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Live on November 18, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. A month ago, on a riotously lovely morning in Orange County, California, I stumbled into perhaps the most convincing display I’ve yet encountered of the potency of hallyu – a Korean term that literally translates as “The Korean Wave.” I’d been invited to be a panelist at KCON ‘12, which billed itself as “the first-ever large scale convention dedicated to the hottest entertainment coming out of Korea.” The event was conceived of and organized by the cable channel MNET America, the U.S. branch of the hugely popular Korean music network that might be called the “MTV of Korea” (except that MTV is in Korea and MNET is way bigger). I’ll admit that my initial response was skeptical. Even as I accepted the invitation to speak, I suppressed a nagging fear that MNET was forcing into existence something that wasn’t there, trying to engineer a need among K-Pop fans to gather as a collective from the top down, rather than letting it spring up from the grassroots. It’s a concern that worried the executive who spearheaded the event, too. “We knew that the fandom was out there. We’d seen these fan gatherings spontaneously manifest at other events we’d sponsored,” says Ted Kim, EVP and U.S. chief of MNET America’s parent company, CJ Entertainment America. “But we were struggling, because it’s very hard to get good data when it comes to phenomena like this. You’re just not able to quantify things. And at some point, you just need to make a leap of faith.” That leap entailed booking the Verizon Amphitheatre in Irvine, California, for an event that combined workshops about organizing fan clubs and breaking into K-Pop, karaoke showdowns and dance-offs, autograph sessions, food trucks and merchandise booths and a grand-finale concert featuring some very attractive young people and a Technicolor SFX lightshow that could probably be seen from space. “We kept on debating about how many people we should expect,” says Kim. The number they finally hit upon was 10,000. “We thought to ourselves, if we can get that many people to come out for this, well, that’s wildly successful. That’s fabulous validation that the fandom does exist and that they do want to gather together. But I’m going to say right now that there was tremendous nervousness. Behind the scenes, we were secretly whispering, ‘What if throw the biggest party in the world and no one shows up?’” They needn’t have worried, and nor should I. Walking from the parking lot toward the Amphitheatre’s fairgrounds, I soon found myself in a delighted mob of fans, many of whom had been lined up since 8:30 am. Some had handmade signs: I LIKE LUHAN MORE THAN FREE WIFI, said one. They were well behaved, queuing quietly without complaint, despite most events and kiosks being crowded beyond belief or comprehension. The exception? The beer stand, whose two disgruntled-looking vendors said had sold exactly two brews all day. That’s because the vast majority of attendees were too young to drink, and looked even younger. The mostly teenaged crowd was also mostly non-Korean, and probably half non-Asian. Kim’s hoped-for headcount had likely been reached by midmorning, with more attendees (and their parents) arriving throughout the day. “It wasn’t just the numbers, it was the energy,” says Kim. “On a scale of one to 10, I don’t think it dropped below eight all day. The fans…I had this one woman come over – 19 years old, a white woman from Oklahoma – she told me she drove 27 straight hours to got to KCON. And then she lifted up her sleeve, and showed me a Band-Aid and a bruise on her arm. She said she’d sold her blood in order to afford the trip. I was kind of horrified. But…that’s the kind of dedication you’re talking about.” Now, don’t get me wrong: I never questioned the size of K-Pop’s audience. I’ve been covering its emergence for years, and am fully aware that K-Pop’s audience is huge and insistent both here in the U.S. and globally, and that Korea is now unequivocally the wellspring of Asia’s most popular and influential pop cultural phenomena – supplanting Japan as the primary source of Asian cool, as my friend Euny Hong, lifestyle editor of The Atlantic’s new online business mag Quartz, asserted in a provocative essay this past Friday. K-Pop is here. K-Pop is now. And, riding the consumer dollars of its burgeoning tween-teen fanbase, K-Pop will thrive for the foreseeable future. There are real and educational reasons for its rise, some of which I’ve written about in the past, and some of which Hong details in her story, “Why it was so easy for Korea to overtake Japan in the pop culture wars.” But I’m just not as convinced as Hong that K-Pop in its current incarnation can sustain itself as a long-term global phenomenon. Japan’s pop culture primacy spanned two decades, and while it is has fallen off its peak, it has hardly vanished completely. On the contrary, in fact: J-Pop has simply become so mainstream, so infused into the DNA of global pop culture that it has become immanent, and thus invisible. The aesthetics of J-Pop, its conceits and conventions, have become so much a part of the fundamental language of contemporary design, technology, entertainment and fashion that they’re no longer easily distinguishable as Japanese in origin, as opposed to in influence. That’s also why I feel compelled to question some of the assertions Hong makes in her “king is dead, long live the king” piece detailing Korea’s dethroning of Japan from the top of the pop pyramid. First there are the metrics that she cites as defining K-Pop’s ascent. PSY Oppa’s 770 million YouTube views. Google Trends showing that searches for “K-Pop” skyrocketed past searches for “J-Pop” beginning in 2010. Japan’s flagging recorded music industry revenues, which (like the rest of the world) have fallen every year from 2009 on, while Korea’s have grown. And then, the slump in revenues for Sanrio, parent company of Hello Kitty, among others. Statistics obviously can be found to support just about any position, and more of them don’t necessarily translate into a stronger case. And these in particular are a bit questionable. PSY’s viral YouTube success is arguably not only exceptional, it’s actually a counterexample to K-Pop’s rise: Oppa is, quite consciously, the antithesis of the standard Korean pop poster boy, with a look, musical style, career history and attitude that make him an anomaly among the sleek, pretty, possibly bioengineered lads of the K-Pop Machine. His success is both welcome and puzzling to Koreans, and even to PSY himself: “I am not sure how I became so popular in the U.S., because [in Korea] I am a B-rated star,” he said at a press conference in September. PSY has drawn attention to K-Pop, but he’s a unique quantity, and still has to prove that he’s even able to duplicate his success himself. (I, personally, have faith.) Regarding Google searches for K-Pop versus J-Pop: The trendline shows that searches for J-Pop were never very high, even at the peak of Japanese pop culture glory…because most fans of Japanese pop culture don’t use the term “J-Pop” for anything other than Japanese pop music, which has probably the smallest footprint out of the Rising Sun’s various fan-favorite emanations. Here’s an alternative Google search plot that’s a more relevant comparison. Searches for anime and manga absolutely crush those for K-Pop. On the one hand, this could simply reflect the fact that Google searches are a pretty poor metric for determining the relative popularity of broad-spanning phenomena. On the other, it could be an indicator that anime and manga, here in the United States, are no longer imported culture – they’re part of the landscape. Go to any library or bookstore (there are still physical bookstores, right?) and you’ll see that manga has an enormous dedicated section all to its own, larger than many of the other genre sections, and generally surrounded with clusters of absorbed youth lounging like they own the place. It’s not a teen fad, it’s a teen consumption category: Snacks, fashion, manga. Hong goes on to list a half-dozen reasons why Japan has fallen off in the pop culture game relative to Korea. The first is that Japan has become increasingly idiosyncratic in its cultural output – that “Japan makes stuff only for Japan.” She cites comparisons of Japan to the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin first noticed the unique divergent evolution of finch populations on separated atolls. For what it’s worth this isn’t a very apt metaphor for Japan, given that it would imply the presence of a great diversity of ideas and products within the Japanese archipelago; a more relevant one might be Australia, a place whose species were isolated from other continents for so long that they evolved in drastically different and weird ways, e.g. koalas, kangaroos and platypuses. But it’s not clear that this is a liability in global pop-culture competitiveness. In fact, this eccentricity is Japan’s strongest remaining asset. The more blandly similar a nation’s output is to your own, the less likely it is to tempt you to seek it out – it’s the sense of novelty, of fresh stimulus, of strange and fabulous dissimilarity, that leads us to explore alternative pop-culture horizons, after all. Which explains the popularity of PSY: Gangnam Style is weird. It’s weird in Korea, and it’s weirder in the U.S. And totally awesome. Hong also states that Korean pop culture has the advantage of being “puritanical,” a reflection of Korea’s clean-cut and sexually restrictive society. This is a hard argument to make to anyone who’s watched a video by any Korean girl group. Yes, there’s no overt or even implied sexual behavior. But there are also legs that extend from the ground to the sky, propped under miniskirts that could probably do double duty as wristbands, and the dance routines invariably include plenty of pelvic thrusting and catlike stretching (and ugh, I feel like a perv just having written that). The primary difference between sexuality in Korean pop and Japanese pop is that the former is focused on willowy teens on the proper side of pubescence, while the latter – well, let’s just say that middle-school uniforms seem unaccountably popular in Japan. But intimations of sex are there in both cases, all the more suggestive because of the repressive mores of both cultures. And you’ll never convince me that the secret to global pop dominance in this day and age is virginal purity. Hips don’t lie, people! Another reason that Hong gives is that Americans are seen as heroes of the Korean War, and as a result, Korea has been more “closely influenced” by U.S. pop culture than Japan – noting that even today, there are still 30,000 American soldiers (actually, around 28,000) permanently based in Korea. Yes, but there are also over 35,000 American soldiers permanently based in Japan, plus another 5500 military-employed American civilians and 10,000 American military spouses and dependents. Did Korea embrace American pop culture more readily than Japan because the U.S. was seen as heroic? That’s not clearly the case. Despite, or more properly because of its defeat, Japan after World War II actively sought to immerse itself in the culture (especially the popular culture) of its triumphant occupiers, leading to a rapid “Americanization” period in which the media fantasies and material goods of the U.S. vision of the “good life” were prized above all. As Rikyo University law and political science professor Akio Igarashi notes, “In the immediate postwar period, what a majority of Japanese hoped for was the realization of a rational and affluent society… The spacious rooms and the big white refrigerator in the comic strip, Blondie, helped people to imagine the affluence of the American lifestyle….For Japanese at the time, America’s prosperous culture of consumption, symbolized by chewing gum, chocolate, and women’s fashion, represented ‘the American Dream.’” Korea embraced American ideas, media, fashion and consumer aspirations after the Korean War too, but in the ensuing decades, a sharp and growing sense of ambivalence has emerged toward the U.S. Panmi, or anti-American sensibility, has generally strengthened since the Eighties, peaking in 2002 following controversy over short-track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno’s Olympic gold medal over South Korean rival Kim Dong-Sung, and the accidental deaths of two Korean middle-schoolers under the wheels of a U.S. military vehicle. (This was the year in which a RAND survey found that over 60 percent of South Koreans felt “unfavorable” attitudes toward the U.S.; meanwhile Japanese favorability toward the U.S. has remained over 50 percent for decades and is the second-highest in the world right now, after only the U.S.’s opinion of itself. 2002 was also the year singer Yoon Min-Suk released his cult-hit song “F*ckin’ USA,” to massive media attention.) And it’s not even obvious that embracing American ideas is necessarily the path to pop-culture export success for Asian countries anyway. In the U.S., Asian performers and products that have attempted to ape American sensibilities for the sake of global crossover have universally failed. Dozens of Japanese performers, from Seiko to Utada, Hong Kong’s Coco Lee and Korea’s BoA, Se7en, Wonder Girls and Girls Generation have all made runs at breakthrough success by singing English-language songs and engaging in massive media and PR campaigns, all without much to show for their hard work. The exception to this rule, PSY, was a pop-culture land mine who blew by accident, refusing to be anything but himself and performing a song with Korean lyrics that are incomprehensible to non-Koreans even in translation. In fact, the most successful Korean pop exports that Hong cites, from its idols to its films and dramas to Samsung’s effervescent avalanche of consumer electronics and VOOZ’s winsome licensing franchise Pucca, all represent evolutionary improvements on Japanese templates — not American ones. Korea has effectively dominated the pop culture cosmos by out-Japanning Japan, and, as Hong points out, doing so even in Japan itself, which is still in the throes of a Korean-pop obsession. The question remains, however, whether Korea’s impressive winning run can continue indefinitely, or even long-term. I’m not yet convinced that’s the case. Japanese pop culture has come to the American landscape in the form of visual media — primarily anime and manga. (Games too, but up until very recently, Japanese video games came to the U.S. with most of their unique cultural context flensed away so as not to freak out American parents.) Because those media forms were naturally produced and presented in Japanese, J-Pop fandom erupted organically and grew epidemically out of a kind of language-hacking Underground Railroad of pirate BBS’s that offered downloadable English script translations and VHS-tape-trading marketplaces. In short, fandom flourished because the only way to enjoy authentic J-Pop in that early era was through connections to the fan community. (In fact, the hardest-core fans eventually became the U.S. anime and manga industry, launching the first legit English-language distribution houses, and thus laying the foundation for a subsequent generation’s total immersion in Japanese cultural products.) K-Pop fandom is centered around music. (Yes, Korean live-action dramas and movies are popular as well, but they appeal to different demographic segments, and don’t tend to generate the fannish intensity that Korean pop idols do…unless they happen to star Korean pop idols). K-Pop fans don’t need translations of their music to enjoy it; as Ted Kim notes, when Mnet asked their viewers if they wanted their music videos to carry subtitles, the response was horrified: “No way, they told us, we want to see them the way they’re shown in Korea.” And because music is auditory, not visual, it’s a medium that lends itself to addictive consumption and maniacal appreciation, but not the kinds of collaborative phenomena that are the pillars of most pop-culture activity and community — things like cosplay (dressing up as favored characters) and fan fiction (extending or re-envisioning beloved works through original fanmade stories and art). All of these factors point to the reality that K-Pop in its current modes isn’t a very blendable medium. Its fans want to consume it in as pure and unadulterated form as possible — with incomprehensible language, odd visual idioms and untranslatable nuances entirely intact. The visual media of J-Pop have been culture-hacked and hybridized from the very beginning, often in ways that have caused hard-core fans to grit their teeth — but this flexibility has also allowed it to readily mainstream into U.S. culture, even to the point where even American-made homages (like virtually every cartoon now airing on kiddie TV) are as popular as the Japanese originals. By contrast, I don’t think it’s obvious that an American artist emulating K-Pop tropes can succeed either in the U.S. or abroad (though it’s not for want of a few earnest artists trying). This would seem to sharply limit the market upside of K-Pop, and its ultimate long-term influence. It’s ironic: K-Pop’s recent success is in no small part because it has played on its own terms. But its long-term future depends on its ability to cling to the things that make it unique while relaxing its purist Koreanness. For it to become a truly global phenomenon, it needs ambassadors who are idiosyncratic but have universal appeal, who can speak English fluently but wear their cultural pride on their sleeve. It needs artists who can collaborate with foreign performers and who inspire mash-up creativity among overseas audiences. There’s only one star in K-Pop’s constellation who could possibly fit that bill, and he’s the unlikeliest one of all. PSY Oppa: Please report to headquarters. Your mission, should you choose to accept it…. * Gangnam Style * K-Pop * PSY * Tao Jones * previous‘Life of Pi,’ ‘Rise of the Guardians,’ ‘Red Dawn’: Review Revue * nextThe Woman Who Helped Make ‘Hitchcock’ Terrifying Speakeasy HOME PAGE Add a Comment Error message Name ____________________ We welcome thoughtful comments from readers. Please comply with our guidelines. Our blogs do not require the use of your real name. Comment ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ CLEAR POST Comments (5 of 21) View all Comments » * + o 5:50 am May 3, 2013 o Blade and Soul Gold wrote: Google Trends showing that searches for “K-Pop” skyrocketed past searches for “J-Pop” beginning in 2010. Japan’s flagging recorded music industry revenues, which (like the rest of the world) have fallen every year from 2009 on, while Korea’s have grown. And then, the slump in revenues for Sanrio, parent company of Hello Kitty, among others. * + o 2:55 pm March 4, 2013 o Justin wrote: I love Korean culture! * + o 11:16 am February 9, 2013 o blaster wrote: i agree with the large number of American troops currently based in the USA it makes it all more so. along with the sales of hello kitty going down has been a major influence in kpop in America. along with the increase sales of samsung products and apple components made by samsung it only increases the chance of kpop to only be more popular in America. we also know that all apple products are assembled in china so we can soon expect a wave of chinese pop music to grow in polarity as well. not to mention large number of Chinese restaurants in America. then again we can also take into account that some songs may not be bad and thats why they become popular. * + o 6:21 pm February 5, 2013 o anon wrote: The Japanese Enka borrowed heavily from Korean folk music, as attributed by Enka’s pioneer who grew up in Korea. Anyway, this is a very dubious article (as was Hong’s article that it was in response to) and seems to have been written from a Japanophile perspective. * + o 6:33 pm January 15, 2013 o Anonymous wrote: But the trainee concept was in Japan since the 1950s. Look at the world of enka. * previous‘Life of Pi,’ ‘Rise of the Guardians,’ ‘Red Dawn’: Review Revue * nextThe Woman Who Helped Make ‘Hitchcock’ Terrifying Search Speakeasy1 ______________________________ GO About Speakeasy * * RSS * Speakeasy is an online magazine covering media, entertainment, celebrity and the arts. The publication is produced by senior editor Christopher John Farley, Alexandra Cheney and Barbara Chai with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. 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Please try again. • Invalid email address. • You can't enter more than 20 emails. • Seperate multiple addresses with Commas. • Must enter an email address. • You must enter the verification code below to send. • Invalid entry: Please type the verification code again. # Donate Now Truthout Wednesday, 20 November 2013 / TRUTH-OUT.ORG * The Trans-Pacific Partnership Treaty Is the Complete Opposite of "Free Trade" The TPP would strip our constitutional rights, while offering no gains for the majority of Americans. * Did the Anti-GMO Movement Really Lose in Washington? A majority of today’s organic and local food activists are no longer just mobilizing to label or ban GMOs. * * Home + News + Opinion + Video + Art o Cartoons o Graphic Journalism o Truthout on Flickr * BuzzFlash + Buzzflash Headlines + Buzzflash Commentary * Speakout * Progressive Picks * * About Us + Submission Guidelines + Contact + Newsletter Sign-Up * Donate _________________________ Go! * Skip to content Greece’s New Americanized Health Care System Friday, 26 October 2012 09:14 By Sam Sacks and Thom Hartmann, The Daily Take | Op-Ed * Tweet * font size decrease font size decrease font size increase font size increase font size * Print * Email Greece Health Care. Dr. Giorgos Vichas, a cardiologist who helped set up an underground network to help Greece's uninsured cancer patients, at the Metropolitan Social Clinic outside Athens, Greece, September 27, 2012. (Photo: Angelos Tzortzinis / The New York Times)Just when the austerity-ravaged people of Greece thought things couldn’t get any worse for them, their universal healthcare system is dismantled and turned into an American-style death system. As the New York Times reports this week, the Greek healthcare system that ensured coverage for all of its citizens before the financial crisis hit has today been completely decimated by Conservative technocrats and austerity-pushers. In the past, Greece provided universal care thanks to employers, individuals, and the government contributing to a fund to administer medical services to the entire population. Even those Greeks who lost their jobs still received health benefits for one year, and after those benefits expired, Greece made sure those individuals still received the healthcare they needed at no cost to them. But then, as we all know, the banksters swept into Greece and swindled the country. And when the global financial markets went bust, Greece was left with a debt crisis and the banksters demanded ALL of their failed investments back. So the banksters decided to suck whatever money they could out of Greece’s social services, in particular, its healthcare system. So in July of 2011, the banksters and technocrats put up their demands. They said they’d give Greece a bailout to ward off complete collapse, but in return they wanted a big chunk of the money that was being used to treat sick Greek citizens. Under pressure from the entire Eurozone, Greece agreed to the deal. And for the first time, unemployed Greeks who had lost their health benefits now had to pay out of their own pocket for any medical care they needed. If that sounds familiar to you, it’s because that’s essentially how our healthcare system works today. If you don’t have a job, and you don’t have healthcare, you’re on your own. And while Conservatives here tout our healthcare system as the best in the world – even though every international study disproves this claim – the Greek people are horrified with that they now have to deal with: Americanized healthcare. As Dr. Kostas Syrigos, the head of Greece’s largest oncology department told the Times, “We are moving to the same situation that the United States has been in, where when you lose your job and you are uninsured, you aren’t covered.” Today, that’s the case for roughly half of Greece’s 1.2 million long-term unemployed workers. As reported by the Times, one of those unemployed workers is a woman named Elena who was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, but under the new Greek law could not receive any medical care because her benefits had expired and she had no money. Without treatment, her cancer grew to the size of an orange and broken through her skin leaving a gaping wound. At this point, any sort of medical treatment for Elena was hopeless. She was, essentially, given a death sentence by the banksters. After seeing Elena, Dr. Syrigos told the Times, “Things like that are described in textbooks, but you never see them because until now, anybody who got sick in this country could always get help…In Greece right now, to be unemployed means death.” The same is true in the United States right now where being unemployed and being sick is literally a death sentence in the American healthcare system. As a 2009 study by Harvard University found, 45,000 Americans die every single year because they lack health insurance. The difference between the United States and Greece is we’ve never had a universal healthcare system that covers everyone like Greece has. So when we hear that tens of thousands of Americans die because they don’t have health insurance – plus thousands more who are condemned to death by for-profit health insurance death panels denying treatment – most Americans shrug it off as just the way things work here. And there are those like Mitt Romney who say, “We don’t have people that become ill, who die in their apartment because they don’t have insurance…No, you go to the hospital, you get treated, you get care, and it’s paid for.” Unfortunately, that’s only after your cancer has grown to the size of an orange and ruptured through your skin and you’re already well into your death sentence. That’s the sort of ignorance you’d expect from a Plutocrat who resides in a different United States than the rest of us. That’s why we should all be paying close attention to how the Greek people handle their new Americanized healthcare system, because it will give us a clue as to what we as Americans, living in the wealthiest nation on the planet, should be demanding from our government when it comes to health services. In the face of rising unemployment, lost pensions, and skyrocketing suicide rates, we’ve seen Greek workers pour into the streets demanding an end to austerity. And now, faced with a new healthcare system like ours that doesn’t care for the nation’s most vulnerable, then expect those protests to grow even fiercer. It’s still unclear what the endgame will be for Greece in its fight against Conservative austerity. But they certainly won’t go down without a fight. And it’s time for us in the United States to at least begin our fight for universal healthcare. This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source. [email_this_story_640.gif] Thom Hartmann Thom Hartmann is a New York Times bestselling Project Censored Award winning author and host of a nationally syndicated progressive radio talk show. You can learn more about Thom Hartmann at his website and find out what stations broadcast his radio program. He also now has a daily independent television program, The Big Picture, syndicated by FreeSpeech TV, RT TV, and 2oo community TV stations. You can also listen or watch Thom over the Internet. Sam Sacks Sam Sacks is a Progressive Commentator and former Democratic staffer on Capitol Hill. 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I understand that he's not only coming from a news station riddled with biases, but also that as a cable news "anchor," he and his show exist to gain viewers so as to stay on air. But following the presidential election, O'Reilly topped himself in the category of ridiculously insensitive statements. While discussing the reasons for Obama's victory (something that FOX News tried their best to resent as unfathomable), O'Reilly lamented the "white establishment's" new role as the "minority." O'Reilly went a step further by saying that "the demographics are changing," and that "it's not a traditional America anymore." When I heard this, I couldn't help but think that he was joking (I also couldn't help but wonder why I was watching FOX News). In thirty seconds, O'Reilly had not only racially qualified our nation's make-up, but also implied that, ultimately, Obama won the election not because he was the best candidate or because more Americans agreed with his view of this nation's future, but rather because simply there are less white people in this country. In O'Reilly's mind (in the context of this statement), the presence of more minority voters was not only a bad thing, but that it also undermined the "white establishment." O'Reilly's comment illustrated a long-standing fallacy in American perception, that being that there is a "traditional America," and that if there is such a thing, then it's an idea that we would really want to return to. For so long, Americans have called themselves members of a "Great Cultural Melting Pot," a place where all cultures are accepted and brought into the process of building a national identity that bears the markers of all those that constitute it. On the surface, this seems like an alright idea. But ultimately, this process of Americanization creates an ethnocentric worldview where a certain idea of what an American is and how an American acts becomes the norm, and in that way those that don't fit this view must try to conform to it. Americans look back at the early 20th century and view the influx of immigrants as a positive marker, but in doing so, people ignore the groups that weren't included (Asians, Eastern Europeans, etc.). If America had ever been a melting pot, why were their immigration quotas based on race and ethnicity for decades that existed unmolested for decades? If America isn't "traditionally" an accepting and all-inclusive nation, then what is it? Looking back solely at the Founding Fathers as a model for traditionalism, then our government and our nation exist to promulgate the rights of rich, slave-holding white men. Is that the "traditional America" that O'Reilly wants? Because if so, then essentially our voting population shrinks to only the top one percent. Our nation says that it was founded on principles of equality and liberty, but ultimately we were founded on those principles for a select few; for the rest, their stations didn't improve for over a century. "Traditionally" our nation is exclusivist. "Traditionally" our nation was founded on giving rights to some and keeping rights away from others. When O'Reilly spoke about a traditional American demographic, I hope he didn't mean what those words actually imply. If there is any traditional version of being an American, then that version is one that excludes others based on sex, race and ethnicity. Our nation likes to act like we're traditionally inclusive, but unfortunately it's the opposite. We have created a version of history in which we aren't the bad guy, because that view is convenient, but in reality, a "traditional America" is not something any of us should want based off of the values that we say and believe our country espouses. I believe in racial and sexual equality. I believe in America, but unlike O'Reilly, I don't believe in a "traditional America." I believe in the actual America. I believe in our changing society, and I value it. — Preston Peeden is a senior in history. 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The Daily Beacon 5 Communications Building The University of Tennessee Knoxville TN 37996-0314 United States (865) 974-3226 35.953545 -83.925853 # #An Atheist in Wheaton An Atheist in Wheaton » Holiday tree, this is the âWar on Christmas?â Comments Feed An Atheist in Wheaton * About Holiday tree, this is the âWar on Christmas?â Tweet IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagonow.com%2Fan-agnostic-in-wheaton%2F2012%2F12%2Fholiday-tree-instead-of-christmas-tree-this-is-the-%25e2%2580%259cwar-on-christmas%25e2%2580%259d%2F&send=false&layout=button_count&width=120&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font&height=21 IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/comments.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagonow.com%2Fan-agnostic-in-wheaton%2F2012%2F12%2Fholiday-tree-instead-of-christmas-tree-this-is-the-%25e2%2580%259cwar-on-christmas%25e2%2580%259d%2F%23comments&permalink=1 By James Kirk Wall, December 2, 2012 at 7:33 am There was so much spinning on the OâReilly Factor this week that the people in New York thought Hurricane Sandy had returned. So what catastrophic event warranted all this hot air? In Rhode Island the Governor Lincoln Chaffee followed the example of the previous Governor and called a decorated tree in the State capital a Holiday Tree. Seriously, that was the big emergency that Bill OâReilly needed to save our country from. So why is big bad blowhard Bill so animated over this event? Not surprisingly, his anger is fueled by ignorance. Bill insists that the tradition of a Christmas tree started in Germany. Bill is wrong. A decorated tree in December has been a tradition long before the Bible was ever written. It is a pagan tradition celebrating the Winter Solstice. Something to think about for those who donât celebrate Halloween because itâs a pagan holiday, but put up a decorated tree in December and color Easter eggs in the Spring. So why does Bill have such a problem with Holiday trees? This is never explained. He insists a Christmas tree is a secular symbol. If that is true, whatâs the beef with calling it a Holiday tree? To steal a line from Penn Jillette, doing Holiday instead of Christmas brings everyone in; not only the atheists, but Jews, Muslims and other religions as well. Bill accuses Governor Chaffee of removing a tradition. He says this while the governor is standing in front of the decorated tree. The tree is there! No one is taking it away or even talking about removing it. Itâs just called a Holiday tree. Once again, what is the problem? Secularism is taking hold of the United States and has been for some time. Itâs not the 1950s anymore. Easter break is now called Spring break. Christmas break is now called Winter break. This is not due to a war on Christianity; this is due to a desire to include everyone. The grand holiday in December is a mixture of Pagan traditions, the legacy of Saint Nicholas, and Americanization such as fat Santa and Black Friday. Many people of all religions come to settle in the United States and celebrate the winter holiday. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, the Solstice, Kwanzaa, something secular or anything else, the grand celebration in December is for you. So in the spirit of being fair and balanced and looking out for everyone, even the people who donât have the same beliefs that I do, Happy Holidays to all! And may logic and reason bless us, everyone. James Kirk Wall Filed under: Uncategorized Tags: atheist, Bill OâReilly, Fox News, Jews, Lincoln Chaffee, Muslims, Pagan, secular, war on Christmas Tweet IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagonow.com%2Fan-agnostic-in-wheaton%2F2012%2F12%2Fholiday-tree-instead-of-christmas-tree-this-is-the-%25e2%2580%259cwar-on-christmas%25e2%2580%259d%2F&send=false&layout=button_count&width=120&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font&height=21 IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/comments.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chicagonow.com%2Fan-agnostic-in-wheaton%2F2012%2F12%2Fholiday-tree-instead-of-christmas-tree-this-is-the-%25e2%2580%259cwar-on-christmas%25e2%2580%259d%2F%23comments&permalink=1 Leave a comment * ChicagoNow is full of win Welcome to ChicagoNow . Meet our bloggers, post comments, or pitch your blog idea. Sign in Pitch your idea * Advertisement: * Meet The Blogger James Kirk Wall James Kirk Wall has been featured in Radio, Television and Newspaper. Jim is the author of Agnosticism: The Battle against Shameless Ignorance. As an educated and plain speaking facilitator of knowledge, Wall is able to take the best from philosophy, science, history, religion, and other academic studies and provide a holistic common sense perspective of life's biggest questions. Wall holds a degree in Business Management and resides in Wheaton, Illinois with his wife and son. He's available for debate and public speaking. 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A Ugandan writer explores the meaning of globalization and the growing influence of American culture around the world. [internet.jpg] Global socio-political issues never cease to fascinate any interested soul. From the times of civilization came the era of colonialism then independence. This was followed by the cold war era where The Soviets were slowly but surely out-smarted by the more versatile capitalists of the day. The post cold war era led to the increasing influence of what some people these days call quasi-governments (such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank). The IMF and World Bank consequently took on the role of the world's economic ‘police' telling particularly poorer nations how to spend their money. In order to receive more aid, these Bretton Woods institutions demanded that countries open up their economies to liberalization under Structural Adjustment Programmes that encouraged governments to fund privatization programmes, ahead of welfare and public services. Concurrently we had the influence of multinational organisations like the United Nations Organisation also greatly formatting global issues. Fast-forward to the new millennium things took a different path. All of a sudden we were being pumped with rhetoric titled globalization. Globalization is an umbrella term for a complex series of economic, social, technological, and political changes seen as increasing interdependence and interaction between people and companies in disparate locations. In general use within the field of economics and political economy, it refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly through trade and financial flows. The term sometimes also refers to the movement of people (labour) and knowledge (technology) across international borders. There are also broader cultural, political and environmental dimensions of globalization. For the common man it was always argued that the world had become like a global village of sorts. Globalization is an umbrella term for a complex series of economic, social, technological and political changes seen as increasing interdependence and interaction between people and companies in disparate locations. At its most basic, there is nothing mysterious about globalization. But not so fast, some people are now arguing that globalization has mainly benefited the already strong economies of the world and it has given them leverage to not only trade with the rest of the world but to also influence their general lifestyles and politics. Proponents of the school of thought contend that countries like U.S.A are using the globalization as an engine of "corporate imperialism"; one which tramples over the human rights of developing societies, claims to bring prosperity, yet often simply amounts to plundering and profiteering. Another negative effect of globalization has been cultural assimilation via cultural imperialism. This can be further explained as a situation of exporting of artificial wants, and the destruction or inhibition of authentic local cultures. This brings me to the gist of my submission. At a closer look, globalization is slowly shifting towards Americanization. Have you heard the word "Americanization"? Well in the early 1900's Americanization meant taking new immigrants and turning them into Americans...whether they wanted to give up their traditional ways or not. This process often involved learning English and adjusting to American culture, customs, and dress. Critics now say globalization is nothing more than the imposition of American culture on the entire world. In fact, the most visible sign of globalization seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and cola (Pepsi and Coca Cola products) to nearly every country on earth. The song Amerika by the German rock band Rammstein is often seen as a satire of Americanization. It has received mixed reviews: some perceive it as anti-American, others as being opposed to globalization. The band views it as a satirical commentary on "cocacolonization". The most visible sign of globalization seems to be the spread of American hamburgers and cola to nearly every country on earth. According to information from Globalisation.about.com even globalization champions like Thomas Friedman see it. In a recent column describing why terrorists hate the United States, Friedman wrote: "...globalization is in so many ways Americanization: globalization wears Mickey Mouse ears, it drinks Pepsi and Coke, eats Big Macs, does its computing on an IBM laptop with Windows 98. Many societies around the world can't get enough of it, but others see it as a fundamental threat." The rest of the world seems to be following Uncle Sam (U.S.A) and leaving behind its authentic ways of life. This has not spared even the ‘air tight' Chinese society. Americanization is the contemporary term used for the influence the United States of America has on the culture of other countries, substituting their culture with American culture. When encountered unwillingly, it has a negative connotation; when sought voluntarily, it has a positive connotation. How Are We Being Americanized? U.S.A, which has the world's biggest economy and strongest known army, has taken gigantic steps in persuading the rest of the world to think and act like them. Many people especially the Europeans have often despised Americans saying they have no culture. But as any sociologist will tell you, even having no culture is a culture in itself. So for many years, the land of immigrants has been on a process of creating an identity and hence a culture. Now they seem to be selling their culture to the rest of the world as anew and improved product of what we all have as culture. As far as fashion is concerned, the casual ‘American' style of wearing Jeans, T-Shirts and sports shoes is now common and acceptable in many places. For the office it is not rare to see someone wearing tight jeans with a long sleeved shirt plus a tie. His defence is of course that it is the American style (read modern). Cowboy hats, boots and large silver belt buckles are also a common imitation of the dress style of American especially those from Texas and Arizona. The American music industry has also gone a long way in influencing the dress culture of other people around the world. What about the example youths have picked up from famous American rap artists like 50-cent, Eminem, Tupac Shakur (R.I.P) and Snoop Dogg with their flashy fashions characterized by what is commonly known as "bling bling" (expensive shiny jewellery and watches). Look at the music played in the Nyamirambo bound taxis and you will be amazed at how it matches with the dress style of the passengers! The casual ‘American' style of wearing Jeans, T-Shirts and sports shoes is now common and acceptable in many places. Around the world the United States is perhaps best known for it's numerous and successful fast food franchises. Such chains, including McDonald's, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken are known for selling simply, pre-prepared meals of foods such as hamburgers, French fries (chips), soft drinks, fried chicken, and ice cream. Though undeniably popular, such food, with its emphasis on deep-frying, has been criticized by dietitians in recent decades for being unhealthy and a cause of obesity. It has thus become somewhat of a stereotype to associate American cuisine with obesity and junk food. The whole world now is full of similar eating joints. In Africa many are referred to as take-aways. Popular Culture This transmission of American culture has been mainly through several conduits with the number one medium being the electronic media. Television in particular has done a lot in Americanizing those who view images especially from Hollywood. The guys in Hollywood have made us to adore the tough cigar-smoking guys in the Casinos, the thin shapely long legged women, and to dream about rags-to-riches stories that are a common tag line of the movies. We now adore jazz, hip-hop, rap music, country music as well as gospel music all of which were pioneered by the United States. And trust us in following the Uncle Sam; many countries now have equivalents of the American awards of Oscars for the movies and Grammy's for the music. Just check out the PAM awards in Uganda or the Kisima awards in Kenya, not forgetting the continental Kora awards held annually in South Africa. Many countries have also gone a head to construct theme parks basing on the American Disney World model. Americanization has also led to the popularity and acceptability of what is known as American English. I have seen many posters here in Rwanda of schools claiming to teach American English. Many youths are now using this type of English considering it ‘modern'. We ought not to ignore the heavy influence that the United States has demonstrated in the development of the Internet and it's subsequent control. Remember the conference that was held at the beginning of this year in Tunisia where nations were complaining about the control the US has over the Internet. They were proposing that instead an international body should take over but the conference ended in defeat of this line of argument. The iPod, the most popular gadget for portable digital music, is also American invention. The number one medium for the transmission of American culture has been through electronic media, television in particular. American sports especially basketball have now become famous worldwide especially among college students. However other games like baseball and American football have not been easily adopted by other people in the world, as has been the case with basketball. Soccer, which is known to be the world's most popular sport, is not so popular in the US. However the US women's soccer team is one the of the world's premier women's sides. War on Terrorism Americans have also been known to spear heard the spread of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, Evangelical or born again religious movements worldwide. American preachers are always globetrotting all in the name of spreading the word of ‘Gad'. We should not ignore the fact that the United States Constitution enshrined individual freedom of religious practice, which courts have since interpreted to mean that the government is a secular institution, an idea called "separation of church and state". This notion of separating religion from the state is one of the controversial aspects of exporting American culture. This is embedded in the Bush administration's "War on terror" which some have gone ahead to read as a war on Islam. This controversial American policy is what inspired Prof. Mamdani to write a book titled, " Bad Muslim good Muslim". America, which has thousands of military servicemen around the world, has of late been preoccupied with fighting terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and it is getting ready to deal with the Iran problem soon. Actually some people are already speculating that the current crisis between Israel and Hezbollah is a precursor to America's war with Iran. That US is supporting the Olmert government to keep bombing Lebanon until Iran which is said to be the Godfather of Hezbollah gets angry enough to join the war. At this point it is argued that the US will join hands with Israel and fight the Iran government because "they have weapons of mass destruction". At the end of the war as usual US will be expected by many viewers to have conquered another oil producing country. Many see the War on terror as a veil for acquiring cheap oil to run the US economy. Returning to the Israeli conflict with Hezbollah, one can not fail to see an American tone in the whole conflict. Do you remember the first people to use the word "collateral damage"? This was what Americans first used to describe the death of innocent civilians and destruction of infrastructure by ‘precision' missiles during the Afghan war after the 9/11. This was an excuse used for having bombed the Chinese Embassy and a Red Cross facility during the war. Now compare it with the death of thousand of Lebanese civilians and the destruction of hundreds of buildings. The death of UN officers and the recent Qana massacre can be accurately referred to as collateral damage by the Israeli government. The notion of separating religion from the state is one of the controversial aspects of exporting American culture and is embedded in the Bush administration's "war on terror" which some have gone ahead to read as a war on Islam. This notion of separating religion from the state is one of the controversial aspects of exporting American culture. This is embedded in the Bush administration's "War on terror" which some have gone ahead to read as a war on Islam. The apparent determination by the US to appoint itself "Mr. Fix it all" is a somewhat naive but optimistic belief among Americans that all problems can be fixed with enough commitment and effort. This sometimes leads America into problematic situations such as Vietnam and Iraq. In some cases though, American fix it all attitude has positively led to large outpouring of humanitarianism. This is clearly evidenced by the enormous aid that Americans especially at the individual level, are sending to poor nations. Americans like Bill Gates and CNN's Ted turner are some of the world's biggest donors. In conclusion, therefore, the global stage is at a period of American conquest in many different ways than you can imagine. Globalization seems to be hijacked by the Americans. The world also seems to be clamouring for more of the Yankee lifestyle. However simply dismissing -- or demonizing -- globalization as mere Americanization is misleading. Globalization has the ability to alter much more than just the movies or food consumed by a society. And the results can be powerfully positive, devastatingly negative, or (more often) something in between. Contributed by Allan Brian Ssenyonga, a Ugandan freelance writer for The New Times, an English daily in Rwanda. He holds a bachelor's degree in Adult and Community Education and works as a secondary school teacher in Rwanda. Reprinted with permission from The New Times. To read another Global Envision article about globalization and American culture, see Americanization vs. Globalization. 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El-Erian Ian Reifowitz Ian Reifowitz Author of 'Obama’s America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity' GET UPDATES FROM Ian Reifowitz Like [DEL: :DEL] 66 Obama's America at the Debate: Immigrant Kids "Understand Themselves as Americans" Posted: 10/17/2012 9:44 am React [follow-arrow.png] Important Funny Typical Scary Outrageous Amazing Innovative Finally Follow [follow-arrow.png] Barack Obama , Mitt Romney , Presidential Debates , Elections 2012 , Immigration , Obama's America , Politics News share this story Submit this story digg reddit stumble At last night's debate, President Obama said the following: "For young people who come here, brought here oftentimes by their parents, have gone to school here, pledged allegiance to the flag, think of this as their country, understand themselves as Americans in every way except having papers, then we should make sure that we give them a pathway to citizenship, and that's what I've done administratively." This remark, which refers to the Americans covered by the Obama administration's actions to provide work permits for young people brought here as children but without documentation, offers real insight into the president's inclusive approach to American national identity. Where some on the right would see nothing more than an "illegal immigrant," Obama recognizes a young adult who has been in this country, for example, for twenty out of the twenty-five years of her life and who has gone through an irreversible process of Americanization. That person is nothing but an American in terms of her national identity. He understands what it would mean to that person to be expelled from the only homeland she has essentially ever known. President Obama understands how national identities are formed, both on the individual and the societal level. He understand how and why an American comes to feel an attachment to this country and to his fellow Americans. The debate tonight was about many things, mostly about policy differences between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. For me, as a scholar of national identity, that one small remark stood out as demonstrative of something far larger. Only one of these candidates has demonstrated, for years and years, a public record of understanding how national identity works, and thus how to invigorate the national identity that binds together the American people. This Blogger's Books from Amazon indiebound Obama's America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity Obama's America: A Transformative Vision of Our National Identity by Ian Reifowitz Follow Ian Reifowitz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ianreifowitz FOLLOW POLITICS Like [DEL: :DEL] 407k ____________________ Subscribe 2012 Election Results Obama Romney Obama Romney Electoral Votes (270 to win) 332 206 Map Obama leading Obama won Romney leading Romney won IFRAME: //www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Felections.huffingtonpost.com%2F2012%2Fresults&send=false&layout=button_count&width=450&show_faces=false&action=like&colorscheme=light&font=trebuchet+ms&height=21&appId=253464974689151 Battleground States Obama Romney Virginia 100% Rpt. 51.2% 47.3% Florida 100% Rpt. 50.0% 49.1% N. Carolina 100% Rpt. 48.4% 50.4% Ohio 100% Rpt. 50.7% 47.7% New Hampshire 100% Rpt. 52.0% 46.4% Colorado 100% Rpt. 51.5% 46.1% Wisconsin 100% Rpt. 52.8% 45.9% Iowa 100% Rpt. 52.0% 46.2% Nevada 100% Rpt. 52.4% 45.7% Popular Vote Obama Romney Total 65,899,660 60,932,152 Percent 51.1% 47.2% Senate 33 out of 100 seats are up for election. 51 are needed for a majority. Democrat leading Democrat won Holdover Republican leading Republican won Democrats* Republicans Current Senate 53 47 Seats gained or lost +2 -2 New Total 55 45 * Includes two independent senators expected to caucus with the Democrats: Angus King (Maine) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.). House All 435 seats are up for election. 218 are needed for a majority. 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CHARLES o CRIME o POLITICS o EDUCATION o NATION o MO HEALTH REPORT FEATURED STORIES Missouri executes white supremacist Joseph Paul Franklin Missouri executes white supremacist Joseph Paul Franklin Witnesses said Franklin, 63, made no final statement and did not speak in the execution chamber. Peoria man held on $5 million bond for death of his wife Peoria man held on $5 million bond for death of his wife The woman's body was found in a parked car; she'd been shot twice in the chest. Recent o St. Louis alderman calls for investigation into wrongful arrests o Old Newsboys Day starts Thursday morning o GM unveils new look for the Colorado pickup o Justice Department investigating St. Louis County Family Court o Better Together group launches discussion of city-county governance o Auditors head back to St. Louis Art Museum after week's delay * Opinion + Topics o LETTERS o FORUMS o COLUMNS o FAIR/FOUL o LIVE CHATS o McGRAW IN THE MORNING FEATURED STORIES McClellan: Confidentiality can be a handy thing to hide behind McClellan: Confidentiality can be a handy thing to hide behind As in similar cases, straight talk is scarce in discussion of Ferguson-Florissant superintendent's suspension. 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The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments in 2010 on a custody battle between Ms. Bail, a Guatemalan mom arrested at a poultry plant in 2007 near Springfield on illegal immigration charges, and a Missouri couple allowed to privately adopt her now 6-year-old child. PHOTO COURTESY OF MISSOURI NEWS HORIZON Enlarge Photo Let's secure our own borders first Securing our borders is a âwarâ that we can and must win. Who and what is coming into this great nation with impunity? Legal entrance, yes! Il… Read more If thereâs a Butterball or some other mass-market turkey on your groaning board today, take a moment to think about Encarnación Bail Romero. The Guatemalan immigrant, who lives in southwest Missouri, until a few weeks ago worked at one of the turkey plants that helped this nationâs poultry industry produce about 248 million turkeys in 2011. Of those, 17.5 million came from plants in Missouri, making it the fourth-biggest turkey-producing state in the nation. Some of those turkeys made it to the market because Ms. Bail, and other workers like her, put in long hours of grim, stomach-churning work for little pay, all the while facing the threat of deportation. Ms. Bail is an undocumented immigrant. Her American-born son, Carlos, is a 6-year-old U.S. citizen. She hasnât seen Carlos since the day in May 2007 when the Barry County chicken plant that employed Ms. Bail was raided by agents of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Mother and son have never spent a Thanksgiving together. These days, Ms. Bail is allowed legally to stay in the U.S. as her appeal to regain custody of her son continues winding through the Missouri courts. Itâs been a long battle with little hope. Carlos lives with another southwest Missouri family that adopted him while Ms. Bail was awaiting deportation to her home country. The Missouri Supreme Court was faced with the ultimate in judicial challenges when the case came before the court in 2010. There is no doubt Ms. Bailâs rights were denied when she was stuck in jail and a perhaps well-meaning conspiracy sought to provide Carlos a family by ending his motherâs parental rights. She didnât speak English. She didnât know what was happening to her. But by the time justice was sought, the judges were faced with taking the boy away from the family that had raised him for most of his life or returning him to a mother who spoke a different language and would take her son home to Guatemala. The court kicked the case back to the trial court, which this summer kept Carlos with his adoptive parents. Last week, lawyers for Ms. Bail asked the Missouri Supreme Court to take the case again. Today, all over this country, we offer thanks for the food on our tables and the families around us. We should pause, too, to consider the anguish wrought on other families by a broken immigration system. Ms. Bail is hardly alone. Thanksgiving is the ultimate immigration story. Most of what we know â or at least what we think we know â of the so-called first Thanksgiving we learned from a letter Edward Winslow wrote in December 1621 about a gathering between Pilgrims and about 90 members of the Wampanoag native tribe. The Pilgrims had endured some tough times, and the fall harvest that year was plentiful, so they celebrated. The Pilgrims, of course, were immigrants to a land where they were vastly outnumbered by people who had been here for centuries. In the mythological version of Thanksgiving weâve devised today, built around turkey and pumpkin pie, those details get glossed over. âThe Wampanoag, we sometimes forget, were the majority population,â Nancy Brennan, former director of the Plimoth Plantation museum, told The Christian Science Monitor in 2002. âIn the 19th and 20th centuries, Thanksgiving was really a tool for Americanization amid the great influx of immigration. It was supposed to bind this diverse population into one union.â The nationâs most recent presidential election, which was quite divided along racial lines, suggests our union could use some more binding. Whether or notEncarnación Bail Romero ever sees her son again, she and Carlos are an example of everything that has gone wrong with U.S. immigration policy. The poultry industry is a more than $16 billion a year business, so when the huge corporations that dominate the field need workers, the government usually is willing to look the other way while those companies ignore the law to keep wages low. The 2007 raid on the Barry County plant took place in the walk-up to the 2008 presidential election. Then members of both parties were busy trying to demonstrate their tough anti-immigrant bona fides by screaming âbuild the border fence.â Raids like the one that ensnared Ms. Bail were common. Families were torn apart as parents were deported and their American-born children stayed behind. Companies, for the most part, got a pass. This Thanksgiving, the trend is the opposite direction. On June 15, in one of the most important acts in his first term, President Barack Obama signed an executive order allowing children of undocumented workers, who were brought to the country through no fault of their own, to delay their deportation. It mirrored the DREAM Act, which Congress refused to pass. It allowed those young people, most of whom have been educated in American schools, to continue to contribute to the only country theyâve ever called home. Since the president signed that order, more than 53,000 young immigrants have been able to put off deportation. Hundreds of thousands of others are in the pipeline, beginning the process to eventual citizenship. Republicans, reeling from Mr. Obamaâs re-election, and his overwhelming popularity with Hispanic voters, are questioning their previous, harsh stances on issues of immigration. Their conversion should be a quick one. Which policy is more likely to rekindle thoughts of that first Thanksgiving: The one that divides families, and the nation, or the one that keeps parents and children at the same dinner table? America needs a bigger table. It needs to rekindle that simple spirit expressed in the Latin phrase that appears on the official Seal of the United States: E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. Copyright 2013 stltoday.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tags Thanksgiving, Encarnacion Bail Romero, Pilgrim, Missouri, Wampanoag People, Illegal Immigration, Plymouth Colony, Missouri Supreme Court, Immigration And Naturalization Service, Dream Act, Guatemala, Barack Obama, Edward Winslow View Comments More The Platform stories * Kathleen Parker: One of a kind-ness * Stand up for homeless youth Stand up for homeless youth * Editorial: Let the Great Reconciliation talks begin Editorial: Let the Great Reconciliation talks begin * FOUL: Interlopers trying to buy Missouri judges again. They will lose. Again. FOUL: Interlopers trying to buy Missouri judges again. They will lose. Again. Advanced Search | Privacy | About Our Ads ____________________ search * News + News + Web Search Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH newsletters Newsletters |Subscribe to email newsletters alerts Alerts |Sign up for news alerts apps Apps |Go mobile with the Post-Dispatch facebook Facebook |Become a fan of STLtoday.com twitter Twitter |Talk with us on Twitter pinterest Pinterest |STLtoday Pinterest rss RSS |Subscribe to our RSS feeds Tweets by @tonymess MOST POPULAR STORIES * 1 With Zimmerman, dueling 911 calls raise questions * 2 Missouri executes white supremacist Joseph Paul Franklin * 3 St. Louis man wins $8.3 million malpractice award against John Cochran VA hospital * 4 Man robs U.S. Bank inside Town and Country Schnucks * 5 Chesterfield tennis instructor charged with statutory rape, sodomy * 6 McClellan: Confidentiality can be a handy thing to hide behind * 7 D.C. awash in contracts, lobbying wealth * 8 Owner of St. Louis tax prep franchise gets 20 months for fraud * 9 St. Louis alderman calls for investigation into wrongful arrests * 10 Justice Department investigating St. Louis County Family Court RECENT POSTS * Editorial: Let the Great Reconciliation talks begin * FOUL: Interlopers trying to buy Missouri judges again. 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Email: ______________________________ Password: ______________________________ [_] Remember me on this computer Forgot Password login [login-loading.gif?_dc=1384459490] Please Wait… Login [p?c1=2&c2=9794746&cv=2.0&cj=1] Quantcast # #RSS RSS * CBSNews.com * / * CBS Evening News * / * CBS This Morning * / * 48 Hours * / * 60 Minutes * / * Sunday Morning * / * Face the Nation ____________________ Go * * Video * US * World * Politics * Entertainment * Health * MoneyWatch * SciTech * Crime * Sports » * More + Blogs + Battleground + The WH + Webshows + 60 Overtime + Face to Face + Resources + Mobile + Radio + Local * Log In + Log In + Join CBSNews.com + Sign in with * Profile + + Manage my newsletter subscriptions + Update my e-mail address + Change my password + Log Out CBS/AP/ August 23, 2010, 11:05 AM NYC Mosque Imam Looking to "Americanize Islam" The imam leading plans for an Islamic center near the Manhattan site of the Sept. 11 attacks said Friday he has been working on a way to "Americanize Islam." While he did not elaborate on what an American version of Islam might look like, he did note that different interpretations of the faith have emerged over the religion's nearly 1,400-year existence. "The same principles and rituals were everywhere, but what happened in different regions was there were different interpretations," Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is on the first leg of a 15-day Mideast tour funded by the U.S. State Department, said. "So we recognize that our heritage allows for re-expressing the internal principles of our religion in different cultural times and places." Rauf refused to discuss the political firestorm over the plans for an Islamic cultural center about two blocks from the World Trade Center towers. Foes of the project say it is insensitive and disrespectful to the victims of 9/11 and their families. The debate has become politicized ahead of November's midterm congressional elections. Mosque Near WTC Divides Sept. 11 Relatives Howard Dean on Mosque Comments: "Not Going to Back Off" Rudy Giuliani: Move Mosque away from Ground Zero Instead, Rauf preferred to focus on shared concerns. Speaking after leading Friday prayers at a neighborhood mosque outside Bahrain's capital Manama, he said radical religious views pose a security threat in both the West and the Muslim world. He said he hopes to draw attention during his trip in the Middle East to the common challenges to battle radical religious beliefs. "This issue of extremism is something that has been a national security issue - not only for the United States but also for many countries and nations in the Muslim world," Rauf said. "This is why this particular trip has a great importance because all countries in the Muslim world - as well as the Western world - are facing this ... major security challenge." This is Rauf's fourth U.S-government sponsored trip to the region, according to the State Department. He traveled twice to the Mideast in 2007 during the Bush administration and once earlier this year. Rauf will also visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during this trip to talk about Muslim life in America. Details of the imam's specific plans in each country have been closely guarded - possibly in reaction to the rancor in the United States over plans proposed by Rauf's organization, The Cordoba Initiative, for an Islamic cultural center near the site of the World Trade Center towers. President Barack Obama has said he believes Muslims have the right to build an Islamic center in New York as a matter of religious freedom, though he's also said he won't take a position on whether they should actually build it. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg came out in support of the mosque, calling it a test of the separation of church and state. New York Gov. David Paterson suggested last week that leaders of the project might want to consider relocating out of sensitivity to families of those killed on Sept. 11. He said he had the support of Islamic clergy, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led the city through the attacks and their aftermath. The governor and state officials won't say what other site would be suitable for the center or where the state owns nearby land. This week, Paterson said he had hoped to meet with developers in a couple of days to talk about the concerns of those still hurt and angry over the Sept. 11 attacks. He told WNYC Radio's "The Take Away" on Friday that he's still seeking a meeting, but that the group postponed a Monday meeting because of Rauf's travels. Muslims have been holding prayer services since last year in the building that the new project will replace. Fact Check: The "Ground Zero Mosque" Debate Howard Dean: NYC Mosque a "Real Affront" "Ground Zero Mosque" Developers: We Won't Move Pelosi Questions Funding of NYC Mosque Critics Obama has "No Regrets" Weighing in on NYC Mosque Buchanan: Newt Gingrich "Opportunist" on Mosque Mosque Opponents Leaving X-Rated Shops Alone © 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Popular on CBSNews.com * Sandy: Before and after One year later, a look at destruction and recovery after Superstorm Sandy * First Chinese-American woman to fly for military died in fiery crash Hazel Ying Lee ferried fighter planes during World War II, delivering them around the country for the war effort * Supreme Court allows Texas to keep enforcing abortion restrictions 160 Comments * Jet crashes off Florida coast en route to Mexico * Former Fla. Secretary of State Katherine Harris' husband commits suicide * JFK assassination: World reaction 9 Photos * Walt Disney's daughter dies at age 79 * White supremacist serial killer executed in Mo. * Late season storms devastate Midwest 27 Photos * Gettysburg Address anniversary draws thousands 70 Comments Add a Comment linkicon reporticon emailicon liberalme says: Just to keep the facts straight HELEN---it was the REPUBLICANS who voted and PASSED to rezone that area in 2000! Personally, I do think it to be a good idea to move the mosque elsewhere as it shows no respect to Americans--but that's where it ends, I don't care how many mosques, temples, catholic, baptist or any other house of worship there is or where it is---just not a good idea for the mosque to go there. You Helen are too FIXED on FIXED news and apparently have no mind of your own! reply liberalme replies: linkicon reporticon emailicon No these people pray to the hammity, lintball and beck (the wreck) gods--they wouldn't have anything to say or know how to think without those commedians. linkicon reporticon emailicon AmazingGrce says: The Snake - sung by Al Wilson - Comes to mind when I hear about any effort to "Americanize Islam" Nuff Said reply linkicon reporticon emailicon bradkt1 says: Marginalizing, isolating and demonizing moderate Muslims only gives ammunition to the extremists, the rejectionists and the terrorists and their sympathizers. I have no problem with those who wish to meet with this group to try to find a satisfactory alternative for locating this planned Islamic cultural center...but, at the same time, I believe that we must support the right on any law-abiding religious group to build a house of worship where they want to. I understand that the 9/11 terrorist attacks left wounds that are still raw. I only hope that a negotiated compromise can be reached. I think that this issue is bringing out the worst in a lot of people and is being exploited and demagouged by some politicians for purely political gain and at the cost of some of the values that the 9/11 terrorists tried to destroy in this country. reply Brian5013MS replies: linkicon reporticon emailicon helen97068 agreed Phxfire replies: linkicon reporticon emailicon Islam is no more an advocate for murder and mayhem than Christians are all for white supremacy and overthrowing the government (like so many extremist 'Christians). Its another extreme faction of a religion that is provoking attacks and making so many of you extremists in your own right. Helen, etal, you need to be better informed, through rational, honest and unbiased sources. I suggest you start at the library. linkicon reporticon emailicon Myopinion046 says: Yeah, after Sharia Law is in place like that imam has stated is his intent. reply starving1968-3 replies: linkicon reporticon emailicon Myopinion046 apparently has ZERO confidence in America, our military, our laws, our constituion...... Phxfire replies: linkicon reporticon emailicon I missed those statements. Where and when did he say that???? linkicon reporticon emailicon cbswayne says: CBS News is just fanning the flames on this issue when it calls the community center a mosque. reply linkicon reporticon emailicon M_Miles says: A Ground Zero area mosque supporter spends $23 million dollars to establish legal status for Islamic law tribunals. Nancy Pelosi you might want to find out where that money came from? HINT: read article associated with following paragraph and link. An investigation by three Republican congressmen has revealed the Obama administration has secretly spent $23 million of U.S. taxpayer dollars in Kenya to fund a "Yes" vote on a constitutional referendum scheduled for Aug. 4 that would increase access to abortions in Kenya and establish legal status for Islamic law tribunals. http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=181405 reply dihardman replies: linkicon reporticon emailicon 1.Has anyone associated Obama's vacation dates with Ramadan month of fasting and prayer? Check the calendar...2009 & 2010 - 2 yrs. in a row, Obama has taken time off. ***Did taxpayers' dollars pay for that Ramadan dinner where Obama spoke in support the mosque? ***It's obvious that Obama puts his muslim background above the hearts of American citizens and above the price those paid who were victims of 9/11 2.Also, what happened to the investigation re: Obama's birthplace?? That investigation seems to have disappeared just like the $23 billion did. Don't you think it's strange that his grandmother passed away just before he was sworn in? Is she really dead or has he put her away in hiding? What about the disappearance of his aunt who kept saying Obama was born in Africa?? 3.As for the $23 Billion secretly spent by Obama's adm...I am appalled that he was able to do this using taxpayers money...I'm sure our millions of unemployed could have made much better use of that money and it would have added a spark to our economy. Too many Americans are hurting and he spent our money on abortions in Kenya and legal status fror Islamic law tribunals, is unbelieveable! What's wrong with this picture? 4. What about taxpayers' money being spent on traveling costs for Obama to campaign for Democrats? Is it OK to use our money for campaign funds regardless of the party you represent? Why haven't the other party members opposed this? 5.How much longer are we the American people going to stay silent and let this type of "leadership" continue? VOTE PEOPLE VOTE! ***Obama is taking us down much quicker than Al Quaeda ever could. How does he continue to get away with this?? ***Whose side is Obama on?? Has he forgotten that he's an "American" president?? ***Am I upset? You bet your life I am! I have never been a protester, but my limit is boiling over! ***A ps note to Nancy Pelosi - I believed she said the League of Women voters were traitors because they did not agree with Obama's administration. Well, Nancy, "I am not a traitor, I am not a racist, I am not for/against Democrats nor am I for/against Republicans, but I am an American tax paying citizen, a wife, mother, grandmother speaking up for unity (our motto used to be "United we stand...) I am against an administration that is robbing us blind (the silent $23 billion is just one of many examples) silently breaking this country, dividing us (where is the unity Obama campaigned on?) His administration is killing our souls bit by bit, silently taking away our constitutional rights, and trying to take away God... ***I have news for Obama - God is much bigger than you, and if you succeed in any form or fashion to remove his name or take away our right to worship/pray, it's only because God has allowed it for completion of His divine plan, and not for your glory. ***After spouting off like this, don't be surprised if I am arrested or suddenly disappear, or have an "accident"...who knows how far this administration will go to "snuff" out anyone who says anything negative that doesn't suit their needs? linkicon reporticon emailicon M_Miles says: Ground Zero area mosque supporter secret may need investigation by Nancy Pelosi? . . . An investigation by three Republican congressmen has revealed the Obama administration has secretly spent $23 million of U.S. taxpayer dollars in Kenya to fund a "Yes" vote on a constitutional referendum scheduled for Aug. 4 that would increase access to abortions in Kenya and establish legal status for Islamic law tribunals. From article at following link . . . http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=181405 The Ground Zero area mosque supporter under investigation wants to establish Islamic law tribuals?! "Wait,is that President Obama they are talking about in the article?!" reply linkicon reporticon emailicon PapaGracio says: All this talk about islaminizing America is just another front.Liberals turning the heads of americans away from the Mexicanization of Amercia. Which is there true goal! You have not seen much on the tube about Arizona recently have you? Using Ahab the Arab to cloak the invasion of Manuel the Mexican. Although, givien the choice I would take the latter. If all of American life looked like a Cheech and Chong movie, I would be satisfied. Very satisfied. reply linkicon reporticon emailicon ge556 says: helen97068 said, "1. Muslim leaders love converts and Liberals are very easy targets." Wow, helen. I think you win a special cluelessness award for that one. Guess I'll tell my wife to buy a burqa and quit her job now. reply linkicon reporticon emailicon fl2007rn says: Maybe Obama can go and worship at the new ground zero mosque. And while he is at it, please put a burka on Michelle so I don't have to see her ugly face again. reply See all 70 Comments Add a Comment ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Submit Comment ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Click here to add another comment. The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement. 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Google has outlined the steps for all major browsers: Clearing cache and cookies # #Rawlins Times Search Close * News * Calendar * Explore * Weather * Submit News * Classifieds Is there a need to Americanize Modern Olympics? - Rawlins Times: Columns Advanced Search ____________________ GO Today's E-edition * RDT RDT default avatar Welcome to the site! Login or Signup below. Login|Signup Login|My Dashboard|Register Logout|My Dashboard Home * Opinion * Columns Is there a need to Americanize Modern Olympics? * Story * Comments Print Create a hardcopy of this page Font Size: Default font size Larger font size Posted: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 8:39 pm Is there a need to Americanize Modern Olympics? Dough Hecox Rawlins Daily Times | 0 comments With the Olympics nearly here, I canât help but wish President Obama, Congress or ANYone would take action. Someone should do something, because the Olympics have become entirely too foreign. To those of you arching your eyebrows and rolling your eyes derisively, as if to say âThe Olympics is supposed to be foreign â it is an international competition,â I agree with you. Iâm not saying there are too many foreign people in the Olympics. Iâm saying there are too many foreign events. Allow me to explain. American athletes have always been at a disadvantage to their foreign counterparts. An American athlete growing up in, say, Afton, Wyo., has limited access to such foreign activities as judo or tae kwan do. Yes, I know there are several martial arts studios teaching Wyoming kids martial arts and each is probably pretty good, so donât be offended â especially if you have martial arts training. Iâm simply pointing out that taking a karate class in a Wyoming strip mall is a far cry from growing up, say, in Japan where the entire culture has been saturated with martial artistry for centuries. Hockey is similarly hard for Wyomingites, which is ironic considering we have nine months of winter. The problem is that all our hockeyâquality ice is monopolized all winter long by iceâfishing derbies. Fencing, too, is difficult for Wyomingites because most of us assume it has to do with stringing barbed wire to keep our cattle out of trouble. As Time Magazine reported recently, Wyoming has â perâcapita â more athletes in the 2012 Olympic Games than any other state. This is no surprise. Surviving endless hurricaneâforce winds and the arctic deep freeze we call winter is an athletic act in itself. When it comes to the game of survival, Wyomingites beat Mother Nature every year â and she doesnât make it easy. Our cowboy heritage ensures that Wyoming athletes would do fine in equestrian events, and our mountainous terrain makes the Equality State a proving ground for the worldâs greatest skiers. However, Wyomingites â and Americans in general â deserve more opportunities to challenge the worldâs best athletes in more traditionally American activities. Judging by the Americans I see at allâyouâcanâeat buffets and shopping mall food courts, competitive eating is a huge sport here in the United States and would be a great addition to the Olympics. True, itâs not an athletic activity in the traditional sense but the annual Nathanâs Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in New York and the various watermelonâ, pieâ and cornâonâtheâcobâeating contests at county fairs nationwide, make competitive eating something worthy of consideration. Not just anyone can eat like that. With shows like âMan vs. Food,â âThe Biggest Loserâ and âExtreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition,â reality TV has turned eating responsibly and physical fitness into a game show, we might as well capitalize on it. Because America already has a swollen, overweight leg up on the competition, letâs call irresponsible eating and not working out a sport. Our country has some of the worldâs fattest kids, so sumo wrestling shouldnât only be an Olympic sport but one that is promoted in U.S. high schools as a varsity sport. In either competitive eating or sumo wrestling, American kids would be unbeatable. Demolition derby is another classic American sport in which we would literally crush the competition, and for a very simple reason. American cars are the biggest. A 1970 Ford Galaxie 500 will always beat a Daewoo. In fact, you could fit a Daewoo in its trunk. If that seems unfair, fine. Letâs make it a Monster Truck contest. Americaâs Bigfoot will always beat its Daewoo equivalent. The only downside is that either Robosaurus or Megasaurus would frighten Japanâs athletes into a blind panic. Iâve seen how Japanese people react when Godzilla comes to town, so fireâbreathing, carâeating dinosaurâshaped trucks could turn the Olympic Monster Truck rally into absolute bedlam. If monster truck rallies and competitive eating arenât the judgesâ cup of tea, rodeo would be a classic addition to the Olympics. Wyomingâs cowboys and cowgirls would stand a better shot against their foreign competitors calfâroping, teamâroping or barrelâracing than, say, ice skating against Norwegians or playing jai alai against Basque athletes. If we can put a McDonalds in every nation on Earth, we can make the Olympics a little more American too. U.S. athletes will do well in London next month, but I wonât rest until weâve won a gold medal in every Olympic event there is â and even in a few there arenât. More about Rawlins * ARTICLE: Bridge repair needs decision * ARTICLE: Public can weigh in on DKRW construction schedule * ARTICLE: Chamber of Commerce hosts ribbon cutting at Youth Crisis Center * ARTICLE: RMS class spearheads recycling effort * ARTICLE: RMS Lady Colts swimmers finish second at Lander Invite More about Carbon County * ARTICLE: Bridge repair needs decision * ARTICLE: Public can weigh in on DKRW construction schedule * ARTICLE: Chamber of Commerce hosts ribbon cutting at Youth Crisis Center * ARTICLE: RMS class spearheads recycling effort * ARTICLE: RMS Lady Colts swimmers finish second at Lander Invite * Discuss * Print * * Posted in Columns on Wednesday, July 18, 2012 8:39 pm. | Tags: Dough Hecox, Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming, Olympics, United States, America, Obama Rules of Conduct * 1 Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. * 2 Don't Threaten or Abuse. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. 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Create one now. # Reuters * Edition: U.S. + Arabic + Argentina + Brazil + Canada + China + France + Germany + India + Italy + Japan + Latin America + Mexico + Russia + Spain + United Kingdom ______________________________ Submit * Home * Business + Business Home + Economy + Media + Small Business + Legal + Deals + Business Video + Earnings + Aerospace & Defense + Summits * Markets + Markets Home + U.S. Markets + European Markets + Asian Markets + Global Market Data + Indices + M&A + Stocks + Bonds + Currencies + Commodities + Futures + Funds + peHUB + Dividends * World + World Home + U.S. + Brazil + China + Euro Zone + Japan + Africa + Mexico + Russia + India Insight + World Video + Reuters Investigates + Decoder * Politics + Politics Home + Supreme Court + Politics Video * Tech + Technology Home + MediaFile + Science + Tech Video + Tech Tonic + Top 100 Global Innovators * Opinion + Opinion Home + John Lloyd + Felix Salmon + Jack Shafer + David Rohde + Nader Mousavizadeh + Nicholas Wapshott + Bethany McLean + Anatole Kaletsky + Zachary Karabell + Edward Hadas + Hugo Dixon + Ian Bremmer + Lawrence Summers + The Great Debate + Reihan Salam + Mark Leonard + Steven Brill + Alison Frankel * Breakingviews + Equities + Credit + Private Equity + M&A + Macro & Markets + Politics + Breakingviews Video * Money + Money Home + Tax Break + Lipper Awards + Global Investing + MuniLand + Unstructured Finance + Linda Stern + Mark Miller + John Wasik + James Saft + Analyst Research + Alerts + Watchlist + Portfolio + Stock Screener + Fund Screener + Personal Finance Video + Money Clip + Investing 201 * Life + Health + Sports + Arts + Faithworld + Entertainment + Oddly Enough + Cancer in Context + Lifestyle Video * Pictures + Pictures Home + Reuters Photographers + Full Focus * Video + Reuters TV + Reuters News * Article U.S. has no plan to "Americanize" Somalia conflict WASHINGTON Fri Mar 12, 2010 4:28pm EST 0 Comments * Tweet Share this Email Print Related News * Somali rebels attack in capital for third day Fri, Mar 12 2010 * Somali tied to Islamists worked with two U.N. agencies Thu, Mar 11 2010 * Death toll hits 54 from fighting in Somali capital Thu, Mar 11 2010 * House rejects pullout from Afghanistan Wed, Mar 10 2010 * U.S. calls Myanmar election laws "a mockery" Wed, Mar 10 2010 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday denied coordinating plans by Somalia's embattled government to launch an offensive against Islamist fighters, saying it had no plans to "Americanize" the conflict. Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson described as inaccurate reports suggesting that U.S. officials were ready to get more militarily involved as Somalia's government fights the Islamist al Shabaab, which has been linked to al Qaeda. "The United States does not plan, does not direct, and does not coordinate the military operations of the TFG (transitional federal government) and we have not and will not be providing direct support for any potential military offensives," Carson said. Carson told a news briefing the United States had provided limited military support to the transitional government, but that almost all of this was channeled through an African Union peacekeeping effort. Al Shabaab Islamist fighters attacked government positions this week seeking to seize the advantage before a long-awaited government offensive to drive them out of Mogadishu, the capital. Somalia has lacked an effective central government for 19 years. Western and neighboring countries say it has become a sanctuary for militants. Carson said the United States had provided about $185 million over the last 19 months to support African Union peacekeepers and about $12 million in direct support to the Somali transitional government. "The amounts of money that we're talking about are really relatively small," he said. Funds were spent on communications equipment, uniforms, and to support training of government soldiers by other African countries. The United States also provides about $150 million in food aid to Somalia. This has been complicated by a U.N. World Food Program's decision to suspend work in much of southern Somalia due to threats against staff and al Shabaab demands for payments for security. Carson said the United States continued to seek an "inclusive" political resolution to Somalia's crisis and believed that the transitional government, which only controls a portion of Mogadishu, was best placed to promote one. "The TFG has demonstrated an enormous capacity to survive," he said. (Reporting by Andrew Quinn; Editing by Alan Elsner) FILED UNDER: Politics IFRAME: http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters .com%2Farticle%2F2010%2F03%2F12%2Fus-somalia-usa-idUSTRE62B47J20100312 &layout=standard&show_faces=false&width=450&action=recommend&colorsche me=light&height=35 * Tweet this * Link this * Share this * Digg this * Email * Print * Reprints Comments (0) This discussion is now closed. We welcome comments on our articles for a limited period after their publication. Read 1. Secret U.S. court approved wider NSA spying even after finding excesses 19 Nov 2013 2. Shares, dollar sag ahead of Fed minutes 7:12am EST 3. Exclusive: Syria's chemical weapons may be destroyed at sea - sources 19 Nov 2013 4. Yahoo increases share buyback authorization by $5 billion 19 Nov 2013 5. 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