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viernes, 18 de octubre de 2013

Modern-day slavery



Interior de una maquiladora
En pleno siglo XXI la esclavitud no ha desaparecido. Mauritania encabeza la lista con una prevalencia del 4% de la población. Gracias a la organización australiana Walk Free Foundation (WFF) se cuenta con un índice que alertará del desarrollo de diferentes prácticas esclavistas así como de los países involucrados. No faltan formas más o menos toleradas, como costumbres o parte de la cultura:matrimonios concertados, abuso sexual contra niñas, servidumbre doméstica, entre otras. Muchas empresas occidentales con frecuencia mantienen a sus trabajadores en fábricas ubicadas fuera de Europa en condiciones inadmisibles próximas al trabajo forzoso.
"An estimated 30 million people worldwide are living in modern-day slavery, according to the inaugural Global Slavery Index published by Walk Free Foundation.
The index, compiled by the Walk Free Foundation, said that while India had by far the largest number of enslaved people, the problem was most prevalent in the West African nation of Mauritania, where 4 per cent of the population was deemed to be held in slavery.
The estimated 2.9 million people in modern slavery in China "includes the forced labour of men, women and children in many parts of the economy, including domestic servitude and forced begging, the sexual exploitation of women and children, and forced marriage", said the report.
The foundation hopes the annual index will help governments to monitor and tackle what it calls a "hidden crime".
"A lot of governments won't like hearing what we have to say," chief executive Nick Grono said. "Those governments that want to engage with us, we will be very open to engaging and looking at ways in which we can better measure the issue of modern slavery."
Established in May last year, the WFF is a 20-strong team based in Perth, Australia, founded by philanthropists Andrew Forrest - chairman of Fortescue Metals - and his wife, Nicola".


44 Nepalese workers died between 4 June and 8 August in Qatar By Pete Pattisson
"Dozens of Nepalese migrant labourers have died in Qatar in recent weeks and thousands more are enduring appalling labour abuses, a Guardian investigation has found, raising serious questions about Qatar's preparations to host the 2022 World Cup.
This summer, Nepalese workers died at a rate of almost one a day in Qatar, many of them young men who had sudden heart attacks. The investigation found evidence to suggest that thousands of Nepalese, who make up the single largest group of labourers in Qatar, face exploitation and abuses that amount to modern-day slavery, as defined by the International Labour Organisation, during a building binge paving the way for 2022.
According to documents obtained from the Nepalese embassy in Doha, at least 44 workers died between 4 June and 8 August. More than half died of heart attacks, heart failure or workplace accidents". (Pete Pattisson en The Guardian)

jueves, 17 de octubre de 2013

Bienvenidos a Panamá euracas.


Las Cumbres Iberoamericanas no han servido hasta el presente para casi nada práctico. Al FMI le importan un comino. Son papel mojado para las bolsas. Se han dado, eso sí, anécdotas vergonzosas, como la salida del jefe de Estado español ante la facundia desatada del difunto Chávez (RIP). Un real chiste cuartelero, vamos. Sería deseable que Spain fuera ahora con un poco menos de arrogancia. Con más conciencia de que no tiene mucho de que presumir. Pedirle gracia y donaire intelectual sería mucho pedir. En esa especie de juegos florales, se dan palmaditas, se exhiben bandas y banderas y luego, si te he visto no me acuerdo.Y allí se toparán con Don Evo Morales. Al que maltrataron de forma asquerosa. Pues eso, bienvenidos euracas encartonados. A ver si también la cagan como de costumbre.


"Spain apologizes to Bolivia over Morales


Spain apologizes to Bolivia over Morales. 50633.jpeg 
The Spanish government presented on Monday to the Bolivian Foreign Ministry a note to express its apologies for the "incident" with the plane of President Evo Morales, which occurred two weeks ago. The president of Bolivia was banned from landing to refuel in Europe due to the suspicion that Edward Snowden, a former CIA agent, was also on the flight.
The document was presented by the Ambassador of Spain in La Paz, Ángel Vázquez, who deplored the conduct of his colleague in Vienna, Alberto Carnero, whom Morales accused of wanting to inspect his plane to see if he was travelling with Snowden, wanted by the United States for divulging confidential information.

"We regret this fact, we present our apologies for this proceeding, which was not appropriate and disturbed the president," creating a "difficult situation and unbecoming of a head of state," Vázquez told the press after handing the note to the Vice-Chancellor of Bolivia Juan Carlos Alurralde".

miércoles, 16 de octubre de 2013

Tortura animada en Guantánamo

Debido al contenido de algunas escenas he decidido no colgar en mi blog una película de dibujos animados que revela las técnicas de torturas aplicadas a algunos prisioneros en huelga de hambre, en el centro de detención militar estadounidense en la base naval cita en Guantánamo, Cuba. Se empieza por ignorar la tortura y un día se tolera. Lo malo es que a lo peor alguna vez nos toca sufrir lo que hemos tolerado para otros. No conozco si los detenidos de Guantánamo son terroristas. De lo que estoy segura es que no se les considera prisioneros de guerra. Hasta los criminales nazis juzgados al final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial fueron tratados conforme a derecho.
"On March 2013, reports of a hunger strike at Guantánamo Bay, the US detention camp in Cuba, began to surface. Details were sketchy and were contradicted by statements from the US military. Now, using testimony from five detainees, this animated film reveals the daily brutality of life inside Guantánamo. Today there are 17 prisoners still on hunger strike, 16 of whom are being force-fed. Two are in hospital
• Warning: contains scenes some viewers might find disturbing

• شاهد هذا الفيلم مع ترجمة بالعربية 

• In this Sunday's Observer read the extraordinary story of the making of Guantánamo Bay: The Hunger Strikes, plus an interview with David Morrissey about why he got involved

martes, 15 de octubre de 2013

¿Quién mató a Yasser Arafat?

Los resultados de un estudio toxicológico realizado por expertos suizos y publicado en "The Lancet" han descubierto trazas de polonio 210, en distintas pertenencias del fallecido líder palestino Yasser. Arafat. Dichos hallazgos sustentarían que la muerte del presidente palestino ocurrió como consecuencia de un envenenamiento.

Yasser Arafat en Cuba
"In a paper in "The Lancet", toxicologists said they had examined 38 items belonging to the late Palestinian leader, including underwear and a toothbrush, and compared them with a control group of 37 items of Arafat's that had been in storage for some time before his death.
They found traces of the substance that "support the possibility of Arafat's poisoning with polonium-210", the scientists reported.
They added: "Although the absence of myelosuppression [bone marrow deficiency] and hair loss does not favour acute radiation syndrome, symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhoea, and anorexia, followed by hepatic and renal failures, might suggest radioactive poisoning."
Arafat died at the age of 75 in a hospital near Paris in November 2004" 

Let´s make truth go viral

Search Engine Manipulation. Google and YouTube Suppress Controversial 9/11 Truth?
By Elizabeth Woodworth

Url of this article:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/search-engine-manipulation-google-and-youtube-suppress-911-truth/5352982

Mi blog está comprometido con la búsqueda y publicación de información fiable. Apoya el derecho de los ciudadanos a preguntar y recibir respuestas. Lejos de lo que se piensa, los buscadores comerciales no son instrumentos neutrales. Si uno se conforma con lo que produce una consulta trivial puede que sucumba a la permanente manipulación y termine desinformado. Se ofrecen datos pero el conocimiento es responsabilidad del lector. Elizabeth Woodworth, una experta en el asunto, describe un caso de posible escamoteo de información sobre las circunstancias del 11/S. Si les parece juzguen y decidan qué puede haber de cierto.

Let’s Make 9/11 Truth Go Viral

Global Research is committed to Counter-propaganda.

Forward this article far and wide.

Post it on social media, cross-post it on blog sites and independent media.  (GR Editor M. Ch.)

.
Introduction
With polls consistently showing that approximately 50% of Canadians and Americans doubt the official story of 9/11, the feat of keeping the lid on a public debate for over 12 years has been nothing short of miraculous.
This article presents a simple case study showing that this miracle is being performed with the assistance of Google and YouTube search engine interference
On September 8, 2013, the popular Russia Today “Truthseeker” program, with over a million subscribers on YouTube,[1] published a 13-minute newscast entitled “The Truthseeker: 9/11 and Operation Gladio (E23).”
Below the video frame ran the caption:
Bigger than Watergate’: US ‘regular’ meetings with Al-Qaeda’s leader; documented White House ‘false flag terrorism’ moving people ‘like sheep’; the father of Twin Towers victim tell us why he backs this month’s 9/11 campaign on Times Square and around the world; & the protests calendar for September.
This paragraph was followed by a list of interviewees, including four people representing three scholarly research organizations:  Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth,[2] the 9/11 Consensus Panel,[3] and The Journal of 9/11 Studies.[4]
The “Truthseeker” video immediately started to gain popularity on YouTube, reaching 131,000 views in the first three days.[5](The history of the viewing statistics may be seen by clicking on the little graphic symbol under the video frame, and to the right)
Truthseeker posted its program to YouTube on Sept. 8.  Russia Today tweeted the YouTube link to its 546,000 followers and to the interviewer, Daniel Bushell, that day:
RT ?@RT_com 8 Sep
The Truthseeker: 9/11 and operation Gladio (E23) http://youtu.be/vka7Da6e9LY @DanielBushellRT
A MOXNEWS copy of the same newscast was also posted September 8 under the title “Russia Today News Declares 9/11 An Inside Job False Flag Attack!” which in turn started to escalate, with over 80,000 views in the first few days.[6]
Other uploads of the program also appeared, with less traffic, bringing the early viewing total to over a quarter of a million people.
What Happened Next?
In both the RT and MOXNEWS cases, the viewer statistics on YouTube suddenly flat-lined on the morning of September 11 — like a heart monitor when a patient dies.
The YouTube search engine had suddenly failed to locate these videos.
Oddly, although the RT video may still be viewed on YouTube through its direct link (if known) from the Google URL box,[7] it cannot be accessed on YouTube by its title, or by portions of its title, or by searching “Truthseeker.”
The MOXNET version was also decoupled from the YouTube search engine for a period of time after September 11, but has since been restored to normal indexing.
Below is RT’s “Truthseeker” “9/11 and Operation Gladio” reposted on GlobalResearchTV:
How Were the Search Engine Failures Detected and Verified?
Investigations carried out independently by a US engineering colleague and myself revealed the following:
I. YouTube Search Results and Rankings:
 Searching the exact title of the original “Truthseeker” posting (“9/11 and Operation Gladio”) does not yield the original RT post. It does yield other posts with far fewer viewings, but the original, which as we have seen still exists as a URL, is evidently no longer in the YouTube index.

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=9%2F11+and+Operation+Gladio&oq=9%2F11+and+Operation+Gladio&gs_l=youtube.3..0l2.293984.293984.0.295154.1.1.0.0.0.0.217.217.2-1.1.0...0.0...1ac.2.11.youtube.MvZma9CXCtY

Its viewings have slowly risen over several weeks from 131,000 to 136,000 through the early news reports — but with by far the most views of all the uploads, it should appear at the top of the list.
Searching YouTube for the URL of the original escalating RT version produces no result either, although as we have seen, the URL is still a functioning direct link. (Experiment:  Take any URL from YouTube or Google, plug it into the search box and watch it come up on top of the list — because there is only one.)
Searching YouTube for the program’s name, “Truthseeker,” displays titles from Episodes 1-22, and also Episode 24, but it fails to show Episode 23, “9/11 and Operation Gladio” in 15 pages of search results.
Searching for the MOXNET post on the third day of its existence (September 11) produced a similar result. It should have appeared second from the top with its 80,000 views, but it was difficult to get it to appear at all — except through its direct link (if one had saved this earlier).
Oddly enough, the MOXNET post is once again normally accessible on YouTube (as it was September 8-11) through a search of either:  a) its full title, or b) its first few words.
II. Google Search Results and Rankings:
An exploration of the Google Web and Google Video search results revealed the following about access to the RT “Truthseeker” Episode 23:

·        Google Web Rankings:  On a search of “9/11 and Operation Gladio,” Google Web first brought up several news items, followed by an array of low-volume YouTube uploads that did not include the popular original RT version.

https://www.google.com/search?q=9%2F11+and+Operation+Gladio&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&cad=b&bvm=pv.xjs.s.en_US.qH4g2czDPNQ.O&ech=1&psi=51dPUsRPhbrgA6-cgcgK.1380931557920.3&emsg=NCSR&noj=1&ei=51dPUsRPhbrgA6-cgcgK

·        Google Video Rankings:  On the same search, “9/11 and Operation Gladio,” Google Video first listed the “Truthseeker” website page from which the video may also be watched and downloaded (as discussed below). This was followed by a half dozen uploads from other sources, mostly showing 50-200 video views. The original RT video that is still available by direct link and now records 136,000 views, did not show up at all — yet it should have been on top.

https://www.google.com/search?q=9/11+and+Operation+Gladio&noj=1&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ei=6FdPUvfUD6z-4APhrIHQCA&ved=0CA0Q_AUoAA&biw=1680&bih=870&dpr=1

·        On both Google Web and Google Video, searching the original RT URL failed to bring up the early version of the program that had started to go viral[8] — although its direct link still exists and shows up on several early September news websites.

III. The Truthseeker’s Own Website:
The “Truthseeker” produces a new show every two weeks.  As of this writing, the “Truthseeker” home page shows Episode 24, dated September 22, right at the top, followed by Episodes 22, 21, 20, and 19.
Our case-study Episode 23, dated September 8, was displayed at the top of the home page from September 8-11, before it disappeared.
It was then located under a different date — August 1, 2012 — buried on a back page with earlier episodes from over a year ago.
This may have been a simple mistake on the part of a large investigative news network that is attracting personnel and audiences away from Western networks, or it may be the result of hacking or political pressure. [It should be noted that when a September 8 2013 posting is given a new date namely August 1, 2012, it no longer appears on Google News in the days leading up to and following September 11, 2013, the date of commemoration of the 9/11 attacks. This redating of the September 8 also affects is ranking in the search engines].

The bottom line is that at least with regard to the Google and YouTube (which is owned by Google) search engines, something highly unusual has gone awry.[9]

Failure of Email Transmissions Describing the Above Investigation
Perhaps the most disturbing element of this case study is that for more than two weeks after September 11, 2013, it was impossible for some people to transmit by email the link to the original YouTube Episode 23 that had started to go viral.[10]
An email containing this link would at first appear to have transmitted normally, for it would show up in the sender’s Sent Mail. But it would not be received by the addressees — including the sender, if copied to self.
To my knowledge, at least six people, including three IT professionals, experienced the failure of email transmissions containing this particular link.
Of these IT professionals, one concluded, “There is no benign explanation for this.”

Impact and Significance: 

1. Impact: How popular videos behave statistically 
When videos start to become popular on YouTube, the statistics curve usually continues to rise over time.
Some show an initial burst of interest, with the curve rising quite steeply, then settling into an upward sloping line over time. This may be seen with the 2011 “Ultimate Dog Tease” (145 million).[11]
Others have a slower start, then catch on and build steadily, as did the 2012 “Psy-Gangnam Style” video, the first to be viewed over a billion times.[12]
The same slow-start pattern was seen with the 2007 video, “9/11 Clues EVERYONE MISSED.”[13]
Now compare these graphs with the two flat-line interruptions in the case-study videos whose progress was truncated by search engine failure.[14]
The point is that if a particular video is catching on, and people can see the excitement and enthusiasm for it right there in the viewer stats, they are apt to jump aboard and watch it.  They are far less likely to watch a video with 50-200 views that has been rated “ho hum” by the viewing public.
Those who covertly study the impact of “inconvenient” political broadcasts, and who take note and interfere with them, understand these things.
2. The significance of this interference:
The suppression of free political communication in our society has grave consequences for several reasons:
It is clear that that there is not just spying and data collection going on.  There is also electronic interference in our media, search engines, and mailboxes that is suppressing freedom of expression at various levels;
Media and search engine suppression can be held up for public view, while evidence of individual email tampering, probably carried out by covert state agencies, is frightening.  People are naturally reluctant to report it or write about it — for there is no one to report it to;
In the case of 9/11, which has torn the fabric of humanity down the middle — between Muslims and Christians, and between East and West — it is essential that the evidence backing this event be absolutely correct and open to question at all times;
The fact that the lid on 9/11 has been nailed down so firmly for so long creates great suspicion that this case study points to possible obstruction of free information transfer by government agencies recently identified through NSA whistleblowers Edward Snowden, William Binnie, Thomas Drake, and others.
This essay is offered to all citizens who believe the government should be investigated when state crimes against democracy are suspected.
It is further offered to all who pay taxes for government care, protection, and the guarantee of constitutional freedoms — and in particular to citizens who may have encountered chilling indications of covert state interference in their lives.

Notes
[1] The number of subscribers may be seen on any episode of “Truthseeker” — by searching YouTube for “RT Truthseeker.” Russia Today’s television outlets are available globally, via cable and satellite at: http://rt.com/where-to-watch/
[2] Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, ae911truth.org.
[3] The 9/11 Consensus Panel, consensus911.org.
[4] Journal of 9/11 Studies, http://www.journalof911studies.com/
[5] The history of the viewing statistics may be seen by clicking on the little graphic symbol under the video frame, and to the right, at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vka7Da6e9LY&feature=youtu.be
[6] The MOXNEWS posting and viewer history statistics are at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Vi5YHxsLI&feature=youtu.be
[7] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vka7Da6e9LY&feature=youtu.be
[8]That the original two links were going viral may also be seen from an examination of Twitter records during the period September 8-11, 2013,  This can be done by searching Twitter using: < 9/11 Operation Gladio > and scrolling down through the results.
[9] Internet users have long known that the highest-ranking results appear at the top of a search.  A simple explanation of how ranking works is available at: YouTube Video Search Ranking Factors: A Closer Look  http://www.seochat.com/c/a/search-engine-optimization-help/youtube-video-search-ranking-factors-a-closer-look/.
[10]  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vka7Da6e9LY&feature=youtu.be
[11]  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw (Vista previa[12]  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0 (Vista previa[13]  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwq04_KhCeI (Vista previa[14] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vka7Da6e9LY&feature=youtu.be and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1Vi5YHxsLI (Vista previa

Elizabeth Woodworth, author and former manager of library services for the British Columbia Ministry of Health, with responsibility for the oversight of library systems database management.
Author’s note: The searches discussed in this essay, unless otherwise specified, were performed October 3, 2013.

lunes, 14 de octubre de 2013

Engineering Happiness



He escogido un comentario de Oliver Burkeman (The Guardian) que me parece que viene de maravillas en la situaciones inciertas en que nos ha tocado vivir a la mayoría de los pobladores del planeta. Hollywood y los cuentos de hadas  nos han mal educado en la búsqueda ciega de la felicidad. No, no fueron felices toda la vida, ni la pasión les duró más de dos años. El amor no es para siempre. No estamos programados genéticamente para eso que llaman felicidad. La evolución biológica no contempla ser felices.Y para rematar la jugada el consumismo galopante en el que nos movemos propicia una sensación de disconformidad permanente. Me explico. No se trata de conformarse con situaciones inaceptables. Ni dejar de luchar, si es necesario, por alcanzar cotas superiores de bienestar. Pero lo que vienen a decir los dos economistas que han perpetrado el libro "Engineering Happiness" es que se necesita adecuar las aspiraciones a la realidad. Hay que saber conciliar la realidad y las expectativas. Pongo un ejemplo que tiene que ver con los patrones de belleza que se venden a las mujeres. Perseguir la apariencia de adolescentes de 15 años cuando se han rebasado los cuarenta puede ser una fuente de frustración permanente. Es un mínimo ejemplo de inadecuación de las expectativas a la realidad. No, nadie va a ser "for ever young". Ni la pobre Cher.  Así que si les parece visiten el artículo original.

"The economists Rakesh Sarin and Manel Baucells, in their book Engineering Happiness, call it "the fundamental question" of wellbeing: happiness equals reality minus expectations. Raise expectations beyond reality's capacity to meet them, and misery follows. The reverse applies, too: you can make people happier, studies suggest, by delivering bad news, then withdrawing it. Hence the car salesman trick: lure the customer with a deal; reveal it doesn't apply to the car being considered; then have a word with your manager, who – hallelujah! – agrees to an exception. Relief triggers happiness, and a sale.
A popular recent post on the website Wait But Why suggests expectations might be to blame for the malaise of the entire "millennial" generation. Baby boomers were raised by their Depression-era parents to expect that hard work might bring security. Thanks to the economy, they did better than that. But they instilled even higher expectations ("You can do anything!") in their kids, who face a worse economy, plus ceaseless distorted data, from Facebook and suchlike, about how others are faring. I'm not sure I buy this: it smacks of the tendentious "millennials are narcissists" line, as if it's the height of self-absorption to want to afford a flat. Still, it's clear expectations can sometimes run wild, so it's worth asking if it's time to lower yours.
Ah. Yes. Which brings us to the problem. How? Many gurus advise keeping expectations realistic, as if you could simply choose this. They do sometimes suggest tactics, the best of which don't involve directly changing your thoughts, but your environment: "choose your pond" wisely, as Sarin and Baucells put it, since the place where you live, the work you do and the people you socialise with are all potential sources of exaggerated expectations."