The article "A Hurrah for Dr. George Tiller" posted on the feminist blog Feministing deals with the case of Dr. George Tiller who is one of the few late-term abortion providers in the United States of America. Prosecutors charged Tiller of having a financial relationship with the doctor that he frequently received authorization from. However, Dr.Tiller was acquitted on all 19 counts. The article is cheerful of the fact that the doctor was not found guilty and he can eventually practice late-term abortion manipulations again.
It is normal that such an article appears in a feminist blog, since probably the majority of the feminists, if not all of them, are definitely pro-choice of whether a woman should keep the baby or have an abortion. It has been a struggle for the American women to gain that right and it is natural for them to support all doctors who perform abortion procedures. However, a problem concerning the abortion issue is if the father is involved in some way. Some may say that no matter what, abortion should be treated as a murder. I think this should be left to the conscience of the mother.
I believe that a woman should have the right to either keep the baby or to get an abortion. Clergy and feminists have been discussing when exactly a women gets pregnant and when she should be considered pregnant with a real human being inside her. I think that such a discussion is pointless and it does not really matter if the woman has already taken a decision what to do with her body. The only case in which I do not approve the right of the women to do whatever they want with their bodies is if the life of the mother is endangered.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Assign. # 11 Global Warming Is Exaggerated?
According to the article Global Warming Is Exaggerated? posted on the blog The Environmental Blog a survey shows that 41 percent of the people think that actually the global warming is exaggerated. In contrast, the article discusses the fact that the ocean level truly rises which is illustrated by a picture of storm surge barriers in Rotterdam, Holland. Supposedly, Holland is one of the countries that would be most affected by the rise of the ocean level.
However, if I were one of the surveyed people I would have also expressed a skepticism in regards of the global warming. Some scientists say that people are causing the global warming and others say that it is a result of natural processes through which Mother Earth undergoes all the time. I would side with the latter group of scientists. Contemporary science in terms of meteorology, space, and global warming is not very competent.
Scientists say that there could be no life form if there are no water and oxygen on the other planets. Well, how do they know that the alien life forms need water and oxygen in order to survive? Maybe they do or maybe they do not need them, but the scientists have no ways of knowing that. By analogy, the case with the global warming is the same. Scientists have never experienced global warming before and they could not know what exactly is causing it and what impact it would have.
The science has discovered that Earth had experienced periods of warmings and coolings in the past too. I tend to believe that the global warming is exaggerated because the Earth has already had global warmings and coolings before and the life forms on it survived obviously.
However, if I were one of the surveyed people I would have also expressed a skepticism in regards of the global warming. Some scientists say that people are causing the global warming and others say that it is a result of natural processes through which Mother Earth undergoes all the time. I would side with the latter group of scientists. Contemporary science in terms of meteorology, space, and global warming is not very competent.
Scientists say that there could be no life form if there are no water and oxygen on the other planets. Well, how do they know that the alien life forms need water and oxygen in order to survive? Maybe they do or maybe they do not need them, but the scientists have no ways of knowing that. By analogy, the case with the global warming is the same. Scientists have never experienced global warming before and they could not know what exactly is causing it and what impact it would have.
The science has discovered that Earth had experienced periods of warmings and coolings in the past too. I tend to believe that the global warming is exaggerated because the Earth has already had global warmings and coolings before and the life forms on it survived obviously.
Assign. # 5 New York Times Op-Ed
The opinion section of the online version of the New York Times newspaper contains very diverse information and commentaries on all kinds of different topics. That section relates to the comments of editors, columnists, contributors, and letters of the New York Times newspaper’s readers.
The opinion section of the online version of the New York Times is something like a blog section in the newspaper. It contains the opinions of the newspaper's editors and the opinions of the readers on various topics. For instance, editors comment on the business problems of General Motors or the governments problems of Zimbabwe and its relations to the United States of America and Europe. The columnists and contributors also provide with information and comments on different issues. The Op-Ed of New York Times newspaper has also a section of the public editor who represents the readers of the newspaper and expresses his opinion on various issues. The section letters contain letters of New York Times newspaper's readers on different topics.
Overall, the Op-Ed section of the online version of the New York Times looks a lot like a blog and it reveals the opinions of the newspaper's journalists and its readers. The Op-Ed section provides a forum for the newspaper's readers to express their opinions and critiques on a number of issues. The Op-Ed section, however, is not that diverse and interesting as some blog website such as the Huffington Post.
The opinion section of the online version of the New York Times is something like a blog section in the newspaper. It contains the opinions of the newspaper's editors and the opinions of the readers on various topics. For instance, editors comment on the business problems of General Motors or the governments problems of Zimbabwe and its relations to the United States of America and Europe. The columnists and contributors also provide with information and comments on different issues. The Op-Ed of New York Times newspaper has also a section of the public editor who represents the readers of the newspaper and expresses his opinion on various issues. The section letters contain letters of New York Times newspaper's readers on different topics.
Overall, the Op-Ed section of the online version of the New York Times looks a lot like a blog and it reveals the opinions of the newspaper's journalists and its readers. The Op-Ed section provides a forum for the newspaper's readers to express their opinions and critiques on a number of issues. The Op-Ed section, however, is not that diverse and interesting as some blog website such as the Huffington Post.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Assign # 10 Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is a liberal American blog which provides variety of different information. Only the front page of the blog offers so much diverse information that I get the sense that it would take me a whole day to read it. However, I suppose that this is the reason why Huffington Post is one of the most popular political blogs in the United States of America.
The content of the blog is political and it deals with current news in which most of the Americans are interested in. For instance, the top headline of March 30, 2009 is "Detroit Doomsday" and it deals with the current financial crisis. The other top posts also deal with the current financial crises in one aspect or another. Huffington Post provides also other political and business news. It also relates to videos from other medias such as CNN. Another positive thing of Huffington Post is that it is not concentrated only with domestic news but it also has an international approach. The blog contains not only serious political and business news but it also has fun and curious political stories such as the news that Obamas are going to pay for the renovation of the White House.
Huffington Post has a section called "If you have something to say... Say it on the Huffington Post." Bloggers could create an account and comment on various issues and news which is a great opportunity to express their opinions. The blog follows the commercial and entertainment life-style of America too, with posts about Miss Universe's visit to Guantanamo and Madonna's visit to Malawi. Huffington Post also offers a number of links to other sites such as Al Jazeera and New York Observer.
I think that Huffington Post is a great diverse and informative blog which provides plenty of interesting political information and fun entertainment posts. It is updated constantly and it is done very professional.
The content of the blog is political and it deals with current news in which most of the Americans are interested in. For instance, the top headline of March 30, 2009 is "Detroit Doomsday" and it deals with the current financial crisis. The other top posts also deal with the current financial crises in one aspect or another. Huffington Post provides also other political and business news. It also relates to videos from other medias such as CNN. Another positive thing of Huffington Post is that it is not concentrated only with domestic news but it also has an international approach. The blog contains not only serious political and business news but it also has fun and curious political stories such as the news that Obamas are going to pay for the renovation of the White House.
Huffington Post has a section called "If you have something to say... Say it on the Huffington Post." Bloggers could create an account and comment on various issues and news which is a great opportunity to express their opinions. The blog follows the commercial and entertainment life-style of America too, with posts about Miss Universe's visit to Guantanamo and Madonna's visit to Malawi. Huffington Post also offers a number of links to other sites such as Al Jazeera and New York Observer.
I think that Huffington Post is a great diverse and informative blog which provides plenty of interesting political information and fun entertainment posts. It is updated constantly and it is done very professional.
Assign. #13 CNN - Bunch of Liars!
The winter of 2008/2009 was marked by a conflict between Russia and Ukraine on the issue of gas prices. Ukraine wanted lower prices of the natural gas delivered by Russia. Russia insisted that Ukraine should pay higher prices for the gas. Until the conflict was resolved Russia had taken a drastic measure - it simply cut the gas supply for Ukraine. But the gas supply for Southeastern Europe is delivered through the same pipe which provides gas for Ukraine. All of a sudden the gas supply for Eastern Europe was entirely cut. What a great peace of news for the news people! But they also needed some drama showing freezing people caught in the middle of the gas conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
CNN sought such a drama in Bulgaria but it could not find it. However, this did not stop the British correspondent of CNN Michael Moore to lie to the world that there are freezing people in Bulgaria because of the lack of gas supply. Moore's report shows "average Bulgarians" in the town of Pleven who freeze because of the gas crisis. Moore also shows that the gas supply to the city is "stopped." The truth is shown by a Bulgarian reporter who works for the Rupert Murdoch's TV called bTV. It turns out that the gas supply has never stopped since 1977 in Pleven, Bulgaria. It turns out that the building of the people, who freeze, has no central heating too. Moore and CNN are liars! But what is the big deal? The image of Bulgaria is damaged. Who cares as long as there is some human drama accompanying the gas crisis? Even though a Bulgarian journalist caught CNN in a lie there are no consequences so far. Michael Moore is not fired, CNN did not apologize to Bulgaria and what is even worse it did not apologize to its viewers for lying to them.
As a Bulgarian, what really disappoints me is the Bulgarian prime-minister Stanishev who was interviewed by Michael Moore. After the interview, Stanishev or his team never watched the report, otherwise they would have objected it. It could be even worse, they watched it but said nothing and allowed CNN to damage Bulgaria's image. Because this report truly damages Bulgaria's image. First of all it appears that Bulgaria is deeply affected by the gas crisis with no back up plan. Second, the people presented as "regular Bulgarian" citizens are not regular and they are definitely not Bulgarians. The shown people are gypsies from a ghetto in Pleven who do not work and live in a complete misery. However, the Bulgarian journalist does not have the guts to say it. He also does not dare to blame directly CNN for its lies, because that is what this television did. It lied and it did it professionally and intentionally. On the top of it, CNN did not apologize to its viewers.
CNN sought such a drama in Bulgaria but it could not find it. However, this did not stop the British correspondent of CNN Michael Moore to lie to the world that there are freezing people in Bulgaria because of the lack of gas supply. Moore's report shows "average Bulgarians" in the town of Pleven who freeze because of the gas crisis. Moore also shows that the gas supply to the city is "stopped." The truth is shown by a Bulgarian reporter who works for the Rupert Murdoch's TV called bTV. It turns out that the gas supply has never stopped since 1977 in Pleven, Bulgaria. It turns out that the building of the people, who freeze, has no central heating too. Moore and CNN are liars! But what is the big deal? The image of Bulgaria is damaged. Who cares as long as there is some human drama accompanying the gas crisis? Even though a Bulgarian journalist caught CNN in a lie there are no consequences so far. Michael Moore is not fired, CNN did not apologize to Bulgaria and what is even worse it did not apologize to its viewers for lying to them.
As a Bulgarian, what really disappoints me is the Bulgarian prime-minister Stanishev who was interviewed by Michael Moore. After the interview, Stanishev or his team never watched the report, otherwise they would have objected it. It could be even worse, they watched it but said nothing and allowed CNN to damage Bulgaria's image. Because this report truly damages Bulgaria's image. First of all it appears that Bulgaria is deeply affected by the gas crisis with no back up plan. Second, the people presented as "regular Bulgarian" citizens are not regular and they are definitely not Bulgarians. The shown people are gypsies from a ghetto in Pleven who do not work and live in a complete misery. However, the Bulgarian journalist does not have the guts to say it. He also does not dare to blame directly CNN for its lies, because that is what this television did. It lied and it did it professionally and intentionally. On the top of it, CNN did not apologize to its viewers.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
"Being Bulgarian in Macedonia"
Since 1991 the former Yugoslavia has undergone many changes. It broke to seven different states - Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo. Republic of Macedonia as a part of Yugoslavia and as an independent country was based on the illusion that the people of Macedonia are Macedonians who speak Macedonian language and are ancestors of the ancient Macedonians. It is one more Yugoslav lie that soon will collapse just like Yugoslavia itself.
The Macedonian nation was artificially created in 1945 by the communist government of Yugoslavia which sought to separate forever Macedonia from Bulgaria, because Serbs were aware that Macedonia and its people were Bulgarians and if they did not acquire some other ethnicity, they might rejoin Bulgaria at some point in the future. The Serbian propaganda that Bulgarians in Macedonia were not Bulgarians but Macedonians was quite successful during the communism, but since its collapse, it has become very hard for the Macedonian government to keep the illusion and hide the truth about the true ethnicity of Macedonia's citizens. More and more people in Macedonia return to their real Bulgarian identity.
However, as the documentary film Being Bulgarian in Macedonia shows, it is quite difficult to live as a Bulgarian in pro-Yugoslav Macedonia, which government is unofficially backed up by Belgrade. The film was shot by the journalist Ivan Kulekov in May, 2008; and it was aired the same month on a private Bulgarian national television owned by Rupert Murdoch. The fact that there are Macedonian citizens who define themselves as Bulgarians is not enough for the Macedonian government to recognize a Bulgarian minority in Macedonia.
On the contrary, the Macedonian government wants Bulgaria to recognize a Macedonian minority in Pirin Macedonia (Southwestern Bulgaria). I have never heard of a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria and I have never met a person, born in Bulgaria, who defines himself or herself as such. Out of 35 Bulgarian students at Ramapo College, 2 are from the region of Pirin Macedonia in Bulgaria and none of them identifies as Macedonian. They have also never heard of Macedonians living in Southwestern Bulgaria. Apparently the pro-Yugoslav lies of Macedonia are endless, but fortunately less and less people believe them.
The Macedonian nation was artificially created in 1945 by the communist government of Yugoslavia which sought to separate forever Macedonia from Bulgaria, because Serbs were aware that Macedonia and its people were Bulgarians and if they did not acquire some other ethnicity, they might rejoin Bulgaria at some point in the future. The Serbian propaganda that Bulgarians in Macedonia were not Bulgarians but Macedonians was quite successful during the communism, but since its collapse, it has become very hard for the Macedonian government to keep the illusion and hide the truth about the true ethnicity of Macedonia's citizens. More and more people in Macedonia return to their real Bulgarian identity.
However, as the documentary film Being Bulgarian in Macedonia shows, it is quite difficult to live as a Bulgarian in pro-Yugoslav Macedonia, which government is unofficially backed up by Belgrade. The film was shot by the journalist Ivan Kulekov in May, 2008; and it was aired the same month on a private Bulgarian national television owned by Rupert Murdoch. The fact that there are Macedonian citizens who define themselves as Bulgarians is not enough for the Macedonian government to recognize a Bulgarian minority in Macedonia.
On the contrary, the Macedonian government wants Bulgaria to recognize a Macedonian minority in Pirin Macedonia (Southwestern Bulgaria). I have never heard of a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria and I have never met a person, born in Bulgaria, who defines himself or herself as such. Out of 35 Bulgarian students at Ramapo College, 2 are from the region of Pirin Macedonia in Bulgaria and none of them identifies as Macedonian. They have also never heard of Macedonians living in Southwestern Bulgaria. Apparently the pro-Yugoslav lies of Macedonia are endless, but fortunately less and less people believe them.
Friday, February 27, 2009
BG vs. FYROM - The Truth about Macedonia
The conflict between Greece and Macedonia is known worldwide. The conflict comes from the fact that Greece states that Republic of Macedonia stole the name Macedonia which belongs historically to Greece. Therefore, internationally Macedonia is recognized as FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia). Greece is also upset because Macedonian citizens claim to be descendants of Alexander the Great and the ancient Macedonians. These are the two issues that create the conflict between Greece and FYROM. Even though, they are much unpopular, the issues that create conflicts between FYROM and Bulgaria are countless.
The official FYROM history states that the inventors of the Glagolithic Alphabet St. Constantine Cyril the Philosopher and St. Methodius, and the inventor of the Cyrillic Alphabet St. Clement of Ohrid were Macedonians. According to FYROM, the medieval Tsar Samuil, the freedom fighters Georgi Delchev, Damyan Gruev, Yane Sandanski, and many others were Macedonians. But all Byzantine, Armenian, German, English, French, Russian, Greek, Ottoman, and Bulgarian sources state that these persons were Bulgarians.
Prior to 1945, no one in Europe talked or knew about Macedonians, Macedonian nation, or Macedonian language. In 1878, after the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878, Bulgaria was liberated in its ethnical boundaries including the territory of today's FYROM. This made Bulgaria the largest and strongest nation on the Balkan Peninsula, something that the Great Powers could not allow and as a result, FYROM's territory was included in the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. After the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, FYROM's territory was given to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes which later became Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia ruled today's FYROM from 1913 until 1941 when FYROM was occupied by the Germans and returned to Bulgaria. In the years between 1913 and 1941 the Yugoslavian government was trying to impose on the Bulgarians in the FYROM's territory that they were actually Serbs, not Bulgarians. This tactic was very unsuccessful; the locals knew they were not Serbs. At the end of World War II, FYROM's territory was once again included in the boundaries of Yugoslavia.
Serbs knew it is impossible to make the people of FYROM Serbs, therefore they remembered the words of the Serbian scholar Stojan Novakovic who had said that the only way to separate FYROM's territory from Bulgaria was to create a new nation. Novakovic had seen such nation in the Macedonism. As a result, the Macedonian nation was invented by stealing Greek and Bulgarian history and historical persons such as Alexander the Great and Tsar Samuil. The local dialect was introduced as a separate language from the Bulgarian and a new nation was born - the Macedonian one. Generations passed, people learned the fake Macedonian history and as adults they cannot accept the truth about who they really are.
In the globosphere there are many conflicts between Bulgarians and Macedonians. A strong argument for the "Macedonians" is the fact that the majority of the people who migrated to Australia from FYROM think of themselves as Macedonians, not as Bulgarians. The anthropologist Loring Danforth, author of the book The Macedonian Conflict, made a study case of the migrants from Macedonia to Australia. He states that those people define themselves as Macedonians. But he also says that the majority of the people who migrated to Australia prior to 1945 define themselves as Bulgarians. Guess why!
Yes, there is a Macedonian nation, but it is an artificial one. Today's "Macedonians" are still Bulgarians, because if a cat gives a birth in a stable the little ones are still kittens, not horses, aren't they?
The official FYROM history states that the inventors of the Glagolithic Alphabet St. Constantine Cyril the Philosopher and St. Methodius, and the inventor of the Cyrillic Alphabet St. Clement of Ohrid were Macedonians. According to FYROM, the medieval Tsar Samuil, the freedom fighters Georgi Delchev, Damyan Gruev, Yane Sandanski, and many others were Macedonians. But all Byzantine, Armenian, German, English, French, Russian, Greek, Ottoman, and Bulgarian sources state that these persons were Bulgarians.
Prior to 1945, no one in Europe talked or knew about Macedonians, Macedonian nation, or Macedonian language. In 1878, after the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878, Bulgaria was liberated in its ethnical boundaries including the territory of today's FYROM. This made Bulgaria the largest and strongest nation on the Balkan Peninsula, something that the Great Powers could not allow and as a result, FYROM's territory was included in the boundaries of the Ottoman Empire. After the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, FYROM's territory was given to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes which later became Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia ruled today's FYROM from 1913 until 1941 when FYROM was occupied by the Germans and returned to Bulgaria. In the years between 1913 and 1941 the Yugoslavian government was trying to impose on the Bulgarians in the FYROM's territory that they were actually Serbs, not Bulgarians. This tactic was very unsuccessful; the locals knew they were not Serbs. At the end of World War II, FYROM's territory was once again included in the boundaries of Yugoslavia.
Serbs knew it is impossible to make the people of FYROM Serbs, therefore they remembered the words of the Serbian scholar Stojan Novakovic who had said that the only way to separate FYROM's territory from Bulgaria was to create a new nation. Novakovic had seen such nation in the Macedonism. As a result, the Macedonian nation was invented by stealing Greek and Bulgarian history and historical persons such as Alexander the Great and Tsar Samuil. The local dialect was introduced as a separate language from the Bulgarian and a new nation was born - the Macedonian one. Generations passed, people learned the fake Macedonian history and as adults they cannot accept the truth about who they really are.
In the globosphere there are many conflicts between Bulgarians and Macedonians. A strong argument for the "Macedonians" is the fact that the majority of the people who migrated to Australia from FYROM think of themselves as Macedonians, not as Bulgarians. The anthropologist Loring Danforth, author of the book The Macedonian Conflict, made a study case of the migrants from Macedonia to Australia. He states that those people define themselves as Macedonians. But he also says that the majority of the people who migrated to Australia prior to 1945 define themselves as Bulgarians. Guess why!
Yes, there is a Macedonian nation, but it is an artificial one. Today's "Macedonians" are still Bulgarians, because if a cat gives a birth in a stable the little ones are still kittens, not horses, aren't they?
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