Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for January, 2017

The United States has four coasts subject to the perils presented by climate change: the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic. As a nation with land above the Arctic Circle, we belong to the Arctic Council.

When she was secretary of state, Hillary Clinton participated regularly in Arctic Council summits hosted by a variety of the eight member nations. This was one. I have bolded the list of member states.

Lisa Murkowski  was nice enough to post this picture on her Facebook page along with this comment about an hour ago.

Lisa Murkowski

Heading home from the Arctic Council in Nuuk, Greenland. But wanted to share a picture: with the Ministers of the eight Arctic nations in attendance, as well as Secretary Clinton and Secretary Salazar.

Here is a fact sheet released by the State Department about the Arctic Council meeting results.

Secretary Clinton Signs the Arctic Search and Rescue Agreement with Other Arctic Nations

Fact Sheet

Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
May 12, 2011

On May 12, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joined representatives of the other seven Member States of the Arctic Council (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, and Sweden) in signing an Agreement on Cooperation on Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) in the Arctic (Agreement). The Agreement is the first legally-binding instrument negotiated under the auspices of the Arctic Council. It coordinates life-saving international maritime and aeronautical SAR coverage and response among the Arctic States across an area of about 13 million square miles in the Arctic.

As Arctic sea ice coverage decreases, ship-borne activities are increasing significantly in the Arctic. Flight traffic is also on the rise as new polar aviation routes cross the Arctic air space in several directions. As human presence and activities in the Arctic expand, the potential for accidents increases as well. Limited rescue resources, challenging weather conditions, and the remoteness of the area render SAR operations difficult in the Arctic, making coordination among the Arctic nations imperative. The SAR Agreement will improve search and rescue response in the Arctic by committing all Parties to coordinate appropriate assistance to those in distress and to cooperate with each other in undertaking SAR operations. For each Party, the Agreement defines an area of the Arctic in which it will have lead responsibility in organizing responses to SAR incidents, both large and small. Parties to the Agreement commit to provide SAR assistance regardless of the nationality or status of persons who may need it.

Read more >>>>

(See more like this here>>>>)

It is immediately apparent why there is a need for this council. Russia is a player.

After Hillary left the State Department, she launched a series of  speaking engagements. One of these was in Canada.

Speaking to the Montreal Board of Trade last night, Hillary Clinton warned the audience of increased Russian activity in the Arctic and hung responsibility for another Cold War on Vladimir Putin’s doorknob.

As Secretary of State,  Hillary was an active participant in the Arctic Council and repeatedly echoed the message that we are an Arctic nation.  The concerns she voiced in Canada are as much an issue for the U.S. as they are for Canada.

Along with the disquiet she expressed regarding Russia’s activities in the north came further comments about recent activities in Europe.

Read more >>>>

In light of the above, this is of some concern or should be to all the member nations including ours.

Russian servicemen of the Northern Fleet’s Arctic mechanised infantry brigade participate in a military drill on riding reindeer and dog sleds near the settlement of Lovozero outside Murmansk, Russia January 23, 2017. Picture taken January 23, 2017. Lev Fedoseyev/Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation/Handout via REUTERS
By Andrew Osborn | MURMANSK, Russia

The nuclear icebreaker Lenin, the pride and joy of the Soviet Union’s Arctic great game, lies at perpetual anchor in the frigid water here. A relic of the Cold War, it is now a museum.

But nearly three decades after the Lenin was taken out of service to be turned into a visitor attraction, Russia is again on the march in the Arctic and building new nuclear icebreakers.

It is part of a push to firm Moscow’s hand in the High North as it vies for dominance with traditional rivals Canada, the United States, and Norway as well as newcomer China.

SNIP

Grigory Stratiy, deputy governor of the Murmansk Region, told Reuters there was strong interest in sea route from Asian nations however and that new icebreakers would allow for year-round navigation in the 2020s.

“Whatever the weather, the Northern Sea Route will be needed. Its use will definitely grow,” said Stratiy, who said Russia was keen to attract foreign investment to the Arctic.

When asked about his country’s military build-up, he smiled.

“There’s no reason to be afraid I can reassure you,” he said, saying it was driven only by a need to modernize.

“Russia has never had any aggressive aims and won’t have them. We are very friendly people.”

Read more >>>>

Anyone thinking that Putin is playing nice friendly reindeer games up there is, of course, deluded despite the “peaceful and cooperative nature of the Arctic Region” as stated on the State Department page.  We should never trust Putin, as Hillary warned, especially when his military is involved. So this military build up is one thing to watch.

It’s nice to have ice breakers available when you need them, and the Russians were very helpful the time the whales were trapped under the ice as portrayed in that Drew Barrymore movie. Those missile installations, though. No wonder we sent troops to Norway.

The North Sea Route concept, characterized in the article as a mini Suez Canal, is an obvious business venture, but of course the real target is oil. Drilling in the Arctic is an enterprise popular with Republicans.

Lastly, how the hell did “newcomer China” get into this competition? It has no land above the Arctic Circle. Or does it?  Is it building synthetic islands up there, too?

The new administration has a dangerously narrow view of China’s adversarial scope. It goes beyond trans-Pacific trade and artificial islands to expand its continental limit in the South China Sea and East China Sea. China has invested in significant “development” enterprises in Africa centered largely on resource extraction with tandem infrastructure upgrades benefiting their ability to move products for shipment and not benefiting local residents or their farms or businesses in any way. I don’t think I have ever heard Donald Trump say the word “Africa.”  At the very least, China’s presence in the Arctic deserves a question.

As for Russia, and its military push, we always do well to heed the warnings of Hillary Clinton.

 

 

Read Full Post »

With hundreds of passengers stranded in custody and protests erupting at international airports across the United States, Hillary Clinton made her position clear with a tweet about Trump’s dangerous and unfair ban on immigrants from seven countries.  The ban extends to holders of green cards, who are legal residents of the U.S., and those who hold valid visas issued before the ban was in place.  A federal judge has struck down the ban, however the folks being held have not been released from custody since the ruling does not go that far.

I stand with the people gathered across the country tonight defending our values & our Constitution. This is not who we are.

 

 

Read Full Post »

01-25-17-z-01 01-25-17-z-02

Read Full Post »

The morning after the inauguration of the least popular incoming president in modern history, millions boarded all manner of transportation to head to their nearest (or dearest) Women’s March. Many flew or took trains or buses to Washington, DC for the march there. Others went to cities near them.

The numbers are not in yet but there are estimates – almost all of which exceeded expectations.  Washington, DC expected 200,000. Estimates are that a half a million showed up. In New York City, the crowd was so large that for hours the march could not move appreciably for lack of space. The same thing happened in Chicago where organizers transformed the march into a rally – no space for people to march! Reports are that the same thing occurred in Los Angeles.

Portland ME police estimated this to be the largest demonstration they had ever encountered. Boston organizers think 150,000 attended there. People tweeted pictures of crowds in Denver, Nashville, Asheville, Atlanta, Sioux City, Phoenix, of a human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge. Across the nation they marched – in the rain in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and in the snow in Boise and Anchorage.

There were marches and demonstrations in all 50 states and on every continent, including Antarctica. Look at this map!
womens_march-01-21-17-3

Here are a few of my favorite images from the day starting with a sea of pink pussyhats in the nation’s capital.

womens_march-01-21-17 womens_march-01-21-17-4 womens_march-01-21-17-5 womens_march-01-21-17-6womens_march-01-21-17-23womens_march-01-21-17-24

Paris put its message in lights.

womens_march-01-21-17-7womens_march-01-21-17-7a

The Brits displayed their characteristic reserve. They had the best signs.

womens_march-01-21-17-8 womens_march-01-21-17-8a womens_march-01-21-17-8b

My favorite Brit marched and spoke in New York and declared herself a New Yorker.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

womens_march-01-21-17-9

Helen Mirren posted “this is amazing!” (Instagram / @helenmirren

womens_march-01-21-17-10 womens_march-01-21-17-11

A human traffic jam in Los Angeles.

womens_march-01-21-17-12_la

A human chain across the Golden Gate Bridge.

womens_march-01-21-17-13_goldengatebridge

In blinding snow in Anchorage.

womens_march-01-21-17-13_anchorage

In Boise.

womens_march-01-21-17-13_boise

Antarctica!

womens_march-01-21-17-13_antarctica
Some awesome folks!

womens_march-01-21-17-14

They weren’t all Democrats!  Ana Navarro posted this selfie!womens_march-01-21-17-15

A note from a flight attendant who had to work to a passenger who was attending.

womens_march-01-21-17-16

The human traffic jam on NY’s 5th Avenue that lasted for hours.

womens_march-01-21-17-16-5th_ave womens_march-01-21-17-17

In Detroit.

womens_march-01-21-17-18-detroit

New York City.womens_march-01-21-17-19

This woman tweeted that she wasn’t ovary-acting.

womens_march-01-21-17-20
 How bad is it?
womens_march-01-21-17-21womens_march-01-21-17-25

One guy we know brought his best friend along for his first day as a private citizen.

womens_march-01-21-17-22

His predecessor tweeted her support.

Thanks for standing, speaking & marching for our values . Important as ever. I truly believe we’re always Stronger Together.

‘Hope Not Fear’ Indeed. And what a beautiful piece by Louisa Cannell. 👊👊🏻👊🏼👊🏽✨

I stand w/ Nora Harren, a 17-year from Boise, ID, & every person marching for our values today. Onward! ✊✊🏾✊🏽✨

There are many more wonderful images of the day here and here.

Here is a report on estimated numbers and the size and scope. These numbers are expected to be revised upwards.

womens_march-01-21-17_macro

On the sidelines, this day, Donald Trump attended the National Prayer Breakfast and visited CIA HQ in Langley, VA to tell them what a yuge inauguration he had (it looked like a million – a million-and-a-half people to the guy who saw imaginary thousands in Jersey City celebrating the fall of the towers) and how spectacular the weather had been (it rained – George W. Bush struggled with a plastic poncho).  Later his Press Sec stormed into the White House press room to scold the media for telling the truth about the paltry attendance yesterday. He said this was the largest inauguration ever. Period. He took no questions and left in a huff.

The rest of the country and the free world was busy having a lovely Saturday all together.  No incidents, no arrests, and according to actress Ally Sheedy, a patrol officer told her how wonderful everyone looked.  Madonna dropped the F-bomb twice and they cheered. Everyone was included – babies in strollers and seniors in wheelchairs. It was a great day in history!

Oh! And THIS!

 

Crossposted at The Department of Homegirl Security.

Read Full Post »

I’m here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future.

The pictures speak for themselves.

01-20-17-z-02 01-20-17-z-03 01-20-17-z-04 01-20-17-z-05 01-20-17-z-06 01-20-17-z-07 01-20-17-z-08 01-20-17-z-09 01-20-17-z-10 01-20-17-z-11 01-20-17-z-12 01-20-17-z-13 01-20-17-z-14 01-20-17-z-18  01-20-17-z-20 01-20-17-z-21

At the luncheon, Donald Trump thanked the Clintons for attending and called for a standing ovation.

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

01-20-17-z-19

Read Full Post »

Let’s be real and logical here. Hillary Clinton won nearly 66 million popular votes to Trump’s nearly 63 million.  Hillary won the people’s vote. Not watching the inauguration on TV so as to affect the ratings and thereby influence future votes in 2018 or 2020 is really a stretch. But if you feel that way and believe (there’s the dangerous part – believing) that not watching the inauguration on TV will somehow impact future elections, go for it bearing in mind that the work we all put in for the past two years will have to be done all over again in future election years since TV ratings are not votes. We will still have to work to get those votes. You can believe all you want. The work is still going to be there.

That said, should you persist in resisting the televised transfer of power, here are a few alternatives to watching Trump place his hand on Lincoln’s bible.

Whatever words people contacted by polling organizations associate with Hillary Clinton, women all over the globe associate Hillary Clinton with the speech.  This is that speech.  These are the words that billions of women associate with Hillary.

 

Then you can go here >>>>

This was one of Hillary’s most impressive speeches as secretary of state.  Specifically, this important segment hit me right in the brain. I hope, if you have never encountered it, that it impresses you as well.

… we are acting on scientific information. In particular, we are focusing on the 1,000-day window of opportunity between pregnancy and two years of age. Why is that? Because we now know conclusively from brain research that is the time when a child’s cognitive, intellectual, and physical development is at most risk. We know that academic ability in school is now directly related to how well-nourished a child was before and after birth. We even know that a child’s earning potential as an adult is still connected to how well-nourished that little baby was. A healthy 1,000 days changes the course of a child’s life, and I would argue it also significantly benefits communities and even countries, because healthy children who get off to a good start will be more productive members of the workforce.

So good nutrition in those first thousand says lays the foundation for health, development, and even prosperity for the next generation.

Read more >>>>

You might also want to check out this speech.

Secretary Clinton’s Human Rights Day Speech

… At three o’clock in the morning on December 10th, 1948, after nearly two years of drafting and one last long night of debate, the president of the UN General Assembly called for a vote on the final text. Forty-eight nations voted in favor; eight abstained; none dissented. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It proclaims a simple, powerful idea: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And with the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.

In the 63 years since the declaration was adopted, many nations have made great progress in making human rights a human reality. Step by step, barriers that once prevented people from enjoying the full measure of liberty, the full experience of dignity, and the full benefits of humanity have fallen away. In many places, racist laws have been repealed, legal and social practices that relegated women to second-class status have been abolished, the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith freely has been secured.

In most cases, this progress was not easily won. People fought and organized and campaigned in public squares and private spaces to change not only laws, but hearts and minds. And thanks to that work of generations, for millions of individuals whose lives were once narrowed by injustice, they are now able to live more freely and to participate more fully in the political, economic, and social lives of their communities.

Now, there is still, as you all know, much more to be done to secure that commitment, that reality, and progress for all people. Today, I want to talk about the work we have left to do to protect one group of people whose human rights are still denied in too many parts of the world today. In many ways, they are an invisible minority. They are arrested, beaten, terrorized, even executed. Many are treated with contempt and violence by their fellow citizens while authorities empowered to protect them look the other way or, too often, even join in the abuse. They are denied opportunities to work and learn, driven from their homes and countries, and forced to suppress or deny who they are to protect themselves from harm.

I am talking about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, human beings born free and given bestowed equality and dignity, who have a right to claim that, which is now one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time. I speak about this subject knowing that my own country’s record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.

Read more and see video>>>>

When that is over, there are all of these!!!! >>>>

As for me, I will be watching the TV broadcast of the inauguration primarily because Hillary will be there and, of course, I follow her. That’s my “job.” But also I will be watching because it is an important moment in the history of my country. Even if it bodes ill, I need to witness this history. One of my best friends was a high school kid when the Nazis marched into her French village. She witnessed that and, as a child, carried arms for the Resistance. I sat with my Hungarian-American mother as a little kid and watched Soviet tanks roll into Budapest. Why on earth would I not watch as a candidate who was assisted by an inimical foreign power takes the oath of office? I should witness this.

We need to keep the records! We need to record the history and remember it. If the man who got swept in by reality TV ratings and Russian hacking turns into something we have never seen on our shores, we ought to be able to remember that moment, just as we remember casting our votes for Hillary Clinton.

The ratings dip, if there is one, will not do anything. So bite the bullet and watch Hillary watch him take the oath. You know she knows it by heart. You might want to cry, and that is OK. Here are some tissues. But you should, after all this work, be a witness. We fought the good fight. We are ready for all the fights to come.

07-28-16-z-05

Love Trumps hate. True. Love conquers all!

 

 

 

Read Full Post »

The Women’s March is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning in Washington D.C.

More than 600 “sister marches” have been organized all over the U.S. and on every continent.

The organization has published “Unity Principles.”

Unity Principles

Click to download full PDF

We believe that Women’s Rights are Human Rights and Human Rights are Women’s Rights. We must create a society in which women – including Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, disabled women, Muslim women, lesbian queer and trans women – are free and able to care for and nurture their families, however they are formed, in safe and healthy environments free from structural impediments.

Read more >>>>

All Hillary Clinton supporters recognize the underlined words in that first sentence as Hillary’s, yet they are unattributed in the organization’s text.  What is more disturbing is that in the full pdf, Hillary is not listed as one of the women being honored.

#WHYWEMARCH
We are empowered by the legions of revolutionary leaderswho paved the way for us to march, and acknowledge those around the globe who fight for our freedoms. We honor these women and so many more. They are #WHYWEMARCH.
Bella Abzug • Corazon Aquino • Ella Baker • Grace Lee Boggs • Berta Cáceres • Rachel Carson • Shirley Chisholm • Angela Davis • Miss Major Griffin Gracy • LaDonna Harris • Dorothy I. Height • bell hooks • Judith Heumann •Dolores Huerta • Marsha P. Johnson • Barbara Jordan • Yuri Kochiyama • Winona LaDuke • Audre Lorde • Wilma Mankiller • Diane Nash • Sylvia Rivera • Barbara Smith • Gloria Steinem • Hannah G. Solomon • Harriet Tubman • Edith Windsor • Malala Yousafzai

WTF, you ask? Good question!  Why is the first woman ever to win the nomination of a major political party for the office of President of the United States not on this list?  Outrageous!

addhername

Sign the petition:

#AddHerName: Include Hillary Clinton as a Women’s March on Washington Honoree.

 

Read Full Post »

Bill Clinton tweeted his get well wishes first. Hillary retweeted him, and we all retweet both of them.  Get well soon Mr. President and Mrs. Bush!  We are all thinking of you and praying for your speedy recovery!

Hillary Clinton Retweeted Bill Clinton

Indeed. Bill & I have you in our thoughts & look forward to you both being back on your feet soon, wild socks & all. -H

Hillary Clinton added,


 

Read Full Post »

If there was any doubt that Broadway audiences love seeing the Clintons among them, that was put to rest this weekend.  Just a week after attending the closing performance of “The Color Purple” where Hillary received a standing ovation, the Clintons caught the closing matinee of “The Humans” where the audience repeated the greeting.

Hillary and Bill get standing ovation at ‘The Humans’

The couple received a “full standing ovation” when they arrived, and Hillary did a “full 360-wave to the crowd,” witnesses said.

Read more >>>>

Read Full Post »

Women’s marches are planned from coast to coast on January 21. Chartered buses galore (1200 as opposed to 200 the previous day for the inauguration) are expected to roll into the nation’s capital on January 21.  If you cannot make it to the big one in Washington, D.C., there is probably one within a reasonable distance from where you live.

Marches are scheduled in New York, Boston, Minnesota, and the Bay Area, to name a few.  The idea has even spread abroad. HuffPo notes:

… march spokespeople say it would be a mistake to overlook the 370 smaller “sister marches” that have been planned in every state and on six continents that weekend ― and that are expected at last count to draw nearly 700,000 people.
Read more here >>>>

Find a march near you >>>>

OR MAYBE NOT!!!! HILLARY CLINTON’S NAME IS MISSING FROM THIS DOCUMENT!!!!This is the reason you are seeing the hashtag #ADDHERNAME trending.


Following the Washington March, an Irish wake for the year 2016 will be held in D.C. by Irish American Democrats.

Dearly Beloved, We gather together to mourn our losses, celebrate those who have dedicated themselves to the cause of electing democrats, and to organize for the year ahead!

With Special Guest: Governor Martin O’Malley

Join the Irish American Democrats for an “Irish Wake” following the “Million Women March” in Washington, D.C. All funds raised will support our efforts in 2017 as we work to elect Democratic Governors in New Jersey and Virginia.

Host Committee:

Stella O’Leary – John McCarthy – Elizabeth Murray – Kelsi Browning – Tori Taylor – Jennifer Holdsworth – Christopher Jolly Hale – Nuala O’Leary – Lizzie Maguire – Rebecca Rougier – Nancy Grandquist – Drew McGinty – Linda Dyer Hart – Brent O’Leary – Brendan Hennessey

Read more here >>>>

Hillary Clinton and Stella O'Leary.

Hillary Clinton and Stella O’Leary.

To be crystal clear, men are welcome at all marches and events. Pipes, drums, and kilts optional.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »