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Middle school girls receive empowering messages at Beautiful U WOTV4women.com Dr. Carolyn King from Pine Rest shared amazing messages of hope and empowerment to the girls at Beautiful U. Dr. King's energy is unmatched, and she uses her personal experiences to relate to the girls. She explained that growing up in a diverse way ... and more »

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Middle school girls receive empowering messages at Beautiful U - WOTV4women.com

The biggest and most immediate challenge government faced as it entered the democratic transition was the unacceptable high levels of poverty and inequality inherited from the apartheid government that still define the new South Africa today. The challenge was even complicated and compounded by the crushing high level of government debt that was sitting at just over 50% of GDP in 1995 and the unemployment rate that had risen to over 30% of the labour force (using the expanded rate). These massive macro-economic and fiscal limitations were at the centre of the complex and constraining reality that was inherited by the pot-apartheid government. They served to handicap options for policy innovation for the new democratic government severely.

The policy response to poverty and unemployment was obvious and urgent. No political democracy can survive and flourish if the mass of our people remain in poverty, without land, without tangible prospects for a better life. Attacking poverty and deprivation must therefore be the first priority of a democratic government. (The Reconstruction and Development Programme 1994).

This policy statement attests to the fact that the mass democratic movements went into the post-apartheid negotiations driven by a very high sense of consciousness for social justice. The current level and extent of the social wage package is very redistributive and forms the largest proportion of the national budget compared to other developing countries and is a direct policy response to this debilitating legacy of apartheid. The package is broad extending from social grants, free public health, no fee schools, water and electricity subsidies for the indigent at municipality level to free RDP hoses. However, for this to remain sustainable, the current size of the tax base must increase incrementally on the back of an increasing economic growth. Both of these conditions have not been met for almost a decade.

The policy conundrum arising out of this is that given the stubbornly high structural unemployment and wealth and income inequality, the economic trajectory we have chosen emphasizes high skills and technology rather than the labour intensity that is needed to absorb the high unemployment demographic that is under-educated and unskilled. It is instructive to observe that this capital and skills intensive growth translated into rising wages for the formal and increasingly regulated labour market and increasing profits for the owners of capital. The informal labour sector on the other hand has been decimated due to casualization and decreasing job opportunities. This is the situation and dynamic that is driving the increasing inequality and poverty.

The central issue and question is why is it that the current political leadership paid less attention to obvious strategies that could have made a significant impact on mass employment and growth. Why is it, for example, that criminal and gross incompetence was allowed to grow and erode the provision of quality education for all and the efficient implementation of the land restitution programme? These are the two key areas that could have driven personal empowerment and individual enterprise for many people. It is difficult not to conclude that the growth of corruption and selfish pursuit and abuse of political power have replaced the virtue of consciousness for social justice that motivated the mass democratic movement at the beginning of the democratic transition.

The crisis in education is especially worrying as an area of spectacular policy failure. A little less than 50% of the population is under the age of 25 and just over 20% are between the ages of 15 to 24. Despite the promise of a better life for all various forms of inequalities continue to hobble their opportunities for upward social movement. The barriers that were created during the apartheid era continue to exist well into the democratic era in education, employment, business opportunities, land and housing.

The strong correlation between wealth and education means that in general poorer learners, who generally receive poor quality education, perform worse academically and get trapped into intergenerational poverty. And, the painful fact is that the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) is heavily complicit in efforts to undermine the pursuit of accountability in teaching. SADTU is a key member of COSATU in the governing Tripartite Alliance. The conclusion that the level of consciousness for social justice is waning in the governing party is unavoidable.

Quality education can indeed become a revolutionary and transformative force for a society characterised by high levels of income and wealth inequality and that is also in a democratic transition. It is therefore not unreasonable to conclude that the disruptive efforts of SADTU neatly qualify them as a counter revolutionary force

This is a very worrying picture but there is emerging optimism in the fact that the improving level of competitive electoral politics is accelerating and that a new political order may be emerge in the 2019 national elections.

See the rest here:

Transformation of South Africa needs high sense of consciousness for social justice for success - Thought Leader

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President George Washington delivers his inaugural address in the Senate Chamber of Old Federal Hall in New York on April 30, 1789.

Presidential biographers will tell you there are flaws in all of their subjects. But at certain moments, when the chips were down such as the nations birth, the Civil War, World War II the right leader showed up to meet an enormous challenge.

While the scourge of terrorism still threatens America, the abiding enemy of a large share of Americans is change economic and cultural that threatens livelihoods and personal values. In the face of that, its not always clear that current national leaders have a program of substance. Instead, they win by channeling the anger and fear of the disaffected voters.

But that is not leadership. And that is what makes this a dispiriting time.

Disappointment with current elected leaders is disappointment with our times as much as it is about the people in question.

Many years ago, on George Washingtons or Abraham Lincolns birthday, it was traditional for elementary schools to hold programs honoring those hallowed presidents. These days we have Presidents Day.

In many ways, we are more in need of some discussion of Washington and Lincoln than we were in the 1950s. And its not the children who need to hear about the virtues of those great men. Its the adults. Especially the adults who make and administer our laws.

We need to discuss Washington and Lincoln not because they dwarf the presidents we have known in our lifetimes. We need to talk about them because they rose to their tasks at two of the most difficult moments the nation ever faced.

Looking backward, the rise of Washington and Lincoln seems inevitable. The preeminent Washington scholar, James Thomas Flexner, titled his one-volume biography The Indispensable Man.

Oregon U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield made a similar point about Lincoln, whose life the senator studied in some depth. Lincoln did not feel that he chose his place in history, but rather that history had chosen him, Hatfield said. Clearly no other individual could have brought so much good out of the seemingly infinite seas of madness and blood with which he was forced to deal.

Washington, unique in American history for winning his two terms with unanimous votes by the Electoral College, was widely ridiculed and disliked at the end of his presidency. He faced an armed uprising in 1791. Some blamed his policies for economic disruptions in the nations early years. Washington was a slave owner. He sided with Alexander Hamilton vs. Thomas Jefferson, a conflict that gave rise to continuing ripples of political partisanship that still trouble us today.

Despite his imperfections, with the wisdom of time and a degree of looking backward with rose-tinted glasses, Washington is now justly celebrated for having done most things right.

As the Miller Center at the University of Virginia notes, he tolerated dissent, vicious attacks on his reputation and name, and a divisive press all in the interest of freedom. There is little reason to suggest that Washington, unlike so many of his successors, ever sought to use his office for personal empowerment or gain.

The men including Washington who crafted our system of government understood and explicitly dealt with concerns that presidents could become too important. It is inevitable the top elected job in a great nation becomes the focus for blame and credit. But in the U.S. system of government, the president is a public employee, not the personification of the nation, as was the case in the European monarchy we left behind. The presidency is important but our nation is infinitely more so.

Presidents Day is good time to celebrate the good ones, who manage to govern in ways that promote peace and prosperity. But its also an opportunity to thank even the mediocre and lackluster ones, who often sacrifice health and reputation in efforts to serve the country.

Finally, Presidents Day is a good symbol for the fact that they are only small parts of who we as a nation we give 1/365th of 2017 to honoring them, and many of the remaining days to thinking little of them. This is as it should be.

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OUR VIEW: On Presidents Day, we celebrate the good ones - East Oregonian (subscription)

Breastfeeding out and about gets a pretty bad image in the news. All we tend to hear about are stories of mums being asked to leave shops, restaurants, swimming pools, libraries, public transport and so on. BUT let's just consider for a moment why these stories make headlines. News events a) don't happen all the time b) are pretty much always negative and c) need to have a sensationalist angle to keep the readers interested. How many members of the general public would sit down and read an article about the millions of women who happily feed their babies in public with no issues whatsoever? Hmmmm. Exactly!

So, here are my top tips for shaking off any fear and confidently breastfeeding anywhere you wish:

1. Follow your heart - if breastfeeding feels right for you and your baby, then listen to that inner voice chiming away and go for it. You are nourishing and mothering your child in the way you have chosen to and that remains relevant wherever you happen to find yourselves.

2. Look around - the vast majority of people around the country will either not notice, not care (in the nicest possible way!), may smile at you, or even say something encouraging. You may be very pleasantly surprised!

3. Prepare a comeback - If you're worried about any potential negativity, it may help to mentally prepare how you would respond. Remember that when anyone is being rude, it is a reflection of who they are, not of who you are or of what you are doing. Try disarming them by flashing your biggest smile, thanking them for their perspective and if it really warrants it, maybe offering up a little sarcasm such as "your comment almost affected me". As they realise their ill-informed comment has not affected you (at least not on your steely exterior!), they will either back down or continuing trying to antagonise you. By maintaining your positive stance, you will show that you have the upper hand and you will be buzzing with a sense of personal empowerment afterwards.

4. Know your rights - you are protected by law to breastfeed anywhere in public where you personally have the right to be. If anyone in a position of authority such as a caf manager tries to tell you otherwise, you can accurately tell them that they can be prosecuted for their actions. True.

5. Think clothes - some mums feel happy to breastfeed by lifting their breast out over the top of their vest top, shirt or dress. However, for others, this can be a personal step too far. If you're concerned about having flesh on show, just take a moment to think about how your clothes will work for feeding. Aside from the obvious clothes marketed for breastfeeding, you will also find that many "normal" clothes work too. When I was breastfeeding, I used to live in stretchy vests and then any normal top of mine over the top. I'd pull down the vest, unclip my bra and then lift up my top. Tada! Nothing on show. For some great breastfeeding style inspiration check out @FeedinStyle on Instagram and The Baby Show at London's ExCeL next month.

6. To Cover or Not to Cover - it's entirely up to you. Some mums feel that using a breastfeeding cover draws in attention rather than deflects from it, can be an additional hassle to use and creates a rather stifling and dark environment for the baby. That said, they are absolutely right for some mums who may otherwise choose not to breastfeed if they weren't able to use one. They may be particularly useful if a baby is very distractible, takes a while to latch, or if a mum is worried about a very fast let-down and passers-by getting a surprise spray!

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Shaking The Fear Of Breastfeeding In Public - Huffington Post UK

AP Photo/File

President George Washington delivers his inaugural address in the Senate Chamber of Old Federal Hall in New York on April 30, 1789.

Presidential biographers will tell you there are flaws in all of their subjects. But at certain moments, when the chips were down such as the nations birth, the Civil War, World War II the right leader showed up to meet an enormous challenge.

While the scourge of Islamic terrorism still threatens America, the abiding enemy of a large share of Americans is change economic and cultural that threatens livelihoods and personal values. In the face of that, its not always clear that current national leaders have a program of substance. Instead, they win by channeling the anger and fear of the disaffected voters.

But that is not leadership. And that is what makes this a dispiriting time.

Disappointment with current elected leaders is disappointment with our times as much as it is about the people in question.

Many years ago, on George Washingtons or Abraham Lincolns birthday, it was traditional for elementary schools to hold programs honoring those hallowed presidents. These days we have Presidents Day.

In many ways, we are more in need of some discussion of Washington and Lincoln than we were in the 1950s. And its not the children who need to hear about the virtues of those great men. Its the adults. Especially the adults who make and administer our laws.

We need to discuss Washington and Lincoln not because they dwarf the presidents we have known in our lifetimes. We need to talk about them because they rose to their tasks at two of the most difficult moments the nation ever faced.

Looking backward, the rise of Washington and Lincoln seems inevitable. The preeminent Washington scholar, James Thomas Flexner, titled his one-volume biography The Indispensable Man.

Oregon U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield made a similar point about Lincoln, whose life the senator studied in some depth. Lincoln did not feel that he chose his place in history, but rather that history had chosen him, Hatfield said. Clearly no other individual could have brought so much good out of the seemingly infinite seas of madness and blood with which he was forced to deal.

Compared to Lincoln, Washington is an elusive figure. No American is more completely misunderstood than George Washington, wrote Flexner.

As Garry Wills notes, one cannot understand George Washington without grasping the Enlightenment, which produced him. If that era was defined by a set of shared values, our era is one of dissonance. The reality of Americas increasingly divergent values is a phenomenon that is driving our politics in 2017. We have not had much luck finding a president who epitomizes America at this moment.

It is worth remembering that Americans are nearly always dissatisfied with our presidents and that we nevertheless prosper in ways far beyond our founders wildest imaginings.

Washington, unique in American history for winning his two terms with unanimous votes by the Electoral College, was widely ridiculed and disliked at the end of his presidency.

He faced an armed uprising in 1791. Some blamed his policies for economic disruptions in the nations early years. Washington was a slave owner. He sided with Alexander Hamilton vs. Thomas Jefferson, a conflict that gave rise to continuing ripples of political partisanship that still trouble us today.

Despite his imperfections, with the wisdom of time and a degree of looking backward with rose-tinted glasses, Washington is now justly celebrated for having done most things right.

As the Miller Center at the University of Virginia notes, he tolerated dissent, vicious attacks on his reputation and name, and a divisive press all in the interest of freedom. There is little reason to suggest that Washington, unlike so many of his successors, ever sought to use his office for personal empowerment or gain. Neither did he shelter his friends for the sake of their friendships when conflicts of interest arose.

Perhaps most importantly, Washingtons presidential restraint, solemnity, judiciousness, and nonpartisan stance created an image of presidential greatness, or dignity, that dominates the office even today. He was the man who could have been a king but refused a crown and saved a republic.

The men including Washington who crafted our system of government understood and explicitly dealt with concerns that presidents could become too important. It is inevitable the top elected job in a great nation becomes the focus for blame and credit. But in the U.S. system of government, the president is a public employee, not the personification of the nation, as was the case in the European monarchy we left behind. The presidency is important but our nation is infinitely more so.

While intensely pragmatic, Lincoln has been sainted for his humanity. As Sen. Hatfield put it, The true essence of Abraham Lincoln was his ability to lead without sacrificing compassion. Compassion is a trait we need to see more of from the White Houses current occupant.

Presidents Day is good time to celebrate the good ones, who manage to govern in ways that promote peace and prosperity. But its also an opportunity to thank even the mediocre and lackluster ones, who often sacrifice health and reputation in efforts to serve the country.

Finally, Presidents Day is a good symbol for the fact that they are only small parts of who we as a nation we give 1/365th of 2017 to honoring them, and many of the remaining days to thinking little of them. This is as it should be.

Stay on topic - This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

Share with Us - We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism.

Be Civil - It's OK to have a difference in opinion but there's no need to be a jerk. We reserve the right to delete any comments that we feel are spammy, off-topic, or reckless to the community.

Be proactive - Use the 'Flag as Inappropriate' link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.

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On Presidents Day, we celebrate the good ones - Daily Astorian

Hannah Pepprock never thought she would be interested in boxing, a sport that is about as synonymous with testosterone as it gets. However, she was convinced by her roommates to try out Pink Gloves Boxing, an all-female physical fitness program hosted by the University of Montana that focuses on Olympic-style boxing technique.

Inside a sweaty gym on Valentines Day at the Campus Recreation Center, Pepprock and 15 other young women go through a circuit training regimen that includes shadow boxing, punching a heavy bag, jump-rope, a footwork ladder, and pad work with two women instructors who are teaching them uppercuts and jabs, among other techniques.

I had friends that had done it and it sounded like a lot of fun, Pepprock recalls. They convinced me and it sounded like a great way to get myself in the gym a couple times a week and also burn off a lot of anger or just good energy."

I like that its a good workout but its also just a really positive feeling, she said. When were in there, were just smiling and I feel strong. I feel like I know how to throw a punch, which is really cool. I always felt like I didnt know how to fight. Its just kind of an empowering feeling.

The class isnt focused on self-defense, according to instructor Vickie Rectenwald.

Its not something thats promoted, but if you know how to throw a punch correctly, you can throw a punch correctly, she says, grinning. The focus of the program is really two-pronged. The first part is a good technical boxing workout and a really positive challenging atmosphere."

She said nobody competes against the other people in the program. "Everybodys focused on being better than they were yesterday and never comparing themselves. You just push yourself harder.

Pepprock said that is a big part of the appeal for her.

You dont really feel intimidated by anyone, she said, wrapping her wrist in preparation for the class. Were all kind of on a level playing field. Theres no competition against anyone, except for yourself, which I think is really cool.

The energy of the class is palpable. Theres loud music playing, and the women seem to be bouncing on their feet and grinning for the entire hour.

Its really fast-paced and it really gets your cardio going, Rectenwald said. Its structured like a martial arts program, so you do challenges and test out to the next level. Theres specific goals and specific skills for you to master to get to the next level.

The Pink Gloves Boxing program was founded seven years ago in Montana by Garret Garrels and Nick Milodragovich, who were football teammates at Carroll College in Helena. They noticed that a lot of women in his boxing classes felt like they were being compared to men and competing instead of focusing on themselves, according to Rectenwald.

He found that was a common element that many women were searching for in their personal fitness classes, she said. Its definitely very focused on empowerment.

Now, the program has gone global, with its popularity exploding in places as far away as Sweden. Garrels came to give a demonstration class in Missoula a few weeks ago, and Pepprock attended.

I had only been in the class a couple weeks, but he said we were doing well, Pepprock said. I feel like Im learning a lot really fast.

Rectenwald was a student studying marketing at UM last year when she enrolled in the program. She said it helped her balance her huge 21-credit course load. She was so enthralled, she decided to become an instructor this year.

Co-instructor Emily Hamant said the program will allow more women to get into a traditionally male-dominated sport.

Because (the class is) all girls, she said. If you box with guys, its totally different.

Rectenwald says the response from students is overwhelmingly positive.

We get a lot of, I love seeing how much my body has changed over the course of the semester, and I love the positive atmosphere and the friends Ive made, and I love just coming here and having fun, she said. Theres camaraderie.

In fact, positive reinforcement is part of the mission.

One specific tenet of the program is you pay attention to everyone around you and compliment them and notice what theyre doing well so we have that positive feedback, she said.

The 14-week program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and costs $125 per semester for first-timers, which includes gear. Its only $75 for returning boxers. The class is only for students and staff at the University of Montana.

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Pink Gloves Boxing: Women's class focuses on empowerment ... - The Missoulian

Fake news is not new Ulises Mejias identified disinformation tacticsduring the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2013. It is notpossible, he argues, to make a clear distinction between real and fake news before and after the Trump era. Journalists themselves have been complicit in creating a new media economy wheresurvival depends on clicks. Deregulation, surveillance techniques and a discourse of patriotism mean democracies are becoming capable of supporting disinformationin ways similar to those deployed in autocracies.

While we didnt exactly predict the rise of fake news, in 2013 a Russian colleague and I completed an academic article on the disinformation tactics used during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Like many others, we started to recognise the ways in which citizens generate, consume and distribute false information by interacting with old and new media, contributing to a social order where lies acquire increasing authority. While we focused on the Russia-Ukraine case, we felt it was important to point out that these tactics might serve as a template for future scenarios, including in Western democracies.

The article will not see the light of day until this year, four years after it was finished. Interestingly, part of the reason it has taken so long to get it published is that some reviewers felt our argument should omit references to Western democracies. The sentiment seemed to be that this kind of stuff could not happen here.

That was, of course, before the 2016 US presidential elections.

In the aftermath of the fake news scandal, it seems to me that we need to think more about the connections between the quantification of sociality via social media and the popularisation of extremist politics. Im not proposing the former is the cause of the latter (although some have made this argument). I am simply suggesting that the analysis needs to go beyond pointing out that new media have provided new platforms for otherwise recessive voices, or that they make us more narrow minded in general.

As recently as five years ago, it looked as if social media was going to help write a very different chapter in the history of political movements. The Arab Spring, euphemistically known as the Twitter Revolution in some circles, seemed to announce an era in which social media was going to empower activists, engage citizens, and topple dictators. Unfortunately, not only did the flash mob effects of social media fail to translate into lasting political change, but we also now have to wonder whether they did not actually help to create repressive conditions in free Western democracies. Granted, it is too soon to tell whether Brexit and Trump (who partly owe their popularity to the internet), will soon pass into history as momentary disasters that were quickly corrected, maybe even with the help of social media (predictably, we are again seeing determinist articles claiming that post-Trump-inauguration protests would not have been possible without Facebook).

But if I had to make a bet, I would wager that what we are witnessing is better explained as the beginning of the parallel ascendance of artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and authoritarian politics.

What I mean by this parallel ascendance is a situation where distorted information is disseminated through digital media to make social inequality acceptable, often by employing a totalitarian discourse. Think about it: these days, both politicians and digital media companies offer us a version of reality that is convenient because it presents easy solutions to our problems. Without a job? Blame immigrants or the EU! Overweight? You need this app to track your steps! Afraid? Keep the Muslims out! Lonely? View profiles of singles in your area! Both politicians and digital media companies offer personal empowerment if we subscribe, unconditionally, to their platforms. Both discourage questions about how the system works. Just click I accept the terms and get on with it.

And both offer the illusion of perfect customisation: products, services and politics that speak just to us (customisation so perfect it might actually be corruptive). At the centre of this theatre is a user, who like a video gamer, feels as if he or she is the one in charge. But unlike a video game, the power of this narrative is not that it presents an alternate reality or a fantastic simulation. Rather, it offers an enhanced or augmented version of reality (perhaps diminished fits better here) based on selective slices of the world. A reality that the user can binge on until it obscures any other reality.

Disinformation is key to these theatrics, which brings us back to fake news. Asmy co-author and I argue in our Russia-Ukraine article, the emerging feature of new forms of disinformation is that it is not only the state-controlled or state-allied media organisation that produces fake news. Citizens themselves actively participate in the creation of disinformation by using social media platforms. Whereas information spread by governments or corporations can be contested or at least sceptically dismissed, information produced and shared by regular users (or sometimes by AI robots masquerading as users) acquires authenticity, and spreading this information is an act rewarded by social media platforms by metrics such as attention, popularity and visibility.

Facebook and Google have started to institute mechanisms (software- or human-driven) to try to identify and quarantine fake news. What they dont realise is that in an ideologically divided society, this will only mean that one side will report the other sides news as fake, and each side will accuse each other of censorship. This solution also doesnt take into consideration the fact that people indeed want their fake news.

While we all have favorite politicians or CEOs we would like to blame for this state of affairs, I think it is also important to point out how most of the responses to the fake news scandal from what we might call the liberal side have thus far been short-sighted.

The first kind of response is that what is happening is not our fault, but the fault of a new kind of villain: the algorithm. There have been innumerable mainstream and academic pieces exposing the ways in which algorithms used by companies and governments collect data to create a state of automated and generalized surveillance. Algorithms, without human oversight and intervention, can make prejudiced decisions and inaccurate assumptions. More to our point, they can agnostically promote the spread of disinformation, since they are designed to promote things based on popularity, not accuracy.

At first glance, it would seem like a good thing that this kind of literacy about media systems is becoming more mainstream. The relative popularity of Black Mirror and other dystopian sci-fi narratives suggests that many (I often count myself among them) are ready to believe that society is on the brink of collapsing under the weight of anti-social behaviors unintentionally augmented by the same algorithms we trusted to make our lives better. In the context of the fake news post-election scandal, this translates into the belief that social media has devolved into a demented public sphere in which algorithms provide the platform for anything, regardless of its veracity, to go viral if it gets enough upvotes.

The other, perhaps more honest response to fake news is that humans, not algorithms, are to blame. Yes, we were duped by politicians and the media people seem to be saying but we will never be duped again. In order to ensure this, we need to return our focus to real news: we need to support real journalism, and educate the masses through media literacy so that they can recognise fake news and stop being such dupes.

But by perpetuating a seemingly obvious distinction between fake and real news, I believe this kind of liberal response is an avoidance of responsibility. It makes it seem as if only the fake side is capable of producing fake news. Our side, after all, produces only real news, right?

Tweet posted 10 January 2017 by soon-to-be President Donald J. Trump.

It is convenient, but disingenuous, to believe that environmental degradation, unchecked surveillance, and indemnity for the corrupt not to mention lying White House press secretaries like Sean Spicer started the day Trump assumed office. One need only look at Trumps predecessors to see that these trends have longer trajectories, even if the media campaigns used to justify them had more finesse than what we can expect to see in the near future.

Furthermore, to insist on a clear distinction between fake and real news bypasses any kind of analysis of the economics that makes disinformation possible and indeed desirable. Even though journalists are feeling under attack, it is important to remember that in the new media economy they have helped to create, media organisations have to produce a daily barrage of clickable juicy headlines just to survive; the veracity and quality of the actual content seems to almost not matter.

Thus, the liberal response to fake news is dangerous because it hides the ways in which media systems in democracies are becoming capable of supporting disinformation in a manner surprisingly similar to that of media systems in autocratic regimes. Across the board, in democracies and non-democracies, we find the kind of industry deregulation that creates oligopolies by giving more power to favoured corporations; a state willing to impose special measures of surveillance during more or less permanent periods of emergency; a discourse of patriotism that shames dissenters and encourages self-censorship; collaboration between government and private sector to develop and implement technologies for surveillance; and increased secrecy about what governments and corporations do with data collected from citizens, all in the name of profit or security. In the US, these trends which have culminated in the fake news phenomenon have been ongoing for decades, long before Trump came along.

These similarities suggest that disinformation can become a feature of media environments regardless of which side liberal or conservative, democratic or authoritarian is in office. Naively, we cling to the idea that in these conditions falsehoods can be challenged with facts. But facts cease to matter much in a system in which the act of lying itself is endowed with authority and certainty.

This post represents the views of the author and not those of Democratic Audit. It first appeared at The Disorder of Things.

Ulises Mejias isan associate professor in the Communication Studies department at SUNY Oswego, and the director of the Institute for Global Engagement. His book, Off the Network: Disrupting the Digital World (2013), was published by University of Minnesota Press.

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Fake becomes legit: social media and the rise of disinformation in democracies - Democratic Audit UK

From left, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ivanka Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump, and TransAlta CEO Dawn Farrell listen during a meeting with women business leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 13, 2017. (Evan Vucci/AP/CP)

This post originally appeared on Chatelaine

As many predicted, the first in-person meeting between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump was heavy with expectation and light on substance. They shook hands for the cameras (Trudeau deftly avoiding Trumps trademark grip-and-tug), sidestepped tricky questions at their press conference and called the day a success.

One of the most hyped set-pieces was a roundtable to launch the United States Canada Council for the Advancement of Women Business Leaders-Female Entrepreneurs. The group of CEOs and entrepreneurs intends to promote women-owned businesses and focus on ensuring women enter and stay in the workforce to address barriers facing female entrepreneurs. Its members include: GE Canada CEOElyse Allan, T&T Supermarkets Tina Lee and Canadian foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland. Leading the charge for the brain trust was Trumps daughter Ivanka, one of his closest confidantes in business and in politics.

The idea for the council reportedly came from Trudeaus chief of staff Katie Telford, perhaps as a diplomatic sop and a tactful distraction from awkward subjects (the Muslim ban, the pussy grabbing, the U.S. refugees seeking sanctuary in Canada). It was savvy on Telfords part to reach out to Ivanka, whose pet cause is working mothers. And next to Trump, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women, our avowedly feminist PM looked all the more suave and progressive by comparison a sleek, bilingual, woke James Bond to Trumps belligerent, malevolent Auric Goldfinger.

MORE:The most chilling image from the Trudeau-Trump visit

No disrespect to the female business leaders involved, but its unlikely anything will be achieved by their efforts other than a general you-go-girl-boosterism for those who fly First Class. The barriers to womens professional advancement are hardly a secret. White-collar women are held back by deeply held gender biases; by inadequate childcare and family support; and by terrible maternity leave policies. Blue-collar women are affected by all these things to an even greater degree, as well as by job insecurity and stagnant minimum wages.

But even if this council wants to enact changes, the biggest barrier they have is the man who hosted them: Donald Trump. The U.S. president has hurled personal, mean-spirited attacks on professional women like Hillary Clinton, Carly Fiorina and Megyn Kelly. He divorced his first wife because she was too busy working. (Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing. If youre in business for yourself, I really think its a bad idea. I think that was the single greatest cause of what happened to my marriage with Ivana, he said back in a 1994 interview). And of his current marriage to Melania, hes said, Ill supply funds and shell take care of the kids.His cabinet and senior staff are overwhelmingly white and male.

In fact, the only female CEO who stands to gain at all from this council is Ivanka Trump, and not just because she couldnt stop swooning in her seat beside Trudeau. The councils launch conveniently teases the publication of her upcoming book Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success. Taking a cue from Taylor Swift, Ivanka seems to be assembling a cross-border squad of lady powerhouses to bolster her own reputation.

Like everyone else named Trump, Ivanka has used her fathers presidential campaign and election as a brand-boosting exercise. After she appeared on 60 Minutes in November following her fathers election, her team sent out a press release shilling the bracelet that she wore from her own jewelry line during the interview. Her lifestyle site Women Who Work offers bland platitudes about multitasking while promoting Ivanka Trump clothing, accessories and housewares. Theres plenty of me-first personal empowerment chatter but zero consideration of issues like sexual harassment in the workplace or the wage gap. The nannies and caregivers who ease the burdens of wealthy women like Ivanka are invisible and no mention is made of the fact that the contractor who designs and distributes her clothing line doesnt offer its employees a single day of paid maternity leave.

And all the while her father has denigrated women and threatened reproductive rights, shes acted as his chief apologist, using her Career Girl meets Everymom appeal to soften his misogynist edges. Shes often taken on the responsibilities usually given to a First Lady or candidates wife, including introducing him at the Republican convention, where she called her father a feminist. It was a statement as rich and ridiculous as her calling herself an entrepreneur, a title that suggests someone who has had to work hard and take bold, risky chances. Born into extraordinary privilege, hired into the family business and married to a man who inherited a fortune, Ivanka Trump has never had to take a real financial risk in her life. Which is why her exploitation of feminism is so grotesque as writer Jill Filipovic says, shes a kind of post-feminist huckster, selling us traditional femininity and support of male power wrapped up in a feminist bow.

Increasingly, though, women arent buying Ivanka Trumps fake feminism or her shoes and purses, for that matter. Over the past few weeks, several retailers, including high-end Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, as well as budget-friendly Sears and Kmart have dropped Ivanka Trumps clothing, jewelry and housewares lines. The stores have merely said the products havent been performing well, but credit is certainly due in large part to #GrabYourWallet, a mass boycott of Trump family businesses launched by two women protesting Donald Trumps sexism.

And some female entrepreneurs, with whom shes eager to align herself, arent having any of her, either. Anne M. Mahlum is the CEO of the hugely successful Washington, D.C. chain of Solidcoregyms. When she found out that Ivanka Trump had worked out at one of her locations, Mahlum called her out on Facebook and demanded a meeting. She wants her gym to be inclusive and safe and wondered if Ivankas presence might upset people, given her fathers anti-women and anti-Muslim policies. Her father is threatening the rights of many of my beloved clients and coaches, Mahlum wrote, and as a business owner, I take my responsibility to protect and fight for my people very seriously.

Ivanka might be hoping to skirt further criticism of her and her fathers shady practices by championing women in business. Shes not wrong in thinking that feminism is powerful. Shes just underestimated what can happen when that power is turned against her.

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The truth about Ivanka's Trumped-up, me-first feminism - Macleans.ca

Call it pooki, dee dee, coochi snorter, Mimi in Miami, or simply just a vagina. No matter how you say it, you are unearthing a very controversial, often unspoken subject. The alternative, euphemistic names used to describe female genitalia range from funny, to pejorative, to downright uncomfortable; the same can be said about the individual feminist stories which make up Eve Enslers The Vagina Monologues, presented by the Stanford Womens Coalition, and playing tonight at 8 p.m. in Paul Brest Hall.

Despite its peculiar name, The Vagina Monologues is very raw, very real and it speaks more about female empowerment than about the vaginas themselves. First performed in 1996, the show is still performed every year, at Stanford and at many universities across the country, largely because of its unique depiction of the plight of women. This episodic feminist theater piece not only creates more diverse roles for female actors on the theatrical stage, but it also initiates social and political dialogue on the global stage. Its political content is so highly regarded that in 2006, The New York Times called the play probably the most important piece of political theater of the last decade.

The Vagina Monologues features a series of monologues pieced together from interviews of real life women. While the interview questions were the same, i.e.If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear? and If your vagina could talk, what would it say?, the responses were decidedly different, producing highly personal narratives about sexual embarrassment and discovering what it means to be a woman.

The Stanford Womens Coalitions production of The Vagina Monologues captures these personal narratives with a powerful sense of intimacy and unity. Their decision to perform this piece in the round allows a certain closeness with the audience, inviting them to view the characters and the stories from all sides. The all-black costume color scheme, in addition, creates a sense of uniformity and unity. Yet, because each actress wears a different clothing style, from a short black skirt to pants and a crop top, there is still a keen sense of individuality for each character. The costumes are in themselves exemplary of the female experience: while not every woman encounters the world in the same way, there is something which brings them together to form their collective identity.

However, this feminine identity is not restricted to just those who have a vagina, as the monologue, They Beat the Girl out of My BoyOr So They Tried, definitively demonstrates. This speech was a new addition to the play, incorporated into the play in 2005 and written from the perspective of trans women. It is considered to be an optional addendum to the show, but The Stanford Womens Coalition chooses to perform the piece because of its inclusive definition regarding what it means to be a woman. In the past, The Vagina Monologues has been criticized for its narrow definition of womanhood, but the new piece makes use of a more all-encompassing definition of female identity.

The show has also been criticized for its negative portrayal of heterosexual relationships. The men described in this show are often painted as aggressors, rapists, perpetrators, or simply enemies of women. However, this may merely be an attempt to give words to the often unspeakable, violent struggles which women face in Western patriarchal society. Additionally, it is not as if every story paints men in a negative light. Because He Liked to Look at It, another piece within the production, describes a positive male-female sexual encounter. In Stanfords production, Cindy Niu gives life to this story, smiling and gazing afar as she recounts how her partners praise and admiration allows her to see the beauty and power that she has within herself.

While the content of these narratives has the potential to soar into the overdramatic, the cast adeptly balances the seriousness of the show with lighthearted comedic timing. In a piece called The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy, Grace Wallis sits in a plain chair and outrageously reenacts different types of female orgasms. She extends beyond a When-Harry-Met-Sally type of performative scene, exhibiting high-pitched screams and guttural moans as she contorts her face into what looks to be a combination of both pain and pleasure.

Its no secret that this show may provoke some unease within its audiences. Speaking the unspeakable often produces that effect. But this element of viewer discomfort proves the shows efficacy in reaching its audiences in tangible ways. I myself have seen the show before, and yet, I am still surprised by the honest details of each narrative the shame of a car hookup gone wrong, the excitement of a first orgasm. It is as if I, too, am experiencing the horror, the pride, the self-discovery of each character. Yes, the stories presented are real, but more than that, they feel real, and this can be attributed to the personalized delivery of each monologue, whether it be through the small steps of an older woman or the clenched fists of an indignant young girl who longs to find happiness within her body. Perhaps this personalization, this theatrical honesty, is what makes the show so powerful, so beloved by both men and women alike.

Put simply, The Vagina Monologues challenges our conventional viewpoints about femininity and call upon us to address and take action against the negative stereotypes and violent wrongdoings which pervade womens lives. The unity displayed by the actresses of this show is one that can be admired and replicated in our society at large. Stanfords performance is extremely timely given our current political climate. Women across the country proved their unity at the Womens Marches earlier this year, and they will continue to prove their solidarity in the future. Now, more than ever, in the era of Trump, we are called upon to protect and demonstrate this unity for generations to come. Contact Alli Cruz at allicruz at stanford.edu.

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The Vagina Monologues Grabs Back Female Empowerment - The Stanford Daily

The citys low health care insurance rates are part of a salary and benefit package that help attract top talent, Allston said.

Our program is nothing without our employees. They have really stepped up and shown that they are interested in good health, said Allston, who was accompanied to the stage by Mayor Rochelle Robinson to accept the award.

The No. 1 Large Employer, JE Dunn Construction, schedules wellness events like its annual Dunn Run throughout the year to keep engagement from falling off after the typical January ramp-up, said Dan Kaufman, president of the companys East Region. The company also offers on-site yoga, an on-site fitness center and healthy snacks to employees. It was JE Dunns second win in a row at Atlantas Healthiest Employers.

It all comes down to letting employees know we care, Kaufman said.

Top-ranked Large Employer Humana adopted its culture of well-being as part of a broader company shift from simply offering insurance to being a well-being organization, said Market Vice President John Dammann, who added that he takes conference calls on his cell phone walking around his office or the entire floor to add activity to his day.

It is an honor to be in this room with all these people because you are making this happen, Damman said. To be in this room to celebrate health and well-being is really a wonderful thing.

For Humana to take health and well-being to its consumers, noted Manager of Engagement and Administration Billy Bonaparte, who came to the stage with Dammann, it had to be a product of the product.

Humanas Vitality wellness program begins with an online health assessment of a persons health risks, short- and long-term consequences of those risks and the employees readiness to change. The assessment is integrated with Humanas health coaching and chronic condition management programs to provide professional support.

Keynote speaker Jeff Galloway urged the audience to consider the many positive benefits of exercise and reminded them that it doesnt have to hurt. The benefits of gentle exercise include stress management, team building and improved attitude, vitality and personal empowerment, the Olympian, coach, author and speaker noted.

He encouraged those just starting out to use rest breaks of 30 seconds every 2-3 minutes, and to commit to at least five minutes, three days a week. Then strive to increase the time by three minutes a week up to 20-30 minutes, he said.

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Humana, JE Dunn among top winners at Healthiest Employers Awards (SLIDESHOW) - Atlanta Business Chronicle

Whether we like it or not, staying connected to the rest of the world through the Internet is vital to both our daily personal lives and to running our farms, ranches, orchards, and other businesses. Thats why it is so important that people who live in rural areas and small towns have access to the same kind of powerful high-speed internet that is now taken for granted in most urban and suburban communities. Unfortunately, connectivity in rural America continues to trail behind.

According tothe Pew Research Center, only 55 percent of rural Americans use broadband at home. Hopefully this is about to change, as the FCCs new Chairman Ajit Pai has some very big ideas about how to bring broadband access to rural America. Pai has expressed a longstanding commitment to rural internet connectivity, as clearly outlined through hisDigital Empowerment Agenda, which he unveiled in September 2016 while serving as an FCC commissioner. He believes that every American who wants high-speed Internet access should be able to get it. Needless to say, the National Grange is pleased to have someone at the helm who recognizes that broadband is still lacking in some parts of our country.

Even when wireline broadband is made available, theres no guarantee that people would use it. Pai has recognized this and noted that special attention is needed to empower consumers throughout our nation with 21st Century digital opportunities. One way to encourage adoption is throughsmartphones, which are becoming the primary gateway to the internet for many Americans.

Thankfully, Pais Digital Empowerment Agenda proposes a three-step plan to improve high-speed mobile broadband throughout rural America. The plan includes increasing the buildout obligations that apply to wireless providers; moving forward with the second phase of the FCCs Mobility Fund; and authorizing a rural dividend from the sale of wireless spectrum

Pai believes this plan will deliver high-speed wireless broadband to rural America and give rural Americans the access they need and want. For our members in rural and small town America, this will allow the increased utilization of smart technologies that have already begun to benefit our businesses and stand to improve our quality of life as well.

We are already seeing tremendous improvements in productivity and resource management (like water and pesticides) through precision agriculture techniques. As the next generation of broadband networks comes along, including 5G wireless networks, we are encouraged to see the FCC considering new and innovative ways to approach the persistent issue of rural broadband expansion.

With Chairman Pais leadership, we look forward to working with him and the rest of the FCC to find ways to bring broadband to more rural and small town Americans, to the benefit of many new innovations in areas of agriculture, healthcare and education. We couldnt agree more with Pais bottom line is that rural Americans deserve the same digital access as those living in more urban areas and we look forward to the day when all of our members have engagement in todays digital economy and society.

Betsy Huber is the president of the National Grange, an organization that strives to provide opportunities for individuals and families to develop to their highest potential to build stronger communities and states as well as a stronger nation.

The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.

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Ajit Pai's digital empowerment agenda is good news for rural America - The Hill (blog)

This article is courtesy of BusinessCollective, featuring thought leadership content by ambitious young entrepreneurs, executives & small business owners.

Simple changes like encouraging healthy living and accommodating their schedules can do wonders for employee morale.

Does your company offer free snacks in the lunchroom, long out-of-office lunch breaks, and gift cards to local restaurants as productivity rewards?

If you answered yes, but cant figure out why your employees are still dragging through the day without energy, enthusiasm or focus, then you might be interested to learn that those practices do more harm than good. Instead, consider benefits that offer better long-term effects for both your business and your employees like healthy lifestyle habits.

Unlike many companies, there are no free snacks lying around our office, and you will never find me handing out gift cards for restaurants as rewards. Instead, I bring my own balanced meals to workand encourage everyone to do the same. Employees are invited to participate in team-focused lunches within their departments to discuss both work and personal agendas. Since the inclusion of these lunches, people are motivated by the examples of others, and fewer leave for lunch, which in turn wastes less company time and discourages people from making quick decisions about meals that often lead to fast food.

I urge each employee to participate in physical fitness during their time away from the office by providing them with flexible daily hours. While full-time employees are required to clock 45 hours per week, they may choose when they come in and when they leave. This allows them the freedom to work out before or after work. Having the flexibility also gives employees a feeling of personal empowerment, which increases their ability to work both independently and in group settings.

Desk jobs can be troublesome for muscle development because sitting for nine hours per day can create muscle soreness and fatigue. These issues can cause employee attention to waver and productivity levels to drop. For this reason, once per week, I bring in two licensed massage professionals to give15-minute massages that target loosening any tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck, as these are the areas that are most negatively affected by a desk job.

Meetings are unavoidable, but I encourage movement at ours. While tables and chairs are made available to those who would prefer to sit, every employee is given the option to stand or pace during the meeting in order to keep active. Rather than being a distraction, the movementis actually energizing and often leads to more ideas being shared and discussed.

The more educated and inspired employees become, the better equipped they are to lead the customers toward reaching their own goals. Perks that help your employees maintain their health also make them feel cared about, which leads to better engagement and retention something that, no doubt, is crucial to any companys long-term success.

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4 Low-Cost Benefits That Majorly Boost Employee Healthiness - Tech.Co

Melinda Gates at the Clinton Global Initiative on September 24, 2014 in New York City.

John Moore/Getty Images

In its annual letter published Tuesday, the Gates Foundation reports on the impact of its initiative to get contraception into the hands of women around the world. Placing contraceptives alongside vaccines as one of the greatest lifesaving innovations in history, Bill and Melinda Gates write that 300 million women in developing countries now have access to modern contraception, about a 50 percent increase from 13 years ago.

Christina Cauterucci is a Slate staff writer.

The foundation is part of Family Planning 2020, a coalition of government agencies that seeks to get contraception access for 390 million women in the developing world by 2020. Meeting that goal is essential to a lot more than womens personal and economic empowerment: It would be a giant step toward mitigating global poverty. No country in the last 50 years has emerged from poverty without expanding access to contraceptives, the letter states, because the ability to avoid or space out pregnancies allows families to keep their kids in school, earn more income, and require less financial assistance from the government.

Melinda Gates attributes her own personal and professional success to birth control in a companion essay she published in Fortune. It's no accident that my three kids were born three years apartor that I didn't have my first child until I'd finished graduate school and devoted a decade to my career atMicrosoft, Gates writes. My family, my career, my life as I know it are all the direct result of contraceptives.

But outside the U.S. and other wealthy nations with advanced medical systems and reproductive health care, access to birth control can be a matter of life and death, Gates writes, crediting family-planning services with keeping 124,000 women alive in 2016. Without reliable contraception, women and children are less likely to be healthy and more likely to perish during or after childbirth. In the areas where the Gates Foundation focuses its work, spacing out children by at least three years doubles the chance of a childs survival to age 1.

In a better world, this kind of unambiguous data would engender widespread support for programs that give women the resources they need to determine for themselves when, whether, and how they give birth. In our actual world, Donald Trump reinstated and expanded the global gag rule, which cuts U.S. funding from any organization that provides abortion care, information, or referrals, even though U.S. aid already cant go toward abortion care itself. This means some of the worlds most comprehensive, far-reaching programs in the reproductive health sphere are now ineligible for U.S. aid money. Previous research has connected the rule to spikes in unplanned pregnancies and, ironically, abortion rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Gates essay predicts that Trumps reinstatement of the gag rule will bump up the number of women who want to prevent pregnancy but dont have access to contraception, a statistic that currently sits at 225 million women worldwide.

There are some novel products and programs that show promise in tackling that gap. A Pathfinder International initiative in Burkina Faso to supply clinics with and educate women about intrauterine devices has been so successful, the organization recently got a $10 million grant from the Gates Foundation to study how best to arm women with the family-planning tools they need. The foundations annual letter also expresses excitement for a new injectable contraceptive that rural women can administer themselves, providing protection from pregnancy for three months at a time. Proponents of the global gag rule will be happy to know that such advances in contraception technology and access have at least one desired effect that abortion restrictions dont: lower rates of unplanned pregnancies and abortion.

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Melinda Gates Credits Contraception With Her Personal and Professional Success - Slate Magazine (blog)

British-born Sebastian Gorka was appointed as Deputy Assistant to the President of the United States by Donald Trump in January and is viewed as one of the key figures behind the Presidents national security strategy. Steve Fuller presents an analysis of Gorkas world-view, writing that his conception of an ideological struggle between Islamic jihadism and the West may ultimately be difficult to square with the views of Trumps core supporters, who have a sharper focus on territorial integrity and the material security of American citizens.

When one thinks of who might be the mastermind behind Donald Trumps presidency, Steve Bannon of Breitbart and fake news fame is the obvious candidate. However, arguably a deeper thinker in the same mould is Sebastian Gorka, Trumps deputy assistant and an increasingly familiar face to television audiences, as he offers asserts may be a better word straightforward justifications for the byzantine turns in Trumps policy initiatives. What follows is my presentation of Gorkas world-view, which is by no means crazy but not so easy to square with the world-view of the seemingly solid block of 40% of Americans who back Trump because they think their material security is his primary concern. In any case, it helps to begin with some history.

The Cold War was often portrayed as a struggle between competing ideologies, capitalism and socialism. Its original master thinker, George Kennan, believed that it was a struggle without end, since the two ideologies are irreconcilable: Both demand global domination and each has its own way of legitimising this demand. Indeed, they do so in ways that could appeal to members of the other side, given a fair hearing. So there are only two possible strategies for each side: either destroy or contain the other (i.e. simply block its spread). Destruction, while technically feasible with nuclear weapons, could also result in mutually assured destruction, so containment would be the more sensible option to lead with.

However, for all practical purposes, the Cold Wars so-called ideological struggle was really between the United States and the Soviet Union, two nation-states, each of which amassed other nation-states in various political, economic, military and cultural alliances. The Cold War was transacted in state-minted currency, which in turn was spent to fund an arms race and a space race that was claimed to have universal import.

But contra Kennan, the Cold War came to an end less than a half-century after it started. One of the anchor nation-states, the Soviet Union, had effectively gone bankrupt and sought a peaceful exit strategy, which the US clumsily managed. The so-called ideological struggle between capitalism and socialism ended at that point, notwithstanding pockets of resistance in places like Cuba. Other nation-states, most noticeably China, had no problem adapting its own geopolitical conduct to the newly relaxed capitalism-socialism divide.

Gorkas world-view begins with the claim that today the Wests struggle against Islamic jihadism is a much more literal version of a Kennan-style ideological struggle than Kennan himself had envisaged the Cold War to be. This is because at least one of the parties to the struggle is not defined in nation-state terms. Islamic jihadists are emboldened by certain radical Muslim thinkers to read the Quran for themselves so as to interpret jihad (humanitys struggle to arise from its fallen state) as not simply a personal struggle but a geopolitical one, the full resolution of which requires universal conversion to Islam.

That highly esteemed Muslim religious leaders may not support such an inflated sense of jihadism is irrelevant to the true jihadi, as religious leaders can always already appear compromised in some way. Thus, Gorka does not place any special burden on normal Muslims to counter jihadism. That would be like expecting the established Christian churches both Catholic and Protestant to have taken responsibility for all of the violence of the Christian dissenters, say, in the 17th century English Civil War and other modern freedom-fighting movements. Arguably one such movement was the American Revolution itself, which drew on St Augustines theology of human exceptionalism (i.e. our having been created in the image and likeness of God), without subscribing to any particular church.

Here the trope of Protestantism, which in recent years has been invoked by liberal Muslims such as Reza Aslan as the path to reforming Islam, should be seen in a more nuanced light. Just because the historical outcome of the Protestant Reformation has been, broadly speaking, a victory for secular democratic values, the forces that unleashed both jihadism and secular liberalism are largely the same. (Consider, say, the violent tone in which the original modern classic of freedom of expression, John Miltons Areopagitica, is written.) In both cases, people were encouraged to take the sacred book into their own hands as a source of personal empowerment, with the book read as posing to each reader an existential challenge.

Those who accept the challenge may join to form communities of various sorts, but these are never more than temporary holding patterns until the Kingdom of God is realised for all to see what on this reading of the Quran is the true caliphate. However, it is the sacred book not some particular human authority that ultimately licenses that activity. The resulting political sensibility may indeed be totalitarian yet without being especially authoritarian. (Here the writings of Eric Voegelin on political theology are useful.)

It is this permanently revolutionary sense of Protestantism to which Gorkas jihadism harkens, rather than the more settled secular versions exemplified by the US Constitution and other democracies formulated on similar grounds in the modern era. In these cases, the original revolutionary violence was specifically focused on more-or-less politically unified territories. Thus, the conflicts were broadly comprehensible within whats still called the Westphalian settlement, named for the 1648 European treaty that established the convention that nation-states are the primary units of political sovereignty. This fundamental assumption of modern international relations at both the diplomatic and military levels is now called into radical question by Gorkas totalising sense of jihadism.

Moreover, the plausibility of Gorkas world-view is facilitated by the de-territorialisation of ideology that information technology increasingly permits. In other words, Islamic jihadists can coordinate their activities across self-organising networks that are distributed across many countries, most if not all of which may otherwise abhor the ideology. Moreover, Islamic jihadism is a genuinely transhumanist ideology in that its self-identifying members think of themselves primarily as platforms for advancing the ideology, the full realisation of which they may or may not be personally involved in.

At one level, this sense of self-sacrifice is familiar from both capitalist and socialist narratives, which argue that the current generation lays the basis for subsequent generations to live better lives. In these explicitly secular narratives, which were pervasive during the Cold War, the expectation was that ones children or grandchildren might live in the utopia that the current generation was struggling to achieve. However, Islamic jihadism possesses at least three features that serve to undermine this Cold War intergenerational template of geopolitical struggle. I will go through them quickly.

I do not wish to comment here on the accuracy of Gorkas characterisation of so-called Islamic jihadists. But he certainly means to take them seriously so much so that he believes the United States and its allies should mirror much of their modus operandi. For example, Gorka thinks that security agencies should treat mosques and other religious institutions as secular public spaces, just as the jihadists themselves do, since the jihadists regard law-abiding Muslims as spiritually suspect unless proven otherwise. These spaces then become sites of ideological contestation, in which the religious authorities nominally in charge of them have little standing with either the jihadists or the US security agencies.

An epistemologically interesting consequence of Gorkas mirror strategy pertains to the role of information. It reflects the ease with which Steve Bannon and the Breitbart crowd surrounding Trump can live with the idea that we live in a post-truth world. Information is treated quite literally as a political football to be batted back and forth spun and re-spun. One might even speak of information as having become weaponised much more thoroughly than in past propaganda campaigns, which tended to emanate from a few authorised sources.

The key general insight, which underwrites the phenomenon of fake news, is that the distributed character of computer networks effectively blurs the difference between the production and consumption of information. But this goes beyond the mere fact that those who consume information can also produce it. Of greater significance is that it becomes harder for the consumer to tell how the information was produced. Indeed, as productive capacity is increased, accountability is decreased. Here Gorka is influenced by David Kilcullen, an Australian military strategist of counterinsurgency, a term he has made his own to characterise the mirroring posture that he would have the US and its allies adopt towards Islamic jihadists.

Kilcullen was a vocal critic of the Iraq war and especially the use of drones in warfare, as Barack Obama had begun to normalise in Afghanistan. In terms of the information war with the jihadists, all that did was provide visual ammunition for the enemy. Any image of a successful drone mission could be repackaged as having killed many innocents by some artful (or not, as the case may be) textual and visual recontextualisation. In that case, the sheer immediacy of the message combined with its multiple seemingly independent reproductions say, on social media would override concerns about the images authenticity, which may have been untraceable in any case. (Jacques Derrida must be either turning over in his grave or laughing to the bank.)

What is perhaps most striking about Gorkas world-view is his Platonic sensibility about the nature of war it is all about winning hearts and minds, not lands and lives. His own writings make it clear that s/he who strives the hardest the longest ultimately wins, regardless of the body count. While this ethic will be immediately recognisable to the so-called Islamic jihadists, it is not so clear how it will play with Trump supporters who identify their interests including what they mean by security with something having a much more restricted world-historic scope. In other words: How exactly can a potentially endless ideological struggle be fought when one of the parties the United States seems under President Trump to be keener than ever to protect its territorial integrity and the material security of its citizens?

Please read our comments policy before commenting.

Note: This article gives the views of theauthor, and not the position of EUROPP European Politics and Policy, nor of the London School of Economics.

_________________________________

About the author

Steve Fuller University of WarwickSteve Fullerholds the Auguste Comte Chair in Social Epistemology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Warwick.

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Mastering Trump's mastermind: Sebastian Gorka and the struggle between Islam and the West - EUROPP - European Politics and Policy (blog)

Bells University of Technology and New Horizons, the worlds largest international certification-oriented ICT and e-business training organisation, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost the employability and entrepreneurial chances of its graduates by formalising a Strategic Training Partnership.

At the MoU signing event at the university campus last week, the universitys Vice Chancellor, Professor Jeremiah Ojediran, expressed his excitement at the great opportunities which the programme will primarily accord the students irrespective of their academic disciplines and the relevant university staff members who will also enjoy periodic staff training.

Speaking, the Vice Chancellor reiterated that the seamless mandatory schedule will guarantee that every student of the university will undergo specialised international certification- based Professional IT and E Business Skills training and acquire a minimum of four International Professional Licences in lucrative technologies.

He reasoned that given the global economic challenges and the shrinking employment opportunities worldwide and in Nigeria especially, Bells University graduates would be able to use the extra internationally validated professional skills-set as the Icing Crown on their BSc and BA Academic Degree Cakes to become the toast of the employers for lucrative jobs as well as get opportunity to become self-employed as specialists and consultants in these globally hot skills and certification areas.

According to the VC, time is now ripe for Bells University to lead others to produce the next generation of the likes of Bill Gates of Microsoft, Mack Zuckerberg of Facebook and so on that will enable Nigerian graduates leverage the huge potentials in ICT to reposition Nigerian economy from an oil dependent nation to an ICT giant nations like, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and India that transformed their poor economies through ICT.

In the same vein, Ojediran appreciated the other two great benefits which the strategic partnership will bestow on the staff members in terms of the free ICT and E Business trainings that will boost their official and personal productivity and the second benefit of an annual financial awards/ prizes that will be won by three best published academic lecturers as the Companys CSR for promotion of healthy academic rivalry and excellence.

Speaking, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of New Horizons, Nigerian branch, Mr Tim Akano, commended the visionary management of the university for the partnership initiative. He restated the necessity for such strategic synergies between the academics and the Industry in this information Age, such that will aid the universities to regain and fulfil their traditional role of serving as the manufacturing/incubating house for production of future fully-baked graduates empowered with both academic excellence and ICT-driven professional competences for both the employment and self- employment industry.

Akano equally recapped that the programme will further serve to augment the Webometric ranking of the university, since the training infrastructure to be supplied by New Horizons including, branded 200 Computers, Smart interactive

Boards, networking, original high-end software, and top International Professional skills and Certifications like: Androids, Robotics, CISA, Oracle, Java Programming, Multimedia, Information Security, etcetera constitute variables that will boost the IT-driven stance of Bells University as part of the global ranking metrics.

Why we are protesting: Inside details of labours petition to

Super Eagles, learn from Cameroon

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Bells University, New Horizons sign MoU On ICT empowerment for students - NIGERIAN TRIBUNE (press release) (blog)

Its hard to believe that its only been a year since cult-status Milk Makeup first burst onto the scene. A brand on the forefront of gender fluidity, self-expression, and inclusivity, they certainly breed more of a lifestyle than your average cosmetics brand.

In celebration of their very first birthday, Milk Makeup is introducing Live Your Look, a campaign that exudes the brands core values. Over the past year, its been amazing to see how truly broad our audience isfrom male to female, old to young, bare to full face. We gave a wide range of people the license to their own unique brand of confidence through their look, says co-founder and creative director, Georgie Greville. The common denominator between everyone is not one look or product, its a lifestyletheyre all unique and they all do what they want; they arent afraid to play.

Kicking off Live Your Look, which is all about embracing the journey to self-discovery, is an anthem video starring creatives such as mask-donning artist Leikeli47; influencer and Milk Makeup employee Chelsea March; and makeup artist, painter, and cat eye-loving mom Bethany McCarty. Each embodies Milk Makeups values, emanating self-expression while encouraging others to do the same.

Now, more than ever, its time to really appreciate that everyone is a part of the spectrum of individuality, says Greville on the importance of the campaigns message. There should be no rules for how you express the unique person you are, and were here to help you do thateven if its in a totally new way every day. We want to spread a movement of personal empowerment, equality, and freedom of self-expression. If the world felt as free and inclusive as a Milk Makeup party, we would be in a really good place.

The campaign coincides with the brands spring launchesincluding the must-have Blur Stick (which Greville dubs a game-changer, and we couldn't agree more)which are all available now at MilkMakeup.com, Sephora.com, and UrbanOutfitters.com.

Check out the Live Your Look video, below, and be sure to live your own looks and tag #LiveYourLook on Instagram. @MilkMakeup will be posting their favorites all year long.

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Milk Makeup Is Celebrating Its Anniversary With A New Campaign - NYLON

Children take on the role of firefighters at a Salamander session

A NEW eight-week programme which will give children a glimpse of what its like to be a firefighter will begin in April.

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service recently received funding of 5,000 from Westbury Area Board to deliver the Westbury Salamander programme, which will be open to children aged between 13-19 selected by the fire service.

Rob Guy, youth intervention manager for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: The Salamander Project is a tailored personal development programme designed to promote empowerment in a positive environment to help build young peoples confidence and skills.

Working in partnership with Youth in Focus, street-based youth workers will work with local partners to target young people aged 13-19 in need of positive activities to build confidence, develop new skills or those who are in danger of engaging in risk taking behaviour.

We would like to thank Wiltshire Council, Westbury Area Board and the Local Youth Network Management group for their support in enabling us to provide positive activities for young people in the area.

At the sessions, held at Westbury Fire Station, children will undertake tasks including using fire hoses and investigating mock car crashes, learning why dangerous driving is a bad idea.

Salamander programmes have in the past been run as intensive five-day courses in other towns but this is the first time it will be delivered at weekly sessions.

At the end of the programme, participants will have a chance to demonstrate what they have learned to their family members at a passing out parade.

Contact Mr Guy on 07739 899293 if you need more information.

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Fire service receives funding to deliver 'personal development ... - Wiltshire Times

New York Times

Katy Perry Dances Till the World Ends and MIA Starts a New Wave New York Times ... while on the lines about how we use abandon to overlook the troubles of the world, she triples down on the vowel sounds, emphasizing feeling over content.) In the past, Ms. Perry has emphasized personal empowerment, but times are changing now ... Katy Perry - Chained To The Rhythm (Lyric Video) ft. Skip MarleyYouTube Katy Perry: 'I've Given Up on What People Think About Me'PEOPLE.com KATY PERRY on Twitter: "We gonna call this era Purposeful Pop. https://t.co/fCllqtlRTm"Twitter all 134 news articles »

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Katy Perry Dances Till the World Ends and MIA Starts a New Wave - New York Times

Forbes

5 Steps To Validate Your Business Idea Before Getting Started Forbes For example, if you value health and personal empowerment, you might serve yoga studios. 2. Speak To Real People Within The Scope Of Who You Want To Serve. Once you've figured out who you want to help, get in touch with them. This will take your ...

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5 Steps To Validate Your Business Idea Before Getting Started - Forbes

Feb 13, 2017 11:33 AM

Girls age 11 to 14 at Springs School will begin sessions with i-Tri, a program that fosters self-respect, personal empowerment, self-confidence, positive body image and healthy lifestyle choices for girls, this month; in March they begin training for their first triathlon. Through a curriculum of physical fitness, family outreach, nutrition classes and self-esteem workshops, affirming respect, responsibility, teamwork and dedication, as well as the sport of triathlon, i-Tri girls develop healthy habits and healthy attitudes which last a lifetime. At an age at which they are often confronted with difficult life choices, i-Tri girls are taught to believe in themselves and their peers.

The Functional Academics class made handmade Valentines day chocolates to sell as candy grams to the seventh- and eighth-graders. The chocolates cost $1 a bag with profits supporting Special Olympics. The orders were taken in the students lunchrooms ahead of time and delivered anonymously on Valentines Day.

Fourth-graders may participate in band and/or chorus in the early morning.

Students in kindergarten through sixth grade may sign up for the Camp Invention summer program at the school. Details and registration information is on the school website.

The Famous Springs Mystery Art Sale (SMARTS) is back again this spring! Students, teachers, and community members voted for a purple logo this year. Students are hard at work creating their 5 x 7 pieces of art which will be featured at Ashawagh Hall for sale side by side with the art of several local artists. Artists are encouraged to contact art teachers Colleen McGowan and Alex DeHavenon to contribute.

P.S. I Love You Day was celebrated on February 14, after being snowed out on last week. Teachers, students, and staff wore purple on Tuesday to be mindful of the positive impact kindness can have on others. Fourth grade teachers Mrs. Knight and Mrs. Reiner hope to make this a new annual celebration at the school where everyone makes a point to tell others that they are loved and accepted. Purple post-it notes covered the school with sentiments such as you rock or youre special. Student JanPol Munzon said, All I want is for everyone to have a good heart and all students have nice emotions and no one violates anyone else. I want this school to just have peace and justice.

Budget work sessions have begun for the 2017-18 school year. The next will be Wednesday. March 1. All community members are welcome.

The PTA hosted a very successful Skate Night at Buckskill for grades five through eight. This was made possible by the Turkey Trot, the pasta lunch, and other fundraising throughout the year. The PTA makes many special events and field trips possible. Please contact Mark Lappin for information on future events.

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Springs School News, February 16 - 27east.com