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filmista · 4 years

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The Big Lebowski (1998)

“That rug really tied the room together.”

Few films by the Coen brothers have such a high quotability as 'The Big Lebowski'. Almost every line of dialogue lends itself to repetition, time and time again, and characters like Jesus, a pedophile and excentric bowler who finds an erotic pleasure in the game, Walter, a Vietnam veteran with more than a few loose screws and of course Lebowski, the Dude himself, were all destined to become cult figures.

Like all Coen films, it’s primarily a style exercise, in which they take a genre (in this case comedy) and explore all its boundaries - how far can they go in their tendencies towards the surrealistic and even absurd, before going too far?

Jeff Bridges plays what is probably the most iconic role of his career as Jeff Lebowski, better known as The Dude. The Dude is a walking anachronism from the sixties, a hippie who spends his time with bowling, blowing and on "the occasional LSD flashback".

He’s introduced as the laziest man in Los Angeles, someone with absolutely no ambitions or wishes, except for everyone to leave him alone and mind their own business.

His peace of mind is disturbed when two thugs burst into his house, push his head into the toilet and piss on his carpet. They ’re looking for a millionaire of the same name, whose wife has made debts with the wrong people. The Dude, who lives in a mess full of debris from the sixties and marijuana-Paraphernalia, is not a millionaire. When the bad guys realize this, they leave again, but The Dude is now left with a urine stain on his carpet.

He goes to complain to the real Lebowski, an arrogant millionaire who throws him out of his office, and as a logical reaction to a preachy speech (the bums will always lose!) he gets, he helps himself to the most beautiful carpet he can find in the house.

Shortly after, the trophy wife of Lebowski (Tara Reid, before 'American Pie') is kidnapped, probably by the same people who “urinated” on The Dudes carpet. Since The Dude is the only one who could recognize them, he is enlisted to hand over the ransom.

That’s the beginning of a plot that floats in about all directions at once and that’s almost impossible to explain in the less than two hours that the film lasts. German nihilists are involved, a vaginal/feminist artist named Maude (a delicious Julianne Moore), and the not-to-be-underestimated contributions from the bowling best friend of The Dude, Walter (John Goodman). (Shut the fuck up Donny! You’re out of your element!)

Whoever wants to complain that the film seems adrift should realize that provoking that feeling was precisely the intention. Just as The Dude leans passively backward and watches what happens to his life, the makers of the film didn’t provide a clear structure, a form in which the characters exist and act.

At the beginning of the film, The Dude is presented as "the man for our times," referring to the beginning of the nineties, the time of the first Gulf War. That background is clearly present in the film - when The Dude or Walter want to come across as important, they quote pieces from presidential speeches they have heard ("This aggression will not stand!").

That background works as an ironic counterpart to the totally laidback attitude of The Dude, who never worries about anything. A country at war, seems like important news, and what does The Dude worry about? About his carpet, (because it really tied the room together).

The Dude is a relic from the sixties, who forms a perfect team with Walter one is a hippie, the other a pretty messed up Vietnam veteran who still thinks he’s in the jungle at times and pulls a gun at the drop at a hat. Walter gets one psychopathic plan after another, The Dude just reminds him to take it easy. 'The Big Lebowski' has no clear theme that everything revolves around, and if there is one at all then it’s perhaps the utter futility of all action, of all attempts to exert influence over the world.

“God damn you Walter! You fuckin' asshole! Everything's a fuckin' travesty with you, man! And what was all that shit about Vietnam? What the FUCK, has anything got to do with Vietnam? What the fuck are you talking about?”

Conversations in this film are doomed from the beginning when people talk to each other, they don’t know what the other person is talking about, they don’t listen to each other or otherwise simply lie because reality can have unpleasant consequences.

No conversation ever solves anything - either the situation of the characters remains status quo, or it only worsens them, due to the added confusion. You often get the feeling that the term 'Waiting for Godot' isn’t too far off. The same can be said when the characters finally do decide to do something.

Moments like Walter, interfering in the money transfer or trashing an expensive car are the most obvious examples of a character that finally undertakes action, but would have been better off not doing anything at all.

The wittiest example of this, however, is when The Dude, very much against his character, wants to be clever and wants to conjure up the imprints on a notebook with a pencil. Smartly thought out, and it works but ultimately it leads nowhere.

For the rest, this is a film that works seemingly very improvisationally and spontaneously. You can imagine how the Coens wrote this: an idea leads to a next idea, then they come up with something else and so it goes on and then they make no attempt to give these ideas a more coherent form. That isn't necessary in the world of The Dude.

What keeps the film going is primarily the acting, which is remarkable. Julianne Moore does a fantastic imitation of Katharine Hepburn as Maude (probably my favorite fictional feminist), a fast-talking artist with a New England accent, and John Turturro is the absolute showstopper as Jesus, who probably gets the best line of dialogue throughout the film. It has something to do with a gun that goes "click"...

There is, of course, the visual talent of the Coens as well, who weren’t afraid to get lost in a surreal world in which everything can happen, and who also place those sensitivities into their camerawork.

Two brilliantly framed dream sequences and casual references to German expressionist cinema bear witness to this. Pay particular attention to the shot filmed from the standpoint of a rolling bowling ball, (always makes me slightly dizzy) that had to have been a first.

'The Big Lebowski' is without a doubt one of the most relaxed films I’ve ever seen, in which passivity becomes a lifestyle. The Dude chills, so the Dude abides. Hell yes.

@purecinema

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carnivalerie · 4 years

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Stake T̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ Your Heart!

This whiff of lilies, when integrated with your penchant for thrill, may insinuate a battlefield of rivalry, lunacy, and bloodlust. Its whiteness, akin to your crowning glory. And I, who wagered my life for it all.

I conjured up the image of our holy ground — your beloved “Tower of Doors” where you proposed on two knees, an earnest wish to reappoint me as your secretary. Beforehand, it must be insisted that my readiness to embark on any gamble of your fancy, notwithstanding the grim circumstances that might eventuate, was solely enkindled by "love".

To put it simply, my dear president, this prolonged hankering for your acknowledgment, granted me a great deal of spine necessary for staking my life on the line. Envisioning that gratified expression in your aquamarine eyes, as you put me in a pedestal at long last! Should I still be at fault for having been conquered by such an enticing prospect? Know that I had long since pined for that glory, to be esteemed by you in a manner that is paramount amongst many! Mainly, those who had achieved renown by gambling with their treacherous tactics, extraordinary stroke of luck and whatnot — you’d best not shed even the slightest bit of rumination on those vicious lot! Even so, I would wordlessly oblige to be feasted upon by their very cycle of deception and competition, should chance present me a higher footing in your innermost sentiments, my president. To the exclusion of that sea of ludicrous faces, my downfall in your eyes would resemble collision and chaos, instigated by the ravenous inhabitants of your favourite aquarium. Although there was no reason for me to partake in its long-established state of turmoil, catering to your every need and being at your beck and call, had faithfully served as my sole raison d'etre. This to say, when my beloved had bidden a beautiful tragedy to be spectated, then so be it! In return, I would implore of you to beautifully behold the entirety of my utter demise.

Just as you derived amusement from the madness and mayhem of Hyakkou Academy, I was similarly enthralled when you first distinguished yourself as a gambling prodigy. My own self had born witness to that particular fragment of history, when you fearlessly ventured for the presidential throne of the student council. Our former head of the academy suffered a crippling defeat, as you had managed to procure her luxurious designation in the school hierarchy. With a single move, no less! Ah, you could not even begin to fathom how that particular gamble had tremendously impacted my aspiration in life. I was spellbound by your lack of concern to the possible risk which you had subjected yourself to. And yet, to gain the seat of royalty with that heedless mindset! This aspect of you, my president, had always been in stark contrast to my deep-rooted inclination toward a logical line of thought. In my youth, I followed suit to the path of erudition, wherein I would opt for the company of a good book, rather than associate with any social circle in class. My complacent nature refused to tolerate any achievement of low caliber. Although reaching this pinnacle of success was fulfilling, in its stead, my obsessive-compulsive self soon went by unnoticed, until it deteriorated to no end. Being accustomed to this blissful sensation which inherently trailed after attainment, had roused within me a dangerous drive to prevail. This heart riddled with hubris was dead set on you, Kirari-kaichou! A befitting target who entailed much grandeur, outwardly yet with a beauty that touched upon your innards. In addition, your absurd conceptualisation of leisure had invited all sorts of strangely compelling episodes before my very eyes! No other mortal could be sophisticated yet indecipherable to your extent!

To cite a myriad of privileges which coincide with my duty as your secretary, I am primarily obligated to oversee the procurement of your daily meals, to accompany you during major engagements which are inclusive of student council meetings, and to be acquainted even with your personal affairs. When tasked with a lesser volume of your bidding, my nimble fingers tend to your exquisite features with utmost care. I take pleasure in intertwining your hair with ribbons, complementing your sheer elegance which is further made conspicuous through your aristocratic yet scholarly fashion, as well as its subtle embellishments of frills and laces. This rapturous routine concludes by offering you my appreciation, or a compliment of some sort. Whichever the case, the echoes of your endearing chuckle connote a mirthful reception to my loyalty. All of which constituted the crimson thread of our bond — over my rotten corpse, would I afford to have it severed. Overrun with eccentric personages and deceitful gamblers, Hyakkou Private Academy would undoubtedly become an impediment, in the midst of our budding entanglement. But rest assured, my president — whoever wished for your hand in battle, would first need to eliminate any trace of suspicion from me! So far, I had incapacitated those whose invitations were laced with intrigue, foul play, or downright precarious regulations. So as long as I remained close by, your displacement from harm’s way would endure each maddening day! Or so I conceived. To my dismay, our convictions did not align. Whoever was attributed with uttermost lunacy between us, was no longer of our concern. Perchance, the existence of that quintessential gambler — whose ancestry was closely linked with my lady — had awarded some sensibility into my system. A high roller whose indulgence in pure vice, had led us to gamble with this facetious demand: a game that navigated beyond the hackneyed provocation of life and death.

I, who had thus far welcomed the likelihood of my cessation, was doomed to wield all patterns of reason, so as to salvage my ruling passion. The said circumstances called for unwavering rationalisation, in correspondence with my critically lovelorn state. Whereas that madwoman placed her idée fixe as the ultimate bet, my loving relations to you, president, were at stake. Ah, the nerve of that scornful woman! The turbulence which went hand in hand with such a compulsive gambler, no different from a vindictive piranha in your Darwinian tank! Since you refused to lend an ear to my worries, I could only envision the manner with which she would bring about the ruin of what you held the most dear. And, concerning the possible termination of my secretary position, your consent emerged without a moment’s delay. Alongside that glint of fascination in your eyes, my bosom ached for even the faintest tinge of hesitation which you had so mercilessly deprived me. In deep contemplation, an overwhelming surge of despair crept over my body. Sentimentality spoke ill of you and I, who were destined to breathe in disparate realms of perception. Brooded over the remoteness of your bewitching air. Condemned to the precursory disposition of an onlooker! Unneeded. Led further astray from your serpentine divination, which I had so tenderly gazed upon in our bygone days. In favour of the celestial curiosity that embodied your ideals, I digressed from the abode of angels, and glimpsed at your light alone, at the end of this tunnel.

My lady, would it be meaningless to question whether the affiliation of a straight-laced secretary, and the enigmatic president with whom she had sworn fidelity, was a legend soon to be dismissed by this academy? If so, I would permit no tragedy as this! For the fool that I was, had implanted a false seedling of hope in my chest. Marvelled at the fantasy of being looked upon so affectionately. Dismissed the cacophonies of reality altogether. Smitten by the cold, hard surface of that esoteric tower, a splatter of blood cascaded from my forehead. Followed by a rush of adrenaline, my concentration perfectly intact, and finally, the sweet resonance of triumph whispered away my angst! For finally, finally, la fin de mon amour non partagé — with open arms, you would declare how unparalleled I am to those risk-takers who had foolishly stirred your fancy! This golden opportunity. Ecstasy. My flawless logic. Five minutes. Unbolted panel on the ceiling. Two more storeys to climb. A vision of your loveliness. The whitest lily, gritted between my teeth. Nearly there. My dearest president! For you, I — ah! . . . . . How woefully tragic. The beaming face of lunacy which addressed my arrival, did not belong to thee. Now, to relinquish the feasibility of our romance. I became fully aware of my blunder, simultaneously when the lily slipped from my quivering lips. Ironically speaking, logic had enshrouded the actual key to that tower, which you had designed solely for the desideratum of a competent gambler. Unfortunately, it was not I who beguiled you that night, nor was there any glimmer of hope in becoming the focal point of your fanciful eye. Dereliction of your expectations, my president, was hitherto the most revolting defeat that I had to stomach in the totality of my existence. It's no wonder that a lackluster woman in the likes of I, would not even register in your intricate mind.

Ramifications of my failure would now threaten to steal you away. As for the final act, I was sentenced to tumble five floors down to my death. How uncanny, when the remains of my agony gradually dissipated with the gentle zephyr instead. I recounted our days of heaven and hell — the odds of losing it all no longer made me bled. From my paronamic view, a paradise of lilies awaited me. Quietude crawled its way into my heart, and out came a penultimate profession of love. To perish in the abyss of my beloved's insatiable whim, was mayhaps the most amorous manner of passing into oblivion. I relished in this honour, allowing my frame to be seized by the dolorous yet intimate breeze. For I am beholden to you, until the very end. And yet, imagine my astonishment when I descended with you, president! Plummeted to the safeguard beneath your lily meadow, your rhapsodies of spontaneity had unfailingly rendered me speechless. Kaichou, the frivolous countenance that you bore, whilst laying by my side with seemingly no regard for the world, would haunt me until my own lifespan withered away. A declaration of differences remarked how you were similarly enthralled with my propensity for a rational mindset — beyond your grasp, yet within the vicinity of your enchantment. Teary-eyed once again. Over your sweet tongue and the heartening lick it inflicted on my skin! Elevating my disposition of a stranger, to your sworn secretary — a milestone that I would relentlessly relive! Kirari Momobami, my president, my queen. The curiosity which embodied your amour fou for gambling, was the much-needed amour that would grant me a reason for living.

FIN.

: dedicated to Gray-senpai ♥

: art by tamiyah_cv ✦

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things2mustdo · 3 years

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In order for a nation to survive, two critical emotions must be controlled. Contrary to popular belief, these emotions are not fear and greed—although these are very important to control, as well. Rather, it’s masculine aggression and feminine vanity that must be controlled…and we are doing a terrible job at this.

Unfortunately, over the past 70 years, we’ve seen sex roles and gender dynamics completely turned on their heads. Rather than men and women working together to create better relationships, more functional families, and more powerful countries, we’ve been pit against one another by toxic ideologies and ruthless demagogues.

It is not enough to simply know what is happening, however—we must know precisely how it’s happening, step by step, and more importantly, WHY it’s happening. In this article, I will explore why our society has gone so downhill so fast, and potential solutions we can integrate to remedy it (if we can save it, at all).

The Two Forces

As I said previously, there are two very delicate forces which must constantly be counter-balancing one another, and anytime they grow unbalanced, there will be chaos. These two forces are, of course, masculine aggression and feminine vanity. Too much masculine aggression, and a country becomes war-torn, unable to run itself or stay stable long enough to produce any sort of civilization (think the Middle East).

Too much feminine vanity, however, and the opposite occurs. Men become reclusive, because women become far too difficult to deal with. This is why we’ve seen the rise of the sigma male over the past 20 years—men who refuse to attach themselves to any sort of social hierarchy. They’re not alpha, beta, or omega. They just do as they do, without adhering to any sort of social group or workplace hierarchy.

As feminine vanity grows excessive, female hypergamy is given reign to run loose. Rather than men and women developing healthy relationships with one another, women become so conceited that they refuse to “settle” for anyone less than an alpha male Chad Thundercock, and thus we have a surplus of angry, bitter women who hit the wall at 30 and end up childless and alone.

It’s so obvious that it should go without saying, that we are currently in a serious imbalance. For far too long, masculine aggression has been hampered and stomped down by our effeminate school system, our brainwashing devices (aka TV’s), and our mass media control system. All the while, these things have encouraged women to do as they please, without any consequences or thought of their actions on a larger, societal scale.

Restoring the Balance

Balance will be restored, one way or another. There are only two ways for this imbalance to possibly be restored, and most men here will acknowledge, at least implicitly, that this is the case:

Men in OTHER COUNTRIES restore the balance (by coming here en masse)

Men in THIS COUNTRY restore the balance (by not being pussies)

Those are the only two options. There is no third option, where women somehow magically stop giving men 500,000 shit tests a day and step down to become good, faithful girlfriends, wives, and mothers. This will not happen. When a society reaches this critical imbalance, only one of two things can happen.

Of course, we all know what the elites (oy vey!) are pushing for. They want to bring millions of aggressive, young, fighting-age men to this country, to supposedly help combat “population decline.” We all know that this is complete horse shit, and that their true motive is to destroy America.

Even so, with the full force of the elites raining down upon us, there is hope. Over the past two years, we’ve seen more masculine energy emerge and come to the front of our socio-political battlegrounds than arguably any other time in history. For the first time in the past 70 years, men are reclaiming their manhood.

Let me reiterate that this is the only option. There is no magical world where everything just works out great, where we have millions of violent, aggressive 20-something-year-old men come into this country, and we retain our values as an Anglo-Saxon country. No. This will not happen. We either get our acts together, collectively, as men, or we watch our nation burn.

The Path Forward (2018-2020)

The next two years are of critical importance. We have collectively, successfully memed the most brutally alpha and pro-American president into office arguably since Ronald Reagan. This is not an opportunity that we can afford to squander—we must all begin proactively restoring the balance of masculinity in this country, from the top down, otherwise our nation will perish to globalists and their dumb, but useful allies.

There will be resistance, as there is whenever masculinity tries to assert itself. Pay no attention to this resistance. Simply follow the advice which the manosphere advocates for:

Create an income independent of a massive, bureaucratic, globalist corporation

Increase your testosterone levels (start by avoiding foods that kill testosterone)

Lift weights, and become physically able to stand up for yourself

Proactively participate in the upcoming midterms, and the Presidential Election of 2020

Do everything you can to red pill those who are ready (emphasis on them being ready)

If we, collectively, as a group of thousands of like-minded men all across the nation can successfully pull this off, we will see a resurgence of economic, political, and social growth which will have been unprecedented.

If we do not pull it off however, and our nation succumbs to the manipulations of the elite, a far more grim and sinister future will play out.

The Alternative

If we do not successfully reclaim the balance of masculine aggression and feminine vanity in this country, all will be lost, and we will be forced to either live through hell, or leave our homelands. Here’s what to expect over the next decade or so, if a social justice warrior is elected President in 2020, and we lose the culture wars:

Increasing surveillance over the internet

More thought crime policies instituted into law

The figurative castration of men all across the country

Eventual race wars, or religious wars, spurred on primarily by Islamic migrants

This is non-negotiable. If we lose the culture wars to SJW’s over the next several years, we will begin to see lobbying to shut down any and all manosphere websites dedicated to spreading the truth. We have already seen PayPal, YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and Google begin to censor people like Roosh, Alex Jones, Donald Trump, and other conservative/red pilled speakers. We cannot afford to stand this any longer.

If we lose these mediums to the globalists, they will easily gain the support of the public to institute thought crime policies into our legal system. You have a book by Bronze Age Pervert, that Amazon can track from your order history? NAZI SCUM! You’re going to prison. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t actually hurt anyone in any way shape or form, because you had an opinion that the globalists dislike.

As this begins to happen, men will self-imprison all over the nation. Some will fight, of course, and maybe win (if we’re lucky). Others will leave and attempt to gain citizenship in more male-friendly countries such as Denmark, Austria, and Poland. The rest will be forced to hang their heads in perpetual shame.

Eventually, as the population of third world migrants explodes, and tribalism is exacerbated by the polarizing media, we will begin to see rampant terrorist attacks, which are already happening in Germany, The UK, and other nations around the cucked European Union. Inevitably, this will end in a civil war.

It’s Our Choice

I have presented to you the only two choices that we have, and to me, the decision is quite simple. We can either sit around passively, and squabble amongst ourselves over stupid theories and philosophies, or we can take action to better ourselves and improve the stance of our nation.

The choice is clear to me. We either succumb to globalist propaganda, see the death of masculinity in the West, and see freedom of speech die as it is destined to do, or we fight back and create a better future. Some may say this is melodramatic. I would say that a mere cursory glance at history will prove otherwise.

Read Next: Cultural Collapse Theory: The 7 Steps That Lead To A Complete Culture Decline

It was Joe’s first date with Mary. He asked her what she wanted in life and she replied, “I want to establish my career. That’s the most important thing to me right now.” Undeterred that she had no need for a man in her life, Joe entertained her with enough funny stories and cocky statements that she soon allowed him to lightly pet her forearm.

At the end of the date, he locked arms with her on the walk to the subway station, when two Middle Eastern men on scooter patrol accosted them and said they were forbidden to touch. “This is Sharia zone,” they said in heavily accented English, in front of a Halal butcher shop. Joe and Mary felt bad that they offended the two men, because they were trained in school to respect all religions but that of their ancestors. One of the first things they learned was that their white skin gave them extra privilege in life which must be consciously restrained at all times. Even if they happened to disagree with the two men, they could not verbally object because of anti-hate laws that would put them in jail for religious discrimination. They unlocked arms and maintained a distance of three feet from each other.

Unfortunately for Joe, Mary did not want to go out with him again, but seven years later he did receive a message from her on Facebook saying hello. She became vice president of a company, but could not find a man equal to her station since women now made 25% more than men on average. Joe had long left the country and moved to Thailand, where he married a young Thai girl and had three children. He had no plans on returning to his country, America.

If cultural collapse occurs in the way I will now describe, the above scenario will be the rule within a few decades. The Western world is being colonized in reverse, not by weapons or hard power, but through a combination of progressivism and low reproductive rates. These two factors will lead to a complete cultural collapse of many Western nations within the next 200 years. This theory will show the most likely mechanism that it will proceed in America, Canada, UK, Scandinavia, and Western Europe.

What Is A Cultural Collapse?

Cultural collapse is the decline, decay, or disappearance of a native population’s rituals, habits, interpersonal communication, relationships, art, and language. It coincides with a relative decline of population compared to outside groups. National identity and group identification will be lost while revisionist history will be applied to demonize or find fault with the native population. Cultural collapse is not to be confused with economic or state collapse. A nation that suffers from a cultural collapse can still be economically productive and have a working government.

First I will share a brief summary of the cultural collapse progression before explaining them in more detail. Then I will discuss where I see many countries along its path.

The Cultural Collapse Progression

1. Removal of religious narrative from people’s lives, replaced by a treadmill of scientific and technological “progress.”

2. Elimination of traditional sex roles through feminism, gender equality, political correctness, cultural Marxism, and socialism.

3. Delay or abstainment of family formation by women to pursue careerist lifestyles while men wait in confused limbo.

4. Decreasing birth rate among native population.

5. Government enactment of open immigration policies to prevent economic collapse.

6. Immigrant refusal to fully acclimate, forcing host culture to adopt external rituals and beliefs while being out-reproduced.

7. Natives becoming marginalized in their own country.

1. Removal of religious narrative

Religion has been a powerful restraint for millennia in preventing humans from pursuing their base desires and narcissistic tendencies so that they satisfy a god. Family formation is the central unit of most religions, possibly because children increase membership at zero marginal cost to the church (i.e. they don’t need to be recruited).

Religion may promote scientific ignorance, but it facilitates reproduction by giving people a narrative that places family near the center of their existence.[1] [2] [3] After the Enlightenment, the rapid advance of science and its logical but nihilistic explanations into the universe have removed the religious narrative and replaced it with an empty narrative of scientific progress, knowledge, and technology, which act as a restraint and hindrance to family formation, allowing people to pursue individual goals of wealth accumulation or hedonistic pleasure seeking.[4] As of now, there has not been a single non-religious population that has been able to reproduce above the death rate.[5]

Even though many people today claim to believe in god, they may not step inside a church but once or twice a year for special holidays. Religion went from being a lifestyle, a manual for living, to something that is thought about in passing.

2. Elimination of traditional sex roles

Once religion no longer plays a role in people’s lives, the stage is set to fracture male-female bonding. It is collectively attacked by several ideologies stemming from the beliefs of Cultural Marxist theory, which serve to accomplish one common end: destruction of the family unit so that citizens are dependent on the state. They achieve this goal through the marginalization of men and their role in society under the banner of “equality.”[6] With feminism pushed to the forefront of this umbrella movement, the drive for equality ends up being a power grab by women.[7] This attack is performed on a range of fronts:

medicating boys from a young age with ADHD drugs to eradicate displays of masculinity[8]

shaming of men for having direct sexual interest in attractive and fertile women

criminalization of normal male behavior by redefining some instances of consensual sex as rape[9]

imprisonment of unemployed fathers for non-payment of child support, rendering them destitute and unable to be a part of their children’s lives[10]

taxation of men at higher rates for redistribution to women[11] [12]

promotion of single mother and homosexual lifestyles over that of the nuclear family[13] [14]

The end result is that men, confused about their identify and averse to state punishment from sexual harassment, “date rape,” and divorce proceedings, make a rational decision to wait on the sidelines.[15] Women, still not happy with the increased power given to them, continue their assault on men by instructing them to “man up” into what has become an unfair deal—marriage. The elevation of women above men is allowed by corporations, which adopt “girl power” marketing to expand their consumer base and increase profits.[16] [17] Governments also allow it because it increases their tax revenue. Because there is money to be made with women working and becoming consumers, there is no effort by the elite to halt this development.

3. Women begin to place career above family

At the same time men are emasculated as mere “sperm donors,” women are encouraged to adopt the career goals, mannerisms, and competitive lifestyles of men, inevitably causing them to delay marriage, often into an age where they can no longer find suitable husbands who have more resources than themselves. [18] [19] [20] [21] The average woman will find it exceedingly difficult to balance career and family, and since she has no concern of getting “fired” from her family, who she may see as a hindrance to her career goals, she will devote an increasing proportion of time into her job.

Female income, in aggregate, will soon match or exceed that of men.[22] [23] [24] A key reason that women historically got married was to be economically provided for, but this reason will no longer persist and women will feel less pressure or motivation to marry. The burgeoning spinster population will simply be a money-making opportunity for corporations to market to an increasing population of lonely women. Cat and small dog sales will rise.

Women succumb to their primal sexual and materialistic urges to live the “Sex and the City” lifestyle full of fine dining, casual sex, technological bliss, and general gluttony without learning traditional household skills or feminine qualities that would make them attractive wives.[25] [26] Men adapt to careerist women in a rational way by doing the following:

to sate their natural sexual desires, men allow their income to lower since economic stability no longer provides a draw to women in their prime[27]

they mimic “alpha male” social behavior to get laid with women who, without having an urgent need for a man’s monetary resources to survive, can choose men based on confidence, aesthetics, and general entertainment value[28]

they withdraw into a world of video games and the internet, satisfying their own base desires for play and simulated hunting[29] [30]

Careerist women who decide to marry will do so in a hurried rush around 30 because they fear growing old alone, but since they are well past their fertility peak[31], they may find it difficult to reproduce. In the event of successful reproduction at such a later age, fewer children can be born before biological infertility, limiting family size compared to the historical past.

4. Birth rates decrease among native population

The stage is now set for the death rate to outstrip the birth rate. This creates a demographic cliff where there is a growing population of non-working elderly relative to able-bodied younger workers. Two problems result:

Not enough tax revenue is supplied by the working population in order to provide for the elderly’s medical and social retirement needs.[32] Borrowing can only temporarily maintain these entitlements.

Decrease of economic activity since more people are dying than buying.[33]

No modern nation has figured out how to substantially raise birth rates among native populations. The most successful effort has been done in France, but that has still kept the birth rate among French-born women just under the replacement rate (2.08 vs 2.1).[34] The easiest and fastest way to solve this double-edged problem is to promote mass immigration of non-elderly individuals who will work, spend, and procreate at rates greater than natives.[35]

A replenishing supply of births are necessary to create taxpayers, workers, entrepreneurs, and consumers in order to maintain the nation’s economic development.[36] While many claim that the planet is suffering from “overpopulation,” an economic collapse is inevitable for those countries who do not increase their population at steady rates.

5. Large influx of immigration

An aging population without youthful refilling will cause a scarcity of labor, increasing that labor’s price. Corporate elites will now lobby governments for immigration reform to relieve this upward pressure on wages.[37] [38] At the same time, the modern mantra of sustained GDP growth puts pressure on politicians for dissemination of favorable economic growth data to aid in their re-elections. The simplest way to increase GDP without innovation or development of industry is to expand the population. Both corporate and political elites now have their goals in alignment where the easiest solution becomes immigration.[39] [40]

While politicians hem and haw about designing permanent immigration policies, immigrants continue to settle within the nation.[41] The national birth rate problem is essentially solved overnight, as it’s much easier to drain third-world nations of its starry-eyed population with enticements of living in the first-world than it is to encourage the native women to reproduce. (Lateral immigration from one first-world nation to another is so relatively insignificant that the niche term ‘expatriation’ has been developed to describe it). Native women will show a stubborn resistance at any suggestion they should create families, much preferring a relatively responsibility-free lifestyle of sexual variety, casual internet dating via mobile apps, consumer excess, and comfortable high-paying jobs in air conditioned offices.[42] [43]

Immigrants will almost always come from societies that are more religious and, in the case of Islam with regard to European immigration, far more scientifically primitive and rigid in its customs.[44]

6. Sanitization of host culture coincides with increase in immigrant power

While many adult immigrants will feel gracious at the opportunity to live in a more prosperous nation, others will soon feel resentment that they are forced to work menial jobs in a country that is far more expensive than their own.[45] [46] [47] [48] [49] The majority of them remain in lower economic classes, living in poor “immigrant communities” where they can speak their own language, find their own homeland foods, and follow their own customs or religion.

Instead of breaking out of their foreigner communities, immigrants seek to expand it by organizing. They form local groups and civic organizations to teach natives better ways to understand and serve immigrant populations. They will be eager to publicize cases where immigrants have been insulted by insensitive natives or treated unfairly by police authorities in the case of petty crime.[50] [51] [52] [53] [54] [55] School curriculums may be changed to promote diversity or multiculturalism, at great expense to the native culture.[56] Concessions will be made not to offend immigrants.[57] A continual stream of outrages will be found and this will feed the power of the organizations and create a state within a state where native elites become fearful of applying laws to immigrants.[58]

7. Destruction of native culture

This step has not yet happened in any first-world nation, so I will predict it based on logically extending known events I have already described.

Local elites will give lip service to immigrant groups for votes but will be slow to give them real state or economic power. Citizenship rules may even be tightened to prevent immigrants from being elected. The elites will be mostly insulated from the cultural crises in their isolated communities, private schools, and social clubs, where they can continue to incubate their own sub-culture without outside influence. At the same time, they will make speeches and enact polices to force native citizens to accept multiculturalism and blind immigration. Anti-hate and anti-discrimination laws will be more vigorously enforced than other more serious crimes. Police will monitor social networking to identify those who make statements against protected classes.

Cultural decline begins in earnest when the natives feel shame or guilt for who they are, their history, their way of life, and where their ancestors came from. They will let immigrant groups criticize their customs without protest, or they simply embrace immigrant customs instead with religious conversion and interethnic marriages. Nationalistic pride will be condemned as a “far-right” phenomenon and popular nationalistic politicians will be compared to Hitler. Natives learn the art of self-censorship, limiting the range of their speech and expressions, and soon only the elderly can speak the truths of the cultural decline while a younger multiculturalist within earshot attributes such frankness to senility or racist nostalgia.

With the already entrenched environment of political correctness (see stage 2), the local culture becomes a sort of “world” culture that can be declared tolerant and progressive as long as there is a lack of criticism against immigrants, multiculturalism, and their combined influence. All cultural identity will eventually be lost, and to be “American” or “British,” for example, will no longer have modern meaning from a sociological perspective. Native traditions will be eradicated and a cultural mixing will take place where citizens from one world nation will be nearly identical in behavior, thought, and consumer tastes to citizens of another. Once a collapse occurs, it cannot be reversed. The nation’s cultural heritage will be forever lost.

I want to now take a brief look at six different countries and see where they are along the cultural collapse progression…

Russia

This is an interesting case because, up to recently, we saw very low birth rates not due to progressive ideals but from a rough transition to capitalism in the 1990’s and a high male mortality from alcoholism.[59] [60] To help sustain its population, Russia is readily accepting immigrants from Central Asian regions, treating them like second-class citizens and refusing to make any accommodations away from the ethnic Russian way of life. Even police authorities turn a blind eye when local skinhead groups attack immigrants.[61] In addition, Russia has also shown no tolerance to homosexual or progressive groups,[62] stunting their negative effects upon the culture. The birth rate has risen in recent years to levels seen in Western Europe but it’s still not above the death rate. Russia will see a population collapse before a cultural one.

Likelihood of 50-year cultural collapse: Very low

Brazil

We’re seeing rapid movement through stages 2 and 3, where progressive ideology based on the American model is becoming adopted and a large poor population ensure progressive politicians will continue to remain in power with promises of economic redistribution.[63] [64] [65] Within 15 years we should see a sharp drop in birth rates and a relaxation of immigration laws.

Likelihood of 50-year cultural collapse: Moderate

America

Some could argue that America is currently experiencing a cultural collapse. It always had a fragile culture because of its immigrant foundings, but immigrants of the past (including my own parents) rapidly acclimated into the host culture to create a sense of national pride around an ethic of hard work and shared democratic values. This is being eroded as a fem-centric culture rises in its place, with its focus on trends, celebrities, homosexuality, multiculturalism, and male-bashing. Natives have become pleasure seekers with little inclination to reproduction during their years of peak fertility.[66]

Likelihood of 50-year cultural collapse: Very high

England

While America always had high amounts of immigration, and therefore a system of integration, England is newer to the game. In the past 20 years, they have massively ramped up their immigration efforts.[67] A visit to London will confirm that the native British are slowly becoming minorities, with their iconic red telephone booths left undisturbed purely for tourist photo opportunities. Approximately 5% of the English population is now Muslim.[68] Instead of acclimatizing, they are achieving early success in creating zones with Sharia law.[69] The English elite, in response, is jailing natives under stringent anti-race laws.[70] England had a highly successful immigration story with Polish immigrants who eagerly acclimated to English culture, but have opened the doors to other peoples who don’t want to integrate.[71]

Likelihood of 50-year cultural collapse: Very high

Sweden

Sweden is experiencing a similar immigration situation to England, but they possess a higher amount of self-shame and white guilt. Instead of allowing immigrants who could work in the Swedish economy, they are encouraging migration of asylum seekers who have been made destitute by war. These immigrants enter Sweden and immediately receive social benefits. In effect, Sweden is welcoming the least economically productive people in the world.[72] The immigrants will produce little or no economic benefit, and may even worsen Sweden’s economy. Immigrants are turning some parts of Sweden, such as the Rosengard area of Malmo, into a ghetto.[73]

Likelihood of 50-year cultural collapse: Very high

Poland

From my one and half years of living in Poland, I have seen a moderate level of progressive ideological creep, careerism among women, hedonism, and idolation of Western values, particularly out of England, where a large percentage of the Polish population have emigrated for work. Younger Poles may not act much different from their Western counterparts in their party lifestyle behavior, but there nonetheless remains a tenuous maintenance of traditional sex roles. Women of fertile age are pursuing relationships over one-night stands, but careerism is causing them to stall family formation. This puts a downward pressure on birth rates, which stems from significant numbers of fertile young women emigrating to countries like the UK and USA, along with continued economic uncertainties faced from transitioning to capitalism[74]. As Europe’s “least multicultural” nation, Poland has long been hesitant to accept immigrants, but this has recently changed and they are encouraging migrants.[75] To its credit, it is seeking first-world entrepreneurs instead of low skilled laborers or asylum seekers. Its cultural fate will be an interesting development in the years to come, but the prognosis will be more negative as long as its young people are eager to leave the homeland.

Likelihood of 50-year cultural collapse: Possible

Poland and Russia show the limitations of Cultural Collapse Theory in that it best applies to first-world nations with highly developed economies. They have low birth rates but not through the mechanism I described, though if they adopt a more Western ideological track like Brazil, I expect to see the same outcome that is befalling England or Sweden.

There can be many paths to cultural destruction, and those nations with the most similarities will gravitate towards the same path, just like how Eastern European nations are suffering low birth rates because of mass emigration due to being introduced into the European Union.

How To Stop Cultural Collapse

Maintaining native birth rates while preventing the elite from allowing immigrant labor is the most effective means at preventing cultural collapse. Since multiculturalism is an experiment with no proven efficacy, a culture can only be maintained by a relatively homogenous group who identify with each other. When that homogeneity breaks down and one citizen looks to the next and does not see a person with the same values as himself, the culture falls in dis-repair as native citizens begin to lose a shared means of communication and identity. Once the percentage of the immigrant population crosses a certain threshold (perhaps 15%), the decline will pick up in pace and cultural breakdown will be readily apparent to all observers.

Current policies to solve low birth rates through immigration is a short-term fix with dire long-term consequences. In effect, it’s a Trojan-horse prescription of irreversible cultural destruction. A state must prevent itself from entering the position where mass immigration is considered a solution by blocking progressive ideologies from taking hold. One way this can be done is through the promotion of a state-sponsored religion which encourages the nuclear family instead of single motherhood and homosexuality. However, introducing religion as a mainstay of citizen life in the post-enlightenment era may be impossible.

We must consider that the scientific era is an evolutionary maladaptive feature of humanity that natural selection will accordingly punish (i.e. those who are anti-religious and pro-science will simply breed less). It must also be considered that with religion in permanent decline, cultural collapse may be a certainty that eventually occurs in all developed nations. Religion, it may turn out, was evolutionary beneficial to the human race.

Another possible solution is to foster a patriarchal society where men serve as strong providers. If you encourage the development of successful men who possess indispensable skills and therefore resources that are lacked by females, there will be women below their station who want to marry and procreate with them, but if strong women are produced instead, marriage and procreation is unlikely to take place at levels above the death rate.

A gap between the sexes should always exist in the favor of men if procreation is to occur at high rates, or else you’ll have something similar to the situation in America where urban professional women cannot find “good men” to begin a family with (i.e., men who are significantly more financially successful than them). They instead remain single and barren, only used occasionally by cads for exciting casual sex.

One issue that I purposefully ignored is the effect of technology and consumerism on lowering birth rates. How much influence does video games, internet, and smartphones contribute to a birth decline? How much of an effect does Western-style consumerism have in delaying marriage? I suspect they have more of an amplification effect than being an outright cause. If a country is proceeding through the cultural collapse model, technology will simply hurry the collapse, but giving internet access to a traditionally religious group of people may not cause them to flip overnight. Research will have to be done in these areas to say for sure.

Conclusion

The first iteration of any theory is sure to create as many questions as answers, but I hope that by proposing this model, it becomes more clear why some cultures seem so quick to degrade while others display a sort of immunity. Some countries may be too far down the wrong path to be saved, but I hope the information presented gives concerned readers ideas on protecting their own culture by allowing them to connect how progressive ideologies that may seem innocent or benign on the surface can eventually lead to an outright collapse of their nation’s culture.

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carmelthaxton-blog · 4 years

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Sports Picks, Odds And News From Sports Betting Professionals

On the internet and mobile sports betting in Mississippi is coming at some point, but there are no immediate plans. There are no pending bills to legalize sports betting in the state just before the Legislature, and the earliest one could be filed would be late this year ahead 토토사이트 of the next legislative session, a spokesperson for Republican Gov. Indiana sports betting kicked off on Sunday, September 1, 2019. Alongside our market place-major betting odds, we've got a each day stream of player news and group updates on the 888Sport blog. Last but not least, we have been excited to uncover that the most significant names in on the internet betting accept Canadian shoppers. Sports betting has turn 토토사이트 into more mainstream and with that comes offers like the IOC and Genius Sports who have agreed to track betting on the summer time Olympics. There are particular government regulations that differ for both gambling and betting activities, according to the way they operate. Betting on sports, and college football particularly, is illegal. The state lottery launched online sports betting in October 2019, a month just after a tribal casino started accepting wagers. Over the years, numerous sports publishers, like Bleacher Report, ESPN and Sports Illustrated, have established content material verticals committed to sports betting, and in 2017 The Chernin Group formed a new sports media company, The Action Network, dedicated to covering sports betting. In-play sports betting has structural qualities that have changed the mechanics of gambling for sports bettors, as they are now able to location a bigger number of bets throughout a single sports game (as opposed to a single bet on who is going to win). Loyalty programs 토토사이트 are also applied by betting web-sites to incentivize players and hold them engaged. The extended-term prognosis for sports and betting is bleak if corruption is not dealt with. 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Betting on sports, and college football specifically, is illegal. It approved legislation allowing its lottery to administer legal sports betting inside the boundaries of the federal jurisdiction. BetOnline can be a true haven for folks who are looking for all of the greatest 토토사이트 sports betting internet sites. That is pretty a adjust from when PASPA was overturned, and the executive director of Vermont's lottery said he didn't know of a single person who wanted sports betting in the state. Betting the underdog Lions, you are "taking" six points, and they can shed by five or fewer, or win the game outright, and you have a winning bet. The Property version calls for taxing betting receipts at ten%, dedicating the net proceeds for education and gambling-addiction applications. For instance, a single of the renowned betting sites prices various candidates to win the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. A Louisiana sports betting bill had been proposed, but state lawmakers wavered and failed to pass the law in time. Congress can also take action on the authorization and regulation of sports betting but has so far left it up to person states. West Virginia had its initial taste of on the internet sports betting in late 2018 with the BetLucky app, but ran into service provider difficulties and the web site was quickly taken down. With online gambling in the US reaching fever pitch, you need to have a website that is going to inform, educate and deliver the very latest concerning online sports betting and casinos. That is why our sportsbook delivers the option of inPLAY betting. It was initially thought that a constitutional amendment would be required to legalize sports betting in Georgia, but as lawyer Daniel Wallach noted , that may possibly not be the case. With oversight delegated to the Virginia Lottery, the bill would permit sports betting on a wide assortment of events, but not any involving Virginia-primarily based colleges or particular youth sports. All bookmaker operational rules, racing & betting rules and any other legislation can be obtained from the Gauteng Gambling Board web site. 45 Following this, sportsbooks opened at the casinos in Atlantic City and at Meadowlands Racetrack 46 47 On-line sports betting is also legal in New Jersey. A handful of actions stay prior to DC sports betting can launch. There are large differences between day-to-day fantasy sports and sports betting.

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thefilmsnob · 4 years

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The Hunt: **1/2 out of 5

You can argue all you want about the quality of The Hunt or the controversy surrounding the film or even its link to Donald Trump, but there’s no denying the number of roadblocks this project has encountered on its mission to attract some sort of audience.

The new(ish) movie, directed by Craig Zobel, had an initial release date of September 27, 2019 before moving to October 18 then back to September 27 before being shelved indefinitely. The changes were made in response to the Dayton and El Paso shootings as well as Trump’s tweet criticizing liberal Hollywood for releasing violent movies and calling themselves elite. After all that, the film got a new release date of March 13th, but would you believe, it couldn’t be shown in theaters because they all closed due to some virus. Its final destination is on streaming platforms where it arrived just days after its theatrical premier. In short, the film’s been royally screwed. I guess that’s what you get when you don’t follow that old adage: ‘Always prepare for Tweets from a deranged president, two mass shootings and a pandemic.’

If Trump actually watched the film before deriding it (unthinkable!), he would’ve learned that those liberal ‘elites’ are actually the villains (you don’t really go to a movie to cheer on the hunter). Characters on both the left and the right are presented in negative ways, but it’s those on the left who commit horrifying acts. That’s the irony of the situation. What’s apt is how Trump’s knee-jerk reaction exemplifies what the film condemns. So, then, was this reaction good for the movie by validating one of its core arguments? I’m going to stop there before this gets too confusing.

Because, really, the film’s not worth such a complex debate. It’s not exactly much ado about nothing, but it’s much ado about very little. It all starts with a group text involving a bunch of rich, liberal ‘elites’ celebrating the upcoming hunt of ‘deplorables’, a not so secret code word for those on the far right and a reference to a Hilary Clinton quote from the 2016 Presidential Election. Suddenly, we’re in a forest where a group of people wake up gagged with no clue where they are or how they got there. They find a mysterious crate in a clearing just begging to be opened which is, fortunately, full of weapons and keys to their gags. Unfortunately, no sooner do they free themselves and gear up than they become target practise for their unseen captors. And we’re off! It’s a game of ‘elite’ hunters vs ‘deplorable’ prey.

That seems straightforward, but there are some twists and turns amidst the all-out carnage; after all, it was written by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof. Even so, they’re few and far between the gratuitous violence and when there is a revelation of sorts, especially near the end, it underwhelms. That’s partly because we already know so much from the outset; the twists are essentially minor tweaks. The story may’ve worked better if Lindelof followed his Lost playbook and kept us in the dark completely at first before gradually peeling away the layers. And it might’ve worked better as a satire or social commentary if it were delivered by a different narrative vehicle. There’re some intriguing ideas floating around in the fog of war, but they’re clumsily deployed and may be lost on an audience showing up primarily for a battle royale.

A major player in said battle is Betty Gilpin’s Crystal and thank God for that. Some may recognize the emerging actress as Debbie Eagan from Netflix’s GLOW and just as that character is wildly different from her wrestling alter ego Liberty Belle, so too is Crystal, who’s not so much America’s Sweetheart as America’s One-Woman-Army. She has the combat skills and tactical awareness of a soldier and she’s one of the few players in this scenario that gives the hunters a significant challenge. Crystal’s a deadly woman of few words and a lethal scowl—one Gilpin employs a tad excessively—but the actress makes her more complex than the standard cinematic female warrior and helps elevate this movie to a level of being watchable.

‘Complex’ isn’t a term I’d use for most of the other characters, though. For starters, there’s just not enough time to develop anyone amidst the gunfire and booby traps, especially when people are being picked off right, left and center in this hasty 90-minute story. And when the characters do speak, their dialogue is based almost entirely on stereotypes, as if the writers were checking them off from a laundry list before adding them to the script. One far-lefter takes offence over another far-lefter’s use of the word ‘guys’ to which the latter responds by saying, “I’m sorry. I gendered it.” One far-righter is asked why he owns seven guns to which he responds by saying, “Because it’s my constitutional right to protect myself if I should ever happen to be getting f***ing shot at.” Now, this movie can be categorized as comedy or satire, sure, but the exhaustive use of such lazy and obvious jokes becomes cringe-worthy, like watching amateur improv.

The movie does make some important points about the dangers of acting on bad information or what we call ‘fake news’ nowadays, but it takes its sweet time getting there then rushes to dispense the meat of the matter before serving us more filler. Yet, there’s still Gilpin. And, as with most of his work, Lindelof holds your attention throughout, even though, as with most of his work, you may or may not love where it leads. This movie should’ve never been delayed, shelved or censored in any way and I will always defend the right of an artist to release his or her work; however, that doesn’t mean I have to defend the work as great art. The Hunt is merely 90 minutes of passable entertainment. In our current situation, I suppose that’ll do.

#the hunt #blumhouse #movie review #betty gilpin

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taraturista · 4 years

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Reasons why Banaue Rice Terraces called “The Breathtaking Rice Terraces of the Philippines.”

Rice Terraces of the Philippines is one of the UNESCO’s Heritage Site that acquires outstanding example of an evolved, living cultural landscape that can be discovered as far back as two millennia ago in the pre-colonial Philippines. It is often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world and called as the “Stairways to the Sky.” Some 2,000 years ago, indigenous people of the Cordillera mountain range hand-carved the slopes to utilize them for agriculture. The terraces illustrate a persistence of cultural traditions and remarkable continuity and endurance, the maintenance of the living rice terraces reflects a primarily cooperative approach of the whole community which is based on detailed knowledge of the rich diversity of biological resources existing in the Ifugao agro-ecosystem. Through ritual practices, chants and symbols which emphasize ecological balance, the Ifugao community has maintained the intactness of the terraces’ traditional management system over this long period of time, ensuring the authenticity of both the original landscape engineering and the traditional wet-rice agriculture. Once this balance is disturbed the whole system begins to collapse, but so long as they all operate together harmoniously the overall result would be perfect. The terraces have long been protected and managed through traditional ancestral land use management traditions of the indigenous Ifugao community. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras were declared National Treasures in Presidential Decrees 260:1973 and 1505:1978. The terraces are likewise protected by the Republic Act No 10066:2010, providing for the protection and conservation of the National Cultural Heritage.

To widely understand and appreciate the Breathtaking Rice Terraces of the Philippines here are some insights and reasons:

Photography skills, luxury high-definition of camera or lenses are nothing campared to this beautiful view. The scenery will give you extra HD view with your eyes if you would come here personally.

You will highly appreciate our rich history while seeing this beautiful scenery. Somehow, you will realize how great the Ifugaos by building the Rice Terraces by their own hands. It is a living story of how generations of farmers and laborers worked together as a community to achieve this mesmerizing landscape.

By having conversations with the locals you will appreciate the simple beauty of life. Their lifestyle don’t change and they actually don’t rely on modern technology. The whole world might see the Ifugaos as being left behind in time but for them, the preservation of their rich culture is more important.

The Banaue Rice Terraces is a perfect example of the balance of nature. The people living in the area take care of their surroundings and the environment provide them their food and necessities in return.

Banaue Rice Terraces is truly a breathtaking giving these wonderful reasons why you should visit the Heritage site. By seeing this destination you will realize more about yourself, the culture, most importantly, you can discover a way of life that is very different from yours.

HERE ARE SOME TIPS WHEN TRAVELLING

PLAN CAREFULLY

Make sure to check where to go and the itinerary throughout your whole trip is well-scheduled. Plan for the accommodation and the basic needs for travelling.

WHAT TO PACK

Get yourself a good backpack that has all your needs and make sure to not bring what is not important in your trip. Always double check your belongings before leaving.

ENJOY

Lastly, enjoy. The trip doesn’t make sense if you are always rushing and stress it is important to have fun and appreciate the destination. Careless but be responsible on your actions.

Authors:

DE GUZMAN, EDLYN

TRINIDAD, STEPHANIE

#turista #travel #localtravel #unesco #heritagesite #mabuhayphilippines #enjoylife #breathtaking nature #tipswhentravelling

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smudigitalcollections · 6 years

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SMU Libraries Digital Collections Update: July 2018

In July 2018, SMU Libraries uploaded 277 items into SMU Libraries Digital Collections.

Highlights include:

Dallas : the commercial manufacturing center … : come to Dallas, the center of the agricultural district of Texas, ca. 1910, DeGolyer Library, SMU.

26 documents, ca. 1910-1936, in the Texas: Photographs, Manuscripts and Imprints digital collection as part of the TexTreasures FY2018 grant program, sponsored by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These documents feature promotional literature from the early 20th century that supports both urban and rural development throughout Texas.

Cities featured include Abilene, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio. Literature promoting settlement and development in these locations focuses on industrial and agricultural development, and lists local businesses, services, and resources to prove the worthiness of the cities to prospective new residents. Several of these works were produced by local chambers of commerce, yet others were produced by businesses. The smaller cities of Almeda, Alpine, Memphis, Mercedes, and Rosenberg emphasize agriculture, climate, natural resources, and the availability of land. Rural cities were also promoted as tourist destinations, with promotional literature concerning them describing natural scenes, recreation activities, and cultural or historical points of interest.

[Jake and Nancy Hamon with Louis Armstrong at 1961 Silent Movies theme party], 1961, Bywaters Special Collections, SMU.

25 items were added to the Jake and Nancy Hamon Papers collection. These include 8 invitations to the Hamons’ famed theme parties, as well as

9 photographs of Jake and Nancy at the events.One photograph shows Jake and Nancy with prolific jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Also included are two color snapshots of Jake and Nancy from 1982, and

3 images of Nancy on the set of the 1943 film The Heat’s On.

One audio file of a Jackson lecture by Rabbi Levi Olan titled, “The Prophetic Faith in a Secular City – The Kingdom of God”, given on February 4, 1971 to the Perkins School of Theology digital collection.

[Johnny Cash on Stage], July 3, 1981, DeGolyer Library, SMU.

35 images taken by Andy Hanson from about 1960 through 1986, to the Collection of Photographs by Andy Hanson. These images feature musicians, actors, athletes, and political figures who visited the Dallas area, including Ron Howard, Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Henry Kissinger, and James Brown, to name but a few. Among this set is an image Hanson captured of Johnny Cash on stage in Fort Worth, wearing his signature “Man in Black” outfit.

22 images to the Bridwell Library’s Fifteenth-Century Printed Books digital collection for a total of 1100 items in the collection. Each book in this collection was printed in Europe prior to 1501.

3 videos from the Hilltop Annual Videos. These videos, produced by the Student Media Company, document student and administrative life of the SMU campus from the years 1987-1990. Topics covered in these videos include fallout from the NCAA suspension, sorority and fraternity life, and the 1988 presidential election.

[Corner of Main and Akard], ca. 1910s, DeGolyer Library, SMU.

114 photographs, taken between the late 1800s to the early 1960s, from the George A. McAfee Photographs collection. Many of the images were taken by local photographer George A. McAfee, while some were by other photographers but in his personal collections. McAfee took many photographs of the streets of downtown Dallas, especially notable buildings and the streetcar system. The images also include Love Field Airport and train stations around DFW.

1 image from the World War I collection was added to Europe, Asia, and Australia- Photographs, Manuscripts, and Imprints. This German postcard features a soldier and a woman standing near an ocean with a submarine surfacing behind them.

6 stereographs, taken in 1867 by Alexander Gardner, from Across the continent on the Union Pacific Railway, Eastern Division. These stereographs feature views along the route of the Union Pacific, Eastern Division, later the Kansas Pacific Railroad, and geological features in Missouri and Kansas.

Bosque de Chapultepec [No. 93], ca. 1880s-1890s, DeGolyer Library, SMU.

16 images, ca. 1880s to 1902, by Alfred Briquet, from [Collection of Alfred Briquet views of Mexico]. Briquet spent nearly 50 years photographing Mexico, and his subjects include churches, historical monuments, gold mines, Bosque de Chapultepec, and the Mexican Railway.

3 images, ca. 1890-1920, from Collection of African American Photographs, featuring images of African Americans in Texas and Oklahoma. Among these items is a family portrait depicting various members of the Porter family, who resided in Oklahoma.

8 lantern slides, ca. 1902-1935, from the Cullum & Boren Advertising Collection. The slides are advertisements from the Dallas sporting goods store Cullum & Boren, promoting cameras and film, bicycles, and an automobile tent.

15 stereographs, ca. 1880s-1890s, from the William Henry Jackson Stereographs. These images, taken by photographer W.H. Jackson, were taken in Mexico with a focus on churches, cityscapes, and landmarks.

12 stereographs, taken between 1896 and the 1940s, from the Collection of Texas Stereographs. These stereoviews are primarily from Keystone View Company. Most of the images are of rural Texas, including livestock, farm fields, and a cotton mill.

9 items, taken between 1868 and 1949, featuring the U.S. West. The items include 8 postcards depicting studio pictures of cowboys from the early 20th century and one stereograph by Alexander Gardner featuring Arapaho children.

#digital collections #archives #libraries #smu #southern methodist university #Dallas #texas

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marchpriest40 · 2 years

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Covid Vaccine And Check Requirements For U S Entry

For persons introduced by CECC, the traveler must provide data of recent exit/entry report. For vacationers accredited under an company program, the traveler should present a letter of approval. Entry measures for migrant workers, overseas college students and different personnel whose entry is supervised by competent authority are managed in accordance with associated management measures issued by Taiwan CDC. Travelers with out signs shall return to house or go to a quarantine lodge for a 14-day home quarantine interval. Travelers with out symptoms shall return to house or go to a quarantine hotel for a seven day quarantine interval. Travelers shall apply self-health management for seven days. This brings the total submitting fees to $2,270 for candidates submitting the Forms I-485, I-765 and I-131 concurrently, which is almost double the present charges. The restrictions put in place by presidential proclamations 10014and10052 are also nonetheless in impact. These proclamations droop the entry of sure immigrants and nonimmigrants to the United States till December 31, 2020. As we mentioned in our August 27, 2020 legal update, the U.S. Department of State issued some exceptions to those restrictions. However, implementation and interpretation has been inconsistent across consulates. I will be needing to enter China a quantity of occasions, is it attainable to get a Z Visa that may allow me to do this? Once you arrive in China, within 30 days, you may be required by law to register at designated police station . Travelers holding a People’s Republic of China passport require a valid U.S. visa to enter Guam. People’s Republic of China passport holders carrying most validity (10-year) B1/B2, B1, and B2 visas must enroll in EVUS to have the ability to travel to Guam or any U.S. destination. All nationals of third nations, which have yet not reached a visa-liberalization settlement with the Schengen member states, have to acquire a visa previous to their arrival in Europe. It allows its holder to enter, freely travel inside, and leave the Schengen zone from any of the Schengen member countries. You may even want to include an invite letter from a certified Chinese business or a letter of introduction from your U.S.-based company, that features data on the traveler, the aim of the visit, and get in contact with data for the inviting celebration in China. Visa Software Type Of The Folks's Republic Of China Citizens of up to 20 countries can at present enter China and not using a visa for varying intervals of brief keep. In order to visit the Tibet Autonomous Region , all non-Chinese passport holders must get hold of a Tibet Travel Permit from the Tibet Tourism Bureau upfront of travel. The U.S. uses the Electronic System for Travel Authorization for online purposes. Travelers under the Visa Waiver Program to the united states must full applications on the ESTA website earlier than departure. Foreigners can examine entry visa and visa-waiver data on the web site of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs relating to entry to Taiwan. If it is the first time you’re getting the Taiwan Entry and Exit Permit, you'll find a way to apply for it online. Please note we are here to help and help you via the complete visa application course of however aren't permitted to advise or information you on choosing a visa class. Since our work is primarily administrative in nature, we have no say on whether you'll be granted a visa as that is completely the prerogative of The People’s Republic of China in Angola. Form V. 2011A Visa Application Form of the People s Republic of China Applicant should fill out this kind truly and fully. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION Even although most foreigners do need to get a Taiwan visa, there are particular international locations whose nationals are allowed to travel to Taiwan visa-free, offered they'll solely stay short-term and for tourism, enterprise, or visiting functions. Passengers who enter the Republic of China by way of the Taipei Song Shan Airport, the Taichung Airport and the Kaohsiung International Airport shall apply for "momentary entry allow" at Border Affairs Corps of National Immigration Agency . To keep away from getting a bad record in Taiwan, the holder of this permit ought to apply for a visa as soon as potential at the Bureau of Consular Affairs or at either of the department offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taichung or Kaohsiung. Residents of the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Macau cannot apply for a Taiwan visa. Nationals of Bhutan and Sri Lanka can even apply for a Taiwan vacationer visa. Some diplomatic missions require you to seem your self for document submission, while others may allow you to authorize someone else to apply in your behalf. No S visa may be issued without first obtaining the Department's authorization. In addition, an applicant is eligible for an exemption from the MRV fee if she or he is participating in a State Department, USAID, or different federally funded academic and cultural change program (program serial numbers G-1, G-2, G-3 and G-7). There is not any reciprocity charge for the issuance of a J visa if the alien is a United States Government grantee or a participant in an change program sponsored by the United States Government. TypeDurationAssigned personnel obtain full validity. Due to the continuing pandemic doc drop-off and collection from our places of work will have to be coordinated with our team through chat or telephone support. Beijing Pushing For Vaccine Passport For These Inoculated With Chinese Language Vaccines In addition to consulting the following info, we suggest checking along with your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate for the most recent information concerning COVID-related travel restrictions. People who have lately visited such areas typically face stricter restrictions than other travelers. It is probably going that the identical policy will continue to be applied going ahead. CLI is currently open and welcoming students who're already in mainland China. To qualify, travelers have to be fully vaccinated in their VTL nation of departure, or Singapore. A PCR take a look at should be taken 48 hours before departure and on days one, three, and seven of arrival. Travelers from these countries/regions are required to take a COVID-19 PCR take a look at on the Singapore checkpoint, and must then proceed instantly to self-isolate till their take a look at comes back unfavorable. Once examined unfavorable, they can go about their actions in Singapore, and not using a need to serve any further type of quarantine or stay-home discover . Eight countries/regions (Singapore, Korea, Taiwan, China , Brunei, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand) are excluded from the denied international locations listing. On 21 April 2021, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China within the United States of America revealed the Notice on the Testing Requirements for China-Bound Passengers Departing from Dallas after Inoculated with COVID-19 Vaccines. According to the Notice, China will settle for vaccination records in travel functions from people who have been inoculated within the United States with COVID-19 vaccines made by U.S. vaccine producers. Travelers who want to journey using the VTL must apply for a Vaccinated Travel Pass. China’s restrictions have been compounded by decisions on visas and entry requirements that may seem arbitrary to those attempting to return. Last month, the government introduced that overseas and Chinese vacationers coming from more than two dozen nations would have to do two weeks of employer-supervised quarantine overseas before they have been even allowed to fly to China. Then, after landing, they were anticipated to spend two more weeks at a government-managed quarantine facility. Australia permits just a few hundred of its residents and everlasting residents each day, while Japan has barred the entry of foreign staff and students since late December. All the Westerners told VOA Mandarin that traveling without quarantine restrictions can be an incentive for businesspeople to obtain Chinese-made vaccines. Anticipating that the vaccine passport will lead to further rest of travel restrictions, Vincent Hsu, a Taiwanese citizen who does enterprise in China, mentioned that he and lots of of his counterparts are open to getting the China-made vaccines. Visa Coverage Of Mainland China Visa officers will verify fastidiously to find out whether or not approve your entry. Your passport should possess at least 2 clean pages and have no much less than 6 months validity remaining after date of intended exit from China. Travellers can enter China by way of Beijing, Shanghai and numerous other cities visa free for stays of as much as 144hours . Make two copies of your whole journey documents in case of emergency, and leave one with a trusted pal or relative. Please check with ourRoad Safety pagefor more data. In this case, the entity could be a person, a business firm, an academic institution, or even a vacationer group. This letter shows the reason in your travel to China. Original passport with a validity of no much less than 6 months, and no less than one clean visa pages left. Also, make one copy of the data web page & photograph web page, earlier visa pages. Please note that the Hotel Confirmation Vouchers are in Mandarin and are merely required for visa software purposes. 1.) Express and Rush Service aren't available in all international international locations. If you want to use the companies, please verify on official web site. Express Service takes around 2-3 working days, meaning, you may collect on the 3rd to 4th working day. Rush Service generally needs nearly 1 working day for processing, and candidates may get hold of on the second working day. How To Research Overseas F1 college students should maintain the minimum course load for full-time scholar status. They can remain in the US up to 60 days beyond the length of time it takes to complete their tutorial program, unless they've applied and been accredited to remain and work for a period of time underneath the OPT Program. The most decisive factor in the consequence of the scholar visa software is the nation of nationality. A pupil from economically developed and politically steady Germany, normally, shouldn't have any problem in any respect, whereas candidates from Afghanistan, Congo, and Uzbekistan have the chances stacked in opposition to them. Residence permits for private affairs (私人事务类居留证件), issued to sure relations of foreign nationals holding residence certificates for purposes of employment, examine, and so forth. The United States does not have a post-graduate work visa, and does not provide a specialized pathway to everlasting residency for graduates of U.S. colleges, so options to stay and work within the nation are limited. International college students and graduates help America compete on the world stage as nicely. In order to face growing threats from nations like China, the us should lead within the “industries of the future” like synthetic intelligence, 5G, biotechnology, and quantum computing. In the particular case of automatic visa revalidation, whereby the scholar returns to the United States after a trip to Canada, Mexico, or a nearby island for at most 30 days, it's not essential to have a sound visa on the time of re-entry. However, it is still essential to have a valid Form I-20 and a journey signature. However, the precise translation of the requirement when it comes to the construction of programs at a specific establishment may range by institution. In general, the USCIS does not approve transition to student standing with a begin date more than 30 days prior to the program start date. Therefore, applications the place the applicant's present status expires greater than 30 days before the start date of their program are likely to be rejected. If the scholar is exterior the United States, then he/she must apply for a student visa .

A photocopy of the inviting party’s passport and residence allow. If it is the first time you apply for Chinese visa, a working certificates of the applicant have to be offered. If you are applying for a Chinese visa for the primary time, you need to provide the final Chinese passport held and a photocopy of its data page. Issued to those who are members of the family of Chinese residents or of foreigners with Chinese everlasting residence and intend to go to China for a long-term household reunion, or to those who intend to go to China for the purposes of foster care . However, in phrases of the Taiwan student visa itself, you may solely prolong it for a further three months, making your residence in Taiwan a most of six months. If you do meet the factors to use for a Taiwan pupil visa at the BOCA, you must achieve this a minimal of 8 workdays earlier than your current visa expires. China Visa Information Please make certain all information is full, updated and correct. The type can't be modified when you click on the "CONFIRM & PRINT" button. However, this website can only save your type no more than 30 days. In order to preview, print or save your on-line kind, please make positive that you have installed a version of Acrobat Reader with Simplified Chinese Kit. Additionally, Chinese visitors making use of for a Saudi Arabia eVisa shall be required to provide an lodging address within the Kingdom, though it's not essential to have a booking affirmation. The complete utility process is accomplished online, therefore, all a traveler wants to use is connection to the Internet. The Foreigners Work Permit Notification letter should be applied for, in order to acquire a Z visa in China. This is a letter supplied by the Chinese authorities which states that an applicant is eligible to work in China. For this letter to obtained, the required documentation have to be submitted to the labor bureau by an employer. It takes roughly 3- four weeks to obtain a notification letter. An onward travel ticket – At the Kenyan border, immigration officers could ask to see your proof of onward journey, either within the type of a ticket again house or to your next vacation spot. This is to guarantee that you will not overstay your allotted time in Kenya. Passport and personal details – We advocate having your passport close by when filling out the applying, as you'll need it to fill out questions that ask for particulars of your passport, such because the passport quantity, nationality, date of passport expiration, and so forth. Likewise, the application will ask for details about you, together with your full name, contact details, date of delivery, and more. Note that having the Tanzania visa for Chinese residents granted isn't an absolute assure that the holder might be admitted to Tanzania. How Much Is A Visa To China ? Both the Resident Visa and the Talent Visa usually are not as widespread as the opposite visas. 3 Russia is included as a European country here as a end result of the majority of its population (80%) lives in European Russia. 4 These nations span the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia. eight Part of Norway, not a half of the Schengen Area, special open-border status under Svalbard Treaty.9 Part of the Kingdom of Denmark, not part of the Schengen Area.10 Egypt spans the boundary between North Africa and the Middle East. For this purpose, many expats seek the assistance of a qualified immigration practitioner. VisaCentral will be unable to assist you along with your visa request. Use the included template in this equipment as a guide to the content material and format of the invitation. There is no visa-free regime as such, nevertheless there are numerous situations, connected with the period of keep within the country and entry place which exempt from necessity to acquire visa. If you wish to turn into a permanent Chinese resident, you would apply for a D visa. Our staff is here to help with on-line chat, cellphone & e mail support. The working holiday visa for Australia is designed for younger foreigners who want to discover Australia but travel on a tight finances. Those who aren't eligible for the aforementioned electronic permits can apply for a customer visa . It has been replaced by the extra convenient ETA and eVisitor visas. Turkey Visa For Chinese Residents Once CVSC submits a travel doc request to an issuing authority on your behalf, CVSC’s service charges are non-refundable. CVSC reserves the proper to decline processing of paperwork for any cause, including however not limited to incomplete documentation, inadequate processing time, and diploma of issue in procuring documents because of objective of travel. Flight crew members serving scheduled flights who're either Chinese or visa-exempt nationals, or non-visa-exempt nationals holding crew or work visas or residence permits which are valid for no much less than 1 12 months. In 1996, 77% of individuals exiting China held a passport for public affairs. Chinese passport holders who meet Turkish eVisa necessities can get a visa online. Electronic visa applicants obtain the accredited visa by e mail. Passport holders who apply for a Turkey eVisa don't want to visit a Turkish embassy in China. The on-line eVisa software may be completed from residence or the workplace. There are 2 ways to get a Turkish visa from China, online or on the embassy. Chinese nationals cannot get a visa on arrival in Turkey, they must apply in advance. Those candidates with asylum or refugee standing within the United States must submit further documentation such as the Birth Certificate and employment letter. All certifications should be authenticated/apostilled and duly translated to Spanish. Your passport must be valid for no much less than six months from the date of entry into the nation and once in Costa Rica, you'll be able to stay for a most of 30 calendar days, An extension of the stay have to be requested on the Office of Migration in Costa Rica. The finest approach to save your self the time of getting into the same information repeatedly is to use Atlys.

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crackpump79 · 2 years

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Nations Chinese Residents Can Go To Visa Free In 2022

The United States was built on a basis of spiritual freedom and tolerance, a principle enshrined within the United States Constitution. Nevertheless, the earlier administration enacted numerous Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations that prevented sure individuals from getting into the United States — first from primarily Muslim countries, and later, from largely African nations. Those actions are a stain on our nationwide conscience and are inconsistent with our long historical past of welcoming folks of all faiths and no religion at all. When arriving in Chengdu, you should report to the neighborhood the place you live. The neighborhood workers will tell you what to do subsequent, usually a 7-day house quarantine or a 7-day well being monitoring. Starting from the date of the first nucleic acid take a look at, you have to remain in your departure city and monitor your health for 7 days, and fill out aPersonal Health Monitoring Form. You should take a primary PCR take a look at at your flight departure city 7 days before boarding. For instance, if your departure date is January 10, you should do the primary check on January 3. Travelers whose legitimate visas are in expired passports can enter their legitimate visa information in addition to their new passport info to finish an EVUS enrollment. You do not have to obtain a new visa if you are entering new passport information. Third events will be succesful of verify the EVUS status for particular person vacationers and for a complete group of travelers. Usually, you would not need to do a 14-day quarantine again if you arrive at your last vacation spot, but a 7-day home quarantine or 7-day well being monitoring may be required. If you enter from Xiamen but your final vacation spot is another city, you will take the "10+4+7" quarantine policy (10-day centralized quarantine in Xiamen + 4-day hotel health monitoring in Xiamen + 7-day house quarantine in your final destination). Book a direct flight to China if there are direct flights from your country to China. China Visa Duty-free shopping privilege of up to US$2,000.00, supplied that purchasing should be accomplished within two days upon arrival and purchases must be made personally by the balikbayan. 台胞證 should be within the type of money order or cashier’s verify payable to the Philippine Consulate General. Upon arrival, vacationers are required to present a pre-booked accommodation for no less than TEN nights in a DOT-accredited hotel/facility. This policy allows for a keep of as a lot as a hundred and forty four hours in China without having to use for a visa. One important change is that as of January 31, 2023, any notary wishing to supply distant notarization, must register the potential to carry out digital notarizations with the NYS Department of State, Division of Licensing Services, and pay the requisite charge to behave as an digital notary. If the notary just isn't performing a remote notarization, the fee cannot exceed $2.00 per act. Credential evaluation is a course of the place a third-party service validates a government-issued identification offered by an individual via a evaluation of public and proprietary information sources. To present a distant notarization, the notary public must be bodily positioned inside the State of New York on the time of the notarization. When a decision has been made about your China visa application, you'll be notified and you can organize to gather your passport from the embassy or consulate the place you submitted your software. The Chinese Embassies or Consulates DON’T present a mail-back service. Please be advised that, VFS Global is a visa processing company and we work only with government and diplomatic missions to fulfil their administrative requirements of visa application processing. Neither VFS Global nor its representatives will ask for cash from people under any circumstances to lure them with employment opportunities either in VFS Global or outside. If you receive any offer that purports to be from VFS Global, which ask for money, these sort of presents are fraudulent. Official U S Division Of State Visa Appointment Service Customers with pressing journey wants were told they might make an emergency on-line appointment for a re-entry visa and their software can be handled within 24 hours. The on-line system also remains in place for individuals renewing their permission to remain in Ireland. The flat booking payment of USD$70 per Applicant is non-refundable. Our reasonably-priced service strives to offer our purchasers a stress-free experience in securing a visa appointment by creating government profiles on their behalf and having a private agent deal with all their questions. All non-immigrant visa candidates are required to pay a mandatory US visa software fee or the MRV visa processing fee . Passport applicants who are seniors, individuals with disabilities , pregnant women, and minors seven years old and under with their parent/s don't need to apply for an appointment online. The change is described as temporary and to "guarantee our very restricted appointments go to applicants who want them for urgent travel." The Consulate General in Amsterdam is responsible for offering visa services to those in search of to enter the United States for a temporary interval and for those wishing to take up indefinite or everlasting residence within the United States. On Wednesday night, the State Department shut down the passport company's online reserving system completely. Enter the ‘Quick Access’ part from the homepage, after which select ‘Online Application Form’to fill in your software form online. The on-line application kind would require you to addContent your latest white background passport photo (please be certain to upload your individual photograph and never other person’s because it is not going to be accepted). Please keep in mind to take 2 additional photos with you to our utility heart. If the photograph doesn't meet our requirements, it won't be accepted – please refer to this website to see the requirements. China Worldwide Journey Data Restricted Area Permit required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and components of Sikkim. Some of those necessities are sometimes lifted for a yr. San Andrés and Leticia - Visitors arriving at Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport and Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport should buy vacationer playing cards on arrival. EVisa available for both tourism or business purposes. JapanVisa requiredPassengers of permitted cruise ships do not require a visa from April 2015. The applicant shall bear all of the dangers and responsibilities for any loss, injury, delay throughout mailing course of. Please reserve sufficient time for remedy, and hold copies of related supplies upfront. Hi I would like to ask if its possible to enter Shenzhen coming from hong kong and getting the visa on arrival. Your application form could additionally be stating one thing, however your supporting paperwork could also be suggesting one other. Foreigners who wish to enter China for tourism functions or to go to family will need an L visa, or Q visa, which has a length of between 60 and a hundred and eighty days. The visa may additionally be on a multiple entry, double-entry, or single entry basis. Canada and U.S. residents may qualify for a multiple entry China tourist visa, valid for ten years. Foreigners and resident correspondents who journey to China for research and work should go to the general public safety bureau to apply for a Residence Permit for Foreigners in the People's Republic of China after their entry. While the permit remains valid, they'll enter and exit China a number of times with out having to making use of for a separate visa. The validity of a Single Entry or Double Entry "L" visa is 90 days or a hundred and eighty days from the date of problem. There is a provision for Citizens from seventy four international locations (including Canada, the us, Mexico, U.K., Japan, India, and different E.U. countries) to enter Macao without making use of for a visa. If you are a non-U.S- citizen, you have to include a valid work visa or Green Card copy with your China visa application. Citizen born in Tunisia, Syria, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Cameroon, and you propose to journey to China with an American passport, the rules are a bit totally different. You should show up in person to use for a China visa. Visa COVID drove plenty of foreign lecturers overseas, some of whom want to return. If their Chinese residency permits are still valid, for example, they are exempt from needing a PU letter and their entry into the country is facilitated. Solely used for enterprise visits to China, this visa is for those who are scouring factories, meeting purchasers or finalising contracts. You’ll need to have a a name for participation out of your Chinese business contacts to use for this visa. Note that, as soon as again, this visa can't be amended once you’re within the country and…guess what? U.S. Passport or passport of another nationality, will have to have no less than 6 months remaining validity from the day of entry into the nation for which VISA has been applied for. The passport and visa could be collected by anybody in possession of the unique collection slip on the date or a later date written on the slip, until in any other case knowledgeable by the VAC. Check if payment is to be made throughout submission of visa software or upon collection of the visa as procedures might vary. Issued to those that intend to visit their family members who're foreigners working or learning in China, or to those that intend to go to China for other personal matters. There are different types of visas that the South African Government presents relying on the precise reasons for which an individual or group intends to go to the nation. Travellers are, due to this fact, suggested to go over the several varieties of visas that the South African government presents so as to decide which one is right for their journey wants. For the above-mentioned three categories of applicants, please first ship an e mail to for details about software procedures. Applicants are kindly reminded to not mail application paperwork to the visa workplace without prior consent by email from the Embassy, otherwise, your paperwork may be returned directly by the publish workplace. The processing time could also be affected by any mission paperwork or whether the diplomatic mission has to refer your application to the Bureau of Consular Affairs for approval. If any mistakes are discovered, shoppers should contact the Chinese Visa Application Service Facility immediately, and the Chinese Visa Application Service Facility will make necessary correction as soon as possible. 2.3 To gather a Visa Fee in accordance with the necessities of the Embassies and Consulates and to deliver passports and visas to Clients on behalf of the Embassies and Consulates. In addition, those that are visiting Taiwan on enterprise must be interviewed by a Taiwanese consular officer, and their sponsors in Taiwan should submit a guarantee to the Bureau of Consular Affairs in Taiwan. Usa Nonimmigrant Visas This implies that during that four-year interval, Rosa has permission to journey to a U.S. Port of Entry (i.e. U.S. customs at the airport, border patrol stop if going through automobile, or seaport) and ask for admission into the us The visa validity only denotes Rosa's permission to journey to the U.S., not how long she is allowed to stay in the united states throughout every trip. If you have an interest in seeking immigrant status, do your analysis and discuss to an immigration attorney about the choices earlier than taking any steps in the application course of. El Salvador — ninety days; not relevant to all nationalities. They have a residence outside the us as well as other binding ties which is able to ensure their return on the end of their keep. Visits to the United States Minor Outlying Islands– Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island– are severely restricted. The islands are not accessible to the general public, and all visits require special permits from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, or from The Nature Conservancy for Palmyra Atoll or from the us Individuals have to be invited by a relative in Alaska, should notify native authorities at least ten days before traveling to Alaska, and should depart Alaska inside 90 days. Subtypes of this visa are U-2 issued to spouses of U-1, U-3 issued to youngsters of U-1, U-4 issued to folks of U-1 under the age of 21 and U-5 issued to single siblings beneath the age of 18 of U-1 who's underneath 21. Effective January 24, 2020, B visas aren't issued to individuals anticipated to give delivery during their stay, except they show that the first function of their go to is not to get hold of U.S. citizenship for the kid. In addition, B visa candidates looking for medical remedy within the United States should demonstrate their arrangements for the medical remedy and sufficiently set up their capability to pay for it. Under the visa waiver program, foreign nationals from certain international locations are permitted to journey to the united states and not utilizing a visa. Hi I am asking if it is attainable to increase a enterprise visa by one other month before it expires. However I even have lower than a month to complete the method earlier than my visa expires. If you are a property proprietor in Thailand, you may qualify for the non immigrant O visa and be ready to apply for the Certificate of Entry, but that might occur in November. We are still waiting for the new announcement from CAAT. As we now have a home in Hua Hin with three full time Thai workers, we've to close the home, lay-off the people, cease all our subscriptions TV, Internet, Electricity, and so forth..cancel our program with the local meals financial institution and the Wanbot local school funding. Prime China Travel Company, High China Tours, China Travel Service Holidays International Travel Service Guilin Co., Ltd owns over a hundred full-time employees. They work as staff to try for more innovation and success. With founders' over 20 years expertise in tourism industry, Holidays International Travel Service Guilin Co., Ltd. a variety of journey service all over China. Our providers cover personal excursions, bus excursions, special tours, tailor-made tours, enterprise travel, incentive trip, expat tours,MICE companies, transfer providers, resort reserving, air booking, car rental, cultural change and extra. We consider that travel must be stimulating and that it should provide you with an genuine experience of a spot. We need our travellers to relish the superb diversity of Silk Road and its historic culture. Based on the precise insights of consumer requirements and enriched service experience, Bravolinks has been efficiently upgraded to a totally integrated service firm. To date Bravolinks has established a nationwide service network in several areas together with Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xi’an, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, Huhehot, Urumqi, Xiamen and rising. This percentage represents tangible belongings held on the market within the odd course of business, or items within the means of manufacturing for such sale, or supplies to be consumed in the production of goods and providers for sale. Now you are on the right page of free learning of helpful Chinese phrases for vacationers touring Beijing China. After the hike, we all went to lunch at a small place at the bottom of the hill. Located in a home, we ate lunch within the proprietors bedroom! This tour firm delivered for us and we are extraordinarily grateful. Chat with a neighborhood journey specialist in China who might help organize your journey. Innovative, Seamless and Memorable, Alitrip has been established for over 1 year, making over one hundred million people’s dream of journey come true. Electronic Visa Replace System Evus Regularly Requested Questions However, this utility process is expected to become much more streamlined with the introduction of the tourist eVisa for South Africa for multiple nationalities in 2021. The simplified online South Africa visa utility form will first be available as a pilot scheme for Kenyan and Indian citizens earlier than being rolled out to different international locations. Once all the mandatory documents have been presented at the consulate, it is going to be essential to pay the tourist visa payment earlier than the application could be processed. As it may take a quantity of weeks for an embassy visa to be successfully accredited, candidates are advised to apply well in advance of their supposed entry date. Form I-131, Application for Travel Document You ought to file Form I-131 to apply for a refugee journey document and seem for any required biometric companies appointment before you allow the United States. If you are currently outdoors the United States, you could file a Form I-131 and apply for a refugee journey document if you have been outdoors the United States for lower than 1 yr on the time of filing. Since then, numerous such agreements were concluded with some international locations. The period of keep is 60 days per entry for the L Tourist and M Business visas, 90 days for the S2 Short-term Private Visit visas, and a hundred and twenty days for the Q2 Family Visit visas. Visa candidates can get pleasure from a 180-day duration of keep when making use of for Q2 visas if they've "special needs". The utility charge for a Chinese visa is US$140 for normal processing and US$160 for expedited processing (2-3 enterprise days), while 1-business-day rush processing is US$170 and only on the discretion of the consulate or embassy. Rush and expedited services are not provided by the Los Angeles consulate. In the latter case, the native diplomatic mission might outsource the handling of purposes to a Chinese Visa Application Service Center , or a Chinese Visa Application Service Facility . Yes, the net site shall be out there in each English and Mandarin Chinese. However, all 10-year B1/B2, B1 or B2 visa holders must answer the EVUS questions in English. Embassies and Consulates usually are not able to facilitate EVUS enrollments, provide particulars about EVUS enrollments, or resolve unsuccessful enrollments. "Harbin provides 72-hour visa-free entry - Xinhua - English.news.cn". "Changsha to supply 72-hour visa-free entry - Xinhua - English.information.cn". You are required to have an e-mail address for us to reply to. Be sure to describe precisely what is occurring , and inform us what internet browser you're utilizing and its model. Any update a traveler makes to his/her EVUS enrollment, together with to correct an error, is a brand new enrollment. three Russia is included as a European country right here as a outcome of the majority of its inhabitants (80%) lives in European Russia.

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thembnko · 3 years

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THE world needs Africa

Covid-19 has devastated all economies but incidences in the United States of America have profoundly shocked that nation and the world. South Africa and Africa have the lowest infection and death rates while struggling with health services and infrastructure whereas the US has together with China the best in the world. Wuhan in China is known as the first city where the initial cases were reported in December 2019-February 2020. They claimed 76,000 lives. But quickly since April 2020 discrepancies in both cases and deaths divided the US and China and the rest of the world and now South Africa and Africa. By October the world had 47 million people diagnosed with the coronavirus and 1.2 million have died. Three weeks after the 3 November US presidential elections where Joe Biden won Donald Trump by 253 electoral votes against 214 there were 172,935 new cases recorded in the US and 2,146 deaths. The country recorded more than 100,000 cases per day every day for over a fortnight. When a Centre for Disease Control map showing all US towns and cities are Covid-19 hotspot the shock was even more. The deaths total was the highest daily figure since May. Yet, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health could control exposure to workers. It has 164.6 million workers 1.17 million of whom in 2.2 million farms work in agriculture exporting to China and the rest of the world. But it had a “hierarchy of controls” where elimination or vaccination, testing, and engineering solutions occupied the top whereas the World Health Organization has in priority protection through masks and the maintenance of social distance of 1.5 meters. In violation it had workers working similar shifts grouped together all the time in transportation and the workplace as well as in the places where they stayed. The result was catastrophic.

These developments make the case for the South African government to quickly adopt a new Development Plan in place of the currently existing as Vision 2030; formally adopt the idea of African Renaissance which must inform the new Development Plan; and encourage the African Union to adopt a new continental vision to replace Agenda 2063. It must be recognized that new national planning is necessary to address not only the reorganization of basic industries to make them compete but is primarily about giving the state new capacities. Therefore, additionally, the South African government must prepare to manage a large immigration from Europe and the US of healthy or tested and Covid-19 negative citizens into South Africa from the end of 2021. After the Presidential Elections the US recorded more than 200,000 Covid-19 cases daily and 195,000 deaths. A total of 76,000 farmworkers were diagnosed. Covid-19 not only has changed relations between countries permanently and profoundly affecting trading and traveling. It decimated the US and left the European Union leaderless. Any state lagging now behind with entirely new planning is destined within 10 years to have rampant unemployment, inequality, and extreme poverty. Health for the entire population will collapse and labour will be displaced removing productivity and domestic consumption. Social and political instability will increase. Marginalisation and racial discrimination that threatened to come from the US and Europe within the six months of Covid-19s outbreak dissipated after the much more deadly second wave in November.

Debt in the world especially Africa exponentially grew. The basis for improving South Africa’s and Africa’s contribution to world knowledge affecting mainly economics which already is negligible as a result of colonialism and apartheid faced permanent removal since all published articles in journals and newspapers in economics and their future, lessons from the Great Depression, impact on international relations came from only Europe and the US that are more affected by Covid-19. That also very directly threatened the extraordinary gains made in democracy since 1994 including Africa’s. The knowledge is apart from being negligible internationally domestically confined to historically white universities and academics.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank will lead a rich few in the world to hoard money and seek safe sanctuaries with no government able to stop them if Covid-19 continues. A catastrophe in other words no government can control will result if South Africa does not assert itself onto the world stage providing leadership. All the proposals made thus far by the IMF and several economists on the future do not address South Africa’s and Africa’s need for the world to change. They only become relevant to Africa when they discuss the need of repayment of debt yet more than in any other period before Covid-19 has crystallized extreme poverty and world inequality and highlighted glaring inequalities in health. That very drastically exposes that despite its relatively high national expenditure on health, education, and infrastructure when compared to all of Africa South Africa is as a result of Covid-19 on the brink of a disaster.

While the whole of Europe is coordinated and has ready regional institutions for that for new trade and military cooperation Africa still has to create the institutions. That calls for very strong and urgent leadership. Additionally, South Africa has to identify the immediate areas for intervention. Those areas are

• trade, innovation, and local entrepreneurship

• national security and defence

• IT

• human resource

• Intra-Africa immigration and mobility

Africa must be provided with leadership and consulted very consistently to resolve issues of tensions with some African states that arose during Covid-19, build enthusiasm for the African Renaissance, and make Africa an inclusive part of any process of the African Renaissance.

The hardcore premises of this view are US dominance is over; Africa is ready for the world, and currently trade favours no country.

The cost of Covid-19 in human lives and social upheaval, its economic impact is unprecedented. Many governments imposed a lockdown of business and citizens for undetermined periods from March-October 2020. They lowered strictness in November which allowed the retail sector to bounce relatively back but a second wave of Covid-19 hit in November. Stricter regulations were reapplied and for the first time in the history of human kind all countries blocked the citizens of other countries from reaching their borders shutting down airports totally. The first wave disrupted supply and shook demand. Financially, public firms accumulated a considerable amount of corporate debt. Extremely few countries in the world have had deep debt levels that arise out of extraordinary circumstances they could not control or they never anticipated. Those countries are only in Europe and include the US. Trillions of US dollars in loans were repaid by US individuals, municipalities, and businesses within a very short time of two years from 2008-2010 during the 2008 Financial Crisis. About 1,159 transactions under several facilities the Federal Reserve established like the Asset-Backed Commercial Paper to meet investors’ demands for redemptions and to foster liquidity in the money market were worth $990.2 billion. The facilities were used for the funding of purchases of eligible ABCP to provide the US economy with liquidity after in March of 2008 the New York Stock Exchange lost $678 billion in rapidly withdrawn investments. No country in Africa has the facilities. The crisis happened after a US company - Enron - was involved in large scale corruption. Now debt in advanced economies is set to reach 125 percent of GDP by the end of 2021 and to rise to about 65 percent of GDP in emerging market economies according to the IMF. But though emerging market economies debt is lower the failure and ability to repay is higher. In December the IMF revised its global GDP forecast higher at 5,4 percent. An assumption is financial conditions which eased following the release of the April 2020 World Economic Outlook are to remain broadly at 2020 levels. This indicates the body sees no fundamental change in the world economy despite Covid-19. It projected growth which was at -4.9 percent in 2020. Proposals informing this analysis of the impact show it is massively miscalculating and South Africa and Africa need to take a stand against it for not driving world growth away from the symptoms of an unfair and unequal world economy Covid-19 exposes. It has an unreliable measure of world economic growth. More than 150 countries and territories eased Covid-19 related travel restrictions according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization by December but that did not revive the world’s economy. The IMF had a 1.9 percentage points below the April 2020 WEO forecast when the world only had two months of the Covid-19 pandemic. It assumed Covid-19 had a more negative impact on activity in the first half of 2020 whereas given the nature of the disease of still virulent mutations into unknown variants and making any development of an effective vaccine not a near possibility its elongated impact drastically increases illness and death and negative economic consequences. Europen economists show universal social distancing results in the loss of output of 25 percent. If restrictions on labour supply reduce effective hours worked by 30 percent the impact on output would be 20 percent. Covid-19 regulations reduced hours worked per working age adult by 25 percent. Over 60 percent of working hours were from home compared with a total of roughly 10 percent in 2017-2018. Extended illness, death, and economic slowdown into 2021 will increase each of the percentages by 50 percent.

The IMFs including projections by economists from the Centre for Economic Policy Research in London show developing countries will be hard hit. About 51 percent who represented a majority a CfM-CEPR panel of macroeconomic experts on the European economy predicted a 2-5 percent decline in the level of potential euro area GDP and the European Central Bank forecasted growth of 1.4 percent in five years’ time throughout the pandemic suggesting for economists ‘a permanent loss in the level of GDP.’ Nearly 40 percent of the economists predicted a small or negligible cost in GDP with 21 percent predicting a potential decline by 2 percent or less and only 19 percent saw no decline at all.

In a paper titled Post-Covid-19 potential output in the euro area Ethan Ilzetzki highlight five key reasons why Covid-19 will have persistent effects. The first is supply chain disruptions that have reduced productivity and only monetary policy interventions would prevent them from leading to larger negative shocks. Second, new entrants to replace firms that failed due to Covid-19 may take time to build fresh capacity and markets. Already an ECB bank lending survey conducted between 21 September and 6 October 2020 from a total of 143 banks who gave a response rate of 100 percent reveal the banks’ rejection rate for loans in the euro area for enterprises increased in the third quarter of 2020 to 3 percent. Third, unemployment tends to be persistent as workers’ skills deteriorate and their attachment to the labour force weaken. Fourth, corporate debt overhang may now create a lesser incentive to invest in productive capital. From research Ilzetzki finds no historical support for post-crisis growth with very large debt levels. Even Africa in the 1980s had to first have its debt of $97 billion addressed through the IMFs High Indebted Countries Initiative for its countries to start growing from 1995. Fifth, low demand will lead to disinvestment in capital and innovation. Demand depends upon very large financial resources for it to be created after a crisis. From the First World War Europe and the US depended upon the US's £1,000,000,000. US bank rates remained unchanged at 4 percent to create access to capital. Growth was fueled by the discovery of new oil fields in Palestine. The war had production decline by 42,028,000 barrels. Britain gave the US the exploration rights in Palestine following a convention between the two countries. This then means there has to be during Covid-19 new production. From all the publications thus far there is no indication from where it will come or that it must take place. Demand after the First World War also depended upon the US shoring up Japan as a new destination for investments and productivity. US investments in Colombia of $170,000,000 created railways, funded other public works, and sent up wages. Imports vastly increased and banks managed voluminous assets which they dispersed easily. To this list must be added the sixth which is that weak technology development which currently has many US and European companies focused upon will very drastically reverse gains in growth Africa has been seeing since 2000. Africa’s growth in 2018 cushioned the world’s from recession according to the IMF's WEO 2019 amidst the US’s trade tensions with China. Africa grew at 4,5 percent but has that growth now threatened by lack of development comparatively of webinar facilities to drive production and facilitate political decisions. All economists on Covid-19 favour the implementation of new technologies to add potential to growth and improve health. There is however no study of the long-term effects of Covid-19 a national planning exercise needs. Ilzetzki says ‘it is difficult to come by’ it.

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xtruss · 3 years

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Why MBS Suddenly Wants to Talk to Iran? As Empire Steps Back, Compromise and Reason Advance

— Trita Parsi

“We are seeking to have good relations with Iran,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Saudi television this week. “We are working with our partners in the region to overcome our differences with Iran.” Only four years ago, the notorious royal sang a different tune, claiming dialogue with Iran was impossible. “How do you have a dialogue with a regime built on an extremist ideology?” he said, pledging that Saudi Arabia would take the battle to Iranian territory.

What changed to make this 180-degree shift possible?

One factor looms larger than all others: increasing signs that the United States is serious about shifting its focus away from the Middle East. It’s not so much anything Washington has done but rather what Washington has stopped doing—namely, reassuring its security partners in the region that it will continue to support them unconditionally, no matter what reckless conduct they engage in. Washington’s turn away from entangling itself in the quarrels and stratagems of its Middle Eastern partners has compelled the region’s powers to explore their own diplomacy. Contrary to the doomsday predictions of Washington’s foreign-policy establishment, chaos has not been unleashed by the United States’ pending military withdrawals from the region. Instead, regional diplomacy has broken out.

Mohammed bin Salman’s soothing comments were most likely a reference to secret talks between Iran and its Arab neighbors in Iraq, first reported by the Financial Times, that were aimed at reducing tensions and putting an end to the war in Yemen. Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who has a clear interest in resolving Saudi-Iranian tensions, as their enmity and proxy fighting all across the region risk further destabilizing Iraq, has been facilitating the Arab-Iranian discussions.

At first, Saudi officials denied the story, while Tehran refused to comment, except by saying that it welcomes dialogue with Riyadh.

But these denials did not simply prove false. The Financial Times story turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg. The Britain-based news site Amwaj.media revealed that the dialogue was not limited to Iran and Saudi Arabia. Rather, the first meeting was held between Iran and the United Arab Emirates in January, followed by meetings that included Saudi, Jordanian, and Egyptian officials. At least five such meetings have been held since the beginning of the year, according to Amwaj.

While the secret talks focused primarily on the war in Yemen, they also encompassed the situation in Syria and Lebanon. The talks have included the various countries’ top security officials, including a meeting between the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, and Saudi intelligence chief Khalid al-Humaidan.

Clearly, these talks remain embryonic, and there is a distinct likelihood that they may fail to bridge the gap between Iran and its Arab foes. Still, several factors indicate the potential of these talks to alter not only the trajectory of Saudi-Iranian relations but also the broader security situation in the region. First, based on the Amwaj report, the fact that the talks involve several other regional powers besides Saudi Arabia and Iran suggests they resemble a much-needed regional dialogue, not just a bilateral negotiation to defuse tensions. The Middle East is notoriously underinstitutionalized in the sense that it lacks any sort of inclusive regional organization or forum that nurtures and structures a multilateral dialogue for the purpose of reducing tensions, creating de-escalatory options, and managing mistrust.

The second cause for optimism is that this embryonic regional dialogue appears to be initiated and led by the regional powers themselves. That is, it has not been imposed on them by major powers from outside the region, nor is it led by outside states. As my Quincy Institute colleagues and I have written elsewhere, regional leadership and ownership of this process are essential for its success and durability.

This, however, does not mean the United States has not contributed to this process. It most definitely has—but not in the manner that the Washington foreign-policy establishment conventionally envisions U.S. leadership.

The one factor that most compelled the region’s actors to pursue diplomacy is not U.S. recommitment to backing Riyadh versus Tehran or any new diplomatic initiative for the region. Rather, it’s the exact opposite that catalyzed the talks: increasingly clear signs that the United States is militarily disengaging from the Middle East.

U.S. President Joe Biden has long had a skeptical view of the United States’ military presence in the Middle East, as well as U.S. relations with partners in the region who tend to drag Washington into their own quarrels and agendas. He famously berated Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE at a talk at Harvard University in 2014. “The Turks … the Saudis, the Emirates, etc. What were they doing?” he asked the Harvard students. “They were so determined to take down [Syrian President Bashar al-]Assad and essentially have a proxy Sunni-Shia war. What did they do? They poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad.”

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden pledged to pull “the vast majority” of U.S. troops out of Afghanistan, cut off aid to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen, and rejoin the Iran nuclear deal—three decisions that fit neatly with an agenda of reducing the U.S. role in the region.

Indeed, once in the Oval Office, Biden moved swiftly to end U.S. support for the Saudi side in the war in Yemen, has kept Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at arm’s length, announced the full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and, after a rocky start, has gotten serious about rejoining the Iran nuclear deal.

The message to regional powers was unmistakable: The Middle East is only a priority for the Biden administration in order to figure out ways to reduce U.S. entanglements there. As an informal Biden advisor told Politico: “They are just being extremely purposeful to not get dragged into the Middle East.”

Not surprisingly, this message prompted regional powers to start exploring diplomacy with their rivals for a simple reason: Diplomatic opportunities have existed all along but were perceived as suboptimal by U.S. partners compared to simply relying on Washington to back them up and resolve their problems. Having the United States available in the background to deter, contain, or militarily eliminate Saudi Arabia’s headaches, for instance, was preferable to the Saudi leadership to negotiating with Iran in the knowledge that it would inevitably lead to painful compromises for both sides. As long as the Saudis had what they saw as a U.S. option, confrontation was deemed superior to diplomacy.

Biden’s desired pivot away from the Middle East means that this U.S. option has, at a minimum, become unreliable. Suddenly, regional diplomacy has become the preferred option for Washington’s security partners in the Middle East.

An earlier U.S. pivot away from the region would likely have prompted regional diplomacy to begin sooner. Indeed, a similar pattern was seen in 2019 when then-U.S. President Donald Trump refused to go to war with Iran over the attacks on Saudi oil fields by Tehran’s proxies in Yemen, which prompted the Saudis to engage in their own diplomacy with Iran and reduce aggression in Yemen. In fact, when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader Qassem Suleimani was assassinated by the United States, he had just landed in Iraq to deliver a message to the Saudis via Baghdad. By killing Suleimani, Trump also killed the Saudi-Iranian talks. His administration had recommitted itself to confrontation with Iran, and the Saudis adjusted to that reality: no more Saudi-Iranian diplomacy.

The lesson for Washington is clear: If the United States takes a step back militarily, regional partners will be prompted to take a step forward diplomatically.

This of course does not mean that this outbreak of regional diplomacy is destined to succeed. It may very well not. But the task of making it succeed will primarily fall on the shoulders of the regional powers themselves rather than on the United States. And that is a win for both the United States and the Middle East.

Source: Foreign Policy

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