International Events 5, "As the World Turns"

[DireWolfSpirit]

It was so short sighted and cruel that the U.S. flipflopped on opening up trade and travel with Cuba.

[Zorral]

The Cubans have been doing other things that are geared to upping the vigor of everyone's immune system.  They are only now getting close to completing phase 3 in their trials of their vaccine.

Upshot -- a very dear friend/family member in Havana has Covid.  They are / were so careful too.  Nobody can even begin to figure out how / where it was contracted.  But people do have to go out in search of food.  I've never heard my familia sound so disheartened, ever.

I've been fearing this for a very long time, as the number of covid cases grows ever more rapidly across and around the world, and less wealthy nations haven't even been able to begin anything like a vaccination program.  There is just too much infection, and too much mutation-variants, for even the smaller, very careful nations like Cuba, to keep it out, restrained and contained.  Cuba, you know has only had 5 deaths from covid, and that was very early.  But last week, there was a 6th death.  

~~~~~~~~

In the meantime China is striving with all its skills and resources to create its own currency as the global benchmark, that will blow the US dollar out of the sea.

Anyone thinking of the future really has to get versed in the cybers and this.  Alas that I'm so ignorant and incompetent in these areas.  It does feel we're at the threshold of a vast financial change, of the sort when checks essentially replaced specie,  England went off the gold standard for good and finally, when the US finally instituted a national currency with the greenback.

[TheLastWolf]

Che Guevera be like...

 

 

 

 

 

[Zorral]

Thinking of what catastrophe Che made when put in charge of Cuba's finances, what he'd make of cyber currency -- one wonders . . . .

~~~~~~~~~

The great library of histories, anthropology, archeology, music, scholarship, lore, recordings, artifacts, and so much else of the peoples of Africa, and other related materials at the university in Capetown, is part of the destruction of the South African wild fire raging into Capetown.  The losses are incalculable, and irreplaceable.  Librarians around the world are in mourning.

[DireWolfSpirit]

Oh dear........

What is it with Africa and losing great libraries.

Some, many,  of the recent antiquities unearthed in Egypt are also irreplaceable and need to be protected at all costs. Thankfully they are on the other end of that continent. But after the library of Alexandria being destroyed by the Christians, I don't want to hear about libraries in Africa and the cradle of man being lost.

[Zorral]

@DireWolfSpirit We think alike on this subject.

Me too the first thing that came to mind was the Christian burning of the Library of Alexandria, and throwing in the torture-murder of a woman as lagniappe -- depending upon when one does date the destruction of that library, which dates can be disputed, as we currently dispute the date of the "Fall of Rome," or whether Rome actually ever 'fell' per se.  But there is no question that vast, unrecoverable troves of intellectual, cultural and history materials were destroyed in Hypatia's last days, before "they" killed her too.

I dunno -- can we put this university library's losses to the same cause as that of the Library of Alexandria?  They both, ultimately were lost due to man's stupidity, greed, fear, drive to brook no disagreement from anyone, not only those who don't look like 'us.'

 

 

[maarsen]

3 hours ago, Zorral said:

@DireWolfSpirit We think alike on this subject.

Me too the first thing that came to mind was the Christian burning of the Library of Alexandria, and throwing in the torture-murder of a woman as lagniappe -- depending upon when one does date the destruction of that library, which dates can be disputed, as we currently dispute the date of the "Fall of Rome," or whether Rome actually ever 'fell' per se.  But there is no question that vast, unrecoverable troves of intellectual, cultural and history materials were destroyed in Hypatia's last days, before "they" killed her too.

I dunno -- can we put this university library's losses to the same cause as that of the Library of Alexandria?  They both, ultimately were lost due to man's stupidity, greed, fear, drive to brook no disagreement from anyone, not only those who don't look like 'us.'

 

 

Another great library that was destroyed was in Timbuktu. That may have been worse as volumes that escaped the burning of Alexandria may have been then destroyed in Timbuktu. Again, it was burned for religious reasons by Islamic fundamentalists. And then there was the sack of Baghdad by the Mongols with much destruction of rare volumes and the extinguishment of the Islamic enlightenment. 

We are our own worst enemies. 

[Zorral]

10 minutes ago, maarsen said:

We are our own worst enemies

Why must you be right? 

[TheLastWolf]

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-reported-fedex-facility-indianapolis-n1264249

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/16/us/indianapolis-shooting-fedex-facility/index.html

no mention of the supremo-racist motive, jobless resentment against immigrants (curiously city shares name with the country of origin of US vice prez's and 4 victims' homeland)
 

biden tackling racism with kamala
 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/18/sikh-indianapolis-shooting/
 

excerpts

Johal, a grandmother of five, was one of the eight workers killed when a gunman opened fire at a FedEx warehouse Thursday night. Four of the victims were Sikh, a loss that cuts deep in this tightknit community, connected by faith and a common heritage tied to the Punjabi region of India

Authorities have not publicly shared any evidence that indicates that the gunman, Brandon Scott Hole, 19, was targeting the Sikh workers. However, on Monday, the Indianapolis police shared an incident report from March 2020 when Hole’s mother reported to officers that her son had made suicidal statements. The newly released document reveals police also found apparent white supremacist websites on Hole’s computer.

The Sikhs at the meeting, from eight different temples across Indianapolis, spoke about the prejudice they’ve faced. They exchanged stories about when they were harassed for wearing turbans or singled out for speaking Punjabi, a language native to the Punjabi region in India.

People see turban and think terrorist,” said Romandeep Chohan, 28. Johal was her aunt. “But at the end of the day, this is us. We’re your neighbor, we’re your friend.”

Others spoke about past violence. In 2012, a white supremacist entered a gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six people before fatally shooting himself.

noted a 2018 incident in Illinois when a Sikh Uber driver, Gurjeet Singh, was held at gunpoint by a passenger who said, “I hate turban people. I hate beard people.” The assailant was not arrested

[DireWolfSpirit]

On 4/20/2021 at 12:25 AM, TheLastWolf said:

The assailant was not arrested

Smh here 

[TheLastWolf]

1 hour ago, DireWolfSpirit said:

Smh here 

The Rump was in power. tRump 

[Zorral]

So USA! Yay!  

I remember that shooting in the gurdwara.  I believe that was when I learned there were Sikh communities in the US, which I hadn't known before.  Is there any group from anywhere in the world who doesn't have at one or two communities in the US?  

[TheLastWolf]

10 hours ago, Zorral said:

I believe that was when I learned there were Sikh communities in the US, which I hadn't known before 

They abound in Canada more. Ever heard of or rather seen Sunny Leone. She's not just an ex porn star, actress, but Punjabi Canadian sikh Karanjit Kaur Vohra. 

Canada also has offered refuge to survivers of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Sinhalese killing Tamils. LTTE. See Cannes Palmedor winning Dheepan. French too gave refuge. No Islamic radicals, that's y. Jacques Audiard 

 

10 hours ago, Zorral said:

Is there any group from anywhere in the world who doesn't have at one or two communities in the US?  

LOL. America's natives are all but gone. A country founded on genocide. Now it harbours all the immigrants of the world. 

[Zorral]

12 hours ago, TheLastWolf said:

They abound in Canada more. Ever heard of or rather seen Sunny Leone. She's not just an ex porn star, actress, but Punjabi Canadian sikh Karanjit Kaur Vohra. 

Canada also has offered refuge to survivers of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Sinhalese killing Tamils. LTTE. See Cannes Palmedor winning Dheepan. French too gave refuge. No Islamic radicals, that's y. Jacques Audiard 

 

LOL. America's natives are all but gone. A country founded on genocide. Now it harbours all the immigrants of the world. 

And doesn't like it, even though they themselves are descended from immigrants.

I used to say one could track which countries the US was making war with by who in NYC was driving the taxis and what new 'ethnic' restaurants had opened.

I've learned more about Sikh traditions and history in the last few years, partially thanks to Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, and histories of colonialism and the East India Company.

BTW though, the bolded?  I believe Native American peoples may take umbrage at that! 

[IheartIheartTesla]

Many Sikhs settled down in California in the early 1900s too, and continued their farming traditions over there.

[TheLastWolf]

12 hours ago, Zorral said:

I've learned more about Sikh traditions and history in the last few years, partially thanks to Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, and histories of colonialism and the East India Company.

Amitav Ghosh. Try him. Or wait, haven't I already recommended him to you and few others? If so, pardon my memory.

EDIT

Amitav Ghosh and Vikram Seth were school friends at Doon. Plus cricket historian Ramachandra Guha 

12 hours ago, Zorral said:

And doesn't like it, even though they themselves are descended from immigrants.

Nodding in agreement 

12 hours ago, Zorral said:

used to say one could track which countries the US was making war with by who in NYC was driving the taxis and what new 'ethnic' restaurants had opened.

Sheesh, ya 

12 hours ago, Zorral said:

BTW though, the bolded?  I believe Native American peoples may take umbrage at that!

Sorry for that, but I feel it's true. They're made to live in the reservation. No social life. Plus those damned converting missionaries. They're numbers are dwindling as more and more leave the customs in favor of consumerist capitalism... Smh

10 hours ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Many Sikhs settled down in California in the early 1900s too, and continued their farming traditions over there.

I didn't know it started so early as then. 

PS 1917 IS THE ONLY FILM TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE TO DEPICT THE FORCED CONSCRIPTION OF COLONIAL SUBJECTS IN THE WW1. WW2 TOO IT HAPPENED. SIKH REGIMENT. BRITISH INDIA

[IheartIheartTesla]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/08/california-indian-farmers-protest-sikh-punjab-yuba-city

Quote

Outside of India, Yuba City is home to one of the largest groups of farmers from Punjab, the birthplace of Sikhism. Roughly half of the 500,000 Sikhs in the US live in California, with the largest concentration living in Yuba City.

Nand arrived in Yuba City in 1906.......They weren’t allowed to become citizens or bring wives from India; they also could not own land or sign long-term leases due to California’s Alien Land Law of 1913.

Towards mid-century, things were better and then the pattern followed of bringing relatives from home, and acquiring more land. I read this article when it came out, your post triggered my memory.

[Zorral]

On 4/25/2021 at 1:28 AM, TheLastWolf said:

PS 1917 IS THE ONLY FILM TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE TO DEPICT THE FORCED CONSCRIPTION OF COLONIAL SUBJECTS IN THE WW1. WW2 TOO IT HAPPENED. SIKH REGIMENT. BRITISH INDIA

But-but-but we had it on the best authority this was a terrible flaw in the film, to depict Sikhs in Europe in the Great War!  It made a long sequence in the Entertainment forum. 

I've read the Ghosh Ibis trilogy, one at a time, as they came out.  Such interesting information and perspectives. With all sorts of surprises, including the author's compositional choices.

In the meantime Nature just wants streaming nature shows too!

"Canadian beavers chomp down town's internet"

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56894828

 

[TheLastWolf]

13 hours ago, Zorral said:

I've read the Ghosh Ibis trilogy, one at a time, as they came out.  Such interesting information and perspectives. With all sorts of surprises, including the author's compositional choices.

Hmm

13 hours ago, Zorral said:

On 4/25/2021 at 10:58 AM, TheLastWolf said:

PS 1917 IS THE ONLY FILM TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE TO DEPICT THE FORCED CONSCRIPTION OF COLONIAL SUBJECTS IN THE WW1. WW2 TOO IT HAPPENED. SIKH REGIMENT. BRITISH INDIA

But-but-but we had it on the best authority this was a terrible flaw in the film, to depict Sikhs in Europe in the Great War!  It made a long sequence in the Entertainment forum. 

Tsk Tsk Tsk 

Typical 

[DireWolfSpirit]

14 hours ago, Zorral said:

"Canadian beavers chomp down town's internet"

There's a string of words you do not see everyday.