web internet marketing

If you don't know much about Justin Bieber's rise to superstardom, James Parker provides a good primer:

How did he do it? With YouTube, that’s how. Kissed in his cradle by the witch of the Web, Justin was throwing up little promo reels by the time he was 12. Singing a Brian McKnight song into the bathroom mirror. Or sitting on some municipal steps somewhere, busking mightily about the Lord: “You’re my God and my Fa-ther!” he bellows through the legs of passersby, the wooden body of his guitar reverberating with his shouts. ...

Bieber wasn’t from the Disney factory, and he didn’t have a show on Nickelodeon, so the marketing plan was skewed toward his already established constituency in social media: lots of Facebooking and YouTubing and sugary tweets to his millions-strong Twitter army.

If you don't know much about Justin Bieber's rise to superstardom, James Parker provides a good primer:

How did he do it? With YouTube, that’s how. Kissed in his cradle by the witch of the Web, Justin was throwing up little promo reels by the time he was 12. Singing a Brian McKnight song into the bathroom mirror. Or sitting on some municipal steps somewhere, busking mightily about the Lord: “You’re my God and my Fa-ther!” he bellows through the legs of passersby, the wooden body of his guitar reverberating with his shouts. ...

Bieber wasn’t from the Disney factory, and he didn’t have a show on Nickelodeon, so the marketing plan was skewed toward his already established constituency in social media: lots of Facebooking and YouTubing and sugary tweets to his millions-strong Twitter army.

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Purdue coach Matt Painter to meet with Missouri Tigers

Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter will meet with Missouri officials regarding Mizzou's vacant coaching position.

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FOCUS: Courageous workers at troubled nuclear plant endure tough <b>...</b>

Each of the employees of Tokyo Electric Power Co. and other workers engaged in containing damage at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is given 30 survival food crackers and a 180 milliliter pack of vegetable juice for ...

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Fox <b>News</b> Bureau Chief: I Thought It Was &#39;Far-Fetched&#39; When I <b>...</b>

In 2009, current Fox News DC Bureau Chief Bill Sammon admitted that he didn't really believe charges that Obama was a "socialist" when he encouraged Fox News staff to use the term. But, he claims, he soon realized it was true.

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Dirty Percent

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

It’s not hard to make the case that Apple’s new in-app subscription system offers numerous benefits to users, developers, and publishers. But whatever those benefits, they stem from the mere existence of these new subscription APIs. What’s controversial is the size of Apple’s cut: 30 percent.

No one is arguing that Apple shouldn’t get some cut of in-app purchases that go through iTunes. And, if Apple were taking a substantially smaller cut, there would be substantially fewer people objecting to Apple’s rules (that subscription-based publishing apps must use the system; that they can’t link to their external sign-up web page from within the app; and that they must offer in-app subscribers the same prices available outside the app).

The reasonable arguments against Apple’s policies seem to be:

• Apple should be taking less, perhaps far less, than 30 percent.




• Apple should not require subscription-based apps to use the in-app subscription APIs. If it’s a good deal for publishers, they’ll choose to use the system on their own.




• Apple should not require price-matching from subscription offers outside the app. Publishers should be allowed to charge iOS users more money to cover Apple’s cut.




• Apple should consider business models that simply can’t afford a 70/30 revenue split.

Let’s consider these in reverse order.

Apple Should Consider Business Models That Can’t Afford a 70/30 Revenue Split

Apple doesn’t give a damn about companies with business models that can’t afford a 70/30 split. Apple’s running a competitive business; competition is cold and hard. And who exactly can’t afford a 70/30 split? Middlemen. It’s not that Apple is opposed to middlemen — it’s that Apple wants to be the middleman. It’s difficult to expect them to be sympathetic to the plights of other middlemen.

Some of these apps and services that are left out might be ones that iOS users enjoy, though. This is the leading argument for how this new policy will in fact hurt users, and, as a result, Apple itself: it’ll drive good apps off the platform. Frequently mentioned examples: Netflix and Kindle. For all we know, though, Netflix may well be fine with this policy. Apple would only get a 30 percent cut of new subscriptions that go through the Netflix iOS app, and that might be a bounty Netflix can live with in exchange for more subscribers. Keep in mind, too, that Netflix and Apple seemingly get along well enough that Netflix is built into the Apple TV system software.

Kindle, and e-book platforms in general, are a different case. For one thing, Kindle doesn’t use subscriptions. Kindle offers purchases. Presumably, given Apple’s rejection of Sony’s e-book platform app last month, Apple is going to insist on the same rules for in-app purchases through apps like Kindle as they do for in-app subscriptions. If so, something’s got to give. The “agency model” through which e-books are sold requires the bookseller to give the publisher 70 percent of the sale price. So if the publisher gets 70 and Apple gets 30, that leaves a big fat nothing for Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or Kobo, or anyone else selling books through native iOS apps — other than iBooks, of course.

But leaving aside the revenue split, there are technical limitations as well. The existing in-app purchasing system in iOS has a technical limit of 3,500 catalog items. I.e. any single app can offer no more than 3,500 items for in-app purchase. Amazon has hundreds of thousands of Kindle titles.

Something’s got to give here. I don’t know what, but there must be more news on this front coming soon. I don’t believe Apple wants to chase competing e-book platforms off the App Store.

Apple Should Not Require Price Matching

Why not allow developers and publishers to set their own prices for in-app subscriptions? One reason: Apple wants its customers to get the best price — and, to know that they’re getting the best price whenever they buy a subscription through an app. It’s a confidence in the brand thing: with Apple’s rules, users know they’re getting the best price, they know they’ll be able to unsubscribe easily, and they know their privacy is protected.

Credit card companies insist on similar rules: retailers pay a processing fee for every credit card transaction, but the credit card companies insist that these fees not be passed on to the customer. Customers pay the same price as they would if they used cash — which encourages them to use their credit card liberally. (Going further, many charge cards offer cash back on each purchase — they can do this because the cash-back percentage refunded to the customer is less than the transaction processing fee paid by the retailer.)

So the same-price rule is good for the user, and good for Apple. But Matt Drance argues that Apple could dissipate much of this subscription controversy by waiving this rule:

The requirement that IAP content be offered “at the same price
or less than it is offered outside the app,” combined with the
70/30 split, means developers must make less money off of iOS by
definition. They can’t price their IAP content higher to offset
the commission, nor can they price their own retail content lower.

If I am interpreting this correctly, I can’t bring myself to see
it as reasonable. […] I think a great deal of this drama could
go away if Apple dropped section 11.13 while keeping section
11.14: Your prices on your store are your business; just don’t
be a jerk and advertise the difference all over ours.

And I agree with him. Yes, the same-price rule is good for users and for Apple, but waiving this rule wouldn’t be particularly bad for users or for Apple, either — and it would give publishers some freedom to experiment.

I suspect one reason Apple won’t budge is that their competitors — like Amazon — insist on best-price matching.

Apple Should Not Require Apps to Offer In-App Subscriptions

I’m sympathetic to this argument, too. “If you don’t like our terms, don’t use our subscription system.” But it has occurred to me that this entire in-app subscription debate mirrors the debate surrounding the App Store itself back in 2008 — that 30 percent was too large a cut for Apple to take, that it shouldn’t be mandatory, etc. The same way many developers wanted (and still want) a way to sell native iOS apps on their own, outside the App Store, many publishers now want a way to sell subscriptions on their own, outside the App Store.

The fact is, the App Store is an all-or-nothing affair. You play by Apple’s rules or you stick to web apps through Mobile Safari. This alternative is no different for periodical publishers than it was (and remains) for app developers in general. A lot of these demands boil down to a desire for more autonomy for native iOS app developers. Apple has never shown any interest in that.

There’s one striking difference between the subscription controversy today and the App Store controversy in 2008: with subscriptions, Apple is taking away the ability to do something that they previously allowed. There was never a supported way to install native apps for iOS before the App Store. Subscriptions sold outside the App Store, on the other hand, were allowed until last month.

Apple Should Be Taking Less, Possibly Far Less, Than 30 Percent

Another difference between the App Store itself and in-app subscriptions is that with apps, Apple hosts and serves the downloads. Apple covers the bandwidth, even for gargantuan gigabyte-or-larger 99-cent games. The OS handles installation.

With in-app subscriptions (and purchases), however, the app developer is responsible for hosting the content, and for writing the code to download, store, and manage it. So — one reasonable argument goes — given that Apple is doing less for subscription content than it does for apps (or for music and movies purchased through iTunes), Apple should take less of the money.

Taken further, the argument boils down to this: that for in-app subscriptions and purchases, Apple is serving only as a payment processer — and thus, a reasonable fee for transactions would be in the small single digits — 3, 4, maybe 5 percent, say. More or less something along the lines of what PayPal charges.

Apple, I think it’s clear, doesn’t see it this way. Apple sees the entire App Store, along with all native iOS apps, as an upscale, premium software store: owned, controlled, and managed like a physical shopping mall. Brick and mortar retailers don’t settle for a single-digit cut of retail prices; neither does the App Store.

Seth Godin argues that Apple’s 30 percent cut is too big to allow publishers to profit:

Except Apple has announced that they want to tax each subscription
made via the iPad at 30%. Yes, it’s a tax, because what it does is
dramatically decrease the incremental revenue from each
subscriber. An intelligent publisher only has two choices: raise
the price (punishing the reader and further cutting down
readership) or make it free and hope for mass (see my point above
about the infinite newsstand). When you make it free, it’s all
about the ads, and if you don’t reach tens or hundreds of
thousands of subscribers, you’ll fail.

Godin’s logic strikes me as questionable. For one thing, he freely switches between a newsstand metaphor (arguing, perhaps accurately, that the App Store is too large for publishers to gain attention from potential readers in the first place — you won’t read what you never notice) and the economics of subscriptions. But subscribers are the opposite of newsstand readers. Newsstand readers are buying a single copy, often on impulse. Subscribers are readers who are already hooked, and who know what they want. Put another way, the size of Apple’s cut of subscription revenue — whether it were higher or lower — has no bearing on the “attention at the newsstand” problem.

Second, the problem facing traditional publishers today is that circulation is falling. Newsstand sales and subscriptions are falling, under pressure from free-of-charge websites and other forms of digital content. The idea with Apple’s 70-30 revenue split is that developers and publishers can make it up in volume — that people aren’t just somewhat more willing to pay for content through iTunes than other online content stores, they are far more willing. The idea is that Apple has cracked a nut no one else1 has — they’ve created an ecosystem where hundreds of millions of people are willing to pay for digital content. Thus, potentially, publishers won’t just make more money keeping only 70 percent of subscription fees generated through iOS apps than they are now with 96 percent (or whatever they’re left with after payment processing fees) of subscription fees they’re selling on their own — they stand to make a lot more money.

I’m not guaranteeing or even predicting that it’s going to work out that way. I’m just saying that’s Apple’s proposition.

Godin’s assumption is that iOS in-app subscriptions won’t significantly increase the number of subscribers. If he’s right about that, then he’s right that Apple’s 30 percent cut will prove too expensive for publishers. But Apple’s bet is that in-app subscriptions can dramatically increase the number of subscribers. Consider the app landscape. Apple’s 30 percent cut didn’t drive the price of paid apps up — the nature of the App Store drove prices down. It’s a volume game.

The App Store itself proves that Apple might be right. Like with app sales, in-app subscriptions won’t work for every publication. But it could work for many. It really is possible to make it up in volume.

And if a 70-30 split for in-app subscription revenue doesn’t work, the price will come down. That’s how capitalism works. You choose a price and see how it goes. I’ll admit — when the App Store launched in 2008, I thought Apple’s 70-30 split was skewed too heavily in Apple’s favor. Not that it was wrong in any moral sense, but that it was wrong in a purely economic sense: that it might be more than developers would be willing to bear. Apple, clearly, has a better sense about what prices the market will bear than I (and, likely, you) do.

Competition vs. Anti-Competition

One last argument I’ve seen regarding these in-app subscription rules is that it’s further evidence of anti-competitive behavior from Apple. That makes sense only if you consider iOS to be the entire field of play. Apple, though, is competing at a higher level. They’re competing between platforms: iOS vs. Kindle/Amazon vs. Android/Google vs. Microsoft, and in some ways, vs. the free web. Why should publishers make an app rather than just a mobile web site? For happier customers and more money.

Sony has a platform for e-books. Amazon has a platform for e-books. Barnes & Noble has a platform for e-books. Apple has a platform for e-books. But Apple is the only one which allows its competitors to have apps on its devices. And Apple is the anti-competitive one? I’m no lawyer, but if the iTunes Music store hasn’t yet been deemed a monopoly with Apple selling 70+ percent of digital music players, then I doubt the App Store will be deemed a monopoly for a market where Apple has never been — and, according to market share trends, may never be — the top-selling smartphone maker, let alone own a majority of the market, let alone own more than a single-digit sliver of the phone market as a whole. As for ruthless profiteering, consider that Amazon, with their e-book publishing, originally took the fat end of a 70-30 revenue split with authors.

One question I’ve been asked by several DF readers who object to Apple’s new in-app subscription and purchasing policies goes like this: What if Microsoft did this with Windows, and, say, tried to require Apple to pay them 30 percent for every purchase made through iTunes on Windows? To that, I say: good luck with that. Microsoft couldn’t make such a change by fiat. The whole premise of Windows (and other personal computer systems) is that it is open to third-party software. Apple couldn’t just flip a switch and make Mac OS X a controlled app console system like iOS — they had to introduce the Mac App Store as an alternative to traditional software installation. If Microsoft introduced something similar to the Mac App Store for Windows, Apple would simply eschew it. If Microsoft were to mandate an iOS App Store-like total control policy for all Windows software, they’d have a revolt in their user base that would make Vista look like a success.

iOS isn’t and never was an open computer system. It’s a closed, controlled console system — more akin to Playstation or Wii or Xbox than to Mac OS X or Windows. It is, in Apple’s view, a privilege to have a native iOS app.

This is what galls some: Apple is doing this because they can, and no other company is in a position to do it. This is not a fear that in-app subscriptions will fail because Apple’s 30 percent slice is too high, but rather that in-app subscriptions will succeed despite Apple’s (in their minds) egregious profiteering. I.e. that charging what the market will bear is somehow unscrupulous. To the charge that Apple Inc. is a for-profit corporation run by staunch capitalists, I say, “Duh”.

If it works, Apple’s 30-percent take of in-app subscriptions will prove as objectionable in the long run as the App Store itself: not very.

For Apple, the mobile market is a cash cow. The company’s iPhone and iPad are proving to be the top mobile companions for people around the globe. Apple has sold over 100 million iPhones. Its iPad sales have hit 15 million. The company understands the mobile market and it knows how to capitalize on it.

But what about the living room? It has the Apple TV, sure, and the Mac mini is often times connected to an HDTV, but what else has Apple done to push the envelope in the living room? It still hasn’t launched the long-rumored television we keep hearing about, and it seems that offering a game console — a hope for many Apple fans over the past few years — won’t happen.

I fully realize that Apple can’t be everything to every customer. It delivers computers, smartphones, tablets, personal media players, two operating systems, wireless routers, and much more. But I also realize that Apple is an entertainment company. It’s about trying to give people more opportunity to enjoy their lives through technology. And it would only make sense if it doubled down on the living room.

Let’s turn our attention to the Apple TV for a minute.

Prior to its announcement in September, rumors were running rampant over what the former “hobby” would offer. Folks thought it would deliver gaming, interface with DVRs, include Apple’s App Store, and much more. They thought it would be a sizable update over its predecessor.

Instead, Apple offered a stripped-down alternative.

The second-generation Apple TV comes with the ability for users to stream Netflix content. It has Flickr and Internet radio. And it allows users to stream their music over their home network to their televisions. It offers movies and television shows, as well, but most would agree that it’s slim pickings for now.

At that event in September, Steve Jobs said that Apple’s research showed customers didn’t want everything a company could pile into a device. They simply want the ability to consume the content they enjoy without the fuss that might come along with something like Google TV-based devices.

But by delivering the bare minimum, Apple did itself no favors. The company took the easy way out and pretended like it no longer views the living room as a hobby. The only issue is, the Apple TV is still a hobby. It’s a device that lacks all the functionality we’ve come to expect from Apple — a company that typically prides itself on offering the best value for the cash. And at least so far, it leaves me wanting more.

So, what am I looking for? I want to see Apple improve the Apple TV by bringing its App Store to the platform. I’d also like to see some kind of gaming component come to the device, either through the App Store or as part of a more-capable platform.

And perhaps most importantly, I’d like to see Apple think beyond its set-top box and deliver products that try something new. I’m not sold on the possibility of Apple offering a groundbreaking television, but if it can surprise me, I’m all for it.

Simply put, I’m looking for Apple to be Apple. Right now, it’s just like every other company in the living room; it’s content to have a presence but not dominate.

That needs to end.

No single company can stake claim to the living room right now. Steve Jobs just needs to take advantage of that void and do something special.

But first, he needs to take the living room — and its revenue potential — seriously.

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What is your social media brand? Do you have one? Sure, many small business owners and entrepreneurs are coming around to the enormous importance of social media as a marketing, customer service, and, yes, even sales tool. But if you haven’t thought about how social media can define your brand, you are probably missing a HUGE part of what social media tools can do for your business. Here’s more…

Tools & Techniques

Creating a great brand with these blog tools. Tools that improve the look and functionality of your blog also improve your brand. A well-maintained small business blog is one of the most obvious and least expensive branding tools at the entrepreneur’s disposal even more so than social media channels like Facebook and Twitter because of how a blog can be customized to fit your needs and personality. This list of tools is a great way to start. EpicLaunch

What Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi can teach you about social media. One of the stars of the hit reality show “Jersey Shore”, “Snooki” is a perfect example of personal brand, but social media entrepreneurs could also learn much about building their own online presence from Snooki. Being yourself and using a simple, short tag to indelibly brand your identity are also great techniques in social media. One site is already trying to apply the starlets techniques in the social media space. Brand-Yourself

Tito Philips doesn’t want your comments on his blog! At least, not if they’re the wrong kind. And the wrong kind would be comments left for no other purpose than to get the blogger and his/her readers to visit your blog and perhaps comment on it in return. Why is comment trading bad? Don’t get Tito started! There are many ways to engage in social media marketing. Be sure you understand and respect some of the attitudes you may face. Blogging Bookshelf  

News & Trends

The best of the best. Want to get a look at arguably the 20 best Facebook fan pages for business on the planet? By now you should know the value of a Facebook fan page to your branding efforts. What’s also true, however, is that not all Facebook sites are created equal. If you want to take your social media marketing to the next level, have a look at this list of cream of the crop sites. Inc.com

Even churches use social media marketing! In this article on the growing market for tech services among religious organizations, we learn that many churches have also already entered into the social media space. As houses of worship, particularly huge mega-churches, expand and build congregations, it’s easy to see how social media can work as a marketing tool here as well. Is your religious organization using social media for branding? WSJ

Tips & Tricks

20 tips that will make you a Twitter star. Among the tools popular in the new digital space is Twitter. The microblogging platform can be used for business or non-business purposes and it can be the key to your small business’s success. Learn how to use Twitter like a pro and you may be surprised at the benefits your small business gains as a result. Global Copywriting

Valuable lessons in social media. Gary Vaynerchuk, author of The Thank You Economy and a successful social media entrepreneur in his own right, has many insights to share with small business leaders seeking a new way to define their brands in an age of social communications. Read some of the takeaways Vaynerchuk shares with those trying to define their businesses with social media. E-Marketing Associates

Success Stories

Doubt the power of FB to create brand for almost anyone? You won’t after you read the story of Princeton English Professor Jeff Nunokawa and “Jeffbook”, a collection of 3,221 brief literary essays on Facebook, that have created an incredible cult status for Nunokawa in the process. His motivation? Not too different from those of most marketers. Nunokawa simply started sharing where he knew his audience already spent lots of their time. The results speak for themselves. Fast Company

Increase exposure with niche social media. Blogger Mavis Nong talks about the importance of niche social media sites including social bookmarking sites as a key method of creating exposure for your online business. Mavis talks about her experience with our sister site BizSugar.com (thanks for the shout out! ) and explains how smaller more focused social sites can sometimes have a surprising impact even larger than the big guys. Attraction Marketing Online

Opportunities

Sponsors wanted for new SugarTone Sweet Business Blogging Contest. Put the power of social media to work for your brand. We’re looking for sponsors to help with a brand new blogging contest involving two of the fastest growing small business communities on the Web, BizSugar.com and Bloggertone.com. Learn more about the contest by reading the full announcement and get in touch today! BizSugar Blog

From Small Business TrendsSmall Business News: Social Media Brand

The Found Animals Foundation is an LA-based non-profit devoted to saving the lives of animals and solving the problem of animal overpopulation. Founded by Dr. Gary Michelson, a billionaire entrepreneur with a lifelong love of animals, Found Animals blends compassion with innovation and business sense. The organization does everything from working with local shelters to finding homes for strays to offering multi-million dollar incentives for research on animal sterilization.

The foundation will be opening its first ever "Adopt and Shop" retail space next month, so we caught up with Aimee Gilbreath, Executive Director of Found Animals, to find out a little bit more about the foundation, its goals, and LA's newest "pet shop."

HP: What is Found Animals most committed to?

AG: Our mission at Found Animals is to minimize the number of pets killed in animal shelters. We believe that our society, in the 21st century, can do far better than killing 4 million animals each year at a cost to taxpayers of over $2 billion annually. We look for innovative, entrepreneurial approaches to solving this problem. Over the past three years we have built a world class team of business and science professionals and launched programs that include sterilization, microchipping, owner support, adoption and more. Found Animals considers Los Angeles our test market for programs with plans to export successful ideas.

HP: What is the one thing you are most proud of that Found Animals has been able to accomplish?

AG: I’m most proud of our accomplishments with the Michelson Prize and Grant program. It’s our own version of the X-Prize and offers $25 million in prize money for creating a low cost non-surgical sterilant for use in cats and dogs. In addition, we are offering up to $50 million in grant funding to help researchers develop a prize winning technology. Sterilization is one of the best tools we have in our arsenal to reduce the number of unwanted pets that crowd the shelter system and overwhelm available resources. Unfortunately, current surgical spay/neuter approaches are expensive and often difficult to access for the pets and people who need them most. A “doggie Depo Provera” or “Kitty Norplant” type of product would revolutionize how we manage the pet population.

We created the program from scratch and its world class. Our Director of Scientific Research, Dr. Shirley Johnston, is world renowned in small animal reproduction and our Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of experts in many fields. Our program staff has created a fantastic grant process and we do outreach to scientists worldwide. So far we’ve received over 140 grant applications and a dozen projects have been approved for funding totaling over $5 million.

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This Week&#39;s Health Industry <b>News</b> - NYTimes.com

A look at what's coming up in the drug and health fields.

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New York Yankee <b>News</b>: Granderson, Chavez, Joe West and Barry Bonds <b>...</b>

All the Yankee news you need. ... New York Yankees Make Roster Decisions. Mar 2011 by Brandon C. - 47 comments. News links: Feliciano, Romulo, Chavez and the Canseco twins. Mar 2011 by Travis G - 51 comments. Around SB Nation ...

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Making Money Program

Cite.



Part of the whole "sweetheart deal" arrangement with the Saudis was that, in exchange for extracting their oil, that US companies like Halliburton would build their cities to modern standards. Now, they did a good job, no doubt about that; the quality of the construction is excellent. But the whole arrangement, top to bottom, was oriented around using American companies to provide as many services as possible. We extracted their oil, we provided financial services, we did their construction, we absorbed their investment money into Wall Street. Saudi Arabia, more than any other country in the world, is the creation of the US oil elite.



I didn't read about this on the Web, so I don't have a direct link for you. My primary source is Tales of an Economic Hitman, which was an amazing book. Conservatives hate it, and savage it mercilessly, but I've done my own research on many of his claims, and I found excellent backing for his belief that we have, by and large, used debt as a weapon to assimilate poor countries worldwide.



In country after country throughout the world, we promised too much economic growth, and overbuilt their infrastructure, knowingly putting them into debt that their economies couldn't service. This eventually destroyed their middle class, throwing most of the population into permanent poverty, and putting a hyper-elite into permanent power. This gives us immense leverage over these countries; in exchange for some debt relief, we can get amazing rates on new resource deals. Further, we can also get them to do nearly anything we want, including voting the way we wish in the U.N.



When you look at resource-rich countries all over the world, if the US has been deeply involved there, it's very rare for the population to be doing at all well. There will almost always be a hyper-wealthy, corrupt elite, and a huge population of, essentially, chattel.



The Saudis, being so much richer than the other resource countries, couldn't be put into debt the same way, but we nonetheless arranged things so that a very few people had direct control over the immense oil revenues, and the typical corruption and nepotism took over there as it has almost everywhere else.



This is part of why I'm so terrified of what's happening with the national budget in this country; I believe that the same primary weapon (lack of understanding of the toxicity of long-term government debt) is being turned by the same corporations that benefited in the third world against the American people that birthed them.



Read Tales of an Economic Hitman, and do your own research. I think you'll find it holds up exceedingly well.
posted by Malor at 9:19 AM on March 1 [37 favorites]

A 28-year-old broadcasting major at Texas State is raising money for male students who are at least 25 percent Caucasian.  The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove reports on a controversial new college scholarship that targets a demographic not normally singled out for financial aid.

Finally—help is on the way for America’s downtrodden white males, especially the ones who believe they’ve been shut out of all that financial aid that is apparently being ladled like gravy on non-Caucasian college kids.

President Colby Bohannan of the Former Majority Association for Equality has set up a scholarship program for white males. Credit: Getty Images

“It’s about time,” intones Texas State University business student William Lake, quoting an email he says was received the other day by the Former Majority Association for Equality, the scholarship fund he helped create to address this alleged injustice. “When we decided to start this scholarship, the conversation was primarily along the lines of ‘There is something out there for almost any and every demographic, but we don’t see anything out there for this demographic.’ So we decided to go ahead and at least contribute toward a solution.”

Lake, the nonprofit’s 30-year-old finance director, explains: “Our qualifications are pretty simple. Basically, you have to be at least a 25 percent Caucasian male and have to have demonstrated a commitment to your education with at least a 3.0 grade average, demonstrate financial need, and show you’re contributing positively to your community.”

As of Monday, a few days after the Austin American Statesman published a story on the fund, it had collected only about $3,000, according to Lake—enough to grant five fortunate white males $500 each for the fall 2011 term. The goal is to grant worthy young white men $1,000 apiece for the spring 2012 term.

It seems, by most measures, a minuscule amount—maybe enough to purchase books for a semester or pay for a small percentage of Texas State’s tuition. Predictably, however, the group is attracting millions of dollars in free publicity, given that the often volatile nature of discussions about race is catnip for the media.

“The idea that they are going to be helped by $500 seems silly on its face,” Potok says. “I’m not accusing these guys of being racist. Maybe they’re merely foolish.”

Texas State communications and broadcasting major Colby Bohannan, the 28-year-old president of the Former Majority Association for Equality, spent much of Monday conducting press interviews while shuttling between appearances on CNN and Austin’s Fox affiliate. On Tuesday, he’s been booked to appear on MSNBC.

“I’m not claiming that it’s a disadvantage to be a white male; I’m just recognizing that there is a subset of white and male that cannot afford the money for school,” says Bohannan, who describes himself as a twice-deployed Iraq War veteran who was honorably discharged from the Army last year after shattering his elbow during a football game in a combat zone. “We’re trying to help those people better their own lives. We’re not making any political claims. We’re just trying to help people.”

On CNN, Bohannan insisted: “We do not promote any kind of racial bigotry or white supremacy, and we don’t take money from people who do. If you’re part of a white supremacist group… keep your money. We don’t want your money.”

Not surprisingly, such reassuring noises are getting a cold reception from some quarters in the civil-rights community.

“It looks to me like a simple provocation,” says Mark Potok, who monitors hate groups for the Montgomery, Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center. “These people have fallen directly into the ever more popular myth of white oppression in America. The reality is that whites, to this day, have enormous privileges in landing scholarships and have real advantages in finding places at good schools.”

Potok says he isn’t impressed by the Former Majority Association for Equality’s avowed benign intentions, pointing out that professional racist David Duke, of the European-American Rights Organization, has used similar anodyne arguments while making a big show of sending money to poor whites in Appalachia. Potok also cited one of Duke’s favorite tracts, racial theorist Wilmot Robertson’s influential and wildly popular 1972 book, The Dispossessed Majority, which argued that the relative population decline of the United States’ white founding stock, compared to rise of non-Caucasians and immigrants, was allowing the nation to fall under the pernicious influence of foreign interests and Jews.

“I find it hard to believe that these people really think that white males are one oppressed minority, and the idea that they are going to be helped by $500 seems silly on its face,” Potok says. “I’m not accusing these guys of being racist. Maybe they’re merely foolish.”

William Lake responds: “Helping anyone pay for their education is not silly. I would say it’s a noble effort worth pursuing… We’re starting from the ground up, we’re not men of means with a whole lot of money laying around. If we had enough money, I’d like to set up a foundation that handed out half a million a year.”

As for the 25 percent minimum Caucasian blood requirement, Lake argues that President Obama, or someone of similar mixed-race background, would qualify, and it is in line with other ethnically oriented scholarships, such as those geared toward Native Americans.

“It seemed like a reasonable number to us,” Lake says. “We did not want to be lumped in with all the people who are actually bigots. I’m sure most of them wouldn’t be OK with 25 percent. One guy wrote that he wanted to give us money but he couldn’t because of that. I wrote back that ‘I’m sorry you feel that way, but we don’t need your donation.’”

It’s also possible, given the 15 minutes of fame they are enjoying, that Lake and Bohannan are too clever by one-quarter.

Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.

Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates all day long.

For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.

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New evidence has emerged that the Iranian government sees the current unrest in the Middle East as a signal that the Mahdi--or Islamic messiah--is about to appear.

Search engine optimization Vancouver For any Better Marketing Solution

 

When you begin your own website there are lots of ways you will have to market it and something of the best ways is by using SEO services Vancouver if you happen to be in that area. The SEO or seo services will be the top way of getting good visitors to your site and for that reason making more sales.

 

Now, you should know that you will not use SEO service if you are no online business - however, if you don't have an online presence if you are an offline business, then you'll not make it very far.

 

It is a popular fact that if you are planning to make it in the offline world you must have an online business. This is something which all people are learning the hard way. Something that you should also know is that it's not as easy as just setting up the website and leaving it to do its things.

 

You can do this in all types of ways, however these companies usually take advantage of multiple techniques to create an ideal marketing technique online. You will be able to employ these phones write articles for you, post on forums and blogs, create meta data and meta descriptions, cleanup the code, add alt tags towards the images and much more.

 

It is very important that you do this because otherwise the company that you have worked so hard for could end up losing the money. When you have an internet site you want to create, then you will also employ the expertise of a search engine optimization company, which stands for seo company. What the corporation does is actually go ahead and take best parts of your website, check the code, create keywords and write various articles and documents to ensure that your site is placed close to the top of the list for that major search engines.

As a result the SEO company can not only increase your traffic, but also make sure that your website is fully optimized for the internet search engine spiders that will be brought to it. These spiders are used to analyze your site and place it in a few positions determined on certain keywords.

 

If you wish to use the Search engine optimization Vancouver then all you've got to do is find the top companies. It's through these that the SEO gets done effectively and efficiently. Because of so many SEO companies to choose from you have to be sure that the one you are going for is reliable. You ought to be able to request a failure of what you want, and the company should also have the ability to tell you know long they have been operating for. This can limit the list to reveal the top ones.

 

Search engine optimization Offered by Different Vancouver Web Companies

The Vancouver SEO company services are extremely good for business growth as they provide quality services. If you're planning to produce a website for your online business, then you've arrived at right article as I will be explaining below how SEO Vancouver company services can increase your website ranking making it popular.

Before that, you should know what Seo is. It is not that complicated and i am sure you will get a grasp of it reading my article. The primary goal of SEO is to get increased traffic aimed at your website and audience. It's a good decision to choose a Vancouver SEO company that specializes in this sort of work, so that your website could be listed in search engines like google.

There is no point in you having a website with no website ranking at all as you won't get any business and profits to outlive. It is a very tough atmosphere out there because there are so many internet business people exactly like you, who desire their share of pie. You have to be familiar with the fact that nearly 85% of world wide web traffic could be got from web-sites.

When a user types inside a keyword or keywords for what he/she really wants to know in various sites, these use crawlers to get web-sites with the relevant content and index them based on algorithms. It's not necessary to be worried about the algorithms which these sites use as that isn't important.

To appear within the first page from the google listing, you will have to hire professionals and pros who can do the needful to maintain your site one of the good books during these websites. These professionals can optimize your site content to ensure your site gets more traffic.

Once the traffic gets high, it is a sign that you're getting a service which will enable you to get more revenues. SEO Vancouver company do the next to make your website appear within the first page of search engine results.

Use keywords which are popularly utilized on search engines like google in your website content.
Possess a web design for your website that is simple because top sites are allergic to flash and weird designs.
Submit your website to directories.
Submit your site to directory websites.
Postings on blogs and forums with back links for your websites. This really is considered as a very effective way to get increased traffic aimed at your website as many internet users use blogs and forums.

SEO Vancouver company also perform site diagnostics which is a significant part in online optimization as research and analysis on finding keywords may be the way to start a SEO campaign. So, be sure you select the right SEO Vancouver service company.

Are you searching for more info regarding SEO Vancouver? Visit http://www.seo4vancouver.com/seo-services.asp today!

 

What to anticipate Whenever Hiring a Roofing Contractor

When the time comes to correct or replace your homes roof, it can be a challenging task to find somebody that is actually competent to do the job. There are lots of roofing contractors available, but the types who will do a great job for a reasonable price are not frequently simple to find. If you are in the marketplace for a service provider, use the ideas below for interviewing as well as employing the correct one.

Interview and Consultation

The majority of roofing contractors provide totally free consultation services. This is especially important, because it gives them a chance to evaluate what your homes roof needs, and it gives you a chance to assess them. As with all companies, believe in instincts concerning the people you let upward onto your roof. No issue exactly how great a contractor's reputation or even suggestion, he or she ought to start by showing a person with a company card. If the contractor arrives looking as well as speaking in an unprofessional manner, chances are that the job he is going to perform will also be unprofessional. This is not to say that you should anticipate companies to reach in fits. They will be climbing on your roof, so most is going to be dressed in denim jeans as well as work footwear or sneakers. If the contractor seems to be interested in speaking on his mobile phone while on your roof compared to he's in analyzing your roof's needs, that may be another sign that he is not really the one to do the job. For your legal protection, make sure that the actual contractor has sufficient liability insurance.

Roof Evaluation

Anticipate the contractor will be rising on your roof. In fact, any contractor who does not need to go up in your roofing to evaluate the problem should be immediately reduced. Those who're serious about their function may either create a drawing of your roof's surface as well as mark trouble spots onto it because they undergo their assessment, or they'll consider photos or even video clip from the surface area while they are available online for. This is an extremely essential action, since it enables you to observe just what the problems are as well as understand how they'll be set.

Estimate

The next phase would be the written estimation. The contractor will take away his calculator and are available track of a written estimate. Some contractors goes to their own truck or van as well as write up the proposal, while some may crunch the amounts for the job in front of you. Once you are because of the suggestion, make sure that you comprehend which products is going to be utilized, just how long the job will require and if you will find any additional or even hidden expenses that could occur during the restore from the roofing. The service provider will be able to solution many of these concerns with ease and forewarn a person associated with a extra costs that could be sustained should the roof's ethics end up being broken within.

After you have received a few written estimates from roofers, evaluate exactly what every organization or service provider is willing to provide for that cost. Do not always discount the greatest bid, simply because occasionally the greatest bet will actually be the contractor who does the task properly. Also, be skeptical associated with prices for bids which are not nearly as expensive others. They may be utilizing inferior products or perhaps be untruthful concerning the possibility of hidden expenses. Most importantly, believe in intuition as well as opt for the service provider who enables you to feel quite comfortable regarding handing more than your hard earned money.

 

Seven Uyghurs Sentenced to Death

2011-03-23

Critics of the sentences say China has politicized the robberies as acts of terrorism.

 

AFP

A Uyghur man walks past armed Chinese security forces in Urumqi, July 17, 2009.

Chinese authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have ordered the executions of seven ethnic minority Uyghur men convicted of "violent" crimes, official media said on Wednesday.

 

The death sentences were handed down by the Supreme People's Court in recent days, according to state media in the regional capital, Urumqi.

 

The men were accused in connection with three separate attacks late last year in the Silk Road city of Kashgar, according to the news website Urumqi Online.

 

According to another website, the Xinjiang-based Tianshan news site, Aimaiti Tuheti, Yiming Dawuti, and unnamed "others" killed a security guard at a pedestrian mall as part of a failed Aug. 7 robbery attempt.

 

In a separate incident on Oct. 12, it said, Nuermaimaiti Aobulikasimu and 11 others broke into a house, bound and killed the couple living in it, and took their possessions.

 

It said the group also broke into the homes of two brothers, robbed them, and killed six people in a Nov. 11 attack in Kashgar.

 

The report gave no information about the victims or the schedule for the executions.

 

Three of the men were sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, a sentence that is normally commuted to life imprisonment in China's judicial system.

 

They were convicted of deliberate homicide and armed robbery by the Kashgar Intermediate People's Court in the first instance.

 

'Strike hard' campaign

 

A Han Chinese resident of Urumqi surnamed Yang said a reference to "terrorism" in official news reports on the case showed that it was being politicized by the authorities, who have launched a series of "strike hard" campaigns in Xinjiang following deadly ethnic violence in July 2009.

 

"There is an implied political meaning; that they were somehow engaged in separatist activities or ethnic divisions," said Yang.

 

Exile Uyghur groups said the trials had been conducted behind closed doors, with scant opportunity for public scrutiny.

 

"The entire process against these men, from the trial through to the judgment, was opaque," said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress.

 

"There was also very little reasonable evidence to convict them on a legal basis, because all the evidence came from one side of the case," he said.

 

"We strongly condemn the Chinese government for continuing to pursue their policies of ethnic division," said Raxit.

 

"We are also strongly opposed to the death penalty in this case."

 

Earlier cases

 

Last month, the Supreme Court sentenced four Uyghurs to death for alleged involvement in an Aug. 19 bomb attack in Xinjiang’s western Aksu city.

 

The World Uyghur Congress pointed to concerns over lack of transparency in those cases too.

 

The Aksu blast left eight people dead, including two of the bombers, and 15 wounded after a man riding a three-wheeled vehicle threw explosives at a group of uniformed patrolmen. Four Uyghurs were arrested shortly after the attack.

 

State media characterized the cases as acts of terrorism and unrelated to longstanding ethnic tensions between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in the region.

 

Exiled Uyghur dissident Rebiya Kadeer has warned that attacks like those in Aksu will continue to occur until Beijing addresses the underlying source of tension in the region.

 

Millions of Uyghurs—a distinct, Turkic minority who are predominantly Muslim—populate Central Asia and Xinjiang.

 

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China's ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

 

Those frustrations erupted in July 2009 in deadly riots that left nearly 200 people dead, by the Chinese government's tally.

 

At least 26 people, mostly Uyghurs, were sentenced to death in the aftermath of the riots, many of whom have been executed, according to state media.

 

China is believed to execute more people each year than the rest of the world’s countries combined, although the government does not publish official figures.

 

Rights groups say Beijing may execute as many as several thousand prisoners annually.

 

Chinese authorities blame Uyghur separatists for a series of deadly attacks in recent years and accuse one group in particular of maintaining ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network.

 

New training scheme

 

China on Wednesday also announced a training scheme which places ethnic minority graduates from Xinjiang in work elsewhere in China.

 

Governments of the destination cities will spend 450 million yuan (U.S.$ 69 million) for the program, while Xinjiang will spend 400 million yuan (U.S.$ 61 million), the official Xinhua news agency reported.

 

The program targets some 60,000 jobless college graduates in Xinjiang, around 80 percent of whom are from ethnic minorities, and 60 percent of whom are women.

 

However, some commentators see the move as an attempt to assimilate non-Han Chinese into mainstream Chinese culture.

 

"From the point of view of ethnic minorities, the graduate work scheme is really taking the cream of youth from the minorities and using them to 'further cultural development,'" wrote one ethnic minority user on a popular microblogging service.

 

"In fact, the culture that is being advanced is Han culture, and this group of young people will have been totally brainwashed," the microblog update said.

 

An Urumqi resident surnamed Li agreed.

 

"They have run senior high school schemes like this before during the past few years," he said.

 

"Whether it's high-schoolers or graduate training programs, these are measures that are aimed at thought control and brainwashing, and the 'Partification' of their education," he said.

 

Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright © 1998-2011 Radio Free Asia. All rights reserved.

 

Wikileaks and also the Uyghur

by henry upon December 20, This year
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

If it were actually uncertain, info acquired by the whistleblower web site, Wikileaks, has confirmed Chinese government fears more than its continued control of the region this calls Xinjiang, also is known as East Turkestan. The actual leaked out wires from Ough.Utes. diplomats demonstrate the actual extent that Chinese language government bodies make an effort to convince government authorities globally to adopt it's stance upon issues affecting Uyghurs. The wires also show the actual U . s . States' issues as well as views regarding the ongoing repressive measures in the region.

Most illuminating associated with Chinese language government stress are the wires directed in order to Chinese language anger, or even the specter of Chinese ire, within the release of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to third countries. A December Twenty nine, 2008 cable relates how Chinese language Assistant International Minister Liu Jieyi fulfilled with the U.Utes. Ambassador in order to China in order to voice Beijing's strong competitors associated with launch in order to any country other than The far east, and that if the Ough.Utes. do certainly accede to this request it would "avoid injury to bilateral relations and to cooperation ‘in important areas'". In addition, a February '09 cable television describes how the Chinese language Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the actual possible discharge of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees as "an unfavorable act toward us" along with a "slap in the face". The U.S. government stood company in not really liberating the detainees in order to China demonstrates the extent of the politicized character from the Chinese language judicial system. Genuine concerns over terrorism are easy to understand, however in the Ough.Utes. government's view the detainees would most likely face torture and delivery if they came back to The far east

Chinese government stress in regard to the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees wasn't only applied to the actual Ough.S. government, but also to Brand new Zealand along with a handful of European government authorities which were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany as well as Finland, as well as European Union member says just about all have the symptoms of paid for the actual impact associated with Chinese government unhappiness. Regarding Indonesia, which was initially willing to consider 2 Uyghurs on purely humanitarian grounds, Uyghur Guantánamo instances were less better than additional detainees because of the negative effects taking Uyghurs might have on relations with The far east. A May Eight, 2009 cable relates how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer reported that Indonesia had informed China from the Ough.S. request to simply accept a few Uighur detainees held from Guantánamo and had been consequently warned by The far east of ‘a large burden on bilateral relations' in the event that Germany had been to simply accept any detainees".

The diplomatic wires additionally discuss the actual unrest in Urumchi, the regional funds, in This summer 2009. A This summer Thirteen, '09 cable talking about bulk incidents within The far east states:

"Ethnic riots such as those who work in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 and in Tibet in 03 associated with 08 vary substantially in origin and nature through mass occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX emphasized to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Both present serious problems for the actual Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX stated, however the Celebration leadership would not wait to open fire on Uighurs or Tibetans when they considered this essential to recover order. Bulk incidents pose a different type of threat, he said, since the management is actually ‘afraid' to fireplace on Han rioters for anxiety about sparking massive public outrage that will change against the Celebration."

This is a relaxing viewpoint, particularly when one considers evidence presented in two reports launched this year by the Uyghur Human Privileges Project (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide which detail eyewitness company accounts of the utilization of deadly reside fireplace towards Uyghur protestors within This summer '09. In addition, the actual declaration which fireplace would not be deployed against Han Chinese protestors has resonances for that different strategy used through Chinese language protection forces in Urumchi in order to Han Chinese language protests in September '09. Throughout individuals direct orders, after that Celebration Secretary, Wang Lequan, tackled protesters, that had required he let them know about federal government responses in order to security issues. An identical request to meet with the Celebration Secretary through Uyghur protesters within This summer was not met.

The actual wider consequences from the unrest also noticed a short discussion on the impact it might possess on Iran-China relations, as well as on relations with Sydney following Globe Uyghur Congress President, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke at the Nationwide Push Club in Canberra within July '09. In the latter case, the Chinese federal government "privately warn[ed] a major Australian financial institution which sponsors the National Push Club to use its impact to block a Kadeer talk there".

The United States' concerns about the situation in the Uyghur region also come through within the cables. In a dialogue on plan direction within Tibet, Ough.S. officials clarify that it will end up being not possible with regard to Chinese leaders to adopt the softer collection "if they look like they are doing so under international pressure". The actual cable television dated 04 Sixteen, 2008, one month following the episode associated with unrest within Tibetan areas, also relayed the observation "that household stability remains the leadership's top priority most of all, meaning there will ‘almost surely' be absolutely no rest from the current difficult line upon Tibet or in locations such as Xinjiang." The info contained in the cable television also sheds gentle on the extreme level of sensitivity that china government views territorial ethics, and the possible drip over of unrest through Tibet.

The chance associated with solutions to tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang as a result of civil culture tend to be debated inside a Feb Twenty-four, 2008 cable television. While recommending which China's financial achievement will increase it's potential to deal with democratic change, the cable television also discusses exactly how Chinese language leaders see the effectiveness of "a restricted growth of civil society, such as enhancements within the rule associated with law and a stronger part with regard to authorized beliefs, NGOs, charities along with other actors in areas which bring about social stability and do not problem Communist Celebration guideline." This can be a notable change in considering, which has seen Ough.Utes. authorities promote the idea which Chinese language financial improvement, as well as economic relationships with China will bring about a progressively democratic culture; nevertheless, more faith seems to be placed in a grassroots movement than one that starts in the best levels of the Chinese language government. Nevertheless, the cable concludes which "[i]n areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang, driving a car of separatism results in tighter restrictions on the development of municipal society." This method can be regarded as counter-productive through the official, that suggests that the Ough.Utes. federal government "should still express...serious issues more than Beijing's human rights record and attract China's developing awareness which higher respect with regard to individual privileges, religious independence and also the guideline associated with regulation will serve to advertise the very development as well as social stability which China seeks as well as to enhance China's worldwide picture." Such a strategy might consider considerable diplomatic skills considering "China's weird fear the Usa privately promotes routine change as well as ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet as well as Xinjiang".

The actual wires offer understanding of the actual every day business associated with diplomacy that is rarely owned by everyone, which is interesting to notice the amount of function carried out nowadays upon Uyghur problems. The importance of the role of the us as a monitor of Uyghur human rights conditions in private discussions is made obvious, as well as contrasts using its sensible public stance. Employees from the Uyghur Human Rights Task is actually well aware of the pressure the Chinese federal government exerts on Uyghur activists; nevertheless, the details associated with Chinese language federal government stress upon it's alternatives is actually illustrative of the diploma that Chinese language officials make an effort to control contradictory narratives. With more facts in the future from Wikileaks, issues more than Uyghurs may not grab the head lines, however the cables have get rid of brand new gentle on the documentation associated with human privileges conditions in the Uyghur region.

 

Wikileaks and the Uyghur

through henry upon December Twenty, 2010
Henryk Szadziewski, Supervisor, Uyghur Human Rights Project

Whether it were ever in doubt, info acquired by the whistleblower web site, Wikileaks, offers confirmed Chinese language federal government fears over its ongoing control of the location this phone calls Xinjiang, which is also referred to as Eastern Turkestan. The actual leaked cables through Ough.S. diplomats demonstrate the actual degree to which Chinese authorities make an effort to convince government authorities worldwide to adopt its position on problems impacting Uyghurs. The actual wires also display the actual U . s . States' issues as well as sights concerning the ongoing repressive measures in the area.

Most illuminating of Chinese federal government stress would be the cables pointing in order to Chinese frustration, or even the specter of Chinese ire, within the discharge of Uyghur detainees in Guantánamo to 3rd nations. A December Twenty nine, 2008 cable applies exactly how Chinese Helper International Reverend Liu Jieyi fulfilled using the U.Utes. Ambassador to China to tone of voice Beijing's powerful competitors associated with release to any nation other than The far east, and that if the Ough.Utes. do indeed accede to this ask for it might "avoid harm to bilateral relationships and also to cooperation ‘in essential areas'". In addition, the Feb 2009 cable television explains the way the Chinese Ambassador in order to Kyrgyzstan, Zhang Yannian, regarded as the possible release of Uyghur Guantánamo detainees because "an unfriendly act towards us" and a "slap in the face". The U.S. federal government stood firm within not releasing the actual detainees to The far east illustrates the degree from the politicized nature of the Chinese language judicial system. Genuine concerns more than terrorism tend to be easy to understand, but in the U.Utes. government's observe the detainees might most likely face torture as well as delivery if they came back to The far east

Chinese language federal government pressure in regard to the actual Uyghur Guantánamo detainees was not just put on the U.Utes. federal government, but also to Brand new Zealand along with a number of Western governments that were thinking about resettlement. Albania, Germany and Finland, in addition to Eu fellow member states all have the symptoms of borne the actual brunt associated with Chinese language federal government unhappiness. Regarding Indonesia, that was initially willing to think about two Uyghurs upon solely relief reasons, Uyghur Guantánamo cases were less better than other detainees because of the negative effects accepting Uyghurs would have upon relationships with China. The Might Eight, '09 cable television applies exactly how "German Ambassador Michael Schaefer documented which Germany experienced informed China of the Ough.S. ask for to simply accept some Uighur detainees kept at Guantánamo coupled with been subsequently warned through The far east of ‘a large burden on bilateral relations' if Indonesia had been to simply accept any detainees".

The diplomatic wires also talk about the actual unrest within Urumchi, the local capital, within July 2009. The July 13, 2009 cable television talking about bulk incidents in The far east states:

"Ethnic riots like those in Xinjiang This summer 5-7 as well as in Tibet in March of 08 differ substantially within source as well as character from bulk occurrences, XXXXXXXXXXXX stressed in order to PolOff [Political Officer] upon XXXXXXXXXXXX. Each existing serious trouble for the Party, XXXXXXXXXXXX said, however the Celebration management would not wait to spread out fire on Uighurs or even Tibetans when they deemed it essential to recover purchase. Bulk incidents present a different type of risk, he explained, as the management is ‘afraid' to fireplace on Han rioters for anxiety about causing massive public outrage that would turn from the Celebration."

This is a relaxing opinion, especially when 1 views the evidence presented by 50 percent reports launched this year by the Uyghur Individual Rights Project (UHRP) and Amnesty Worldwide which detail eyewitness company accounts of the utilization of deadly live fireplace against Uyghur protestors within This summer '09. In addition, the observation which fireplace wouldn't be deployed towards Han Chinese protestors offers resonances for that different strategy used through Chinese security causes within Urumchi in order to Han Chinese language direct orders in September 2009. During those direct orders, after that Party Secretary, Wang Lequan, tackled demonstrators, that experienced required he inform them regarding government responses in order to security issues. A similar ask for to satisfy with the Party Assistant through Uyghur protesters in This summer was not fulfilled.

The actual broader repercussions from the unrest also saw a brief discussion about the effect it would possess upon Iran-China relationships, as well as on relations with Australia following Globe Uyghur Congress President, Microsoft. Rebiya Kadeer, spoke in the Nationwide Push Membership within Canberra within August '09. Within the latter situation, china federal government "privately warn[ed] a significant Aussie financial institution that vendors the National Push Club to use it's influence to bar the Kadeer talk there".

The United States' issues concerning the scenario within the Uyghur area are available through within the wires. Inside a dialogue on policy path within Tibet, Ough.S. officials explain that it'll be impossible for Chinese leaders to adopt a much softer collection "if they look like they are doing this under international pressure". The actual cable out dated April Sixteen, 08, one month after the episode associated with unrest within Tibetan regions, also relayed the actual declaration "that household balance continues to be leadership's main concern most of all, which means there'll ‘almost surely' be absolutely no rest from the present hard line on Tibet or in locations like Xinjiang." The information contained in the cable television additionally sheds gentle about the severe level of sensitivity that china government sights territorial integrity, and also the possible drip more than associated with unrest through Tibet.

The prospect associated with solutions to tensions in Tibet as well as Xinjiang arising from civil society tend to be discussed inside a Feb 24, 08 cable television. While recommending that China's financial success increases it's potential to deal with democratic change, the cable additionally discusses exactly how Chinese frontrunners begin to see the effectiveness of "a limited expansion associated with civil society, including enhancements within the guideline associated with law and a stronger role with regard to authorized religions, NGOs, non profit organizations along with other actors within areas which bring about sociable balance and don't challenge Communist Party rule." This can be a notable alternation in considering, that has observed U.Utes. authorities market the notion which Chinese language financial development, and financial relations along with The far east brings in regards to a progressively democratic culture; nevertheless, more faith seems to be placed in the grassroots movement compared to one which starts from the top levels of the Chinese government. Nevertheless, the cable concludes that "[i]n places such as Tibet and Xinjiang, driving a car of separatism results in tighter restrictions about the development of municipal culture." This method is viewed as counter-productive through the recognized, that suggests that the U.Utes. government "should continue to express...serious issues more than Beijing's individual privileges record and attract China's growing consciousness which greater regard for individual rights, spiritual freedom and also the guideline of law will serve to promote the very development as well as sociable balance which China seeks in addition to to improve China's international picture." Such a strategy would take substantial diplomatic abilities considering "China's paranoid concern that the Usa secretly promotes regime alter and ‘separatists' in Taiwan, Tibet as well as Xinjiang".

The actual wires provide insight into the actual daily business of diplomacy that's hardly ever afforded to the general public, and it is fascinating to note the quantity of work done behind closed doors on Uyghur problems. The importance of the role of the United States as a keep track of of Uyghur individual rights problems in private conversations is created clear, as well as contrasts with its tactful public position. Employees from the Uyghur Human Rights Task is well aware of the pressure the Chinese federal government exerts upon Uyghur activists; still, the details associated with Chinese language government stress upon it's counterparts is actually illustrative from the diploma which Chinese authorities attempt to suppress contradictory stories. With increased revelations in the future from Wikileaks, concerns over Uyghurs might not grab the actual head lines, but the wires have shed brand new light about the documentation of individual privileges problems within the Uyghur area.

 

Search Engine Optimization And Marketing with articles Will Place You On Page 1

Seo and article marketing are a couple of the strongest strategies that can be used promoting your website and get the revenue and success that you need for your online business. These two stuff has been around to get a really long time already however they still still be really effective. In reality, these have helped many people free themselves in the traditional ways of money-generating options of society.

In this article, I will be showing the ways on how you are able to properly execute seo and article marketing for the betterment of the small business web site. Furthermore, I will even be discussing different points that you must look out for when you are using these two website marketing strategies to promote your website and get customers. Even though marketing with articles and Search engine marketing have been around for a long time already, you have to know that the trends and choices as to how they are carried out are continually changing, and that's why you have to keep yourself up to date with these things through the help of Seo forum sites to be able to quickly adjust and learn to make your strategies more efficient.

In the past submitting articles to various web sites used to be so simple yet the effects they produce for web sites was really powerful. However, stuff has changed a great deal today. Currently submitting the same article to several websites is not recommended because search engines have now changed to some huge extent in the manner they rank pages. They no more rank contents that are identical like they used to in the past. This really is the most effective examples of changes that exist in web marketing trends. This change has given birth to wide plethora of methods that web marketers are using today. Nearly all of internet marketers now produce articles and distribute them in really popular article submission sites and wait for site visitors to come to their pages. This is perhaps that most reliable Search engine marketing strategy that you can use. Aside from being effective, this also delivers favorable outcomes on a regular basis. The only issue with this strategy is the caliber of traffic that you will get using this defintely won't be so good if you don't do proper market and keyword research beforehand and use in-links. You first need for carrying on these two things before you submit your articles so that you won't wind up losing huge amounts of targeted prospects. Because of this you have to practice good levels of diligence if you would like your advertising initiatives to work.

Other than articles, you may also use operating a blog, that is another really powerful type of internet marketing strategy today because it's highly favored by the major search engines. On this technique, you are able to choose to develop a single weblog that specifically targets your chosen market otherwise you can contribute to other blogs which can be labeled as experts within your niche.

Learn effective Vancouver seo techniques on the Vancouver SEO website.

Roofing Companies Vancouver BC

There are several things to take into account when looking for the roofing contractor. Price tag, experience, and also referrals are a couple of the things you will probably be concerned about. Keep reading for even other great ideas.

• Finding a Roofers

Before searching for a roofing contractor, make sure you have a general idea of the job that you need to do. By no means must you be a professional. If you have the Roof Document, read it carefully to find the details about your active roof. If you do not have a Top Certificate, reference documents agreed upon during final to locate houses roof Inspection bed sheet. These papers should give you everything you need to learn about your roof. Before contacting a new roofing contractor, you need to have a list of demands and specifications to help you make a decision exactly who works for your roofer project. Be sure to write down each and every potential roofing contractor's answers and check them against the other person. If you will find any mistakes, be sure to be aware this and also take this into consideration when making a final determination. There are no guaranteed ways to pick a roofing contractor, however , if you take attention to the info provided, your odds of a successful roofing project are greatly enhanced.

One of the best strategies to finding a roofers is by person to person. Try asking a friend or relative who may have had roofing work performed, and ended up being satisfied with the work. Get the identify of the business and their own contact info. If you have no word of mouth area referrals, test first looking in the phone book and internet based. A large advertising or extravagant website isn't necessarily an indication of the high quality of work, but could be a great tool with regard to measuring just how long and determination they have put in their particular profession. Additionally, try discovering current worksites and search at the covering work that's done or perhaps the process of getting finished. If you are visually satisfied, ask the exact property manager to the name of the roofing contractor as well as their speak to information.

• Background Research

When looking for any roofing contractors, it is imperative to first do your current background research. Acquire the best in the yellow pages or on the Internet is a suitable destination for a find a service provider, finding important information on these kinds of businesses will probably be found in other areas. First, check with places like the Bbb, city, point out, and region public records, along with local certification agencies. Inquire your roofing contractor if they are a part of any roofing contractor associations. These precautions will certainly mitigate the risks. In addition ask them what types of roofing they specialize in. Also ask the roofing contractor regarding any guarantees they offer on their installed roofs. Find out what precautions they decide to try avoid damage done to other areas of the home simply by workers. Things such as gutters, exterior siding, and chimneys are close in proximity and so susceptible to accidental damages.

Ensure all of this details are included in your composed contract. Determine if you need a roof covering permit and/or agreement from your home owners association before hand. These organizations will let you know who is responsible for getting these enables and permissions. If it is the duty of the roofing contractor, also have the idea included as part of your contract. Whether it is your accountability, get mentioned permits and permissions collated using the estimated roofing project and have it clearly posted or even readily available.

• Certification and Recommendations

Roofing Companies are not needed to be accredited in all claims. Contact local licensing businesses that govern general construction contractors for any list of specifications. Once you have attained the requirements, create a list of in depth questions to ask your current potential roofing contractor. This simple record should immediately help you to weed out the qualified from the unqualified roofing building contractors. Qualified building contractors should be able to easily answer questions as well as tell you that they must do further research ahead of giving a new definitive reply.

Even if any roofing contractor offers all necessary licensing, you must ask to view pictures of completed covering jobs and also speak to fulfilled clients. Possess a list of inquiries handy must recent customers, such as the character of the work, timeliness, and all round satisfaction. Make sure these are current clients as well as cross guide if possible. In the matter of commercial covering, make sure that the particular roofing contractor is actually bonded. Examining these recommendations is another extra measure of stability to restrict the list of potential roofer contractors.

Search engine optimization Through Article Writing

Articles could be an extremely powerful form of Seo on your company website. Quality written articles are able to transform your websites SERP and add quality in your company website. Writing informative keyword rich articles is important in gaining new backlinks in your business website. Articles can and will be written on topics which can be unique for a business or industry. The articles can discuss numerous issues and ideas within your industry. Articles that supply the various readers using a resource are always the most popular and many likely varieties of articles that can lead to backlinks aimed at your website.

Focus your articles on your potential readers or customers. Search engine optimization articles should address real questions that are asked by current or past clients. Each article you're writing for you personally company will include detailed analysis and Seo keywords that can help associate your internet site with the content present in the website. Focus your posts on as much as 3 keywords and don't stray from them. Consistency is very important when writing Seo articles. If you're covering Vancouver Search engine optimization make sure your still talk about information tightly related to the keyword.

Give each of your Search engine optimization Articles an engaging Title that will persuade folks to learn and bookmark your articles. Ideally, the articles you write can become as links off their websites which can be just like yours. This will help improve the power of every link and definately will assist your SERP. Be sure to end each article using a keyword anchored link (see Easy Business Search engine optimization). This link will help to improve your rankings in the search engines and other major search engines like yahoo for that keyword connected to the link. Submit the articles to some submitted article directory and Voila! Before very long, your website may be about the first page of Google.

Thank you for reading. Can't wait to see your Search engine optimization articles!

Vancouver Seo Agency Aims For Google Places With Absolute Good results

When individuals type in searching term searching for a business of their local area, they will find that Google places and Google maps is showing listings of local businesses. It's very eminent for them to be optimized and for auction on this first page should they desire to generate business. Vancouver SEO companies need to be educated in this area for their clients.

There will be a lot of new Vancouver SEO companies setting up, simply because the requirement is there. Finding an SEO firm that has the client's welfare at heart could be tedious. How many keywords can they optimize for? Which are the keywords as well as the corresponding search volume? Do they discover how to optimize for Google places? And so on. Search engine optimization may be the business of landing at the top and Maxim Edge you can get there.

"My wife i started our Vancouver Search engine optimization company by accident. We've got learned from the school of hard knocks and trial and error how to make use of the web to advertise any business. We began while using website, then the competition, after which of course building quality back-links to push an internet site up inside the rankings. It's not pushing a button and watching what happens type of business. It will require a lot of effort, a great deal of research and lots of commitment. We give your very best for our clients and we are very satisfied with a high retention rate." Randy Neale says.

For additional information on Michael, a Vancouver Search engine optimization company, please visit the website today at seo4vancouver.com

Portraits of Uyghur People

In the middle of the desert landscapes of Taklamakan, in the northern-western part of China, the land of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is a least populated province whereas it covers near to a sixth of the country's territory. Getting resisted during centuries the chinese domination, Xinjiang, or Old Turkestan, fell into under the Chinese Han domination in 1949. From then, its population is generally Uyghur People and Turkish - speaking System.

Muslim especially, the Uyghurs have a very good religious identification which usually, in specific, permitted them to maintain a strong difference in opposition to the Chinese invader. Really, the Uyghur Kingdom of Mongolia knew a brilliant civilization, until its absorption by the Mongolian Empire in the XIIIth century.

During their own historical past, the Uyghur People successively adopted Shamanism, Manicheism, Buddhism and the Nestorianism before lastly converting to Islam when the Arab conquerors beat the Chinese in year 751 BC., therefore beginning the way to the Islamization of the whole Central Asia.

Under the effect of the beliefs which they adopted, the Uyghurs used successively, and sometimes in a competing way, a great number of written forms (turco-runic, brahmi, tokharien, soghdien) before developing their own unique graphic system.

The entrance of Islam was a great change because it was supported by the assimilation of the Uyghur areas in the enormous Turco-Mongolian and Muslim Empire. Thus, the descendants of Genghis Khan progressively replaced their writing by a Arabo-Persan alphabet, still used today.

If their own writing, their language and their religion mark a real difference with the culture of Chinese Han, the Uyghurs also differ from their aspect, so aspect of Central Asia's people. A shiny skin, eyes representing a whole pallet of colors, from black to deep blue, features going out to the Mongolian, Turkish or Uzbek roots of these men and these women.

For a few years, China has included the proper identity of these remote people, though they represent only nine million population - a little for this specific immense country. Therefore, the Uyghurs are now part of the fifty six ethnic minority groups having been known in an official way by the People's Republic of China.

This law allows them a few rights in a land exactly where their big difference is very often repressed. Therefore, Uyghur families escape the "single child policy" and their language is known as the second official language in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The integration of the Uyghur people and their culture in the People's Republic of China, however, seems very illusory. The presence of all natural sources in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and its distance with nations acknowledged as very sensitive, clearly motivated the government to speed up the sinicization of this area. Million of Han thus came to settle in this new Chinese eldorado, monopolizing the larger responsibility jobs.

In response to this true will to assimilate the Uyghurs into the Chinese culture, an independent party like East Turkistan Islamic Movement(ETIM) was born in the early 1990.

Saying more flexibility, but in particular the recognition of their true identity, this movement was seriously repressed by the power authorities in location Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

The situations of September 11, 2001, were the perfect occasion for the Chinese government to justify true reprisals: they declared the "Uyghur freedom fighters" as dangerous terrorists linked to Al Quaida because of their Muslim origins and their proximity with Pakistan and Afghanistan... However, the terrible repression which followed did not calm down the anger. The Uyghurs population continues today to proudly continue to keep their identity and their culture , even though they become a minority on their own territory.

For additional information about the Uyghurs, you can visit a Uyghur website called Uyghur News at http://www.uyghurnews.com