Winter 2014
The Egyptian junta launched its deadliest crackdown in months. This comes in near the third anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution on January 25 (and a referendum on Egypt's new constitution in for mid-January. Egypt’s military junta is intensifying its crackdown on all opposition to its rule). On Friday, security forces cracked down on demonstrations called by the Muslim Brotherhood led anti-coup Alliance. They killed at least 14 protesters and injured 62 human beings. According to official Ministry of Health reports, five were killed in Cairo, two in Suez Canal city of Ismailia, one in Alexandria and the remaining deaths occurred in Giza, Fayoum, and Minya in Upper Egypt. Security forces reportedly used live ammunition against protesters. The local Health Ministry official of the rural province of Fayoum, Medhat Shukri told Reuters that 3 protesters (including a student) died from bullet wounds to the chest and head. There was another university student shot dead during the clashes in the southern town of Minya. There have been the heaviest clashes taking place in Cairo and neighboring Giza on the West bank of the Nile in the Cairo district of Nasr City. There were heavily armed riot police firing tear gas at protesters who defended themselves with fireworks and stones. In the neighborhoods of Maadi, Al Haram, and Alf Maskan, battles between security forces and protesters continued until late at night. During the crackdown, hundreds of MB members have been arrested. Police said that they have detained more than 258 while the Interior Ministry issued a statement claiming that 122 were arrested for possession of weapons. Last Friday's crackdown was the deadliest since October 6 when security forces killed more than 50 anti-regime protesters on the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the 1973 October War. It comes after the junta has created an anti-protest law late November. The junta created a reactionary new constitution that has enshrined military rule. On December 25, the military backed interim government declared the MB a "terrorist organization" Mursi was toppled in the July 3 military coup. The military is cracking down on Islamist rivals. The junta's apparatus existed before the toppling the longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak. So, the junta wants to end the power of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. The military regime is seeking to create an atmosphere of terror to forestall a renewed explosion in the working class, the main social force behind the revolution. The Egyptian Center for Social and Economic Rights (ECESR) recently published figures showing that workers held 2,486 protests in 2013. While 2243 took place under Mursi and the MB, 243 occurred under the military junta. There is still the violation of workers' rights in the junta. There is the Mahalla textile workers strikes in October, the Sukhari Gold miners’ strike last month—which was dispersed by police on December 15—and the ongoing sit-in of 5000 steel workers from the Egyptian Iron and Steel Company in Helwan for higher wages and production bonuses. Last Wednesday, Egyptian doctors also declared a partial strike, demanding higher minimum wages and an increase of the national health budget from 3.5 percent to 15 percent of the total state budget. According to the ECESR, November—the month when the anti-protest law was passed—witnessed the highest number of workers’ protests since the coup. The military junta is cracking down on other political groups too. So, the Egyptian military junta is violating human rights, cracking down on dissidents, and loves their reactionary constitution. The junta is working with the ruling class of Egypt too. The junta is totally wrong in its actions completely.
The following issue is unique. Gun violence against innocent human life is evil and wrong. We have decreased crime rates in America and in numerous large cities of America. Yet, we still have a long way to go in really ending the gun violence epidemic plaguing society in general. It is a complicated issue and solutions will have to be diverse. A one sized fit all approach will never work. There should be programs to address poverty, there should be education on conflict resolution and unique means to fight crime, folks should be educated on gun safety, our families should grow, and we should handle socioeconomic issues as well (we should condemn the bad policies of the central banks, the Federal Reserve, and Wall Street). The people should have the power and power should not be totally controlled by select, privatized central banks at all. Also, we should fight poverty in independent ways via community based programs including other solutions. Criminals should never own guns, but innocent, law abiding citizens have the right to own a firearm if he or she wants to. It is true that many human beings ignore the gun violence in urban communities. We should have just as much concern for gun violence in the urban areas as we do in non-urban locations. This process to fight gun violence will not be easy, but we fight not because things are easy. We fight because things are hard. Also, we should not only condemn and fight gun violence in our community. We should condemn and oppose the violence of imperialism, the violence of police brutality, the violence of assaults against any innocent human being, and other forms of violence done by the Powers that be too. The violence done by imperialists is truly evil. Yes, the Opium Wars situation was very real. At first the Chinese used all means to resist the offers from the British Empire. Later, the British Empire motivated by greed and a lust for power moved to cause the Chinese people to be addicted to Opium. It was a horrendous situation and multiple wars occurred. Also, America was involved in the Boxer Rebellion as well in 1900. Also, the black community has suffered as a product of the War on Drugs, discrimination, redlining, and other injustices. The Mafia, gangs, and other entities (including government entities) have worked together to harm much of the black community. The PTB used spying programs and other means to try to harm the progress of the Black Panthers and the rest of the black liberation struggle. One example is how the Chicago Police killed Brother Fred Hampton in cold blood during 1969 while he was sleeping. Drug addiction harms true revolutionary movements, so we have to be on our Ps and Qs when dealing with the agenda of the oppressor. We have the right to improve our lives, to help our community, and to be educated on the NATURE OF THE THREAT AS THEY SAY.
There have been polls that said that only the super-rich or wealthy like the Federal Reserve. There is a new Gallup poll that finds that only those making over $90,000 a year like Ben Bernanke's policies. The poll says that a majority of Americans living in households with annual incomes of $90,000 or more that 54% approve of Bernanke's performance as FED Chairman while 35% disapprove. Lower and middle income Americans show a closer divide between approval and disapproval, with general higher rates of no opinion. Bernanke and other officials at the Federal Reserve have said that the controversial quantitative easing program was created to help the overall economy. Critics say that it has only benefited the wealthy by boosting the prices of assets disproportionately owned by upper income Americans such as equities. The data from Gallup suggests that the wealthy were more aware and more appreciate of Bernanke's actions. The median household income in the U.S. is only $52,100 a year. Three-quarters of all Americans are in favor of auditing the FED to see what they are doing. The FED is an independent central bank. The Federal Reserve is a private bank that is privatized as well. Some want the U.S. Federal Reserve to be abolished outright. Most Americans want the central bank to be more accountable to Congress. Many economists want the FED to be severely reined in. Only 37 percent favor the status quo. We know that the Federal Reserve is corrupt. The FED threw money at several billionaires and tens of multi-millionaires like the billionaire businessman H. Wayne Huizenga, billionaire Michael Dell of Dell computer, billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson, billionaire private equity honcho J. Christopher Flowers, and the wife of Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack. QE mostly benefit the rich and hurt the little guy as confirmed by former high level FED officials. The architect of Japan’s quantitative easing program and several economists has confirmed the errors of QE. The FED has admitted that one of its main goals is to boost the stock market. Professor G. William Domhooff demonstrated that the richest 10% own 81% of all stocks and mutual funds (or the top 1% own 35%). The majority of Americans or the bottom 90% own less than 20% of all stocks and mutual funds. So the Fed’s effort overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest Americans. The FED's focus on battling inflation has stalled the economy and prevented lending to Main Street. The FED has been bailing out foreign banks more than Main Street or the American people. The foreign banks bailed out by the Federal Reserve include Gaddafi's Libyan bank, the Arab Banking Corp. of Bahrain, and the Banks of Bavaria, Korea, and Mexico. The FED also bailed out wealthy corporations including hedge funds, McDonald's, and Harley Davidson.
There is the story about the Sochi. There is geopolitics involved in this affair. The mainstream media has bashed Vladimir Putin the West. The truth is in between the 2 extreme views of him. The truth is that both America and Russia should clean up their houses period. Both nations are not perfect and both nations have authoritarian policies. On February 6, the XXII Olympic Winter Games started. There are the geopolitical issues involved in this affair. Security is extremely tight. It is like an armed camp. Measures have been unprecedented and around 2 billion dollars was spent on security. There have been 23,000 personnel assured proper measures were in place as planned. Tens of thousands of police officers are deployed. They're backed by helicopters, drones, gunboats, submarines, and 70,000 Russian troops. Hundreds of Cossacks are involved. They will check IDs. They can detain suspects. Sochi is in a close proximity to the North Caucasus raised concerns. Many of the Islamist jihadists have been U.S. assets. After the December Volgograd bombings (which killed 34 people), Russia have raised concerns. Many folks want to find the truth. According to Sochi Organizing Committee chairman Dmitry Chernyshenko: “Terrorism is a global threat, and for terrorism there is no boundaries, no territories, but here in Sochi from the very beginning of the construction phase the state authorities did their utmost to prepare special measures, starting from the screening of raw materials, checking all the venues and preparing far-reaching security measures to provide the safest ever environment here.” There is a controlled zone established. It covers 60 kilometers. It runs along the coast and extends 25 kilometers inland. It includes all venues and they're heavily guarded. The entire areas are for authorized visitors only. There is massively anti-Russian sentiment too. The truth is that Russia and America must clean up both of their houses. Many actions done by America and Russia have been wrong and evil, but this doesn't justify Western imperialism either. There is Cold War politics coming on. Many folks use Putin as a means to make Russia to roll over to Washington. There is the Western meddling in the affairs of Russia, Syria, Ukraine, and other nations. Putin affirms that the “inalienable right to security for all states, the inadmissibility of excessive force, and unconditional observance of international law.” Sochi is expensive. Now, Putin is not perfect, but America has its issues as well. Russian elections are democratic and monied interests don't control them as American ones. Even in the States, we have demagoguery, propaganda, scandal, sleaze, junk food news, and warmongering. We have thousands of political prisoners languishing in prisons. We have the American middle class harmed and our freedoms violated. We have unprecedented levels of public and private corruption in the States. There is corporate empowerment. There is the crushing of organized labor. There is the commodifying and privatization of public education inside of America. There has been the ignoring of international, constitutional, and U.S. statue laws. There is the war on humanity and violations of fundamental human and civil rights. So, Russia and America must clean up their houses since both nations aren't perfect at all. That is the point.
Architecture as Riddles in Stone
Architecture is important to know, study, and understand. It has existed for thousands of years. There are complex reasons for architecture to exist or to be formulated. In life, we see that corporations and material objects are not superior to the human mind and the human spirit. There is the intrinsic value of the human life. With the recent events, we certainly need to reject mass consumption and materialism. These items are preventing what America has its potential to become. We are the generation that has discovered more of the secrets behind much architecture spanning the four corners of the world. Many famous buildings are built on ley lines. Many of ancient man believe that ley lines have spiritual power and many cities and buildings are built on them to harness energy, etc. Also, the Sochi Winter Olympic complex is famous too for many reasons. First, the symbolism must be shown about the original ceremony and other things about the event. The 2014 Winter Olympic Games has the Russian built a huge Olympic Stadium. It shows the history of Russia via various symbolism and scenes. There was the huge double headed eagle that was splashed across the screen among other various Russia symbols. One of the symbols was the double headed eagle. The double headed eagle existed for thousands of years. It was famous for its usage in the Byzantine Empire and it was been used in the ancient secrets of the mysteries. The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is famous for incorporating the double headed eagle and Russian Coat of Arms. The double headed eagle represents the law of opposites or balance in equilibrium. In the ancient doctrines of the mystery schools, human and Nature want be in balance among opposites as a means for life to have completion and enlightenment. The two heads in the doubled headed eagle image acts as one. The three horses in the opening ceremony were symbolic of the troika bird or a famous cultural icon of Russia. The horses pull a sun. There ceremony shows the history of the Soviet Union as gears in motion. The whole Fisht Olympic Stadium is named after Mount Fisht. It has a 40,000 person capacity. The stadium was created by Populous and British design consultancy Buro Happold. The stadium's walls and roof are one continuous glass surface. They are designed to reflect sunlight off the sea during the day. It was opened in 2013 and it cost $779 million to build the stadium. In October 2013, the Central Bank of Russia issued a commemorative 100 ruble note. This was a hundred days before the start of the winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The blue tinted banknote depicts a flying snowboarder on one side, and on the other the Fisht Olympic Stadium and a firebird. The location of the Sochi Olympics is taking place in the Caucasus Mountains. We know the historical significance of those mountains. Now, the Sochi mascots are called Snowflake and Ray of Light. There is a coin called Prometheus, which has tons of esoteric meaning. Prometheus in legend stole fire form Mount Olympics and gave it to the people. A commemorative coin of copper-nickel with a denomination of 25 roubles featuring mascots of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi – Ray of Light and Snowflake – will also be released. Prometheus is said to be chained in the Caucasus Mountains. Not to mention that the countdown Sochi clock is triangular in shape looking similar to a Pyramid. Many other researchers have found out about the Merkahah connection to the ceremony.
The Oklahoma State Capitol has tons of architectural influences. It houses the government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma obviously. Both the executive and legislative branch offices are found there. The building is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City. The present structure includes a dome that was completed in 2002. The building is a National Historic Landmark. Oklahoma's first state capital was found in Guthrie, OK. It was moved in Oklahoma City in 1910. The state capitol was constructed beginning on 1914. It was finished in 1917. The state capitol complex is the only state capitol grounds in the United States with active oil rigs. The capitol has many white limestone and pink granite as a means to build up the structure. The building's dome is made up of steel reinforced concrete and reinforced plaster casts. Surrounding the Capitol building is found other government buildings, non-government agency locations, museums, libraries, and tree lined streets and boulevards. The complex includes the State Capitol Park, the Oklahoma History Center, the Oklahoma Judicial Center, and the Oklahoma Governor's Mansion. The 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) mansion has a limestone exterior to complement the Oklahoma State Capitol's exterior. The surrounding neighborhood is home to numerous restaurants and bars. The Oklahoma History Center opened in 2005 and is operated by the Oklahoma Historical Society. It preserves the history of Oklahoma from prehistoric Native American tribes to the present day. There are many chambers found in the interior of the Capitol. Tons of artwork is found in the Capitol as well. The Chickasaw artist Mike Larsen created the mural of the Flight of Spirit. This mural honors the Five Moons or the famous 20th century Native American ballerinas from Oklahoma. The mural is found in the Capitol rotunda. There are many large paintings made by Wayne Cooper on display in the building as well. Many of them depict the early heritage and oil history of the state. Seminole artist Enoch Kelly Haney's painting entitled, "The Earth and I are One" is on display on the first floor of the building. The Senate lobby includes a 6 foot by 10 foot oil-on-canvas painting of the "Ceremonial Transfer of the Louisiana Purchase in New Orleans - 1803" by Mike Wimmer. The Senate Lounge displays a watercolor painting entitled "Community of Boling Springs" by Sonya Terpening.
By Timothy
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