NATO in Kabul. When the Taliban took over the power in Afghanistan he received death threats and was taken inti prison and tortured several times. So the family decided to go to India, their neighboring country, where the eldest daughter was hijacked and raped multiple times before her family found her after weeks. Refugees are treated as fair game in India and have no rights, the police didn't help the family etc. So they decided to returm to Afghanistan to save money to go to Europe. And since it's so expensive for refugees (they've got no chance to go to Europe unless they pay a lot of money to people smugglers) they weren't able to come to Europe as a family (they've got five daughters). So the father and the traumatized eldest daughter came to Germany one year ago and live in a small town nearby, while the mother and the four younger daughters are still in Kabul, hidden by family members and friends. Meanwhile the two in Germany were granted asylum and the rest of the family also got the right to come to Germany. 

So we decided to made this concert to raise money for the travel fees and for their start in Germany, part of the money also went to the church which helps this family and other refugees to support them. We made a two hours concert in our local church and sold drinks and snacks before and afterwards. The famioy and their supporting family gave a really heartwarming speech. And although it was really hot yesterday, we had much more visitors as we'd expected and ran out of drinks... It lasted much longer as we'd planned before. And we raised much more money for the refugees as we'd expected. One positive effect - in my opinion - was, that some visitors and also some members of our choir who'd been skeptical about this project,  statued afterwards that it really made a difference for them to actually meet with refugees and hear why they came to Europe. Which is exactly what we'd talked about before: Don't just see the numbers, see the people behind the numbers...

Carolhathaway, you are truly a blessed woman.  Thank you for sharing your story.

Carolhathaway - thank you. Brought to mind one of my favourite quotes :-)

" Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  Margaret Mead

So true.

There are so many stories from locals, some tragic, who've assisted Nato and others from the West, like translators, charity workers etc, who have to struggle in all sorts of ways to get help to escape from intolerable conditions , and whose voices seem to get lost in the melee

Carolhathaway, you are truly a light in this world. We should all take a lesson from you and your friends.

I'm sure that Afghan family will find it much easier to adjust to western life with the support system you're offering them.

Carolhathaway, what a wonderful thing  to do.

Oldweston,
I'd never heard this quote by Margaret Mead before, that's really wonderful - and true, by the way!

Thank you carolhathaway for sharing. We all need to be reminded that every person has a story.

The truce in Syria was ended by the Syrian president and a UN relief convoi was bombed, many people died. Nobody takes the responsibility for this attack, and a united modus operandi of all nations has failed. Hundreds of thousands of people in Aleppo are starving, have no medicine and no medical aid. And neither the EU nor the UN find a solution for this problem. Instead we try to build fences and walls to seal ourselves off from them...

At the same time refugees in Greece and Italy are desperate because they are constipated in camps which were built for lesser people, have no perspective for a future anywhere and no country is willing to take them...

I just found an article of Obama's speech at the UN about that issue:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/09/20/politics/barack-obama-un-diplomacy/

... and at the same time one of our most reliable news magazines has FIVE articles about Brad and Angie's dicorve on their website  - maybe they should think about their priorities...

Thank you carolhathaway for posting the Obama speech. And thank you for reminding us of the disaster that is Syria and how barely a few days into a fragile truce it looks as if it was for what? The US is claiming that it was the Russians who bombed the UN convoy.
Why? Possibly in retaliation for the mistaken bombing by US forces of Syrian soldiers a few days ago?
How are we even going to make baby steps in improving the Syrian situation if we can't depend on the Syrian and Russian Governments, the different rebel factions and the US to honor any cease fire agreements.

A piece of really good news from the BBC Newsite

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-37433085

Maybe we need more projects like this?