lilithsrebellion test post content
Monday, June 24, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Philip Hammond's spending review rebellion may be more loyal than it looks
When Freeborn John Lilburne, the Leveller, appeared before the Star Chamber in 1637, he refused to do as they asked. He would not take the oath or answer questions, and as a result he was fined £500, whipped, humiliated in a pillory and thrown in jail.
Given that history, it is not hard to see why George Osborne has chosen to refound the Star Chamber to deal with those in the Cabinet who are refusing to sign up to the cuts needed for his spending review. A number of ministers must be hoping the pillory, at least, has been decommissioned since Lilburne's day.
The psychology is simple. Instead of being pelted by the London mob, any modern day John Lilburnes who won't play along are set to face humiliation in front of their peers. Eric Pickles, Danny Alexander and Oliver Letwin will be sat alongside the Chancellor flinging the metaphorical rotten turnips.
But the politics is rather more complex than it appears.
The precise positions of several of the National Union of Ministers representatives who have yet to settle their budgets are not known - most notably that of Theresa May at the Home Office. It is Philip Hammond who is widely touted as posing the most difficulty.
Previously viewed as a quiet, competent sort, the Defence Secretary has proved his competence beyond doubt - but torn off the quiet label. In the last few weeks alone, he has stuck his neck out on same sex marriage and followed Michael Gove into public mulling of whether Britain might be right to leave the EU. Add that to his outspokenness over Lords Reform, and his neck has emerged far enough that, in Lilburne's day, it might have been cut off. Judging from some of the (anonymous) rhetoric coming out of Number 10, there's an outside chance that could still happen.
The general narrative is that his position, that welfare should take more cuts to protect defence, puts him at loggerheads with George Osborne and many of his colleagues. But look beneath the surface and that isn't necessarily the case.
As has happened so often with the Coalition, events are being assessed as though this was a normal government, in which the Chancellor has full control of which departments cut what. Osborne would very much like to have such power, but he doesn't. Thanks to the Quad system, the Liberal Democrats are able to veto cuts they don't like.
And they do so - in this instance, they have rejected the idea of further cuts at DWP. Osborne, and even IDS himself, are in favour of finding more savings from the welfare budget in order to reduce the burden elsewhere. In short, this is a very odd Star Chamber - the Chancellor will be sitting in judgement over Philip Hammond, even though the basic principles of their personal spending preferences are pretty close together.
So Hammond's rebellion against the Treasury's authority is far less of a rebellion than it first appears, or at least it may be a rebellion against our coalition partners rather than the Chancellor. By the same token, Nick Clegg is likely to take it far more personally than most assume, as it is a direct, public snub to his insistence on protecting DWP spending from further cuts.
This is yet another wobble in the wheels of the coalition. To maintain the authority of the Quad, Osborne will have to bring Hammond before the Star Chamber if he continues to dig his heels in. But as the judge's personal position is not so far from that of the accused, his punishment may be somewhat less severe than that faced by Freeborn John.
.
Given that history, it is not hard to see why George Osborne has chosen to refound the Star Chamber to deal with those in the Cabinet who are refusing to sign up to the cuts needed for his spending review. A number of ministers must be hoping the pillory, at least, has been decommissioned since Lilburne's day.
The psychology is simple. Instead of being pelted by the London mob, any modern day John Lilburnes who won't play along are set to face humiliation in front of their peers. Eric Pickles, Danny Alexander and Oliver Letwin will be sat alongside the Chancellor flinging the metaphorical rotten turnips.
But the politics is rather more complex than it appears.
The precise positions of several of the National Union of Ministers representatives who have yet to settle their budgets are not known - most notably that of Theresa May at the Home Office. It is Philip Hammond who is widely touted as posing the most difficulty.
Previously viewed as a quiet, competent sort, the Defence Secretary has proved his competence beyond doubt - but torn off the quiet label. In the last few weeks alone, he has stuck his neck out on same sex marriage and followed Michael Gove into public mulling of whether Britain might be right to leave the EU. Add that to his outspokenness over Lords Reform, and his neck has emerged far enough that, in Lilburne's day, it might have been cut off. Judging from some of the (anonymous) rhetoric coming out of Number 10, there's an outside chance that could still happen.
The general narrative is that his position, that welfare should take more cuts to protect defence, puts him at loggerheads with George Osborne and many of his colleagues. But look beneath the surface and that isn't necessarily the case.
As has happened so often with the Coalition, events are being assessed as though this was a normal government, in which the Chancellor has full control of which departments cut what. Osborne would very much like to have such power, but he doesn't. Thanks to the Quad system, the Liberal Democrats are able to veto cuts they don't like.
And they do so - in this instance, they have rejected the idea of further cuts at DWP. Osborne, and even IDS himself, are in favour of finding more savings from the welfare budget in order to reduce the burden elsewhere. In short, this is a very odd Star Chamber - the Chancellor will be sitting in judgement over Philip Hammond, even though the basic principles of their personal spending preferences are pretty close together.
So Hammond's rebellion against the Treasury's authority is far less of a rebellion than it first appears, or at least it may be a rebellion against our coalition partners rather than the Chancellor. By the same token, Nick Clegg is likely to take it far more personally than most assume, as it is a direct, public snub to his insistence on protecting DWP spending from further cuts.
This is yet another wobble in the wheels of the coalition. To maintain the authority of the Quad, Osborne will have to bring Hammond before the Star Chamber if he continues to dig his heels in. But as the judge's personal position is not so far from that of the accused, his punishment may be somewhat less severe than that faced by Freeborn John.
.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Discipline! Smell the Rebellion at ‘Matilda’ (Video)
“Matilda,” the hit Broadway musical based on Roald Dahl’s book, received 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.
Tim Minchin is nominated for Best Original Score, and the show’s character is largely defined by his angular score and dense, dark lyrics. To help fans absorb the words to the number “The Smell of Rebellion,” for example, there’s a new video performed by actor Bertie Carvel, nominated for Best Actor for his performance as the scary headmistress Agatha Trunchbull.
Tim Minchin is nominated for Best Original Score, and the show’s character is largely defined by his angular score and dense, dark lyrics. To help fans absorb the words to the number “The Smell of Rebellion,” for example, there’s a new video performed by actor Bertie Carvel, nominated for Best Actor for his performance as the scary headmistress Agatha Trunchbull.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Al Qaeda Declares Stake in Syrian Rebellion
Al Qaeda’s branch in Iraq said it has merged with a Syrian rebel extremist faction, in a push by the terrorist organization to exert more influence on the Syrian rebellion and its outcome.
The declaration reflects cross-border coordination between al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria’s Jabhat al Nusra, or the al Nusra Front, a force with growing battlefield clout that has been a target of U.S. efforts to isolate rebel extremists in Syria. The two groups are already closely linked; when the U.S. designated the Syrian group as a terrorist organization in December, it described al Nusra as an alias for the Iraqi group.
The announcement from Iraq followed a statement on Sunday by al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri calling on Syrian rebels to direct their fight at establishing a “jihadist Islamic state” there as they seek to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
The move is likely to deepen a schism within the Syrian rebel movement between Islamist extremists who shun Western involvement and more moderate fighters trying to work with the political opposition and Western powers. Many of these rebels say the longer the civil war drags on, the easier it will be for al Qaeda in Iraq to influence the fight.
The U.S. has stepped up efforts with Arab partners in the region, and Syrian rebels, to counter the influence of al Nusra. In Iraq, the Central Intelligence Agency has ramped up support to elite Iraqi antiterrorism units to better fight al Qaeda affiliates, The Wall Street Journal reported in March.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday hinted that additional U.S. steps to help moderate rebels were in the works. Mr. Kerry is due to meet the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s leadership in London on Wednesday.
In a 21-minute audio clip posted on militant websites late Monday, al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said his group was providing half of its budget to the conflict in Syria and that al Nusra—whose leaders are generally unknown—won’t have a separate leader.
He outlined how al Qaeda in Iraq, officially called the Islamic State of Iraq, had cells in Syria that were reinforced with fighters from Iraq who helped draw “plans and policies” for the Syrian branch.
Mr. Baghdadi said the merged group would now be known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham. Sham denotes a historic and Islamic name for Syria and the surrounding region.
“It is time to announce to the Levantine [Syrian] people and the whole world that Jabhat al Nusra is merely an extension and part of the Islamic State of Iraq,” Mr. Baghdadi said.
He warned Syrians against swapping “the injustice of dictatorship” for “the injustice of democracy that the people of Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have tried before you.”
The authenticity of the clip couldn’t be confirmed, but it was widely posted on militant websites. Websites linked to Jabhat al Nusra confirmed the merger announcement on Tuesday, but the group didn’t post independent confirmation.
Iraqi officials said al Qaeda in Iraq, which shares a decade-old relationship with Syrian jihadists, has been empowered by the Syrian war and has been feeding off the military strength of al Nusra.
“This signals the beginning of a new phase of operations of these armed groups which depends on the exchange of experiences,” said Mowaffak al Rubaie, former Iraqi national security adviser. He saw the announcement of a merger as an attempt to rile up Sunnis in Iraq by convincing them they were fighting the same cause as Syria’s rebels, against Shiite domination.
In Syria, Islamist rebels said the announcement marked what has been happening on the ground for months. One aim of formally uniting the groups is to block other Sunni rebel groups from dominating the fight in Syria or “being the voice of Sunnis in the region,” said a Syrian activist.
Terrorism experts described the announcement as a sign of confidence. “If this means they’re going to cooperate even more, it’s almost like a multiplication of the threat posed by each,” said Bruce Riedel, a counterterrorism expert at the Brookings Institution. “They bring a lot of capabilities together, and they extend the reach of al Qaeda across the entire Fertile Crescent, from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.”
Al Nusra first emerged as a shadowy group claiming car bombings in Damascus and Aleppo, Syria’s largest cities, in early 2012. Rebels and U.S. officials say its core fighters are Syrians who fought in the Iraqi insurgency against Western-led coalition forces, and are now using their expertise and ties to al Qaeda in Iraq at home against the Assad regime.
Over the past year, al Nusra has attracted hundreds of foreign fighters from the Middle East and central Asia, who have helped the group and its affiliated fighters score every major opposition battlefield gain in recent months.
In northern and eastern Syria, where rebels control territory, the group, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., is also engaging in the battle for hearts and minds. In Aleppo, al Nusra controls the provision of local services, such as water supply and bread distribution, according to rebels and local residents.
The declaration reflects cross-border coordination between al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria’s Jabhat al Nusra, or the al Nusra Front, a force with growing battlefield clout that has been a target of U.S. efforts to isolate rebel extremists in Syria. The two groups are already closely linked; when the U.S. designated the Syrian group as a terrorist organization in December, it described al Nusra as an alias for the Iraqi group.
The announcement from Iraq followed a statement on Sunday by al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri calling on Syrian rebels to direct their fight at establishing a “jihadist Islamic state” there as they seek to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.
The move is likely to deepen a schism within the Syrian rebel movement between Islamist extremists who shun Western involvement and more moderate fighters trying to work with the political opposition and Western powers. Many of these rebels say the longer the civil war drags on, the easier it will be for al Qaeda in Iraq to influence the fight.
The U.S. has stepped up efforts with Arab partners in the region, and Syrian rebels, to counter the influence of al Nusra. In Iraq, the Central Intelligence Agency has ramped up support to elite Iraqi antiterrorism units to better fight al Qaeda affiliates, The Wall Street Journal reported in March.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday hinted that additional U.S. steps to help moderate rebels were in the works. Mr. Kerry is due to meet the Syrian Opposition Coalition’s leadership in London on Wednesday.
In a 21-minute audio clip posted on militant websites late Monday, al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said his group was providing half of its budget to the conflict in Syria and that al Nusra—whose leaders are generally unknown—won’t have a separate leader.
He outlined how al Qaeda in Iraq, officially called the Islamic State of Iraq, had cells in Syria that were reinforced with fighters from Iraq who helped draw “plans and policies” for the Syrian branch.
Mr. Baghdadi said the merged group would now be known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham. Sham denotes a historic and Islamic name for Syria and the surrounding region.
“It is time to announce to the Levantine [Syrian] people and the whole world that Jabhat al Nusra is merely an extension and part of the Islamic State of Iraq,” Mr. Baghdadi said.
He warned Syrians against swapping “the injustice of dictatorship” for “the injustice of democracy that the people of Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have tried before you.”
The authenticity of the clip couldn’t be confirmed, but it was widely posted on militant websites. Websites linked to Jabhat al Nusra confirmed the merger announcement on Tuesday, but the group didn’t post independent confirmation.
Iraqi officials said al Qaeda in Iraq, which shares a decade-old relationship with Syrian jihadists, has been empowered by the Syrian war and has been feeding off the military strength of al Nusra.
“This signals the beginning of a new phase of operations of these armed groups which depends on the exchange of experiences,” said Mowaffak al Rubaie, former Iraqi national security adviser. He saw the announcement of a merger as an attempt to rile up Sunnis in Iraq by convincing them they were fighting the same cause as Syria’s rebels, against Shiite domination.
In Syria, Islamist rebels said the announcement marked what has been happening on the ground for months. One aim of formally uniting the groups is to block other Sunni rebel groups from dominating the fight in Syria or “being the voice of Sunnis in the region,” said a Syrian activist.
Terrorism experts described the announcement as a sign of confidence. “If this means they’re going to cooperate even more, it’s almost like a multiplication of the threat posed by each,” said Bruce Riedel, a counterterrorism expert at the Brookings Institution. “They bring a lot of capabilities together, and they extend the reach of al Qaeda across the entire Fertile Crescent, from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.”
Al Nusra first emerged as a shadowy group claiming car bombings in Damascus and Aleppo, Syria’s largest cities, in early 2012. Rebels and U.S. officials say its core fighters are Syrians who fought in the Iraqi insurgency against Western-led coalition forces, and are now using their expertise and ties to al Qaeda in Iraq at home against the Assad regime.
Over the past year, al Nusra has attracted hundreds of foreign fighters from the Middle East and central Asia, who have helped the group and its affiliated fighters score every major opposition battlefield gain in recent months.
In northern and eastern Syria, where rebels control territory, the group, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., is also engaging in the battle for hearts and minds. In Aleppo, al Nusra controls the provision of local services, such as water supply and bread distribution, according to rebels and local residents.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
SEC Tournament Champions: A Four Factors Review
In 196 possessions over 3 tournament games, the Rebels committed just 28 TOs and got to the FT line 64 times. Opponents committed 39 TOs and attempted just 42 FTs. Those two factors, more than anything else, have been keys to the Rebels’ success on the offensive end this season, and helped lead the Rebels to their first SEC Tourney title in 32 long years.
Perhaps even more than those factors though, credit a resurgent effort on the defensive end. The Rebels allowed conference opponents to shoot at a 49.9% eFG% clip for the 18-game conference season, but really got after it in Nashville. There was a renewed passion on that side of the court that translated in to 22 steals over the 3 games, which led to transition points.
I’ll pull together a Four Factors Preview for the Badgers for tomorrow. Spoiler alert, there are a lot of similarities between Wisconsin and Florida as far as tempo and styles of play, but I'll get into more detail later.
Perhaps even more than those factors though, credit a resurgent effort on the defensive end. The Rebels allowed conference opponents to shoot at a 49.9% eFG% clip for the 18-game conference season, but really got after it in Nashville. There was a renewed passion on that side of the court that translated in to 22 steals over the 3 games, which led to transition points.
I’ll pull together a Four Factors Preview for the Badgers for tomorrow. Spoiler alert, there are a lot of similarities between Wisconsin and Florida as far as tempo and styles of play, but I'll get into more detail later.
Monday, February 18, 2013
This Guy Wants What Job??
Ken Cuccinelli’s book, The Last Line of Defense, is the presumptive Republican nominee’s opening salvo in his quest to become Governor of the Old Dominion. It is a strange politico manifesto for a campaign. Ken refrains from writing about topics near and dear to his heart such as trans-vaginal inspections and gay bashing, but neither does he address any of the Commonwealth’s problems such as road congestion, K-12 school performance and spending, competition between coal and the increase of shale derived natural gas, and how the state will be affected by the sure to come large defense cuts. Instead, Cuccinelli presents himself as a knight in defense of Virginia against its biggest threat, not international terrorism or cheap Chinese imports, but the government of the United States of America, especially the Affordable Health Care Act and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In tackling complex issues such as health care and the envirment one would expect a tome full of scientific, economic, and political analysis appropriately footnoted and explained to support his arguments. Ken opines on all these issues without a footnote, endnote or bibliography. The Cuccinelli Doctrine of research states “If Ken says it, it must be true”.
The tone of the work is set literally within the first few pages. On the second page he states: “I call the biggest set of lawbreakers in America the Obama administration.” Attempts to criminalize the political opposition is a tactic often practiced by dictatorships of the Right or Left. As a self-proclaimed defender of the Constitution, Cuccincelli must know that the Constitution provides impeachment in the case of a President who breaks the law. If Ken is correct why haven’t the Republicans in the House of Representatives voted articles of impeachment against Obama. Wild and inflammatory accusations such as this often leads to unpleasant political outcomes.
Cuccinelli often refers to the Declaration of Independence as giving rights. As every high school student who has labored through a Government class knows, it does not. The Declaration is a statement of the Enlightment idea of natural rights and then argues that, as George III has broken these rules, the colonists have a right to revolt. I am surprised that the top legal official of the state would make such an error.
Cuccinelli is obsessed with his critics and his vile condemnations go well beyond acceptable political discourse. He references an article written by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times as a glowing endorsement of one party rule in Communist China. In a revival of the McCarthism of the 1950′s. the Attorney General claims that Friedman praised Chinese Communism by writing:
“One party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks, but when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group as China is today, it can have great advantages.”
Thanks to the old teacher trick of Googling a suspicious passage, I was able to find the article that caught the General’s fancy. Needless to say, Cuccinelli did not quote the content accurately and simply lied about its intent.
The article to which the “Cooch”refers was published on September 9,2009 in the New York Times. Far from being the “longing” for a Chinese Communist-style government as Ken states in his book , it is a plea for more participation by the oppostion party in the debate on two important issues. Friedman states:
“One party democracy is worse. The fact is on both energy/climate and health care legislation only the Democrats are really playing. With few notable exceptions, the Republican Party is standing, with arms folded, saying “No”
What’s the source for your defilement of Mr. Freidman’s character, Mr. Attorney General??
Cuccinelli,who writes that the only reason for a social safety net is to make citizens dependent on government, thus assuring the reelection of certain politicians. Continuing this line of logic, he states that several popular sections of the Affordable Health Care Act came into force simply to placate the electorate. Ken states that one of these was a provision preventing private insurers from discriminating against those with pre-existing conditions. He states that this is a good way to put private sector insurance companies out of business.
Ken has told another whooper. The Act provided for a Federal program for those with pre-existing conditions for those who had been without insurance for 6 months. The requirement that does away with discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions takes effect in January 2014 when the pool is expanded to include everyone. Companies will be able to discriminate on the basis of age.
Cuccinelli believes that the Health Act is a plan by the Administration to bankrupt private insurance companies so that the government can gain total control of 17% of the GDP. Apparently those closet-Communists on Wall Street fail to agree: stock markets are mechanisms to present-value future earnings. Wellpoint, the parent of Richmond-based Anthem, traded as high as $75 per share in 2008 and closed at $62.70 on Friday, February 15th while United Health which was in the mid-$30′s in 2008 ended that day at $57.32. I guess the Marist-Leninist traders on the NYSE have another idea about Obama’s plans.
Cuccinelli’s battles with the EPA are a further demonstration over science and economics. He conveniently forgets to mention his suit against a climate-change scientist at UVA. In the Attorney General’s world, the right of free speech must yield to ideology. The Attorney General must have stopped at the Preamble because that is in the First Amendment.
Mr. Cuccinelli is worried about his reputation. He is offended that some in the press call him a proponent of nullification, but he is simply bubbly in his praise of Virginia’s Health Care Freedom Act. A quick glance at Bob Marshall’s website indicates that “no Law shall interfere with the right to purchase … or to decline to contract” for health care. So the Supreme Court says that the Affordable Care and the individual mandate are Constitutional but in Virginia the State Government legislates that it is legal to avoid the law and its penalties. Maybe in his next book Ken will give us a new definition of selective nullification.
Cuccinelli’s book confirms that he is unfit to serve in elected office. He is a practitioner of politics at its lowest level of integrity. His political ancestors include John C. Calhoun, Joseph MacCarthy, and J. Lindsey Almond. Hopefully, the Republicans will have a second look and nominate a true Conservative grounded in ethics and in touch with reality.
In tackling complex issues such as health care and the envirment one would expect a tome full of scientific, economic, and political analysis appropriately footnoted and explained to support his arguments. Ken opines on all these issues without a footnote, endnote or bibliography. The Cuccinelli Doctrine of research states “If Ken says it, it must be true”.
The tone of the work is set literally within the first few pages. On the second page he states: “I call the biggest set of lawbreakers in America the Obama administration.” Attempts to criminalize the political opposition is a tactic often practiced by dictatorships of the Right or Left. As a self-proclaimed defender of the Constitution, Cuccincelli must know that the Constitution provides impeachment in the case of a President who breaks the law. If Ken is correct why haven’t the Republicans in the House of Representatives voted articles of impeachment against Obama. Wild and inflammatory accusations such as this often leads to unpleasant political outcomes.
Cuccinelli often refers to the Declaration of Independence as giving rights. As every high school student who has labored through a Government class knows, it does not. The Declaration is a statement of the Enlightment idea of natural rights and then argues that, as George III has broken these rules, the colonists have a right to revolt. I am surprised that the top legal official of the state would make such an error.
Cuccinelli is obsessed with his critics and his vile condemnations go well beyond acceptable political discourse. He references an article written by Thomas Friedman of the New York Times as a glowing endorsement of one party rule in Communist China. In a revival of the McCarthism of the 1950′s. the Attorney General claims that Friedman praised Chinese Communism by writing:
“One party autocracy certainly has its drawbacks, but when it is led by a reasonably enlightened group as China is today, it can have great advantages.”
Thanks to the old teacher trick of Googling a suspicious passage, I was able to find the article that caught the General’s fancy. Needless to say, Cuccinelli did not quote the content accurately and simply lied about its intent.
The article to which the “Cooch”refers was published on September 9,2009 in the New York Times. Far from being the “longing” for a Chinese Communist-style government as Ken states in his book , it is a plea for more participation by the oppostion party in the debate on two important issues. Friedman states:
“One party democracy is worse. The fact is on both energy/climate and health care legislation only the Democrats are really playing. With few notable exceptions, the Republican Party is standing, with arms folded, saying “No”
What’s the source for your defilement of Mr. Freidman’s character, Mr. Attorney General??
Cuccinelli,who writes that the only reason for a social safety net is to make citizens dependent on government, thus assuring the reelection of certain politicians. Continuing this line of logic, he states that several popular sections of the Affordable Health Care Act came into force simply to placate the electorate. Ken states that one of these was a provision preventing private insurers from discriminating against those with pre-existing conditions. He states that this is a good way to put private sector insurance companies out of business.
Ken has told another whooper. The Act provided for a Federal program for those with pre-existing conditions for those who had been without insurance for 6 months. The requirement that does away with discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions takes effect in January 2014 when the pool is expanded to include everyone. Companies will be able to discriminate on the basis of age.
Cuccinelli believes that the Health Act is a plan by the Administration to bankrupt private insurance companies so that the government can gain total control of 17% of the GDP. Apparently those closet-Communists on Wall Street fail to agree: stock markets are mechanisms to present-value future earnings. Wellpoint, the parent of Richmond-based Anthem, traded as high as $75 per share in 2008 and closed at $62.70 on Friday, February 15th while United Health which was in the mid-$30′s in 2008 ended that day at $57.32. I guess the Marist-Leninist traders on the NYSE have another idea about Obama’s plans.
Cuccinelli’s battles with the EPA are a further demonstration over science and economics. He conveniently forgets to mention his suit against a climate-change scientist at UVA. In the Attorney General’s world, the right of free speech must yield to ideology. The Attorney General must have stopped at the Preamble because that is in the First Amendment.
Mr. Cuccinelli is worried about his reputation. He is offended that some in the press call him a proponent of nullification, but he is simply bubbly in his praise of Virginia’s Health Care Freedom Act. A quick glance at Bob Marshall’s website indicates that “no Law shall interfere with the right to purchase … or to decline to contract” for health care. So the Supreme Court says that the Affordable Care and the individual mandate are Constitutional but in Virginia the State Government legislates that it is legal to avoid the law and its penalties. Maybe in his next book Ken will give us a new definition of selective nullification.
Cuccinelli’s book confirms that he is unfit to serve in elected office. He is a practitioner of politics at its lowest level of integrity. His political ancestors include John C. Calhoun, Joseph MacCarthy, and J. Lindsey Almond. Hopefully, the Republicans will have a second look and nominate a true Conservative grounded in ethics and in touch with reality.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Nigeria: Rebellion in the House of God
The opposition from some Catholic priests in Mbaise, Imo State, following the appointment of a priest from Awka Catholic Diocese, Rev Monsignor Peter Okpaleke, by Pope Benedict XVI as the bishop-elect of Ahiara (Mbaise) Diocese has indeed jolted the Church.
Eight priests from Mbaise land, known to habour the largest concentration of Catholics in Nigeria, had, on January 12, staged a peaceful demonstration in the area to drive home their opposition to the appointment of the Anambra State -born priest as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.
Incidentally, one of the books authored by Monsignor Okpaleke is entitled, "Conflict prevention, management and resolution in the Church", and observers are optimistic that, with his experience in this area, the opposition he is facing from those who will constitute his flock in Mbaise would be resolved amicably.
In Mbaise, it is common to find two or more children of the same parents as Catholic priests and many of them are either carrying out their evangelization in many parts of the world, or are teaching in tertiary educational institutions. Indeed, they have the highest number of Catholic priests in Nigeria.
Since the demise of the late Bishop Chikwe of Ahiara Diocese some years ago, the position had remained vacant and many indigenous priests from the area have been jostling to fill the vacancy. In the past two years, Reverend Monsignor Theophilous Nwalor has been overseeing the diocese and some even thought he was going to be elevated. However, they were disappointed when the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in December, last year, announced the appointment of the Awka -based priest, Okpaleke, as the bishop-elect of Ahiara Diocese.
It was shortly after the appointment that some Mbaise priests began to meet to deliberate on the development which later culminated in the demonstration, led by eight priests from the diocese, expressing their opposition to the appointment.
While they argued that they had nothing against the person of Okpaleke to be made a bishop, they insisted that they have credible priests from Mbaise to be elevated to that position, especially in these days of indegenization of the church.
They also argued that despite the high quality priests produced by Mbaise Diocese, none had been made a bishop in any diocese in Anambra State.
Eight priests from Mbaise land, known to habour the largest concentration of Catholics in Nigeria, had, on January 12, staged a peaceful demonstration in the area to drive home their opposition to the appointment of the Anambra State -born priest as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.
Incidentally, one of the books authored by Monsignor Okpaleke is entitled, "Conflict prevention, management and resolution in the Church", and observers are optimistic that, with his experience in this area, the opposition he is facing from those who will constitute his flock in Mbaise would be resolved amicably.
In Mbaise, it is common to find two or more children of the same parents as Catholic priests and many of them are either carrying out their evangelization in many parts of the world, or are teaching in tertiary educational institutions. Indeed, they have the highest number of Catholic priests in Nigeria.
Since the demise of the late Bishop Chikwe of Ahiara Diocese some years ago, the position had remained vacant and many indigenous priests from the area have been jostling to fill the vacancy. In the past two years, Reverend Monsignor Theophilous Nwalor has been overseeing the diocese and some even thought he was going to be elevated. However, they were disappointed when the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in December, last year, announced the appointment of the Awka -based priest, Okpaleke, as the bishop-elect of Ahiara Diocese.
It was shortly after the appointment that some Mbaise priests began to meet to deliberate on the development which later culminated in the demonstration, led by eight priests from the diocese, expressing their opposition to the appointment.
While they argued that they had nothing against the person of Okpaleke to be made a bishop, they insisted that they have credible priests from Mbaise to be elevated to that position, especially in these days of indegenization of the church.
They also argued that despite the high quality priests produced by Mbaise Diocese, none had been made a bishop in any diocese in Anambra State.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Rebellion retains Andrea Belicchi for 2013
Rebellion Racing will retain Andrea Belicchi for the 2013 season.
The 35-year-old Italian has been with the squad since its 2010 inception, having joined its previous Sebah incarnation in '08.
Rebellion was the top privateer team in the 2012 World Endurance Championship and also won Petit Le Mans.
It has already announced an American Le Mans Series programme for 2013 and a two-car Sebring 12 Hours entry, and also intends to contest at least a partial WEC season.
"The team's racing programme for 2013 is not finalised for the moment, but I am confident it will be a strong one," said Belicchi.
"There is mutual trust between us and we will be looking to be in a position to win, no matter which championship or continent we're racing on."
The 35-year-old Italian has been with the squad since its 2010 inception, having joined its previous Sebah incarnation in '08.
Rebellion was the top privateer team in the 2012 World Endurance Championship and also won Petit Le Mans.
It has already announced an American Le Mans Series programme for 2013 and a two-car Sebring 12 Hours entry, and also intends to contest at least a partial WEC season.
"The team's racing programme for 2013 is not finalised for the moment, but I am confident it will be a strong one," said Belicchi.
"There is mutual trust between us and we will be looking to be in a position to win, no matter which championship or continent we're racing on."
Monday, December 17, 2012
Fiscal Cliff Talks Complicated By Conservative Rebellion Over Tax Increases
Some conservative House Republicans are making life difficult for Speaker John Boehner as he reaches for a "fiscal cliff" pact with President Barack Obama, insisting they will oppose a deal that increases taxes. Others, however, are giving him room to negotiate, hoping he produces something they can support.
With the clock ticking down on the bargaining, the "fiscal cliff" – sweeping tax increases and budget cuts that begin in January unless an accord is reached to avert them – is testing conservatives' unity and their leverage.
A year after wielding considerable clout in repeated budget clashes against the White House, two factors have weakened conservatives trying to prevent a GOP agreement with Obama that they don't like:
_ Republican Election Day losses of the White House as well as seats in the House and Senate following a campaign in which Obama pressed hard for tax boosts on the wealthiest Americans.
_ Polls showing that voters would largely blame Republicans should a stalemate with the president trigger the cliff's tax boosts and spending cuts.
In a significant movement toward Obama's insistence on higher tax rates, Boehner is now willing to let them rise on the 368,000 households with annual incomes above $1 million as part of package that would swell the government's revenues by $1 trillion over the next decade.
Yet even with GOP pragmatists saying it's time to agree to Obama's demands for higher tax rates for the rich, some conservatives want Boehner to reject any tax increases at all.
"If there's any blame to be placed, it's squarely on his shoulders," Rep. Jeff Landry, R-La., said recently about Boehner, referring to House-approved spending levels and deficits of the past two years.
Landry, who lost his re-election bid, is a member of the tea party-backed House GOP freshman class of 2010. Saying he would oppose any deal raising income tax rates, Landry said of the government: "I'm not giving this beast any more money to grow."
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a veteran House conservative leader, took a more measured tone but said he would vote against a compromise raising tax rates. "Tax increases are not conducive to growing economies and creating jobs," he said.
Yet still other conservatives, while opposing tax increases, are doing little to hold Boehner's feet to the fire on the issue. They acknowledge they've been weakened by the "fiscal cliff" itself since taxes for nearly all taxpayers automatically rise Jan. 1 if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
"We don't see how we have a whole lot of leverage," said freshman Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas.
"Speaker Boehner needs room to negotiate," said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., another freshman. "I think he knows that I and the others are not in favor of tax-rate increases. But the speaker is going to do what he believes is in the best interest of the conference," he said, meaning House Republicans, "and knowing he has to get the votes."
Earlier this month, Boehner and other House GOP leaders removed four conservatives – including three freshmen – from desirable committee assignments after they'd cast votes defying party leadership. The move was seen by conservatives as punishment for refusing to abandon their principles, yet those targeted have offered few signs that their behavior will change.
"I have more support than I've ever had back in my district," said one of them, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. He said if Boehner visited his southern Michigan district, "he's not going to be met with very much welcome."
Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said she would be open to compromise if the ultimate package included significant spending cuts. She also suggested the possibility of a path some consider unthinkable but that some liberals have also supported – letting the tax increases and spending cuts take effect without a satisfactory deal, since Congress could roll them back if a pact was reached later.
Too much is being made of going over the cliff, she said, "as if it's the equivalent of the Mayan calendar on the 21st of December. It's not."
The Mayan calendar's 5,125-year cycle ends on Dec. 21, prompting some people to worry the world will end that day.
Meanwhile, conservative interest groups are trying to pressure Republicans to oppose any tax boosts.
"If they vote for tax rate increases, they're likely going to have a primary opponent and have a tough 2014," Chris Chocola, president of the conservative Club for Growth, said in an interview.
The group spent $10 million in the 2012 campaigns opposing GOP candidates it considered not conservative enough, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks election spending.
"I would presume a Republican primary would be a red flashing light in many places," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., another freshman disciplined by Boehner who says he will oppose tax increases.
Americans for Tax Reform, headed by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, has sent a petition to the 150,000 people on its email list.
Most GOP lawmakers have signed Norquist's pledge promising to oppose tax increases, though some now say addressing the government's fiscal problems outweighs the pledge.
The petition urges lawmakers "to keep the promise they made to their constituents to not raise taxes." More than 38,000 people had signed it by late last week, said group spokesman John Kartch.
Source http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/fiscal-cliff-talks-compli_n_2318001.html
With the clock ticking down on the bargaining, the "fiscal cliff" – sweeping tax increases and budget cuts that begin in January unless an accord is reached to avert them – is testing conservatives' unity and their leverage.
A year after wielding considerable clout in repeated budget clashes against the White House, two factors have weakened conservatives trying to prevent a GOP agreement with Obama that they don't like:
_ Republican Election Day losses of the White House as well as seats in the House and Senate following a campaign in which Obama pressed hard for tax boosts on the wealthiest Americans.
_ Polls showing that voters would largely blame Republicans should a stalemate with the president trigger the cliff's tax boosts and spending cuts.
In a significant movement toward Obama's insistence on higher tax rates, Boehner is now willing to let them rise on the 368,000 households with annual incomes above $1 million as part of package that would swell the government's revenues by $1 trillion over the next decade.
Yet even with GOP pragmatists saying it's time to agree to Obama's demands for higher tax rates for the rich, some conservatives want Boehner to reject any tax increases at all.
"If there's any blame to be placed, it's squarely on his shoulders," Rep. Jeff Landry, R-La., said recently about Boehner, referring to House-approved spending levels and deficits of the past two years.
Landry, who lost his re-election bid, is a member of the tea party-backed House GOP freshman class of 2010. Saying he would oppose any deal raising income tax rates, Landry said of the government: "I'm not giving this beast any more money to grow."
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a veteran House conservative leader, took a more measured tone but said he would vote against a compromise raising tax rates. "Tax increases are not conducive to growing economies and creating jobs," he said.
Yet still other conservatives, while opposing tax increases, are doing little to hold Boehner's feet to the fire on the issue. They acknowledge they've been weakened by the "fiscal cliff" itself since taxes for nearly all taxpayers automatically rise Jan. 1 if the two sides fail to reach an agreement.
"We don't see how we have a whole lot of leverage," said freshman Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas.
"Speaker Boehner needs room to negotiate," said Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., another freshman. "I think he knows that I and the others are not in favor of tax-rate increases. But the speaker is going to do what he believes is in the best interest of the conference," he said, meaning House Republicans, "and knowing he has to get the votes."
Earlier this month, Boehner and other House GOP leaders removed four conservatives – including three freshmen – from desirable committee assignments after they'd cast votes defying party leadership. The move was seen by conservatives as punishment for refusing to abandon their principles, yet those targeted have offered few signs that their behavior will change.
"I have more support than I've ever had back in my district," said one of them, Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. He said if Boehner visited his southern Michigan district, "he's not going to be met with very much welcome."
Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said she would be open to compromise if the ultimate package included significant spending cuts. She also suggested the possibility of a path some consider unthinkable but that some liberals have also supported – letting the tax increases and spending cuts take effect without a satisfactory deal, since Congress could roll them back if a pact was reached later.
Too much is being made of going over the cliff, she said, "as if it's the equivalent of the Mayan calendar on the 21st of December. It's not."
The Mayan calendar's 5,125-year cycle ends on Dec. 21, prompting some people to worry the world will end that day.
Meanwhile, conservative interest groups are trying to pressure Republicans to oppose any tax boosts.
"If they vote for tax rate increases, they're likely going to have a primary opponent and have a tough 2014," Chris Chocola, president of the conservative Club for Growth, said in an interview.
The group spent $10 million in the 2012 campaigns opposing GOP candidates it considered not conservative enough, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks election spending.
"I would presume a Republican primary would be a red flashing light in many places," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., another freshman disciplined by Boehner who says he will oppose tax increases.
Americans for Tax Reform, headed by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, has sent a petition to the 150,000 people on its email list.
Most GOP lawmakers have signed Norquist's pledge promising to oppose tax increases, though some now say addressing the government's fiscal problems outweighs the pledge.
The petition urges lawmakers "to keep the promise they made to their constituents to not raise taxes." More than 38,000 people had signed it by late last week, said group spokesman John Kartch.
Source http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/fiscal-cliff-talks-compli_n_2318001.html
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Grid position rules change in World Endurance Championship
Grid positions in next year's FIA World Endurance Championship will be determined by an aggregate time of two drivers in each car.
The qualifying order will be based on the two fastest laps of the two drivers, it was decided that this weekend's FIA World Council.
That means the grid time will be decided on the basis of four timed laps. The move, according to the FIA, is designed to make qualifying "more attractive for spectators and media". The race-day warm-up has been cancelled in the interests of cost reduction unless specifically required. This means the Le Mans 24 Hours will retain its warm-up. The FIA, which writes the prototype rules together with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest at Le Mans, has also reaffirmed its intention to further increase the length of time between engine rebuilds.
Last year's rules stated that it intended to increase the life of the engines for 2013 from 30 to 50 hours. Limitations on tires used will placed on the LMP2 and GTE Am classes from next year. The FIA also stated its commitment to enforcing a strict equivalence between diesel and petrol-powered cars in LMP1 when the new 2014 rulebook comes into force.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121205/motorsports/121209941#ixzz2EGgODSbj
That means the grid time will be decided on the basis of four timed laps. The move, according to the FIA, is designed to make qualifying "more attractive for spectators and media". The race-day warm-up has been cancelled in the interests of cost reduction unless specifically required. This means the Le Mans 24 Hours will retain its warm-up. The FIA, which writes the prototype rules together with the Automobile Club de l'Ouest at Le Mans, has also reaffirmed its intention to further increase the length of time between engine rebuilds.
Last year's rules stated that it intended to increase the life of the engines for 2013 from 30 to 50 hours. Limitations on tires used will placed on the LMP2 and GTE Am classes from next year. The FIA also stated its commitment to enforcing a strict equivalence between diesel and petrol-powered cars in LMP1 when the new 2014 rulebook comes into force.
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121205/motorsports/121209941#ixzz2EGgODSbj
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Regime blasts EU for backing rebellion coalition
The Rwandan military is commanding and supporting the rebel force
that overtook a major city in eastern Congo this week, a United Nations
report released Wednesday said.
The highly anticipated report
said, "The government of Rwanda continues to violate the arms embargo by
providing direct military support to the M23 rebels, facilitating
recruitment, encouraging and facilitating desertions from the armed
forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and providing arms,
ammunition, intelligence and political advice."
The report also
says, "The de facto chain of command of M23 includes Gen. Bosco Ntaganda
and culminates with the Minister of Defence of Rwanda, Gen. James
Kabarebe."
The report also accuses Uganda of involvement. Uganda
has said it would pull its troops out of U.N. peacekeeping operations if
it was named in the report.
Both Rwanda and Uganda have denied
supporting the M23 rebel movement, which took the city of Goma, which
has a population of more than 1 million, on Tuesday.
Thousands of
Congolese soldiers and policemen defected to the M23 rebels Wednesday as
rebel leaders vowed to take control of all Congo, including the
capital, Kinshasa.
The U.N. accuses the M23 of grave crimes including recruiting child soldiers, summary executions and rape.
The
U.N. report says, "Senior officials of the Government of Uganda have
also provided support to M23 in the form of direct troop reinforcements
in Congolese territory, weapons deliveries, technical assistance, joint
planning, political advice and facilitation of external relations."
The
report adds, "Both Governments have also cooperated to support the
creation and expansion of the political branch of M23 and have
consistently advocated on behalf of the rebels. M23 and its allies
include six sanctioned individuals, some of whom reside in or regularly
travel to Rwanda and Uganda."
The M23 is made up of hundreds of officers who deserted the Congo army in April this year.
Earlier
Wednesday, the U.N.'s special representative for Congo said the
19,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force there is being stretched thin by
multiple rebel militias in the eastern part of the country, including
Goma.
Roger Meece made the assessment in a live videoconference linkup to the Security Council from Kinshasa.
The
council is assessing the performance of the MONUSCO peacekeeping force
after 1,500 of its troops stood by Tuesday and let M23 rebels take Goma
without resistance.
U.N. helicopters over the weekend fired
hundreds of rockets at the rebels in a bid to slow their advance on the
city of 1 million.
But U.N. officials say the U.N. force commander
in Goma ordered the peacekeepers not to shoot Tuesday in order to avoid
provoking a major firefight in the city after Congolese troops
retreated.
Meece said the M23 rebels were "well provisioned,"
uniformed and supplied with weapons, including night-vision goggles,
which clearly came from some outside party.
He did not name Rwanda or Uganda.
Rwanda
has been elected by the U.N. General Assembly to serve a two-year
position on the 15-member Security Council beginning in January, which
will complicate efforts by the council to come to grips with the
country's intervention in neighboring Congo.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The middle class rebellion
On Thursday night, the BBC called me from Broadcasting House in
London astonished by scenes of mass demonstrations in Buenos Aires and
other cities throughout Argentina.
The presenter was surprised by the magnitude and extent of the
crowds. She was also intrigued by what seemed to be “a festive
atmosphere” and asked me to explain what was going on.
I had just arrived home after walking down Avenida Callao, returning
from a speaking engagement in the Casa de Mendoza. I had not taken part
in the protest, but during my 12-block walk I blended in. The atmosphere
certainly seemed festive. People were sitting out at sidewalk cafés on
Callao and adjacent streets eating, sipping drinks and enjoying the
antics of the crowds gathered at street crossings.
I told the BBC that what we were watching streaming live on the
Internet was a rebellion of Argentina’s middle class. The protesters
gently rattled pots and pans, held up homemade signs and waved Argentine
flags. There was no aggression. It was a genteel affair.
I later learned that there were two incidents of violence when
reporters for the pro-government C5N, a television channel, and the TV
programme Duro de Domar were roughed up. But the aggressors were roundly
condemned.
But the mood was not really “festive.” The Argentine middle class is
not happy with the government of President Cristina Fernández de
Kirchner. Indeed, there is underlying anger that so much has gone wrong
with a government that did so much that was right after the epic
economic collapse and the breakdown of democracy in 2001.
My interpretation of both the great marches of the middle class, the
first on September 13, which was largely spontaneous, and the second on
what is being called 8N, which was at least twice the size, numbering
around 250,000, according to some estimates, is that both were about One
Big Thing and scores of Littler Things. The Big Thing is Democracy. The
littler things are lack of security, inflation, state intervention,
corruption, limits on individual rights, threats to press freedom and
judicial independence, to name only a few of the grievances that have
aroused more people to take to the streets than I can remember in half a
century covering Argentina.
The point about both these marches, which have really been gatherings
of mostly like-minded people, is that they could prove to be a historic
turning point in the civic development of Argentina. As readers of this
column must have realized, I have been concerned from the moment that I
was able to resume my life in Argentina that our hard-won democracy was
in danger of being whittled away by an increasingly authoritarian
administration.
I was haunted by a metaphor that I have not mentioned in print before.
This is not meant to be taken too seriously, but I am not the only
person who has wondered whether those of us who believe in democracy are
like frogs basking in a tank of warm water, unaware that the
temperature is imperceptibly rising.
As my wife and I are unable to spend more than five months in
Argentina each year we are in an advantageous position. We can hop out
of the tank when we leave in November. When we return in June we can
test the temperature before we hop back in. We will keep you informed on
our reading of the temperature.
For those who do not like this metaphor, let me say that it is far
less disturbing than my first thought, which was that we might be
lobsters. In that case, once in the pot, you’ve had it.
Among our friends, only a few worried about being democratic frogs in
a country where the authoritarian temperature was rising. So I worried
that people would not react in time to save Argentine democracy. The two
urbane and genteel demonstrations that have now taken place have
strengthened my conviction that democracy is here to stay.
That is because the people who gathered throughout Argentina — the
Federal Capital, La Plata, Córdoba, Corrientes, General Roca, Mendoza,
RÃo Negro, Rosario, Salta, Tucumán, even Bariloche and other small towns
— made an important statement: the people are concerned about
individual liberties, human rights in fact.
The protests went global. The Herald reported that there were
demonstrations by Argentines living abroad outside embassies and
consulates in Australia, Germany (Berlin, Frankfurt, Bonn, Hamburg);
Austria; Bolivia, Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte);
Canada (Toronto, Montreal); Chile (Santiago, ValparaÃso); China;
Colombia; Costa Rica; England; France; Israel (Tel Aviv, Hertzlia
Pituah, Migdal Haemek); Italy (Rome, Milan, Padova); Japan, Mexico;
Norway; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Málaga, Palma
de Mallorca, Valencia); South Africa; Sweden; Switzerland; Netherlands
(Hague, Amsterdam); Uruguay (Montevideo, Punta del Este, Maldonado,
Colonia); United States (Washington DC, Miami, New York, Boston,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston); Venezuela. Página/12 added
Azerbaijan and the Canary Islands to this list.
The government has been given a multitudinous wake up call. Reality is knocking on the door of the Casa Rosada.
Even Página/12, which has become the Official Gazette, has realized
that something is up. Instead of jeering at the marchers, as they did
after S13, their writers did some serious analysis.
Horacio González, the most discerning member of the Carta Abierta
group of intellectuals, noted: “They weren’t few. They were many. And
many of the words that they said were right words.” Horacio Verbitsky,
under the heading “Voices from the Street,” wrote that the demonstration
was “evidence that democracy is solid.” He concluded by suggesting that
Argentina may now be closer to the political system that “(Néstor)
Kirchner imagined ‘a centre-left force opposed by the centre-right.’”
Now is the time for the President to polish her democratic
credentials by stating that she will not seek re-election and will not
support legislation proposing an amendment or reform of the
Constitution.
That would allow people from the centre-left and the centre-right to
bond in support of democracy, against the extremists that have done so
much harm to Argentina over the past eight or nine decades.
The worldwide coverage of the protests on Thursday by the BBC and
other media put Argentina on a global alert list. A gesture from
Cristina would tell the world that democracy is alive and well.
And it would be an enormous relief to my metaphorical frogs who would
no longer have to keep checking the temperature of the water in the
tank.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Rajoy faces internal rebellion over austerity
SPAIN’S GOVERNMENT is facing a rebellion from within its own ranks over austerity measures in the 2013 budget.
The
Bill, which the conservative administration presented last week, cuts
back sharply on spending in an attempt to meet deficit targets agreed
with Brussels.
However, the reduction in funds for Spain’s 17
regions has sparked a backlash. Senior figures in the central
government’s own Partido Popular (PP) party are among the most vocal
critics, such as José Ramón Bauzá, the premier of the Balearic Islands.
“This
is a budget that the people of the Balearic Islands in no way deserve
and it is absolutely unfair when it comes to the interests of the
islands, which are meeting their budgetary and deficit objectives,” he
said on Sunday.
The Balearic Islands were among the biggest losers
in the 2013 budget. Overall, state spending on the regions is down 16
per cent compared with 2012.
The PP regional premiers of Valencia
and Aragón have also spoken out. Valencia’s Alberto Fabra said he would
try to improve his region’s share of the budget by pressing for an
amendment.
With the PP holding a substantial majority in the
national Congress, the budget is expected to be approved, although it
can be amended beforehand.
These outbursts, along with similar
complaints from opposition politicians, came just ahead of the annual
meeting today in Madrid between Spain’s 17 regional leaders and the
prime minister, Mariano Rajoy. and the issue is certain to dominate the
agenda.
In Madrid, Mr Rajoy’s party has tried to dampen down the unrest.
“Of
course we all want more money but we need to have a sense of
responsibility and statesmanship,” MarÃa Dolores de Cospedal, the PP’s
deputy leader, said.
Spain’s regional finances have become
increasingly problematic in recent months, helping to keep the country
mired in the euro-zone debt crisis. Four regions – Catalonia, Valencia,
Murcia and Andalusia – have requested rescue loans from the state to
help them meet looming obligations, with others mulling the same course
of action.
The north-eastern region of Catalonia, which has
requested €5 billion from the state, is also likely to be the focus of
today’s meeting. The Catalan nationalist government claims an unfair tax
system means it loses out on €16 billion each year, despite being
Spain’s biggest economic hub.
A wave of civic nationalist feeling
recently has prompted the region’s government to announce its intention
to hold a referendum on independence from Spain.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Rebellion in Ramallah?
Thousands
of Palestinians take to the streets. In Hebron, demonstrators burn an
effigy. In Tul Karm, Ramallah, and other cities, they block streets and
set tires ablaze. Teens hurl stones. All of the West Bank's bus, truck,
and taxi drivers go on strike for a day. In Bethlehem, truckers park
sideways, blocking streets. In Nablus, kindergarten teachers join the
strike; elsewhere storekeepers shut their shops. Universities announce
they, too, will strike.
These are updates from the West Bank over the past week. They sound as if taken from the start of the first Palestinian uprising against Israel 25 years ago. But the leader burned in effigy in Hebron was Salam Fayyad, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian government in Ramallah, rather than Israel, is the direct target of protest. Economic frustration sparked the fury. This sounds like a variation on revolts in other Arab states—except the Palestinian Authority isn't an independent state. Set up as to provide short-term, limited autonomy until a peace agreement, it has become the lasting means by which Israel outsources its rule over Palestinians in occupied territory. Donor countries foot the budget; the PA provides local services. Israel's current government acts as if the arrangement can last forever. The protests show how unstable it really is.
The immediate reason for anger was the PA government's decision to increase fuel prices and the value-added tax on goods and services. The cost of filling a gas tank is, of course, a function of world markets. But in the Palestinian Authority, it's also a result of the price that the Israeli government sets, including Israeli taxes. The 1994 Paris Protocol, which governs economic relations between Israel and the supposedly temporary Palestinian Authority, specifies that gasoline can't be more than 15 percent cheaper in PA territory than in Israel. It also links the level of value-added tax in the PA to the Israeli rate—so when Israel hiked its rate this month, so did Fayyad's government.
The protocol did leave a little wiggle room for smaller increases. But the PA is short on cash. Much of its budget comes from state donors—including the United States and European and Arab countries. The Education Ministry building in Ramallah has a sign saying it was donated by the Kingdom of Norway. If the PA's operating budget were a building, it would also have a donation plaque at the door.
But donors sometimes don't pay pledges, or pay late. As of June, the PA suffered a shortfall of $300 million in donor funds, according to one economic source. More recently, Palestinian Finance Ministry officials reportedly placed the shortfall at $1.2 billion, a quarter of the Authority's annual budget. PA employees—nearly a sixth of the West Bank workforce—can't be sure when they'll get their monthly salary, or how much of it they'll receive. Rumors that Gulf states are holding back funds at Washington's request—in order to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to drop his request for U.N. recognition of Palestinian statehood—are rampant. Actually, says political analyst Mouin Rabbani, the Gulf states have always paid late or not at all, as a result of inter-Arab disputes with the PA. The rumors do, however, testify to the level of America's political credit among Palestinians.
The foreign donations are supposed to lay the foundation for Palestinian independence. Fayyad, an American-trained economist and ex-IMF official, promised in 2009 that he would build a state from the bottom up by 2011. He has made PA finances more transparent, earned Western respect—and angered veteran members of Abbas's Fatah movement. What he can't do is build a self-sustaining economy. The Paris Protocol locks the PA into a customs union with Israel. The West Bank's currency is Israel's shekel. Israel controls the borders, imports and exports. Almost 60 percent of West Bank land is still defined as Area C, under Israeli rather than PA administration. Area C is where there's open space that could be used for industry, but it now serves as a reserve for settlement growth. Instead of building a state, the donors are reducing the cost to Israel of governing the West Bank. Yet when the donors hold up funds, they impoverish people in Bethlehem and Tul Karm.
On Tuesday, Fayyad announced a partial rollback of the tax and price increases and promised to pay some overdue salaries. So far, demonstrations and strikes are continuing. Increasingly, demonstrators demand that the PLO renegotiate the Paris Protocol. But without a political change—meaning independence—there's little chance of altering the economic relationship. No one knows whether the protests will grow or sputter out now only to flare up again later. They could force a change of power in the PA or its collapse or turn more directly against Israel. The outsourced occupation depends on the whims of donors; it produces high prices, hunger, unemployment, and unpaid salaries. Economically, it cannot be sustained.
The subtext of the last week's protests is that the donors are essential to the PA on a day-to-day basis. But in the longer run, Europe and the United States are helping Israel maintain the political stalemate. Rather than just write hurried checks, they should set a condition for both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abbas: renew negotiations now on a two-state agreement. Europe is busy with its own problems, though, and Washington certainly can't be bothered until November. What Ramallah will look like in November is anyone's guess.
Source http://prospect.org/article/rebellion-ramallah
These are updates from the West Bank over the past week. They sound as if taken from the start of the first Palestinian uprising against Israel 25 years ago. But the leader burned in effigy in Hebron was Salam Fayyad, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian government in Ramallah, rather than Israel, is the direct target of protest. Economic frustration sparked the fury. This sounds like a variation on revolts in other Arab states—except the Palestinian Authority isn't an independent state. Set up as to provide short-term, limited autonomy until a peace agreement, it has become the lasting means by which Israel outsources its rule over Palestinians in occupied territory. Donor countries foot the budget; the PA provides local services. Israel's current government acts as if the arrangement can last forever. The protests show how unstable it really is.
The immediate reason for anger was the PA government's decision to increase fuel prices and the value-added tax on goods and services. The cost of filling a gas tank is, of course, a function of world markets. But in the Palestinian Authority, it's also a result of the price that the Israeli government sets, including Israeli taxes. The 1994 Paris Protocol, which governs economic relations between Israel and the supposedly temporary Palestinian Authority, specifies that gasoline can't be more than 15 percent cheaper in PA territory than in Israel. It also links the level of value-added tax in the PA to the Israeli rate—so when Israel hiked its rate this month, so did Fayyad's government.
The protocol did leave a little wiggle room for smaller increases. But the PA is short on cash. Much of its budget comes from state donors—including the United States and European and Arab countries. The Education Ministry building in Ramallah has a sign saying it was donated by the Kingdom of Norway. If the PA's operating budget were a building, it would also have a donation plaque at the door.
But donors sometimes don't pay pledges, or pay late. As of June, the PA suffered a shortfall of $300 million in donor funds, according to one economic source. More recently, Palestinian Finance Ministry officials reportedly placed the shortfall at $1.2 billion, a quarter of the Authority's annual budget. PA employees—nearly a sixth of the West Bank workforce—can't be sure when they'll get their monthly salary, or how much of it they'll receive. Rumors that Gulf states are holding back funds at Washington's request—in order to pressure Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to drop his request for U.N. recognition of Palestinian statehood—are rampant. Actually, says political analyst Mouin Rabbani, the Gulf states have always paid late or not at all, as a result of inter-Arab disputes with the PA. The rumors do, however, testify to the level of America's political credit among Palestinians.
The foreign donations are supposed to lay the foundation for Palestinian independence. Fayyad, an American-trained economist and ex-IMF official, promised in 2009 that he would build a state from the bottom up by 2011. He has made PA finances more transparent, earned Western respect—and angered veteran members of Abbas's Fatah movement. What he can't do is build a self-sustaining economy. The Paris Protocol locks the PA into a customs union with Israel. The West Bank's currency is Israel's shekel. Israel controls the borders, imports and exports. Almost 60 percent of West Bank land is still defined as Area C, under Israeli rather than PA administration. Area C is where there's open space that could be used for industry, but it now serves as a reserve for settlement growth. Instead of building a state, the donors are reducing the cost to Israel of governing the West Bank. Yet when the donors hold up funds, they impoverish people in Bethlehem and Tul Karm.
On Tuesday, Fayyad announced a partial rollback of the tax and price increases and promised to pay some overdue salaries. So far, demonstrations and strikes are continuing. Increasingly, demonstrators demand that the PLO renegotiate the Paris Protocol. But without a political change—meaning independence—there's little chance of altering the economic relationship. No one knows whether the protests will grow or sputter out now only to flare up again later. They could force a change of power in the PA or its collapse or turn more directly against Israel. The outsourced occupation depends on the whims of donors; it produces high prices, hunger, unemployment, and unpaid salaries. Economically, it cannot be sustained.
The subtext of the last week's protests is that the donors are essential to the PA on a day-to-day basis. But in the longer run, Europe and the United States are helping Israel maintain the political stalemate. Rather than just write hurried checks, they should set a condition for both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abbas: renew negotiations now on a two-state agreement. Europe is busy with its own problems, though, and Washington certainly can't be bothered until November. What Ramallah will look like in November is anyone's guess.
Source http://prospect.org/article/rebellion-ramallah
Monday, July 30, 2012
PiL, Buzzcocks, Rancid To Play Rebellion Punk Festival
Public Image Ltd., Rancid and Buzzcocks are amongst the bands set to play the 15th annual Rebellion punk music festival in Blackpool next week.
Taking place at the city's Winter Gardens venue from August 2-5, the event will also see sets from Bow Wow Wow, Social Distortion, Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, The Only Ones, Agnostic Front, Goldblade, The Fits and Slaughter And The Dogs, with over 150 bands playing the event.
The biggest punk music festival in the world, the festival will host
live onstage interviews and spoken word, as well as punk art and punk
fashion rooms and there will also be acoustic sessions from bands on the
bill. For more information on the line-up and for details on how to
purchase tickets, visit Rebellionfestivals.com.
In addition, Rebellion will be hosting a Christmas event, headed up by Rancid and Cock Sparrer, The Exploited and Uk Subs on December 8 at The Ballroom in Birmingham.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Rebellion MMA Radio: Rick Hawn, Dhiego Lima, and Adam Lynn
Rebellion MMA Radio returns this Sunday with another great line up of
guests joining hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli. Joining the
show this Sunday will be Bellator’s Rick Hawn, along with the MFC’s
Dhiego Lima and Adam Lynn.
Rick Hawn was a member of the 2004 US Olympic Judo team and is
currently the number one contender in Bellator’s lightweight division.
Hawn is 14-1 in his career with the lone loss coming to Jay Hieron at
welterweight. Hawn will challenge for the lightweight title later this
year when he faces champion Michael Chandler.
Dhiego Lima is an exciting prospect out of ATT Atlanta. The brother
of Bellator’s Douglas Lima, the 22-year old currently fights for the MFC
and has amassed a 6-2 record.
Rounding out the group is fellow MFC fighter Adam Lynn. The former
Marine is 17-9 in his MMA career and has fought for Strikeforce and the
WEC as well.
Be sure to tune in this Sunday at 6:30 for what should be a great show. Click here for a link to the show.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A Better Explanation, Please
We are now nearly 48 hours into the Teresa-Sullivan-resignation news
cycle but only a little closer to understanding why the University of
Virginia president and Board of Visitors decided to part company. Rector
Helen Dragas made some vague comments Sunday about disagreements over
the university’s strategic direction, but otherwise the board has not
been forthcoming.
Very possibly, the opacity is motivated by a desire to avoid getting
into specifics that would embarrass the widely liked Sullivan or drag
the university into an unseemly mud-slinging contest like the one that
followed the eviction of Gene Nichol from the presidency of William
& Mary. However, the proffered explanations of Sullivan’s ouster
seem to satisfy nobody. The University of Virginia faculty is in shock,
while many outsiders who knew Sullivan are surprised and dismayed.
With all due respect to Sullivan’s right to depart with quiet
dignity, the board owes the public a better explanation. The University
of Virginia is the commonwealth’s flagship educational institution and
what happens there sets the tone for the rest of the public university
system. The stakes are simply too high. Higher education is facing a
crisis in the United States as parents and students rebel against
runaway tuition hikes and new technologies threaten to disrupt the
traditional model of providing education in isolated campus settings.
By all accounts, Sullivan was a popular and effective president — at
least by traditional collegial standards. But if she was not displaying
sufficient alacrity in adapting to the fiscal, economic and
technological challenges to Mr. Jefferson’s University, the board needs
to say so.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Veteran Director Back With Rebellion Film
Veteran director Andrei Smirnov has returned to the screen after nigh on three decades with a look at a dark period in Russia’s history, a peasant rebellion that was brutally crushed by the Bolsheviks after the Revolution.
“Zhila-Byla Odna Baba,” or “Once Upon a Time There Lived a Woman,” follows a simple peasant woman in the Tambov region in 1920, whose life is turned upside down by the Revolution and the subsequent uprising.
Smirnov, 70, said he had long wanted to make a film about the human effects of the Revolution.
“It was natural for me to look at the topic of the village, the death of the Russian village, the revolutionary era and the Civil War,” Smirnov said at a recent news conference about the release of his much-anticipated film.
The revolt in the film is based on a real insurrection in 1920-21 that was sparked by the forced confiscation of grain by Bolshevik forces. It was one of the most well-known rebellions against the Soviets and was cruelly crushed. Thousands died in the conflict, and chemical weapons were used at one point by the Bolsheviks, the first time a state ever used such weapons against its own people.
Smirnov focuses his plot on the story of Varvara, played by the young actress Darya Yеkamasova, who survives rape and the death of loved ones.
“The story is shown through the eyes of a simple woman who doesn’t understand who is Red and who is Green, but who like every woman gives undying support to her family and children,” Smirnov said.
Critics have seen Varvara as a symbol for Russia itself.
“I wanted the viewer not only to cry or to laugh, but to think about the fate of Russia,” Smirnov said.
Rock singer and public activist Yury Shevchuk also stars as member of the peasant army.
Smirnov is most famous for his 1971 film “Belorussky Vokzal,” or “Belorussky Station,” a touching drama about several World War II veterans meeting for a reunion after many years of not seeing one another.
He directed only two more films after that hit, turning to acting and screenwriting for the last three decades. He most recently played one of the leading roles in Andrei Zvyagintsev’s art-house hit “Elena.”
Smirnov said in an interview with Afisha magazine that he gave up directing because of problems with censorship.
The film has had mixed reviews, with some comparing the director’s offering to Nikita Mikhalkov’s much-criticized sequels to the Oscar-winning “Burnt by the Sun.”
Kommersant film critic Mikhail Trofimenkov said the film showed that Smirnov had lost none of his directing skill, but called the film artificial propaganda against communism.
Like Mikhalkov’s films, “Zhila-Byla Odna Baba” received lavish state backing and support by state-friendly businessmen. Billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and the Kremlin’s chief ideologist Vladislav Surkov both backed the film, Smirnov said, and bizarrely, the names of Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Rusnano head Anatoly Chubais and Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakima are all thanked in the film’s credits.
So far the film, which cost more than $6 million to make, looks unlikely to turn a profit with less than $500,000 worth of tickets sold since it debuted earlier this month.
Source http://www.themoscowtimes.com/arts_n_ideas/article/veteran-director-back-with-rebellion-film/448924.html
“Zhila-Byla Odna Baba,” or “Once Upon a Time There Lived a Woman,” follows a simple peasant woman in the Tambov region in 1920, whose life is turned upside down by the Revolution and the subsequent uprising.
Smirnov, 70, said he had long wanted to make a film about the human effects of the Revolution.
“It was natural for me to look at the topic of the village, the death of the Russian village, the revolutionary era and the Civil War,” Smirnov said at a recent news conference about the release of his much-anticipated film.
The revolt in the film is based on a real insurrection in 1920-21 that was sparked by the forced confiscation of grain by Bolshevik forces. It was one of the most well-known rebellions against the Soviets and was cruelly crushed. Thousands died in the conflict, and chemical weapons were used at one point by the Bolsheviks, the first time a state ever used such weapons against its own people.
Smirnov focuses his plot on the story of Varvara, played by the young actress Darya Yеkamasova, who survives rape and the death of loved ones.
“The story is shown through the eyes of a simple woman who doesn’t understand who is Red and who is Green, but who like every woman gives undying support to her family and children,” Smirnov said.
Critics have seen Varvara as a symbol for Russia itself.
“I wanted the viewer not only to cry or to laugh, but to think about the fate of Russia,” Smirnov said.
Rock singer and public activist Yury Shevchuk also stars as member of the peasant army.
Smirnov is most famous for his 1971 film “Belorussky Vokzal,” or “Belorussky Station,” a touching drama about several World War II veterans meeting for a reunion after many years of not seeing one another.
He directed only two more films after that hit, turning to acting and screenwriting for the last three decades. He most recently played one of the leading roles in Andrei Zvyagintsev’s art-house hit “Elena.”
Smirnov said in an interview with Afisha magazine that he gave up directing because of problems with censorship.
The film has had mixed reviews, with some comparing the director’s offering to Nikita Mikhalkov’s much-criticized sequels to the Oscar-winning “Burnt by the Sun.”
Kommersant film critic Mikhail Trofimenkov said the film showed that Smirnov had lost none of his directing skill, but called the film artificial propaganda against communism.
Like Mikhalkov’s films, “Zhila-Byla Odna Baba” received lavish state backing and support by state-friendly businessmen. Billionaire Viktor Vekselberg and the Kremlin’s chief ideologist Vladislav Surkov both backed the film, Smirnov said, and bizarrely, the names of Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, Rusnano head Anatoly Chubais and Russian Railways chief Vladimir Yakima are all thanked in the film’s credits.
So far the film, which cost more than $6 million to make, looks unlikely to turn a profit with less than $500,000 worth of tickets sold since it debuted earlier this month.
Source http://www.themoscowtimes.com/arts_n_ideas/article/veteran-director-back-with-rebellion-film/448924.html
Monday, October 3, 2011
NYC Sports Bar Boxers Comes Out Swinging In Fight To Open Second Location
There are probably more bars and restaurants in New York City than anywhere else in the world but with gentrification spreading across the city, its getting harder and harder for business owners to hang a shingle in the Big Apple.
Boxers NYC is a highly popular gay sports bar in Chelsea that’s become a favorite of sports fans, LGBT athletic teams, Kathy Griffin (who guest-bartendered there once) and even The A List: New York (which has filmed there). So its not surprising the owners decided to open a second location in New York’s other gay ghetto, Hell’s Kitchen. They received provisional approval from Community Board 4, but grumpy residents worry it’ll disturb their tranquility and that the proposed location is too close to P.S. 111 on West 53rd Street. (New York zoning laws forbid bars from being within 200 feet of a school.)
Boxers co-owners Bob Fluet and Rob Hynds have tried to appease residents, but the situation has turned into a long-running saga, even by New York standards. Fluet and Hynds current proposal is to split the building into two businesses, a full-service bar and a no-alcohol taco shop on the side closer to P.S. 111. They’ve also discussed opening the bar at 4pm, after schoolchildren have gone home.
“Should it be a night club? As a gay parent of two, I would never want a nightclub there. Could it be a tavern that sells food? Yes, in my opinion I think that’s fair, Fluet told local news channel NY1. “Other than that, there may be nothing but having a derelict building for three, four years. Is that good for the neighborhood?”
Hynd’s and Fluet’s plans aren’t good enough for P.S. 111 principal Irma Medina, though: She e-mailed parents warning them that if the bar opened as planned, it would have scandalous underwear-only nights (something Fluet denies) and that the bar was “inappropriate for school-age children to be exposed to during the day while they are in a learning environment.”
Hey, this is New York City: We’re pretty sure these kids have seen worse than a few gay sports fans drinking beer.
The Community Board will make its final vote on October 5.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Teen rebellion can be a good sign
Your child has just rolled their eyes, informed you they WILL be going to that party whether you like it or not, told you they hate you, burst into tears and then slammed their door - all in the space of two minutes.
Congratulations. You are the proud owner of a teenager. Don't fret though, if your teen is doing these or similar things, they're exactly where they should be.
As challenging as it can be to have a rebellious, moody, obnoxious adolescent take over your house for a few years, experts say it's pretty much par for the course.
In fact, it's the quiet ones you should worry about. According to experts, they are more likely to be masking anxiety.
Perth psychologist Tony White says that while some children naturally have a quieter temperament, for others a lack of rebellion is a sign you need to dig deeper.
"The research says about 75 per cent of teenagers will be rebellious to some degree, and that is a good thing because it means the teenager is standing up to authority and in psychological terms, they're developing their own identity," he says.
"If they don't (rebel) then you start worrying. I have written this thing - 'a happy teenager is not a healthy teenager' - because I have a lot of parents come in and say 'my teenager is fighting, that means he's developing wrongly.' Well, it doesn't. If they don't fight, then you can actually be having a problem."
He says quieter children may take a low profile and conform because they're anxious or scared of something happening in their life. It can be hard to find out what's going on because they don't like making waves.
At school, they may slip under the radar because they are quiet and "good", while the angry, rebellious child is immediately identified and given help.
Whether parents have a fighter or a complier, Mr White says it's important for them to understand their child's temperament and parent accordingly, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Those with fighters will need a thick hide and will have to learn how to pick their battles. But whatever kind of teen parents have, experts say they'll fare best if the foundational relationship is strong to begin with.
Jennie Hannon, executive general manager of services at Anglicare, says that means the child knows they can share things with you, that you'll listen and that you are available when they need you to be, even if it's the least convenient time to you as a parent.
"Ultimately, you need to have got to the point when your child is 12 or 13 where your kids may not like everything you say but they do respect you, and respect is what will carry you through even if they don't agree with you," Ms Hannon says.
"It's that foundational relationship that will stand you through those times so you don't have a kid who is going to climb out a window and run away."
Clinical psychologist Kris Giesen, who lectures at Edith Cowan University, agrees. She says there will come a time when the child realises the parent cannot actually stop them from doing things.
"As children learn that, it is the relationship that they have with the parent, if it remains intact, that still has the capacity to influence the choices they make."
Dr Giesen says much of the business of parenting teens comes down to keeping them safe and simply trying to get through it.
"Your task here is to try and survive this stage rather than thinking that everything has a solution and can be resolved."
Source http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/health/9887333/teen-rebellion-can-be-a-good-sign/
Congratulations. You are the proud owner of a teenager. Don't fret though, if your teen is doing these or similar things, they're exactly where they should be.
As challenging as it can be to have a rebellious, moody, obnoxious adolescent take over your house for a few years, experts say it's pretty much par for the course.
In fact, it's the quiet ones you should worry about. According to experts, they are more likely to be masking anxiety.
Perth psychologist Tony White says that while some children naturally have a quieter temperament, for others a lack of rebellion is a sign you need to dig deeper.
"The research says about 75 per cent of teenagers will be rebellious to some degree, and that is a good thing because it means the teenager is standing up to authority and in psychological terms, they're developing their own identity," he says.
"If they don't (rebel) then you start worrying. I have written this thing - 'a happy teenager is not a healthy teenager' - because I have a lot of parents come in and say 'my teenager is fighting, that means he's developing wrongly.' Well, it doesn't. If they don't fight, then you can actually be having a problem."
He says quieter children may take a low profile and conform because they're anxious or scared of something happening in their life. It can be hard to find out what's going on because they don't like making waves.
At school, they may slip under the radar because they are quiet and "good", while the angry, rebellious child is immediately identified and given help.
Whether parents have a fighter or a complier, Mr White says it's important for them to understand their child's temperament and parent accordingly, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
Those with fighters will need a thick hide and will have to learn how to pick their battles. But whatever kind of teen parents have, experts say they'll fare best if the foundational relationship is strong to begin with.
Jennie Hannon, executive general manager of services at Anglicare, says that means the child knows they can share things with you, that you'll listen and that you are available when they need you to be, even if it's the least convenient time to you as a parent.
"Ultimately, you need to have got to the point when your child is 12 or 13 where your kids may not like everything you say but they do respect you, and respect is what will carry you through even if they don't agree with you," Ms Hannon says.
"It's that foundational relationship that will stand you through those times so you don't have a kid who is going to climb out a window and run away."
Clinical psychologist Kris Giesen, who lectures at Edith Cowan University, agrees. She says there will come a time when the child realises the parent cannot actually stop them from doing things.
"As children learn that, it is the relationship that they have with the parent, if it remains intact, that still has the capacity to influence the choices they make."
Dr Giesen says much of the business of parenting teens comes down to keeping them safe and simply trying to get through it.
"Your task here is to try and survive this stage rather than thinking that everything has a solution and can be resolved."
Source http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/lifestyle/a/-/health/9887333/teen-rebellion-can-be-a-good-sign/
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