Friday, March 06, 2020

Wall Street 1929: The Great Crash


Life in North Korea | DW Documentary


Are people in North Korea allowed to laugh, dance and marry? This documentary provides unique insights on everyday life in the East Asian country, which most people associate with dictatorship, military parades and nuclear missile testing.

Perhaps no other country in the world is as mysterious as North Korea. In the West, it’s known as the last Stalinist dictatorship, the land of dictator Kim Jong Un, bombastic military parades and nuclear missile tests. And it is actually quite difficult to look beyond the political and examine the daily life of 25 million North Koreans. Are they allowed to laugh, dance and marry? What do they eat? Where do they go on holiday? These simple questions are difficult to answer given the isolation of the population from the rest of the world. The filmmakers behind Have Fun in Pyongyang visited people who have lived in the isolated mountainous nation for three generations. Over eight years, they visited North Korea forty times to attend festivals and harvest ceremonies, visit factories and listen to singing contests, in the process catching surprising, fascinating and bizarre glimpses of everyday life in North Korea. The documentary gives us an insight into North Korean life and helps us understand how the impoverished, isolated country has survived the end of the Cold War, the famine of the 1990s that cost hundreds of thousands their lives, and the never-ending diplomatic and military conflicts.



Troy Collings: North Korea's 'first budget travel agent' dies aged 33 »

Thursday, March 05, 2020

Elizabeth Warren, Once a Front-Runner, Drops Out of Presidential Race


THE NEW YORK TIMES: Ms. Warren, a senator and former law professor, staked her campaign on fighting corruption and changing the rules of the economy.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts dropped out of the presidential race on Thursday, ending a run defined by an avalanche of policy plans that aimed to pull the Democratic Party to the left and appealed to enough voters to make her briefly a front-runner last fall.

Though her vision excited progressives, it did not generate enough excitement among the party’s working-class and diverse base, and her support had eroded by Super Tuesday. In her final weeks as a candidate she effectively drove former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, a centrist billionaire, out of the race with debate performances that flashed her evident skills and political potential.

She entered the race railing against the corrosive power of big money, and one long-term consequence of her campaign is that Ms. Warren demonstrated that someone other than Senator Bernie Sanders, and his intensely loyal small-dollar donors, could fund a credible presidential campaign without holding fund-raisers. » | Astead W. Herndon and Shane Goldmacher | Thursday, March 5, 2020

Dubai Ruler Organised Kidnapping of His Children, UK Court Rules


THE GUARDIAN: Ruling backs Princess Haya’s claim that husband Sheikh Mohammed intimidated her

The ruler of Dubai orchestrated the abductions of two of his children – one from the streets of Cambridge – and subjected his youngest wife to a campaign of “intimidation”, a damning UK family court judgment has found.

In findings that risk destabilising diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, a close Gulf ally of Britain, the actions of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum were described by the judge as behaviour which, on the balance of probabilities, amounted to potentially breaking UK and international law.

The Guardian and other news organisations can reveal the ruling following months of private hearings and a legal dispute that reached the supreme court. It details an extraordinary family saga spanning 20 years during which the sheikh, 70, organised international kidnappings, imprisoned two of his daughters and “deprived [them] of their liberty”. » | Owen Bowcott and Haroon Siddique | Thursday, March 5, 2020

Dubai ruler's wife who shattered perception of a perfect couple »

Bevor Hitler kam : Deutschlands Weg in die Diktatur 1918 - 1933


Bernie Sanders and the Establishment Red Scare Meltdown


We are witnessing the beginnings of the cataclysmic meltdown that will occur in various sectors of the U.S. political class in the United States if Bernie Sanders wins the majority of delegates in the Democratic primary.

It has unfortunately become low hanging fruit to look at MSNBC’s coverage of this primary for a sense of how out of touch, delusional and, frankly, demoralized the Democratic establishment and its pundits are. But it is really something to behold.

And then you have this shameless class of neocons, lifelong right-wing Republicans, so-called conservative pundits who call themselves Never Trumpers. They have been in this weird alliance with the MSNBC/DNC crowd in the Trump era. And now they are all offering their totally unsolicited and unwanted panic-addled advice for what Democrats should do and how urgent it is to stop Bernie Sanders.

Bernie Sanders has been vetted. The campaign of Hillary Clinton spent substantial resources on so-called opposition research and produced absolutely nothing that could effectively tar Sanders.

One of the wealthiest people on earth, Michael Bloomberg, is spending megamillions right now trying to smear Bernie Sanders. And it is a bit ironic, and frankly nuts, that Bloomberg — with all of his heinous, well-documented skeletons walking around out in public — to pretend to be the vetter in chief of Bernie Sanders. Here is the fact: If there was any real dirt on Bernie Sanders, it would have already been weaponized and deployed. And so what do we have now? Red-baiting. McCarthyism is the central strategy of the bipartisan coalition trying to stop Bernie Sanders.

Here is the major difference between those attacking Sanders and Bernie Sanders: Bernie Sanders has consistently opposed U.S. hegemony. That’s why they attack him. These people don’t care about human rights unless it fits their agenda. If you actually listen to what Bernie Sanders has said about left-wing governments, he constantly offers nuance. He calls out authoritarianism and anti-democratic policies.

Bernie Sanders is an imperfect messenger, for sure. But he has done the work, kept focus, and inspired so many people across racial, economic, gender, and ethnic lines to fight for something bigger than themselves. Remember that when you watch the desperate smears against him. Remember that what they are trying to stop has nothing to do with Fidel Castro or the Sandinistas.

This is about stopping the masses of people in this country who are sick and tired of a system based on oppression and rooted in defense of a system where the rich and powerful rule all of our lives.


Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Super Tuesday: Wer wählt eigentlich Bernie Sanders?


Nach vier Vorwahlen der Demokraten liegt der linke Senator Bernie Sanders vorne. Wer sind die Wähler des 78-Jährigen und warum geben sie ihm ihre Stimme?

Sunday, March 01, 2020

The Abolition of Monarchy | Constantine: A King's Story | Real Royalty


This documentary is an intimate portrait of King Constantine of Greece during his exile - his life in London, his interactions with other royal families and his role in securing the Games for Greece in 2004.

Friday, February 28, 2020

Alain de Botton: How Does Love Survive in Everyday Life? | Sternstunde Philosophie | SRF Kultur


Sich verlieben geht ganz einfach. Die Liebe durch den Alltag retten, ist schon schwieriger. Der Starphilosoph Alain de Botton erklärt im Gespräch mit Barbara Bleisch, warum alte Liebe nicht unbedingt rosten muss und weshalb die Philosophie ein gutes Rostschutzmittel ist.

Zwar bekommen sich nicht immer die Richtigen, und zuweilen braucht es mehrere Anläufe. Aber früher oder später landen die meisten in der «Zweierkiste». Doch was, wenn die sprichwörtlichen Schmetterlinge im Bauch davonfliegen und der nüchterne Alltag einzieht? Was, wenn Kinder und Karriere an den Nerven zehren und die Liebe auf der Strecke bleibt?

Darüber, wie es mit der Liebe weitergeht, wenn die erste Verliebtheit vorbei ist, wissen die Menschen erstaunlich wenig, sagt der Bestsellerautor Alain de Botton. Kein Wunder: Grimms Märchen und Hollywoods Traumfabrik beenden ihre Liebesgeschichten immer dann, wenn sich die Liebenden gefunden haben. Doch wie retten Dornröschen, Aschenputtel sowie Harry und Sally ihre Liebe über die Zeit?

Alain de Botton hat über diese Frage einen philosophischen Roman geschrieben - und kommt zu überraschenden Schlüssen: Partner sollten einander nicht annehmen, wie sie sind; Monogamie ist eine Tragödie, aber man kann mit ihr leben; wenn Paare streiten, sind sie selten wütend, sondern bedürftig.

Barbara Bleisch begibt sich mit Alain de Botton in die philosophische Paartherapie.



Alain de Botton »

Psychiatrist on Trump’s ‘Dangerous’ Response to Coronavirus Crisis | The Last Word | MSNBC


Dr. Lance Dodes, a contributor to bestselling “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” tells Lawrence O’Donnell that President Trump is a “con man” who is making the current public health crisis “all about himself”- which could have grave results for Americans. Aired on 02/27/20.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

“Pence Is Not a Medical Expert”: Is the Trump Administration Ready to Stop a US Coronavirus Pandemic?


The coronavirus disease that was first diagnosed in China’s Hubei province has now spread to at least 47 countries and every continent except Antarctica. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. President Trump sought to play down the threat from coronavirus and announced Vice President Mike Pence would be his point person to coordinate government efforts to prevent a widespread outbreak. As Trump spoke, a new milestone in the novel coronavirus outbreak was reported, in a possible example of community spread: A person was diagnosed with the virus in Northern California who had not traveled to any of the affected regions of the world, nor had known contact with anyone else who did. We speak with Laurie Garrett, former senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer. She is the author of several books, including “Ebola: Story of an Outbreak,” “The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance” and “Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health.”

The Debate: France and Muslims: What Will Macron's Declaration Change?


France is digesting the controversial recommendations made by President Emmanuel Macron. Essentially the president is calling to combat Islamist separation in France. The sense that a religion can separate a person from the lifestyle and values of France, where church and state are separated by law. But will Macron's words in Mulhouse, in eastern France, get to the heart of the matter?

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

“The Billionaire Election”: Anand Giridharadas on How 2020 Is a Referendum on Wealth Inequality


The 10th Democratic presidential debate took place Tuesday in Charleston, South Carolina, and two billionaires were at either end of the stage: Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer. Front-runner Bernie Sanders, who has made attacking the power of the “billionaire class” a central theme of his campaign, stood in the middle. It was a visual representation of the split within the Democratic Party, in which a growing number of people are “rising up against plutocracy,” says Anand Giridharadas, editor-at-large at Time magazine and author of “Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.” His recent piece for The New York Times is titled “The Billionaire Election: Does the world belong to them or to us?

Saturday, February 22, 2020

The Economy Is Actually Trump’s Biggest Weakness


The economy for most American citizens is not working. Capitalism today only benefits those at the top, and tens of millions of Americans are just a few hundred dollars away from financial ruin. THIS is the issue that Democrats need to be hammering on the campaign trail, and some of them are. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins explains how the Democrats can capitalize on the REAL economic situation of millions of Americans.

Bernie Sanders Dismantles Wall Street "Crooks" at Santa Ana, CA Rally


Bernie Sanders slammed Wall Street billionaires and advocated for the middle class at a rally in Santa Ana, CA on Friday.

Wallis Simpson's Hard Lessons for Harry and Meghan


BBC: A popular, playful prince falls in love with a strong-willed US divorcee, who ends up vilified by a hostile British press. In Harry and Meghan, some royal watchers see echoes of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, the couple at the heart of the abdication crisis eight decades ago. But does the comparison hold up? It could do if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex end up reliving the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's tormented exile.

In December 1936, The King gave up his throne and an Empire of half a billion souls so he could wed a woman who was divorcing her second husband.

The public vitriol spewed on his bride-to-be, Wallis Simpson, might strike a chord with the latest American to marry into Britain's royal family.

On top of being condemned as a social climber from a Baltimore, Maryland, row-house, Simpson was reviled as a cheap adventuress, a lesbian, a nymphomaniac, a Nazi spy and a hermaphrodite.

She was portrayed as a sexual enchantress who supposedly learned "ancient Chinese skills" in the brothels of Shanghai, where her first husband, a US Navy pilot, had been stationed.

But the media's attacks on Simpson weren't just in print.

Daily Express reporters hurled bricks through the window of her rented Regent's Park, London, home, the newspaper's owner, Lord Beaverbrook, would later acknowledge. » | Jude Sheerin, BBC, Washington | Saturday, February 22, 2020

Friday, February 21, 2020

Naturwunder und Powerfood: Fakten zum Ei - Dokumentation von NZZ Format (2007)


Immer mehr Konsumenten sind bereit, für Eier von „glücklichen“ Hühnern mehr zu bezahlen. Schweizer Bio-Eier sind wohl die teuersten auf der Welt, trotzdem werden sie von Jahr zu Jahr besser verkauft. Der einzige Schweizer Bio-Eierhändler hatte eine gute Nase. Das weltweit grösste Zuchtunternehmen für Legehennen befindet sich in Cuxhaven an der Nordsee. Jahrzehntelang stand die Legeleistung im Zentrum der Bemühungen. Mit dem allmählichen Verschwinden der Käfighaltung und dem Aufkommen neuer Halteformen sind neue Kriterien in der Zucht gefragt. Die Produktion von Impfstoff-Viren in Hühnereiern hat eine lange Tradition. Innerhalb weniger Stunden können sie sich dort um das 200’000fache vermehren. Am Roslin Institute in Edinburgh ist es gelungen, transgene Hühner zu züchten, die in ihren Eiern Proteine liefern, die eines Tages gegen Hautkrebs, Tumore und Viren eingesetzt werden könnten. Dazu: Was war zuerst: Huhn oder Ei? Ein Philosoph klärt.

In "NZZ Swiss made": Die Kemmeriboden-Meringues. Die Geschichte einer berühmten Nachspeise aus dem Emmental.


Soul-searching in Germany as Hanau Mourns Shooting Victims | DW News


People in Germany have been holding vigils for the ten killed by a suspected far-right extremist in the western city of Hanau. Authorities have identified the attacker as a 43-year-old German national. Prosecutors are treating the killings as an act of right-wing domestic terrorism. People have been coming together to mourn the victims and also to call for action. The city has a population of about 100,000, with a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The Confederation of Kurds in Germany has confirmed that several of the dead had Kurdish origins. We met with some family members of those killed in Wednesday's attack.