Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

The Dark Knight

2011-03-24T01:09:19Z

Brit1909:

{{Infobox Film
| name= Batman Begins
| image=
| caption=
| director=[[Christopher Nolan]]
| producer=Kevin De La Noy Benjamin Melniker Christopher Nolan Lorne Orleans Charles Roven Emma Thomas Thomas Tull Michael E. Uslan
| writer=Bob Kane (original) David S. Goyer Christopher Nolan Jonathan Nolan
| narrator=
| starring=Christian Bale [[Heath Ledger]] Aaron Ekhart Michael Caine Maggie Gyllenhaal Gary Oldman [[Morgan Freeman]]
| music= Hans Zimmer James Newton Howard
| cinematography=Wally Pfister
| editing=Lee Smith
| distributor=[[Warner Brothers]]
| released=July 18, 2008
| runtime=152 min
| country=[[United States]]
| language=[[English]]
| budget=
| gross=
| preceded_by=[[Batman Begins]]
| followed_by=
| website=
| amg_id2=
| imdb_id=0468569
}}

'''The Dark Knight''' is a 2008 [[superhero]] film, directed by Christopher Nolan as a sequel to his earlier film, ''[[Batman Begins]]''. [[Heath Ledger]] in his last completed performance portrayed [[Joker (comics)|the Joker]] as a dark, insane criminal. Ledger died during post Production and won a posthumous [[Academy Award]] for Best Supporting Actor. The film also won another Oscar for Best Achievment in Sound Editing and was nominated for another six academy awards. The film was rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace. It is also considered to be one of the best conservative movies due to its message of not yielding to terrorists.

==Christian parallels==
After the character of Harvey Dent, a character in the movie who did significant work weakening crime in Gotham City, goes mad and becomes a criminal and is ultimately killed, the character of Bruce Wayne (aka: Batman), takes the blame for Dent's crimes so that Gotham City has a scapegoat (Batman) and a visible symbol of justice (Harvey). This is not unlike Jesus sacrificing himself to absolve the sins of man.

The Joker is very similar to the Biblical Satan as he sees only the evil in man and attempts to draw people away from the path of righteousness.

Gordon O'Hara meanwhile can be seen as an allegory of John the Baptist.

{{DEFAULTSORT: Dark Knight, The}}
[[Category: Movies]]

X-Men

2011-03-24T01:06:41Z

Brit1909:

The '''X-Men''' are a team of [[comic book]] [[superhero|superheroes]] from the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] Universe. The team members are [[mutation|mutants]], each inborn with an ability that goes beyond what is humanly possible. In this way--being human but possessing abilities that go beyond the possible--mutants are unusual. Such mutants are subject to discrimination in the Marvel Universe, and as such must keep their status secret, but the founder of the team believes that peaceful coexistence is possible, and that mutants can use their powers to help all of humanity. Notably, their first mission was fighting Magneto, a mutant supremacist who believed that normal humanity's time had come and gone.

The initial members were Charles Xavier (Professor X), a powerful telepath, who founded and funded the initial team under the guise of it being a "school for gifted youngsters"; Scott Summers (Cyclops), who can project bolts of force from his eyes; Henry McCoy (Beast), an immensely strong, agile, tough, and athletic man; Robert Drake (Iceman), able to generate cold from his body; Warren Worthington III (Angel), possessed of feathered wings and with different enough physiology to let him fly using them; and Jean Grey (Marvel Girl), who possesses telekinetic ability. Perhaps the most notable member of the team is not a student at the school; it is Wolverine (Logan), a mutant with enhanced strength, speed, and instincts, known for flashing claws made from a near-indestructible adamantium skeleton when he is angry. Many stories within the comics explore Wolverine's history and psychology.

Since the comic's first issue in 1963, the roster of the team has changed. Characters have left, joined up, changed their code names, switched sides, died, been resurrected, and developed new powers or new ways to use them. The current roster actually consists of several teams, as many more mutants have been found all over the world and many have joined or created teams with deep ties to the X-Men.

Being created in the '60s, the comic was deliberately written to be a metaphor for the social issues of the time, such as discrimination, specifically racism (despite the entire team being composed of caucasians). Since then, the themes of the various titles with the "X" brand have been expanded to be a metaphor for tolerance and acceptance in general--for other races, for other modes of belief, and other sexual orientations.

While the books' premise does not require evolution to be factual -- mutations are known to occur -- the premise is explored in a way that assumes it is. A storyline in the early 2000s suggested that "regular" humanity, ''homo sapiens sapiens'', would be extinct within a century, replaced entirely with the mutant species ''homo sapiens superior''. Since then, a new event decimated the mutant population and prevented the mutant gene--the "x-factor"--from being passed on to new children, meaning it would be mutants going extinct within a generation, but this is unlikely to last, as some of the effects of the event are already "wearing off" or have otherwise been rectified.

The X-Men franchise has spawned a [[X-Men film series|series of successful movies]] in the 2000s, including ''[[X-men (film, 2000)|X-Men]]'', ''[[X2: X-Men United]]'', ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' and ''X-Men Origins: Wolverine'', and is still popular today.

[[category:superheroes]]
[[category:comic Characters]]
[[category:entertainment]]
[[Category:Marvel]]

Ian McKellen

2011-03-24T00:54:38Z

Brit1909: minor edits. On a side note, is opposition to the death penalty really 'extreme'? It's a very common position, especially in the UK

'''Sir Ian McKellen''' (born 1939) is a [[British]] actor
who was knighted in 1991 for outstanding contributions to theater.
He has gained international recognition for playing [[Gandalf]] in [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|''The Lord of the Rings'' series of films]]. He has also appeared in three films in the popular ''[[X-Men]]'' series and in anti-Christian films such as ''[[The Da Vinci Code (film, 2006)|The Da Vinci Code]]'' and ''The Golden Compass''. He is currently appearing in a production of Samuel Beckett's ''Waiting for Godot'' in London's West End and will reprise the role of Gandalf for an adaptation of ''[[The Hobbit]]''.

== Homosexuality ==

McKellen publicly came out as a homosexual at the relatively late age of 49. He has been irrationally critical of so-called homophobic legislation in the UK, which stopped homosexuality from being preached in [[public schools]] (later disgracefully repealed).

== Extreme opinions ==

McKellen is an [[atheist]] and opposes [[capital punishment]].<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/b/2006/05/28/ian-mckellen-bible-should-have-fiction-label.htm Ian McKellen: Bible Should Have 'Fiction' Label]</ref><ref>[http://www.mckellen.com/activism/index.htm Ian McKellen Activism]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McKellen, Ian}}
[[Category: Actors]]
[[Category:Liberal Activists]]

Essay:Greatest Conservative Movies

2011-03-23T23:59:32Z

Brit1909:

'''There have been many superb [[conservative]] films''':

#''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]'' (1956), a science fiction condemnation of [[communism]].
#''[[The Exorcist]]'' (1973) (not for children), a portrayal of pure evil against a positive characterization of [[Christianity]]. It broke the record for movie revenue.
# ''[[Dark Matter]]'' (2008), a candid look at [[professor values]] along with problems associated with lack of assimilation; [[liberal]]s first praised the movie, but after realizing its [[conservative]] message then panned it.
#''[[Spider-Man]]'' (2002), which praises moral virtue (hard-working teenager, devout aunt and well-meaning uncle) and pokes fun at [[liberals]] (entertainers and journalist). Hero chooses [[abstinence]]. This was one of the most profitable films ever made.
#''[[Gone With the Wind]]'' (1939), which celebrates a strongly ''feminine'' heroine who is the antithesis of a modern [[feminist]], and held the record for top-grossing movie for decades.
#''[[Ben-Hur (film, 1959)|Ben-Hur]]'' (1959), celebrates honor and duty to family and country, with a pro-Christian ending, long held the record for the most [[Academy Awards]].
#''[[Expelled | Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed]]'' (2008) - [[Ben Stein]] exposes [[evolution|evolutionists]]' scientific and education system [[deceit]].
#''[[Hillary: The Movie]]'' (2008) - Citizens United film exposing Hillary Clinton. This movie led to the overturning of McCain-Feingold legislation by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]].
#''[[Indoctrinate U]]'' (2007) - The film exposed political correctness, racial and ethnic politics in the academic setting. <ref>[http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3624795/9994231 Indoctrinate U -Part 1/3, Yahoo]</ref>
#''[[Fireproof (film)|Fireproof]]'' (2008) - Highly successful pro-Christian, pro-marriage film created by [[Sherwood Pictures]].
#''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' (1991) - A powerful and immensely popular antidote to [[feminism]], far better than the [[liberal]] movies churned out by [[Disney]] later
#''[[Titanic]]'' (1997) - Every life had value and the most powerful men gave up their seats on lifeboats to women and children first; the media and a young [[RINO]] are rightly criticized; broke the record in movie revenues
#''The Lives of Others'' (2006) (not for children) - This German-language film is a stinging criticism of the [[communist]] [[East Germany]] from a liberal perspective.
#''[[The Sound of Music]]'' (1965), solid family entertainment, perhaps Hollywood's last great movie before it turned sharply Left.
#''[[The Ten Commandments]]'' (1956)
#''[[Mr. Smith Goes To Washington]]'' (1939)
#''[[Star Wars]]'' series (1977-2005) - simple truths about the triumph of good over evil.
#''The Winning Team'' (1952), starring [[Ronald Reagan]] as a pitcher who overcomes his problems to help his team win. This was one of Reagan's own favorites.
#''[[King of Kings]]'' (1961)
#''[[Iron Eagle]]'' (1986)
#''[[On The Waterfront]]'' (1954) [[Marlon Brando]] plays Terry Malloy, who under the inspiration of a Catholic priest (Father Barry, played by [[Karl Malden]]), becomes a Christ-like figure. Betrayed by his brother and almost killed by the gang, he finds the strength to overcome and redeem his people from the slavery to the mobsters who run the waterfront. In stunning contrast to the liberals who kept silent about the Communist subversion in Hollywood, the film portrays the informer as the hero; liberal Hollywood never forgave director [[Elia Kazan]] for his stunning film. In real life, Kazan, Malden and screenwriter Budd Schulberg all testified before Congress, along with [[Ronald Reagan]]. Together they broke the power of the Reds in Hollywood.
#''[[Sergeant York]]'' (1941)
#''[[Knute Rockne: All-American]]'' (1940)
#''[[Ninotchka]]'' (1939)
#''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' (1956)
#''[[Rudy]]'' (1993)
#''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' (1998)
#''[[Strategic Air Command (film)|Strategic Air Command]]'' (1955). Actor (and Brigadier [[General]]) [[James Stewart]]'s story of the real [[Strategic Air Command]] and its transition from prop planes to jet planes.
#''[[A Gathering of Eagles]]'' (1963). Illustrates duty, honor, and the burden of command.
#''[[Red Dawn]]'' (1984)
#''[[Harry's War]]'' (1981)
#''[[The Patriot]]'' (2000) (the one starring Mel Gibson, there are several other movies with this name)
#''[[Ladder 49]]'' (2004)
#''[[Rocky]]'' (1976) (perseverance and talent can overcome all odds)
#''[[October Sky]]'' (1999)
#''[[Amazing Grace (film)|Amazing Grace]]''
#''[[Bruce Almighty]]'' (2003)
#''[[World Trade Center]]'' (2006) (highlights the bravery of the firemen and police in [[9/11]])
#''[[Flight 93]]'' (2006)
#''[[A Man For All Seasons]]'' (1966)
#''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' (1981)
#''[[One Foot In Heaven]]'' (1941)
#''[[Quo Vadis?]]''
#''[[The Lost Weekend]]'' (1945) - illustrating the dangers of alcohol.
#''[[The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (1962, 2004 remake) (anti-communist in general, but with a swipe at [[Joseph McCarthy]])
#''[[The Green Berets]]'' (1968) - Vivid defense of our troops' conduct in the Vietnam War.
#''[[My Son John]]'' (1952). A small-town couple's world is turned upside-down by the discovery that their adult son is a Communist.
#''[[True Lies]]'' (1994), starring the future Republican governor of California, [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. Teaches conservative values like marital loyalty, and political incorrect facts such as the fact that most terrorists are Middle Eastern Arabic speakers who don't value human life.
#''[[The Island]]'' (2005) Pro-life statement against cloning to harvest organs.
#''[[Evelyn]]'' (2002) True story of Irish father's legal struggle to recover his kids from an orphanage.
#''[[Shane]]'' (1953) Western about defending a homesteading family.
#'' [[Lean on Me]]'' (1989) A true story about combating drug use, violence, and contempt for authority while exalting positive values like academic achievement and family values.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097722/</ref>
#''[[Hero]]'' (1992) Even those with character flaws can do good.
#''[[The Day of the Jackal]]'' (1973) celebrates conservative values like honor and duty.
#''[[The 6th Day]]'' (2000) Pro-Life, Anti-Cloning movie Featuring Republican Governor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]
#''Ghostbusters'' (1984). Fitting satire of an environmental regulator.
#[[Facing the Giants]] 2006. Trust in [[God]], let him take over, and good things will happen.
#''Flash of Genius'' (2008) - the intellectual property of a hard-working, solitary inventor is promoted, and his children stuck by his side through enormous difficulties.
#''Oh, God!'' (1977) - Acceptance of God's calling is rewarded, the faithful are vindicated, and naysayers are proven wrong.
#''[[Courageous]]'' (2011) - Upcoming [[Sherwood Pictures]] film focusing on the role of fathers.
#''[[Air Force One (film)|Air Force One]]'' (1997) - Positively portrays a strong U.S. president who takes an uncompromising stance against terrorism. Includes positive material about family, authority, the military and sacrifice.
#''[[The Fellowship of the Ring (film, 2001)|The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (2001) - Clear distinction between good and evil with positive themes of friendship, bravery, honor, sacrifice and overcoming temptation.
#''[[The Two Towers (film, 2002)|The Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers]]'' (2002) - Strong portrayals of redemption and good over evil.
#''[[Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World]]'' (2003) - Promotes many positive conservative values including faith in God, patriotism, duty, honor, respect for authority, discipline, bravery, sacrifice, and friendship.
#''[[The Return of the King (2003 film)|The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King]]'' (2003) - Bravery, heroism, sacrifice and good ultimately triumphing over evil.
#''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]]'' (2005) - Based upon the Christian allegory written by C.S. Lewis.
#''Coach Carter'' (2005) - Promotes the theme that graduating from high school and having proper moral values are more important than becoming famous athletes.
#''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian]]'' (2008)
#''[[The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader]]'' (2010)
#''[[The Seventh Sign]]'' (1988) - starring Demi Moore, a fictional account of the return of Jesus to usher in the apocalypse and judge mankind. Catholic themed movie has Demi offering her life for the souls of others.
#''[[Maafa21]]'' (2009) - the film explores the inception of [[Planned Parenthood]] as an organization created to destroy the Negro population. It exposes the words of its' racist founder [[Margaret Sanger]] and their impact on black genocide more than a century later. <ref>[http://www.maafa21.com www.maafa21.com]</ref>
#''[[Twelve O'Clock High]]'' (1949) - a thrilling movie about the heroics of fighter pilots during [[World War II]]; used as an educational film for management training seminars
#''[[Escape from Hell]]'' (2001) Drama about a doctor and near-death experience.
#''[[Waiting for Superman]]'' (2010) Documentary on the failed public school system.
#''The Hurt Locker'' (2008) - A look into the life of an American bomb disposal regiment in Iraq risking their lives for their country and for the innocent by confronting evil. Rated R for violence and language.
#''The Tunnel'' (''Der Tunnel'') (2001)- Based on a true story a group of East Berliners escaping harsh Communist rule and hatch a plan to help others escape that same oppressive regime.
#''A Charlie Brown Christmas'' (1965) - The real meaning of Christmas is discussed, Linus quotes Luke 2:8-14.
#''[[The Great Global Warming Swindle]]'' (2007) - Exposing the greatest fraud in the history of science.
#''[[The Dark Knight]]'' Christian allegory with message of not giving in to terrorists.
#''[[Fiddler on the Roof]]'' (1971) - A celebration of tradition, faith, and the importance of family, against a historical background of the persecution of Russian Jews.
#''[[Kids Aren't Cars]]'' (2011) - How the teachers' unions are destroying our public schools. <ref>[http://www.kidsarentcars.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/KACOneSheet.pdf KAC Summary]</ref>
#''[[How We Should Live]]'' (1976) - Christian film that traces Western history from Ancient Rome until 1976. A study of philosophic, scientific, and religious movements reflecting changing patterns.

== Debatable Whether Conservative ==

#''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' (2004) -- downplays the [[Resurrection]],<ref>The original version of the film had no references at all to the Resurrection.</ref> and strength of Christianity and omits powerful angels; instead exaggerates triumph of evil; film had little lasting effect on public or its producer; portrayed nails as through the hands rather than through the wrists as depicted by the [[Shroud of Turin]] and confirmed by modern science.
#''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (1946) -- falsely teaches that humanism is what makes life worthwhile; marginalizes faith with a cartoonish depiction and demonizes capitalism as sadistic and greedy.
#''[[High Noon]]'' (1952) -- Bill Clinton saw this movie 20 times, and John Wayne said it was the most un-American movie ever;<ref>http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/47/highnoon.php</ref> though susceptible of various interpretations, most of all it seems to scare people into wanting more government.
#''[[P.C.U.]]'' (1994) - college students fight back against a campus where the administration promotes official [[diversity]] awareness weekends and radical [[feminism]], [[vegan]]ism, and [[political correctness]] run amok, but a conservative group on campus is also portrayed just as negatively as the P.C. groups.
#''Pillow Talk'' (1959) - a classic starring Rock Hudson and Doris Day in which conservative values triumph over liberal ones. There are no distortions by feminist ideology. Indeed, in one scene a leading man slaps the leading lady, but then is beaten up by dimwitted bystanders for it!
#''[[Blues Brothers]]'' (1980) - comedy musical. A story of redemption, "A mission from God", raising money to save a Catholic orphanage. R-rated movie for vulgar language, slap stick comedy. Vatican approved. <ref>[http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/18/vatican-blesses-blues-brothers/ Vatican Calls The Blues Brothers “Catholic”, FOXNews, June 19, 2010]</ref>
#''The Way We Were'' (1973) - unique in the way that it appears liberal to liberals while unintentionally sending a [[conservative]] message to young women.
#''Grease'' (1978) - some [[conservative]] messages and no [[feminism]] or other [[political correctness]]; mocks [[public school]] and even [[television]].
#''[[Juno (film)]]'' (2007) - A pregnant teen rejects [[abortion]] and decides for an adoptive birth instead. But she does not do it for any moral reason. This movie promotes the idea that a teenage girl can do whatever she wants without listening to any man, including get pregnant and choose what to do with the baby. See [http://www.eagleforum.org/column/2008/mar08/08-03-19.html] for how this is pro-[[feminist]].
#''Fargo'' (1996) - Pregnant sheriff with traditional American family values solves an elaborate criminal embezzlement, kidnapping and murder scheme.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays about Conservatism]]
[[Category:Hollywood]]

Zimbabwe

2011-03-23T22:44:08Z

Brit1909: /* Economy */

{{Country
|name =''Republic of Zimbabwe''
|map =Zimbabwe rel 2002.jpg
|map2 =Location of Zimbabwe.png
|flag =Flag of Zimbabwe.png
|arms =Arms of Zimbabwe.png
|capital =Harare
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|government =Presidential Republic
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|language =English
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|president =Robert Mugabe
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
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|pm =Morgan Tsvangirai
|pm-raw =
|area =150,871 sq. miles
|pop =13,010,000
|pop-basis =2005
|gdp =$30.581 billion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$2,607
|currency =Dollar
|idd =
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}}
'''Zimbabwe''', formerly the [[Republic of Rhodesia]] and the colony '''Southern Rhodesia''', is a nation in south-central [[Africa]]. It has borders with [[South Africa]], [[Botswana]], [[Zambia]] and [[Mozambique]]. A dispute exists whether Zimbabwean territory touches that of [[Namibia]] at the extreme westernmost point of Zimbabwe. The country has an area of 150,873 square miles (390,759 sq km) and a population of 12.3 million (2007 est). The capital city is [[Harare]].

==People==
Primarily of the Bantu group of south and central Africa, the black Zimbabweans are divided into two major language groups, which are subdivided into several ethnic groups. The Mashona (Shona speakers), who constitute about 75% of the population, have lived in the area the longest and are the majority language group. The Matabele (Sindebele speakers), representing about 20% of the population and centered in the southwest around Bulawayo, arrived within the last 150 years. An offshoot of the South African Zulu group, they maintained control over the Mashona until the white occupation of Rhodesia in 1890.

More than half of white Zimbabweans, primarily of English origin, arrived in Zimbabwe after World War II. Afrikaners from South Africa and other European minorities, including Portuguese from Mozambique, also are present. Until the mid-1970s, there were about 1,000 white immigrants per year, but from 1976 to 1985 a steady emigration resulted in a loss of more than 150,000, leaving about 100,000 in 1992. Renewed white emigration in the late 1990s and early 2000s reduced the white population to less than 50,000. English, the official language, is spoken by the white population and understood, if not always used, by more than half of the black population.

The literacy rate is estimated at 90.5%. Primary and secondary schools were segregated until 1979 when racial restrictions were removed. Since independence, the educational system has been systematically enlarged by the Zimbabwean Government, which is committed to providing free public education to all citizens on an equal basis. As of the late 1970s, some 50% of the African children (5-19 years old) were listed officially as attending rural schools. Today, most African children attend primary school. Primary through post-secondary enrollment has expanded from 1 million to about 2.9 million since independence. About 40% of the rural primary schools were destroyed during the Rhodesian conflict, which delayed improvement of the rural education system. Higher education, offered at the University of Zimbabwe in Harare, the new National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo, the new Africa (Methodist) University in Mutare, the new Midlands State Universuity in Gweru, the new Solusi University in Bulawayo (Seventh Day Adventist), the new Bindura University of Science in Bindura, fourteen teacher-training colleges, and twelve polytechnical institutes and industrial training centers, is being expanded with assistance from several donor countries.
*Population (2005 est.): 13,010,000.
*Annual growth rate (2003 est.): 0.83%. (Note: the population growth rate is depressed by an HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate estimated to be 18% and a high level of net emigration.)
*Ethnic groups: Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other African 11%, white 1%, mixed and Asian 1%.
*Religions: Christianity 75%, offshoot Christian sects, animist, and Muslim.
*Languages: English (official), Shona, Sindebele.
*Education: Attendance--mandatory for primary level. Adult literacy--90.5% (2004 est.).
*Health: Infant mortality rate--51.7/1,000 (2006 est.). Life expectancy--men 37 (2006), women 34 (2006).
*Work force (2006 est.): 900,000 in formal sector.

==Government==
According to Zimbabwe's constitution, the president is head of state and head of government, and is elected for a 6-year term by popular majority vote. Parliament is bicameral and sits for up to a 5-year term. The 150-member house of assembly consists of 120 elected seats, 10 chiefs elected by their peers but influenced by the president, eight provincial governors and 12 non-constituency MPs appointed by the president. The parliament elects a speaker from outside its membership and a deputy speaker from among its members.

In September 2005 the government used its two-thirds majority in parliament to pass a constitutional amendment that established a 66-member Senate. The Senate consists of 50 elected seats, 6 seats directly appointed by the president, 8 chiefs elected from the 8 rural provinces (excluding the metropolitan provinces), and the president and vice president of the Council of Chiefs.

The Zimbabwean constitution institutionalizes majority rule and protection of minority rights. The elected government controls senior appointments in the public service, including the military and police, and the independent Public Service Commission is charged with making appointments at lower levels on an equitable basis.

The judiciary is headed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court who, like the other justices, is appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The constitution has a bill of rights containing extensive protection of human rights. The bill of rights could not be amended for the first 10 years of independence except by unanimous vote of the parliament.

Zimbabwe is divided into eight provinces, each administered by a provincial governor appointed by the president. The provincial administrator and representatives of several service ministries assist the provincial governor. In 2004, the Mugabe government declared Bulawayo and Harare to be provinces with their own respective provincial governors even though there is no constitutional provision for these newly created positions.

Zimbabwe is governed by President Robert Mugabe and his Zimbabwean African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), which has dominated the legislative and executive branches since independence in 1980.

===Principal Government Officials===
*President--Robert Mugabe
*Prime Minister-- Morgan Tsvangirai
*Vice Presidents--Joseph Msika and Joice Mujuru
*Foreign Minister--Simbarashe Mumbengegwi
*Ambassador to the U.S.--Machinvenyika Tobias Mapuranga

===Foreign Relations===
Since independence, Zimbabwe has enunciated and follows a policy of "active nonalignment." In practice, this has meant that Zimbabwe usually adhered to positions established by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM); the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union; or, until it withdrew in 2003, the Commonwealth. Zimbabwe took a particular interest in the search for independence for Namibia (South-West Africa) from South Africa. In addition, as chairman of the front-line states in southern Africa, Zimbabwe spoke out vigorously against the policies of apartheid in South African and frequently called for the imposition of economic sanctions against Pretoria. In November 1982, Zimbabwe was chosen by the OAU to hold one of the non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council for the following two years, which brought it onto the center stage of world events and gave it much-needed experience in international affairs. In 1986, Zimbabwe was the site of the NAM summit meeting; Prime Minister Mugabe became chairman of that organization, giving both Mugabe and Zimbabwe added international visibility and responsibility.

Zimbabwe maintains embassies in the United States, United Kingdom, Egypt, Angola, Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, India, Sweden, France, China, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Swaziland, Belgium, Tanzania, Botswana, Serbia, Mozambique, Switzerland, Cuba, Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, India, Italy, Russia, and South Africa. Sixty-six countries are represented in Harare as are several international organizations including UN institutions, the European Union, and the World Bank. Zimbabwe is a member of many international organizations, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF); African Development Bank; The World Trade Organization; Southern African Development Community (SADC); Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA); African Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP, in association with the EU); Group of 77 (G-77); Group of 15 (G-15); NAM; African Union (AU); Customs Cooperation Council (CCC); and the World Federation of Trade Unions. The IMF Executive Board in July 2004 postponed until January 2005 deliberations on a recommendation for Zimbabwe's compulsory withdrawal from the institution. The IMF closed its Zimbabwe office in October 2004 in a decision not linked to the country's considerable arrears. Shortly after the March 2002 presidential election, the Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from leadership councils for one year after the Commonwealth's election observer team found the conduct of the election seriously flawed. After this suspension was upheld in December 2003, Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

Historically, Zimbabwe's closest links have been with the U.K.; however, in the past six years, this relationship has been very strained. The government has demonized Britain in the press, blaming the country for Zimbabwe's problems, and claiming that Britain reneged on promises made at Lancaster House to provide money for land reform. As with the U.S., thousands of Zimbabweans studied in the U.K., and private links remain close; however, official relations are strained.

Other West European countries have ties with Zimbabwe. The Scandinavian countries share certain philosophical affinities and have provided much assistance, as have France, Canada, and the Federal Republic of Germany. Portugal and Greece maintain links partly because of the sizable Portuguese and Greek communities in the country. Similar historical ties have led to the establishment of relations with India and Pakistan, and to a lesser extent, with Bangladesh. The government's "look east" policy has led to closer diplomatic relations with East Asian countries such as Malaysia and China.

Zimbabwe maintains diplomatic relations with virtually every African country, although some ties are closer than others. African nations with embassies in Harare are Algeria, Angola, Botswana, D.R.C., Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Ruled continuously by a liberation party, Zimbabwe developed and maintains close ties with a number of revolutionary states and organizations. Among these are the People's Republic of China, Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, Libya, and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

==Defense==
At independence, then-Prime Minister Mugabe declared that integrating Zimbabwe's then three armed forces would be one of his government's top priorities. The existing Rhodesian forces were combined with the two guerilla armies--the 20,000-strong ZANLA forces of ZANU-PF and the 15,000-strong ZIPRA forces of PF-ZAPU. In July 1994 the combined Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) Headquarters was created. Currently the armed forces of Zimbabwe are completely integrated and are composed of an army (ZNA) and an air force (AFZ). In 1999, the Government of Zimbabwe sent a sizeable military force into the Democratic Republic of Congo to support the government of President Laurent Kabila. Those forces were largely withdrawn in 2002.

Although as of late 2004, the ZDF had an active duty strength of 33,000 and the air force about 4,000 men these numbers have come down substantially because of resignations due to poor pay and working conditions. Today, the ZDF is largely immobile and beset by shortages of supplies, including food. The U.S. Congress terminated support for military cooperation programs in 2001.

==Economy==
Properly managed, Zimbabwe's wide range of resources should enable it to support sustained economic growth. The country has an important percentage of the world's known reserves of metallurgical-grade chromite. Other commercial mineral deposits include coal, platinum, asbestos, copper, nickel, gold, and iron ore. However, for the country to benefit from these mineral deposits, it must attract foreign direct investment.

In the early 1970s, the economy experienced a modest boom. Real per capita earnings for blacks and whites reached record highs, although the disparity in incomes between blacks and whites remained, with blacks earning only about one-tenth as much as whites. After 1975, however, Rhodesia's economy was undermined by the cumulative effects of sanctions, declining earnings from commodity exports, worsening guerilla conflict, and increasing white emigration. When Mozambique severed economic ties, the Smith regime was forced to depend on South Africa for access to the outside world. Real gross domestic product (GDP) declined between 1974 and 1979. An increasing proportion of the national budget (an estimated 30%-40% per year) was allocated to defense, and a large budget deficit raised the public debt burden substantially.

Following the Lancaster House settlement in December 1979, Zimbabwe enjoyed a brisk economic recovery. Zimbabwe inherited one of the strongest and most complete industrial infrastructures in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as rich mineral resources and a strong agricultural base. Real growth for 1980-81 exceeded 20%. However, depressed foreign demand for the country's mineral exports and the onset of a drought cut sharply into the growth rate in 1982, 1983, and 1984. In 1985, the economy rebounded strongly due to a 30% jump in agricultural production. However it slumped in 1986 to a zero growth rate and registered a 3% contraction in GDP in 1987 due primarily to drought and foreign exchange crisis. Growth in 1988-90 averaged about 4.5%.

Since the mid-1990s, this infrastructure has been deteriorating rapidly, but remains better than that of most African countries. Poor management of the economy and political turmoil have led to considerable economic hardships. The Government of Zimbabwe's chaotic land reform program, recurrent interference with the judiciary, and maintenance of unrealistic price controls and exchange rates have led to a sharp drop in investor confidence. Since 1999, the national economy has contracted by as much as 35%; inflation vaulted over 7,634.8% (year on year) in July 2007; and there have been persistent shortages of foreign exchange, fuel, and food. Direct foreign investment has all but evaporated. In a desperate attempt to control inflation, the government forced firms and supermarkets to reduce prices by half in July 2007, which resulted in severe shortages of basic and other commodities.

Agriculture is no longer the backbone of the Zimbabwean economy. Large scale commercial farming has been effectively destroyed over the course of the last five years under the government's controversial land reform efforts starting in 2000. Corn is the largest food crop and tobacco had traditionally been the largest export crop, followed by cotton. Tobacco production in 2006, however, slumped to its lowest level--about 50 million kg--since independence, off from a peak in 2000 of 237 million kg. Gold production, another former key foreign currency source, slid by about 48% in the first half of 2007 to 4.54 metric tons compared to the corresponding period in 2006. Poor government management has exacerbated meager corn harvests in years of drought or floods, resulting in significant food shortfalls every year since 2001.

Paved roads link the major urban and industrial centers, but the condition of urban roads and the unpaved rural road network has deteriorated significantly since 1995 for lack of maintenance. Rail lines connect with an extensive central African railroad network, although railway track condition has also worsened in recent years, along with locomotive availability and utilization. The electric power supply has become erratic and blackouts are common due to low generator availability at the Kariba hydroelectric power plant and unreliable or nonexistent coal supplies to the country's large thermal plants. Telephone service is problematic, and new lines are difficult of obtain.

The largest industries are metal products, food processing, chemicals, textiles, clothing, furniture and plastic goods. Most manufacturers have sharply scaled back operations due to the poor operating climate and foreign exchange shortages. Zimbabwe is not a member of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and a number of textile businesses have migrated to other African countries in a bid to benefit from the opportunities offered by AGOA. Zimbabwean producers still export lumber products, certain textiles, chrome alloys and automobile windscreens to the U.S.

Zimbabwe is endowed with rich mineral resources. Exports of gold, asbestos, chrome, coal, platinum, nickel, and copper could lead to an economic recovery one day. No commercial deposits of petroleum have been discovered, although the country is richly endowed with coal-bed methane gas that has yet to be exploited.

With international attractions such as Victoria Falls, the Great Zimbabwe stone ruins, Lake Kariba, and extensive wildlife, tourism historically has been a significant segment of the economy and contributor of foreign exchange. The sector has contracted sharply since 1999, however, due to the country's declining international image.

As of 2008, the [[economy]] is in complete collapse. A decade ago, President [[Robert Mugabe]] said he was reclaiming ancestral lands from white farmland owners for poor black peasants. At the time Zimbabwe was a net exporter of food. Some land went to Mugabe's Cabinet ministers and generals, who left the fields untended, although a significant number of the 'resettlements' involved the rural poor, albeit initially in a highly disorganised manner <ref>Scoones et al. (2010) Zimbabwe's Land Reform</ref>. Hundreds of thousands of [[farm]] laborers and their families lost their jobs and homes. Now the country is dependent on foreign food aid. Eighty percent of the work force is unemployed and many with jobs don't earn enough to pay for bus fare. [[Inflation]] is the world's highest at 2.2 million percent. Independent [[economist]] say [[inflation]] is at 12.5 million percent. Due to inflation, a good costing $1 at the beginning of a month may cost $20 by month's end. <ref>[http://www.theconservativevoice.com/ap/article.html?mi=D928C5JG0&apc=9002 Zimbabwe drops 10 zeros from inflated currency] The Conservative Voice, July 30, 2008</ref> The situation has been stabilised somewhat thanks to a power-sharing agreement between the MDC and ZANU-PF. Inflation has been brought under control thanks to the scrapping of the previous currency, and political violence has decreased. However, tensions between the governing parties remain and the dire economic situation of the previous decade will make rebuilding a long and arduous process.

====Energy Resources====
With considerable hydroelectric power potential and plentiful coal deposits for thermal power station, Zimbabwe is less dependent on oil as an energy source than most other comparably industrialized countries, but it still imports 40% of its electric power needs from the DRC, Mozambique and South Africa. Only about 15% of Zimbabwe's total energy consumption is accounted for by oil, all of which is imported. Zimbabwe imports about 1.2 billion liters of oil per year. Dependence on petroleum is managed through the price controls for vehicle fuels, the use of gasohol, and the substitution of diesel-electric locomotives on the railway system. Zimbabwe also has substantial coal reserves that are utilized for power generation, and recently discovered in Matabeleland province are coal bed methane deposits greater than any known natural gas field in Southern or Eastern Africa. In recent years, however, poor economic management and low foreign currency reserves have led to serious fuel shortages.
*GDP (2006 est.): U.S. $407.4 million (World Bank est).
*Real GDP growth rate (2006): -5.1%.
*Real per capita GDP (Reliable estimates of current GDP and population size are unavailable.)
*Avg. inflation rate: 7,634.8% (year-on-year, July 2007, by official accounts; private sector estimates are rougly triple the official figure).
*Natural resources: Deposits of more than 40 minerals including ferrochrome, gold, silver, platinum, copper, asbestos; 19 million hectares of forest (2000).
*Agriculture (15% of GDP): Types of crops and livestock--corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, tea, sugarcane, peanuts, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs.
*Industry: manufacturing, public administration, commerce, mining, transport and communication.
*Trade (2006): U.S. exports--U.S. $47.58 million. U.S. imports--U.S. $103.28 million. Partners (2000 est.)--South Africa 22%, U.K. 10%, Germany 9%, U.S. 8%. Total imports (2004)--U.S. $1,989 million: most of these imports were construction and agricultural machinery, transportation equipment, data processing equipment and software, industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and general manufactured products. Major suppliers--South Africa 34%, U.K. 10.8%, Germany 7.3%, U.S. 6%.

==History==
====Early History====
Archaeologists have found Stone-Age implements and pebble tools in several areas of Zimbabwe, a suggestion of human habitation for many centuries, and the ruins of stone buildings provide evidence of early civilization. The most impressive of these sites is the "Great Zimbabwe" ruins, after which the country is named, located near Masvingo. Evidence suggests that these stone structures were built between the 9th and 13th centuries A.D. by indigenous Africans who had established trading contacts with commercial centers on Africa's southeastern coast.

In the 16th century, the Portuguese were the first Europeans to attempt colonization of south-central Africa, but the hinterland lay virtually untouched by Europeans until the arrival of explorers, missionaries, ivory hunters, and traders some 300 years later. Meanwhile, mass migrations of indigenous peoples took place. Successive waves of more highly developed Bantu peoples from equatorial regions supplanted the original inhabitants and are the ancestors of the region's Africans today.

====British Settlement and Administration====
In 1888, Cecil Rhodes obtained a concession for mineral rights from local chiefs. Later that year, the area that became Southern and Northern Rhodesia was proclaimed a British sphere of influence. The British South Africa Company was chartered in 1889, and the settlement of Salisbury (now Harare, the capital) was established in 1890. In 1895, the territory was formally named Rhodesia after Cecil Rhodes under the British South Africa Company's administration.

Following the abrogation of the company's charter in 1923, Southern Rhodesia's white settlements were given the choice of being incorporated into the Union of South Africa or becoming a separate entity within the British Empire. The settlers rejected incorporation, and Southern Rhodesia was formally annexed by the United Kingdom that year. Until 1980, Rhodesia was an internally self-governing colony with its own legislature, civil service, armed forces, and police. Although Rhodesia was never administered directly from London, the United Kingdom always retained the right to intervene in the affairs of the colony, particularly in matters affecting Africans.

After 1923, European immigrants concentrated on developing Rhodesia's rich mineral resources and agricultural potential. The settlers' demand for more land led in 1934 to the passage of the first of a series of land apportionment acts that reserved certain areas for Europeans.

In September 1953, Southern Rhodesia was joined in a multiracial Central African Federation with the British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland in an effort to pool resources and markets. Although the federation flourished economically, the African population, who feared they would not be able to achieve self-government with the federal structure dominated by White Southern Rhodesians, opposed it. The federation was dissolved at the end of 1963 after much crisis and turmoil, and Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland became the independent states of Zambia and Malawi in 1964.

====Unilateral Declaration Of Independence (UDI)====
The European electorate in Rhodesia, however, showed little willingness to accede to African demands for increased political participation and progressively replaced more moderate party leaders. In April 1964, Prime Minister Winston Field, accused of not moving rapidly enough to obtain independence from the United Kingdom, was replaced by his deputy, Ian Smith. Prime Minster Smith led his Rhodesian Front Party to an overwhelming victory in the 1965 elections, winning all 50 of the first roll seats and demoralizing the more moderate European opposition.

Although prepared to grant independence to Rhodesia, the United Kingdom insisted that the authorities at Salisbury first demonstrate their intention to move toward eventual majority rule. Desiring to keep their dominant position, the white Rhodesians refused to give such assurances. On November 11, 1965, after lengthy and unsuccessful negotiations with the British Government, Prime Minister Smith issued a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom.

====Post-UDI Events====
The British Government considered the UDI unconstitutional and illegal but made clear that it would not use force to oppose it. On November 12, 1965, the United Nations also determined the Rhodesian Government and UDI to be illegal and called on member states to refrain from assisting or recognizing the Smith regime. The British Government imposed sanctions on Rhodesia and requested other nations to do the same.

On December 16, 1966, the UN Security Council, for the first time in history, imposed mandatory economic sanctions on a state. Rhodesia's primary exports including ferrochrome and tobacco, were placed on the selective sanctions list, as were shipments of arms, aircraft, motor vehicles, petroleum, and petroleum products to Rhodesia. On May 29, 1968, the Security Council unanimously voted to broaden the sanctions by imposing an almost total embargo on all trade with, investments in, or transfers of funds to Rhodesia and imposed restrictions on air transport to the territory.

In the early 1970s, informal attempts at settlement were renewed between the United Kingdom and the Rhodesian administration. Following the April 1974 coup in Portugal and the resulting shifts of power in Mozambique and Angola, pressure on the Smith regime to negotiate a peaceful settlement increased. In addition, sporadic antigovernment guerilla activity, which began in the late 1960s, increased dramatically after 1972, causing destruction, economic dislocation, casualties, and a slump in white morale. In 1974, the major African nationalists groups--the Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU) and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), which split away from ZAPU in 1963--were united into the "Patriotic Front" and combined their military forces, at least nominally.

In 1976, because of a combination of embargo-related economic hardships, the pressure of guerilla activity, independence and majority rule in the neighboring former Portuguese territories, and a U.K.-U.S. diplomatic initiative, the Smith government agreed in principle to majority rule and to a meeting in Geneva with black nationalist leaders to negotiate a final settlement of the conflict. Blacks represented at the Geneva meeting included ZAPU leader Joshua Nkomo, ZANU leader Robert Mugabe, UANC chairman bishop [[Abel Muzorewa]], and former ZANU leader Rev. Nadabaningi Sithole. The meeting failed to find a basis for agreement because of Smith's inflexibility and the inability of the black leaders to form a common political front.

On September 1, 1977 a detailed Anglo-American plan was put forward with proposals for majority rule, neutrally administered with pre-independence elections, a democratic constitution and the formation of an integrated army. Reactions were mixed, but no party rejected them. In the interim, on March 3, 1978, the Smith administration signed the "internal settlement" agreement in Salisbury with Bishop Muzorewa, Rev. Sithole, and Chief Jeremiah Chirau. The agreement provided for qualified majority rule and elections with universal suffrage. Following elections in April 1979, in which his UANC party won a majority, Bishop Muzorewa assumed office on June 1, becoming "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia's" first black prime minister. However, the installation of the new black majority government did not end the guerilla conflict that had claimed more than 20,000 lives since 1972.

Shortly after British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's conservative government took power in May 1979, the British began a new round of consultations that culminated in an agreement among the Commonwealth countries as the basis for fresh negotiations among the parties and the British involving a new constitution, free elections and independence.

The British and the African parties began deliberations on a Rhodesian settlement at Lancaster House in London on September 10, 1979. On December 10, 1979, in preparation for the transition under British authority to officially recognized independence, the "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia" reverted de facto to colonial status. On December 12, British Governor Lord Christopher Soames arrived in Salisbury to reassert British authority over the colony. His arrival signaled the end of the Rhodesian rebellion and the "internal settlement," as well as the beginning of Zimbabwe's transition to independence. The United Kingdom lifted all remaining sanctions against Zimbabwe that day. The United States lifted sanctions effective December 16.

On December 21, after 3 months of hard bargaining, the parties signed an agreement at Lancaster House calling for a cease-fire, new elections, a transition period under British rule, and a new constitution implementing majority rule while protecting minority rights. The agreement specified that upon the granting of independence, the country's name would be Zimbabwe. The same day, the UN Security Council endorsed the settlement agreement and formally voted unanimously to call on member nations to remove sanctions.

During the transition period, nine political parties campaigned for the February 27-29 pre-independence elections. The elections were supervised by the British Government and monitored by hundreds of observers, most of whom concluded that, under the prevailing circumstances, the elections were free and fair and reflected the will of the people. Robert Mugabe's ZANU (PF) party won an absolute majority and was asked to form Zimbabwe's first government.

In a series of public statements during the transition period, Prime Minister Mugabe indicated that he was committed to a process of national reconciliation and reconstruction as well as moderate socioeconomic change. His priorities were to integrate the various armed forces, reestablish social services and education in rural areas, and resettle the estimated one million refugees and displaced persons. Mugabe also announced that his government would begin investigating ways of reversing past discriminatory policies in land distribution, education, employment, and wages.

Mugabe stated that Zimbabwe would follow a nonaligned foreign policy and would pursue a pragmatic relationship with South Africa. He noted that while Zimbabwe opposed apartheid and would support democratic change in South Africa, it would not provide bases for anti-South African guerillas.

The British Government formally granted independence to Zimbabwe on April 18, 1980. Most nations recognized Zimbabwe following independence. The United States was the first nation to open an embassy in Salisbury (Harare) on that day. Parliament convened for the first time on May 13, 1980. Zimbabwe became a member of the United Nations on August 25, 1980.

In seeking national reconciliation, Prime Minister Mugabe's first cabinet comprised members of ZANU-PF, PF-ZAPU, and independent white members of parliament (MPs) and senators. The government embarked on an ambitious reconstruction and development program and instituted increases in minimum wages. Land redistribution proceeded under four experimental models on land that the government had purchased at market rates from willing sellers.

====Zimbabwe Since Independence====
Prime Minister Mugabe's policy of reconciliation was generally successful during the country's first two years of independence, as the former political and military opponents began to work together. Although additional blacks were hired to fill new places in the civil service, there was no retribution for those whites who had worked for the Smith regime. Smith and many of his associates held seats in the parliament where they participated freely in debates. Likewise, Joshua Nkomo, Mugabe's rival as leader of the nationalist forces, was included in the first cabinet along with several other members of PF-ZAPU.

Splits soon developed, however. In 1981,several MPs from Smith's party left to sit as "independents," signifying that they did not automatically accept his anti-government posture. More importantly, government security officials discovered large caches of arms and ammunition on properties owned by ZAPU, and Nkomo and his followers were accused of plotting to overthrow Mugabe's government. Nkomo and his closest aides were expelled from the cabinet.

As a result of what they perceived as persecution of Nkomo (known as "Father Zimbabwe") and of his party, PF-ZAPU supporters, some of them deserters from the army, began a loosely organized and ill-defined campaign of dissidence against the government. Centering primarily in Matabeleland, home of the Ndebeles who were PF-ZAPU's main followers, this dissidence continued through 1987 and involved attacks on government personnel and installations, armed banditry aimed at disrupting security and economic life in the rural areas, and harassment of ZANU-PF members. Occasionally, some demanded that Nkomo and his colleagues be reinstated in the cabinet. More frequently, however, dissidents called for the return of farms and other properties seized from PF-ZAPU.

Because of the unsettled security situation immediately after independence and the continuing anti-government dissidence, the government kept in force a "state of emergency," which was first declared before UDI. This gave government authorities widespread powers under the "Law and Order Maintenance Act," including the right to detain persons without charge.

In 1983-84, the government declared a curfew in areas of Matabeleland and sent in the army in an attempt to suppress dissidents. Credible reports surfaced of widespread violence and disregard for human rights by the security forces during these operations, and the level of political tension rose in the country as a result. The pacification campaign, known as the "Gukuruhundi," or strong wind, resulted in as many as 20,000 civilian deaths. Nkomo and his lieutenants repeatedly denied any connection with the dissidents and called for an all-party conference to discuss the political problems facing the country. In the 1985 elections, ZANU-PF increased its majority, holding 67 of the 100 seats. ZANU-PF and PF-ZAPU agreed to unite in December 1987, and the parties formally merged in December 1989.

In October 1987, in accordance with the Lancaster House Accords, the constitution was amended to end the separate roll for white voters and to replace the whites whose reserved seats had been abolished; among the new members were 15 whites in the Senate and House of Assembly. Elections in March 1990 resulted in another overwhelming victory for Mugabe and his party, which won 117 of the 120 election seats. However, voter turnout was only 54%, and the campaign was not free and fair although the actual balloting was. Not satisfied with a de facto one-party state, Mugabe called on the ZANU-PF Central Committee to support the creation of a de jure one-party state in September 1990 and lost. The state of emergency was lifted in July 1990.

After the remaining restrictions of the Lancaster House agreement expired on April 18, 1990, the government embarked on a campaign of amending the existing constitution. Both the judiciary and human rights advocates fiercely criticized some of the first amendments, which were enacted in April 1991, because they restored corporal and capital punishment and denied recourse to the courts in cases of compulsory purchase of land by the government.

During the 1990s students, trade unionists and workers often demonstrated to express their discontent with the government. Students protested in October 1990 against proposals for an increase in government control of universities and again in May 1991 and May 1992, when they clashed with police. Trade unionists and workers were also vocal critics of the government during this time. In June 1992, police prevented trade unionists from holding anti-government demonstrations. In 1994, there was widespread industrial unrest. In August and September 1996, thousands of civil servants demanding salary increases organized a national strike and in October and November of the same year, nurses and junior doctors went on strike over salary issues.

In part through its control of the media, the huge parastatal sector of the economy, and the security forces, the government managed to keep organized political opposition to a minimum through most of the 1990's. Beginning in 1999, however, Zimbabwe has experienced a period of considerable political and economic upheaval. Opposition to President Mugabe and the ZANU-PF government has grown in recent years, in part due to worsening economic and human rights conditions. The opposition is currently led by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which was established in September 1999.

The MDC's first opportunity to test opposition to the Mugabe government came in February 2000, when a referendum was held on a draft constitution proposed by the government. Among its elements, the new constitution would have permitted President Mugabe to seek two additional terms in office, granted government officials immunity from prosecution, and authorized government seizure of white-owned land. The referendum was handily defeated. Shortly thereafter, the government, through a loosely organized group of war veterans, sanctioned an aggressive land redistribution program often characterized by forced expulsion of white farmers and violence against both farmers and farm employees.

Parliamentary elections held in June 2000 were marred by localized violence, and claims of electoral irregularities and government intimidation of opposition supporters. Nonetheless, the MDC succeeded in capturing 57 of 120 seats in the National Assembly.

The March 2002 presidential election was preceded by months of intensive violence and intimidation against MDC supporters, and more than 50 people, mostly opposition supporters, were killed. President Mugabe was declared the winner over challenger Morgan Tsvangirai by a 56-to-42 percent margin. Most international observers condemned the election as seriously flawed--the pre-election environment was neither free nor fair, and the election itself was marred by significant fraud and rigging--but regional opinions were mixed. Soon after the election, the MDC filed a petition challenging Mugabe's victory, citing flaws in electoral laws, electoral irregularities and pre-election violence. As of the end of 2004, the case had not yet been decided.

As a result of this election, the United States, the EU, and other European countries imposed travel restrictions against senior Zimbabwean officials and embargoed the sale of arms to Zimbabwe. The U.S. and the EU also froze the financial assets of selected ruling party officials. The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from council meetings for one year after its election observer team found the election neither free nor fair. At the mid-term suspension review in March 2003, the three-country committee charged with deciding Zimbabwe's fate decided to continue the suspension until the next Commonwealth meeting in December 2003. At this meeting, despite vigorous campaigning by South Africa, Zimbabwe was not invited to attend the meeting and the Commonwealth decided to continue with the suspension. Immediately after this, Mugabe withdrew Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth.

Since the presidential election, the political climate has remained tense and intensely polarized. Violence escalated in the run up to rural council elections in September 2002 and various parliamentary by-elections that year. Parliamentary by-elections in Kuwadzana, Highfield, Zengeza, and Lupane in 2003 were marred by widespread intimidation and beatings. The government also passed legislation that curtailed free speech, free press, and rights of assembly. In March 2003, MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube, and Renson Gasela went on trial for treason. Charges against Ncube and Gasela were subsequently dropped and in October 2004 Tsvangirai was found not guilty. In August 2005, the government dropped a second charge of treason against Tsvangirai.

The government subscribed to the electoral principles of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in 2004 but failed to implement key elements of the principles in advance of the 2005 parliamentary elections. The campaign period and election day were largely non-violent, but the elections were not free and fair. The election process was marred by repressive legislation that limits freedom of speech and assembly; millions of expatriate Zimbabweans were not permitted to vote; the government used food distributions to influence an increasingly hungry population; an astonishingly high 10% (as high as 30% in some areas) of would-be voters were turned away; and discrepancies in officially announced results and the government's refusal to release key voting data have led to questions about the possibility of fraud.

In May 2005, the government began Operation Murambatsvina (also known as Operation Restore Order), ostensibly to rid urban areas of illegal structures, illegal business enterprises, and criminal activities. The International Organization for Migration estimated that at least 300,000 people were displaced nationwide, as the operation moved from urban areas into rural areas and included apparently legal structures. Families and traders, especially at the beginning of the operation, were often given no notice before police destroyed their homes and businesses. Others were able to salvage some possessions and building materials but often had nowhere to go, despite the government's statement that people should be returning to their rural homes. Thousands of families were left unprotected in the open in the middle of Zimbabwe's winter. The government interfered with non-governmental organization (NGO) efforts to provide emergency assistance to the displaced in many instances. Some families were removed to transit camps, where they had no shelter or cooking facilities and minimal food, supplies, and sanitary facilities. The operation continued into July 2005, when the government began a program to provide housing for the newly displaced. As of September 2006, housing construction fell far short of demand, and there were reports that beneficiaries were mostly civil servants and ruling party loyalists, not those displaced. The government campaign of forced evictions continued in 2006, albeit on a lesser scale.

==Further reading==
*[http://www.theweeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/746zsgtg.asp How Tyranny Came to Zimbabwe, Jimmy Carter still has a lot to answer for], by James Kirchick, ''The Weekly Standard'', 06/18/2007, Volume 012, Issue 38.

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!colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details'''
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!style="background-color: #000088; color:white;"|License:
|style=" background-color: none;"| Some content for this article is in the [[Public Domain]] in the United States because it is a work of the United States Federal Government under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the U.S. Code
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==References==
<references/>
[[Category:African Countries]]
[[Category:Dictatorships]]
[[Category:Landlocked Countries]]
[[Category:Zimbabwe]]

Google

2011-03-22T23:51:14Z

Brit1909: /* Wi-Fi Snooping */

[[File:Google.png|right|250px]]
'''Google''' is a company whose primary business is [[Internet]]-based services, including an extremely popular [[search engine]]. Google is associated with [[liberal]] causes and has been criticized for catering to communist [[China]] in censoring information from the people as requested by dictators:<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4647398.stm</ref>

: Reporters Without Borders joined others in asking how Google could stand up for US users' freedoms while controlling what Chinese users can search for. Its previous search engine for China's fast-growing market was subject to government blocks. The new site - Google.cn - censors itself to satisfy Beijing. While cooperating with China's govenment, Google refuses to fulfill requests by the U.S. Department of Justice. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4630694.stm , BBC Google defies US over search data, January 20, 2006</ref> Google counsel Nicole Wong said "..we intend to resist their motion vigorously."

Google has also been accused of delisting [[conservative]] news sites from its search engine. As one of many examples, "In February 2005, [[Michelle Malkin]] wrote of the difficulties she was having becoming part of Google News."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5477</ref>

Much of Google's business depends on pornography. For example, 25% of search engine requests are for pornography.<ref>http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html</ref>

In addition, although claiming to generally avoid getting involved in matters outside their field, Google officially supports the [[liberal]] and social [[libertarian]] cause of so-called "[[same sex marriage]]."<ref>http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/our-position-on-californias-no-on-8.html , Our position on California's No on 8 campaign</ref> On June 21, 2009, Google displayed a special multicolored line for searches on the word "gay". More troubling, Google recently announced plans to compensate employees to cover taxes paid on their domestic partner's health benefits, but only offers its 'generosity' to gay couples. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/01/google-raises-eyebrows-new-gay-employee-benefit/</ref>. Google is also big promoter of [[Charles Darwin]] and atheistic science, even to the point of giving special recognition to the anniversary of Darwin's birthday ("Darwin Day").

Major competitors of Google include [[Yahoo!]] and Microsoft's [[Bing]].

== Corporate Information ==

The CEO of Google since 2001 is [[Eric Schmidt]]. He has announced that he is stepping down as CEO in 2011. Google is headquartered in Mountain View, [[California]]. Google was founded on September 7th, 1998, by [[Larry Page]] and [[Sergey Brin]]. Since then, it has grown to be the largest internet search engine in the world. According to Alexa Internet, over 25% of all Internet users visit Google monthly.<ref>[http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=www.google.com Alexa Traffic Results for Google]</ref>

Google also owns [[YouTube]], the homemade [[video clip]] site. [[Viacom]] is suing YouTube, and thus Google, for a reported $1 billion, arguing that the economic model of YouTube is based on copyright infringement.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6446193.stm Viacom will sue YouTube for $1bn]</ref>

After much debate about their corporate Code of Conduct, Google's founders settled on the all-encompassing "Don't be evil", saying,"It's built around the recognition that everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards". <ref>[http://investor.google.com/conduct.html Google Code of Conduct]</ref> This Code of Conduct has generated much criticism, saying they have missed that mark badly.

==History==
[[Image:Google2.gif|thumb|right|300px| Google's logo on [[Earth Day]], April 22, 2007.]]

===Founding===

Google was originally a research project, started by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1996, when the two attended [[Stanford University]]. The two registered the domain name ''google.stanford.edu'', and the small search engine went online for the first time.<ref>[http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/history.html Corporate Information:Google Milestones]</ref>

===Growth===

The year Google was created 1998, it had amassed 26 million unique URLs in their database. By 2000, Google had indexed more than 1 billion pages. As of July 2008, Google has indexed over 1 [[trillion]] pages. <ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9999814-93.html Google reveals scope of Web-crawling task] CNET News, July 25, 2008</ref>

===Competition===

[[Microsoft]] has been aggressively competing with Google for a larger share of the search market. Their latest effort, [[Bing]].com, is a "next generation" search service which has generated positive reviews.

==Secular Progressive Culture==

Google's West Coast headquarters hires a majority of left-leaning personalities, explicitly in executive decision-making.<ref>See [http://www.google.com/corporate/execs.html] for a list of board members and senior staff.</ref> Google supports causes that are a radical departure from traditional American views, such as their public support of a 'no' vote for [[California]]'s [[Proposition 8]], which defined marriage as being between a husband and wife. Also in a subtle way, they favor politically-correct global liberalism, championed by secular progressives. They select certain ''days of importance'' for tribute, some of which are controversial. As such, ''Merry Christmas'' is replaced by ''Happy Holidays''. Even though, poll <ref>[http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1670824.htm Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign Crusades to Change Retail Culture] PRWeb, November 26, 2008</ref> after poll <ref>[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/68_prefer_merry_christmas_to_happy_holidays 68% Prefer “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays”] Rasmussen, November 27, 2008</ref> after poll <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/20/poll.season/ Poll: More Americans prefer 'Merry Christmas' greeting] CNN, December 20, 2005</ref> shows the public prefers 'Merry Christmas'. The problem may be that Google doesn't respect traditional [[Christian]] holidays, in favor of a 'culturally-correct' approach. In addition, Google accepts the [[Theory of Evolution]] by [[Charles Darwin]] as fact, promotes Darwin on their homepage with a Google Doodle logo. <ref>[Scientists unveil fossil of Darwinius masillae]</ref>

Google often honors Russia with their logo of Sputnik and for composer Igor Stravinsky. However, they did not honor [[United States]] Flag Day, June 14. (Their competitor [[Bing]] prominently displayed [[Old Glory]].)

=== Google versus Conservatives ===

* Many instances whereby [[information]] is comprised ideologically and displayed for the masses. Watchdog website NewsBusters.org published that Google had in fact labeled [[conservative]] [[American Spectator]] as "This site may harm your computer." <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/12/28/google-claims-american-spectator-site-may-harm-your-computer Google Claims Conservative Website ‘May Harm Your Computer’] December 28,2007</ref>

* Google continues to block pro-family website [http://www.massresistance.org/ MassResistance]. Some people complain his organization promotes hatred towards homosexuals. Google gives the standard legal trash as an excuse "'Users may not publish material that promotes hate towards groups based on race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity.'" MassResistance replies "Of course we are not promoting hate against anybody." <ref>[http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=603372 Accusation: Google targets, blocks pro-family website again OneNewsNow.com, July 15,2009]</ref>

* [[YouTube]] owner, Google continues to protect [[Planned Parenthood]] by removing undercover videos exposing abortion clinic law-breaking. <ref>[http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7416111014.html YouTube Bans Student Group's Video Showing Abuse at Planned Parenthood Christian News Wire, July 21, 2009]</ref>

* Without any prior explanation or notice, Google had been terminating its News relationships with conservative e-zines and web journals. <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/node/5477 Is Google Purging Conservative News Sites? NewsBusters, May 22, 2006]</ref>

* Google attempted to minimize global awareness of the [[ClimateGate]] emails and the truth about the [[anthropogenic global warming theory]], whence the term "[[Climategate#Googlegate|Googlegate]]" gained recognition across the [[Web]]. Non-coincidentally, [[Al Gore]] is on the Google advisory board.

* Curiously, leading up to [[Restoring Honor 8-28|Restoring Honor 8-28-10]] -- on Google Maps -- the [[Lincoln Memorial]] was being misplaced in favor of the [http://www.pcworld.com/zoom?id=204373&page=1&zoomIdx=1 Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial], which is a good half a mile south of the more famous memorial.<ref>Sarah Jacobsson Purewal. [http://www.pcworld.com/article/204373/google_maps_misplaces_lincoln_memorial.html Google Maps Misplaces Lincoln Memorial], ''PC World'', Aug 28, 2010.</ref> This may have been an ongoing, known problem or bug in Google Maps that hadn't been fixed yet; or, Google is censoring search results; or, Google is playing with searches for political power and gain.

=== Google versus Anti- Obama Blogs ===

The question immediately raised, "Did Google Silence [[Barack Obama]] critics?" It turns out, no they did not. A group of separate blogs were targeted by their spam filter as a result of manipulating the 'flag' feature. This caused a temporary blockage for five days. Sites affected were Hillary supporters and all anti-Obama. They include http://bluelyon.blogspot.com, http://comealongway.blogspot.com, http://hillaryorbust.blogspot.com and http://mccaindemocrats.blogspot.com and their main associate JustSayNoDeal.com <ref>[http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/google-and-the-anti-obama-bloggers/ Google and the Anti-Obama Bloggers] NYTimes June 30, 2008</ref>

=== Google sensitive to Islam ===

In 2010, it was noted that Google's suggestive searches for the world's various religions would bring up many negative results for [[Christianity]], Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Typing a search for "Christianity is..." the results would be "Christianity is a lie," or "Judaism is..." would be "Judaism is a cult." Google removed negative search suggestions when typing "Islam is..." <ref>[http://thenextweb.com/2010/01/05/google-blocking-negative-search-recommendations-islam/ Google Blocking Negative Search Recommendations On Islam – Why?, The Next Web, May 1, 2010]</ref>

== Google bombing ==

Perhaps the most innovative contribution Google has made to internet searching is its '''PageRank''' algorithm. This system works by counting the number of sites that link to another site; the more links pointing to a page, the higher that page will be ranked. The engine also takes note of how often the page is updated. Due to this, [[Wikipedia]] is consistently ranked very highly by Google, due to its constant updating and heavy linkage. More recently, internet-savvy Googlers have discovered ways to game the system; creating massive numbers of pages with links pointing to one page to form what is known as a "Google Bomb". Some examples can be found below.<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040614/news_mz1b14google.html Dropping 'Google-bombs']</ref>

*'''"Miserable Failure"''': For nearly two years, typing "miserable failure" (or even just "miserable", or "failure") and then clicking "I'm Feeling Lucky" in the Google search engine would return the [http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/biography.html White House Biography] of [[George W. Bush]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3298443.stm 'Miserable failure' links to Bush]</ref> This was orchestrated by [[Democratic]] Party supporters in late 2003,<ref>[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/26/BUG3M4GVDS1.DTL In October, Johnson, a Democrat, added the phrase "miserable failure" to his Web site, Old Fashioned Patriot. He then linked the site to the online White House biography of President Bush and asked others to follow his lead]</ref> as part of the 2004 Presidential election. However, at times, [[Conservative]] supporters were able to shift the phrase to [[Jimmy Carter]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Michael Moore]].
*''''"Great President"''': returns the [http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/biography.html White House Biography] of [[George W. Bush]].
*'''"Waffles"''': Also as part of the 2004 Presidential election, Conservative supporters managed to link the term "waffles" to the official website of [[John Kerry]].
*'''"French Military Victories"''': Hitting "I'm Feeling Lucky" for this term directs you to a fake Google page (in reality, it is an AlbinoBlackSheep.com page, styled to look exactly like a Google page, [http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html here]) giving no matches, and asking if you meant "French military defeats?".
*'''"Weapons of Mass Destruction"''' would bring up a similar page with the error message 'not found.'

On January 25, 2007, Google claimed to have modified their PageRank algorithm to lessen the likelihood of future Google bombs<ref>[http://boingboing.net/2007/01/26/bush_no_longer_miser.html Bush no longer "miserable failure": Google tackles googlebombs]</ref>

== Controversy ==

=== Tax Dodging ===

A report by Bloomberg News has Google setting up offshore banks accounts to avoid paying taxes on foreign profits. More than $3.9 billion dollars have made it to [[Bermuda]] bank accounts over the last several years. Google has cut its effective tax rate abroad to just 2.4%. The practice is common and [[George Soros]] has been known to place his billions of dollars in Cayman Island banks. This costs the U.S. government more than $60 billion dollars in revenue. <ref>[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/After-news-of-Google-tax-dodges-Obama-raises-money-with-Google-execs-105513473.html#ixzz13LE2lg1F After news of Google tax dodges, Obama raises money with Google execs, Washington Examiner, October 22, 2010]</ref>

=== Privacy Concerns===

Google has been criticized by privacy activists and others. Recently, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said, "We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion." <ref>http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c3e49548-088e-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=e8477cc4-c820-11db-b0dc-000b5df10621.html</ref> Google has attempted to "remedy" this situation by storing search information, in effect, keeping tabs on people for two years after they search. This has led Google critic Daniel Brandt to create "Scroogle.org", which runs Google searches that users conduct through his organization's personal servers to prevent Google from being able to connect any personal information to the searchers. <ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55935</ref>

=== Hypocrisy on Net neutrality ===

Neil Stevens of Redstate.com notes that Google says one thing and does another, tarnishing their reputation in the process. He lists where Google emphasizes support then does what they want in regards to shutting down access. <ref>[http://www.redstate.com/neil_stevens/2009/08/23/google-undermines-the-internet/ Google undermines the Internet, RedState.com, August 23, 2009]</ref>

=== Relationship with the Obama Administration ===

Consumer Watchdog crafted a 32-page report detailing how Google has inappropriately benefited from its close ties to the Obama Administration. [[NASA]]'s Moffett Airfield has been turned into a taxpayer-subsidized private airport for Google executives used for corporate junkets. NASA's Moffett Airfield is a short distance from Google's world headquarters. The report details, ''"A growing fleet of jets and helicopters stand ready to ferry the company's top executives near or far, for business or pleasure, for vacations or schmoozing, including at least three wintertime trips to the [[Caribbean]] and a trip by Google chief executive Eric Schmidt to the Cannes Film Festival."'' <ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1983792/consumer_watchdog_sends_issas_oversight_committee_google_report_showing_inappropriate/index.html Consumer Watchdog Sends Issa's Oversight Committee Google Report Showing Inappropriate Relationship with Obama Administration, RedOrbit.com, January 24, 2011]</ref>

==International Agitation==

Google's Map service is responsible for escalating tensions between foreign nations by radically misleading versions of current borders.

Google has been labeled "professionally irresponsible" for disseminated [[Cambodia]] territory, which is embroiled in a bitter diplomatic row with Thailand over the demarcation of the frontier. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/05/cambodia-google-idUSSGE61406G20100205 Cambodia blasts Google map of disputed Thai border, Reuters, February 5, 2010]</ref>

[[Costa Rica]] took offense to Google Maps version showing that a specific area of encampment was on Nicaraguan soil. The dispute that had ensued over Google's version of the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border has became rather serious. So much so that the secretary general of the [[Organization of American States]] had to intervene. <ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20021977-71.html Envoy to solve latest Google Maps border dispute? CNET, November 5, 2010</ref> <ref>[http://spectregroup.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/google-maps-blamed-for-border-dispute/ GOOGLE MAPS BLAMED for BORDER DISPUTE, Spectre Footnotes, November 11, 2010]</ref>

Google Maps was busy fixing another error in its map program of a port city that reignited border tensions between [[Germany]] and The Netherlands. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/21/google-maps-slipup-sparks-diplomatic-crisis/ Google Maps Blunder Reignites Centuries Old Border Dispute, Fox News, February 21, 2011]</ref>

===Egyptian Uprising===

Google executive Wael Ghonim helped with protesting [[Egypt]]'s rule of [[Hosni Mubarak]], calling for him to step down and organizing protests. He was detained by authorities and released after two weeks. Ghonim is credited as being a major factor in sparking Egypt's uprising. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that Google is "very, very proud" of Wael Ghonim. <ref>[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/02/google-ceo-eric-schmidt-says-company-is-proud-of-wael-ghonim-in-egypt.html Google CEO Eric Schmidt says company is 'very proud' of Egypt's Wael Ghonim, LA Times, February 15, 2011]</ref>

===Wi-Fi Snooping===

Google collected information from [[Wi-Fi]] networks as its street-view vans cruised neighborhoods around the globe, raising issues in more than 30 countries. The information Google gathered included e-mail fragments and passwords, alarming politicians and privacy and security advocates in Germany, France, and [[Spain]]. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/22/national-security-google-wi-fi-spy-scandal/ Is National Security Behind Google's Wi-Fi Spying?, Fox News, July 23, 2010]</ref> It was noted that Google supplies special mapping and search products to the U.S. military and intelligence community, with some Google employees enjoying top secret clearance to work with the government. Google said it was "accidental" data gathering. Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, a senior [[Republican]] lawmaker, suggested that Google's data collection wasn't accidental and that it was "something to look at." Under the Democrat leadership, the [[FCC]] investigated but dropped further inquiry coincidently, just before a Google [[Democrat]] fundraiser was held. Many groups have been calling on Republican [[Darrell Issa]] to investigate Google's cozy relationship with the [[Obama administration]]. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/stories/2010/11/10/congress-must-investigate-google-obama-ties Congress Must Investigate Google-Obama Ties, National Legal and Policy Center, November 10, 2010]</ref>

*France: Privacy watchdog CNIL awarded its largest fine to date with a judgement of $141,300 against Google in relation to snooping. <ref>[http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/21/general-broadcasting-amp-entertainment-eu-france-google-fined_8366482.html France fines Google for Street View privacy breach, Forbes, March 21, 2011]</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: United States Businesses]]
[[Category:Google]]
[[Category:Websites]]

Google

2011-03-22T23:50:44Z

Brit1909: /* Wi-Fi Snooping */

[[File:Google.png|right|250px]]
'''Google''' is a company whose primary business is [[Internet]]-based services, including an extremely popular [[search engine]]. Google is associated with [[liberal]] causes and has been criticized for catering to communist [[China]] in censoring information from the people as requested by dictators:<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4647398.stm</ref>

: Reporters Without Borders joined others in asking how Google could stand up for US users' freedoms while controlling what Chinese users can search for. Its previous search engine for China's fast-growing market was subject to government blocks. The new site - Google.cn - censors itself to satisfy Beijing. While cooperating with China's govenment, Google refuses to fulfill requests by the U.S. Department of Justice. <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4630694.stm , BBC Google defies US over search data, January 20, 2006</ref> Google counsel Nicole Wong said "..we intend to resist their motion vigorously."

Google has also been accused of delisting [[conservative]] news sites from its search engine. As one of many examples, "In February 2005, [[Michelle Malkin]] wrote of the difficulties she was having becoming part of Google News."<ref>http://newsbusters.org/node/5477</ref>

Much of Google's business depends on pornography. For example, 25% of search engine requests are for pornography.<ref>http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html</ref>

In addition, although claiming to generally avoid getting involved in matters outside their field, Google officially supports the [[liberal]] and social [[libertarian]] cause of so-called "[[same sex marriage]]."<ref>http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/our-position-on-californias-no-on-8.html , Our position on California's No on 8 campaign</ref> On June 21, 2009, Google displayed a special multicolored line for searches on the word "gay". More troubling, Google recently announced plans to compensate employees to cover taxes paid on their domestic partner's health benefits, but only offers its 'generosity' to gay couples. <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/01/google-raises-eyebrows-new-gay-employee-benefit/</ref>. Google is also big promoter of [[Charles Darwin]] and atheistic science, even to the point of giving special recognition to the anniversary of Darwin's birthday ("Darwin Day").

Major competitors of Google include [[Yahoo!]] and Microsoft's [[Bing]].

== Corporate Information ==

The CEO of Google since 2001 is [[Eric Schmidt]]. He has announced that he is stepping down as CEO in 2011. Google is headquartered in Mountain View, [[California]]. Google was founded on September 7th, 1998, by [[Larry Page]] and [[Sergey Brin]]. Since then, it has grown to be the largest internet search engine in the world. According to Alexa Internet, over 25% of all Internet users visit Google monthly.<ref>[http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?url=www.google.com Alexa Traffic Results for Google]</ref>

Google also owns [[YouTube]], the homemade [[video clip]] site. [[Viacom]] is suing YouTube, and thus Google, for a reported $1 billion, arguing that the economic model of YouTube is based on copyright infringement.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6446193.stm Viacom will sue YouTube for $1bn]</ref>

After much debate about their corporate Code of Conduct, Google's founders settled on the all-encompassing "Don't be evil", saying,"It's built around the recognition that everything we do in connection with our work at Google will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards". <ref>[http://investor.google.com/conduct.html Google Code of Conduct]</ref> This Code of Conduct has generated much criticism, saying they have missed that mark badly.

==History==
[[Image:Google2.gif|thumb|right|300px| Google's logo on [[Earth Day]], April 22, 2007.]]

===Founding===

Google was originally a research project, started by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1996, when the two attended [[Stanford University]]. The two registered the domain name ''google.stanford.edu'', and the small search engine went online for the first time.<ref>[http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/history.html Corporate Information:Google Milestones]</ref>

===Growth===

The year Google was created 1998, it had amassed 26 million unique URLs in their database. By 2000, Google had indexed more than 1 billion pages. As of July 2008, Google has indexed over 1 [[trillion]] pages. <ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9999814-93.html Google reveals scope of Web-crawling task] CNET News, July 25, 2008</ref>

===Competition===

[[Microsoft]] has been aggressively competing with Google for a larger share of the search market. Their latest effort, [[Bing]].com, is a "next generation" search service which has generated positive reviews.

==Secular Progressive Culture==

Google's West Coast headquarters hires a majority of left-leaning personalities, explicitly in executive decision-making.<ref>See [http://www.google.com/corporate/execs.html] for a list of board members and senior staff.</ref> Google supports causes that are a radical departure from traditional American views, such as their public support of a 'no' vote for [[California]]'s [[Proposition 8]], which defined marriage as being between a husband and wife. Also in a subtle way, they favor politically-correct global liberalism, championed by secular progressives. They select certain ''days of importance'' for tribute, some of which are controversial. As such, ''Merry Christmas'' is replaced by ''Happy Holidays''. Even though, poll <ref>[http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/11/prweb1670824.htm Wish Me A Merry Christmas Campaign Crusades to Change Retail Culture] PRWeb, November 26, 2008</ref> after poll <ref>[http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/general_lifestyle/68_prefer_merry_christmas_to_happy_holidays 68% Prefer “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays”] Rasmussen, November 27, 2008</ref> after poll <ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/20/poll.season/ Poll: More Americans prefer 'Merry Christmas' greeting] CNN, December 20, 2005</ref> shows the public prefers 'Merry Christmas'. The problem may be that Google doesn't respect traditional [[Christian]] holidays, in favor of a 'culturally-correct' approach. In addition, Google accepts the [[Theory of Evolution]] by [[Charles Darwin]] as fact, promotes Darwin on their homepage with a Google Doodle logo. <ref>[Scientists unveil fossil of Darwinius masillae]</ref>

Google often honors Russia with their logo of Sputnik and for composer Igor Stravinsky. However, they did not honor [[United States]] Flag Day, June 14. (Their competitor [[Bing]] prominently displayed [[Old Glory]].)

=== Google versus Conservatives ===

* Many instances whereby [[information]] is comprised ideologically and displayed for the masses. Watchdog website NewsBusters.org published that Google had in fact labeled [[conservative]] [[American Spectator]] as "This site may harm your computer." <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/12/28/google-claims-american-spectator-site-may-harm-your-computer Google Claims Conservative Website ‘May Harm Your Computer’] December 28,2007</ref>

* Google continues to block pro-family website [http://www.massresistance.org/ MassResistance]. Some people complain his organization promotes hatred towards homosexuals. Google gives the standard legal trash as an excuse "'Users may not publish material that promotes hate towards groups based on race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity.'" MassResistance replies "Of course we are not promoting hate against anybody." <ref>[http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=603372 Accusation: Google targets, blocks pro-family website again OneNewsNow.com, July 15,2009]</ref>

* [[YouTube]] owner, Google continues to protect [[Planned Parenthood]] by removing undercover videos exposing abortion clinic law-breaking. <ref>[http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/7416111014.html YouTube Bans Student Group's Video Showing Abuse at Planned Parenthood Christian News Wire, July 21, 2009]</ref>

* Without any prior explanation or notice, Google had been terminating its News relationships with conservative e-zines and web journals. <ref>[http://newsbusters.org/node/5477 Is Google Purging Conservative News Sites? NewsBusters, May 22, 2006]</ref>

* Google attempted to minimize global awareness of the [[ClimateGate]] emails and the truth about the [[anthropogenic global warming theory]], whence the term "[[Climategate#Googlegate|Googlegate]]" gained recognition across the [[Web]]. Non-coincidentally, [[Al Gore]] is on the Google advisory board.

* Curiously, leading up to [[Restoring Honor 8-28|Restoring Honor 8-28-10]] -- on Google Maps -- the [[Lincoln Memorial]] was being misplaced in favor of the [http://www.pcworld.com/zoom?id=204373&page=1&zoomIdx=1 Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial], which is a good half a mile south of the more famous memorial.<ref>Sarah Jacobsson Purewal. [http://www.pcworld.com/article/204373/google_maps_misplaces_lincoln_memorial.html Google Maps Misplaces Lincoln Memorial], ''PC World'', Aug 28, 2010.</ref> This may have been an ongoing, known problem or bug in Google Maps that hadn't been fixed yet; or, Google is censoring search results; or, Google is playing with searches for political power and gain.

=== Google versus Anti- Obama Blogs ===

The question immediately raised, "Did Google Silence [[Barack Obama]] critics?" It turns out, no they did not. A group of separate blogs were targeted by their spam filter as a result of manipulating the 'flag' feature. This caused a temporary blockage for five days. Sites affected were Hillary supporters and all anti-Obama. They include http://bluelyon.blogspot.com, http://comealongway.blogspot.com, http://hillaryorbust.blogspot.com and http://mccaindemocrats.blogspot.com and their main associate JustSayNoDeal.com <ref>[http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/google-and-the-anti-obama-bloggers/ Google and the Anti-Obama Bloggers] NYTimes June 30, 2008</ref>

=== Google sensitive to Islam ===

In 2010, it was noted that Google's suggestive searches for the world's various religions would bring up many negative results for [[Christianity]], Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Typing a search for "Christianity is..." the results would be "Christianity is a lie," or "Judaism is..." would be "Judaism is a cult." Google removed negative search suggestions when typing "Islam is..." <ref>[http://thenextweb.com/2010/01/05/google-blocking-negative-search-recommendations-islam/ Google Blocking Negative Search Recommendations On Islam – Why?, The Next Web, May 1, 2010]</ref>

== Google bombing ==

Perhaps the most innovative contribution Google has made to internet searching is its '''PageRank''' algorithm. This system works by counting the number of sites that link to another site; the more links pointing to a page, the higher that page will be ranked. The engine also takes note of how often the page is updated. Due to this, [[Wikipedia]] is consistently ranked very highly by Google, due to its constant updating and heavy linkage. More recently, internet-savvy Googlers have discovered ways to game the system; creating massive numbers of pages with links pointing to one page to form what is known as a "Google Bomb". Some examples can be found below.<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040614/news_mz1b14google.html Dropping 'Google-bombs']</ref>

*'''"Miserable Failure"''': For nearly two years, typing "miserable failure" (or even just "miserable", or "failure") and then clicking "I'm Feeling Lucky" in the Google search engine would return the [http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/biography.html White House Biography] of [[George W. Bush]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3298443.stm 'Miserable failure' links to Bush]</ref> This was orchestrated by [[Democratic]] Party supporters in late 2003,<ref>[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/01/26/BUG3M4GVDS1.DTL In October, Johnson, a Democrat, added the phrase "miserable failure" to his Web site, Old Fashioned Patriot. He then linked the site to the online White House biography of President Bush and asked others to follow his lead]</ref> as part of the 2004 Presidential election. However, at times, [[Conservative]] supporters were able to shift the phrase to [[Jimmy Carter]], [[Hillary Clinton]] and [[Michael Moore]].
*''''"Great President"''': returns the [http://www.whitehouse.gov/president/biography.html White House Biography] of [[George W. Bush]].
*'''"Waffles"''': Also as part of the 2004 Presidential election, Conservative supporters managed to link the term "waffles" to the official website of [[John Kerry]].
*'''"French Military Victories"''': Hitting "I'm Feeling Lucky" for this term directs you to a fake Google page (in reality, it is an AlbinoBlackSheep.com page, styled to look exactly like a Google page, [http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/text/victories.html here]) giving no matches, and asking if you meant "French military defeats?".
*'''"Weapons of Mass Destruction"''' would bring up a similar page with the error message 'not found.'

On January 25, 2007, Google claimed to have modified their PageRank algorithm to lessen the likelihood of future Google bombs<ref>[http://boingboing.net/2007/01/26/bush_no_longer_miser.html Bush no longer "miserable failure": Google tackles googlebombs]</ref>

== Controversy ==

=== Tax Dodging ===

A report by Bloomberg News has Google setting up offshore banks accounts to avoid paying taxes on foreign profits. More than $3.9 billion dollars have made it to [[Bermuda]] bank accounts over the last several years. Google has cut its effective tax rate abroad to just 2.4%. The practice is common and [[George Soros]] has been known to place his billions of dollars in Cayman Island banks. This costs the U.S. government more than $60 billion dollars in revenue. <ref>[http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/After-news-of-Google-tax-dodges-Obama-raises-money-with-Google-execs-105513473.html#ixzz13LE2lg1F After news of Google tax dodges, Obama raises money with Google execs, Washington Examiner, October 22, 2010]</ref>

=== Privacy Concerns===

Google has been criticized by privacy activists and others. Recently, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said, "We cannot even answer the most basic questions because we don’t know enough about you. That is the most important aspect of Google’s expansion." <ref>http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/c3e49548-088e-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621,dwp_uuid=e8477cc4-c820-11db-b0dc-000b5df10621.html</ref> Google has attempted to "remedy" this situation by storing search information, in effect, keeping tabs on people for two years after they search. This has led Google critic Daniel Brandt to create "Scroogle.org", which runs Google searches that users conduct through his organization's personal servers to prevent Google from being able to connect any personal information to the searchers. <ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55935</ref>

=== Hypocrisy on Net neutrality ===

Neil Stevens of Redstate.com notes that Google says one thing and does another, tarnishing their reputation in the process. He lists where Google emphasizes support then does what they want in regards to shutting down access. <ref>[http://www.redstate.com/neil_stevens/2009/08/23/google-undermines-the-internet/ Google undermines the Internet, RedState.com, August 23, 2009]</ref>

=== Relationship with the Obama Administration ===

Consumer Watchdog crafted a 32-page report detailing how Google has inappropriately benefited from its close ties to the Obama Administration. [[NASA]]'s Moffett Airfield has been turned into a taxpayer-subsidized private airport for Google executives used for corporate junkets. NASA's Moffett Airfield is a short distance from Google's world headquarters. The report details, ''"A growing fleet of jets and helicopters stand ready to ferry the company's top executives near or far, for business or pleasure, for vacations or schmoozing, including at least three wintertime trips to the [[Caribbean]] and a trip by Google chief executive Eric Schmidt to the Cannes Film Festival."'' <ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1983792/consumer_watchdog_sends_issas_oversight_committee_google_report_showing_inappropriate/index.html Consumer Watchdog Sends Issa's Oversight Committee Google Report Showing Inappropriate Relationship with Obama Administration, RedOrbit.com, January 24, 2011]</ref>

==International Agitation==

Google's Map service is responsible for escalating tensions between foreign nations by radically misleading versions of current borders.

Google has been labeled "professionally irresponsible" for disseminated [[Cambodia]] territory, which is embroiled in a bitter diplomatic row with Thailand over the demarcation of the frontier. <ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/02/05/cambodia-google-idUSSGE61406G20100205 Cambodia blasts Google map of disputed Thai border, Reuters, February 5, 2010]</ref>

[[Costa Rica]] took offense to Google Maps version showing that a specific area of encampment was on Nicaraguan soil. The dispute that had ensued over Google's version of the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border has became rather serious. So much so that the secretary general of the [[Organization of American States]] had to intervene. <ref>[http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20021977-71.html Envoy to solve latest Google Maps border dispute? CNET, November 5, 2010</ref> <ref>[http://spectregroup.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/google-maps-blamed-for-border-dispute/ GOOGLE MAPS BLAMED for BORDER DISPUTE, Spectre Footnotes, November 11, 2010]</ref>

Google Maps was busy fixing another error in its map program of a port city that reignited border tensions between [[Germany]] and The Netherlands. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/21/google-maps-slipup-sparks-diplomatic-crisis/ Google Maps Blunder Reignites Centuries Old Border Dispute, Fox News, February 21, 2011]</ref>

===Egyptian Uprising===

Google executive Wael Ghonim helped with protesting [[Egypt]]'s rule of [[Hosni Mubarak]], calling for him to step down and organizing protests. He was detained by authorities and released after two weeks. Ghonim is credited as being a major factor in sparking Egypt's uprising. Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that Google is "very, very proud" of Wael Ghonim. <ref>[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/02/google-ceo-eric-schmidt-says-company-is-proud-of-wael-ghonim-in-egypt.html Google CEO Eric Schmidt says company is 'very proud' of Egypt's Wael Ghonim, LA Times, February 15, 2011]</ref>

===Wi-Fi Snooping===

Google collected information from [[Wi-Fi]] networks as its street-view vans cruised neighborhoods around the globe, raising issues in more than 30 countries. The information Google gathered included e-mail fragments and passwords, alarming politicians and privacy and security advocates in Germany, France, and [[Spain]]. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/07/22/national-security-google-wi-fi-spy-scandal/ Is National Security Behind Google's Wi-Fi Spying?, Fox News, July 23, 2010]</ref> It was noted that Google supplies special mapping and search products to the U.S. military and intelligence community, with some Google employees enjoying top secret clearance to work with the government. Google said it was "accidental" data gathering. Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, a senior [[Republican]] lawmaker, suggested that Google's data collection wasn't accidental and that it was "something to look at." Under the Democrat leadership, the [[FCC]] investigated but dropped further inquiry coincidently, just before a Google [[Democrat]] fundraiser was held. Many groups have been calling on Republican [[Darrell Issa]] to investigate Google's cozy relationship with the [[Obama administration]]. <ref>[http://www.nlpc.org/stories/2010/11/10/congress-must-investigate-google-obama-ties Congress Must Investigate Google-Obama Ties, National Legal and Policy Center, November 10, 2010]</ref>

*France: Privacy watchdog CNIL awarded its largest fine to date with a judgment of $141,300 against Google in relation to snooping. <ref>[http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/03/21/general-broadcasting-amp-entertainment-eu-france-google-fined_8366482.html France fines Google for Street View privacy breach, Forbes, March 21, 2011]</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist|2}}

[[Category: United States Businesses]]
[[Category:Google]]
[[Category:Websites]]

Genetic code

2011-03-22T21:12:07Z

Brit1909:

'''Genetic code''' is the instructions in a gene that tell the [[cell]] how to make a specific protein. A, T, G, and C are the "letters" of the [[DNA]] code; they stand for the chemicals [[adenine]], [[thymine]], [[guanine]], and [[cytosine]], respectively, that make up the nucleotide bases of DNA. Each gene's code combines the four chemicals in various ways to spell out 3-letter "words" that specify which amino acid is needed at every step in making a protein.
All living things use the same genetic code system, however, there exist some viruses that contain only RNA, which has the nucleotide base of [[uracil]] ("U") instead of thymine ("T").

The "word" combinations in more complex genetic strings if written out could literally fill a space as large as an encyclopedia.

== Sources ==
http://www.genome.gov/glossary.cfm?key=genetic%20code%20%28ATGC%29

[[Category:Genetics]]

Conservative

2011-03-22T16:46:21Z

Brit1909: Undo revision 858410 by NeoLokPat (talk) vandalism

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| style="text-align: center; padding: 10px 40px 10px 40px;" | [[Previous_Breaking_News/Conservatives| Previous Breaking News: Conservatives]]
|}
A '''conservative''' adheres to principles of personal [[responsibility]], moral values, and limited government, agreeing with [[George Washington]]'s [[Farewell Address]] that "religion and morality are indispensable supports" to political prosperity.<ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/49.htm United States Department of State] George Washington, farewell address, 1796</ref><ref>Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary has the following definition of conservative: "tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL"[http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/conservative] Therefore, a conservative Christian would be one that tends to adhere to the morally sound doctrines of the early Christianity and [[Judeo-Christian]] values.</ref>

Former President [[Ronald Reagan]] said, "The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom."<ref>http://www.reason.com/news/show/29318.html</ref>
[[Image:Aaag.jpg|thumb|Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, is the epitome of American conservatism.]]

The ''sine qua non'' of a conservative is someone who rises above his personal self-interest and promotes moral and economic values beneficial to all. Alternatively, a conservative is willing to learn and advocate the insights of economics and the morality of the [[Bible]] for the benefit of all, recognizing that the Bible is the most logical book ever written. Specifically, conservatives seek or support:

* [[Limited government]] and balanced budgets
* [[Capitalism]] and [[free market|free markets]]
* [[Classroom prayer]]
* Prohibition of [[abortion]] and respect for human life
* [[Abstinence]] education
* Traditional marriage, not [[same-sex marriage]]
* Respect for differences between men and women, boys and girls
* Laws against [[pornography]]
* The [[Second Amendment]] right to keep and bear arms
* Economic allocative efficiency (as opposed to popular equity)
* The [[death penalty]]
* Parental control of education
* Private medical care and retirement plans
* Canceling failed social support programs
* No [[world government]]
* Enforcement of current laws regarding [[immigration]]
* Respect for our military ... past and present
* Rejection of [[junk science]] such as [[evolution]] and [[global warming]]
* Low taxes, especially for families
* Confederationism (less power for the federal government and more for local and state governments)
* A strong national defense
__TOC__ 
==Hall of Fame==
Conservative scholar Clinton Rossiter<ref> Rossiter, "The Giants of American Conservatism," ''American Heritage'' 1955 6(6): 56-59, 94-96, online in [[EBSCO]]</ref> names [[Alexander Hamilton]], [[John Adams]], [[John Marshall]], [[Daniel Webster]], [[John C. Calhoun]], [[Elihu Root]], and [[Theodore Roosevelt]] to the "Conservative's Hall of Fame,"'' with John Adams as the greatest of American conservatives.

===Presidents===
Periodically a conservative has been elected president of the United States. The most prominent conservative presidents include:
*[[George Washington]] (1789-1797)
*[[James Monroe]] (1817-1825)
*[[Grover Cleveland]] (1885-1889, 1893-1897)
*[[Warren G. Harding]] (1921-1923)
*[[Calvin Coolidge]] (1923-1929)
*[[Ronald Reagan]] (1981-1989)
*[[George W. Bush]] (2001-2009) (with respect to taxes, Supreme Court nominations, and national security)

The most prominent conservative Congresses have been:

*The 80th Congress (elected in 1946)
*The 104th Congress (elected in 1994)

===Movement===
[[Movement conservatives]] are those who accept the logic of conservatism across-the-board, and stand up for its powerful principles despite liberal ridicule. Movement conservative activists include:
*[[Phyllis Schlafly]], opposed [[ERA]]
*[[Larry McDonald]], Congressman, on board [[KAL 007]] when shot down by the Soviets near [[Moneron Island]].
*[[Jesse Helms]], Senator, specialist in foreign policy
*[[Pat Buchanan]], TV commentator
*[[Jerry Falwell]], religion
*[[Michele Bachmann]], columnist
*[[Ann Coulter]], columnist
*[[Rush Limbaugh]], radio
*[[Michelle Malkin]], commentator
*[[Glenn Beck]], TV commentator

===Key leaders===
*[[Barry Goldwater]] - 1964 Republican candidate, lost to liberal Democrat [[Lyndon Johnson]] but revived the conservative movement inside the GOP
*[[Russell Kirk]] - Theorist & intellectual
*[[Irving Kristol|Irving]] and [[William Kristol]] - Notable [[neoconservatives]]
*[[Margaret Thatcher]] - British prime minister between 1979 and 1990, held similar views as Reagan
*[[Milton Friedman]] - Chicago-school [[libertarian]] [[economist]], influential during Reagan administration; leader of the [[Chicago School of Economics]]

==US Voters==
In America, most conservatives support the [[Republican Party]], but not exclusively so. In the 2008 election, 35% of the voters identified themselves as conservatives. Of them, 78% voted for McCain and 20% for Obama, with the 20% accounting for Obama's margin of victory. Only 22% of the voters were liberal; they favored Obama 89%-10%. In the middle were 44% who called themselves moderates. They split for Obama by 60%-39%. (Minor candidates won 2% of the vote.)<ref> See [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/polls/#USP00p1 Presidential 2008 Exit Poll]</ref>
[[File:Conservative-republican-brain.jpg|thumb|350px]]
===Religious differences between political conservatives and political liberals===
The Barna poll conducted in November 2008 shows significant differences between the 32% of Americans who called themselves as “mostly conservative” on social and political matters; and the 17% who called themselves “mostly liberal” on social and political matters. The others --50%--were moderates with positions somewhere in-between.<ref> See [http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/13-culture/258-survey-shows-how-liberals-and-conservatives-differ-on-matters-of-faith on line results] </ref>

Some findings:
Political liberals are less than half as likely as political conservatives to firmly believe that the Bible is totally accurate in all of the principles it teaches (27% versus 63%, respectively); to strongly believe that Satan is real (17% versus 36%); and to firmly contend that they have a personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with others (23% versus 48%).

[Note: "Liberal" and "conservative" in this survey are based on politics]

Liberals are also far less likely than conservatives to strongly believe each of the following:
*their religious faith is very important in their life (54% of liberals vs. 82% of conservatives);
*a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by doing good deeds or being a good person (23% vs. 37%);
*their faith is becoming an increasingly important moral guide in their life (38% vs. 70%);
*the church they currently attend is very important in helping them find direction and fulfillment in life (37% vs. 62%);
*their primary purpose in life is to love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul (43% vs. 76%);

political conservatives were more likely than liberals to:
*read the Bible, other than at church events, during the past week (57% vs. 33%, respectively)
*attend a religious service during the past week (62% vs. 35%)
*pray to God, other than at a religious service, during the past week (91% vs. 76%)
*share their religious beliefs with others, during the past year (56% vs. 39%, among the born again Christians interviewed from each segment)
*have ever participated in a short-term missions trip, either within the U.S. or in another country (12% vs. 6%)

*2% of conservatives and 11% of liberals were atheist or agnostic
*15% of conservatives and 2% of liberals were Christian evangelicals
*conservatives were twice as likely as liberals to be categorized as born again, based on their theological views about salvation (63% vs. 32%)
*21% of conservatives were associated with the Catholic church, compared to 30% among the liberals.

== Barack Obama and American Conservatism Backlash ==
In October of 2009, Niles Gardiner reported in the [[Britain|British]] newspaper ''The Daily Telegraph'':
{{cquote|This week’s striking [[Gallup]] poll on political ideology is further confirmation that the United States is in essence a conservative nation, which has ironically become even more conservative under [[Barack Obama]]. According to Gallup, 40 percent of Americans describe their political views as conservative, 36 percent as moderate and 20 percent as liberal. This is the first time conservatives have outnumbered moderates in America since 2004.<ref>http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/nilegardiner/100014891/barack-obama-has-failed-to-defeat-conservatism-in-america/</ref>}}

== Conservative news organizations ==
Some of the more notable news organizations which tend to be more conservative are [[WorldNetDaily]] and [[NewsMax]]. [[Fox News]], though often called conservative, tends to be more [[neoconservative]] than [[conservative]].

== Conservative magazines and blogs ==
Well known conservative magazines in the United States include ''[[National Review]]'', ''[[Policy Review]]'', ''[[The Weekly Standard]]'' and others.

Some notable [[Conservative blogs|conservative political blogs]] include the [[Heritage Foundation]]'s Policy Weblog, ''[[Human Events]]'', [[Michelle Malkin]], Newsbusters, Townhall.com and others.

== Neoconservatives ==

American commentators who ally themselves with the conservative movement but reject its religious or moral underpinnings are generally known as [[neoconservatives]].<ref>Jonah Goldberg, [http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWMxNWNiNDJkY2JmNTExY2E1MzdkYWU3MWU1MTBiOGU= "What Is a 'Conservative'?"], [[National Review|National Review Online]], 11 May 2005</ref>

In the United States, conservatives are generally characterized by the following beliefs:

# Support of limited government.
# A preference for freedom of opportunity over equality of result.
# Patriotism, nationalism, and support of a strong defense.
# Support of the institution of marriage.
# Emphasis on social values, like prayer and pro-life principles.

In contrast, neoconservatives generally support bigger government and globalism, and tend to downplay the significance of social values.

== Paleoconservatives ==

[[Paleoconservatives]] are conservatives who are more focused on social issues and American sovereignty, and are suspicious of both big government and big business. They also lean against foreign interventionalism. Neoconservatives criticize this with the pejorative term of "isolationism," as they believe in promoting [[democracy]] worldwide, even where different religious or value systems are incompatible with democracy-induced changes in control.

Among paleoconservatives was Democratic Congressman from Georgia, [[Larry McDonald]]. He was also second Chairman of the [[John Birch Society]], and President of Western Goals. McDonald was aboard [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] when it was shot down by the Soviets near [[Moneron Island]] in 1983.

== Personal conservatism ==
Because Conservatives often have strong political views, there can be a tendency to see conservatism as a purely political ideology. However, there is also a strong personal side to conservatism - being a conservative is as much about applying conservative values to one's everyday life as it is about campaigning and voting for conservative candidates. In general, conservatives can be characterized by a strong sense of personal [[morality]], a willingness to observe their culture's traditions and customs, and a desire to be respectable and to show due respect to other members of the community.
==History of American conservatism==
===Textbook problems===
College-level teaching about conservatism has been distorted by a "liberal state paradigm"--that is, textbooks usually interpret recent American history in terms of the origins and successes of political liberalism--especially the New Deal, the welfare state, labor unions, and Civil Rights for blacks and equality for women. Conservative politics is usually defined as a reaction: as a free market reply to the growth of big government; as an expression of outrage against declining support for tradition and Christian morality. Where the violent Wobblies (IWW) and illegal sit down strikes of the 1930s are seen as heroic, exposing Communist subversion by [[Joe McCarthy]] is denounced as the nadir of political morality.<ref> See Leonard Moore, "Approaching Conservatism," ''OAH Magazine of History,'' 17 (January 2003) [http://www.oah.org/pubs/magazine/conservatism/moore.html online edition]</ref>
===Loyalists===
The [[Loyalists]] of the [[American Revolution]] were mostly political conservatives, some of whom produced political discourse of a high order, including lawyer [[Joseph Galloway]] and governor-historian [[Thomas Hutchinson]]. However when the crisis came, they stood with the Crown as it tried to destroy American political liberties. After the war, the great majority remained in the U.S. and became citizens, but some leaders emigrated to other places in the British Empire. [[Samuel Seabury]] was a Loyalist who stayed and as the first American bishop played a major role in shaping the Episcopal religion, a stronghold of conservative social values. While the Loyalist political tradition died out totally it the U.S., it survives in Canadian conservatism.

===Founding Fathers===
The Founding Fathers created the single most important set of political ideas in American history, known as [[Republicanism]], which all groups, liberal and conservative alike, have drawn from. Two parties were named "Republican"-- the one founded in 1794 by Jefferson and Madison (it disappeared in the 1820s), and the modern GOP founded in 1854.

During the [[First Party System]] (1790s-1820s) the [[Federalist Party]], led by [[Alexander Hamilton]], developed an important variation of republicanism that can be considered conservative. Rejecting monarchy and aristocracy, they emphasized civic virtue as the core American value. The Federalists spoke for the propertied interests and the upper classes of the cities. They envisioned a modernizing land of banks and factories, with a strong army and navy. [[George Washington]] was their great hero.

On many issues American conservatism also derives from the republicanism of [[Thomas Jefferson]] and his followers, especially [[John Randolph of Roanoke]] and his "Old Republicans" or "Quids." They idealized the yeoman farmer as the epitome of civic virtue, warned that banking and industry led to corruption, that is to the illegitimate use of government power for private ends. Jefferson himself was a vehement opponent of what today is called "judicial activism".
<ref>[http://etext.virginia.edu/jefferson/quotations/jeff1030.htm]</ref> The Jeffersonians stressed small government.

===Ante-Bellum: Calhoun and Webster===
During the [[Second Party System]] (1830-54) the [[Whig Party]] attracted most conservatives, such as [[Daniel Webster]] of New England. [[Daniel Webster]] and other leaders of the [[Whig Party]], called it the conservative party in the late 1830s.<ref>The word was originally used in the French Revolution. The British used it after 1839 to describe a major party. The first American usage is by Whigs who called themselves "Conservatives" in the late 1830s. Hans Sperber and Travis Trittschuh, ''American Political terms: An Historical Dictionary'' (1962) 94-97.</ref> [[John C. Calhoun]], a Democrat, articulated a sophisticated conservatism in his writings. Richard Hofstadter (1948) called him "The Marx of the Master Class." Calhoun argued that a conservative minority should be able to limit the power of a "majority dictatorship" because tradition represents the wisdom of past generations. (This argument echoes one made by [[Edmund Burke]], the founder of British conservatism, in ''Reflections on the Revolution in France'' (1790)). Calhoun is considered the father of the idea of minority rights, a position adopted by liberals in the 1960s in dealing with Civil Rights.

The conservatism of the antebellum period is contested territory; conservatives of the 21st century disagree over what comprises their heritage. Thus William J. Bennett (2006) a prominent conservative leader, warns conservatives to NOT honor Calhoun, [[Know-Nothings]], [[Copperheads (politics)|Copperheads]] and 20th century isolationists.

===Lincoln to Cleveland===
Since 1865 the [[History of the United States Republican Party|Republican party]] has identified itself with President [[Abraham Lincoln]], who was the ideological heir of the Whigs and of both Jefferson and Hamilton. As the [[Gettysburg Address]] shows, Lincoln cast himself as a second Jefferson bringing a second birth of freedom to the nation that had been born 86 years before in Jefferson's Declaration. The [[Copperheads (politics)|Copperheads]] of the Civil War reflected a reactionary opposition to modernity of the sort repudiated by modern conservatives. A few libertarians have adopted a neo-Copperhead position, arguing Lincoln was a dictator who created an all-powerful government.

In the late 19th century the [[Bourbon Democrat]]s, led by President [[Grover Cleveland]], preached against corruption, high taxes (protective tariffs), and imperialism, and supported the [[gold standard]] and business interests. They were overthrown by [[William Jennings Bryan]] in 1896, who moved the mainstream of the Democratic Party permanently to the left.

The 1896 presidential election was the first with a conservative versus liberal theme in the way in which these terms are now understood. Republican [[William McKinley]] won using the pro-business slogan "[[sound money]] and protection," while Bryan's anti-bank populism had a lasting effect on economic policies of the Democratic Party.

[[William Graham Sumner]], Yale professor (1872-1910) and polymath, vigorously promoted a libertarian conservative ethic. After dallying with [[Social Darwinism]] under the influence of [[Herbert Spencer]], he rejected evolution in his later works, and strongly opposed imperialism. He opposed monopoly and [[paternalism]] in theory as a threat to equality, democracy and middle class values, but was vague on what to do about it.<ref>Curtis, Bruce. "William Graham Sumner 'On the Concentration of Wealth.'" Journal of American History 1969 55(4): 823-832.</ref>

===Early 20th century===
In the [[Progressive Era]] (1890s-1932), regulation of industry expanded as conservatives led by Senator [[Nelson Aldrich]] of Rhode Island were put on the defensive. However, Aldrich's proposal for a strong national banking system was enacted as the [[Federal Reserve System]] in 1913. [[Theodore Roosevelt]], the dominant personality of the era, was both liberal and conservative by turns. As a liberal he took a tough regulatory approach toward businesses and trusts, and (post-presidency) fought for social insurance for the elderly. As a conservative he led the fight to make the country a major naval power, and demanded entry into [[World War I]] to stop what he saw as the German attacks on civilization. [[William Howard Taft]] promoted a strong federal judiciary that would overrule excessive legislation. Taft defeated Roosevelt on that issue in 1912, forcing Roosevelt out of the GOP and turning it to the right for decades. As president, Taft remade the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] with five appointments; he himself presided as chief justice in 1921-30, the only former president ever to do so.

Pro-business Republicans returned to dominance in 1920 with the election of President [[Warren G. Harding]]. The presidency of [[Calvin Coolidge]] (1923-29) was a high water mark for conservatism, both politically and intellectually. Classic writing of the period includes ''Democracy and Leadership'' (1924) by Irving Babbitt and H.L. Mencken's magazine ''American Mercury'' (1924-33). The [[Efficiency Movement]] attracted many conservatives such as [[Herbert Hoover]] with its pro-business, pro-engineer approach to solving social and economic problems. In the 1920s many American conservatives generally maintained anti-foreign attitudes and, as usual, were disinclined toward changes to the healthy economic climate of the age.

During the [[Great Depression, U.S.|Great Depression]], other conservatives participated in the taxpayers' revolt at the local level. From 1930 to 1933, Americans formed as many as 3,000 taxpayers' leagues to protest high [[property tax]]es. These groups endorsed measures to limit and rollback taxes, lowered penalties on tax delinquents, and cuts in government spending. A few also called for illegal resistance (or tax strikes). The best known of these was led by the Association of Real Estate Taxpayers in Chicago which, at its height, had 30,000 dues-paying members.

An important intellectual movement, calling itself [[Southern Agrarians]] and based in Nashville, brought together like-minded novelists, poets and historians who argued that modern values undermined the traditions of American [[Republicanism]] and civic virtue.

The Depression brought liberals to power under President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (1933). Indeed the term "liberal" now came to mean a supporter of the [[New Deal]] and Roosevelt's powerful [[New Deal Coalition]]. In 1934 [[Al Smith]] and pro-business Democrats formed the [[American Liberty League]] to fight the new liberalism, but failed to stop Roosevelt's shifting the Democratic party to the left. In 1936 the Republicans rejected Hoover and tried the more liberal [[Alf Landon]], who carried only Maine and Vermont. When Roosevelt tried to pack the Supreme Court in 1937 the conservatives finally cooperated across party lines and defeated it with help from Vice President [[John Nance Garner]]. Roosevelt unsuccessfully tried to purge the conservative Democrats in the 1938 election. The conservatives in Congress then formed a bipartisan informal [[Conservative Coalition]] of Republicans and southern Democrats. It largely controlled Congress from 1937 to 1964. Its most prominent leaders were Senator [[Robert Taft]], a Republican of Ohio, and Senator [[Richard Russell]], Democrat of Georgia.
[[Image:Gop-plank.JPG|thumb|275px|1936 cartoon shows GOP building its platform from the conservative planks abandoned by the Democrats]]

In the United States, the [[Old Right]], also called the Old Guard, was a group of [[libertarianism|libertarian]], free-market anti-interventionists, originally associated with Midwestern Republicans and Southern Democrats. The Republicans (but not the southern Democrats) were isolationists in 1939-41, (see [[America First]]), and later opposed [[NATO]] and U.S. military intervention in the Korean War.

===Later 20th century: Goldwater, Buckley, the Dixiecrats===
By 1950, American liberalism was so dominant intellectually that liberal critic [[Lionel Trilling]] could dismiss contemporary conservatism as "irritable mental gestures which seek to resemble ideas." <ref>Lapham 2004</ref> But just as Trilling was writing a revival was underway. In the 1950s, principles for a conservative political movement were hashed out in books like Russell Kirk's ''The Conservative Mind'' (1953) and in the highly influential new magazine ''National Review'', founded by [[William F. Buckley Jr.]] in 1955.

Whereas Taft's [[Old Right]] had been isolationist the new conservatism favored American intervention overseas to oppose communism. It looked to the Founding Fathers for historical inspiration as opposed to Calhoun and the antebellum South.

The success of the Civil Rights movement came in the Civil Rights Act of 1864 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Most conservatives supported both, but [[Barry Goldwater]] opposed them. Until then southern whites (both liberal and conservative) had been locked into the Democratic party. That lock was now broken and southern conservatives started voting for Republican candidates for president in 1964-68, and by the 1990s they were also voting for GOP candidates for state and local office. The southern blacks now began to vote in large numbers, and they became Democrats, moving that party in the south to the left. By 2000, for the first time, all southern states had a conservative GOP and a liberal Democratic party. The region favored the GOP heavily in presidential elections, but split in state contests. In 2008, however, the Obama campaign broke into the solid Republican South, carrying Florida, Virginia and North Carolina.

Goldwater, a charismatic figure whose intense opposition to all New Deal programs angered liberals, was defeated in a landslide in 1964. Goldwater faded and his supporters regrouped under new leadership, especially that of [[Ronald Reagan]] in California, and regained strength nationally in the 1966 elections. Conservatives voted for [[Richard Nixon]] in 1968, who narrowly defeated the New Deal champion [[Hubert Humphrey]], and southern demagogue [[George Wallace]]. Nixon had come to terms with both the Goldwater wing of the party and the still-influential Rockefeller Republicans (Republicans from the Northeast who supported many New Deal programs).

===Nixon, Reagan, and Bush===

The Republican administrations of President [[Richard Nixon]] in the [[1970s]] were characterized more by their emphasis on ''[[realpolitik]]'', [[détente]], and economic policies such as wage and price controls, than by their adherence to conservative rhetoric and more liberal actions.

In the eight years of [[Ronald Reagan]]'s presidency 1981-89 the American conservative movement achieved ascendancy. In 1980 the GOP took control of the Senate for the first time since 1954, and conservative principles dominated Reagan's economic and foreign policies, with [[supply side economics]] as well as a strict opposition to Soviet Communism. Reagan promised to cut welfare spending but failed to do so. He did cut taxes, but raised military spending and created large federal deficits of the sort conservatives had complained about for decades. They stopped complaining, as the deficit issue switched to favor the Democrats (who did balance the budget in the late 1990s).

An icon of the American conservative movement, Reagan is credited by his supporters with transforming American politics, galvanizing the Republican Party, uniting a coalition of economic conservatives who supported his supply side economic policies, known as "[[Reaganomics]]," foreign policy conservatives who favored his success in stopping and rolling back Communism, and social conservatives who identified with Reagan's conservative religious and social ideals.

==Conservatives in Australia==

Australia was once more conservative than England but sweeping [[gun control]] laws pushed the nation leftward toward greater dependency on government in the last decade. In 2009, opposition to government control based on alleged [[global warming]] galvanized conservatives there and they led the [[Liberal Party of Australia]] to a repudiation of an emissions trading scheme.<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/national/shock-result-as-abbott-wins-liberal-leadership-by-one-vote--ets-dead-20091201-k1uz.html</ref> Conservatives also support smaller political parties such as the [[Family First Party]].

==Conservatives in Britain==

In the United Kingdom, the [[Conservative Party]] is the major partner in the governing coalition. The party's current leader is [[David Cameron]].<ref>[http://www.conservatives.com Conservative party UK]</ref>

Up until the mid-19th century, the forerunners of the Conservatives were known as [[Tory|Tories]], and the name has persisted as a common nickname both for the political party and those believed to be in agreement with it. Since the mid-to-late 1970s, British conservatives have been defined by an advocacy of [[laissez-faire]] economics, privatization and lower taxation. In recent years the Conservative Party has moved away from the social conservatism which once characterized it, and the current party policy includes, for example, support for abortion on demand and gay civil partnership and the Kyoto Treaty and to oppose capital punishment (although it should be noted that such policies have little support among the party's grassroots membership) <ref>John Charmley, ''A History of Conservative Politics Since 1830'', (2nd ed. 2008) </ref>

Levels of prayer and worship are much lower in England and Wales than in the U.S., and religious issues thereby play less of a role in public discourse. However, religious issues remain a significant factor in [[Northern Ireland]] and in 2008 religious issues were significant during a special election in [[Scotland]].

In common with conservatives in many other countries, British Conservatives tend towards a patriotic rather than internationalist outlook, and are traditionally skeptical of the [[European Union]].

The broadcast media (dominated by the [[BBC]]) is almost exclusively liberal in tone. The print media is different with pro-Conservative newspapers like the ''Daily Mail'' , ''Daily Express'' and ''Daily Telegraph'' selling more copies than their rivals.<ref>[http://www.mediauk.com/the_knowledge/i.muk/An_introduction_to_newspapers_in_the_UK Media UK; Introduction to newspapers in the UK]</ref>

== Conservatism and the French Revolution ==

Conservatism in France and the continent generally arose in the after 1790 as a response to the radicalism of the [[French Revolution]].

== Benefits of Conservatism ==

Several facets of conservatism function in unison to make it an effective and powerful philosophy. Conservatism emphasizes personal freedom, independence, and initiative; this allows the [[best of the public]] to rise to their natural level of achievement. Conservatives recognize that [[big government]] fosters dependency and stifles individual achievement--and thus, weakens society as a whole.

At the same time, conservatives also recognize that with individual freedom comes individual responsibility. In the absence of a hand-holding [[nanny state]], it is imperative that each individual take responsibility for his own actions, and exercise his rights and freedoms wisely and with discretion. Thus, [[social conservatism]] is also critical to a successful society, as it emphasizes the importance of morality, duty, and responsibility to one's self and fellow men.

== Also See ==
*[[Conservative resources]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Conservatives|Articles about '''Conservatives''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[More News/Conservatives|Articles about '''Conservatives''' from "More News"]]
*[[Conservative Links]]
*[[Essay:Fair and balanced is not part of the Conservative platform]]
*[[Conservative politicians]]
*[[Liberal]]

==Further reading==
* Critchlow, Donald T. ''The Conservative Ascendancy: How the GOP Right Made Political History'' (2007)
* Filler, Louis. ''Dictionary of American Conservatism The First Complete Guide to Issues, People, Organizations and Events'' (1987), useful older encyclopedia
* Frank, Thomas. ''What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America'' (2005), a liberal perspective [http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Matter-Kansas-Conservatives-America/dp/080507774X/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193685789&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Frohnen, Bruce et al eds. ''American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia'' (2006), the most detailed reference
* Judis, John B. ''William F. Buckley, Jr.: Patron Saint of the Conservatives'' (1988) [http://www.amazon.com/William-F-Buckley-Jr-Conservatives/dp/0743217977/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207759425&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Kirk, Russell. ''The Conservative Mind''. (7th ed. 2001). highly influential conservative history of ideas [http://www.historyebook.org/ online at ACLS e-books]
* Link, William A. ''Righteous warrior: Jesse Helms and the rise of modern conservatism'' (2008) 643 pages
* Micklethwait, John, and Adrian Wooldridge. ''The Right Nation,'' (2004) influential survey [http://www.amazon.com/Right-Nation-Conservative-Power-America/dp/B000F71124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205919226&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Micklethwait, John, and Adrian Wooldridge. ''God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World'' (2009)
* Nash, George. ''The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945'' (2006), excellent scholarly history. [http://www.amazon.com/Conservative-Intellectual-Movement-America-Since/dp/1933859121/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241925238&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
*Pemberton, William E. ''Exit with Honor: The Life and Presidency of Ronald Reagan'' (1998) [http://www.questia.com/library/book/exit-with-honor-the-life-and-presidency-of-ronald-reagan-by-william-e-pemberton.jsp online edition]
*Perlstein, Rick. ''Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus'' (2004) on 1964 [http://www.amazon.com/Before-Storm-Goldwater-Unmaking-Consensus/dp/0809028581/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193684721&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
*Perlstein, Rick. ''Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America'' (2008) [http://www.amazon.com/Nixonland-Rise-President-Fracturing-America/dp/074324303X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241924189&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Schneider, Gregory L. ed. ''Conservatism in America Since 1930: A Reader'' (2003)
*Schoenwald; Jonathan . ''A Time for Choosing: The Rise of Modern American Conservatism'' (2002) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104931191 online edition] also [http://www.historyebook.org/ online at ACLS e-books]
* Schweizer, Peter, and Wynton C. Hall, eds. ''Landmark Speeches of the American Conservative Movement'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Landmark-Speeches-American-Conservative-Movement/dp/1585445983/ref=sr_1_4/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193685365&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/conservatives/ What Liberals Say - Category: Conservatives], [[Accuracy In Media]]
*[http://www.youtube.com/user/rescueKAL007#p/a/FD3DE4F0642C350C/0/1c8v-kgLvhM Pat Buchanan's "Crossfire" interview with [[Larry McDonald]] 3 months before downing of [[KAL 007]], Ron Paul intro]

[[Category:Conservative]]
[[Category:Taxation]]
[[Category:American History]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:1960s]]
[[Category:New Deal]]

*[http://www.conservativedirectory.com Directory of Conservative Websites - Category: Conservatives], [[Politics]]

[[Category:Conservative]]
{{Conservatism}}

Recession of 2008

2011-03-22T00:59:34Z

Brit1909: /* Origins */

The '''Recession of 2008''' (also called the '''Recession of the late 2000's''' or the '''Great Recession''') is a major worldwide economic downturn that began in 2008 and continued into 2010. It was caused by the [[Financial Crisis of 2008]]; it is by far the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It appears the worldwide recession hit bottom around September 2009; however there are few signs that the American or world economies have started to move upward again. Britain, Spain and Ireland remain in serious trouble, while China and Brazil have rebounded and are growing rapidly. Concerning the United States economy, proponents of [[free market]] capitalism declare that [[Federal Reserve]] Chairman [[Ben Bernanke]] should not have bailed out failing firms and instead should have allowed free market capitalism to quickly recover as it did in the depression of 1920 without government intervention (free market capitalists assert that government intervention merely drags out recessions and depressions).<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzTXaAXusiI</ref><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czcUmnsprQI</ref> A 2005 study found that government corporate bailouts are often done for mere political considerations and the economic resources allocated exhibit significantly worse economic performance than resources allocated using purely business considerations.<ref>http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=676905</ref>

Likewise in the U.S. the economy has stabilized but has not shown signs of recovery, apart from the stock market going up. Serious weaknesses continue in housing, commercial real estate, banking, automobiles, and retail trade. [[Unemployment]] continues to worsen, reaching 10.2% in October, 2009 and slipping to 10.0% in November, with conditions especially poor in California, Michigan and South Carolina.

The crisis is worldwide, with major impact in [[Britain]], Europe (that is the "European Union" or EU), [[Russia]], [[Japan]], the oil countries of the Middle East, and the Third World. The economy of the EU (Europe) will shrink by 4% in 2009, with unemployment reaching 10%. Ireland, Iceland and parts of Eastern Europe are hardest hit. Britain was hit hard with its major banks in deep trouble. Recovery in Britain has been slow; its GDP fell 5.2% from 3Q 2008 to 3Q 2009.<ref>3Q is the third quarter, or the months of July, August and September.</ref>

Global trade declined sharply--by 13% from August 20008 to August 2009, hurting exporters such as Germany and Japan. [[China]] has avoided most of the troubles; it continues to grow at a phenomenal rate (8.9% annual rate in 2008-9).

Global governments spent an astonishing $17 trillion to support the world economy in the form of bailouts, guarantees, and equity market purchases. That $17 trillion represents one quarter of global GDP, but only a fraction of that sum will actually be paid out. (How much will not be known afor a few years.) Global investment declined by 15% , and global GDP by shrank by nearly $4 trillion, or an amazing 6%. Global industrial production in the advanced economies dropped a 15%, causing unemployment to soar around the world, nearly doubling in the United States alone.<ref>David Smick, "Now What Do We Do?" November 10, 2009 [http://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/library/resources/documents/Defense/DavidSmickSpeechattheColonyClub11.10.09.pdf online] </ref>
[[File:Empl2009.jpg|thumb|400px]]
==Origins==
The recession began in January 2008 in the financial sector as major banks in the U.S. and Europe got into serious trouble by investing in bad mortgages. The crisis spread globally due to the fact that many banks and other business worldwide had invested in these securitized debts. Trouble spread to the [[automobile]] industry, where General Motors and Chrysler went bankrupt in spring 2009, due to a decrease in US consumer demand. They remained solvent by an emergency loan proposed by President [[George W. Bush]] over the objections of Congressional [[Republican Party|Republicans]]. Later a [[bailout]] involving a taxpayer buy out and bankruptcy reorganization was authorized by President [[Barack Obama]] and Congressional [[Democrat]]s.

In the U.S. GDP fell in the fourth quarter of 2008 (October-November-December), by 6.2% annual rate, with declines heaviest in business investment, exports, finance, autos, housing, construction, and retail sales.<ref>Three of the four engines of economic growth -- consumer spending, business investment and exports -- declined sharply. Consumer spending fell at an annualized rate of 4.3%; business investment in equipment and software sank at an astonishing annual rate of 29%; exports of goods and services plunged 24%. ''Washington Post'' Feb. 28, 2009 </ref> The steep decline continued; GDP in the first quarter of 2009 (January-February-March) fell at the annualized rate of 6.1%, much worse than expected. American business slashed capital investment at an annual rate of -38%. Investment in software and computer equipment declined by an annualized 33.8%, and investment in new buildings was down 44.2%. On the slightly optimistic side, financial markets that spiralled out of control late last year are stabilizing, and declines in retail sales and orders by manufacturers are no longer posting record declines.<ref>An "annualized rate" is four times the actual quarterly rate. Jack Healy, "U.S. Economy in 2nd Straight Quarter of Steep Decline," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/business/economy/30econ.html?_r=1&hp ''New York Times'' April 29, 2009]</ref>

The stock market fell by 50% in 2008, wiping out trillions of dollars in assets. More trillions were lost as housing prices fell by 20%. Adding together the declines in housing and the stock market, the net worth of American households declined from $63.7 trillion in January 2008 to $51.5 trillion in January 2009, a decline of $11.2 trillion or 18%. That is, Americans owned $11 trillion less wealth, and adjusted by buying less and investing less. Meanwhile mortgages and credit-card debt together reached $13 trillion, or 123% of after-tax income, a huge jump since 1995, when it was 83% of income.<ref> see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123687371369308675.html?mod=djemalertNEWS S. Mitra Kalita, "Americans See 18% of Wealth Vanish," ''Wall Street Journal'' Mar. 13, 2009]</ref>

Bankruptcies among small businesses soared from 206 a day in Dec. 2007 to 357 a day in March 2009. In April, 2009, came the largest real estate bankruptcy in history, as General Growth, which owns and manages more than 200 malls, proved unable to handle its crushing $27 billion debt load. The debt was created by heavy borrowing in optimistic days to build new new malls.

Wealth levels plunged worldwide. Stock markets in other major countries fell even faster than the U.S. Most companies worldwide reported reduced sales and sharply reduced profits, as banks refused to lend and consumers refused to spend, fearing the worst.

A series of emergency measures enacted by the Federal Reserve (on its own authority) and Congress after heavy prodding by presidents Bush and Obama resulted in trillions of dollars in loans, banking bailouts and guarantees, a half-trillion new stimulus spending and a third of a trillion in tax cuts, but by mid-March 2009 the outlook remained bleak as the economy continued downward. Therefore the Federal Reserve announced yet another trillion dollar plan on March 18, this one to buy $300 billion in Treasury bonds, and $750 billion in mortgage-backed securities. The idea was to keep mortgage rates low in the hope people will start buying houses again, but the problem is that the prices are falling, so that if a person buys a $500,000 house today it will be worth $400,000 in a year, despite the Fed's intervention.

In the first quarter of 2009 (January 1 to March 30), GDP fell sharply in major countries compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. In the US GDP was down 6.3%.

Major export countries have seen their markets shrink. Exports from Japan were down 41% (quarter one 2009 versus 2008), Germany 32%, China 20% and U.S. 22%.

Major countries are experimenting with Keynesian stimulus packages, including the US ($787 billion), Europe (EU, $634 billion), China ($586 billion), and Japan ($486 billion), but so far no positive results have been reported. Central banks (such as the Federal Reserve in the U.S.) have cut interest rates to nearly zero, but few are borrowing money.

==Indicators down==
Oil, metal and grain (rice, wheat, corn) prices, after hitting record levels in the summer of 2008, have plunged. Oil went from $145 a barrel to $42.

Retail sales in the U.S. and worldwide are in a major slump, with the slowest Christmas shopping season in decades. American manufacturing contracted in November 2008 at the steepest rate in 26 years. The U.S. lost some 2.6 million jobs in 2008, the worst record since the end of World War II, Factory indexes in China, Britain, Europe, and Russia all fell to record lows.

In January 2009 the downturn worsened, as major companies and small firms announced round after round of layoffs and postponement of expansion plans. The financial sector worsened sharply in January, indicating the the huge financial bailouts of 2008 were not enough. The steep slide continued as unsold goods piled up. The GDP (gross domestic product) shrank at a -6.2% annual rate in the fourth quarter (last three months) of 2008, the sharpest contraction in 26 years.<ref>Jack Healy And Louis Uchitelle, "Steep Slide in U.S. Economy as Unsold Goods Pile Up," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/business/economy/31econ.html?_r=1&hp ''New York Times'' Jan. 30, 2009]</ref>

Meanwhile, at the urging of the [[Obama Administration]], Congress passed a $789 billion stimulus package, combining new spending and tax cuts, in the hopes of turning the economy around by mid-2009. Republicans were nearly unanimous against the proposal, as their smaller package was voted down. Canada, although not as hard hit as the U.S., is preparing its own stimulus package.
*see also [[Economic stimulus package]]

Economists from all political viewpoints predict the slide in GDP is likely to continue at an alarming pace well into summer 2009 as consumers continue to curtail spending and businesses reduce their capital investments and cut their payrolls.
==Income and Wealth==
Wealth holding took a heavy blow. Incomes were down too, but not as dramatically.

[[File:Pers-income.jpg|thumb|400px|Personal income; change from previous year]]
===Money===
In terms of a monetary explanation, there is far more money around, thanks to the stimulus programs of the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and Congress. However the velocity is down to the lowest rate since 1991. That is, people and business are saving and not spending. Banks are not lending. The nation’s banks in March 2009 had reserves of $679 billion, up from only $45 billion in August 2008. Individuals are keeping their cash in the banks, or paying off credit cards and debts, and not buying new merchandise. The goal of federal stimulus spending is to get new spending going, to create jobs and keep businesses from slowing down. If people do start spending again all the extra money will cause inflation, but in that case the Federal Reserve plans to reduce the money supply and, hopefully, restore normalcy and prosperity.<ref> Mark Gongloff, “Best Check on Inflation: Broken Banks,” ’’Wall Street Journal,’’ Mar. 20, 2009</ref>

==US==
The longest economic slumps since 1945 were the 16-month downturns that ended in March 1975 and November 1982. The [[Great Depression]] lasted 43 months, from August 1929 to March 1933.

"This may be referred to as the Great Recession," because of its length, said Norbert Ore, chairman of the Institute for Supply Management’s factory survey. "It looked like we were headed for a shallow recession earlier in the year because of higher energy prices. With the meltdown in the financial sector, it has become something more serious."<ref>see [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=ar0v6PP3HCpk&refer=home Steve Matthews and Timothy R. Homan, "U.S. May Be in for ‘Great Recession,’" ''Bloomberg News'' Dec 2, 2008]</ref>
[[File:Housing$.jpg|thumb|340px]]
===Housing===
see [[Housing]]

The construction of new housing and commercial buildings has fallen off; many commercial buildings and shopping centers have high vacancy rates and may be hard pressed to pay their debts. Housing prices continue low--falling from an average of $255,000 to $180,000, as millions of empty houses are a drag on the market. Indeed much of the housing activity in 2009 involved sales of foreclosed properties at distress prices.
[[File:Constr1.jpg|thumb|400px|Construction spending--change from previous year]]

===Auto sector===
The automobile industry is in desperate crisis, with General Motors and Chrysler, and numerous parts suppliers, on the verge of bankruptcy. Ford is in better shape as are the "transplants" like Toyota and Honda that have factories in the U.S. If GM shuts down, however, many parts suppliers will also shut, forcing the end of most US auto production. Autos will still be imported, though at much higher prices. GM and Chrysler were given $17 billion TARP funds in December on condition they present a turnaround plan by Feb. 17, 2009. In its plan GM will ask for access to an additional $16.6 billion in federal aid; otherwise will run out of money by March 2009. GM also said it would close 14 U.S. plants, and cut 47,000 global hourly, salaried jobs. Bankruptcy, GM claimed, could cost the federal government the loss of tax revenue and the loss of 1.3 million jobs across the US, as plants and dealers close down operation.<ref>. For the GM plan see [http://www.treas.gov/initiatives/eesa/agreements/auto-reports/GMRestructuringPlan.pdf GM Plan of Feb 17, 2009]</ref>
[[Image:U-2009-2.jpg|thumb|275px|left]]

In March 2009 GM reported that its auditors have raised substantial doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern, citing recurring losses from operations, stockholders' deficit and an inability to generate enough cash to meet its obligations. GM has received $13.4 billion in federal loans, and the company is seeking a total of $30 billion from the government. During the past three years it has run up $82 billion in losses, including $30.9 billion in 2008. Bankruptcy took place June 1, 2009.

===Unemployment===
[[Image:U-county-09feb.jpg|thumb|450px]]

After reaching a low of 4.1% in October, 2006, the U.S. [[unemployment]] rate has been trending upward, reaching 9.4% in May 2009. Analysts from the National Bureau of Economic research say that the current nation-wide recession began over a year ago; the economy peaked in December, 2007. This recession is expected to continue into 2010. Unemployment reached 6.5% in November 2008. Unemployment has already reached 10% and higher in half the country.

[[Image:U-states-08.jpg|thumb|380px]]

==Worldwide crisis==
The crisis is worse in many other countries, which means they are dragging down the US economy and cannot be expected to be the engine to restore prosperity. Japan’s economy, the world’s second largest after the U.S., is deteriorating rapidly because of shrinking exports and weak domestic spending. Japan's GDP shrank at an annual rate of 12.7% in the fourth quarter of 2008, and the downward plunge shows no sign of reversal.
[[Image:Bleak09.jpg|550px]]
Japan's exports to the U.S. and other areas are down sharply, causing massive layoffs at companies like Nissan, Toyota, Panasonic and Sony. Capital spending on tools and factories has fallen as companies halted production lines and cut investment. Consumer spending has stalled as Japanese households reduced spending amid the large-scale layoffs. The government has promised a huge bailout package on the order of 50 trillion yen ($545 billion), but has been unable to get it passed in parliament.<ref>Hiroku Tabuschi, "Japan’s Economy Plunges at Fastest Pace Since ’74," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/business/worldbusiness/16yen.html?ref=business ''New York Times'' Feb. 15, 2009] </ref>

The economies in Europe and Russia are headed down, as are most third world countries. Eastern Europe is very hard hit, as is Ireland and Iceland. Economic growth in China continues at a much lower pace than usual, throwing tens of millions out of work there. The oil producing nations have seen their revenues plunge with the decline of oil prices.
==U.S. Politics==
The Obama Administration has been basing its domestic policies on the assumption that the stimulus package passed in February, 2009, will turn around the economy. The stimulus money has been spent slowly and little impact is visible by October. The Treasury assumes that the tax revenue will be there to fund permanent new spending program in areas such as health care and greening the economy. It assumes that the rich will recover enough of their investments to pay new taxes--right now tax collections are falling sharply as investments turn sour. The deficit for fiscal 2009 (which began Oct. 1 2008 and ended Sept. 20, 2009, covering both Bush and Obama terms) is an astonishing $1.4 trillion, or 10% of GDP.

Obama's policies are delaying and retarding the inevitable economic recovery, keeping unemployment high even though the recession Obama inherited was similar to others in the past that gave way to rapid recoveries.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703278604574624711732528426.html</ref>
==Economists==
The vast majority of the world's economists and economic forecasters--whether liberal or conservative--were caught unawares by the housing bubble and the banking crisis. Nearly all misjudged the depth of the economic downturn; they were baffled by the inability of orthodox monetary policy administered by the Federal Reserve to prevent such a steep downturn. They could not agree on what, if anything, the government should do to halt it and return to recovery. By 2010, most economists are in general agreement with the Obama administration's Keynesian strategy. However, some say the government is not doing enough and is too cozy with the bankers, while others say that it is doing too much and warn about dangerous long-term consequences. There is no professional consensus on the details of what should be done to end the downturn, speed recovery, or prevent a recurrence.

==See also==
*[[Recovery Summer]]

====Notes====
<references/>

[[Category:Finance]]
[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Economic history]]
[[Category:United States History]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]

Recession of 2008

2011-03-22T00:59:15Z

Brit1909: /* Origins */

The '''Recession of 2008''' (also called the '''Recession of the late 2000's''' or the '''Great Recession''') is a major worldwide economic downturn that began in 2008 and continued into 2010. It was caused by the [[Financial Crisis of 2008]]; it is by far the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. It appears the worldwide recession hit bottom around September 2009; however there are few signs that the American or world economies have started to move upward again. Britain, Spain and Ireland remain in serious trouble, while China and Brazil have rebounded and are growing rapidly. Concerning the United States economy, proponents of [[free market]] capitalism declare that [[Federal Reserve]] Chairman [[Ben Bernanke]] should not have bailed out failing firms and instead should have allowed free market capitalism to quickly recover as it did in the depression of 1920 without government intervention (free market capitalists assert that government intervention merely drags out recessions and depressions).<ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzTXaAXusiI</ref><ref>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czcUmnsprQI</ref> A 2005 study found that government corporate bailouts are often done for mere political considerations and the economic resources allocated exhibit significantly worse economic performance than resources allocated using purely business considerations.<ref>http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=676905</ref>

Likewise in the U.S. the economy has stabilized but has not shown signs of recovery, apart from the stock market going up. Serious weaknesses continue in housing, commercial real estate, banking, automobiles, and retail trade. [[Unemployment]] continues to worsen, reaching 10.2% in October, 2009 and slipping to 10.0% in November, with conditions especially poor in California, Michigan and South Carolina.

The crisis is worldwide, with major impact in [[Britain]], Europe (that is the "European Union" or EU), [[Russia]], [[Japan]], the oil countries of the Middle East, and the Third World. The economy of the EU (Europe) will shrink by 4% in 2009, with unemployment reaching 10%. Ireland, Iceland and parts of Eastern Europe are hardest hit. Britain was hit hard with its major banks in deep trouble. Recovery in Britain has been slow; its GDP fell 5.2% from 3Q 2008 to 3Q 2009.<ref>3Q is the third quarter, or the months of July, August and September.</ref>

Global trade declined sharply--by 13% from August 20008 to August 2009, hurting exporters such as Germany and Japan. [[China]] has avoided most of the troubles; it continues to grow at a phenomenal rate (8.9% annual rate in 2008-9).

Global governments spent an astonishing $17 trillion to support the world economy in the form of bailouts, guarantees, and equity market purchases. That $17 trillion represents one quarter of global GDP, but only a fraction of that sum will actually be paid out. (How much will not be known afor a few years.) Global investment declined by 15% , and global GDP by shrank by nearly $4 trillion, or an amazing 6%. Global industrial production in the advanced economies dropped a 15%, causing unemployment to soar around the world, nearly doubling in the United States alone.<ref>David Smick, "Now What Do We Do?" November 10, 2009 [http://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/library/resources/documents/Defense/DavidSmickSpeechattheColonyClub11.10.09.pdf online] </ref>
[[File:Empl2009.jpg|thumb|400px]]
==Origins==
The recession began in January 2008 in the financial sector as major banks in the U.S. and Europe got into serious trouble by investing in bad mortgages. The crisis spread globally due to the fact that many banks and other business worldwide had invested in these securitized debts. Trouble spread to the [[automobile]] industry, where General Motors and Chrysler went bankrupt in spring 2009, due to a decrease in US consumer demand. They remained solvent by an emergency loan proposed by President [[George W. Bush]] over the objections of Congressional [[Republican Party|Republicans]]. Later a [[bailout]] involving a taxpayer buy out and bankruptcy reorganization was authorized by President [[Barack Obama]] and Congressional [[Democrat]]s.

In the U.S. GDP fell in the fourth quarter of 2008 (October-November-December), by 6.2% annual rate, with declines heaviest in business investment, exports, finance, autos, housing, construction, and retail sales.<ref>Three of the four engines of economic growth -- consumer spending, business investment and exports -- declined sharply. Consumer spending fell at an annualized rate of 4.3%; business investment in equipment and software sank at an astonishing annual rate of 29%; exports of goods and services plunged 24%. ''Washington Post'' Feb. 28, 2009 </ref> The steep decline continued; GDP in the first quarter of 2009 (January-February-March) fell at the annualized rate of 6.1%, much worse than expected. American business slashed capital investment at an annual rate of -38%. Investment in software and computer equipment declined by an annualized 33.8%, and investment in new buildings was down 44.2%. On the slightly optimistic side, financial markets that spiralled out of control late last year are stabilizing, and declines in retail sales and orders by manufacturers are no longer posting record declines.<ref>An "annualized rate" is four times the actual quarterly rate. Jack Healy, "U.S. Economy in 2nd Straight Quarter of Steep Decline," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/business/economy/30econ.html?_r=1&hp ''New York Times'' April 29, 2009]</ref>

The stock market fell by 50% in 2008, wiping out trillions of dollars in assets. More trillions were lost as housing prices fell by 20%. Adding together the declines in housing and the stock market, the net worth of American households declined from $63.7 trillion in January 2008 to $51.5 trillion in January 2009, a decline of $11.2 trillion or 18%. That is, Americans owned $11 trillion less wealth, and adjusted by buying less and investing less. Meanwhile mortgages and credit-card debt together reached $13 trillion, or 123% of after-tax income, a huge jump since 1995, when it was 83% of income.<ref> see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123687371369308675.html?mod=djemalertNEWS S. Mitra Kalita, "Americans See 18% of Wealth Vanish," ''Wall Street Journal'' Mar. 13, 2009]</ref>

Bankruptcies among small businesses soared from 206 a day in Dec. 2007 to 357 a day in March 2009. In April, 2009, came the largest real estate bankruptcy in history, as General Growth, which owns and manages more than 200 malls, proved unable to handle its crushing $27 billion debt load. The debt was created by heavy borrowing in optimistic days to build new new malls.

Wealth levels plunged worldwide. Stock markets in other major countries fell even faster than the U.S. Most companies worldwide reported reduced sales and sharply reduced profits, as banks refused to lend and consumers refused to spend, fearing the worst.

A series of emergency measures enacted by the Federal Reserve (on its own authority) and Congress after heavy prodding by presidents Bush and Obama resulted in trillions of dollars in loans, banking bailouts and guarantees, a half-trillion new stimulus spending and a third of a trillion in tax cuts, but by mid-March 2009 the outlook remained bleak as the economy continued downward. Therefore the Federal Reserve announced yet another trillion dollar plan on March 18, this one to buy $300 billion in Treasury bonds, and $750 billion in mortgage-backed securities. The idea was to keep mortgage rates low in the hope people will start buying houses again, but the problem is that the prices are falling, so that if a person buys a $500,000 house today it will be worth $400,000 in a year, despite the Fed's intervention.

In the first quarter of 2009 (January 1 to March 30), GDP fell sharply n major countries compared to the fourth quarter of 2008. In the US GDP was down 6.3%.

Major export countries have seen their markets shrink. Exports from Japan were down 41% (quarter one 2009 versus 2008), Germany 32%, China 20% and U.S. 22%.

Major countries are experimenting with Keynesian stimulus packages, including the US ($787 billion), Europe (EU, $634 billion), China ($586 billion), and Japan ($486 billion), but so far no positive results have been reported. Central banks (such as the Federal Reserve in the U.S.) have cut interest rates to nearly zero, but few are borrowing money.

==Indicators down==
Oil, metal and grain (rice, wheat, corn) prices, after hitting record levels in the summer of 2008, have plunged. Oil went from $145 a barrel to $42.

Retail sales in the U.S. and worldwide are in a major slump, with the slowest Christmas shopping season in decades. American manufacturing contracted in November 2008 at the steepest rate in 26 years. The U.S. lost some 2.6 million jobs in 2008, the worst record since the end of World War II, Factory indexes in China, Britain, Europe, and Russia all fell to record lows.

In January 2009 the downturn worsened, as major companies and small firms announced round after round of layoffs and postponement of expansion plans. The financial sector worsened sharply in January, indicating the the huge financial bailouts of 2008 were not enough. The steep slide continued as unsold goods piled up. The GDP (gross domestic product) shrank at a -6.2% annual rate in the fourth quarter (last three months) of 2008, the sharpest contraction in 26 years.<ref>Jack Healy And Louis Uchitelle, "Steep Slide in U.S. Economy as Unsold Goods Pile Up," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/business/economy/31econ.html?_r=1&hp ''New York Times'' Jan. 30, 2009]</ref>

Meanwhile, at the urging of the [[Obama Administration]], Congress passed a $789 billion stimulus package, combining new spending and tax cuts, in the hopes of turning the economy around by mid-2009. Republicans were nearly unanimous against the proposal, as their smaller package was voted down. Canada, although not as hard hit as the U.S., is preparing its own stimulus package.
*see also [[Economic stimulus package]]

Economists from all political viewpoints predict the slide in GDP is likely to continue at an alarming pace well into summer 2009 as consumers continue to curtail spending and businesses reduce their capital investments and cut their payrolls.
==Income and Wealth==
Wealth holding took a heavy blow. Incomes were down too, but not as dramatically.

[[File:Pers-income.jpg|thumb|400px|Personal income; change from previous year]]
===Money===
In terms of a monetary explanation, there is far more money around, thanks to the stimulus programs of the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and Congress. However the velocity is down to the lowest rate since 1991. That is, people and business are saving and not spending. Banks are not lending. The nation’s banks in March 2009 had reserves of $679 billion, up from only $45 billion in August 2008. Individuals are keeping their cash in the banks, or paying off credit cards and debts, and not buying new merchandise. The goal of federal stimulus spending is to get new spending going, to create jobs and keep businesses from slowing down. If people do start spending again all the extra money will cause inflation, but in that case the Federal Reserve plans to reduce the money supply and, hopefully, restore normalcy and prosperity.<ref> Mark Gongloff, “Best Check on Inflation: Broken Banks,” ’’Wall Street Journal,’’ Mar. 20, 2009</ref>

==US==
The longest economic slumps since 1945 were the 16-month downturns that ended in March 1975 and November 1982. The [[Great Depression]] lasted 43 months, from August 1929 to March 1933.

"This may be referred to as the Great Recession," because of its length, said Norbert Ore, chairman of the Institute for Supply Management’s factory survey. "It looked like we were headed for a shallow recession earlier in the year because of higher energy prices. With the meltdown in the financial sector, it has become something more serious."<ref>see [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=ar0v6PP3HCpk&refer=home Steve Matthews and Timothy R. Homan, "U.S. May Be in for ‘Great Recession,’" ''Bloomberg News'' Dec 2, 2008]</ref>
[[File:Housing$.jpg|thumb|340px]]
===Housing===
see [[Housing]]

The construction of new housing and commercial buildings has fallen off; many commercial buildings and shopping centers have high vacancy rates and may be hard pressed to pay their debts. Housing prices continue low--falling from an average of $255,000 to $180,000, as millions of empty houses are a drag on the market. Indeed much of the housing activity in 2009 involved sales of foreclosed properties at distress prices.
[[File:Constr1.jpg|thumb|400px|Construction spending--change from previous year]]

===Auto sector===
The automobile industry is in desperate crisis, with General Motors and Chrysler, and numerous parts suppliers, on the verge of bankruptcy. Ford is in better shape as are the "transplants" like Toyota and Honda that have factories in the U.S. If GM shuts down, however, many parts suppliers will also shut, forcing the end of most US auto production. Autos will still be imported, though at much higher prices. GM and Chrysler were given $17 billion TARP funds in December on condition they present a turnaround plan by Feb. 17, 2009. In its plan GM will ask for access to an additional $16.6 billion in federal aid; otherwise will run out of money by March 2009. GM also said it would close 14 U.S. plants, and cut 47,000 global hourly, salaried jobs. Bankruptcy, GM claimed, could cost the federal government the loss of tax revenue and the loss of 1.3 million jobs across the US, as plants and dealers close down operation.<ref>. For the GM plan see [http://www.treas.gov/initiatives/eesa/agreements/auto-reports/GMRestructuringPlan.pdf GM Plan of Feb 17, 2009]</ref>
[[Image:U-2009-2.jpg|thumb|275px|left]]

In March 2009 GM reported that its auditors have raised substantial doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern, citing recurring losses from operations, stockholders' deficit and an inability to generate enough cash to meet its obligations. GM has received $13.4 billion in federal loans, and the company is seeking a total of $30 billion from the government. During the past three years it has run up $82 billion in losses, including $30.9 billion in 2008. Bankruptcy took place June 1, 2009.

===Unemployment===
[[Image:U-county-09feb.jpg|thumb|450px]]

After reaching a low of 4.1% in October, 2006, the U.S. [[unemployment]] rate has been trending upward, reaching 9.4% in May 2009. Analysts from the National Bureau of Economic research say that the current nation-wide recession began over a year ago; the economy peaked in December, 2007. This recession is expected to continue into 2010. Unemployment reached 6.5% in November 2008. Unemployment has already reached 10% and higher in half the country.

[[Image:U-states-08.jpg|thumb|380px]]

==Worldwide crisis==
The crisis is worse in many other countries, which means they are dragging down the US economy and cannot be expected to be the engine to restore prosperity. Japan’s economy, the world’s second largest after the U.S., is deteriorating rapidly because of shrinking exports and weak domestic spending. Japan's GDP shrank at an annual rate of 12.7% in the fourth quarter of 2008, and the downward plunge shows no sign of reversal.
[[Image:Bleak09.jpg|550px]]
Japan's exports to the U.S. and other areas are down sharply, causing massive layoffs at companies like Nissan, Toyota, Panasonic and Sony. Capital spending on tools and factories has fallen as companies halted production lines and cut investment. Consumer spending has stalled as Japanese households reduced spending amid the large-scale layoffs. The government has promised a huge bailout package on the order of 50 trillion yen ($545 billion), but has been unable to get it passed in parliament.<ref>Hiroku Tabuschi, "Japan’s Economy Plunges at Fastest Pace Since ’74," [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/business/worldbusiness/16yen.html?ref=business ''New York Times'' Feb. 15, 2009] </ref>

The economies in Europe and Russia are headed down, as are most third world countries. Eastern Europe is very hard hit, as is Ireland and Iceland. Economic growth in China continues at a much lower pace than usual, throwing tens of millions out of work there. The oil producing nations have seen their revenues plunge with the decline of oil prices.
==U.S. Politics==
The Obama Administration has been basing its domestic policies on the assumption that the stimulus package passed in February, 2009, will turn around the economy. The stimulus money has been spent slowly and little impact is visible by October. The Treasury assumes that the tax revenue will be there to fund permanent new spending program in areas such as health care and greening the economy. It assumes that the rich will recover enough of their investments to pay new taxes--right now tax collections are falling sharply as investments turn sour. The deficit for fiscal 2009 (which began Oct. 1 2008 and ended Sept. 20, 2009, covering both Bush and Obama terms) is an astonishing $1.4 trillion, or 10% of GDP.

Obama's policies are delaying and retarding the inevitable economic recovery, keeping unemployment high even though the recession Obama inherited was similar to others in the past that gave way to rapid recoveries.<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703278604574624711732528426.html</ref>
==Economists==
The vast majority of the world's economists and economic forecasters--whether liberal or conservative--were caught unawares by the housing bubble and the banking crisis. Nearly all misjudged the depth of the economic downturn; they were baffled by the inability of orthodox monetary policy administered by the Federal Reserve to prevent such a steep downturn. They could not agree on what, if anything, the government should do to halt it and return to recovery. By 2010, most economists are in general agreement with the Obama administration's Keynesian strategy. However, some say the government is not doing enough and is too cozy with the bankers, while others say that it is doing too much and warn about dangerous long-term consequences. There is no professional consensus on the details of what should be done to end the downturn, speed recovery, or prevent a recurrence.

==See also==
*[[Recovery Summer]]

====Notes====
<references/>

[[Category:Finance]]
[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Economic history]]
[[Category:United States History]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:Obama Administration]]

British politics

2011-03-22T00:39:15Z

Brit1909: /* Conservatives */

'''British politics''' take place within the context of a democratic [[parliamentary]] system dominated by three major parties. Currently, there is a coalition government between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats

The political culture of the UK tends to be more liberal than that of the United States, but less so than that of many other European nations. [[File:Brit-history.jpg|thumb|250px]]

==Institutions==
===Parliament===

''See also [[Parliament]]''

The cornerstone of the uncodified British [[constitution]] is ''Parliamentary supremacy'', or ''Parliamentary sovereignty''.

Britain is one of a small number of nations without a codified constitution, and the British legislature, ''Parliament'', is free to legislate however it pleases. In British law, the only authority higher than parliamentary legislation is the law of the [[European Union]], and Britain is subject to EU law only by virtue of the fact that Parliament has chosen to accept it.

Parliament consists of the Queen, the [[House of Lords]] and the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]]. The Queen today takes no part in active politics (the last time that a monarch refused to ratify a law passed by the Lords and Commons was in 1714). While the House of Lords is considered to be the more prestigious chamber, the Commons is dominant by virtue of the fact that its members are elected rather than appointed. The Lords can only delay rather than veto legislation, though the Commons rarely chooses to push through laws against the Lords' wishes (it has done so only five times since the Lords' absolute veto was removed in 1911).

Reform of the House of Lords is a current political issue in the UK. The House of Commons has resolved to make it more democratic, so that 80% or 100% of its members are elected rather than appointed.

===The Executive===

The British Government operates in the name of the Queen (or the "Crown"), but power lies in practice with the '''Prime Minister''' and his '''Cabinet'''. The British Prime Minister has one of the most powerful roles of any democratic head of government or head of state (though some, like the French President, have similar or more extensive powers).

Contrary to popular opinion, the British Prime Minister can be of any religion - for example, Iain Duncan-Smith, a Catholic, was made leader of the Conservative Party while in opposition which would have made him Prime Minister had the party won a general election at that time. In addition, [[Margaret Thatcher]] was a Methodist rather than an Anglican. Not many British political commentators make any mention of religion, and religion is not considered a major deciding factor in elections. The faith or denominations of party leaders is not well known.

The only relevant legislation that exists demands that the Monarch be Anglican; however, the now defunct position of advising the monarch on ecclesiastical affairs could have fallen to any member of the cabinet. No legislation exists which regulates the religion of the Prime Minister or any other member of parliament.

== Devolution ==

{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Nation/Region || Legislature || Executive || Leader(s)
|-
| '''[[Scotland]]''' || [[Scottish Parliament]] || Scottish Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Wales]]''' || National Assembly for Wales || Welsh Assembly Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Northern Ireland]]''' || Northern Ireland Assembly || Northern Ireland Executive || First Minister and Deputy First Minister1
|-
| '''[[London|Greater London]]''' || London Assembly|| Mayor of London || Mayor of London
|}


1 Northern Ireland is a dyarchy in which both leaders are regarded as equal.


==Local government==

Each locality in the UK has its own '''local authority''': there are '''councils''' of various sorts, as well as a number of elected '''mayors''' (most notably in London, whose current mayor is the sometimes controversial Conservative politician [[Boris Johnson]]). The powers of local authorities have been seen as declining for many years, however one of the main aims of the new coalition government is to reverse this.

It should be noted that most mayors in Britain are relatively powerless officials who serve as mere figureheads, in a similar way to the Monarch, as the power is with the local council, of which the mayor is the leader. However, a number of cities, such as London, have powerful mayors with a full executive role.

==Parties==

The British political spectrum has historically been dominated by the '''[[Labour Party]]''' on the left, the '''[[Conservative Party]]''' on the right, and the '''Liberal Party''' (now the [[Liberal Democrats]]) in the centre between them ("liberal" in British political terminology is often used to mean "centrist" or "moderate", rather than "left-wing"). In theory, these parties represent the three main political ideologies; liberal, conservative and socialist, but recently, there has been a perception that the main parties are crowding together on the centre ground. In the 1990s, Labour moved decisively away from the traditional left (angering many of its more traditionally-minded supporters), to the point where it was perceived by many as being less left-wing than the Liberal Democrats. Since the advent of [[David Cameron]] as its leader in 2005, the Conservative Party has moved away from the territory of the traditional right (in this case too, angering many of its more strongly conservative or [[Thatcherism|Thatcherite]] supporters).

===Labour===
see also [[Labour Party]]

The [[Labour Party]] is currently the main opposition party in the UK and is led by [[Ed Miliband]]. It is also the largest party in the Welsh legislature and the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

Following its defeat by Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1979, the Labour Party adopted a strongly left-wing, socialist program. Following a catastrophic defeat in the 1983 general election, more moderate politicians took charge of Labour and slowly moved it closer to the centre ground of British politics, a process started by [[Neil Kinnock]] in the mid-1980s and carried forward enthusiastically by [[Tony Blair]] after his election as leader in 1994. Many more traditional, left-wing Labour supporters see Tony Blair as an usurper whose policies are too right-wing for comfort. This has been the case in particular following the Iraq War.

Blair's policies were arguably a mixture of left (e.g. higher taxes, higher government spending, greater integration with the European Union, equal rights for gay people) and right (e.g. pro-market reforms in the public services, retention of Lady Thatcher's labour laws, support for the [[War on Terror]] and [[George W. Bush]]'s foreign policies). His successor [[Gordon Brown]], once a close ally of Blair, has spoken out against the idea of the party shifting back to the left. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were both seen as modernists within the Labour Party before they were elected to power in 1997.

===Conservatives===
* Also See: [[Conservative Party]]
British conservatism has traditionally been a moderate, non-ideological creed: its heroes include such pragmatic figures as [[Edmund Burke]] in the eighteenth century and Sir [[Robert Peel]] and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] in the nineteenth century. These figures contrasted with contemporary conservatives from other European countries such as the French thinker [[Joseph de Maistre]], who were often strong, ideologically-minded supporters of absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism.

The Conservative Party became more ideologically conservative during the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1975-1990). Since Lady Thatcher resigned in 1990, the strongly conservative element within the party has been more or less eclipsed. It had some influence in the 1990s during the leadership of Sir John Major (1990-1997), but the current Conservative leader, [[David Cameron]], has moved decisively away from "Thatcherism". While this has caused dismay to many Conservative activists, it has greatly increased the popularity and electability of the Conservative Party.

===Liberal Democrats===

The Liberal Democrats (or "Lib Dems") were formed in 1988 by the merger of the old centrist Liberal Party with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP). They have long advocated disestablishing the [[Church of England]], and their current leader is [[Nick Clegg]], who has publicly said he is "not an active believer" in God, but claims to be "open-minded" about religion, has married a Catholic and is bringing his children up as Catholics.<ref>''Nick Clegg is a believer in families, not God'' [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3076044.ece Times Online]</ref>

The Liberal Democrats are divided between a relatively left-wing faction (to which the former leaders Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy belong), which has taken positions to the left of the Labour Party on a number of issues, and a more right-wing, pro-[[free market]] faction to which the present leader belongs (several of whose members contributed to a controversial collection of essays published in 2004 called ''The Orange Book''). Despite the range of view on economic issues, the party is consistently liberal, even libertarian, on social issues. The Liberal Democrats are strong advocates of anti-discrimination laws.

=== Scotland ===
The largest party in the [[Scottish Parliament]] is the '''[[Scottish National Party]]'''. Among other policies it advocates a greater level of independence for Scotland.

=== Wales ===
There is also a Welsh nationalist party, called '''Plaid Cymru''', or simply '''Plaid''', which currently in coalition with Labour has control of the [[Welsh Assembly]].

=== Northern Ireland ===
Northern Ireland has a number of political parties:
* '''[[Democratic Unionist Party]]''' - strongly Unionist
* '''[[Sinn Fein]]''' - strongly Irish-Nationalist ("Republican")
* '''[[Ulster Unionist Party]]''' - moderately Unionist
* '''[[Social Democratic and Labour Party]]''' - moderately Irish-Nationalist

===Minor parties===
There are several other minor British parties worthy of mention:
* The '''[[UK Independence Party]]''' advocates the withdrawal of Britain from the [[European Union]] and other more strongly conservative policies than those supported by the official Conservative Party.
* The '''[[Green Party (UK)|Green Party]]''' is a left-wing party that advocates major constraints on economic acitity in order to prevent alleged anthropogenic global warming.
* '''[[RESPECT Party|Respect]]''' is a strongly left-wing, socialist party led by the maverick ex-Labour politician [[George Galloway]].
* The '''[[British National Party]]''' is generally seen as an extreme right-wing or fascist party. It advocates the repatriation of non-white people from the UK to the countries of their or their families' origin.
*The [[Monster raving loony party|Monster Raving Loony Party]] is a 'joke' party, which however often receives significant numbers of [[protest vote]]s especially in high-profile [[by-election]]s (which may attract a large number, sometimes dozens, of other not entirely serious candidates).

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:British Politics]]
[[Category:British History]]

British politics

2011-03-22T00:38:07Z

Brit1909: /* Labour */

'''British politics''' take place within the context of a democratic [[parliamentary]] system dominated by three major parties. Currently, there is a coalition government between the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats

The political culture of the UK tends to be more liberal than that of the United States, but less so than that of many other European nations. [[File:Brit-history.jpg|thumb|250px]]

==Institutions==
===Parliament===

''See also [[Parliament]]''

The cornerstone of the uncodified British [[constitution]] is ''Parliamentary supremacy'', or ''Parliamentary sovereignty''.

Britain is one of a small number of nations without a codified constitution, and the British legislature, ''Parliament'', is free to legislate however it pleases. In British law, the only authority higher than parliamentary legislation is the law of the [[European Union]], and Britain is subject to EU law only by virtue of the fact that Parliament has chosen to accept it.

Parliament consists of the Queen, the [[House of Lords]] and the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]]. The Queen today takes no part in active politics (the last time that a monarch refused to ratify a law passed by the Lords and Commons was in 1714). While the House of Lords is considered to be the more prestigious chamber, the Commons is dominant by virtue of the fact that its members are elected rather than appointed. The Lords can only delay rather than veto legislation, though the Commons rarely chooses to push through laws against the Lords' wishes (it has done so only five times since the Lords' absolute veto was removed in 1911).

Reform of the House of Lords is a current political issue in the UK. The House of Commons has resolved to make it more democratic, so that 80% or 100% of its members are elected rather than appointed.

===The Executive===

The British Government operates in the name of the Queen (or the "Crown"), but power lies in practice with the '''Prime Minister''' and his '''Cabinet'''. The British Prime Minister has one of the most powerful roles of any democratic head of government or head of state (though some, like the French President, have similar or more extensive powers).

Contrary to popular opinion, the British Prime Minister can be of any religion - for example, Iain Duncan-Smith, a Catholic, was made leader of the Conservative Party while in opposition which would have made him Prime Minister had the party won a general election at that time. In addition, [[Margaret Thatcher]] was a Methodist rather than an Anglican. Not many British political commentators make any mention of religion, and religion is not considered a major deciding factor in elections. The faith or denominations of party leaders is not well known.

The only relevant legislation that exists demands that the Monarch be Anglican; however, the now defunct position of advising the monarch on ecclesiastical affairs could have fallen to any member of the cabinet. No legislation exists which regulates the religion of the Prime Minister or any other member of parliament.

== Devolution ==

{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Nation/Region || Legislature || Executive || Leader(s)
|-
| '''[[Scotland]]''' || [[Scottish Parliament]] || Scottish Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Wales]]''' || National Assembly for Wales || Welsh Assembly Government || First Minister
|-
| '''[[Northern Ireland]]''' || Northern Ireland Assembly || Northern Ireland Executive || First Minister and Deputy First Minister1
|-
| '''[[London|Greater London]]''' || London Assembly|| Mayor of London || Mayor of London
|}


1 Northern Ireland is a dyarchy in which both leaders are regarded as equal.


==Local government==

Each locality in the UK has its own '''local authority''': there are '''councils''' of various sorts, as well as a number of elected '''mayors''' (most notably in London, whose current mayor is the sometimes controversial Conservative politician [[Boris Johnson]]). The powers of local authorities have been seen as declining for many years, however one of the main aims of the new coalition government is to reverse this.

It should be noted that most mayors in Britain are relatively powerless officials who serve as mere figureheads, in a similar way to the Monarch, as the power is with the local council, of which the mayor is the leader. However, a number of cities, such as London, have powerful mayors with a full executive role.

==Parties==

The British political spectrum has historically been dominated by the '''[[Labour Party]]''' on the left, the '''[[Conservative Party]]''' on the right, and the '''Liberal Party''' (now the [[Liberal Democrats]]) in the centre between them ("liberal" in British political terminology is often used to mean "centrist" or "moderate", rather than "left-wing"). In theory, these parties represent the three main political ideologies; liberal, conservative and socialist, but recently, there has been a perception that the main parties are crowding together on the centre ground. In the 1990s, Labour moved decisively away from the traditional left (angering many of its more traditionally-minded supporters), to the point where it was perceived by many as being less left-wing than the Liberal Democrats. Since the advent of [[David Cameron]] as its leader in 2005, the Conservative Party has moved away from the territory of the traditional right (in this case too, angering many of its more strongly conservative or [[Thatcherism|Thatcherite]] supporters).

===Labour===
see also [[Labour Party]]

The [[Labour Party]] is currently the main opposition party in the UK and is led by [[Ed Miliband]]. It is also the largest party in the Welsh legislature and the second-largest party in the Scottish Parliament.

Following its defeat by Margaret Thatcher's Conservatives in 1979, the Labour Party adopted a strongly left-wing, socialist program. Following a catastrophic defeat in the 1983 general election, more moderate politicians took charge of Labour and slowly moved it closer to the centre ground of British politics, a process started by [[Neil Kinnock]] in the mid-1980s and carried forward enthusiastically by [[Tony Blair]] after his election as leader in 1994. Many more traditional, left-wing Labour supporters see Tony Blair as an usurper whose policies are too right-wing for comfort. This has been the case in particular following the Iraq War.

Blair's policies were arguably a mixture of left (e.g. higher taxes, higher government spending, greater integration with the European Union, equal rights for gay people) and right (e.g. pro-market reforms in the public services, retention of Lady Thatcher's labour laws, support for the [[War on Terror]] and [[George W. Bush]]'s foreign policies). His successor [[Gordon Brown]], once a close ally of Blair, has spoken out against the idea of the party shifting back to the left. Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were both seen as modernists within the Labour Party before they were elected to power in 1997.

===Conservatives===
* Also See: [[Conservative Party]]
British conservatism has traditionally been a moderate, non-ideological creed: its heroes include such pragmatic figures as [[Edmund Burke]] in the eighteenth century and Sir [[Robert Peel]] and [[Benjamin Disraeli]] in the nineteenth century. These figures contrasted with contemporary conservatives from other European countries such as the French thinker [[Joseph de Maistre]], who were often strong, ideologically-minded supporters of absolute monarchy and Roman Catholicism.

The Conservative Party became more ideologically conservative during the leadership of [[Margaret Thatcher]] (1975-1990). Since Lady Thatcher resigned in 1990s, the strongly conservative element within the party has been more or less eclipsed. It had some influence in the 1990s during the leadership of Sir John Major (1990-1997), but the current Conservative leader, [[David Cameron]], has moved decisively away from "Thatcherism". While this has caused dismay to many Conservative activists, it has greatly increased the popularity and electability of the Conservative Party.

===Liberal Democrats===

The Liberal Democrats (or "Lib Dems") were formed in 1988 by the merger of the old centrist Liberal Party with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SDP). They have long advocated disestablishing the [[Church of England]], and their current leader is [[Nick Clegg]], who has publicly said he is "not an active believer" in God, but claims to be "open-minded" about religion, has married a Catholic and is bringing his children up as Catholics.<ref>''Nick Clegg is a believer in families, not God'' [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3076044.ece Times Online]</ref>

The Liberal Democrats are divided between a relatively left-wing faction (to which the former leaders Sir Menzies Campbell and Charles Kennedy belong), which has taken positions to the left of the Labour Party on a number of issues, and a more right-wing, pro-[[free market]] faction to which the present leader belongs (several of whose members contributed to a controversial collection of essays published in 2004 called ''The Orange Book''). Despite the range of view on economic issues, the party is consistently liberal, even libertarian, on social issues. The Liberal Democrats are strong advocates of anti-discrimination laws.

=== Scotland ===
The largest party in the [[Scottish Parliament]] is the '''[[Scottish National Party]]'''. Among other policies it advocates a greater level of independence for Scotland.

=== Wales ===
There is also a Welsh nationalist party, called '''Plaid Cymru''', or simply '''Plaid''', which currently in coalition with Labour has control of the [[Welsh Assembly]].

=== Northern Ireland ===
Northern Ireland has a number of political parties:
* '''[[Democratic Unionist Party]]''' - strongly Unionist
* '''[[Sinn Fein]]''' - strongly Irish-Nationalist ("Republican")
* '''[[Ulster Unionist Party]]''' - moderately Unionist
* '''[[Social Democratic and Labour Party]]''' - moderately Irish-Nationalist

===Minor parties===
There are several other minor British parties worthy of mention:
* The '''[[UK Independence Party]]''' advocates the withdrawal of Britain from the [[European Union]] and other more strongly conservative policies than those supported by the official Conservative Party.
* The '''[[Green Party (UK)|Green Party]]''' is a left-wing party that advocates major constraints on economic acitity in order to prevent alleged anthropogenic global warming.
* '''[[RESPECT Party|Respect]]''' is a strongly left-wing, socialist party led by the maverick ex-Labour politician [[George Galloway]].
* The '''[[British National Party]]''' is generally seen as an extreme right-wing or fascist party. It advocates the repatriation of non-white people from the UK to the countries of their or their families' origin.
*The [[Monster raving loony party|Monster Raving Loony Party]] is a 'joke' party, which however often receives significant numbers of [[protest vote]]s especially in high-profile [[by-election]]s (which may attract a large number, sometimes dozens, of other not entirely serious candidates).

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:British Politics]]
[[Category:British History]]

United Kingdom

2011-03-22T00:30:07Z

Brit1909: /* Education */

{{Country
|name =''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''
|map =United kingdom rel87.jpg
|map2 =UK location.png
|flag =Union_jack.jpg
|arms =UK Royal Coat of Arms.png
|capital =London
|capital-raw =
|government =Constitutional monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =English
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =David Cameron
|pm-raw =
|area =94,526 sq mi
|pop =60,587,300 (2007)
|pop-basis =
|gdp =$2.006 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$35,051 (2006)
|currency =Pound Sterling
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''The United Kingdom''' ('''UK''') is a sovereign [[state]] north-west of mainland [[Europe]]. It comprises [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]], which occupy the island of [[Great Britain]], and [[Northern Ireland]] on the island of [[Ireland]]. It attained its current identity in 1922 after most of Ireland was granted independence.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Its [[head of state]] is [[Elizabeth II]], and its [[head of government]] is the Prime Minister [[David Cameron]].

The United Kingdom has the fifth largest economy in the world, and is a member of the [[European Union]], [[NATO]] and the [[United Nations]]. British values, culture and institutions were spread throughout many parts of the world during the period of the [[British Empire]], 1600-1960, and British contributions to world culture include the English language, the [[parliament|parliamentary]] form of government, the [[Church of England|Anglican]] Church ("Church of England"), a tradition of personal liberty, and the common-law legal system.

==Name==
[[File:London Thames Sunset panorama 2008.jpg|thumb|left|London - Thames panorama.]]
The official name of the nation (since 1927) is ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.<ref> From 1801 to 1927 the official name was ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''. </ref> The full official name is seldom used except in very formal or legal documents. The short version for historical topics is either "Britain" or "Great Britain." The short version for recent events (since the 1970s) is "United Kingdom" or "UK" The adjective is always '''"British"'''.

Britain was part of the [[British Empire]], which has become the "British Commonwealth", and is mostly a discussion club --Britain has a few scattered minor possessions but gave up its last important colony--[[Hong Kong]]--in 1997.
[[File:Westminster in the evening.jpg|thumb|280px|Westminster in the evening.]]
* '''England''' is the largest of the four components of the United Kingdom. "England" was often used to stand for the nation in older literature published before 1970. However use of "England" to refer to the entire country is now sometimes considered offensive by many citizens of the other three member countries and is thus discouraged.
* The standard language of the UK is English; [[Welsh]] has parity in Wales, and [[Gaelic]] is widely used on official documents, roadsigns, etc in remote Gaelic-speaking areas of western Scotland.

MacColl (2008) explores the use of the term 'Britain' in English, French, and Latin texts from the 12th century to the 16th. The term was flexible, used in a variety of ways (geographically, politically, and ethnically), and not always indicative of any specific meaning. The English at first tended to conflate 'Britain' with England or the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, though the term 'Greater Britain' was applied starting in the 14th century to refer to the entire island. The Scottish, beginning in the 15th century, used the term in the modern sense - as reflective of the entire island of Great Britain and the 'polity' of England, Wales, and Scotland. This latter usage paved the way for the relatively smooth ideological transition after the 1707 Acts of Union.<ref> Alan MacColl, "The Meaning of 'Britain' in Medieval and Early Modern England." ''Journal of British Studies'' 2006 45(2): 248-269</ref>

===Anthem===
The national anthem of the UK is currently ''[[God Save the Queen]]''. Should a male heir accede to the throne, the anthem will become "God Save the King".<ref> This same melody is also sung by American schoolchildren (with different words) as "My Country, 'Tis of Thee".</ref>

The constituent nations have their own unofficial anthems. In the case of Wales, this is ''Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'' (''Land of My Fathers''), and for Scotland it is ''Flower of Scotland''. England does not have its own distinctive anthem in the same way, but at sporting events in which England is competing as a separate nation, [[Edward Elgar]]'s patriotic song ''Land of Hope and Glory'' is sometimes used (although ''God Save the Queen'' is more commonly used). Additionally the hymn "Jerusalem" has a large number of supporters in England as an alternative to, or replacement for, the national anthem. In Northern Ireland, the Protestant and Catholic communities respectively use ''God Save the Queen'' and ''Amhran na bhFiann'', the Irish national anthem. ''Londonderry Air'' is often used as the anthem for Northern Ireland competitors in sporting events.

==People==
[[Image:Tower Bridge London.jpg|thumb|340px|Tower Bridge, London.]]
The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million--the third-largest in the European Union. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe.

A net total of 408,000 people were added to the UK population in 2008, the largest numerical increase since 1972. This was partly due to the highest fertility rate in more than three decades. More than half of the increase in births last year was due to non-UK born mothers.

There is also an ever-increasing ageing population with the number of people over 85 now at a record 1.3 million, the equivalent of one in every 50 people.

===Education===
[[File:Royal College of Music 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Royal College of Music.]]
The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16, although this is in the process of being raised to 18 for England and Wales. "Public" schools are elite private prep schools, such as [[Eton]] and [[Rugby School|Rugby]], attended by elite youth who pay high tuition rates.

About one-fifth of British students go on to post-secondary education.

Higher education has been a speciality for over 500 years at Oxbridge ([[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]]), with new "red brick" universities added in the 19th century and many others in the late 20th century. Universities contribute L33 billion a year to the economy. Britain has a strong attraction for international students, with 342,000 attending in 2007 (compared to 672,000 in the U.S. and 183,000 in Australia). They spend L1.5 billion in tuition in Britain annually, plus another L.4 billion off campus.

===Ethnicity===
[[File:Youth UK.JPG|thumb|British youth.]]
A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as Cornwall in south-west England, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French.
*Population (2007 est.): 60.8 million.
*Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.275%.
*Major ethnic groups: British 91%, Irish 2%, West Indian and African 3%, South Asian 3%, others 1%.
*Major religions: Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim.
*Major languages: English
*Education: Years compulsory--12. Attendance--nearly 100%. Literacy--99%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--5.01/1,000. Life expectancy (2007 est.)--males 76.23 yrs.; females 81.3 yrs.; total 78.7 years
*Work force (2007, 31.1 million): Services--80.4%; industry--18.2%; agriculture--1.4%.

===Ethnic tensions===

Ethnic tensions continue to simmer. There is popular resentment, for example, of the 600,000 Poles who have migrated to Britain for work since 2004.

Britain is home to 2.4 million Muslims from numerous ethnicities. This population is growing 10 times faster than the national average. Regarded as one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, Britain struggles with questions of integration, particularly the social exclusion of its Muslims, as well as the psychological aftermath of the July 2005 suicide bombings on London’s public transport system carried out by young Britons of Pakistani descent, which left 52 people dead and over 700 injured.

[[File:Children.jpg|390px|center|Seventh-day Adventists.]]

===Religion===
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Canterbury Cathedral (photographed during 1890-1900).]]
Religious faith, according to a 2009 survey, has declined sharply in Britain over the last two decades. Now only 50% of people describe themselves as Christian, as opposed to 66% in 1990. Most of the decline is due to a drift away from the Church of England, it is claimed, with only 23% claiming allegiance, down from 40%.

In 2003 the Office of National Statistics estimated 29% of the population identified with Anglicanism, 10% with the Catholic Church, and 14% with Protestant churches. A 2007 survey reported that the number of Catholics (mostly Irish) attending Sunday services has overtaken the number of Anglicans doing so. A September 2006 English Church Census reported that Methodists were decreasing as a percentage of the population, while members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Pentecostal churches, many churches from Africa, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, almost entirely immigrants, were increasing.<ref> According to [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108478.htm U.S. State Department Report, 2008]</ref>

Individuals with no religious belief comprised 15% of the population in 2003. Muslims comprise 3% of the population. The Muslim community is predominantly South Asian in origin, but other groups from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Levant are represented. In addition, there is a growing number of indigenous converts. Although estimates vary, the Government places the number of mosques in the whole country at one thousand. Groups comprising 1% or less of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. Individuals from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh backgrounds are concentrated in London and other large urban areas, primarily in England.

Attendance at religious services was significantly different from the number of adherents. According to a report released on May 8, 2008, by Religious Trends, only 4 million Christians attend services on a regular basis (defined as at least once a month) in the country. These figures do not include Northern Ireland, where higher%ages reportedly attend both Catholic (more than 60%) and Protestant (more than 35%) services. The Religious Trends report stated that more than 50% of Muslims regularly worship at mosques. Figures for Jews and other religious groups were unavailable.

Religious affiliation was not evenly distributed among ethnicities. According to the 2001 census, approximately 70% of the white population described themselves as Christians. Nearly 75% of black Caribbean respondents stated that they were Christians, as did 70% of black Africans. Meanwhile, 45% of Indians were Hindus and 29% were Sikhs. Approximately 92% of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were Muslims.

In Northern Ireland, where divisions between nationalists and unionists evolved largely along religious lines, the 2001 census showed that 53.1% were Protestants and 43.8% were Catholics. Many Catholics and Protestants continued to live in segregated communities in Northern Ireland, although many middle class neighborhoods were mixed communities. The policy of the Government remained one of promotion of religious tolerance.

There are two established (or state) churches--The [[Church of England]] (Anglican) and the [[Church of Scotland]] (Presbyterian). The Act of Settlement, enacted in 1688, states that no Catholic, or person married to a Catholic, may ascend the throne.
====Religion in schools====
The Government provides financial support—up to 90% of the total capital costs of the buildings and 100% of running costs, including teachers' salaries - to sectarian educational institutions that are commonly referred to as "faith schools".
[[File:Matthew Boulton College.jpg|thumb|Matthew Boulton College.]]
The Government also helps fund the repair and maintenance of all listed places of worship for religious groups nationwide and contributes to the budget of the Church Conservation Trust, which preserves "redundant" Church of England buildings of architectural or historic significance.

The Government has not classified the Church of Scientology as a religious institution and therefore has not granted the organization recognition for charitable status.

More than 30% of state schools had a religious character. Nearly all of the 6,949 "faith schools" are associated with Christian denominations, although there are 31 Jewish, 7 Islamic, and 2 Sikh schools. An additional two Jewish, three Islamic, and two Sikh schools have also been tentatively approved by the Government to open. In addition, several hundred independent schools of a religious nature receive no state support but must meet government quality standards. Controversy arose in 2006 over 100 Islamic schools when an Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) evaluation of these schools showed many were "little more than places where the Koran was recited." The schools were given time to correct their deficiencies. A review is due in 2010. Some Christian faith schools also faced controversy. Some were accused of not following the national curriculum in science, teaching creationism instead. During the reporting period, a further controversy erupted when it was learned that some faith schools were not following an "open" admission policy as required by law, denying admission to both special needs children and those outside the faith of the school administrators. The Catholic Church and the Church of England have an agreement to voluntarily accept up to 25% of places for pupils from another religious group or no religious group.

Almost all schools in Northern Ireland receive state support. More than 90% of students attended schools that were either predominantly Catholic or Protestant. Integrated schools served approximately 5% of school-age children whose families voluntarily chose this option, often after overcoming significant obstacles to provide the resources to start a new school and demonstrate its sustainability for 3 years before government funding begins. Demand for places in integrated schools outweighed the limited number of places available. The May 8, 2007, devolution, or granting of power, authorized the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide on academic selection. Now there are more than 50 integrated schools, and the new Government permits existing schools to petition to change from sectarian to integrated. More petition for that status than are granted it. Some have accused the Government of a go-slow approach to avoid sectarian animus.

The law requires religious education for all children, ages 3 to 19, in publicly maintained schools. In England and Wales it forms part of the core curriculum in accordance with the Education Reform Act of 1988. In Scotland, religious education of some sort is mandated by the Education Act of 1980. However, the shape and content of religious instruction throughout the country is decided on a local basis. Locally agreed syllabi are required to reflect the predominant place of Christianity while taking into account the teachings and practices of other principal religions in the country. Syllabuses must be nondenominational and refrain from attempting to convert pupils. Schools with a religious designation follow a syllabus drawn up by the school governors according to the trust deed of the school. All parents have the legal right to request that their children not participate in religious education, but the school must approve this request.

Daily collective prayer or worship of "a wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character" is practiced in schools in England and Wales, a requirement that may be waived for students who obtain permission of the school authorities. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 permits sixth form students (generally 16-19-year-olds) to withdraw themselves from worship without their parents' permission or action. This new law does not exempt sixth form students from religious education classes. Non-Christian worship is permitted with approval of the authorities. Teachers have the right not to participate in collective worship, without prejudice, unless they work for a faith school.

After several controversial court decisions prohibiting full-face veils in school (but not head scarves) and the wearing of a Christian chastity ring, the Department of Education provided guidance that advises schools to "… act reasonably in accommodating religious requirements," under human rights legislation. Some Muslim groups, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said it was inappropriate for the Government to provide guidance that regulated Muslim communities in matters concerning the expression of their religious beliefs. But it is also legally possible under the act, according to the guidance, to have a school uniform policy that "restricts the freedom of pupils to manifest their religion" on the grounds of health and safety and the "protection of the rights and freedoms of others." The Government's guidance is meant to remind "head teachers" to act with a degree of sensitivity when considering decisions that will impact the cultural complexion of their communities.

====Census====

According to the 2001 Census the religious make-up of the UK at that time was:

{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|+'''Religions in United Kingdom'''
!Belief
!Thousands
!Proportion
|-
|Christian ||42,079 ||71.6
|-
|No Religion ||9104 ||15.5
|-
|Muslim ||1591 ||2.7
|-
|Hindu ||559 ||1.0
|-
|Sikh ||336 ||0.6
|-
|Jewish ||267 ||0.5
|-
|Other ||179 ||0.3
|-
|Buddhist ||152 ||0.3
|-
|Pagan & Wicca ||40 ||0.1
|-
|Total religious ||45,163 ||76.8
|-
|No answer ||4289 ||7.3
|}
The answers were distorted by an internet campaign just prior to the census, encouraging people to actually question religion that claimed that if at least 50,000 people stated their religion as 'Jedi Knight' it would be officially classified as a religion. This was not true, though the Office of National Statistics does aggregate very small religions into the 'Other' category whereas a religion of 50,000 would be itemised separately. This separate listing does not constitute any form of official recognition.

It should be noted that non-practising Christians and the non-religious group are growing in the UK and Europe. At the same time, there is growth in the Islamic, Sikh and Hindu groups due to immigration.

Two of the four states of the United Kingdom, England and Scotland, have official state religions. The [[Church of England]] is the official religion of England and the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland is the official religion of Scotland. The (Anglican) Church of Ireland was [[disestablished]] in 1871 and the (Anglican) Church of Wales was disestablished in 1920, whereupon it was renamed the [[Church in Wales]].

===Crown Dependencies===
A number of the smaller [[British Isles]], most importantly [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are '[[Crown dependencies|British Crown Dependencies]]' and not members of the UK. Their governments are independent of that of the UK other than foreign and defence policy (the UK government retains the legal power to overrule the governments of the Dependencies, but this power has not been exercised since 1967), and they are not members of the [[European Union]].

==Sports and Pastimes==
[[File:Wembley Stadium.jpg|thumb|230px|Wembley Stadium.]]
Many of the most popular [[sport]]s in the world today were developed or codified in the UK. These include [[soccer|football]] (which is called ''soccer'' in North America), [[cricket]], [[Rugby (Sport)|rugby]], [[tennis]], [[hockey]] and [[golf]]. The UK is represented in international competitions by the individual nations (such as in football, the one-day form of cricket and rugby) and by the whole of the UK in other sports (such as [[athletics]], golf and tennis). The Test cricket team is that of 'England & Wales' (colloquially, just 'England') but from time to time has had Scottish and Irish players.

The UK remains a major sporting force both in competition and the administration of sport. It is dominant in several Olympic sports, notably cycling, rowing and sailing and a leading force in cricket, rugby union, and golf.

Certain venues have their own distinct and historical recognition and host a number of international competitions. These include Wimbledon for tennis, Silverstone for motor racing, and St Andrews for golf. There are several major venues for football, rugby and cricket.

Domestic sport is dominated by football with one of the strongest and most popular leagues in the world - the Premier League. This league is sponsored by Barclays Bank, so has the official name "Barclays Premier League". Many of the Premier League's teams are well known outside the United Kingdom, especially the "big four" (Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) and maintain followings around the world. Cricket and both codes of rugby also have strong and popular domestic leagues. Other popular sports include snooker, rowing, golf, tennis, athletics, cycling, darts, horse racing, and motor racing. These most popular sports are well covered by both the print press and television.

Some sports which are more popular in other countries such as volleyball, handball, American football and basketball have small but dedicated followings.

==Government==
''See also [[British politics]]''
[[File:Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.JPG|thumb|200px|Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.]]
Nationalist movements exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, seeking (in the case of Scottish and Welsh nationalists) to dissolve the United Kingdom and to win independence for their respective territories, and in the case of Northern Ireland nationalists and republicans to create a sovereign united Ireland. At the present time, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own legislatures.

The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. The equivalent body of law is based on statute, common law, and "traditional rights". Changes may come about formally through new acts of Parliament, informally through the acceptance of new practices and usage, or by judicial precedents. Although Parliament has the theoretical power to make or repeal any law, in actual practice the weight of 700 years of tradition restrains arbitrary actions.

Executive power rests nominally with the monarch but actually is exercised by a committee of ministers (cabinet) selected from among the members of the House of Commons and, less frequently, the House of Lords. The prime minister is normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, and can remain in office for so long as he or she has the support of a majority in that body.

==Parliament==
[[File:Westminster palace Charles Barry.jpg|left|380px]]
Parliament was authorized in the [[Magna Carta]] (1215), and first summoned by King Edward I in 1296, the oldest governing body in the world. Parliament represents the entire country and can legislate for the whole or for any constituent part or combination of parts. Elections are called by the prime minister, but the maximum length of a parliament is usually 5 years (except in wartime). The focus of legislative power is the 646-member House of Commons, which has sole jurisdiction over finance. Normally the government--the prime minister and cabinet--have full control of the House. If they lose control and new general election is held. The House of Lords, although shorn of most of its powers, can still review, amend, or delay temporarily any bills except those relating to the budget. In 1999, the government removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to hold seats in the House of Lords. The current house consists of appointed life peers who hold their seats for life and 92 hereditary peers who will hold their seats only until final reforms have been agreed upon and implemented. The judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches but cannot review the constitutionality of legislation.

Members of the House of Commons are elected to represent specific geographic constituencies. Members are elected on a "First past the post" system and there is no proportional representation. The upshot is that a third party with under 25% of the vote typically obtains very few seats.

==Constituent countries==
[[File:Scottish Eilean Donan castle.jpg|thumb|300px|Scottish Eilean Donan castle.]]
The separate identities of each of the United Kingdom's constituent parts are also reflected in their respective governmental structures. Up until the recent devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, a cabinet minister (the Secretary of State for Wales) handled Welsh affairs at the national level with the advice of a broadly representative council for Wales. Scotland maintains, as it did before union with England, different systems of law (Roman-French), education, local government, judiciary, and national church (the Church of Scotland instead of the Church of England). In addition, separate departments grouped under a Secretary of State for Scotland, who also is a cabinet member, handled most domestic matters. In late 1997, however, following approval of referenda by Scottish and Welsh voters (though only narrowly in Wales), the British Government introduced legislation to establish a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly. The first elections for the two bodies were held May 6, 1999. The Welsh Assembly opened on May 26, and the Scottish Parliament opened on July 1, 1999. The devolved legislatures have largely taken over most of the functions previously performed by the Scottish and Welsh offices.

Northern Ireland had its own Parliament and prime minister from 1921 to 1973, when the British Government imposed direct rule in order to deal with the deteriorating political and security situation. From 1973, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, based in London, was responsible for the region, including efforts to resolve the issues that lay behind the "the troubles."

By the mid-1990s, gestures toward peace encouraged by successive British governments and by President Clinton began to open the door for restored local government in Northern Ireland. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) cease-fire and nearly 2 years of multiparty negotiations, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, resulted in the Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998, which was subsequently approved by majorities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Key elements of the agreement include devolved government, a commitment of the parties to work toward "total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations," police reform, and enhanced mechanisms to guarantee human rights and equal opportunity. The Good Friday Agreement also called for formal cooperation between the Northern Ireland institutions and the Government of the Republic of Ireland, and it established the British-Irish Council, which includes representatives of the British and Irish Governments as well as the devolved Governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Devolved government was reestablished in Northern Ireland in December 1999.

The Agreement (more commonly known as the "Good Friday Agreement", and more rarely as the Belfast Agreement<ref>http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/key-issues/the-agreement.htm</ref>) was reached on Friday, April 10 1998 in Belfast and provides for a 108-member elected Assembly, overseen by a 12-minister Executive Committee (cabinet) in which unionists and nationalists share leadership responsibility. Northern Ireland elects 18 representatives to the Westminster Parliament in London. However, the five Sinn Fein Members of Parliament (MPs), who won seats in the 2004 election, have refused to claim their seats.

===Principal Government Officials===
[[File:674uyyhju.jpg|thumb|David Cameron]]
*Head of State '''- Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith''' who, as Head of State for many other countries also holds other titles particular to her role and rule as Head of State for those countries. More commonly referred to as '''HM''' (Her Majesty) '''Queen Elizabeth II'''

The Cabinet
*Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service '''- Rt Hon [[David Cameron]] MP'''
*Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the council '''- Rt Hon [[Nick Clegg]] MP'''<ref name="LibDem">Member of the [[Liberal Democrats]]</ref>
*First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs '''- Rt Hon [[William Hague]] MP'''
*Chancellor of the Exchequer '''- Rt Hon [[George Osborne]] MP'''
*Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor '''- Rt Hon Kenneth Clark QC MP'''
*Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities '''- Rt Hon Theresa May MP'''
*Secretary of State for Defence '''- Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP'''
*Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade '''- Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Secretary of State for Work and Pensions '''- Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP'''
*Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change '''- Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Secretary of State for Health '''- Rt Hon Andrew Lansley CBE MP'''
*Secretary of State for Education'''- Rt Hon Michael Gove MP'''
*Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government '''- Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP'''
*Secretary of State for Transport '''- Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP'''
*Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs '''- Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP'''
*Secretary of State for International Development '''- Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP'''
*Secretary of State for Northern Ireland '''- Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP'''
*Secretary of State for Scotland '''- Rt Hon Michael Moore MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Secretary of State for Wales '''- Rt Hon Cheryl Gillan MP'''
*Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport '''- Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP'''
*Chief Secretary to the Treasury '''- Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster '''- Rt Hon The Lord Strathclyde PC'''
*Minister without Portfolio '''- Rt Hon The Baroness Warsi PC

Also attend Cabinet meetings:
*Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General'''- Rt Hon Francis Maude MP'''
*Minister of State in the Cabinet Office'''- Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP'''
*Minister for Universities and Science '''- David Willetts MP'''
*Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal '''- Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP'''
*Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip '''- Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP'''
*Attorney General '''- Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP'''<ref>http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/hmg.cfm</ref>

===Political Conditions===
[[David Cameron]] became Prime Minister on May 11, 2010, after [[Gordon Brown]] resigned. Cameron leads a [[Conservative Party|Con]]-[[Liberal Democrats|Lib Dem]] coalition after failing to achieve a majority in the the 2010 general election

===Membership in the European Union===
The [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] government of [[Edward Heath|Sir Edward Heath]] took the UK into the [[European Union]] in 1973. The [[Labour Party]] under [[Harold Wilson]] won the 1974 general elections and due to splits within the party, called the only national [[referendum]] asking the people if they wanted to stay in the Union. The "yes" vote won by a margin of approximately two to one. The Labour and Conservative parties have since had deep divisions over Union membership. Labour's 1983 manifesto promised to leave the Union, and whilst the Conservative party have never pledged to leave the Union, a growing band of "Eurosceptics" threatened to tear the party apart in the 1990s. All three major parties wish to stay in the Union although disagree over the level of integration, but smaller parties such as the UK Independence Party and the Referendum Party campaigned on the single issue of sovereignty being lost to the Union.

==Defence and Foreign Relations==
[[File:11943452 115b299206.jpg|right|240px]]
The United Kingdom is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is one of NATO's major European maritime, air, and land powers; it ranks third among NATO countries in total defence expenditure. The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Community (now European Union) since 1973. In the United Nations, the United Kingdom is a permanent member of the Security Council. The U.K. held the Presidency of the G-8 during 2005; it held the EU Presidency from July to December 2005.

The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting Britain's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The 37,000-member Royal Navy, which includes 6,000 Royal Marine commandos, is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists of four Trident missile submarines. The British Army, consisting of approximately 99,200 personnel, the Royal Air Force, with 42,000 personnel, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations. Approximately 9% of the British Armed Forces is female, and 4% of British forces represent ethnic minorities.
[[File:Royal Naval college UK.jpg|thumb|center|380px|Royal Naval College.]]
===Iraq===
The U.K. was the United States' main coalition partner in Operation Iraqi Freedom and continues to have more than 5,000 troops deployed in Iraq to help stabilise and rebuild the country. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, the U.K. also shared with the United States responsibility for civil administration in Iraq and was an active participant in the Coalition Provisional Authority before the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 28, 2004. Britain's participation in the Iraq war and its aftermath remains a domestically controversial issue.
===Afghanistan===
Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., and its military forces are part of the coalition force in Afghanistan. The British force in [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] is at 9,000 in late 2009 and will rise by an extra 500 troops in 2010. British forces are primarily based in the Helmand region, where they are on the front line in the war against continued Taliban operations. In addition, Britain has contributed more than £500 million to Afghan reconstruction--the second-largest donor after the U.S.
===Israel===
Britain has shown a greater willingness than the United States to criticize the Israelis over settlements and what some call the disproportionate responses to provocations from Gaza and southern Lebanon. (Jewish Labour MP Gerald Kaufman is among the most vocal.) Like his predecessors, both Labour and Conservative, Foreign Secretary Miliband has been unequivocal: "Settlements are illegal under international law," he told Parliament in 2008; "They are a major blockage to peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution."
===Relations with the United States===
The United Kingdom is one of the United States' closest allies, and British foreign policy emphasises close coordination with the United States. Bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals, and democratic practices of the two nations. Relations were strengthened by the United Kingdom's alliance with the United States during both World Wars, and its role as a founding member of NATO, in the Korean conflict, in the Persian Gulf War, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The United Kingdom and the United States continually consult on foreign policy issues and global problems and share major foreign and security policy objectives.

The United Kingdom is the fifth-largest market for U.S. goods exports after Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China, and the sixth-largest supplier of U.S. imports after Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. U.S. exports of goods and services to the United Kingdom in 2006 totaled $92 billion, while U.S. imports from the U.K. totaled $93 billion. The United States has had a trade deficit with the United Kingdom since 1998. The United Kingdom is a large source of foreign tourists in the United States. In 2005, 3.4 million U.S. residents visited the United Kingdom, while 4.2 million U.K. residents visited the United States.

The United States and the United Kingdom share the world's largest foreign direct investment partnership. U.S. investment in the United Kingdom reached $324 billion in 2005, while U.K. direct investment in the U.S. totaled $282 billion. This investment sustains more than 1 million American jobs.

==Economy==
[[File:London.jpg|thumb|left|280px|London's financial center.]]
Britain has been hard hit by the [[Recession of 2008]], with its major banks taken over or subsidized by the government. Real gross domestic product declined by 4.6% in 2009, and is expected to rise by 0.6% before 2010 and probably will continue to increase by 1% in 2011.

Britain has the fifth-largest economy in the world, is the second-largest economy in the European Union, and is a major international trading power. A highly developed, diversified, market-based economy with extensive social welfare services provides most residents with a high standard of living. Unemployment and inflation levels are amongst the lowest within the European Union.

Since 1979, the British Government has privatised most state-owned companies, including British Steel, British Airways, British Telecom, British Coal, British Aerospace, and British Gas, although in some cases the government retains a "golden share" in these companies. The Labour government has continued the privatisation policy of its Conservative predecessor, particularly by encouraging "public-private partnerships" (partial privatisation) in such areas as the London Underground. The economy of the United Kingdom is now primarily based on private enterprise, accounting for approximately four-fifths of employment and output.
[[File:Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, England Crop 2009.jpg|thumb|440px|Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, 2009.]]
London ranks alongside New York as a leading international financial centre. London's financial exports contribute greatly to the United Kingdom's balance of payments. Ratings agencies rank the United Kingdom's banking sector as one of the strongest in the world and its banks are amongst the most profitable in the G-8. It is a global leader in emissions trading and is home to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). It is also a government priority to make London the leading center of Islamic finance.

Britain is the European Union's only significant energy exporter. It is also one of the world's largest energy consumers, and most analysts predict a shift in U.K. status from net exporter to net importer of energy by 2020, possibly sooner. Oil production in the U.K. is levelling off. While North Sea natural gas production continues to rise, gains may be offset by ever-increasing consumption. North Sea oil and gas exploration activities are shifting to smaller fields and to increments of larger, developed fields, presenting opportunities for smaller, independent energy operators to become active in North Sea production.
*GDP (at current market prices, 2007 est.): US$1.93 trillion.
*Annual growth rate (2009 est.): -4.6%
*Per capita GDP (2006 est.): US$31,800.
*Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas.
*Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products--cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish.
*Industry: Types--steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals.
*Trade (2006 est.): Exports of goods and services--US$468.8 billion: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets--U.S., European Union. Imports of goods and services--US$603 billion: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--U.S., European Union, Japan.

===Currency===
The currency of the United Kingdom is the [[Pound|Pound Sterling]], commonly called Pound and written £ or GBP, divided into 100 New Pence (now commonly just called pence or 'p'). Traditionally the UK had a complicated triple currency structure of 20 [[shilling|shillings]] to the Pound and 12 "old pence" (represented by a "d" from the Roman ''denarius'') to the shilling, making a total of 240 pence to the Pound. This system was abandoned in 1971 due to difficulties with computerised accounting systems, in favour of the current [[decimal]] system.

The UK has never joined the [[Euro]] zone.

==History==
[[File:Stonehenge.jpg|thumb|left|Stonehenge.]]
The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC and most of Britain's subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. However, there was no permanent Roman imprint apart from roads and locations for cities. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion--including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the fifth and sixth centuries AD--up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions; certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, could develop. Among these are a political, administrative, cultural, and economic centre in London; a separate but established church and distinctive and distinguished university education.

====Union====

Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British Monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales.

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled by the same king beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster.

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain.

The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (normally shortened to "Great Britain" or "Britain"). However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly [[Protestant]], Irish counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.

====British Expansion and Empire====
[[Image:Sir Francis Grant's Portrait of Queen Victoria.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Queen Victoria'', by [[Sir Francis Grant]].]]
The '''British Empire''' was the [[List of largest empires|largest empire]] in history and, for over a century, was the foremost [[Great power|global power]]. It was a product of the [[Age of Discovery]], which began with the maritime explorations of the 15th century, that sparked the era of the European [[Colonialism|colonial]] empires. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.<ref>Angus Maddison. ''The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective'' (p. 98, 242). [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], Paris, 2001.</ref> It covered about 36.7 million km² (14.2 million square miles),<ref>Bruce R. Gordon. [http://www.hostkingdom.net/earthrul.html ''To Rule the Earth...''] (See [http://www.hostkingdom.net/Bibliography.html Bibliography] for sources used.)</ref> about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "[[The empire on which the sun never sets|the sun never sets on the British Empire]]" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous [[colonies]] or subject nations.<ref>This phrase had already been used a few centuries before by the king [[Charles I of Spain]], referring to the [[Spanish Empire]].</ref>

Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy.

During the five decades following [[World War II]], most of the territories of the Empire became independent. Many went on to join the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], a free association of independent states. <ref>T. O. Lloyd, ''The British Empire, 1558-1995. 2nd ed. (1996). </ref> Some have retained the [[British monarch]] as their [[head of state]] to become independent [[Commonwealth realm]]s.

====Sea Power====
The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next two centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home, as the Royal Navy dominated the seas.
====Industrial Revolution====
[[File:Bradford Industrial Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Bradford Industrial Museum.]]
Britain's [[industrial revolution]] greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allowed the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world, and, during this period, the British Empire reached its zenith. British colonial expansion reached its height largely during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Queen Victoria's reign witnessed the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government throughout the British Empire, which, at its greatest extent, encompassed roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world's area and population. It is controversial whether British colonies accelerated or slowed Britain's economic growth, for its growth rate fell below nations without empires, especially the U.S. and germany. Democracy came in fits and starts in a series of reforms that finally, by the 1920s, allowed all adults to vote.

 

====End of Empire====
By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, other nations, including the United States and Germany, had developed their own industries; Britain lost its comparative economic advantage, and the ambitions of its rivals had grown. The losses and destruction of [[World War I|The First World War]], the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, the independence of the Dominions, and decades of relatively slow growth eroded the Britain's preeminent international position of the previous century.

Nationalism became stronger in other parts of the empire, particularly in India and Egypt.

In 1926, Britain granted Australia, Canada, and New Zealand almost complete autonomy as "dominions"; beginning with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely dismantled by the 1960s.

== See also ==
*[[English Painting]]
*[[British politics]]
*[[June 2007 UK terror attacks]]

== Notes ==

<references/>

[[Category:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:British Empire]]

United Kingdom

2011-03-22T00:28:29Z

Brit1909: /* Education */

{{Country
|name =''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''
|map =United kingdom rel87.jpg
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|capital =London
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|government =Constitutional monarchy
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|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|president =
|president-raw =
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|pm =David Cameron
|pm-raw =
|area =94,526 sq mi
|pop =60,587,300 (2007)
|pop-basis =
|gdp =$2.006 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$35,051 (2006)
|currency =Pound Sterling
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}}
'''The United Kingdom''' ('''UK''') is a sovereign [[state]] north-west of mainland [[Europe]]. It comprises [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]], which occupy the island of [[Great Britain]], and [[Northern Ireland]] on the island of [[Ireland]]. It attained its current identity in 1922 after most of Ireland was granted independence.

The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Its [[head of state]] is [[Elizabeth II]], and its [[head of government]] is the Prime Minister [[David Cameron]].

The United Kingdom has the fifth largest economy in the world, and is a member of the [[European Union]], [[NATO]] and the [[United Nations]]. British values, culture and institutions were spread throughout many parts of the world during the period of the [[British Empire]], 1600-1960, and British contributions to world culture include the English language, the [[parliament|parliamentary]] form of government, the [[Church of England|Anglican]] Church ("Church of England"), a tradition of personal liberty, and the common-law legal system.

==Name==
[[File:London Thames Sunset panorama 2008.jpg|thumb|left|London - Thames panorama.]]
The official name of the nation (since 1927) is ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.<ref> From 1801 to 1927 the official name was ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''. </ref> The full official name is seldom used except in very formal or legal documents. The short version for historical topics is either "Britain" or "Great Britain." The short version for recent events (since the 1970s) is "United Kingdom" or "UK" The adjective is always '''"British"'''.

Britain was part of the [[British Empire]], which has become the "British Commonwealth", and is mostly a discussion club --Britain has a few scattered minor possessions but gave up its last important colony--[[Hong Kong]]--in 1997.
[[File:Westminster in the evening.jpg|thumb|280px|Westminster in the evening.]]
* '''England''' is the largest of the four components of the United Kingdom. "England" was often used to stand for the nation in older literature published before 1970. However use of "England" to refer to the entire country is now sometimes considered offensive by many citizens of the other three member countries and is thus discouraged.
* The standard language of the UK is English; [[Welsh]] has parity in Wales, and [[Gaelic]] is widely used on official documents, roadsigns, etc in remote Gaelic-speaking areas of western Scotland.

MacColl (2008) explores the use of the term 'Britain' in English, French, and Latin texts from the 12th century to the 16th. The term was flexible, used in a variety of ways (geographically, politically, and ethnically), and not always indicative of any specific meaning. The English at first tended to conflate 'Britain' with England or the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, though the term 'Greater Britain' was applied starting in the 14th century to refer to the entire island. The Scottish, beginning in the 15th century, used the term in the modern sense - as reflective of the entire island of Great Britain and the 'polity' of England, Wales, and Scotland. This latter usage paved the way for the relatively smooth ideological transition after the 1707 Acts of Union.<ref> Alan MacColl, "The Meaning of 'Britain' in Medieval and Early Modern England." ''Journal of British Studies'' 2006 45(2): 248-269</ref>

===Anthem===
The national anthem of the UK is currently ''[[God Save the Queen]]''. Should a male heir accede to the throne, the anthem will become "God Save the King".<ref> This same melody is also sung by American schoolchildren (with different words) as "My Country, 'Tis of Thee".</ref>

The constituent nations have their own unofficial anthems. In the case of Wales, this is ''Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'' (''Land of My Fathers''), and for Scotland it is ''Flower of Scotland''. England does not have its own distinctive anthem in the same way, but at sporting events in which England is competing as a separate nation, [[Edward Elgar]]'s patriotic song ''Land of Hope and Glory'' is sometimes used (although ''God Save the Queen'' is more commonly used). Additionally the hymn "Jerusalem" has a large number of supporters in England as an alternative to, or replacement for, the national anthem. In Northern Ireland, the Protestant and Catholic communities respectively use ''God Save the Queen'' and ''Amhran na bhFiann'', the Irish national anthem. ''Londonderry Air'' is often used as the anthem for Northern Ireland competitors in sporting events.

==People==
[[Image:Tower Bridge London.jpg|thumb|340px|Tower Bridge, London.]]
The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million--the third-largest in the European Union. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe.

A net total of 408,000 people were added to the UK population in 2008, the largest numerical increase since 1972. This was partly due to the highest fertility rate in more than three decades. More than half of the increase in births last year was due to non-UK born mothers.

There is also an ever-increasing ageing population with the number of people over 85 now at a record 1.3 million, the equivalent of one in every 50 people.

===Education===
[[File:Royal College of Music 2007.jpg|thumb|left|Royal College of Music.]]
The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16, although this is in the process of being raised to 18 for England and Wales. "Public" schools are elite private prep schools, such as [[Eton]] and [[Rugby School|Rugby]], attended by elite youth who pay high tuition rates.

About one-fifth of British students go on to post-secondary education.

Higher education has been a speciality for over 500 years at Oxbridge ([[Oxford University|Oxford]] and [[Camrbridge University|Cambridge]]), with new "red brick" universities added in the 19th century and many others in the late 20th century. Universities contribute L33 billion a year to the economy. Britain has a strong attraction for international students, with 342,000 attending in 2007 (compared to 672,000 in the U.S. and 183,000 in Australia). They spend L1.5 billion in tuition in Britain annually, plus another L.4 billion off campus.

===Ethnicity===
[[File:Youth UK.JPG|thumb|British youth.]]
A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as Cornwall in south-west England, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French.
*Population (2007 est.): 60.8 million.
*Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.275%.
*Major ethnic groups: British 91%, Irish 2%, West Indian and African 3%, South Asian 3%, others 1%.
*Major religions: Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim.
*Major languages: English
*Education: Years compulsory--12. Attendance--nearly 100%. Literacy--99%.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--5.01/1,000. Life expectancy (2007 est.)--males 76.23 yrs.; females 81.3 yrs.; total 78.7 years
*Work force (2007, 31.1 million): Services--80.4%; industry--18.2%; agriculture--1.4%.

===Ethnic tensions===

Ethnic tensions continue to simmer. There is popular resentment, for example, of the 600,000 Poles who have migrated to Britain for work since 2004.

Britain is home to 2.4 million Muslims from numerous ethnicities. This population is growing 10 times faster than the national average. Regarded as one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, Britain struggles with questions of integration, particularly the social exclusion of its Muslims, as well as the psychological aftermath of the July 2005 suicide bombings on London’s public transport system carried out by young Britons of Pakistani descent, which left 52 people dead and over 700 injured.

[[File:Children.jpg|390px|center|Seventh-day Adventists.]]

===Religion===
[[File:Canterbury Cathedral.jpg|thumb|left|350px|Canterbury Cathedral (photographed during 1890-1900).]]
Religious faith, according to a 2009 survey, has declined sharply in Britain over the last two decades. Now only 50% of people describe themselves as Christian, as opposed to 66% in 1990. Most of the decline is due to a drift away from the Church of England, it is claimed, with only 23% claiming allegiance, down from 40%.

In 2003 the Office of National Statistics estimated 29% of the population identified with Anglicanism, 10% with the Catholic Church, and 14% with Protestant churches. A 2007 survey reported that the number of Catholics (mostly Irish) attending Sunday services has overtaken the number of Anglicans doing so. A September 2006 English Church Census reported that Methodists were decreasing as a percentage of the population, while members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Pentecostal churches, many churches from Africa, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, almost entirely immigrants, were increasing.<ref> According to [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108478.htm U.S. State Department Report, 2008]</ref>

Individuals with no religious belief comprised 15% of the population in 2003. Muslims comprise 3% of the population. The Muslim community is predominantly South Asian in origin, but other groups from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Levant are represented. In addition, there is a growing number of indigenous converts. Although estimates vary, the Government places the number of mosques in the whole country at one thousand. Groups comprising 1% or less of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. Individuals from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh backgrounds are concentrated in London and other large urban areas, primarily in England.

Attendance at religious services was significantly different from the number of adherents. According to a report released on May 8, 2008, by Religious Trends, only 4 million Christians attend services on a regular basis (defined as at least once a month) in the country. These figures do not include Northern Ireland, where higher%ages reportedly attend both Catholic (more than 60%) and Protestant (more than 35%) services. The Religious Trends report stated that more than 50% of Muslims regularly worship at mosques. Figures for Jews and other religious groups were unavailable.

Religious affiliation was not evenly distributed among ethnicities. According to the 2001 census, approximately 70% of the white population described themselves as Christians. Nearly 75% of black Caribbean respondents stated that they were Christians, as did 70% of black Africans. Meanwhile, 45% of Indians were Hindus and 29% were Sikhs. Approximately 92% of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were Muslims.

In Northern Ireland, where divisions between nationalists and unionists evolved largely along religious lines, the 2001 census showed that 53.1% were Protestants and 43.8% were Catholics. Many Catholics and Protestants continued to live in segregated communities in Northern Ireland, although many middle class neighborhoods were mixed communities. The policy of the Government remained one of promotion of religious tolerance.

There are two established (or state) churches--The [[Church of England]] (Anglican) and the [[Church of Scotland]] (Presbyterian). The Act of Settlement, enacted in 1688, states that no Catholic, or person married to a Catholic, may ascend the throne.
====Religion in schools====
The Government provides financial support—up to 90% of the total capital costs of the buildings and 100% of running costs, including teachers' salaries - to sectarian educational institutions that are commonly referred to as "faith schools".
[[File:Matthew Boulton College.jpg|thumb|Matthew Boulton College.]]
The Government also helps fund the repair and maintenance of all listed places of worship for religious groups nationwide and contributes to the budget of the Church Conservation Trust, which preserves "redundant" Church of England buildings of architectural or historic significance.

The Government has not classified the Church of Scientology as a religious institution and therefore has not granted the organization recognition for charitable status.

More than 30% of state schools had a religious character. Nearly all of the 6,949 "faith schools" are associated with Christian denominations, although there are 31 Jewish, 7 Islamic, and 2 Sikh schools. An additional two Jewish, three Islamic, and two Sikh schools have also been tentatively approved by the Government to open. In addition, several hundred independent schools of a religious nature receive no state support but must meet government quality standards. Controversy arose in 2006 over 100 Islamic schools when an Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) evaluation of these schools showed many were "little more than places where the Koran was recited." The schools were given time to correct their deficiencies. A review is due in 2010. Some Christian faith schools also faced controversy. Some were accused of not following the national curriculum in science, teaching creationism instead. During the reporting period, a further controversy erupted when it was learned that some faith schools were not following an "open" admission policy as required by law, denying admission to both special needs children and those outside the faith of the school administrators. The Catholic Church and the Church of England have an agreement to voluntarily accept up to 25% of places for pupils from another religious group or no religious group.

Almost all schools in Northern Ireland receive state support. More than 90% of students attended schools that were either predominantly Catholic or Protestant. Integrated schools served approximately 5% of school-age children whose families voluntarily chose this option, often after overcoming significant obstacles to provide the resources to start a new school and demonstrate its sustainability for 3 years before government funding begins. Demand for places in integrated schools outweighed the limited number of places available. The May 8, 2007, devolution, or granting of power, authorized the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide on academic selection. Now there are more than 50 integrated schools, and the new Government permits existing schools to petition to change from sectarian to integrated. More petition for that status than are granted it. Some have accused the Government of a go-slow approach to avoid sectarian animus.

The law requires religious education for all children, ages 3 to 19, in publicly maintained schools. In England and Wales it forms part of the core curriculum in accordance with the Education Reform Act of 1988. In Scotland, religious education of some sort is mandated by the Education Act of 1980. However, the shape and content of religious instruction throughout the country is decided on a local basis. Locally agreed syllabi are required to reflect the predominant place of Christianity while taking into account the teachings and practices of other principal religions in the country. Syllabuses must be nondenominational and refrain from attempting to convert pupils. Schools with a religious designation follow a syllabus drawn up by the school governors according to the trust deed of the school. All parents have the legal right to request that their children not participate in religious education, but the school must approve this request.

Daily collective prayer or worship of "a wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character" is practiced in schools in England and Wales, a requirement that may be waived for students who obtain permission of the school authorities. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 permits sixth form students (generally 16-19-year-olds) to withdraw themselves from worship without their parents' permission or action. This new law does not exempt sixth form students from religious education classes. Non-Christian worship is permitted with approval of the authorities. Teachers have the right not to participate in collective worship, without prejudice, unless they work for a faith school.

After several controversial court decisions prohibiting full-face veils in school (but not head scarves) and the wearing of a Christian chastity ring, the Department of Education provided guidance that advises schools to "… act reasonably in accommodating religious requirements," under human rights legislation. Some Muslim groups, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said it was inappropriate for the Government to provide guidance that regulated Muslim communities in matters concerning the expression of their religious beliefs. But it is also legally possible under the act, according to the guidance, to have a school uniform policy that "restricts the freedom of pupils to manifest their religion" on the grounds of health and safety and the "protection of the rights and freedoms of others." The Government's guidance is meant to remind "head teachers" to act with a degree of sensitivity when considering decisions that will impact the cultural complexion of their communities.

====Census====

According to the 2001 Census the religious make-up of the UK at that time was:

{| border="1" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3
|+'''Religions in United Kingdom'''
!Belief
!Thousands
!Proportion
|-
|Christian ||42,079 ||71.6
|-
|No Religion ||9104 ||15.5
|-
|Muslim ||1591 ||2.7
|-
|Hindu ||559 ||1.0
|-
|Sikh ||336 ||0.6
|-
|Jewish ||267 ||0.5
|-
|Other ||179 ||0.3
|-
|Buddhist ||152 ||0.3
|-
|Pagan & Wicca ||40 ||0.1
|-
|Total religious ||45,163 ||76.8
|-
|No answer ||4289 ||7.3
|}
The answers were distorted by an internet campaign just prior to the census, encouraging people to actually question religion that claimed that if at least 50,000 people stated their religion as 'Jedi Knight' it would be officially classified as a religion. This was not true, though the Office of National Statistics does aggregate very small religions into the 'Other' category whereas a religion of 50,000 would be itemised separately. This separate listing does not constitute any form of official recognition.

It should be noted that non-practising Christians and the non-religious group are growing in the UK and Europe. At the same time, there is growth in the Islamic, Sikh and Hindu groups due to immigration.

Two of the four states of the United Kingdom, England and Scotland, have official state religions. The [[Church of England]] is the official religion of England and the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland is the official religion of Scotland. The (Anglican) Church of Ireland was [[disestablished]] in 1871 and the (Anglican) Church of Wales was disestablished in 1920, whereupon it was renamed the [[Church in Wales]].

===Crown Dependencies===
A number of the smaller [[British Isles]], most importantly [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are '[[Crown dependencies|British Crown Dependencies]]' and not members of the UK. Their governments are independent of that of the UK other than foreign and defence policy (the UK government retains the legal power to overrule the governments of the Dependencies, but this power has not been exercised since 1967), and they are not members of the [[European Union]].

==Sports and Pastimes==
[[File:Wembley Stadium.jpg|thumb|230px|Wembley Stadium.]]
Many of the most popular [[sport]]s in the world today were developed or codified in the UK. These include [[soccer|football]] (which is called ''soccer'' in North America), [[cricket]], [[Rugby (Sport)|rugby]], [[tennis]], [[hockey]] and [[golf]]. The UK is represented in international competitions by the individual nations (such as in football, the one-day form of cricket and rugby) and by the whole of the UK in other sports (such as [[athletics]], golf and tennis). The Test cricket team is that of 'England & Wales' (colloquially, just 'England') but from time to time has had Scottish and Irish players.

The UK remains a major sporting force both in competition and the administration of sport. It is dominant in several Olympic sports, notably cycling, rowing and sailing and a leading force in cricket, rugby union, and golf.

Certain venues have their own distinct and historical recognition and host a number of international competitions. These include Wimbledon for tennis, Silverstone for motor racing, and St Andrews for golf. There are several major venues for football, rugby and cricket.

Domestic sport is dominated by football with one of the strongest and most popular leagues in the world - the Premier League. This league is sponsored by Barclays Bank, so has the official name "Barclays Premier League". Many of the Premier League's teams are well known outside the United Kingdom, especially the "big four" (Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) and maintain followings around the world. Cricket and both codes of rugby also have strong and popular domestic leagues. Other popular sports include snooker, rowing, golf, tennis, athletics, cycling, darts, horse racing, and motor racing. These most popular sports are well covered by both the print press and television.

Some sports which are more popular in other countries such as volleyball, handball, American football and basketball have small but dedicated followings.

==Government==
''See also [[British politics]]''
[[File:Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.JPG|thumb|200px|Jewel House guard in the Tower of London.]]
Nationalist movements exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, seeking (in the case of Scottish and Welsh nationalists) to dissolve the United Kingdom and to win independence for their respective territories, and in the case of Northern Ireland nationalists and republicans to create a sovereign united Ireland. At the present time, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own legislatures.

The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. The equivalent body of law is based on statute, common law, and "traditional rights". Changes may come about formally through new acts of Parliament, informally through the acceptance of new practices and usage, or by judicial precedents. Although Parliament has the theoretical power to make or repeal any law, in actual practice the weight of 700 years of tradition restrains arbitrary actions.

Executive power rests nominally with the monarch but actually is exercised by a committee of ministers (cabinet) selected from among the members of the House of Commons and, less frequently, the House of Lords. The prime minister is normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, and can remain in office for so long as he or she has the support of a majority in that body.

==Parliament==
[[File:Westminster palace Charles Barry.jpg|left|380px]]
Parliament was authorized in the [[Magna Carta]] (1215), and first summoned by King Edward I in 1296, the oldest governing body in the world. Parliament represents the entire country and can legislate for the whole or for any constituent part or combination of parts. Elections are called by the prime minister, but the maximum length of a parliament is usually 5 years (except in wartime). The focus of legislative power is the 646-member House of Commons, which has sole jurisdiction over finance. Normally the government--the prime minister and cabinet--have full control of the House. If they lose control and new general election is held. The House of Lords, although shorn of most of its powers, can still review, amend, or delay temporarily any bills except those relating to the budget. In 1999, the government removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to hold seats in the House of Lords. The current house consists of appointed life peers who hold their seats for life and 92 hereditary peers who will hold their seats only until final reforms have been agreed upon and implemented. The judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches but cannot review the constitutionality of legislation.

Members of the House of Commons are elected to represent specific geographic constituencies. Members are elected on a "First past the post" system and there is no proportional representation. The upshot is that a third party with under 25% of the vote typically obtains very few seats.

==Constituent countries==
[[File:Scottish Eilean Donan castle.jpg|thumb|300px|Scottish Eilean Donan castle.]]
The separate identities of each of the United Kingdom's constituent parts are also reflected in their respective governmental structures. Up until the recent devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, a cabinet minister (the Secretary of State for Wales) handled Welsh affairs at the national level with the advice of a broadly representative council for Wales. Scotland maintains, as it did before union with England, different systems of law (Roman-French), education, local government, judiciary, and national church (the Church of Scotland instead of the Church of England). In addition, separate departments grouped under a Secretary of State for Scotland, who also is a cabinet member, handled most domestic matters. In late 1997, however, following approval of referenda by Scottish and Welsh voters (though only narrowly in Wales), the British Government introduced legislation to establish a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly. The first elections for the two bodies were held May 6, 1999. The Welsh Assembly opened on May 26, and the Scottish Parliament opened on July 1, 1999. The devolved legislatures have largely taken over most of the functions previously performed by the Scottish and Welsh offices.

Northern Ireland had its own Parliament and prime minister from 1921 to 1973, when the British Government imposed direct rule in order to deal with the deteriorating political and security situation. From 1973, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, based in London, was responsible for the region, including efforts to resolve the issues that lay behind the "the troubles."

By the mid-1990s, gestures toward peace encouraged by successive British governments and by President Clinton began to open the door for restored local government in Northern Ireland. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) cease-fire and nearly 2 years of multiparty negotiations, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, resulted in the Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998, which was subsequently approved by majorities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Key elements of the agreement include devolved government, a commitment of the parties to work toward "total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations," police reform, and enhanced mechanisms to guarantee human rights and equal opportunity. The Good Friday Agreement also called for formal cooperation between the Northern Ireland institutions and the Government of the Republic of Ireland, and it established the British-Irish Council, which includes representatives of the British and Irish Governments as well as the devolved Governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Devolved government was reestablished in Northern Ireland in December 1999.

The Agreement (more commonly known as the "Good Friday Agreement", and more rarely as the Belfast Agreement<ref>http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/key-issues/the-agreement.htm</ref>) was reached on Friday, April 10 1998 in Belfast and provides for a 108-member elected Assembly, overseen by a 12-minister Executive Committee (cabinet) in which unionists and nationalists share leadership responsibility. Northern Ireland elects 18 representatives to the Westminster Parliament in London. However, the five Sinn Fein Members of Parliament (MPs), who won seats in the 2004 election, have refused to claim their seats.

===Principal Government Officials===
[[File:674uyyhju.jpg|thumb|David Cameron]]
*Head of State '''- Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith''' who, as Head of State for many other countries also holds other titles particular to her role and rule as Head of State for those countries. More commonly referred to as '''HM''' (Her Majesty) '''Queen Elizabeth II'''

The Cabinet
*Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service '''- Rt Hon [[David Cameron]] MP'''
*Deputy Prime Minister and Lord President of the council '''- Rt Hon [[Nick Clegg]] MP'''<ref name="LibDem">Member of the [[Liberal Democrats]]</ref>
*First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs '''- Rt Hon [[William Hague]] MP'''
*Chancellor of the Exchequer '''- Rt Hon [[George Osborne]] MP'''
*Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor '''- Rt Hon Kenneth Clark QC MP'''
*Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities '''- Rt Hon Theresa May MP'''
*Secretary of State for Defence '''- Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP'''
*Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade '''- Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Secretary of State for Work and Pensions '''- Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP'''
*Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change '''- Rt Hon Chris Huhne MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Secretary of State for Health '''- Rt Hon Andrew Lansley CBE MP'''
*Secretary of State for Education'''- Rt Hon Michael Gove MP'''
*Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government '''- Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP'''
*Secretary of State for Transport '''- Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP'''
*Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs '''- Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP'''
*Secretary of State for International Development '''- Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP'''
*Secretary of State for Northern Ireland '''- Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP'''
*Secretary of State for Scotland '''- Rt Hon Michael Moore MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Secretary of State for Wales '''- Rt Hon Cheryl Gillan MP'''
*Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport '''- Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP'''
*Chief Secretary to the Treasury '''- Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP'''<ref name = "LibDem" />
*Leader of the House of Lords and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster '''- Rt Hon The Lord Strathclyde PC'''
*Minister without Portfolio '''- Rt Hon The Baroness Warsi PC

Also attend Cabinet meetings:
*Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General'''- Rt Hon Francis Maude MP'''
*Minister of State in the Cabinet Office'''- Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP'''
*Minister for Universities and Science '''- David Willetts MP'''
*Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal '''- Rt Hon Sir George Young Bt MP'''
*Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip '''- Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP'''
*Attorney General '''- Rt Hon Dominic Grieve QC MP'''<ref>http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/hmg.cfm</ref>

===Political Conditions===
[[David Cameron]] became Prime Minister on May 11, 2010, after [[Gordon Brown]] resigned. Cameron leads a [[Conservative Party|Con]]-[[Liberal Democrats|Lib Dem]] coalition after failing to achieve a majority in the the 2010 general election

===Membership in the European Union===
The [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] government of [[Edward Heath|Sir Edward Heath]] took the UK into the [[European Union]] in 1973. The [[Labour Party]] under [[Harold Wilson]] won the 1974 general elections and due to splits within the party, called the only national [[referendum]] asking the people if they wanted to stay in the Union. The "yes" vote won by a margin of approximately two to one. The Labour and Conservative parties have since had deep divisions over Union membership. Labour's 1983 manifesto promised to leave the Union, and whilst the Conservative party have never pledged to leave the Union, a growing band of "Eurosceptics" threatened to tear the party apart in the 1990s. All three major parties wish to stay in the Union although disagree over the level of integration, but smaller parties such as the UK Independence Party and the Referendum Party campaigned on the single issue of sovereignty being lost to the Union.

==Defence and Foreign Relations==
[[File:11943452 115b299206.jpg|right|240px]]
The United Kingdom is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is one of NATO's major European maritime, air, and land powers; it ranks third among NATO countries in total defence expenditure. The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Community (now European Union) since 1973. In the United Nations, the United Kingdom is a permanent member of the Security Council. The U.K. held the Presidency of the G-8 during 2005; it held the EU Presidency from July to December 2005.

The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting Britain's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The 37,000-member Royal Navy, which includes 6,000 Royal Marine commandos, is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists of four Trident missile submarines. The British Army, consisting of approximately 99,200 personnel, the Royal Air Force, with 42,000 personnel, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations. Approximately 9% of the British Armed Forces is female, and 4% of British forces represent ethnic minorities.
[[File:Royal Naval college UK.jpg|thumb|center|380px|Royal Naval College.]]
===Iraq===
The U.K. was the United States' main coalition partner in Operation Iraqi Freedom and continues to have more than 5,000 troops deployed in Iraq to help stabilise and rebuild the country. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, the U.K. also shared with the United States responsibility for civil administration in Iraq and was an active participant in the Coalition Provisional Authority before the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 28, 2004. Britain's participation in the Iraq war and its aftermath remains a domestically controversial issue.
===Afghanistan===
Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., and its military forces are part of the coalition force in Afghanistan. The British force in [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] is at 9,000 in late 2009 and will rise by an extra 500 troops in 2010. British forces are primarily based in the Helmand region, where they are on the front line in the war against continued Taliban operations. In addition, Britain has contributed more than £500 million to Afghan reconstruction--the second-largest donor after the U.S.
===Israel===
Britain has shown a greater willingness than the United States to criticize the Israelis over settlements and what some call the disproportionate responses to provocations from Gaza and southern Lebanon. (Jewish Labour MP Gerald Kaufman is among the most vocal.) Like his predecessors, both Labour and Conservative, Foreign Secretary Miliband has been unequivocal: "Settlements are illegal under international law," he told Parliament in 2008; "They are a major blockage to peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution."
===Relations with the United States===
The United Kingdom is one of the United States' closest allies, and British foreign policy emphasises close coordination with the United States. Bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals, and democratic practices of the two nations. Relations were strengthened by the United Kingdom's alliance with the United States during both World Wars, and its role as a founding member of NATO, in the Korean conflict, in the Persian Gulf War, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The United Kingdom and the United States continually consult on foreign policy issues and global problems and share major foreign and security policy objectives.

The United Kingdom is the fifth-largest market for U.S. goods exports after Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China, and the sixth-largest supplier of U.S. imports after Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. U.S. exports of goods and services to the United Kingdom in 2006 totaled $92 billion, while U.S. imports from the U.K. totaled $93 billion. The United States has had a trade deficit with the United Kingdom since 1998. The United Kingdom is a large source of foreign tourists in the United States. In 2005, 3.4 million U.S. residents visited the United Kingdom, while 4.2 million U.K. residents visited the United States.

The United States and the United Kingdom share the world's largest foreign direct investment partnership. U.S. investment in the United Kingdom reached $324 billion in 2005, while U.K. direct investment in the U.S. totaled $282 billion. This investment sustains more than 1 million American jobs.

==Economy==
[[File:London.jpg|thumb|left|280px|London's financial center.]]
Britain has been hard hit by the [[Recession of 2008]], with its major banks taken over or subsidized by the government. Real gross domestic product declined by 4.6% in 2009, and is expected to rise by 0.6% before 2010 and probably will continue to increase by 1% in 2011.

Britain has the fifth-largest economy in the world, is the second-largest economy in the European Union, and is a major international trading power. A highly developed, diversified, market-based economy with extensive social welfare services provides most residents with a high standard of living. Unemployment and inflation levels are amongst the lowest within the European Union.

Since 1979, the British Government has privatised most state-owned companies, including British Steel, British Airways, British Telecom, British Coal, British Aerospace, and British Gas, although in some cases the government retains a "golden share" in these companies. The Labour government has continued the privatisation policy of its Conservative predecessor, particularly by encouraging "public-private partnerships" (partial privatisation) in such areas as the London Underground. The economy of the United Kingdom is now primarily based on private enterprise, accounting for approximately four-fifths of employment and output.
[[File:Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, England Crop 2009.jpg|thumb|440px|Bluewater Shopping Centre, Kent, 2009.]]
London ranks alongside New York as a leading international financial centre. London's financial exports contribute greatly to the United Kingdom's balance of payments. Ratings agencies rank the United Kingdom's banking sector as one of the strongest in the world and its banks are amongst the most profitable in the G-8. It is a global leader in emissions trading and is home to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). It is also a government priority to make London the leading center of Islamic finance.

Britain is the European Union's only significant energy exporter. It is also one of the world's largest energy consumers, and most analysts predict a shift in U.K. status from net exporter to net importer of energy by 2020, possibly sooner. Oil production in the U.K. is levelling off. While North Sea natural gas production continues to rise, gains may be offset by ever-increasing consumption. North Sea oil and gas exploration activities are shifting to smaller fields and to increments of larger, developed fields, presenting opportunities for smaller, independent energy operators to become active in North Sea production.
*GDP (at current market prices, 2007 est.): US$1.93 trillion.
*Annual growth rate (2009 est.): -4.6%
*Per capita GDP (2006 est.): US$31,800.
*Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas.
*Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products--cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish.
*Industry: Types--steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals.
*Trade (2006 est.): Exports of goods and services--US$468.8 billion: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets--U.S., European Union. Imports of goods and services--US$603 billion: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--U.S., European Union, Japan.

===Currency===
The currency of the United Kingdom is the [[Pound|Pound Sterling]], commonly called Pound and written £ or GBP, divided into 100 New Pence (now commonly just called pence or 'p'). Traditionally the UK had a complicated triple currency structure of 20 [[shilling|shillings]] to the Pound and 12 "old pence" (represented by a "d" from the Roman ''denarius'') to the shilling, making a total of 240 pence to the Pound. This system was abandoned in 1971 due to difficulties with computerised accounting systems, in favour of the current [[decimal]] system.

The UK has never joined the [[Euro]] zone.

==History==
[[File:Stonehenge.jpg|thumb|left|Stonehenge.]]
The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC and most of Britain's subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. However, there was no permanent Roman imprint apart from roads and locations for cities. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion--including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the fifth and sixth centuries AD--up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions; certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, could develop. Among these are a political, administrative, cultural, and economic centre in London; a separate but established church and distinctive and distinguished university education.

====Union====

Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British Monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales.

While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled by the same king beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster.

Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain.

The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (normally shortened to "Great Britain" or "Britain"). However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly [[Protestant]], Irish counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.

====British Expansion and Empire====
[[Image:Sir Francis Grant's Portrait of Queen Victoria.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Queen Victoria'', by [[Sir Francis Grant]].]]
The '''British Empire''' was the [[List of largest empires|largest empire]] in history and, for over a century, was the foremost [[Great power|global power]]. It was a product of the [[Age of Discovery]], which began with the maritime explorations of the 15th century, that sparked the era of the European [[Colonialism|colonial]] empires. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.<ref>Angus Maddison. ''The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective'' (p. 98, 242). [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], Paris, 2001.</ref> It covered about 36.7 million km² (14.2 million square miles),<ref>Bruce R. Gordon. [http://www.hostkingdom.net/earthrul.html ''To Rule the Earth...''] (See [http://www.hostkingdom.net/Bibliography.html Bibliography] for sources used.)</ref> about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that "[[The empire on which the sun never sets|the sun never sets on the British Empire]]" because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous [[colonies]] or subject nations.<ref>This phrase had already been used a few centuries before by the king [[Charles I of Spain]], referring to the [[Spanish Empire]].</ref>

Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy.

During the five decades following [[World War II]], most of the territories of the Empire became independent. Many went on to join the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], a free association of independent states. <ref>T. O. Lloyd, ''The British Empire, 1558-1995. 2nd ed. (1996). </ref> Some have retained the [[British monarch]] as their [[head of state]] to become independent [[Commonwealth realm]]s.

====Sea Power====
The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next two centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home, as the Royal Navy dominated the seas.
====Industrial Revolution====
[[File:Bradford Industrial Museum.jpg|thumb|left|Bradford Industrial Museum.]]
Britain's [[industrial revolution]] greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allowed the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world, and, during this period, the British Empire reached its zenith. British colonial expansion reached its height largely during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Queen Victoria's reign witnessed the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government throughout the British Empire, which, at its greatest extent, encompassed roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world's area and population. It is controversial whether British colonies accelerated or slowed Britain's economic growth, for its growth rate fell below nations without empires, especially the U.S. and germany. Democracy came in fits and starts in a series of reforms that finally, by the 1920s, allowed all adults to vote.

 

====End of Empire====
By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, other nations, including the United States and Germany, had developed their own industries; Britain lost its comparative economic advantage, and the ambitions of its rivals had grown. The losses and destruction of [[World War I|The First World War]], the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, the independence of the Dominions, and decades of relatively slow growth eroded the Britain's preeminent international position of the previous century.

Nationalism became stronger in other parts of the empire, particularly in India and Egypt.

In 1926, Britain granted Australia, Canada, and New Zealand almost complete autonomy as "dominions"; beginning with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely dismantled by the 1960s.

== See also ==
*[[English Painting]]
*[[British politics]]
*[[June 2007 UK terror attacks]]

== Notes ==

<references/>

[[Category:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:NATO members]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]
[[Category:British Empire]]

Iona

2011-03-22T00:21:32Z

Brit1909: link is to the play, not the real person

The Isle of '''Iona''' is a member of the [[Inner Hebrides]] group located off the West coast of [[Scotland]]. The great missionary [[St. Columba]] founded an abbey there in AD 563, which became the base for extensive missionary activity throughout western Europe.<ref>''How the Irish Saved Civilization''</ref> Monks in Iona Abbey also preserved many ancient texts.<ref>http://www.allsaintsbrookline.org/celtic_saints/columba.html</ref> St. Columba is buried there, together with many Scottish kings, including Macbeth.<ref>http://www.ionaabbey.com/</ref> It is currently a popular tourist destination.

<references/>
[[category:geography]]
[[Category:Scottish Islands]]

Terry Jones (pastor)

2011-03-21T23:43:35Z

Brit1909: it was reported prominently elsewhere too

'''Terry Jones''' is the pastor of a small evangelical church (Dove World Outreach Center) in Gainesville, Florida.
He attracted worldwide attention by announcing plans to burn copies of the [[Koran]] on the ninth anniversary of the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]].
[[President Obama]] publicly asked him not to carry out this "stunt". [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/09/AR2010090903014.html]

[[Category: Political Activists]]
[[Category: Liberals]]

Featured articles. Past articles 2009

2011-03-21T17:09:29Z

Brit1909: Undo revision 858148 by Guymarsden (talk) reverting vandalism

{{fa|Sculpture|hide=yes|
:*Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 07:00, 9 November 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 11:00, 28 November 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. Nice one! --[[User:TK|₮K]][[User_Talk:TK|/Talk!]] 13:34, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''ohayougozaimasu'']] 05:38, 6 December 2008 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Edgar Allan Poe|hide=yes| }}

{{fa|Hirohito|hide=yes|
:*Agree.[[User:DuncanB|Duncan]][[User talk:DuncanB|Talk]] 07:31, 15 November 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 11:00, 28 November 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:TK|TK]] 06:02, 3 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 08:49, 17 December 2008 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Tokyo Rose|hide=yes|
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 08:26, 2 December 2008 (EST)
:* Agree. [[User:JY23|JY23]] 19:59, 2 December 2008 (EST)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|TK]] 06:02, 3 December 2008 (EST)
}}

{{fa|United Methodist Church|hide=yes|
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 07:30, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:TK|₮K]][[User_Talk:TK|/Talk!]] 13:34, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. I'm impressed, this is a good article! [[User:JY23|JY23]] 19:00, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''ohayougozaimasu'']] 05:38, 6 December 2008 (EST)
}}
{{fa|The Divine Comedy|hide=yes|
:* Agree (I'm proposing it). Nicely illustrated and informative, and links to lots of other interesting pages about morality, literature, religion and mythology.--[[User:CPalmer|CPalmer]] 07:48, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:32, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:TK|₮K]][[User_Talk:TK|/Talk!]] 13:34, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. A lot of work's been put into this baby, I can tell. A job well done, guys! [[User:JY23|JY23]] 19:00, 5 December 2008 (EST)
:*Strongly agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''ohayougozaimasu'']] 05:38, 6 December 2008 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Global warming|hide=yes|
:*Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']][[User_Talk:TK|/Talk!]] 01:34, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez]], [[User talk:Joaquín Martínez|talk]] 08:49, 17 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 07:45, 13 February 2009 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Attack on Pearl Harbor|hide=yes|
:*Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 13:01, 7 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. Perhaps move this out of order, given this is anniversary day? --[[User:TK|₮K]][[User_Talk:TK|/Talk!]] 13:08, 7 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''ohayougozaimasu'']] 13:46, 7 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree. I concur with TK even though this article is public domain material from the U.S. government. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 16:09, 7 December 2008 (EST)
:*Neutral. [[User:JY23|JY23]] 20:26, 7 December 2008 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Benjamin Franklin|hide=yes|
:*Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 07:45, 13 February 2009 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 13:30, 8 March 2009 (EDT)
:*Agree. --[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 18:26, 12 March 2009 (EDT)
}}
{{fa|Financial Crisis of 2008|hide=yes|
:*Agree. Great analysis of the whole mess. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''ohayougozaimasu'']] 05:38, 6 December 2008 (EST)
:*Agree, improved lots since December. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 08:10, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:*Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:18, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Isaac Newton|hide=yes|
:*Agree. Sizable article with detail about religious beliefs and scientific contributions. -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 18:27, 1 March 2009 (EST)
:*Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 07:18, 21 March 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Eugene Delacroix|hide=yes|
:* Agree, I made it. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 09:22, 3 March 2009 (EST)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 08:10, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:18, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree tentatively, although would it be possible to expand more on the artist's life? --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 07:24, 18 March 2009 (EDT)
}}
{{fa|Essay:The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America|hide=yes|
:* Disagree. (''It is a very good article, well written and reasoned. My primary concern, looking at it within the context of the featured article is that it is more of an "opinion piece" and I felt that on those grounds it did not really suit my criteria for a "featured article". Where I do think it could be used, would be under the mainpage's "Highlighted article", which would mean that not only could it be featured for longer, but would be more in line with the aims of that section.'')--[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 03:19, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:55, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. This is a superlative and positive-message essay. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 06:28, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Neutral. Like Jessica, I have mixed feelings. I think it's an interesting and well-argued premise and so I think it should be featured. However, I also feel featured articles should be mainspace and not essay space. Perhaps we could have a featured essay? Since there are fewer essays than articles, such a section would not have to be changed as frequently. -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 06:47, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. Excellent proposal. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 08:35, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Prime number|hide=yes|
:* Agree. Probably the most exemplary article on how to pitch math at multiple levels of understanding. -[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 18:32, 12 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 07:24, 18 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 10:46, 30 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 14:07, 2 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Pat Tillman|hide=yes|
:* Agree. It would not be the lengthiest article but good nonetheless--[[User:Jpatt|jpatt]] 01:47, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. I like the idea of highlighting the "unsung" heroes. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 06:30, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 08:10, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:18, 17 March 2009 (EDT)
:*Disagree. Missing rank and medals. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:08, 19 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Niccolò Machiavelli|hide=yes|
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 06:34, 21 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 06:56, 21 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 14:07, 2 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 03:51, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Alger Hiss|hide=yes|
:* Agree. Resubmitting. Editor has put a tremendous amount of effort into this and has fixed the red-links, which led to its previous exclusion. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 04:40, 30 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 10:46, 30 March 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 14:07, 2 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:24, 19 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 03:51, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Arsenal F.C.|hide=yes|
:* Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 03:19, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 17:52, 10 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Disagree. Before moving on to European Football, I think we should feature American Baseball, Football or Basketball. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 06:28, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:24, 19 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. European emphasis is a good idea and will challenge the American sports fans. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 03:51, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|St. Matthew Passion|hide=yes|
:* Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 08:11, 5 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:55, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 06:28, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:JessicaT|KotomiT]][[User talk:JessicaT|''nandeyanen?'']] 03:30, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
:* Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 03:51, 20 April 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Christian Cross|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 14:07, 2 April 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 09:55, 7 April 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Now that it has one of my favorite crosses. --[[User:Foxtrot|Foxtrot]] 06:43, 8 April 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. List of crosses is incomplete. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:10, 19 April 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 9:15, 25 May 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Operation Iraqi Freedom|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 08:34, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 12:17, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 15:10, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 9:15, 25 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:01, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Atlanta|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 08:34, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 12:17, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 15:10, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 9:15, 25 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:50, 8 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:01, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Communist Party of the United States of America|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 10:59, 5 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 12:55, 5 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. Too many red links. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 15:57, 5 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. I rewrote and expanded it but think people should revote on it. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:50, 8 June 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Atlas Shrugged|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 15:10, 24 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 9:15, 25 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. Too many red links. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 13:01, 25 May 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. Red links; too much summary of plot and too little explanation. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:50, 8 June 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Sonia Sotomayor|hide=yes|
: * Agree. Good article for the week of her hearings in July --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 17:12, 18 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 20:23, 18 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Very good idea. [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 22:16, 19 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Very good idea. [[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 05:00, 20 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:01, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Famous Cathedrals|hide=yes|
: * Agree. No. 2 in Google among 1,750,000. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 23:02, 7 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Stunningly attractive!! --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:50, 8 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Why have I noticed this before?--[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 18:50, 8 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. That must be one of our nicer art entries! [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 19:11, 16 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:01, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Chicago|hide=yes|
: * Agree. RJ, that is some great work! --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 23:27, 11 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 21:08, 14 June 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 19:11, 16 June 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 14:52, 10 July 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 21:49, 1 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Albert Einstein|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 21:49, 1 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 12:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 17:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|ACORN|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 21:49, 1 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 12:49, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 17:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:07, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Mary (mother of Jesus)|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 14:52, 10 July 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 21:49, 1 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 12:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 17:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 16:07, 9 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:07, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Planned Parenthood|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 21:49, 1 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 12:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 17:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Absolutely agree! [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 16:07, 9 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:07, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Louis XIV|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:31, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:DeanS|DeanStalk]] 17:54, 3 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 09:23, 4 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 20:07, 13 August 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 01:09, 22 August 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Thirteen Colonies|hide=yes|
: * Agree and great proposal! We should feature this during the week of the 9/12 tea parties. [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 18:36, 1 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 08:50, 6 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 12:12, 7 September 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|ACLU|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 01:09, 22 August 2009 (EDT)}}

{{fa|World treasures|}}

{{fa|History of India|}}

{{fa|Columbia|}}

{{fa|Michael Moore|hide=yes|
: * Agree. [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 20:54, 21 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 14:20, 22 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 18:35, 22 September 2009 (EDT)}}

{{fa|Essay:Best New Conservative Words|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 23:32, 12 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree, on condition that it is read through and perhaps beefed up a bit (some of the words may be added by random editors and not conservative) [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 20:53, 21 September 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|2010 Midterm Elections|hide=yes|
: * Agree. For exactly one-year away November.--[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 14:56, 14 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. But let's not wait so long. The campaigns are underway and we want people to use this article to follow them. I suggest using it right after the Nov. 3 2009 elections when elections are in the news.[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 00:14, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Please make next possible featured article, per Jensen's s reasoning. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 19:40, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Olympics|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 19:24, 4 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 20:36, 4 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 14:56, 14 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 19:38, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. The table of contents is bloated and overgrown. For past games, there should be a table with links to separate pages for each Olympics. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 21:12, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Scientology|hide=yes|
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 19:32, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Locked article pending featuring, guard against inflamatory language. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 19:38, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. Excellent and informative overview. The list would look a lot cleaner in a table, as an idea for improvement. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 21:05, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 13:12, 7 November 2009 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Tea Party Movement|hide=yes|
: * Agree! [[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 20:53, 21 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. <s>It should be shown in conjunction with the next event.</s> Retract, good boost of morale between events --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 14:20, 22 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 18:35, 22 September 2009 (EDT)
: * Agree. --[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 19:38, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
: * Disagree. Rewrite the lead to begin with an overview of what the movement is. [[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 21:06, 27 October 2009 (EDT)
}}

{{fa|Joseph McCarthy|hide=yes|
: * Agree:--[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 22:38, 14 November 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:--[[User:Geo.plrd|Geoff Plourde]][[User_talk:Geo.plrd|Complain!]] 00:35, 28 November 2009 (EST)
}}

{{fa|Church of England|}}

{{fa|American Painting|hide=yes|
: * Agree:----[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 11:33, 15 December 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:----[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:20, 15 December 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:----[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 16:08, 15 December 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:----<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 07:17, 16 January 2010 (EST)}}

{{fa|Japan|hide=yes|
: * Agree:----[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 11:33, 15 December 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:----[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] 13:20, 15 December 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:------[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 16:10, 15 December 2009 (EST)
}}

{{fa|George Soros|hide=yes|
: * Agree:--[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 13:12, 7 November 2009 (EST)
: * Agree:----[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 16:58, 15 December 2009 (EST)
}}

==Articles, Alphabetized==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Article
! Last Featured
|-
| [[2010 Midterm Elections]]
|
|-
|-
| [[ACLU]]
|
|-
|-
| [[ACORN]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Albert Einstein]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Alger Hiss]]
|
|-
|-
| [[American Painting]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Arsenal F.C.]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Atlanta]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Atlas Shrugged]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Benjamin Franklin]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Chicago]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Church of England]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Christian Cross]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Columbia]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Communist Party of the United States of America]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Edgar Allan Poe]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words]]
|
|-
|-
| [[‎Essay:The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Eugene Delacroix]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Famous Cathedrals]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Financial Crisis of 2008]]
|
|-
|-
| [[George Soros]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Gettysburg Campaign]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Global warming]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Hirohito]]
|
|-
|-
| [[History of India]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Isaac Newton]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Japan]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Joseph McCarthy]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Louis XIV]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Mary (mother of Jesus)]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Michael Moore]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Niccolò Machiavelli]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Olympics]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Pat Tillman]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Planned Parenthood]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Prime number]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Scientology]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Sculpture]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Sonia Sotomayor]]
|
|-
|-
| [[St. Matthew Passion]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Tea Party Movement]]
|
|-
|-
| [[The Divine Comedy]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Thirteen Colonies]]
|
|-
|-
| [[Tokyo Rose]]
|
|-
|-
| [[United Methodist Church]]
|
|-
|-
| [[World treasures]]
|
|-
|}
[[Category:Conservapedia]]

Spiderman

2011-03-20T20:46:05Z

Brit1909:

'''Spiderman''' is a Marvel [[comics]] superhero created by [[Stan Lee]] - he is the super-hero alter-ego of Peter Parker. The franchise has spawned three live-action movies - all directed by Sam Raimi starring Tobey Maguire as the eponymous character. A [[Broadway]] [[musical theater]] production with music by [[U2]] is in the works, but has suffered many setbacks related to actor injuries and going over-budget. A fourth film is set to reboot the series in 2012 - staring Andrew Garfield and directed by Marc Webb.

==See also==
*[[X-Men]]
[[Category:Marvel]]
[[Category:Comic Characters]]

Rockall

2011-03-20T01:58:22Z

Brit1909: deleted unnoticed vandalism (Rockall is, and always has been, without any permanent inhabitants)

'''Rockall''' is a tiny islet in the North [[Atlantic Ocean]] east of the [[Outer Hebrides]], that was annexed by the [[United Kingdom]] in 1955, and attached to [[Scotland]] (Inverness-shire, now Highland).

One reason why the UK, Ireland, Iceland, and Denmark, have been bickering for years over territorial rights, is that Rockall sits on the Rockall Bank, a massive sea bank which geologists believe may contain significant amounts of natural gas and oil. Added to this are the lucrative fishing grounds surrounding the island. All this makes Rockall a highly coveted prize.

The British originally claimed ownership on Rockall in 1955, when their 'annexation' forces invaded as a territorial claim. This prompted a fierce diplomatic fight where the status of Rockall as an island was put into question. [[John Ridgeway]] and [[Tom McLean]] during the 1980s perched themselves at the very summit of Rockall and remained there for one month in order to protest and validate Rockall's right to be an island.<ref> for further details see http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A755787</ref>

==Notes==
<references/>

[[Category:Scottish Islands]]

Hebrides

2011-03-20T01:55:29Z

Brit1909: /* Outer Hebrides */ self-referential

The '''Hebrides''' are an [[archipelago]] of [[island]]s off the North West Coast of [[Scotland]], in the [[United Kingdom]]. They are one of the last areas where the [[Gaelic]] [[language]] is spoken. They are generally subdivided into the Inner Hebrides (parts of which are included in [[Argyll and Bute]] & [[Highland Council]] Areas) and Outer Hebrides (also known as the Western Isles or ''Comhairle nan Eilean Siar''). The two parts are separated from each other and the Scottish mainland by the Minch and the Sea of the Hebrides.

Forced displacement of communities during the [[Highland Clearances]] by the [[British]] nobility led to the emigration of many Hebrideans to the [[America]]s.

The [[New Hebrides]], now [[Vanuatu]], in the south [[Pacific Ocean]] are named after the Hebrides.

The origins of the name Hebrides are somewhat vague. It has, however, often been pointed out that the [[Hesperides]] of [[Greek Myth]] were considered the Westernmost lands of the ancient world.

==Inner Hebrides==

The major islands of the Inner Hebrides are Skye, Rhum, Coll, Tiree, Mull, [[Iona]], Colonsay, Islay and Jura, as well as a large number of smaller islands.

Centres of population are at Portree (Skye), Tobermory (Mull) and Bowmore (Islay). The islands are served by [[CalMac]] ferry services, and most also have small airports. [[Whisky]] distilling is an important local industry, especially on Islay and Skye.

The largest of the Inner Hebrides (and the Western Isles) is Skye, sometimes referred to in [[Gaelic]] poetry and song as Eilean a' Cheò (The Misty Isle). It is renowned for its natural beauty, history and wildlife.  The spectacular and rugged Cuillin Hills of Skye are the highest British mountains not on the mainland. In common with many of the Western Isles, Skye is a very traditional and deeply religious community. 

==Outer Hebrides==
The main islands of the Outer Hebrides (Gaelic: ''Na h-Eileanan Siar'', "'''Western Isles'''") are Lewis and Harris (two parts of a single island), North Uist, Benbecula, South Uist, and Barra. The archipelago of [[St Kilda]] and occasionally even the distant islet of [[Rockall]] are also sometimes included amongst the group. The two Uists and Benbecula are connected by bridges and causeways and are collectively known as 'the long island'. The administrative centre of the Western Isles is [[Stornoway]]. The islands, formerly divided between [[Invernessshire]] and [[Ross & Cromarty]], became a region of Scotland in 1975 and a county in 1996.

The islands are a stronghold of [[Gaelic]] language and culture, the last part of Scotland in which Scottish [[Gaelic]] is still widely spoken, and are among the most strongly religious areas in the [[United Kingdom]]. In Lewis, Harris and North Uist [[Protestantism]] is the predominant faith; in the other islands, [[Roman Catholicism]].

The largest town is [[Stornoway]] on Lewis.

The main village on Barra is Castlebay, which is thought to be named after the bay by which it is situated, the [[castle]] in said bay or possibly even both. Barra has [http://www.isleofbarra.com its own online news site].

Benbecula ([[Gaelic]]: ''Beinn na Faoghla'')lies between the islands of North and South Uist and is connected to both of them by causeway; the three conjoined islands are colloquially known as 'the Long Island'. Benbecula has a small airport-cum-[[RAF]] base; as well as providing domestic air services this services the missile tracking base on Hirta, largest island in the [[St Kilda]] Group in the North [[Atlantic]].

The sole town on North Uist (''Uibhist A Tuath'') is Lochmaddy (''Loch Na Madadh''), from where ferries run to [[Uig]] on the Isle of Skye. The Sound of Pabbay and Sound of Harris separate it from Harris to the north. The topography of North Uist is largely flat and boggy, with numerous small lakes; the hills North and South Lee, rising sharply from this terrain, help to make an arresting landscape.

South Uist (Gaelic: ''Uibhist a Deas'') lies towards the southern end of the [[archipelago]], between Barra and Benbecula. Its population is mainly [[Roman Catholic]] (the island was one of the very few areas in [[Great Britain]] where the [[Reformation]] never gained a foothold) and [[Gaelic]]-speaking. The main settlement is Lochboisdale (''Loch Baghasdail'') at the southern end of the island, which has a ferry terminal with services to Barra and to [[Oban]] on the Scottish mainland.

Lewis and Harris, the largest island in the Outer Hebrides, is a single island which has been divided into two parts of land<ref> "Although treated as two separate islands with distinct characteristics, Harris and Lewis form a single landmass." [http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/harris.htm Isle of Harris accommodation and travel]</ref><ref>"The island was divided between two Macleod sons and that artificial division has remained." [http://www.rampantscotland.com/visit/blvisithebrides4.htm Outer Hebrides - Lewis and Harris] </ref> by Loch Seaforth and the hills of Harris. It is linked by ferry to the island of North Uist and to [[Uig]] on the [[Isle of Skye]]. It has given its name to the rugged woven woolen cloth known as 'Harris Tweed', the term ''tweed'' being a corruption of ''tweel'' (twill) and nothing to do with the [[River Tweed]] in south-eastern Scotland. The land is flat and relatively fertile, much being divided into crofts (smallholdings). The main town, [[Stornoway]] (''Steornabhagh''), is also the administrative center of the Western Isles. The megalithic standing stones at Callanish on Lewis are one of Scotland's major cultural monuments.

==Notes==
<references />

[[Category:Scottish Islands]]
[[Category:Archipelagos]]
[[Category:United Kingdom Counties]]

London

2011-03-20T01:46:02Z

Brit1909: /* Popular Perception */ removed tautology

[[Image:Tower bridge London.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Tower Bridge.]]
'''London''' is the capital of [[England]] and the [[United Kingdom]] and is the second largest city in [[Europe]] after [[Moscow]]. It includes both the [[City of London]] (the Square Mile) and [[Greater London]]. London will be the host city of the 2012 [[Olympic Games]], having previously hosted the games in 1908 and 1948. It will become the only city to host the games three times.

==History==

Archaeologists have found evidence that the area that would become London had been populated since the [[Ice Age]], the broad Thames Valley with its shallow river, lush meadows and broad-leafed woodlands providing an ideal location in which early farmers settled.

[[Julius Caesar]] reported in 54 B.C. that, when passing through the area to engage [[Cassivellaunus]] in battle, the area was home to many settlements, and in A.D. 43 the Roman invasion force under [[Claudius]] estimated that there were around 5000 inhabitants. The first Roman settlement, called Londinium, was founded in A.D. 50, but was razed to the ground by [[Boudicca]] in A.D. 60. The Roman's second settlement on the site flourished, however, becoming a key port and centre for trade and commerce. By A.D. 100, its population had reached around 45,000 and it replaced Camulodunum (modern day [[Colchester]]) as the capital.
[[Image:Westminster Cathedral.jpg|thumb|Westminster Abbey.]]
As the Roman occupation began to draw to a close in the 5th century, the Roman population fell untill by 410 it was abandoned completely. The [[Angle]]s, [[Saxon]]s and [[Jute]]s were quick to take advantage of the now undefended Britain, and the Saxons won their first major victory in [[Kent]] in 457, giving them control over Londinium and the surrounding region. Renamed Lundenwic, the settlement once again became a thriving population centre and by 600 had become the base of political power in Saxon-occupied Britain, which accounted for around half of the country. Lundenwic changed hands again in the 9th century, when feuding between Saxon leaders allowed the [[Dane]]s to take control.

In 871, the English king of [[Wessex]], Alfred, fought the Danes for control and regained most of the city, although the Danes retained the eastern-most section, which today corresponds to the East End.

In the [[Renaissance]], London became a centre of learning and culture, though the rise of [[Puritans|Puritanism]] in the late 16th century temporarily stifled much art and culture within the city centre. A lot of what Puritans deemed 'unacceptable' moved to the South Bank (the land lying on the south-side of the River Thames). [[Shakespeare's Globe theatre]] was located in this area.

During the period of the [[British Empire]], London was a key transshipment point for various cargoes, including tea, molasses, jute, and silver, indeed, anything traded in by the [[East India Company]].

During [[World War II]], London was heavily bombed by Germany's air force in [[the Blitz]] of 1940-41 and in 1944-45 was attacked by [[V-1]] 'flying bombs' and [[V-2]] missiles.

==Government of London==
London is governed by the Mayor of London (currently [[Boris Johnson]]), a post not to be confused with that of Lord Mayor of London, which is a largely ceremonial role relating solely to the small [[City of London]] district. The mayor's executive is subject to scrutiny by the [[Greater London Assembly]]<ref>http://www.london.gov.uk/</ref>. Most matters relating to local government - local planning control, housing, education, libraries and arts, refuse collection, etc. - are controlled by London's 33 local authorities: 32 London Boroughs, and the [[City of London]] Corporation<ref>http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=8788&cat=989</ref>.
[[File:London1.jpg|thumb|550px|The City of London]]

==Popular Perception==
Although London is frequently depicted in the American media as a quaint and historic city perpetually shrouded in fog, the reality is that London is a modern city at the cutting edge of developments in [[architecture]], transport, commerce, industry and entertainment, and fog is a rare occurrence. In fact, London is considered by many to be the financial capital of the world as well as the theater capital of the world, and one of the world's premier cities, <ref>{{cite web | last = Z/Yen Limited | title = The Competitive Position of London as a Global Financial Centre | publisher = CityOfLondon.gov.uk | date = November 2005 | url = http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/131B4294-698B-4FAF-9758-080CCE86A36C/0/BC_RS_compposition_FR.pdf | format = PDF | accessdate = 2006-09-17}}</ref><ref>[http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citymap.html The World According to GaWC], GaWC, [[Loughborough University]]</ref> a position bolstered by the fact that it contains rich and diverse cultures, due to many waves of immigration since the 17th century.

Notable landmarks include the [[Houses of Parliament]], The [[London Eye]], [[Buckingham Palace]] and [[Westminster Abbey]]. The [[London Underground]] (London's subway system, also known as the Tube) is the oldest in the world.

==See Also==
*[[London England Temple]]
*[[Art cities]]
*[[Westminster|City of Westminster]]
*[[City of London]]
*[[Greater London]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.ukguide.org/london/museum.html London Museum Guide]
*[http://www.britishmuseum.org/ The British Museum]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:United Kingdom Cities and Towns]]
[[Category:Capital Cities]]
[[Category:Urban History]]
[[Category:British History]]

Wales

2011-03-20T01:26:26Z

Brit1909: /* Government */

{{Country
|name =Cymru Wales
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|area =8,022 sq mi
|pop =3,004,600
|pop-basis =2008
|gdp =$85.4 billion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$30,546
|currency =Pound Sterling
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}}
'''Wales''' is a principality which is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Althouh politically controlled by England for 800 years, throughout the centuries, a sense of national identity in Wales has manifested itself in a variety of ways: aspirations to statehood, a unique language, cultural distinctiveness, religious affiliation, sporting achievement, and, most recently, political devolution.

===Geography===
Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] (Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.
===Cities===
The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, [[Rhondda]], Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St. Asaph]] and [[St. Davids]]; the resorts of Pwllheli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and [[Aberystwyth]]; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and [[Llanddewi Brefi]].
===Language===
see [[Welsh language]]

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of [[Welsh Language|Welsh]] is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population (In 2001, Apporximately 600,000 people claimed some knowledge of welsh). The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]]. The Welsh national day is March 1, [[Saint David]]'s day. The Welsh flag has a picture of a dragon, usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

==History==
===Medieval===
Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws).
===English conquest===
His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 and the later execution of his brother Daffyd (executed for treason due to his betrayal of the English king, with whom he had previously been allied) marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

===Schools===
“Ragged schools” were schools for children in rags, that is for poor and destitute children. They were established in the newly industrialized towns of Wales in the mid-Victorian period, drawing widespread support from all levels of society and from all religious denominations. Promoters of ragged schools combined evangelical and charitable motives in an effort to rescue children from lives of immorality and crime, and, despite a lack of qualified teachers, they did provide an education for children denied opportunities because of poverty. The schools provided instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and often some industrial training, and the movement achieved remarkable results before declining with the gradual introduction of compulsory free elementary schooling from 1870 onward.<ref> Russell Grigg, "The Origins and Growth of Ragged Schools in Wales, 1847-c.1900," ''History of Education'' 2002 31(3): 227-243</ref>
===Soccer===
Soccer became enormously popular in northeast Wales during 1870-90, a development that resembled the growth of the sport in England and reflected aspects of Welsh national identity. During this period, soccer transformed from an informal game enjoyed mostly by schoolchildren into a regulated, professional, and spectator-friendly sport. The growing popularity and interclass participation was seen as an agent of social cohesion and Victorian values of health, though frequent outbreaks of fighting during matches was frowned on by some religious groups. Soccer maintained its popularity in northeast Wales, but industrial decline generally meant that local teams could not as easily draw the same crowds and attract talented players as those in the English Midlands.<ref> Martin Johnes, and Ian Garland, "'The New Craze': Football and Society in North-east Wales, c. 1870-90," ''Welsh History Review'' 2004 22(2): 278-304</ref> Soccer was easily the most popular sport in Wales throughout the whole of the twentieth century.

===Religion===
Wales is known for the strength of Nonconformist denominations, especially the Methodists. Nonconformist social and political activism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was based more on moral and economic concerns than theological principles. Public controversy over publication of R. J. Campbell's ''The New Theology'' in 1907 sparked the development of a theology-based activism that strengthened Nonconformist ties with the radical labor movement and Socialism. It was similar to the [[Social Gospel]] in the United States, but more radical and more inclined toward socialism as promoted by the [[Labour Party]].<ref> Robert Pope, "From New Theology to Social Gospel," ''Welsh Journal of Religious History'' 2007 2: 87-104, </ref>

The major Nonconformist groups were the Baptists, Congregationalists, and three varieties of Methodists (the Calvinistic, Primitive, and Wesleyan). Each combined communal (largely involuntary involvement) and associational (voluntary involvement) aspects among their members and adherents. The membership declined during the early 20th century. To a large degree that decline is attributable to each church body becoming more associational, bureaucratic, and denominational. Connections to local communities broke down and promoted secularization although revivalism occurred to roll back the secularization process on occasion.<ref>Peter Yalden, "Association, Community and the Origins of Secularisation: English and Welsh Nonconformity, c. 1850-1930," ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 2004 55(2): 293-324 </ref>
====Revival of 1904-5====
From 1904 to 1905 Wales experienced a religious revival with a strong tone of what became [[Pentecostalism]]. It was most famously associated with Evan Roberts (1878-1951), but the movement was broad based with many leaders. Begun as an effort to kindle nondenominational, nonsectarian spirituality, the Welsh revival of 1904-05 coincided with the rise of the labor movement, socialism, and a general disaffection with religion among the working class and youths. While Roberts heavily emphasized the need for individual prayer in his revival, he also engaged in considerable preaching and, like other evangelists, acted spontaneously. Roberts's mental health was a topic of discussion among his followers and detractors at the time of the revival, a debate that has continued ever since. Evidence indicates he was not particularly stable prior to the revival, and that during the revival he claimed to possess various spiritual and supernatural powers. Not merely a Welsh phenomenon, the movement also spread to other countries. The revival produced some lasting effects including the establishment of Pentecostalism in Wales. Revivalists at firct condemned all activities not related to religion, prayer, and the service of God, it temporarily crippled the growing sport of rugby, itself an increasingly powerful element of Welsh identity. Within months, however, extremist views waned and innocuous pastimes and sport returned to Welsh daily life. International success for Wales in rugby matches in 1905 restored the sport's earlier standing and reinforced its place in the self-image of modern Wales. <ref> Robert Pope, "Demythologising the Evan Roberts Revival, 1904-1905," ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 2006 57(3): 515-534</ref>

The revival lasted less than a year, but in that period 100,000 converts were made. The revival spread from south Wales to north Wales, then to Britain, and eventually to Los Angeles, California, where [[Pentecostalism]] flourished.<ref> Edward J. Gitre, "The 1904-05 Welsh Revival: Modernization, Technologies, and Techniques of the Self," ''Church History'' 2004 73(4): 792-827</ref>

==Prince of Wales==
[[Prince Charles|Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

== Government ==

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Position || Current Holder
|-
| [[British_monarchy|Monarch]] || Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|-
| [[UK_Prime_Ministers|Prime Minster]] || [[David Cameron]] MP
|-
| [[Secretary of State for Wales|Secretary of State]] || [[Cheryl Gillan]] MP
|-
| [[First Minister of Wales|First Minister]] || [[Carwyn Jones]] AM
|}

Although constitutionally the United Kingdom is a unitary state with one sovereign, parliament and government - there has been moves to give power to national legislature in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this has taken the form of devolution. Power for certain areas of government like education, health and the environment are fully the responsibility of their national governments. However, central government maintains the right to overturn any decision by a national assembly, as as such the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] remains sovereign in the United Kingdom as a whole.

=== Devolution ===
[[File:Wales1.jpg|thumb|200px]]
A [[National Assembly for Wales]] as established under the ''Government of Wales Act of 1998''. The assembly consists of 60 ''Assembly Members'' or ''AM''s. The [[Welsh Assembly Government]] is the executive arm who have been delegated much of the powers of the Assembly.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales. In addition, as is common with many universities, both Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities have their own American Football teams (the Cardiff Cobras and the Tarannau Aberystwyth), and there are other American Football teams in Wales<ref>http://www.southwaleswarriors.co.uk/cgi-bin/swwarriors/baseweb2.exe?vid=82057&src=794</ref> (indeed there are many other American Football teams in the whole of the UK<ref>http://www.bafa.org.uk/</ref>). Ice hockey is also extremely popular; major teams include the Cardiff Devils.

==See also==
* [[David Lloyd George]], powerful prime minister in World War I
* [[Welsh language]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, John. ''A History of Wales'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Wales-John-Davies/dp/0140284753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Evans, Chris. '''The Labyrinth of Flames': Work and Social Conflict in Early Industrial Merthyr Tydfil'' (1993). 237 pp.
* Fagge, Roger. ''Power, Culture and Conflict in the Coalfields: West Virginia and South Wales, 1900-1922'' (1996). 290 pp.
* Francis, Hywel and Smith, David. ''The Fed: A History of the South Wales Miners in the Twentieth Century'' (1980). 530 pp.
* Gilbert, David. ''Class, Community, and Collective Action: Social Change in Two British Coalfields, 1850-1926'' (1992). 293 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. ''A Concise History of Wales'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Wales-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521530717/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-10 excerpt and text search]
* Jenkins, Philip. ''A History of Modern Wales, 1536-1990'' (1992). 451 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. and Smith, J. Beverley, eds. ''Politics and Society in Wales, 1840-1922'' (1988). 201 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. ''The Foundations of Modern Wales: Wales, 1642-1780'' (1988). 490 pp.
* Jones, J. Barry, and Denis Balsom, eds. ''The Road to the National Assembly of Wales'' (2000)
* Jones, Gareth Elwyn. ''Modern Wales: A Concise History, c. 1485-1979'' (1985). 364 pp.
* Jones, J. Gwynfor. ''Early Modern Wales, c. 1525-1640'' (1994).
* Jones, J. Gwynfor, ed. ''Class, Community, and Culture in Tudor Wales'' (1989). 300 pp.
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Wales in British Politics: 1868-1922'' (1963)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Modern Wales: Politics, Places, and People'' (1995). 492 pp.
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980 (History of Wales) (Vol 6)'' (1981)
* Neil Evans, "'When Men and Mountains Meet': Historians' Explanations of the History of Wales, 1890-1970," ''Welsh History Review'' 2004 22(2): 222-251
** The the thesis advanced by Owen Morgan Edwards c. 1900 stressed geographical determinism, and was similar to contemporary findings in the United States by [[Frederick Jackson Turner]]. TheEdwards model was augmented and revised by subsequent generations of historians, most notably by John Lloyd and William Stubbs in their work on preconquest Wales, which considered questions of race and political organization. In later decades, Edward A. Lewis and William Rees followed with similar approaches to modern Welsh social and economic history, while A. H. Dodd and Glanmor Williams focused on Welsh industrialization.
* Owen, Trefor. ''Customs and Traditions of Wales'' (1991) 108pp
* Pope, Robert, ed. ''Religion and National Identity: Wales and Scotland c. 1700-2000'' (2001)
* Smith, Dai. ''Aneurin Bevan and the World of South Wales.'' (1993). 359 pp. 20c coal mining and politics
* Stephens, Meic, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales.'' (1986). 682 pp.
* Wallace, Ryland. ''Organise! Organise! Organise! A Study of Reform Agitations in Wales, 1840-1886'' (1991). 267 pp.
* Weisser, Henry. ''Wales: An Illustrated History'' (2003) [http://www.amazon.com/Wales-Illustrated-History-Hippocrene-Histories/dp/0781809363/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Williams, Glanmor. ''The History of Wales, Vol. 3: Recovery, Reorientation, and Reformation: Wales, c. 1415-1642'' (1987). 528 pp.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:British History]]

Wales

2011-03-20T01:26:07Z

Brit1909: /* Government */

{{Country
|name =Cymru Wales
|map =
|flag =Flag of Wales.png
|arms =
|capital =Cardiff
|capital-raw =
|government =
|government-raw =
|language =Welsh, English
|king =
|queen =Elizabeth II
|monarch-raw =
|governor general=
|governor general-raw=
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|chairman =
|general secretary=
|governor =
|governor-raw =
|premier =
|premier-raw =
|area =8,022 sq mi
|pop =3,004,600
|pop-basis =2008
|gdp =$85.4 billion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$30,546
|currency =Pound Sterling
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Wales''' is a principality which is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Althouh politically controlled by England for 800 years, throughout the centuries, a sense of national identity in Wales has manifested itself in a variety of ways: aspirations to statehood, a unique language, cultural distinctiveness, religious affiliation, sporting achievement, and, most recently, political devolution.

===Geography===
Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] (Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.
===Cities===
The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, [[Rhondda]], Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St. Asaph]] and [[St. Davids]]; the resorts of Pwllheli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and [[Aberystwyth]]; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and [[Llanddewi Brefi]].
===Language===
see [[Welsh language]]

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of [[Welsh Language|Welsh]] is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population (In 2001, Apporximately 600,000 people claimed some knowledge of welsh). The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]]. The Welsh national day is March 1, [[Saint David]]'s day. The Welsh flag has a picture of a dragon, usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

==History==
===Medieval===
Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws).
===English conquest===
His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 and the later execution of his brother Daffyd (executed for treason due to his betrayal of the English king, with whom he had previously been allied) marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

===Schools===
“Ragged schools” were schools for children in rags, that is for poor and destitute children. They were established in the newly industrialized towns of Wales in the mid-Victorian period, drawing widespread support from all levels of society and from all religious denominations. Promoters of ragged schools combined evangelical and charitable motives in an effort to rescue children from lives of immorality and crime, and, despite a lack of qualified teachers, they did provide an education for children denied opportunities because of poverty. The schools provided instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and often some industrial training, and the movement achieved remarkable results before declining with the gradual introduction of compulsory free elementary schooling from 1870 onward.<ref> Russell Grigg, "The Origins and Growth of Ragged Schools in Wales, 1847-c.1900," ''History of Education'' 2002 31(3): 227-243</ref>
===Soccer===
Soccer became enormously popular in northeast Wales during 1870-90, a development that resembled the growth of the sport in England and reflected aspects of Welsh national identity. During this period, soccer transformed from an informal game enjoyed mostly by schoolchildren into a regulated, professional, and spectator-friendly sport. The growing popularity and interclass participation was seen as an agent of social cohesion and Victorian values of health, though frequent outbreaks of fighting during matches was frowned on by some religious groups. Soccer maintained its popularity in northeast Wales, but industrial decline generally meant that local teams could not as easily draw the same crowds and attract talented players as those in the English Midlands.<ref> Martin Johnes, and Ian Garland, "'The New Craze': Football and Society in North-east Wales, c. 1870-90," ''Welsh History Review'' 2004 22(2): 278-304</ref> Soccer was easily the most popular sport in Wales throughout the whole of the twentieth century.

===Religion===
Wales is known for the strength of Nonconformist denominations, especially the Methodists. Nonconformist social and political activism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was based more on moral and economic concerns than theological principles. Public controversy over publication of R. J. Campbell's ''The New Theology'' in 1907 sparked the development of a theology-based activism that strengthened Nonconformist ties with the radical labor movement and Socialism. It was similar to the [[Social Gospel]] in the United States, but more radical and more inclined toward socialism as promoted by the [[Labour Party]].<ref> Robert Pope, "From New Theology to Social Gospel," ''Welsh Journal of Religious History'' 2007 2: 87-104, </ref>

The major Nonconformist groups were the Baptists, Congregationalists, and three varieties of Methodists (the Calvinistic, Primitive, and Wesleyan). Each combined communal (largely involuntary involvement) and associational (voluntary involvement) aspects among their members and adherents. The membership declined during the early 20th century. To a large degree that decline is attributable to each church body becoming more associational, bureaucratic, and denominational. Connections to local communities broke down and promoted secularization although revivalism occurred to roll back the secularization process on occasion.<ref>Peter Yalden, "Association, Community and the Origins of Secularisation: English and Welsh Nonconformity, c. 1850-1930," ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 2004 55(2): 293-324 </ref>
====Revival of 1904-5====
From 1904 to 1905 Wales experienced a religious revival with a strong tone of what became [[Pentecostalism]]. It was most famously associated with Evan Roberts (1878-1951), but the movement was broad based with many leaders. Begun as an effort to kindle nondenominational, nonsectarian spirituality, the Welsh revival of 1904-05 coincided with the rise of the labor movement, socialism, and a general disaffection with religion among the working class and youths. While Roberts heavily emphasized the need for individual prayer in his revival, he also engaged in considerable preaching and, like other evangelists, acted spontaneously. Roberts's mental health was a topic of discussion among his followers and detractors at the time of the revival, a debate that has continued ever since. Evidence indicates he was not particularly stable prior to the revival, and that during the revival he claimed to possess various spiritual and supernatural powers. Not merely a Welsh phenomenon, the movement also spread to other countries. The revival produced some lasting effects including the establishment of Pentecostalism in Wales. Revivalists at firct condemned all activities not related to religion, prayer, and the service of God, it temporarily crippled the growing sport of rugby, itself an increasingly powerful element of Welsh identity. Within months, however, extremist views waned and innocuous pastimes and sport returned to Welsh daily life. International success for Wales in rugby matches in 1905 restored the sport's earlier standing and reinforced its place in the self-image of modern Wales. <ref> Robert Pope, "Demythologising the Evan Roberts Revival, 1904-1905," ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 2006 57(3): 515-534</ref>

The revival lasted less than a year, but in that period 100,000 converts were made. The revival spread from south Wales to north Wales, then to Britain, and eventually to Los Angeles, California, where [[Pentecostalism]] flourished.<ref> Edward J. Gitre, "The 1904-05 Welsh Revival: Modernization, Technologies, and Techniques of the Self," ''Church History'' 2004 73(4): 792-827</ref>

==Prince of Wales==
[[Prince Charles|Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

== Government ==

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Position || Current Holder
|-
| [[British_monarchy|Monarch]] || Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|-
| [[UK_Prime_Ministers|Prime Minster]] || [[David Cameron]] MP
|-
| [[Secretary of State for Wales|Secretary of State]] || [[Cheryl Gillan]] MP
|-
| [[First Minister of Wales|First Minister]] || [[Carwyn Jones]] AM
|}

Although constitutionally the United Kingdom is a unitary state with one sovereign, parliament and government - there has been moves to give power to national legislature in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this has taken the form of devolution. Power for certain areas of government like education, health and the environment are fully the responsibility of their national governments. However, central government maintains the right to overturn any decision by a national assembly, as as such the [[Parliament of the United Kingom]] remains sovereign in the United Kingdom as a whole.

=== Devolution ===
[[File:Wales1.jpg|thumb|200px]]
A [[National Assembly for Wales]] as established under the ''Government of Wales Act of 1998''. The assembly consists of 60 ''Assembly Members'' or ''AM''s. The [[Welsh Assembly Government]] is the executive arm who have been delegated much of the powers of the Assembly.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales. In addition, as is common with many universities, both Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities have their own American Football teams (the Cardiff Cobras and the Tarannau Aberystwyth), and there are other American Football teams in Wales<ref>http://www.southwaleswarriors.co.uk/cgi-bin/swwarriors/baseweb2.exe?vid=82057&src=794</ref> (indeed there are many other American Football teams in the whole of the UK<ref>http://www.bafa.org.uk/</ref>). Ice hockey is also extremely popular; major teams include the Cardiff Devils.

==See also==
* [[David Lloyd George]], powerful prime minister in World War I
* [[Welsh language]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, John. ''A History of Wales'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Wales-John-Davies/dp/0140284753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Evans, Chris. '''The Labyrinth of Flames': Work and Social Conflict in Early Industrial Merthyr Tydfil'' (1993). 237 pp.
* Fagge, Roger. ''Power, Culture and Conflict in the Coalfields: West Virginia and South Wales, 1900-1922'' (1996). 290 pp.
* Francis, Hywel and Smith, David. ''The Fed: A History of the South Wales Miners in the Twentieth Century'' (1980). 530 pp.
* Gilbert, David. ''Class, Community, and Collective Action: Social Change in Two British Coalfields, 1850-1926'' (1992). 293 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. ''A Concise History of Wales'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Wales-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521530717/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-10 excerpt and text search]
* Jenkins, Philip. ''A History of Modern Wales, 1536-1990'' (1992). 451 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. and Smith, J. Beverley, eds. ''Politics and Society in Wales, 1840-1922'' (1988). 201 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. ''The Foundations of Modern Wales: Wales, 1642-1780'' (1988). 490 pp.
* Jones, J. Barry, and Denis Balsom, eds. ''The Road to the National Assembly of Wales'' (2000)
* Jones, Gareth Elwyn. ''Modern Wales: A Concise History, c. 1485-1979'' (1985). 364 pp.
* Jones, J. Gwynfor. ''Early Modern Wales, c. 1525-1640'' (1994).
* Jones, J. Gwynfor, ed. ''Class, Community, and Culture in Tudor Wales'' (1989). 300 pp.
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Wales in British Politics: 1868-1922'' (1963)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Modern Wales: Politics, Places, and People'' (1995). 492 pp.
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980 (History of Wales) (Vol 6)'' (1981)
* Neil Evans, "'When Men and Mountains Meet': Historians' Explanations of the History of Wales, 1890-1970," ''Welsh History Review'' 2004 22(2): 222-251
** The the thesis advanced by Owen Morgan Edwards c. 1900 stressed geographical determinism, and was similar to contemporary findings in the United States by [[Frederick Jackson Turner]]. TheEdwards model was augmented and revised by subsequent generations of historians, most notably by John Lloyd and William Stubbs in their work on preconquest Wales, which considered questions of race and political organization. In later decades, Edward A. Lewis and William Rees followed with similar approaches to modern Welsh social and economic history, while A. H. Dodd and Glanmor Williams focused on Welsh industrialization.
* Owen, Trefor. ''Customs and Traditions of Wales'' (1991) 108pp
* Pope, Robert, ed. ''Religion and National Identity: Wales and Scotland c. 1700-2000'' (2001)
* Smith, Dai. ''Aneurin Bevan and the World of South Wales.'' (1993). 359 pp. 20c coal mining and politics
* Stephens, Meic, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales.'' (1986). 682 pp.
* Wallace, Ryland. ''Organise! Organise! Organise! A Study of Reform Agitations in Wales, 1840-1886'' (1991). 267 pp.
* Weisser, Henry. ''Wales: An Illustrated History'' (2003) [http://www.amazon.com/Wales-Illustrated-History-Hippocrene-Histories/dp/0781809363/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Williams, Glanmor. ''The History of Wales, Vol. 3: Recovery, Reorientation, and Reformation: Wales, c. 1415-1642'' (1987). 528 pp.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:British History]]

Wales

2011-03-20T01:23:59Z

Brit1909: /* Prince of Wales */

{{Country
|name =Cymru Wales
|map =
|flag =Flag of Wales.png
|arms =
|capital =Cardiff
|capital-raw =
|government =
|government-raw =
|language =Welsh, English
|king =
|queen =Elizabeth II
|monarch-raw =
|governor general=
|governor general-raw=
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =
|chairman =
|general secretary=
|governor =
|governor-raw =
|premier =
|premier-raw =
|area =8,022 sq mi
|pop =3,004,600
|pop-basis =2008
|gdp =$85.4 billion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$30,546
|currency =Pound Sterling
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Wales''' is a principality which is a part of the [[United Kingdom]]. It occupies the peninsula of land between the [[Bristol Channel]] and the [[River Dee]], on the west side of southern [[Great Britain]]. [[Anglesey]], [[Holy Island]], and the bardic island of Bardsey are also part of Wales.

Althouh politically controlled by England for 800 years, throughout the centuries, a sense of national identity in Wales has manifested itself in a variety of ways: aspirations to statehood, a unique language, cultural distinctiveness, religious affiliation, sporting achievement, and, most recently, political devolution.

===Geography===
Much of Wales is mountainous; the [[Cambrian Mountains]] run the length of the country, from [[Snowdon]]ia in the north. Several [[geological period]]s are named after the ancient Welsh tribes that lived in regions where strata characteristic of the period are to be found; the [[Ordovician]] (Ordovices), the [[Silurian]] (Silures), and the [[Cambrian]] period is named for Cambria, the [[Latin]] for Wales.
===Cities===
The largest city in Wales is [[Cardiff]], which was declared to be the capital city in 1955, against competition from [[Swansea]]. Other important locales include the ports of [[Holyhead]] and [[Milford Haven]]; the mining and industrial centres of Llanelli, Neath, Pontypridd, [[Rhondda]], Merthyr Tydfil and [[Wrexham]]; the ecclesiastical cities of [[St. Asaph]] and [[St. Davids]]; the resorts of Pwllheli, [[Llandudno]], Colwyn Bay, Rhyl and Prestatyn; the university towns of Bangor and [[Aberystwyth]]; and the villages of [[Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch]] (the longest place name in Britain) and [[Llanddewi Brefi]].
===Language===
see [[Welsh language]]

English is universally spoken in Wales - however, the ancestral Celtic language of [[Welsh Language|Welsh]] is still spoken as a first or second language by approximately a quarter of the population (In 2001, Apporximately 600,000 people claimed some knowledge of welsh). The long-term decline in Welsh-speakers has stabilised since the early 1990s owing to the introduction of compulsory Welsh language classes in schools.

The national emblems are the [[leek]] and the [[daffodil]]. The Welsh national day is March 1, [[Saint David]]'s day. The Welsh flag has a picture of a dragon, usually called Idris. The Welsh flag forms no part of the Union Flag as at the time the flag was first devised Wales was considered as part of the Kingdom of England.

==History==
===Medieval===
Wales emerged as a nation from the collapse of Romano-British Britannia following the invasions of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from the fifth century AD onwards. What is now known as Wales was for a time known as 'North Wales', while [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]] (in SW England) were 'West Wales' until their conquest. The Mercian king [[Offa]] (Mercia equates roughly to the English Midlands) created an substantial earthwork, [[Offa's Dyke]] running between the [[Irish Sea]] and the [[River Severn|Severn]] estuary in the later eighth century to separate his kingdom from Welsh lands. The dyke broadly marks the Anglo-Welsh boundary to this day.

The [[Norman Conquest]] of England following 1066 gave rise to Norman attempts to occupy Wales; by the thirteenth century much of eastern and southern Wales were under Norman control in autonomous 'Marcher Lordships' owing loyalty to the English crown. What was left of independent Wales was not a unitary nation, but comprised a number of separate, often warring, principalities, and only late on, under English pressure, did these unite to acknowledge one 'Prince of Wales'. These princes were provided by the most powerful of the Welsh states, Gwynedd, in the mountainous NW of the country. Most notable was [[Llewelyn the Great]] (1173-1240; who unified the country, and gave it a code of laws).
===English conquest===
His grandson, [[Llewelyn ap Gruffydd]], was unable to resist a powerful invasion mounted by the English king [[Edward I]], and his death in battle in 1282 and the later execution of his brother Daffyd (executed for treason due to his betrayal of the English king, with whom he had previously been allied) marked the extinction of independent Wales.

A number of huge fortifications were built by Edward to pacify the country, notably that of [[Caernafon Castle]], and maintained by his successors. These castles wer known as the ''Iron Ring''.

A major revolt against English rule was mounted in the early fifteenth century led by [[Owain Glyndwr]], a member of the prosperous Welsh gentry who became embittered against the local English magnates for reasons which are uncertain, but probably owe as much to personal disputes as national sentiment. Glyndwr's rebellion achieved astonishing success, for a while. Beginning on Good Friday 1401, the rebels came to control much of the countryside and many Welsh towns, even advancing to [[Worcester]] in England. Glyndwr, who had been proclaimed Prince of Wales, held two parliaments at Machynlleth in mid Wales, and allied himself with the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Mortimer in a plan to dismember the English kingdom once Henry IV had been conclusively defeated. He made an alliance with [[France]], and created two (short-lived) universities, one each in north and South Wales. However, by 1408 the tide had turned. His Northumbrian allies had been defeated and English forces retook many Welsh towns. The rebels resorted to guerilla warfare but by 1410 Glyndwr was a fugitive and he disappears from history, his fate a mystery.

Much as Owain Glyndwr emerged from the ranks of the Welsh gentry, so too did Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond, who in 1485, as a somewhat tendentious claimant to the throne of England through the Lancastrian line, led an army of disaffected English magnates to victory over the Yorkist king [[Richard III]] at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]]. Henry became King [[Henry VII]] and the progenitor of the [[Tudor dynasty]], the first Welsh king of England. Henry's son, [[Henry VIII]], completed the absorption of Wales into England in 1536, when the remaining parts of Wales were formally annexed to England and 'shired' - that is, divided into counties (shires) with sheriffs and lords lieutenant, rather than being ruled as marcher lordships.

===Schools===
“Ragged schools” were schools for children in rags, that is for poor and destitute children. They were established in the newly industrialized towns of Wales in the mid-Victorian period, drawing widespread support from all levels of society and from all religious denominations. Promoters of ragged schools combined evangelical and charitable motives in an effort to rescue children from lives of immorality and crime, and, despite a lack of qualified teachers, they did provide an education for children denied opportunities because of poverty. The schools provided instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic, and often some industrial training, and the movement achieved remarkable results before declining with the gradual introduction of compulsory free elementary schooling from 1870 onward.<ref> Russell Grigg, "The Origins and Growth of Ragged Schools in Wales, 1847-c.1900," ''History of Education'' 2002 31(3): 227-243</ref>
===Soccer===
Soccer became enormously popular in northeast Wales during 1870-90, a development that resembled the growth of the sport in England and reflected aspects of Welsh national identity. During this period, soccer transformed from an informal game enjoyed mostly by schoolchildren into a regulated, professional, and spectator-friendly sport. The growing popularity and interclass participation was seen as an agent of social cohesion and Victorian values of health, though frequent outbreaks of fighting during matches was frowned on by some religious groups. Soccer maintained its popularity in northeast Wales, but industrial decline generally meant that local teams could not as easily draw the same crowds and attract talented players as those in the English Midlands.<ref> Martin Johnes, and Ian Garland, "'The New Craze': Football and Society in North-east Wales, c. 1870-90," ''Welsh History Review'' 2004 22(2): 278-304</ref> Soccer was easily the most popular sport in Wales throughout the whole of the twentieth century.

===Religion===
Wales is known for the strength of Nonconformist denominations, especially the Methodists. Nonconformist social and political activism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was based more on moral and economic concerns than theological principles. Public controversy over publication of R. J. Campbell's ''The New Theology'' in 1907 sparked the development of a theology-based activism that strengthened Nonconformist ties with the radical labor movement and Socialism. It was similar to the [[Social Gospel]] in the United States, but more radical and more inclined toward socialism as promoted by the [[Labour Party]].<ref> Robert Pope, "From New Theology to Social Gospel," ''Welsh Journal of Religious History'' 2007 2: 87-104, </ref>

The major Nonconformist groups were the Baptists, Congregationalists, and three varieties of Methodists (the Calvinistic, Primitive, and Wesleyan). Each combined communal (largely involuntary involvement) and associational (voluntary involvement) aspects among their members and adherents. The membership declined during the early 20th century. To a large degree that decline is attributable to each church body becoming more associational, bureaucratic, and denominational. Connections to local communities broke down and promoted secularization although revivalism occurred to roll back the secularization process on occasion.<ref>Peter Yalden, "Association, Community and the Origins of Secularisation: English and Welsh Nonconformity, c. 1850-1930," ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 2004 55(2): 293-324 </ref>
====Revival of 1904-5====
From 1904 to 1905 Wales experienced a religious revival with a strong tone of what became [[Pentecostalism]]. It was most famously associated with Evan Roberts (1878-1951), but the movement was broad based with many leaders. Begun as an effort to kindle nondenominational, nonsectarian spirituality, the Welsh revival of 1904-05 coincided with the rise of the labor movement, socialism, and a general disaffection with religion among the working class and youths. While Roberts heavily emphasized the need for individual prayer in his revival, he also engaged in considerable preaching and, like other evangelists, acted spontaneously. Roberts's mental health was a topic of discussion among his followers and detractors at the time of the revival, a debate that has continued ever since. Evidence indicates he was not particularly stable prior to the revival, and that during the revival he claimed to possess various spiritual and supernatural powers. Not merely a Welsh phenomenon, the movement also spread to other countries. The revival produced some lasting effects including the establishment of Pentecostalism in Wales. Revivalists at firct condemned all activities not related to religion, prayer, and the service of God, it temporarily crippled the growing sport of rugby, itself an increasingly powerful element of Welsh identity. Within months, however, extremist views waned and innocuous pastimes and sport returned to Welsh daily life. International success for Wales in rugby matches in 1905 restored the sport's earlier standing and reinforced its place in the self-image of modern Wales. <ref> Robert Pope, "Demythologising the Evan Roberts Revival, 1904-1905," ''Journal of Ecclesiastical History'' 2006 57(3): 515-534</ref>

The revival lasted less than a year, but in that period 100,000 converts were made. The revival spread from south Wales to north Wales, then to Britain, and eventually to Los Angeles, California, where [[Pentecostalism]] flourished.<ref> Edward J. Gitre, "The 1904-05 Welsh Revival: Modernization, Technologies, and Techniques of the Self," ''Church History'' 2004 73(4): 792-827</ref>

==Prince of Wales==
[[Prince Charles|Charles]], eldest son of [[Queen Elizabeth II]], is the current Prince of Wales, a title normally bestowed on the first-born son of the sovereign but implying no particular monarchical role in the Principality.

Even today in modern Wales, vestiges of anti-English sentiment remain strong in some parts; the Welsh Nationalist Party, [[Plaid Cymru]] typically returns several members to the British [[Parliament]], and with the unaffiliated Welsh terrorist group the [[Meibion Glyndwr]], ("the Sons of Glendower") conducting a sporadic campaign of arson against English-owned holiday homes in recent years.<ref>http://www.welshdragon.net/resources/Articles/arson.shtml</ref>

== Government ==

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
|- bgcolor=cccccc
! Position || Current Holder
|-
| [[British_monarchy|Monarch]] || Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
|-
| [[UK_Prime_Ministers|Prime Minster]] || [[Gordon Brown]] MP
|-
| [[Secretary of State for Wales|Secretary of State]] || [[Peter Hain]] MP
|-
| [[First Minister of Wales|First Minister]] || [[Rhodri Morgan]] AM
|}

Although constitutionally the United Kingdom is a unitary state with one sovereign, parliament and government - there has been moves to give power to national legislature in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, this has taken the form of devolution. Power for certain areas of government like education, health and the environment are fully the responsibility of their national governments. However, central government maintains the right to overturn any decision by a national assembly, as as such the [[Parliament of the United Kingom]] remains sovereign in the United Kingdom as a whole.

=== Devolution ===
[[File:Wales1.jpg|thumb|200px]]
A [[National Assembly for Wales]] as established under the ''Government of Wales Act of 1998''. The assembly consists of 60 ''Assembly Members'' or ''AM''s. The [[Welsh Assembly Government]] is the executive arm who have been delegated much of the powers of the Assembly.

== Industry ==

South Wales was formerly heavily industrialised, with [[coal]] mining and [[steel]]working, whereas North Wales is a pastoral area used mainly for [[sheep]]farming.

[[Coal]] mining in South Wales has undergone a recent resurgence due to the discovery of new energy resources, particularly in the Crumlin area.

== Sport ==

[[Soccer]] enjoys major popularity, with [[rugby union]] being particularly popular in South Wales. In addition, as is common with many universities, both Cardiff and Aberystwyth Universities have their own American Football teams (the Cardiff Cobras and the Tarannau Aberystwyth), and there are other American Football teams in Wales<ref>http://www.southwaleswarriors.co.uk/cgi-bin/swwarriors/baseweb2.exe?vid=82057&src=794</ref> (indeed there are many other American Football teams in the whole of the UK<ref>http://www.bafa.org.uk/</ref>). Ice hockey is also extremely popular; major teams include the Cardiff Devils.

==See also==
* [[David Lloyd George]], powerful prime minister in World War I
* [[Welsh language]]

==Further reading==
* Davies, John. ''A History of Wales'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/History-Wales-John-Davies/dp/0140284753/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Evans, Chris. '''The Labyrinth of Flames': Work and Social Conflict in Early Industrial Merthyr Tydfil'' (1993). 237 pp.
* Fagge, Roger. ''Power, Culture and Conflict in the Coalfields: West Virginia and South Wales, 1900-1922'' (1996). 290 pp.
* Francis, Hywel and Smith, David. ''The Fed: A History of the South Wales Miners in the Twentieth Century'' (1980). 530 pp.
* Gilbert, David. ''Class, Community, and Collective Action: Social Change in Two British Coalfields, 1850-1926'' (1992). 293 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. ''A Concise History of Wales'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Wales-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521530717/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-10 excerpt and text search]
* Jenkins, Philip. ''A History of Modern Wales, 1536-1990'' (1992). 451 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. and Smith, J. Beverley, eds. ''Politics and Society in Wales, 1840-1922'' (1988). 201 pp.
* Jenkins, Geraint H. ''The Foundations of Modern Wales: Wales, 1642-1780'' (1988). 490 pp.
* Jones, J. Barry, and Denis Balsom, eds. ''The Road to the National Assembly of Wales'' (2000)
* Jones, Gareth Elwyn. ''Modern Wales: A Concise History, c. 1485-1979'' (1985). 364 pp.
* Jones, J. Gwynfor. ''Early Modern Wales, c. 1525-1640'' (1994).
* Jones, J. Gwynfor, ed. ''Class, Community, and Culture in Tudor Wales'' (1989). 300 pp.
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Wales in British Politics: 1868-1922'' (1963)
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Modern Wales: Politics, Places, and People'' (1995). 492 pp.
* Morgan, Kenneth O. ''Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980 (History of Wales) (Vol 6)'' (1981)
* Neil Evans, "'When Men and Mountains Meet': Historians' Explanations of the History of Wales, 1890-1970," ''Welsh History Review'' 2004 22(2): 222-251
** The the thesis advanced by Owen Morgan Edwards c. 1900 stressed geographical determinism, and was similar to contemporary findings in the United States by [[Frederick Jackson Turner]]. TheEdwards model was augmented and revised by subsequent generations of historians, most notably by John Lloyd and William Stubbs in their work on preconquest Wales, which considered questions of race and political organization. In later decades, Edward A. Lewis and William Rees followed with similar approaches to modern Welsh social and economic history, while A. H. Dodd and Glanmor Williams focused on Welsh industrialization.
* Owen, Trefor. ''Customs and Traditions of Wales'' (1991) 108pp
* Pope, Robert, ed. ''Religion and National Identity: Wales and Scotland c. 1700-2000'' (2001)
* Smith, Dai. ''Aneurin Bevan and the World of South Wales.'' (1993). 359 pp. 20c coal mining and politics
* Stephens, Meic, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales.'' (1986). 682 pp.
* Wallace, Ryland. ''Organise! Organise! Organise! A Study of Reform Agitations in Wales, 1840-1886'' (1991). 267 pp.
* Weisser, Henry. ''Wales: An Illustrated History'' (2003) [http://www.amazon.com/Wales-Illustrated-History-Hippocrene-Histories/dp/0781809363/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260143161&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Williams, Glanmor. ''The History of Wales, Vol. 3: Recovery, Reorientation, and Reformation: Wales, c. 1415-1642'' (1987). 528 pp.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Wales| ]]
[[Category:British History]]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2011-03-20T01:18:52Z

Brit1909:

'''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows''' (released on July 21, 2007) is the seventh novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series by [[J.K. Rowling]]. Harry is an adult now and has to finish off [[Lord Voldemort]]. The Dark Lord now controls [[Hogwarts]] and appoints his henchman [[Snape]] as headmaster. Harry has to destroy all of the Dark Lord's Horcruxes and then kill the Dark Lord himself. He eventually comes to Hogwarts to find the last Horcrux he needs to destroy. In the end he sees Voldemort murder Snape and discovers that Snape was only pretending to support Voldemort and had actually secretly been on the anti-Voldemort side the whole time. Harry manages to kill Voldemort at the end of the book.

[[Category:Novels]]

Winston Churchill

2011-03-20T01:17:15Z

Brit1909:

{{Prime Minister
|image=Solidgold.jpg
|seq=
|party=Conservative Party
|term_start=May 10, 1940
|term_end=1945
|previous=Neville Chamberlain
|next=Clement Attlee
|term_start2=1950
|term_end2=1955
|previous2=Clement Attlee
|next2=Anthony Eden
|birth_date=1874
|birth_place=
|death_date=1965
|death_place=
|spouse=
|spouse2=
|religion=[[Anglican]]
}}
The Right Honourable '''Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill''' (1874-1965) was an English statesman, orator, soldier and historian who served as Conservative [[Prime Minister]] of the [[United Kingdom]] for most of the [[Second World War]] and again from 1951-55. He was one of the few leaders to achieve high office in both World Wars and to write profusely about his experiences. Best known for his courageous leadership as British prime minister standing alone against Hitler's Germany, Churchill was a formidable politician over a half-century, as well as the historian whose interpretations shaped English language studies of both world wars. He was a leader of the Liberal party before it collapsed in the 1920s; then he rejoined the Conservative party. Although he supported the beginning of the welfare state around 1910, he was temperamentally and culturally a conservative, and he became a leading opponent of socialism after 1945, as well as an opponent of Gandhi's movement for the independence of India after 1930. Throughout his career he was pro-business and hostile to labour unions.
{{cquote|'''Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.'''}}
A larger-than-life character, famous for his trademark cigar and his reputation as a drinker (which he joyfully exaggerated), Churchill was also a talented amateur landscape painter and pilot, soldier, farmer, and even bricklayer. When he retired from the House of Commons in 1964, he had spent over six decades in public life, a career that ran from the last great British cavalry charge to the nuclear age.

==Career==
===Early life===
Churchill was a younger son of the top aristocracy. He was born in 1874 to Lord [[Randolph Churchill]] and an American mother.
Winston's father, Lord Randolph Churchill (1849–1895) was a third son of a poor English duke with a very famous family name; Randolph became a prominent Conservative politician. He married Jennie Jerome (1854–1921), the daughter of American millionaire Leonard Jerome. She was of colonial American stock of English ancestry and brought a dowry of £50,000. Churchill was born in [[Blenheim Palace]], the palace of the dukes of Marlborough. He had one brother, John Strange Churchill (1880–1947). The parents' marriage faltered, in part because of Lord Randolph's debilitating disease (which resembled syphilis); Lady Randolph became notorious for her romantic attachments, becoming known as "Lady Jane Snatcher." She liked Winston, but largely ignored him.<ref>. H. L. Le May, "Churchill, Jeanette (Lady Randolph Churchill) (1854–1921)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' 2004; [http://www.oxforddnb.com.proxy.cc.uic.edu/view/article/37282, online] </ref> His mother later became his ardent ally, helping him achieve key assignments as a war reporter and smoothing his career in politics. The son idealized his always-absent mother. "She shone for me like the Evening Star," Churchill later wrote. "I loved her dearly—but at a distance." <ref> Jenkins, ''Churchill,'' p. 8</ref>

Winston spent a typical upper-class childhood in the hands of nurses and headmasters at a succession of private schools from the age of eight. While he was no more neglected than most boys of his age and class, his sensitive nature suffered as a result of his parents' aloofness and he always regretted his failure to achieve a close relationship with his father, who died in 1895 at the age of only 45 and Winston was 21. Churchill rarely spoke with his father, who served as Secretary of state for India, Leader of the House and chancellor of the exchequer. However the son systematically adopted his father's ideas and political positions, and thereby became well known in political circles.

He entered Harrow School in 1888 with a track for the Army. Churchill had an independent and rebellious nature; he lacked self-discipline and displayed slovenly or unruly behaviour. His grades were poor apart from English and history; he avoided team sports but was a fencing champion. His father did not think he was smart enough for Oxford, so he went to the military academy at Sandhurst in 1893. He excelled at tactics, fortifications and horsemanship, graduating twentieth out of a class of 130 in 1894; he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant cavalry officer in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars, where he excelled at polo.

===Military experience===
Posted to Bangalore, India, in 1896, he ignored local conditions. His duties were done well before noon; apart from polo he did not socialize with his peers, who considered the slender, short, highly ambitious young man to be pushy, bumptious and not a proper gentleman.In 1902 the intellectual Beatrice Webb found him "egotistical, bumptious, shallow-minded and reactionary, but with a certain personal magnetism, great pluck and some originality, not of intellect but of character. More of the American speculator than the English aristocrat." <ref> Jenkins, ''Churchill,'' p. 148</ref> Churchill became an intellectual, as he immersed himself in the classics, devouring the works of Adam Smith, Gibbon, Macaulay, Hallam, Lecky, and Darwin. He carefully studied the parliamentary debates of the 1870s to 1890s, adding to them his own imaginary speeches. He never learned Latin or Greek so he fashioned a prose style modeled on the two finest writers among English historians, Gibbon and Macaulay. A book on the evolution of civilization that ridiculed Christianity<ref>Winwood Reade ''Martyrdom of Man'' (1872)</ref> led to his loss of religious faith; he believed in evolution and the inevitability of progress.

Between 1897 and 1900, with the aid of his mother's lobbying in London, Churchill fought in three imperial wars while doubling as a war correspondent and writing three books. In 1897 he joined three brigades in fighting a Pathan tribe. His lively account of the skirmishes proved he could write for the popular press; he received £5 per column from the ''Daily Telegraph'' and soon became the highest paid war correspondent in the world.

[[File:Churchill The River War.jpg|thumb|''The River War,'' one of Churchill's first books]]

In late 1899 Churchill went to South Africa as a war correspondent to cover the [[Second Boer War]]; his salary was a remarkable £250 per month plus expenses. Caught in an ambush Churchill was captured and held in a POW camp in Pretoria; he escaped--an adventure that made him a minor national hero. He rejoined General Redvers Buller's army on its march to relieve [[Ladysmith]] and take Pretoria. Churchill was one of the first British troops into Ladysmith and Pretoria. In 1900, he published two books on the Boer war, ''London to Ladysmith via Pretoria''<ref> online at [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14426]</ref> and ''Ian Hamilton's March''<ref> online at [http://books.google.com/books?id=27yKxqljk4gC&dq=inauthor:winston+inauthor:churchill&num=30].</ref>

Churchill's mother used her connections with the prince of Wales to get the her son assigned to the force commanded by Lord Kitchener for the reconquest of the [[Sudan]]. Churchill arrived just in time to join the cavalry charge at the battle of Omdurman (2 September 1898), in which his regiment galloped by accident into a ravine crammed with armed men. Churchill, who shot and killed at least three of the enemy, was cool, courageous and lucky.<ref> Over 30,000 Sudanese were killed, compared with 28 British soldiers. </ref> The ''Morning Post'' ran his stories, and the public snatched up his two-volume ''The River War: An Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan'' (1899)<ref> online at [http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/4943]</ref>. It displayed a remarkably sympathetic history of the Sudanese revolt against Egyptian rule. A speaking tour of Britain, the U.S. and Canada in 1900 netted £10,000, proving the funding he needed for a political-literary career.<ref> Churchill met [[Theodore Roosevelt]]; they resembled each other in many ways but never became friends.</ref>

===Early politics===
In late 1900, Churchill was elected to Parliament as a Conservative. His independent nature soon saw him at odds with his party, and in 1904 he "crossed the floor" to the Liberals, who won a landslide election in early 1906. He served the Liberal government as President of the Board of Trade and Home Secretary, where he helped pass social reform legislation that laid the foundations of the British welfare state.

When [[Herbert Henry Asquith]] became Prime Minister in 1908, Churchill was promoted to the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade. Working closely with [[David Lloyd George]] he helped pass major social welfare legislation, called the "New Liberalism.". Churchill focused on the "Trade Boards Bill," a scheme to end the sweatshops in the garment industry; on labour exchanges, designed to reduce unemployment by making job searches easier; and unemployment insurance for 3 million workers in cyclical industries. He supported Lloyd George's highly controversial "People's Budget" of 1909-10 (with spending increase of 11% and multiple tax increases that especially targeted rich landowners), even as it caused a constitutional crisis with the House of Lords.<ref> Jenkins, ''Churchill'' 157-66; Bruce K. Murray, "The Politics of the 'People's Budget'" ''The Historical Journal'', Vol. 16, No. 3 (Sep., 1973), pp. 555-570 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-246X(197309)16%3A3%3C555%3ATPOT'B%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W in JSTOR]</ref>

Churchill in 1910 denied that war with Germany was a threat and opposed the tripling of the warship budget proposed by the Admiralty.<ref>Jenkins, ''Churchill,'' 154-56 </ref> Churchill generally was on the winning side, though he was beaten on the warships.<ref> Jenkins, ''Churchill, ch 8</ref>

In 1910, Churchill was promoted to [[Home Secretary]]. Regarding a dispute at the Cambrian Colliery coal mine in Tonypandy, initially Churchill blocked the use of troops fearing a repeat of the 1887 "bloody Sunday" in Trafalgar Square. Nevertheless, he deployed soldiers to protect the mines and to avoid riots when thirteen strikers were tried for minor offences, an action that broke the tradition of not involving the military in civil affairs and led to lingering dislike for Churchill in Wales.

In 1911, he became First Lord of the Admiralty (civilian head of the Royal Navy), working especially to complete the conversion of ships from coal to oil. Together with his two First Sea Lords, Prince Louis of Battenberg and Admiral Lord Fisher, Churchill promoted fast, powerful battleships and outproduced the Germans to maintain British naval supremacy. He founded the Naval Air Service, and made numerous visits to ships and navy bases, where he was admired for his efforts to improve conditions for officers and crews.

===First World War===
At Churchill's direction, the fleet was at its war station before war broke out in 1914, but it was never able to engage the Germans in a decisive early sea battle. Churchill designed and supervised the Gallipoli campaign to force a route to [[Constantinople]] (now [[Istanbul]]). It was a unmitigated failure, and led to his removal from the Admiralty in May 1915. Reporting to his regiment in the trenches of Belgium, he was under fire for three months before returning to Parliament. In 1917, he was appointed Minister of Munitions and in 1919, Secretary for War and Air. He wrote a major 4-volume history of the war that added to his literary reputation.

===1920s===
As Colonial Secretary in 1921-22, he advocated the dropping of poison gas on rebellious tribes of Iraqi Arabs [http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHU407A.html]and during this period Churchill enjoyed two notable diplomatic achievements. At the 1921 Cairo conference, he helped establish the borders of the modern [[Middle East]], though he failed in his attempt to set up a Kurdish homeland "to protect the Kurds against some future bully in [[Iraq]]." Closer to home, he helped to forge the Irish Treaty, which kept the peace in Ireland for 50 years. Michael Collins, the IRA revolutionary with whom Churchill negotiated, said from his deathbed: "Tell Winston we could have done nothing without him."

In 1924, Churchill rejoined the Conservatives, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer through spring 1929. He returned Britain to the gold standard and ran a government newspaper, ''The British Gazette'', during the general strike of 1926, and is still remembered in South Wales as the politician who sent tanks onto the streets to force striking miners back to work.
===Political exile in 1930s===
[[File:Churchill Sunset over Atlas Mountains, Marrakech 1935.jpg|thumb|Sunset over Atlas Mountains, Marrakesh, 1935.]]
He became increasingly separated from the Conservatives in the 1930s, first over the plan to grant India dominion status; later over Britain's slow rearmament in the face of Hitler's aggression; and finally when he championed King Edward VIII, who abdicated in 1936.

{{Clear}}

===Second World War===
Not until war had broken out again in 1939 was he asked to rejoin the Government, again becoming First Lord of the Admiralty, which according to legend, signaled to its ships: "Winston is Back." He renewed his energetic naval policies but was repulsed in an attempt to wrest Norway from the invading Germans in April 1940, having first had to drop ambitious plans to invade neutral Sweden.

With the Nazi blitzkrieg pouring into the [[Low Countries]] in May, 1940, The British Prime Minister [[Neville Chamberlain]] resigned and Churchill was appointed Prime Minister as head of in an all-party coalition government with Labour and the Liberals. Although Britain continued to be defeated elsewhere, in the [[Battle of Britain]] the German Air Force was unable to gain the air superiority required for an invasion of Britain. In those months, as Edward R. Murrow said, "he mobilized the English language and sent it into battle." Some of Churchill's most famous speeches were given at this time. The Germans turned their attention east, to their ally the Soviet Union.

After Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Churchill saw the chance to defeat Hitler using Soviet manpower. He vowed to help the Soviets, declaring, "If Hitler invaded hell I would at least make a favorable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons."

By 1940 Churchill had developed close ties with U.S. President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], he secured American military aid and financial support, but his ultimate goal was to have America fighting at Britain's side. Together they proclaimed the "[[Atlantic Charter]]" in 1941. The U.S. became the "Arsenal of Democracy," using [[Lend Lease]] to send $50 billion in military supplies to the Allies; most went to Britain, which in turn sent munitions to Russia.<ref>Lend Lease was free and did not have to be repaid, although transport ships were to be returned after the war, and some were.</ref> When the United States declared war after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, Churchill admitted that he "slept the sleep of the saved and the thankful."

Europe was the centre of his attention; the Australians complained about his neglect of their interests (and turned to the U.S. for protection). Recalling the horrible death tolls of 1914-1918, he was reluctant to invade France, proposing instead invasions of North Africa and Italy (which took place in 1942-43) and the Balkans (which did not happen). Churchill strongly supported the strategic air campaign that bombed enemy cities, railyards and oil refineries. He worked very well with [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], the American general in overall command of the invasion of France that was launched successfully in June 1944. Despite complaints by senior generals and admirals that Churchill interfered too much in military matters, he was successful in balancing the economic, manpower, diplomatic, psychological and military dimensions of the war.

===Defeat in 1945===
Churchill was disappointed by the failure to control an expansionist Soviet Union toward the end of the war, and watched with mounting concern another totalitarian state rise dominant in Europe. To the amazement of many outside Britain, his party was routed in the 1945 general election and he became Leader of the Opposition. His famous "Iron Curtain" speech at Fulton, Missouri, in 1946 was the opening salvo and warning of the Cold War, unpopular at the time but later considered prophetic. In 1949, he predicted the demise of Communism, "ignited by a spark coming from God knows where, and in a moment the whole system of lies and oppression is on trial for its life."
===Return in 1951===
In 1951 the Conservatives regained an electoral majority and Churchill became prime minister again, but he was disappointed in his effort to achieve a peaceful settlement of cold war antagonisms, and his domestic record was indifferent. He became a Knight of the Garter, acquiring the title "Sir Winston" in 1953.

Suffering from age and poor health, he retired in April 1955, but remained a Member of Parliament for another nine years. He declined a peerage in order to remain in Commons. In 1963 he was declared an Honorary Citizen of the United States by President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He died at age 90 on January 24, 1965. [http://www.churchill.navy.mil/site%20pages/history.aspx]
==Churchill as historian==
Churchill was a prolific historian with a lively style and a very wide audience. won the 1953 [[Nobel Prize]] for [[Literature]], bestowed for his numerous books on history, biography and politics. His greatest biography was ''Marlborough'' (4 volumes, 1933-38); his best-known historical work was ''A History of the English-Speaking Peoples'' (4 volumes, 1956-1958). His personal memoirs, ''My Early Life'' (1930), ''The World Crisis'' (5 volumes, 1923-31) and ''The Second World War'' (6 volumes, 1948-53) are readable personal accounts of his Victorian youth and the two world wars. In all, Churchill wrote over 40 titles in over 60 volumes, nearly 1,000 articles and uncounted speeches.

Churchill wrote ''Lord Randolph Churchill'', a two-volume biography of his father which was published in 1906 and received much critical acclaim. Some historians suggest Churchill used the book in part to vindicate his own career and in particular to justify crossing the floor.<ref>James, ''Churchill a study in failure'' p34-35</ref> His ''The World Crisis'' (six volumes, 1923–31) was a broad-scale history of the First World War, with Churchill never far offstage. His greatest work was , ''The Second World War'' (six volumes, 1948–53), using secret papers not available to other for many years; he did not reveal the prime secret of breaking the German codes (which was revealed in the early 1970s). Churchill's highly detailed narrative structured much of the historiography for the first decade or two after the war, especially in his analysis and denunciation of the appeasement policy of the late 1930s.<ref> See Reynolds (2001) and Reynolds (2005)</ref>

===Evaluation===
Asked to summarize Churchill in one sentence, his biographer Martin Gilbert said: "He was a great humanitarian who was himself distressed that the accidents of history gave him his greatest power at a time when everything had to be focused on defending the country from destruction, rather than achieving his goals of a fairer society."

To Martin Gilbert also we owe these last lines from Sir Winston's biography: "When at last his life's great impulses were fading, Churchill's daughter Mary paid him perhaps the most eloquent tribute of all: 'In addition to all the feelings a daughter has for a loving, generous father, I owe you what every Englishman, woman & child does--Liberty itself.'"

Margot Asquith said it was not his mind or uneven judgment Britons respected but rather "his courage and colour — his amazing mixture of industry and enterprise." "He never shirks, hedges or protects himself; he takes huge risks."<ref> quoted in David Fromkin, ''A Peace to End All Peace'' (2001) p. 54</ref>

[[Image:Sir Winston Churchill.jpg|right]]

== Famous Quotes ==

*Winston Churchill, election broadcast (May, 1945) '''"I must tell you that a socialist policy is abhorrent to British ideas on freedom. There is to be one State, to which all are to be obedient in every act of their lives. This State, once in power, will prescribe for everyone: where they are to work, what they are to work at, where they may go and what they may say, what views they are to hold, where their wives are to queue up for the State ration, and what education their children are to receive. A socialist state could not afford to suffer opposition - ''no socialist system can be established without a political police''. They (the Labour government) would have to fall back on some form of Gestapo."'''

*"Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

*"Delight in smooth-sounding platitudes, refusal to face unpleasant facts, desire for popularity and electoral success irrespective of the vital interests of the State, genuine love of peace and pathetic belief that love can be its sole foundation, obvious lack of intellectual vigor in both leaders of the British coalition government,… the strong and violent pacifism which at this time dominated the Labour-Socialist Party, the utter devotion of the Liberals to sentiment apart from reality … constituted a picture of British fatuity and fecklessness which, though devoid of guile, was not devoid of guilt, and, though free from wickedness or evil design, played a definite part in unleashing upon the world of horrors and miseries which even so far as they have unfolded, are already beyond comparison in human experience." (Referring to Britain's culpability in the rise of Hitler's Germany and its results.) <ref>Winston S. Churchill, ''The Second World War: The gathering storm'', p. 80</ref>

*"Winston, if I were married to you I'd put poison in your coffee"...."Nancy, if I were married to you I'd drink it." ''(Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess Astor, b.1879, speaking to Sir Winston, and his reply, this occurred during a weekend house party at Blenheim Palace in the early 1930's)''

*"'''I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, "come then, let us go forward together with our united strength."'''[http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=435]

*The power of the Executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him the judgment of his peers, is in the highest degree odious and is the foundation of all totalitarian government whether Nazi or Communist" -- Winston Churchill, November 21, 1943.

*We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing-grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender! ''Speech in the House of Commons, 4 June 1940, following the evacuation of British and French armies from Dunkirk, as the German tide swept through France.[http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=388#Never_give_in]

*What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over. I expect that the battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization. Upon it depends our own British life, and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire. The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may more forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their Finest Hour." ''Speech in the House of Commons, 18 June 1940, following the collapse of France. Many thought Britain would follow. [http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=388#Finest]

*The gratitude of every home in our island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. ''Tribute to the Royal Air Force, House of Commons, 20 August 1940. He had worked out the phrase about "The Few" in his mind as he visited the Fighter Command airfields in Southern England.'' [http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=388#so_much_owed]

==See also==
* [[Yalta conference]]
* [[Charles de Gaulle]]
* [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]

==Bibliography==
===Biographies===
* Addison, Paul. "Churchill, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer (1874–1965)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,'' [http://www.oxforddnb.com.proxy.cc.uic.edu/view/article/32413, online]
* Addison, Paul. ''Churchill: The Unexpected Hero.'' (2005). 320 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Unexpected-Hero-Paul-Addison/dp/0199297436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226209264&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Best, Geoffrey. ''Churchill: A Study in Greatness'' (2003), 400pp; very well received biography
* Blake, Robert. ''Winston Churchill. Pocket Biographies'' (1997), 110 pages
* Charmley, John. ''Churchill, The End of Glory: A Political Biography'' (1993). revisionist; favors Chamberlain; says Churchill weakened Britain
* D'Este, Carlo. ''Warlord: A Life of Winston Churchill at War, 1874-1945'' (2008), stresses his many military roles.
* Gilbert, Martin. ''Churchill: A Life'' (1992); one volume version of 8-volume life (8900 pp); amazing detail but as Rasor complains, "no background, no context, no comment, no analysis, no judgments, no evaluation, and no insights." [http://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Life-Martin-Gilbert/dp/0805023968/ref=pd_bbs_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226208898&sr=8-11 excerpt and text search]
* Heywood, Samantha. ''Churchill'' (2003) 162 pp, [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104529861 online edition]
* James, Robert Rhodes. ''Churchill: A Study in Failure, 1900-1939'' (1970), 400 pp.
* Jenkins, Roy. ''Churchill: A Biography'' (2001), 1000 pp; strong on Parliamentary roles [http://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Roy-Jenkins/dp/0452283523/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226209134&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search]
* Keegan, John. ''Winston Churchill'' (2002) 208 pp [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0670030791/ref=sib_dp_pop_ex/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&p=S00F#reader-link online excerpt]
* Manchester, William. ''The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory 1874-1932'', 1983; vol 2 is ''The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940'', 1988,; no more published [http://www.amazon.com/Last-Lion-Winston-Spencer-Churchill/dp/0316545031/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226208898&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Pelling, Henry. ''Winston Churchill'' (1974), 736pp; comprehensive biography
* Rose, Norman. ''Churchill: An Unruly Life'' (1994), full-length biography [http://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Unruly-Giant-Norman-Rose/dp/0028740092/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226209166&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Wrigley, Chris. ''Winston Churchill: A Biographical Companion.'' ABC-CLIO, 2002. 367 pp.; online at some libraries

===Specialized studies===
* Addison, Paul. ''Churchill on the Home Front 1900-1955'' (1992)
* Ball, Stuart. "Churchill and the Conservative Party," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'' 6th Ser., Vol. 11 (2001), pp. 307-330 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4401%282001%296%3A11%3C307%3ACATCP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D in JSTOR]
* Bell, Christopher M. "Winston Churchill, Pacific Security, and the Limits of British Power, 1921-41," in John H. Maurer, ed. ''Churchill and Strategic Dilemmas before the World Wars'' (2003) pp 51-120 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108530166# online edition]
* Ben-Moshe, Tuvia. ''Churchill, Strategy and History.'' 1992, covers world wars [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=98438222 online edition]
* Beschloss, Michael R. ''The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/Conquerors-Roosevelt-Destruction-Hitlers-1941-1945/dp/0743244540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226208863&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Best, Geoffrey. ''Churchill and War.'' 2005. 353 pp.
* Blake, Robert and Louis William Roger, eds. ''Churchill: A Major New Reassessment of His Life in Peace and War'' Oxford UP, 1992, 581 pp; 29 essays by scholars on specialized topics[http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=26340770 online edition]
* Callahan, Raymond. ''Churchill and His Generals,'' (2007) 310pp
* Cannadine, David. "Churchill and the British Monarchy," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'' 6th Ser., Vol. 11 (2001), pp. 249-272 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4401%282001%296%3A11%3C249%3ACATBM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-G in JSTOR]
* Charmley, John. ''Churchill's Grand Alliance: The Anglo-American Special Relationship 1940-57'' (1996)
* Charmley, John. "Churchill and the American Alliance," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'' 6th Ser., Vol. 11 (2001), pp. 353-371 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4401%282001%296%3A11%3C353%3ACATAA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-U in JSTOR]
* Danchev, Alex. "'Dilly-Dally', or Having the Last Word: Field Marshal Sir John Dill and Prime Minister Winston Churchill," ''Journal of Contemporary History'' Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jan., 1987), pp. 21-44 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-0094%28198701%2922%3A1%3C21%3A%27OHTLW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-E in JSTOR]
* Delaney, Douglas E. "Churchill and the Mediterranean Strategy: December 1941 to January 1943." ''Defence Studies'' 2002 2(3): 1-26. Issn: 1470-2436 Fulltext: in Ebsco
* Gilbert, Martin. ''Churchill and America'' 2005. 352 pp.
* Gorodetsky, Gabriel. "The Origins of the Cold War: Stalin, Churchill and the Formation of the Grand Alliance," ''Russian Review'' Vol. 47, No. 2 (Apr., 1988), pp. 145-170 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0036-0341%28198804%2947%3A2%3C145%3ATOOTCW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 in JSTOR] 7
* Jablonsky, David. "Churchill and Technology," in John H. Maurer, ed. ''Churchill and Strategic Dilemmas before the World Wars'' (2003) pp 121-158 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108530166# online edition]
* Keegan, John, ed. ''Churchill's Generals'' (1991) 17 essays by experts
* Kersaudy, François. ''Churchill and De Gaulle'' 1981
* Kimball, Warren. ''Forged in war: Churchill, Roosevelt and the Second World War'' (1997)
* Lambakis, Steven James. ''Winston Churchill, Architect of Peace: A Study of Statesmanship and the Cold War'' (1994) 194 pp. [http://www.questia.com/library/book/winston-churchill-architect-of-peace-a-study-of-statesmanship-and-the-cold-war-by-steven-james-lambakis.jsp online edition]
* Larres, Klaus. ''Churchill's Cold War: The Politics of Personal Diplomacy.'' Yale U. Press, 2002. 569 pp.
* Lawlor, Sheila. ''Churchill and the politics of war, 1940–1941'' (1993)
* Lewin, Ronald. ''Churchill as warlord'' (1973)
* Lukacs, John. ''Churchill: Visionary, Statesman, Historian'' 2002. 202pp, interpretive essays
* Marder, Arthur. ''Winston is back: Churchill at the admiralty, 1939–1940'' (1973)
* Massie, Robert ''Dreadnought: Britain, Germany and the Coming of the Great War''; ch 40-41 on Churchill at Admiralty
* Maurer, John H. "The 'Ever-Present Danger': Winston Churchill's Assessment of the German Naval Challenge before the First World War" in John H. Maurer, ed. ''Churchill and Strategic Dilemmas before the World Wars'' (2003) pp 7-50 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108530166# online edition]
* Miner, Steven Merritt. ''Between Churchill and Stalin: The Soviet Union, Great Britain, and the Origins of the Grand Alliance'' (1988) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=3063617 online edition]
* Parker, R. A. C. ed. ''Winston Churchill: studies in statesmanship'' (1995), scholarly studies
* Parker, R. A. C. ''Churchill and appeasement'' (2000)
* Wrigley, Chris. "Churchill and the Trade Unions," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'' 6th Ser., Vol. 11 (2001), pp. 273-293 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4401%282001%296%3A11%3C273%3ACATTU%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q in JSTOR]
* Young, John W. ''Winston Churchill's Last Campaign: Britain and the Cold War, 1951-5'' 1996 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=9663209 online edition]
* Young, John W. "Churchill and East-West Detente," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'' 6th Ser., Vol. 11 (2001), pp. 373-392 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4401%282001%296%3A11%3C373%3ACAED%3E2.0.CO%3B2-1 in JSTOR]

===Historiography===
* Ashley, Maurice. "Churchill and History," ''International Affairs'' Vol. 42, No. 1. (Jan., 1966), pp. 87-94. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0020-5850%28196601%2942%3A1%3C87%3ACAH%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D in JSTOR], Churchill as author
* Ramsden, John. ''Man of the Century: Winston Churchill and His Legend since 1945.'' Columbia U. Press, 2003. 672 pp.
* Rasor, Eugene L. ''Winston S. Churchill, 1874-1965: A Comprehensive Historiography and Annotated Bibliography.'' Greenwood Press. 2000. 710 pp. describes several thousand books and scholarly articles. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=71893658 online edition]
* Reynolds, David. ''In Command of History: Churchill Fighting and Writing the Second World War.'' 2005. 631 pp.
* Reynolds, David. "Churchill's writing of history: appeasement, autobiography and ''The Gathering Storm''", ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'', 6th ser., 11 (2001), 221–48 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0080-4401(2001)6%3A11%3C221%3ACWOHAA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-2 online edition]
* Stansky, Peter, ed. ''Churchill: A Profile'' 1973, 270 pp. essays for and against Churchill by leading scholars
* Wood, Ian S. ''Churchill'' 2000. 209pp evaluates numerous studies

===Primary sources===
* Churchill, Winston. ''Lord Randolph Churchill'' (1906) [http://books.google.com/books?id=u_PW93hcmBAC&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:winston+inauthor:churchill&num=30#PPR13,M1 online edition]
* Churchill, Winston. ''The World Crisis'' (six volumes, 1923–31), 1-vol edition (2005); on World War I. Vol. I, 1911-1914; Vol. II, 1915; Vol. III, 1916-1918 Part I; Vol. IV, 1916-1918 Part II; and Vol. V: The Aftermath.
* Churchill, Winston. ''The Second World War'' (six volumes, 1948–53); ''Vol. I, The Gathering Storm; Vol. II, Their Finest Hour; Vol. III, The Grand Alliance; Vol. IV, The Hinge of Fate; Vol. V, Closing the Ring; and Vol. VI, Triumph and Tragedy;'' [http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Second-World-Abridgement-Volumes/dp/0395599687/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226208898&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search from 1-vol. abridged edition (1991)]; [http://www.amazon.com/Second-World-War-Six-Boxed/dp/039541685X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226208898&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search complete edition]
* Churchill, Winston. ''Lord Randolph Churchill'' (1907) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5477600 online edition], biography of his father
* Gilbert, Martin, ed. ''Winston S. Churchill: Companion'' 15 vol (14,000 pages) of Churchill and other official and unofficial documents. Part 1: I. Youth, 1874-1900, 1966, 654 pp. (2 vol); II. Young Statesman, 1901-1914, 1967, 796 pp. (3 vol); III. The Challenge of War, 1914-1916, 1971, 1024 pp. (3 vol); IV. The Stricken World, 1916-1922, 1975, 984 pp. (2 vol); Part 2: The Prophet of Truth, 1923-1939, 1977, 1195 pp. (3 vol); II. Finest Hour, 1939-1941, 1983, 1328 pp. (2 vol entitled The Churchill War Papers); III. Road to Victory, 1941-1945, 1986, 1437 pp. (not published, 4 volumes are anticipated); IV. Never Despair, 1945-1965, 1988, 1438 pp. (not published, 3 volumes anticipated, See the editor's memoir, Martin Gilbert, ''In Search of Churchill: A Historian's Journey,'' (1994).
* James, Robert Rhodes, ed. ''Winston S. Churchill: His Complete Speeches, 1897-1963.'' 8 vols. London: Chelsea, 1974, 8917 pp.
*David Coombs, ''Sir Winston Churchill, His life through his paintings,'' Pegasus, 2003
* Winston Churchill. ''Victory: War Speeches by the Right Hon. Winston S. Churchill,'' (1946) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=13536012 online edition]
* Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. ''Roosevelt and Churchill: Their Secret Wartime Correspondence'' ed by Francis L. Loewenheim, Harold D. Langley and Manfred Jonas (1975) 807 pgs [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=7896020 online edition]
* Winston Churchill and Dwight D. Eisenhower. ''The Churchill-Eisenhower Correspondence, 1953-1955'' ed by Peter G. Boyle; University of North Carolina Press, 1990 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=35246690 online edition]
* Winston Churchill and Harry S. Truman. ''Defending the West: The Truman-Churchill Correspondence, 1945-1960'' ed by G. W. Sand; (2004) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=106807897 online edition]

==External links==
*[http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/churchill_papers/biography/churchill_chronology.php Churchill College Biography of Winston Churchill]
*[http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=452 Books written by Churchill]
* [http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=110 online Winston S. Churchill, "Churchill's American Heritage'' ], essay by his grandson
*[http://www.iwm.org.uk Imperial War Museum]: [[Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms]]. Comprising the original underground War Rooms perfectly preserved since 1945, from which Churchill ran the War, including the Cabinet Room, the Map Room and Churchill's bedroom, and the new Museum dedicated to Churchill's life.
*[http://www.badley.info/history/Churchill-Winston-Leonard-Spencer-Great-Britain.biog.html Winston Churchill Chronology World History Database]
*[http://www.chu.cam.ac.uk/archives/home.shtml Churchill Archives Centre, based at Churchill College, Cambridge]
* [http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/churchill/interactive Churchill and the Great Republic]. WC'a lifelong relationship with the United States.
* [http://www.churchill.nls.ac.uk documents edited by the National Library of Scotland]
*[http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_speakingofhistory_archive.html Audio about the Winston Churchill Memorial and Library at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri from the Speaking of History podcast #17 - site also includes video slideshow of the museum]
*'''War Cabinet Minutes''' [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/cab_195_1_transcript.pdf (1942 - 42)], [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/cab_195_2_transcript.pdf (1942 - 43)], [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/cab_195_3_transcript.pdf (1945 - 46)], [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/cab_195_4_transcript.pdf (1946 - 46)]
*[http://www.ena.lu MCE European NAvigator] European Union History tool, contains a number of Churchill recordings etc.
===Speeches===
*[http://www.churchill-speeches.com/ http://www.churchill-speeches.com/]
*[http://www.historychannel.com/broadband/clipview/index.jsp?id=v3t4 Audio of Churchill's "finest hour" speech]
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20050206200958/http://www.blenheimpalace.com/Time_line_the_family.htm Timeline of the Spencer-Churchill family]
*[http://www.soundboard.com/sb/winston.aspx Winston Churchill Audio Soundboard]

====notes====
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Churchill, Winston}}
[[Category:United Kingdom Prime Ministers]]
[[Category:World War I]]
[[Category:World War II]]
[[Category:1920s]]
[[Category:Cold War]]
[[Category:Historians]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Literature]]
[[Category:British History]]
[[Category:Diplomacy]]
[[Category:Painters]]

Prince William of Wales

2011-03-20T01:13:01Z

Brit1909: I think 'heir presumptive' is if he can be displaced if someone else with a better claim is born - which is not possible in this case

'''Prince William of Wales''' (born 1982) is second in line to the crown of the [[United Kingdom]]. He is the son of Charles, [[Prince of Wales]] (the heir apparent) (born 1948) and [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] (1961-1997). He was educated at [[Eton College]] and at [[St Andrews]] University, [[Scotland]], where he gained a degree in [[geography]]. He subsequently attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst and has since joined the [[RAF]], becoming a Flight Lieutenant in the Search and Rescue Force. He is engaged to Kate Middleton; they are due to be married in April 2011. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/11/16/prince-william-engaged-kate-middleton/ Associated Press; William Engaged to Kate Middleton]</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category: United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Royalty]]

Talk:Scotland

2011-03-20T01:06:30Z

Brit1909: /* Locked? */ new section

in scottland, the kilt(that spelled right?) isnt that like your family's colors? --[[User:Will N.|Will N.]] 11:54, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

Yes Will N, the kilt is a tradtional dress still worn at weddings and social functions that is made in the clan (think family) tartan. Each tartan is comprised of colours specific to that family.

And Ed Poor, please can you stop removing the kilt picture. It is incredibly disrespectful to the Scots to remove not only a picture depicting their National dress but also their First Minister. The kilt has nothing to do with homosexuality, which frankly, is a topic that is discussed far too often on this site. [[User:Trashbat|Trashbat]] 12:16, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

== Kilts ==

Kilts are an item of dress, it is the tartan that has an association with families, or more accurately, Clan. In addition many public bodies have their own particular tartan. In the picture, Jack McConnell is seen wearing a pin-stripe kilt as part of an effort to promote Tartan Day.

Kilts are often made from Family/Clan Tartans, though not exclusively - there are many designs that have no particular family affiliation (such as Regimental designs) - Kilts are aso worn with somewhat plainer designs as well, and have even been made from leather..
I think the map is more appropriate than the pic of Jack McConnell - he is an elected representative, and does not necessarily epitomise Scottishness (indeed - pending the outcome of the general election on Thursday 03-May-2007, he may or may not continue as First Minister.) --[[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 17:45, 01 May 2007 (BST)

I've replaced the picture with one more <s>dull</s> appropriate.[[User:LordWhimsey|LordWhimsey]]
08:49, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

== homosexuality and the kilt - the link ==
[[Image:JackMcConnell.png|right|thumb|A scotsman wearing his skirt (known as a [[kilt]] in Scotland)([http://photos3.flickr.com/3348884_7b5cbe90be.jpg])]]'
em there is none - and I suggest any americans who visit scotland don't make suggest that linkage to members of, for example, her Maj's 51 (Scottish) Brigade. A frank and full exchange of viewpoints might then occur! --[[User:Cgday|Cgday]] 15:05, 1 May 2007 (EDT)

:This being Conservapedia, surely one would expect the description of Scotland by the leading [[conservative]] [[Christian]] [[Pat Robertson]], to be included in the article. He described Scotland as a "''dark country full of [[homosexual]]s''"<ref>http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/europe/9906/02/scotland.robertson/</ref>. [[User:Auld Nick|Auld Nick]] 05:57, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

::Not in the lead. And not [[out of context]]. Also, a photo of a man in a skirt rather than in a traditional plaid [[kilt]] makes more of a statement about [[homosexuality]], [[gender identity disorder]] or [[cross-dressing]] than it does about Scotland. Try to keep your mind on the purpose of this project. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 08:33, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

:::What? since when is a skirt and a kilt the same thing? Ed, you're way in the wrong on this one. [[User:Jrssr5|Jrssr5]] 08:42, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

:::Ed, you are wrong - check out this website to see how the kilt is evolving - traditional kilts are only part of it [http://www.21stcenturykilts.com/home.htm].

::::Wrong about what? Please restate the assertion you think I have made. (The fashion photo you showed me of contemporary young people doesn't tell me what you mean.) --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 08:58, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

::::: You asserted that "a photo of a man in a skirt rather than in a traditional plaid kilt makes more of a statement about homosexuality, gender identity disorder or cross-dressing than it does about Scotland." Whereas the link I provided shows that all kinds of non-traditional materials (denim, leather, camouflage patterns, tweed, pinstripe suit cloth, etc.) are being used to make kilts. The photo is of a man in a modern kilt. You assert that it is a skirt. Homosexuality and transvestisism are in no way associated with modern kilts. You assert that they are. To Scots, such words are particularly offensive.[[User:LordWhimsey|LordWhimsey]] 09:06, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

::[[User:Ed Poor|Ed]], even if the quote was [[out of context]] what is wrong with showing the conservative view of Scotland? Pro-Gaiety and homosexualism is rife in Scotland:
::*The repeal of laws banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/800673.stm</ref>
::*The legalisation of so called gay marriage <ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4494882.stm </ref>
::*Allowing homosexuals to adopt children <ref>http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1356432006 </ref>
::*Allowing homosexual teachers to teach homosexual sex to children <ref>http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=754672006</ref>
::*Open encouragement of homosexual soldiers and policemen <ref>http://www.gpascotland.com/050827.htm</ref>
::*The banning of pro-Christian opinions at sports events <ref>http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=387732007</ref>
::Those are just a few from the multitude of examples of how the [[homosexual agenda]] is permeating Scotland. Surely Scotland is a "''dark country full of [[homosexual]]s''" and this should be reflected here?
::[[User:Auld Nick|Auld Nick]] 09:07, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

Kilts are *not* skirts - the difference isn't subtle... it's interesting the connection some draw between 'cross-dressing' and kilt wearing; whenever I wear my kilt (especially in England and elsewhere) it usually attracts lots of attention from women...
'a dark country full of homosexuals' - I'm not even going to be drawn on that one, but featuring it prominently hardly does anything for the credibility of the article as a whole. --[[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 15:03, 02 May 2007 (BST)

:Spin, your statement that a [[kilt]] is not a skirt disagrees with the caption Nick put on the image to our upper right. The words ''Scotsman wearing his skirt (known as a [[kilt]] in Scotland)'' imply (1) that the man was wearing a skirt and (2) that a skirt is known as a kilt in Scotland.

:Would the two of you please sort this out. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 10:09, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

I see your point. The article that Jack McConnell is wearing is a kilt. Skirts are not known as kilts - the two words are not synonymous. Although kilts are mostly associated with male attire, this isn't universally true by any means. --[[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 15:21, 02 May 2007 (BST)

Might be worth clarifying the whole kilt issue, either by adding to this article (Traditional Attire section?) or by creating a separate linked page for the kilt. Perhaps one of our resident Scots would be able to? --[[User:Trashbat|Trashbat]] 13:06, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

I'd be happy that the image be replaced with a piper but I'm having difficulty finding a fair use one. Probably worth noting that most images of pipers will be in full ceremonial garb (kilt, sporran, etc). Perhaps someone will have more luck than I finding a suitable image. --[[User:Trashbat|Trashbat]] 13:24, 2 May 2007 (EDT)

At the risk of going round in circles, again the Pat Robertson comment - with respect, who is this guy? (I don't mean literally - I know who he is) There is no indication of how his opinion is relevant - whether or not you consider it to be true, it just sounds like abuse, which just undermines the credibility of (at least) the whole article. --[[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 11:04, 04 May 2007 (BST)

:Mr. Robertson's opinion is important as an example of Conservative thinking. Here at Conservapedia [[homosexuality]] is taken very seriously as can be seen at that article and others such as [[homosexual agenda]], [[gay rights]], [[homophobia]] and their accompanying talk pages. It is important that such matters are given a prominent position in Conservapedia, for example the [[Main Page]] news items such as [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Tfa&oldid=139637 this], [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Tfa&oldid=131062 this], [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Tfa&oldid=130326 this] and [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Tfa&oldid=85632 this]. Such conservative facts ([[Conservapedia:Differences with Wikipedia|Differences with Wikipedia No. 9]]) are always displayed prominently and not censored like at the [[Liberal bias|liberally biased]] [[Examples of Bias in Wikipedia|Wikipedia]]. In fact I think the information in question should appear right at the top of the article.
:[[User:Auld Nick|Auld Nick]] 15:12, 4 May 2007 (EDT)

::Ok. Pat Robertson's opinions are clearly in line with many(most? ..I don't know) conservative thinkers, at least in the US. ('Conservative' has a related but slightly different meaning in the UK)

::(from [[Racism]]) 'Racism is making broad generalizations about a group of people based on percieved notions' - articles in the press are designed to be provocative and inflammatory - that doesn't necessarily cast doubt on the truth of the information they refer to, but they are far from a foolproof source, not very indicative of the nature of a culture.
::I'm not accusing Pat Robertson of racism, but he's a bit close to the wire. (I suspect he would argue about 'perceived notions' - and whether he was making a 'broad generalisation')

::I'm not sure what you mean by 'Conservative Facts' - it's definitely a fact that Pat Robertson said that, but the truth of it is a different thing altogether..

::I understand that it is important that the guiding principles of Conservapedia are enforced, but the article seems to have more to say about the authors' abhorrence of homosexuality than it does about it's subject matter - irrespective of your views, that doesn't do any good at all. [[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 11:03, 07 May 2007 (BST)

:::[[Liberal]]ism seems to have won the day and the truth about the pernicious [[homosexual agenda]] has been ''hidden away'' in the article [[Church of Scotland]] where I assume the hope is that no one will find it.
:::People looking for information about Scotland are being denied some very important [[Conservapedia:Differences with Wikipedia|conservative facts]]. [[User:Auld Nick|Auld Nick]] 12:05, 12 May 2007 (EDT)

:::: "the truth about the pernicious [[homosexual agenda]]" Ah yes. That old chestnut. Far an taine ‘n abhainn, ‘s ann as mò a fuaim. --[[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 15:49, 14 May 2007 (BST)

:::Dèan magadh air na-h pàrras amadain an seo. [[User:Auld Nick|Auld Nick]] 10:58, 14 May 2007 (EDT)

:::: ok.. pretty sure that wasn't what I was doing. Anyway - this isn't especially productive. People reading the article will doubtless make up their own minds as to the credibility of the information therein, and the peculiar list of references. --[[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 18:03, 15 May 2007 (BST)

:: Ok, I AM Scottish, and a kilt is NOT A SKIRT! IT IS ALSO NOT WHAT A SKIRT IS CALLED IN SCOTLAND! WE CALL THEM SKIRTS! YES WE ACTUALLY DO SPEAK ENGLISH! SOME OF US ARE IN FACT QUITE LITERATE! I WOULD THANK YOU KINDLY TO TAKE THAT GARBAGE OFF OF THIS PAGE! --[[User:Daerean|Daerean]] 14:59, 23 May 2007 (EDT)

:::What is [http://scotweb-objects.com/images/items/thumbs/283x/Q90_sr_swhdr_girlskilt_w.jpg this] then? Looks like a skirt to me, even if it is caled a ''kilt.'' Most dictionaries would agree that a skirt is 
# The part of a garment, such as a dress or coat, that '''hangs freely from the waist down.'''
# A garment hanging from the waist and '''worn by women and girls.'''
# A part or attachment resembling the skirt of a garment, especially:
# One of the leather flaps hanging from the side of a saddle.
# The lower outer section of a rocket vehicle.
# A flexible strip hanging from the base of an air-cushion vehicle.
# A piece of fabric that extends over or beyond something to afford protection. 
The transvestite - or otherwise - habits of Scotsmen aside, a "kilt" is most definitely a "skirt" by definition. And finally, why do kilt wearers not simply wear the masculine version of the tartan garment, the "trews"? [[User:Fox|Fox]] 15:20, 23 May 2007 (EDT)

Trews are not a 'masculine version of the tartan garment'. I think the members of the Royal Regiment of Scotland who wear kilts and sporrans as part of their dress uniforms might take exception to the above.. indeed, Scottish troops wore kilts in combat as late as 1940. (not so much by the second world war, but compared to the uniforms worn by other British troops in (for example) the Napoleonic Wars, the kilt was a remarkably practical garment) See also [http://www.cabarfeidh.com/kilts_in_the_past.htm www.cabarfeidh.com/kilts_in_the_past.htm] [[User:SpinnakerMagic|SpinnakerMagic]] 15:38, 29 May 2007 (BST)

I think some of you need to get out more! See the world. Understand the world and accept the differences. Some of the closed-minded piffle that has been spouted above shows not only ignorance, but deliberate ignorance from minds too wrapped up in their own ideological and cultural prison to accept that all people are not American. A kilt is a kilt is a kilt. It has nothing at all to do with being gay. It is an item of traditional dress that is worn with pride - fierce pride - and sometimes nostalgia and with a sense of belonging. There is nothing equivocal about the kilt. Unlike the ubiquitous suit and tie, or jeans and teeshirt, it says something proud and definite. It says "I am a Scot!" And what is wrong with that? Yes. He may even be gay. But that's no more likely than if he was a from any other country in the world. Ask the Pope in his lovely white outfit if he is gay. Check out the Greek guard...they're really pretty. Say something to the cop in Samoa (thats Samoa - not American Samoa - where they still hold on to tradition and their family values)and their cops, both male and female, wear a nice blue lap lap, and carry a nice big stick! God made man in ''His'' image. Now it seems we have many Americans trying to make man into theirs!! Please show a bit of respect. If the rest of the world can accept a Scot in his kilt for what it is, why can't you? "Honi soit qui mal y pense"! [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 15:37, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

== Scotland and Cultural Controversies==

I'm sorry but I'm Scottish and I had to delete the entire section labled "Scotland and Cultural Controversies". I will not stand idly by and see my country being run down in print. Some of the points made were out and out lies. Protection for paedophiles? Utter nonsense. The "banning of pro-Christian sentiments at sports events"? Complete garbage. What was banned was the chanting of songs specifically aimed to incite murder against Catholics by certain Protestant supporters of a Glasgow soccer team (the song went "we're up to our knees in Fenian blood, surrender or you die!"). Further, repeating Pat Robertson's claims that Scotland is a "dark country full of homosexuals" is plain wrong and a touch hypocritical coming from an American. To the author of this piece - have you ever been to Scotland? Some facts first; political correctness is an American invention; gay liberation is an American invention; the sexual "revolution" was an American invention. People who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones. And I dont think that Robertson's views are widely held conservative opinions either, certainly not by Trent Lott, John Warner and Wayne Allard (all Republicans and proud of their Scottish heritage). And what is this obsession with homosexuality? Scotland has 2000 years of recorded history, was at the forefront of the industrial revolution, has given the world many writers, philosophers, soldiers, statesmen, explorers, scientists, engineers as well as the Presbyterian religon but Conservapedia devotes about 10% of its article on Scotland on supposed support for the "homosexual agenda". I can tell you from a position of authority (I do live here) that the inference is melodramatic and overstated. Scotland is UNDOUBTEDLY less homosexual than most of the U.S (eg N.Y, L.A, San Fran) . Oh, and a kilt is definetely not a skirt. Just ask some of the Scottish troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and see the response you get.--[[User:ScotsPatriot|ScotsPatriot]] 13:48, 26 September 2007 (EDT)

== Cities ==

Six? [[Inverness]] is very small for a city. Inhabitants of [[Perth]] (which is much larger) and elsewhere will be annoyed by not being mentioned.

You might usefully put a link somewhere here to [[:Category:Scottish Towns and Cities]]. --[[User:Jeremiah4-22|Jeremiah4-22]] 13:36, 11 May 2007 (EDT)

:That's partly why I added in the word "major" to the section. That way other cities wouldn't feel as slighted since it'd be near impossible to add every single one to the list. [[User:Jrssr5|Jrssr5]] 13:46, 11 May 2007 (EDT)

::I meant to say, ''You might usefully put a link somewhere here to'' <nowiki>[[Category:Scottish Towns and Cities]]</nowiki>. --[[User:Jeremiah4-22|Jeremiah4-22]] 14:55, 11 May 2007 (EDT)

:::Gotcha ... unfortunately you'll have to go to a sysop now as the article is re-locked. [[User:Jrssr5|Jrssr5]] 16:22, 11 May 2007 (EDT)

Blocking has the unfortunate consequence of perpetrating historical inaccuracy. Example: The Union of England Scotland and Ireland came about in 1801, not 1707. Can someone "break in" and change that please.[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 20:12, 15 May 2007 (EDT)

== Union with England ==

The line "The current Chancellor of the Exchequer, and expected future prime minister Gordon Brown, is Scottish." is now factually incorrect, Gordon Brown is now the current prime minister of the United Kingdom.
:Protecting sysop informed :) [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 08:21, 2 July 2007 (EDT)

== Opening up sometime? ==

Any chance this article will become unlocked again? It has been close to two months and that's usually a pretty long time for vandals to be lurking around. Just a thought [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 17:08, 2 July 2007 (EDT)

==Homosexual agenda==

The section recently deleted should be preserved somewhere. If I don't get a good suggestion soon, I'll just put it back here. Should it go to [[Homosexual agenda]] or what? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 14:00, 26 September 2007 (EDT)

Perhaps, but its not really my call. I couldn't help but look up the entries for America, Australia and England and theres nothing like that in those articles. I'm just wondering why Scotland has deserved such unfair treatment. Yes, obviously there are homosexuals in Scotland, like everywhere else, but the paragraph I deleted was grotesquely unjust and made Scotland seem like San Francisco gone mad (but with more rain). If the paragraph is to stay then similar entries for every nation in the western world detailing [[gay liberation]] should be submitted. Remember, Scotland is only following a lead that started in the United States.--[[User:ScotsPatriot|ScotsPatriot]] 15:36, 26 September 2007 (EDT)

== Societal Problems ==

I see there is a difference of opinion in what information is appropriate for the article, but there hasn't been a complaint in this section. Is the new information about Scotish migration trends from the 1800's to the 1890's wrong? If not, why is it inappropiate to mention? Thanks [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 19:40, 1 March 2008 (EST)

: Did ScotsPatriot take that out? He did delete several paragraphs. Maybe one of them could be properly deleted, but not the other.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 19:41, 1 March 2008 (EST)

::Yes, it was deleted. It appeared inappropriate to do so without explanation, so I was hoping a reason could be provided. [[User:Learn together|Learn together]] 22:36, 1 March 2008 (EST)

::: I deleted it because as I've said before I will not see my country being unfairly run down in print. Lets look at the moral decline of the United States. The birthplace of political correctness, gay liberation, legalised abortion, crystal meth and crack cocaine, the home of the worlds largest sex industry, an unfettered organised crime "industry" etc, etc. And yet when you look up the entry on the United States you see none of this mentioned. I doubt any of the contributors to these scurrilous entries has even been to Scotland. Well I live here (so I should know) and the inferences drawn are melodramatic and unwarranted. There are 1800 Scottish soldiers fighting in Afghanistan right now, most of them fresh from Iraq. Is this an appropriate way to treat allies? Is this what you really think of us? Charming. Oh, the migration stuff I deleted was nonsense from start to finish. I studied Scottish history in university and Presbyterians fleeing Scotland (a wholly Presbyterian country at that time!) because of religous persecution is laughably wrong. And incidentaly, most of the great figures of the Scottish Enlightenment were resolutely Protestant and Presbyterian. Please read some half decent history books (big papery things popular before the internet) rather than reading something from the internet you half understand then propogating lies and distortions on this page. Scotland does have its problems but then so does the rest of the developed world. --[[User:ScotsPatriot|ScotsPatriot]] 15:30, 2 March 2008 (EST)

::::''Presbyterians fleeing Scotland (a wholly Presbyterian country at that time!) because of religous persecution is laughably wrong'' What about the persecution of the Covenanters under Charles II, ScotsPatriot? [[User:Koba|Koba]] 15:34, 2 March 2008 (EST)

::::: You're about 130 years out at least. At the time of the Clearances (late 18th and early 19th century) Scotland was a wholly Presbyterian country. Indeed even at the time of Charles II the majority of the country was Presbyterian (but not the King). The injustices of the persecution on the Covenanters is one of the reasons that Scotland became so fiercely Presbyterian for the next 200 years. Only with the influx of Irish Catholic immigrants in the mid 19th century did the demographics of Scotlands religous community change. --[[User:ScotsPatriot|ScotsPatriot]] 16:04, 2 March 2008 (EST)

:::::: I've had to remove the last three paragraphs of the Societal Problems section by JamesCarmody. This individual obviously has an axe to grind regarding Scotland and has no interest in providing informative, educational edits to this project. This site is an
educational tool not a website to propagate slander, lies and political bias (I believe your New York Times fulfils that purpose). I would bet my mortgage payments that this individual has never even been to Scotland preferring to get all of his information from the Internet. If he had visited Scotland and did some research he would have found that; "Secular Marriage" (sic) was introduced in the 1930s and is called a Registry Office marriage performed by a city or county official (you have them in the US), Same sex unions have been legal here for less time than most parts of the US (we're unfortunately following an American trend), Gay adoption (affects a few dozen adoptions annually but again another American trend), Teaching homosexuality in Schools is NOT allowed but books with a homosexual character are now not banned, Affirmative action is not allowed for anyone (Asians, Homosexuals, the Disabled, Afro-Caribbeans etc, etc) as it contravenes EU law, The state 'forces' religious schools (which are incidentally tax funded, public schools for Catholics only) to employ and promote not only Catholics but Protestants, Atheists, Hindus, 7th Day Adventists etc, their is no 'protection for paedophiles' (the link he uses is 4 years old and in fact states how early release for sex offenders was scrapped) and that the banning of 'anti gay chants at sports events' has indeed been banned along with incitement to murder, support for terrorism and a host of other unsavoury chants that have no place at a sports event. Finally, the paragraph about the Dunblane Massacre was utterly shameful. For the record it was the Scottish general public who advocated stricter gun control. Scottish people despise guns, have never had a gun culture, rarely see a gun (except when they go on vacation to other European countries or the US) and would be appalled at the thought of loosening gun control. The Police don't even have guns here. To claim that rapes 'skyrocketed' as a consequence of the post-Dunblane gun control is an OUT AND OUT LIE. The snide hypocrisy of this individual is breathtaking. JamesCarmody probably claims to be a Christian too. --[[User:ScotsPatriot|ScotsPatriot]] 16:26, 8 March 2008 (EST)
:JamesCarmody was just a troll with an axe to grind against Conservapedia; he got the boot as a result of his trolling. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 18:06, 9 March 2008 (EDT)

==Layout change==
The article itself is rather weak; information about Scotland itself is lacking. I'm going to do a pattern for the article based on the layouts for the many country articles we have; all that's needed is to fill in the blanks. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 19:00, 9 March 2008 (EDT)
:The pattern is made; all that is needed is detail. As to the "societal problems" section, this should be included only if it is confirmed that it is nation-wide. If such is restricted to conditions in certain cities or regions, then they should be removed from here and placed in the relevent articles. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 19:39, 9 March 2008 (EDT)
::Scotland does indeed have its problems regarding alcohol, sex and substance abuse but then so do many parts of the world. Scotland has given the world many writers, soldiers (including John Paul Jones incidentally), statesmen, explorers, inventors, scientists and engineers as well as the Presbyterian religion. A significant percentage of your own Founding Fathers had Scots or Ulster Scots ancestry. Scotland has sacrificed many of its own sons and daughters fighting fascism in the second world war and currently are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Scots also played a disproportionately large role in the British Imperial adventure that shaped the world to this day. Scotland ,as a subject for this project, could provide many fascinating articles and avenues of learning but the only essay about Scotland on Conservapedia devotes about 10% of its article on the dysfunctional behaviour of some of our youths. Its like having an article about the US and its rich history, culture and place in the world but setting aside a tenth of it to label its inhabitants drunks, drug addicts or worse. That would be grotesquely unfair as is the whole 'Societal Problems' section. --[[User:ScotsPatriot|ScotsPatriot]] 15:15, 10 March 2008 (EDT)
:::Look at it this way: if you find that you can use any of the "societal problems" section for this article, then go for it. Perhaps, say on the religion subtopic, there could be the line regarding the reduction of church attendance. But I have no problem with removing the "societal problems" section alltogether. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 22:28, 10 March 2008 (EDT)

Look, i lived in Scotland for a year back in '99 and you have to admit, Scotland does have a problem with: knife crime, vandalism of public (or federal) buildings, and graffiti, among other things.----[[User:PhilipV|PhilipV]][[User talk:PhilipV|'' I Support our Troops!'']] 11:46, 14 December 2008 (EST)

==Hunting the haggis==
A separate section on these and other symbols/cultural favourites sounds a good idea. [[User:Bugler|Bugler]] 18:25, 29 June 2008 (EDT)

==Monarch list==
AAAARRRGGH! Can everyone stay of Scotland for a minute or ten? I've been trying to fix the list of monarchs, kept running into edit conflicts and have now lost it and have to start again.[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 15:55, 5 November 2008 (EST)

PhilipV, please slow down. The links should have gone around the monarch alone, not dates and all. Also Scotland and England were separate monarchies until 1707, so Anne was the last monarch of Scotland. Would you like to fill in the gap please? I have already done James VI (James I) Thank you. We all make mistakes - me more than most - but you're hurtling along leaving a string of things for others to fix. Cheers [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 16:13, 5 November 2008 (EST)

Bah, leave my edits alone, yonder foul fiend! (and what are these mistakes you speak of?, the link goes around the name, dates and all so that i dont have to repeat myself like a parrot when writing the page on the individual monarch (did that make sense?)... oh well, read your talkpage, i have put the matter bluntly there.--[[User:PhilipV|PhilipV]] 16:31, 5 November 2008 (EST)
: Why are you putting the dates in the titles of the individual monarchs? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:47, 5 November 2008 (EST)
::: Let him go Philip. I am waiting to see what happens. He has a "plan". :) (See my talk page). [[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 22:38, 5 November 2008 (EST)
:::: I'm just thinking of all the page moves/renamings that an administrator might have to do later on. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 01:03, 6 November 2008 (EST)

Part of my "plan" as Alan artfully put it is to avoid confusion. e.g. Alexander II was both a king of scotland in the middle ages, but also a tsar of russia, and a famous one too. i encountered these problems while researching about these monarchs.--[[User:PhilipV|PhilipV]] 16:02, 6 November 2008 (EST)
p.s. if you want to relocate the pages do as you wish, but remember some kings have the same name as other, more famous kings (there should be no confusion with the queens in this article group.)
::Philip. Click on [[Simon de Montfort]] which I wrote this morning. That's how it is done. Look at [[Europa]]. Ditto. By all means do the articles - in fact'''please''' do the articles - but do them under the monarchs' names alone, not names ''and'' dates. (Look at the Anglo-Saxon kings to see an example of something similar.) Someone senior is going to have to come along later and fix what you have done. I feel somewhat bad about this for not jumping up and down more forcefully yesterday, so I will do everything I "legally" can to take a load off their shoulders. Keep going but link their names only.[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 16:36, 6 November 2008 (EST)

fine--[[User:PhilipV|PhilipV]] 17:34, 6 November 2008 (EST)
: Please provide a list somewhere of articles that you would like renamed (including their new name), and I'll transfer them. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 20:39, 6 November 2008 (EST)
::PJR: I am not sure whether you are addressing me or PV. If it is me, I can have a list dropped in here within minutes...It's the copy of the list I'd saved, that he had reverted. I am also willing to transfer all the dates to the articles themselves and edit them (his shift key is a bit feral for example). As far as multiple articles for one name....Alexanders, Jameses etc...have you any problem with doing it the way I did [[Simon de Montfort]]? I can't do anything now though. It's quarter to three and I have house and family commitments. (Just looked in while I was having a cuppa.)[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 22:49, 6 November 2008 (EST)

::: I guess that I was addressing that to PhilipV, but I don't care who supplies a list. I was a bit rushed in posting that. Most of them I could figure for myself (simply drop the years part), but if there's going to be confusion and the name itself is not sufficient, I would want to know how it should be named. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 21:29, 9 November 2008 (EST)
::::Afternoon,Philip....I am about to drop the list I wrote before PV changed it back to his version onto my talk page for you to look at. A couple of the article were already written (Maid of Norway and Robert the Bruce) and they are under their popularly known names. Some will double up (or more0 with other kings, but I will get around that the same way I did [[Simon de Montfort]]. If I have time before the door slams in my face this afternoon I will do a dry run on say, [[Edgar]], who was also an Anglo-Saxon king. If I can copy and paste his articles onto the new headings - making them the same style as the British monarchs (with their birth and death dates as well as their reigns etc)once everything is finished someone can come along and delete the name (dates)]] headings. (If you know what I mean)[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] 23:27, 9 November 2008 (EST)
::::: I'm not sure that I follow everything there. Unless there is already an article for 'xxx', then there's no need to delete 'xxx (dates)'; that's where the renaming comes in. [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 00:33, 10 November 2008 (EST)

Hi again --[[User:PhilipV|PhilipV]] 07:54, 1 December 2008 (EST)

== Locked? ==

Could I request that this page be unlocked? There are some details that need updating. [[User:Brit1909|Brit1909]] 21:06, 19 March 2011 (EDT)

User talk:Martyp

2011-03-20T00:54:57Z

Brit1909: /* Please check your facts */ new section

{{cquote|<big><big><big>Where free unions and [[collective bargaining]] are forbidden, [[freedom]] is lost.</big></big></big>}} -[[Ronald Reagan]] (former president of a [[Screen Actors' Guild|labour union]]), 1980.

{{cquote|<big><big><big>Collective bargaining in the years since has played a major role in America’s economic miracle. [[Labor union|Union]]s represent some of the freest institutions in this land. There are few finer examples of participatory [[democracy]] to be found anywhere. </big></big></big>}} -[[Ronald Reagan]] (former president of a [[Screen Actors' Guild|labour union]]), 1980.

{{Welcome|sig=--[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 18:52, 5 November 2010 (EDT)}}

== -elect category ==

That is lots of work....but remember it needs to be emptied shortly after the first of the year when they no longer will be ____elect! --<big>[[User:TK|'''ṬK''']]</big>/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 00:38, 7 November 2010 (EDT)

== conflict over [[Obama]] article ==

Hi Marty,

I temporarily blocked you just as a notice to resolve the conflict you seem to be having with another user over the [[Obama]] article. How about we settle the issue about the authorization of oil drilling on the [[Talk:Barack_Hussein_Obama|talk page]] instead of constantly reverting each other's edits? [[User:Tzoran|Tyler Zoran]] [[User talk:Tzoran|Talk]] 17:55, 1 January 2011 (EST)
:>I'm not interested in edit-warring either--I'll allow the more senior admins to rule on the issue. Cheers! [[User:Martyp|Martyp]] 20:08, 1 January 2011 (EST)
::That would be appropriate. Just be sure to raise your concerns on one of their talk pages or the talk page for the article to make sure that everyone remembers. Thanks! [[User:Tzoran|Tyler Zoran]] [[User talk:Tzoran|Talk]] 21:06, 1 January 2011 (EST)

== [[Hernan Lara Zavala]] ==

Thank you! --[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] 13:31, 30 January 2011 (EST)

== Thanks ==

...for undoing the troll. [[User:DouglasA|DouglasA]] 18:26, 3 February 2011 (EST)
:Not a problem. Would be easier without going through the captcha each time. [[User:Martyp|Martyp]] 18:28, 3 February 2011 (EST)

== Good stuff ==

My job is more of a speaking position than a writing position, I appreciate your help on the [[Sarah Palin]] article. --[[User:AlaskanEconomy|AlaskanEconomy]] 21:30, 8 February 2011 (EST)
:A pleasure. I live to edit. [[User:Martyp|Martyp]] 22:03, 8 February 2011 (EST)

== Nice ==

Will you be celebrating Fidel's 100th birthday in 2026? --[[User:Jpatt|Jpatt]] 09:45, 7 March 2011 (EST)
:Of course not. He's dead. [[User:Martyp|Martyp]] 17:27, 7 March 2011 (EST)

==Vandalism==
thanks for helping me deal with all that vandalism, it looks like someone got into my account and strated messing it all up. [[User:Tzoran|Tyler Zoran]] [[User talk:Tzoran|Talk]] 16:00, 11 March 2011 (EST)

== Helping out ==

Thanks for adding links to the articles I've been editing. I appreciate the help from someone who is much more wiki-savvy than I!
--[[User:WillS|WillS]] 23:41, 16 March 2011 (EDT)
:The pleasure is mine. Keep up the good work! [[User:Martyp|Martyp]] 23:41, 16 March 2011 (EDT)

== Please check your facts ==

Please check your facts before making such accusations. I did not create the parody article in question, as is quite clear from the edit history. Indeed, if you will examine said history you will discover that I nominated it for deletion. Nor is there anything factually wrong with any of my edits to the English Language page. [[User:Brit1909|Brit1909]] 20:54, 19 March 2011 (EDT)

English language

2011-03-20T00:52:50Z

Brit1909: Check your facts - I DID NOT create that article, I nominated it for deletion

The English [[language]] (originating in [[England]]) is the predominant language of the [[United States of America|United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]] as well as other former members of the [[British Empire]]. Due to the enormous economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the these nations, English functions as the world's major international language.

==History and Development==

English is considered a member of the Germanic language family, one of the oldest surviving Germanic languages within the North-Sea Germanic/Ingvaeonic sub-grouping of this family, with a vocabulary based upon Saxon, Angle, and Jute descent. The language has changed considerably in its existence; predecessors to modern English are highly distinct and are often mistaken for a completely different language, as is evident in Old-English, which was somewhat primitive even when it was spoken. When Latin began to influence Old English it evolved into what is now known as medieval Middle English. [[French]], amongst other Romance languages, has also had a large impact on the language, due to the conquest of England by the French speaking Normans in 1066 AD. French also had a great impact on the language as it was the Lingua-Franca, until English itself took its place, in subjects such as law, science, philosophy, and politics. Such influences make English unique among the world's languages because of its ability to incorporate and adapt words from other tongues.

Scholars typically identify several key factors in the development of the language in regards to the insurgence of non-native terminology. These times include the influence of French, mentioned above, the commerce England had with Spain, introducing Spanish to the language, and the effect of the [[Renaissance]] and [[Enlightenment]] period, which brought Latin and Greek based words to the language. Based on the history of the English language, it is sometimes compared to a common [[Creole]] language due to the many factors that have helped it develop over hundreds of years. The the development of the English language was also greatly influenced for centuries to come by the The King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.

After World War II, the rise of the United States as a world superpower led to English replacing French as the Lingua-Franca, becoming the world's most used language for diplomacy, commerce, science, and so forth. Because of this, English is considered the world's most important international language by many. However, beware of distortions in the field by those who insist that all languages are equal. They also claim claim that all religions are equal in truth or value, and that is no more true for religion than it is for languages. Every language has advantages or disadvantages, and the path of world history is in some ways the triumph of superior languages over inferior ones.

Since 1945, roughly coinciding with the dominance of liberal [[public schools|public schooling]], the average 14-year-old's vocabulary has decreased 60% as one report has stated. This [[devolution of language]] occurs where words acquire a more literal meaning and lose their more abstract connotations (narrowing). Devolution of language also applies to vocabulary in general. Low literacy levels fostered by liberal education systems reduce readers' ability to comprehend words commonly found in literature but not used in unintellectual entertainment and media. Our English language has also been [[secular]]ized by those with an anti-[[Christian]] agenda, such as [[liberal]]s, [[homosexual]]s, [[atheist]]s, [[evolutionist]]s and [[leftist]]s, who have attempted to remove the [[Christian]] origins of our [[language]] by replacing common phrases with [[secular]]ized versions. By appealing to [[tolerance]] and [[political correctness]], they have succeeded in propagating these [[Secularized Language|secularized versions]], even among those who don't share their views.

Nevertheless, each year the English language develops about a thousand new words, of those, [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Conservative terms]] are being generated at a faster rate, and with much higher quality, than [[liberal]] terms. This implies an inevitable conservative triumph over liberalism.

==Spelling==
Standard spellings, phonetically based on the Roman alphabet, did not come about until the late seventeenth century. In or around 1828 in the [[United States]], the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifying some spellings which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour". Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted. Today [[American English]], the standard in the United States and its territories, where there is freedom of speech, is simpler, more phonetic, more concise and economical than the [[British English]] used in the monarchies of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where freedom of speech does not exist.<ref>"Color," "labor", "defense" and bank "check" are standard in the U.S.; "colour," "labour," "defence" and bank "cheque" are standard in Britain and the former [[British Empire]].</ref>

UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia. The use of UK English is sometimes an expression of [[anti-American]] sentiment.

Since the English language is about 85% phonetic, teaching [[phonics]] produces the best results for reading ability. [[Public schools]] have typically taught a "look and say" or word recognition approach to reading<ref>"Whole language reading instruction (also known as "look-say" or "sight" reading) is the most widely used method of teaching reading in the U.S. and many other countries." [http://www.halcyon.org/wholelan.html''Whole Language vs. Phonics'']</ref><ref>"The education establishment prefers whole language, while most parents and some teachers prefer a phonetic approach." [http://www.home-school.com/Articles/WholeLanguage.html ''Whole-Language Boondoggle'']</ref> which limits the child to reading only words that the child has previously seen.

One reason [[homeschoolers]] perform better than [[public school]] students on tests<ref>http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp</ref> is that homeschoolers learn how to read with phonics in higher percentages than [[public school]] students do.<ref>Most homeschool curricula are phonics-based. See, e.g., [http://www.pmschoolhouse.com/homeschool-curriculum/Saxon_Math.htm Saxon]</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]] it is sometimes described as a "back to basics" approach, which "despite being sneered at by the [[liberal]] tinkerers whose modern theories of teaching have caused so much damage to almost two generations, is turning the tide of illiteracy in some of the nation's most underprivileged areas."<ref>''Dispatches: Why Our Children Can't Read''. Channel 4 television. First aired 27 October 2007.</ref>

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England, or to describe something from England or with characteristics particular to that place.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Official English]]

[[Category:English language| ]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]

English language

2011-03-20T00:48:50Z

Brit1909: /* History and Development */ it needs to be a lot more specific geographically there. French was not the lingua-franca in any general sense that late!

English language

2011-03-20T00:47:17Z

Brit1909: /* History and Development */ the wording suggested that language leaped between pre-set stages of development, which is ridiculous

The English [[language]] (originating in [[England]]) is the predominant language of the [[United States of America|United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]] as well as other former members of the [[British Empire]]. Due to the enormous economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the these nations, English functions as the world's major international language.

==History and Development==

English is considered a member of the Germanic language family, one of the oldest surviving Germanic languages within the North-Sea Germanic/Ingvaeonic sub-grouping of this family, with a vocabulary based upon Saxon, Angle, and Jute descent. The language has changed considerably in its existence; predecessors to modern English are highly distinct and are often mistaken for a completely different language, as is evident in Old-English, which was somewhat primitive even when it was spoken. When Latin began to influence Old English it evolved into what is now known as medieval Middle English. [[French]], amongst other Romance languages, has also had a large impact on the language, due to the conquest of England by the French speaking Normans in 1066 AD. French also had a great impact on the language as it was the Lingua-Franca, considered so up until [[World War II]] (where English itself became the Lingua-Franca), in subjects such as law, science, philosophy, and politics. Such influences make English unique among the world's languages because of its ability to incorporate and adapt words from other tongues.

Scholars typically identify several key factors in the development of the language in regards to the insurgence of non-native terminology. These times include the influence of French, mentioned above, the commerce England had with Spain, introducing Spanish to the language, and the effect of the [[Renaissance]] and [[Enlightenment]] period, which brought Latin and Greek based words to the language. Based on the history of the English language, it is sometimes compared to a common [[Creole]] language due to the many factors that have helped it develop over hundreds of years. The the development of the English language was also greatly influenced for centuries to come by the The King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.

After World War II, the rise of the United States as a world superpower led to English replacing French as the Lingua-Franca, becoming the world's most used language for diplomacy, commerce, science, and so forth. Because of this, English is considered the world's most important international language by many. However, beware of distortions in the field by those who insist that all languages are equal. They also claim claim that all religions are equal in truth or value, and that is no more true for religion than it is for languages. Every language has advantages or disadvantages, and the path of world history is in some ways the triumph of superior languages over inferior ones.

Since 1945, roughly coinciding with the dominance of liberal [[public schools|public schooling]], the average 14-year-old's vocabulary has decreased 60% as one report has stated. This [[devolution of language]] occurs where words acquire a more literal meaning and lose their more abstract connotations (narrowing). Devolution of language also applies to vocabulary in general. Low literacy levels fostered by liberal education systems reduce readers' ability to comprehend words commonly found in literature but not used in unintellectual entertainment and media. Our English language has also been [[secular]]ized by those with an anti-[[Christian]] agenda, such as [[liberal]]s, [[homosexual]]s, [[atheist]]s, [[evolutionist]]s and [[leftist]]s, who have attempted to remove the [[Christian]] origins of our [[language]] by replacing common phrases with [[secular]]ized versions. By appealing to [[tolerance]] and [[political correctness]], they have succeeded in propagating these [[Secularized Language|secularized versions]], even among those who don't share their views.

Nevertheless, each year the English language develops about a thousand new words, of those, [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Conservative terms]] are being generated at a faster rate, and with much higher quality, than [[liberal]] terms. This implies an inevitable conservative triumph over liberalism.

==Spelling==
Standard spellings, phonetically based on the Roman alphabet, did not come about until the late seventeenth century. In or around 1828 in the [[United States]], the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifying some spellings which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour". Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted. Today [[American English]], the standard in the United States and its territories, where there is freedom of speech, is simpler, more phonetic, more concise and economical than the [[British English]] used in the monarchies of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where freedom of speech does not exist.<ref>"Color," "labor", "defense" and bank "check" are standard in the U.S.; "colour," "labour," "defence" and bank "cheque" are standard in Britain and the former [[British Empire]].</ref>

UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia. The use of UK English is sometimes an expression of [[anti-American]] sentiment.

Since the English language is about 85% phonetic, teaching [[phonics]] produces the best results for reading ability. [[Public schools]] have typically taught a "look and say" or word recognition approach to reading<ref>"Whole language reading instruction (also known as "look-say" or "sight" reading) is the most widely used method of teaching reading in the U.S. and many other countries." [http://www.halcyon.org/wholelan.html''Whole Language vs. Phonics'']</ref><ref>"The education establishment prefers whole language, while most parents and some teachers prefer a phonetic approach." [http://www.home-school.com/Articles/WholeLanguage.html ''Whole-Language Boondoggle'']</ref> which limits the child to reading only words that the child has previously seen.

One reason [[homeschoolers]] perform better than [[public school]] students on tests<ref>http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp</ref> is that homeschoolers learn how to read with phonics in higher percentages than [[public school]] students do.<ref>Most homeschool curricula are phonics-based. See, e.g., [http://www.pmschoolhouse.com/homeschool-curriculum/Saxon_Math.htm Saxon]</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]] it is sometimes described as a "back to basics" approach, which "despite being sneered at by the [[liberal]] tinkerers whose modern theories of teaching have caused so much damage to almost two generations, is turning the tide of illiteracy in some of the nation's most underprivileged areas."<ref>''Dispatches: Why Our Children Can't Read''. Channel 4 television. First aired 27 October 2007.</ref>

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England, or to describe something from England or with characteristics particular to that place.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Official English]]

[[Category:English language| ]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]

English language

2011-03-20T00:46:21Z

Brit1909: /* History and Development */ are you telling me all those scholars who study Old English for a living are just lying then?

The English [[language]] (originating in [[England]]) is the predominant language of the [[United States of America|United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]] as well as other former members of the [[British Empire]]. Due to the enormous economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the these nations, English functions as the world's major international language.

==History and Development==

English is considered a member of the Germanic language family, one of the oldest surviving Germanic languages within the North-Sea Germanic/Ingvaeonic sub-grouping of this family, with a vocabulary based upon Saxon, Angle, and Jute descent. The language has changed considerably in its existence; predecessors to modern English are highly distinct and are often mistaken for a completely different language, as is evident in Old-English, which was somewhat primitive even when it was spoken. When Latin began to cause improvements in Old English it upgraded to medieval Middle English. [[French]], amongst other Romance languages, has also had a large impact on the language, due to the conquest of England by the French speaking Normans in 1066 AD. French also had a great impact on the language as it was the Lingua-Franca, considered so up until [[World War II]] (where English itself became the Lingua-Franca), in subjects such as law, science, philosophy, and politics. Such influences make English unique among the world's languages because of its ability to incorporate and adapt words from other tongues.

Scholars typically identify several key factors in the development of the language in regards to the insurgence of non-native terminology. These times include the influence of French, mentioned above, the commerce England had with Spain, introducing Spanish to the language, and the effect of the [[Renaissance]] and [[Enlightenment]] period, which brought Latin and Greek based words to the language. Based on the history of the English language, it is sometimes compared to a common [[Creole]] language due to the many factors that have helped it develop over hundreds of years. The the development of the English language was also greatly influenced for centuries to come by the The King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.

After World War II, the rise of the United States as a world superpower led to English replacing French as the Lingua-Franca, becoming the world's most used language for diplomacy, commerce, science, and so forth. Because of this, English is considered the world's most important international language by many. However, beware of distortions in the field by those who insist that all languages are equal. They also claim claim that all religions are equal in truth or value, and that is no more true for religion than it is for languages. Every language has advantages or disadvantages, and the path of world history is in some ways the triumph of superior languages over inferior ones.

Since 1945, roughly coinciding with the dominance of liberal [[public schools|public schooling]], the average 14-year-old's vocabulary has decreased 60% as one report has stated. This [[devolution of language]] occurs where words acquire a more literal meaning and lose their more abstract connotations (narrowing). Devolution of language also applies to vocabulary in general. Low literacy levels fostered by liberal education systems reduce readers' ability to comprehend words commonly found in literature but not used in unintellectual entertainment and media. Our English language has also been [[secular]]ized by those with an anti-[[Christian]] agenda, such as [[liberal]]s, [[homosexual]]s, [[atheist]]s, [[evolutionist]]s and [[leftist]]s, who have attempted to remove the [[Christian]] origins of our [[language]] by replacing common phrases with [[secular]]ized versions. By appealing to [[tolerance]] and [[political correctness]], they have succeeded in propagating these [[Secularized Language|secularized versions]], even among those who don't share their views.

Nevertheless, each year the English language develops about a thousand new words, of those, [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Conservative terms]] are being generated at a faster rate, and with much higher quality, than [[liberal]] terms. This implies an inevitable conservative triumph over liberalism.

==Spelling==
Standard spellings, phonetically based on the Roman alphabet, did not come about until the late seventeenth century. In or around 1828 in the [[United States]], the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifying some spellings which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour". Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted. Today [[American English]], the standard in the United States and its territories, where there is freedom of speech, is simpler, more phonetic, more concise and economical than the [[British English]] used in the monarchies of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where freedom of speech does not exist.<ref>"Color," "labor", "defense" and bank "check" are standard in the U.S.; "colour," "labour," "defence" and bank "cheque" are standard in Britain and the former [[British Empire]].</ref>

UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia. The use of UK English is sometimes an expression of [[anti-American]] sentiment.

Since the English language is about 85% phonetic, teaching [[phonics]] produces the best results for reading ability. [[Public schools]] have typically taught a "look and say" or word recognition approach to reading<ref>"Whole language reading instruction (also known as "look-say" or "sight" reading) is the most widely used method of teaching reading in the U.S. and many other countries." [http://www.halcyon.org/wholelan.html''Whole Language vs. Phonics'']</ref><ref>"The education establishment prefers whole language, while most parents and some teachers prefer a phonetic approach." [http://www.home-school.com/Articles/WholeLanguage.html ''Whole-Language Boondoggle'']</ref> which limits the child to reading only words that the child has previously seen.

One reason [[homeschoolers]] perform better than [[public school]] students on tests<ref>http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp</ref> is that homeschoolers learn how to read with phonics in higher percentages than [[public school]] students do.<ref>Most homeschool curricula are phonics-based. See, e.g., [http://www.pmschoolhouse.com/homeschool-curriculum/Saxon_Math.htm Saxon]</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]] it is sometimes described as a "back to basics" approach, which "despite being sneered at by the [[liberal]] tinkerers whose modern theories of teaching have caused so much damage to almost two generations, is turning the tide of illiteracy in some of the nation's most underprivileged areas."<ref>''Dispatches: Why Our Children Can't Read''. Channel 4 television. First aired 27 October 2007.</ref>

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England, or to describe something from England or with characteristics particular to that place.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Official English]]

[[Category:English language| ]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]

English language

2011-03-20T00:43:30Z

Brit1909: /* History and Development */ yes we can

The English [[language]] (originating in [[England]]) is the predominant language of the [[United States of America|United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]] as well as other former members of the [[British Empire]]. Due to the enormous economic, scientific, political and cultural influence of the these nations, English functions as the world's major international language.

==History and Development==

English is considered a member of the Germanic language family, one of the oldest surviving Germanic languages within the North-Sea Germanic/Ingvaeonic sub-grouping of this family, with a vocabulary based upon Saxon, Angle, and Jute descent. The language has changed considerably in its existence; predecessors to modern English are highly distinct and are often mistaken for a completely different language, as is evident in Old-English, which was somewhat primitive even when it was spoken. When Latin began to cause improvements in Old English it upgraded to medieval Middle English. [[French]], amongst other Romance languages, has also had a large impact on the language, due to the conquest of England by the French speaking Normans in 1066 AD. French also had a great impact on the language as it was the Lingua-Franca, considered so up until [[World War II]] (where English itself became the Lingua-Franca), in subjects such as law, science, philosophy, and politics. Such influences make English unique among the world's languages because of its ability to incorporate and adapt words from other tongues.

Scholars typically identify several key factors in the development of the language in regards to the insurgence of non-native terminology. These times include the influence of French, mentioned above, the commerce England had with Spain, introducing Spanish to the language, and the effect of the [[Renaissance]] and [[Enlightenment]] period, which brought Latin and Greek based words to the language. Based on the history of the English language, it is sometimes compared to a common [[Creole]] language due to the many factors that have helped it develop over hundreds of years. The the development of the English language was also greatly influenced for centuries to come by the The King James Version of the Bible, first published in 1611.

After World War II, the rise of the United States as a world superpower led to English replacing French as the Lingua-Franca, becoming the world's most used language for diplomacy, commerce, science, and so forth. Because of this, English is considered the world's most important international language by many. However, beware of distortions in the field by those who insist that all languages are equal. They also claim claim that all religions are equal in truth or value, and that is no more true for religion than it is for languages. Every language has advantages or disadvantages, and the path of world history is in some ways the triumph of superior languages over inferior ones.

Since 1945, roughly coinciding with the dominance of liberal [[public schools|public schooling]], the average 14-year-old's vocabulary has decreased 60% as one report has stated. This [[devolution of language]] occurs where words acquire a more literal meaning and lose their more abstract connotations (narrowing). Devolution of language also applies to vocabulary in general. Low literacy levels fostered by liberal education systems reduce readers' ability to comprehend words commonly found in literature but not used in unintellectual entertainment and media. Our English language has also been [[secular]]ized by those with an anti-[[Christian]] agenda, such as [[liberal]]s, [[homosexual]]s, [[atheist]]s, [[evolutionist]]s and [[leftist]]s, who have attempted to remove the [[Christian]] origins of our [[language]] by replacing common phrases with [[secular]]ized versions. By appealing to [[tolerance]] and [[political correctness]], they have succeeded in propagating these [[Secularized Language|secularized versions]], even among those who don't share their views.

Nevertheless, each year the English language develops about a thousand new words, of those, [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Conservative terms]] are being generated at a faster rate, and with much higher quality, than [[liberal]] terms. This implies an inevitable conservative triumph over liberalism.

==Spelling==
Standard spellings, phonetically based on the Roman alphabet, did not come about until the late seventeenth century. In or around 1828 in the [[United States]], the lexicographer [[Noah Webster]] argued for simplifying some spellings which were no longer phonetic, such as the -our in words such as "colour". Most, though not all, of his proposed changes were adopted. Today [[American English]], the standard in the United States and its territories, where there is freedom of speech, is simpler, more phonetic, more concise and economical than the [[British English]] used in the monarchies of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where freedom of speech does not exist.<ref>"Color," "labor", "defense" and bank "check" are standard in the U.S.; "colour," "labour," "defence" and bank "cheque" are standard in Britain and the former [[British Empire]].</ref>

UK English spelling is the standard in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and most of the Commonwealth of Nations including Canada and Australia. The use of UK English is sometimes an expression of [[anti-American]] sentiment.

Since the English language is about 85% phonetic, teaching [[phonics]] produces the best results for reading ability. [[Public schools]] have typically taught a "look and say" or word recognition approach to reading<ref>"Whole language reading instruction (also known as "look-say" or "sight" reading) is the most widely used method of teaching reading in the U.S. and many other countries." [http://www.halcyon.org/wholelan.html''Whole Language vs. Phonics'']</ref><ref>"The education establishment prefers whole language, while most parents and some teachers prefer a phonetic approach." [http://www.home-school.com/Articles/WholeLanguage.html ''Whole-Language Boondoggle'']</ref> which limits the child to reading only words that the child has previously seen.

One reason [[homeschoolers]] perform better than [[public school]] students on tests<ref>http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200410250.asp</ref> is that homeschoolers learn how to read with phonics in higher percentages than [[public school]] students do.<ref>Most homeschool curricula are phonics-based. See, e.g., [http://www.pmschoolhouse.com/homeschool-curriculum/Saxon_Math.htm Saxon]</ref> In the [[United Kingdom]] it is sometimes described as a "back to basics" approach, which "despite being sneered at by the [[liberal]] tinkerers whose modern theories of teaching have caused so much damage to almost two generations, is turning the tide of illiteracy in some of the nation's most underprivileged areas."<ref>''Dispatches: Why Our Children Can't Read''. Channel 4 television. First aired 27 October 2007.</ref>

The term "English" may also be used to refer to a person from the United Kingdom born in the country of England, or to describe something from England or with characteristics particular to that place.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Official English]]

[[Category:English language| ]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]

Restoring Honor Rally

2011-03-19T19:48:33Z

Brit1909: well, this is from an interview with Beck himself. I hope this makes it 'conservative enough' to be regarded as a fact

[[File:Restoring Honor Logo2.jpg|right|200px]]
[[Glenn Beck|Glenn Beck's]] '''Restoring Honor Rally''', also known as the '''Restoring Honor Rally 8-28''', was a non-political rally held at the steps of the [[Lincoln Memorial]] on the anniversary of [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King Jr.'s]] 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech. According to Glenn Beck's website, Restoring Honor was a "non-political event" conceived to pay tribute to the [[United States]] "heroes, our heritage and our future," and to "pledge to restore honor" in America at the steps of the memorial.<ref>http://www.glennbeck.com/828/</ref> The Restoring Honor Rally was also a fundraiser for the [[Special Operations Warrior Foundation]], a charity that provides funds for the surviving children of Special Ops personnel killed in battle.<ref>[[Glenn Beck]]. [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/35494/ Glenn Beck: Restoring Honor], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', January 25, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.specialops.org/news/35610/Glenn-Becks-Restoring-Honor-Rally-Supports-Special-Ops-Troops-and-Families.htm Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" Rally Supports SOWF], specialops.org, January 25, 2010.</ref> The event prepared for up to 300,000 people,<ref>Lisa Lerer, John McCormick. [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-27/beck-palin-rally-in-washington-drawing-supporters-of-babies-guns-jesus-.html Beck-Palin Rally in Washington Drawing Supporters of `Babies, Guns, Jesus'], ''Bloomberg'', August 27, 2010.</ref>, though estimates suggest the actual attendance was around 87,000 <ref>http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/glenn-beck/transcript/beck-where-will-middle-east-dominoes-fall?page=2</ref>, and with the help of supporters was able to raise more than five million dollars for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44821/ Restoring Honor 8/28], August 28, 2010.</ref>

==Keynote Speakers==
[[Sarah Palin]] was a keynote speaker, as was [[Alveda King]], Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s [[niece]], who has said that her [[uncle]] would have attended the rally if he were alive today.<ref>Adam Cassandra. [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/71648 Dr. Alveda King: ‘Coretta Scott King Knew That Her Husband Was Pro-Life'], ''CNSNews.com, August 27, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/44839/ Glenn talks with Dr. Alveda King], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', August 27, 2010.</ref> Other attendees include [[Glenn Beck]] himself and executives from the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

==100 Year Plan for America==
As part of the Restoring Honor Rally, Glenn Beck previewed a portion of what he described as the "100 Year Plan for America," to restore honor.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33466/ Glenn Beck: The Plan], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', November 23, 2009.</ref> He said:
{{Cquote|<big>Today, I have stopped looking for a leader to show us the way out because I have come to realize that the only one who can truly save our country...is us. To change America's course we need to change ourselves, our expectations and our willingness to accept the unacceptable. When we refuse to allow our children to receive a trophy for participation, we are on the road to restoring the meaning of merit in our Republic. When we insist that no one is too big to fail, we will be able to learn from our mistakes, and when we demand that we are self-reliant, we will ensure that others can rely on us, not the government.</big><ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33398/ Glenn Beck reveals the Plan], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', November 26, 2009.</ref>}}

Glenn Beck has stated that [[education]] is key to restoring honor, and not just for our children, but for all America as a whole. He further detailed what it means to "restore honor," and said that despite America's great diversity, "nothing unifies Americans more than their support for public acknowledgments of God." Beck said to consider the following aspects of American heritage that he honors and respects:<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44685/ David Barton: One Nation, Under God], August 25, 2010.</ref>

* 93% want “In God we Trust” to remain on coins and currency
* 90% support keeping “under God” in the [[Pledge of Allegiance|Pledge]]
* 84% support references to [[God]] in schools, government buildings, and public settings
* 82% support voluntary school prayer
* 76% support [[Ten Commandments]] displays on public property

==Event Description==
[[File:GlennBeckRally.jpg|left|thumb|300px| 8/28 Rally [[D.C.]] ]]
According to Glenn Beck's Web site, the following text is a verbatim description of the Restoring Honor Rally:<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/828/ Restoring Honor Rally 8-28]</ref>

<blockquote>
Throughout history [[America]] has seen many great leaders and noteworthy citizens change her course. It is through their personal virtues and by their example that we are able to live as a free people. On August 28, come celebrate America by honoring our heroes, our heritage and our future.

Join the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and many more for this non-political event that pays tribute to America’s service personnel and other upstanding citizens who embody our nation’s founding principles of integrity, truth and honor.

Our freedom is possible only if we remain virtuous. Help us restore the values that founded this great nation. On August, 28th, come join us in our pledge to restore honor at the steps of the [[Lincoln Memorial]] in [[Washington DC]].
</blockquote>

==Attacks Against Restoring Honor==
Among the individuals upset over Restoring Honor in America, [[Reverend]] [[Al Sharpton]] accused Glenn Beck of trying to "hijack" the [[Civil Rights Movement]] by hosting the "Restoring Honor" rally at the Lincoln Memorial.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20014950-503544.html Al Sharpton: Glenn Beck Trying to "Hijack" Civil Rights Movement], ''[[CBS News]]'', August 27, 2010.</ref> The ''[[Washington Post]]'' reported that Al Sharpton planned to host a rally to commemorate King's speech.<ref>DeNeen Brown. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081605042.html Glenn Beck's plans for rally on a hallowed date and spot spurs countermarches], [[Washington Post]], August 17, 2010.</ref> Reverend Al Sharpton's planned rally to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech will coincide with the Restoring Honor Rally.<ref>[[Bill O'Reilly]], [[Glenn Beck]]. [http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/transcript/beck-addresses-uproar-over-039restoring-honor039-rally Beck Addresses Uproar Over 'Restoring Honor' Rally], ''The O'Reilly Factor'', FoxNews.com, August 19, 2010.</ref> Sharpton said he began planning his event in April, but that it is "not a countermarch to Beck." However, on the other hand, [[Social Justice]] extremists have expressed outrage against Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally.

[[Good Morning America|Good Morning America's]] Claire Shipman launched a pre-emptive one-sided attack on the event, including selectively editing clips from the [[conservative]] host. The ABC journalist featured a snippet of Beck asserting, "Blacks don't own Martin Luther King."<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2010/08/27/glenn-beck-slams-abcs-story-something-goebbels-would-do Glenn Beck Slams ABC's Story: 'Something Goebbels Would do'], ''[[NewsBusters]]'', August 27, 2010.
* MP3 audio [http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2010/08/2010-08-27-ABC-GMA-Shipman.mp3 here].</ref> [[ABC|ABC's]] story was out of context so bad that it made Glenn Beck appear like a racist hate monger. Claire Shipman's [[deceit|deceitful]], [[propaganda]]-ish style reporting on ''ABC News'' went so far as to assert that there are angry voices "comparing the [[Tea Party Movement|Tea Party]] to the [[KKK]]," despite the fact that these are two different events in American history, each with completely opposite agendas - both politically and in merit.<ref>The [[Tea Party Movement]] is a grassroots movement for restoring [[Constitutional]] [[Law]] in the [[United States of America]], and to the [[Republic]], for which it stands; moreover, the TEA Party is for justice, equality and individual [[freedom]] for all. Contrarily, the [[KKK]] is a racist, bigoted group of extremists who gained power during an era of [[big government]], when racism was institutionalized by the federal government: see [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44465/ How did slavery in America start?].</ref> Glenn Beck exposed ABC News for their deceitful practices.<ref>[http://www.therightscoop.com/glenn-beck-exposes-abcs-propaganda-piece-on-828 Glenn Beck exposes ABC’s propaganda piece on 8/28]</ref>

Other [[liberal]] groups claimed that the date to hold the Restoring Honor Rally on 8/28 was "insulting" to King's legacy, although Glenn Beck stated that it was "divine providence" which led to the date of a Restoring Honor Rally.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/42377/ Glenn attacked for 8/28]</ref> In spite of not knowing the true intentions of the rally or what message Restoring Honor is sending to the American people, liberal pundits in the media responded to Beck's "divine providence" by saying, then, that [[God]] has a "very dark sense of humor."<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20100826/cm_theweek/206445 Glenn Beck's 8/28 rally: An instant guide], ''[[Yahoo|Yahoo! News]]'', August 26, 2009.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
* [http://www.therightscoop.com/watch-glenn-becks-restoring-honor Watch Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally (3 Hours)]

===Social Networking===
* [http://www.facebook.com/restoringhonor Restoring Honor] - [[Facebook]]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/RestoringHonorRally Restoring Honor Rally] - [[YouTube]]

===Informational===
* [http://www.glennbeck.com/828/restoringhonorqanda.pdf Restoring Honor FAQ]
* [http://media.glennbeck.com/828/828kit.pdf General Information Packet] for Restoring Honor in America

===Educational===
* [http://www.glennbeck.com/becku/ Beck University] - ''[[Faith]], [[Hope]] and [[Charity]]''

[[Category:Conservatism]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:American History]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]

Talk:The Daily Show

2011-03-19T19:39:07Z

Brit1909: /* "Liberal love" */ new section

The Daily Show caters more to college students than to Public school high school students, so does anyone mind if I change the article accordingly?

The current title of this show is ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'', as the narcissistic Mr. Stewart (nee Liebowitz) has insisted it be called. Please retitle the page accordingly. [[User:J2xl|J2xl]] 14:02, 2 December 2007 (EST)

Its just a more descriptive title. Also it differentiates from the original Daily Show with Craig Whatshisface. --[[User:Snotbowst|Snotbowst]] 21:14, 3 March 2008 (EST)
I have trouble with the fact that almost all of the sources are from comedycentral.com[[User:PastafarianFSM|PastafarianFSM]] 12:28, 5 May 2008 (EDT)

I like how the introduction now reads as though it's arguing with itself.[[User:Sam99foster|Sam99foster]] 17:16, 1 February 2009 (EST)

: Good point. I removed the irrelevant liberal bias.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 17:20, 1 February 2009 (EST)

== Revert? ==

Why were my changes to this article [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=The_Daily_Show&diff=640713&oldid=638850 reverted]? My first reference was of O'Reilly's description of the show's audience, and the second was to a Pew Research Center report that showed that description to be inaccurate. Together these fully support the entirety of my edit. I'd rather resolve this here than start an edit war. Can someone explain this to me? --[[User:SStaples|SStaples]] 23:48, 16 March 2009 (EDT)

: You act like O'Reilly is a conservative authority. He isn't. The Pew Research Center is a liberal canard. You seemed to delete the reliable study of public school television watching.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 00:57, 17 March 2009 (EDT)

::Well, let's see. O'Reilly may not be a conservative authority, but it is fair to say that he was reinforcing a commonly held misconception about the show's audience by way of his prominence in pop culture. I've never heard the Pew Research Center referred to as "a liberal canard" (you are welcome to back up this assertion with proof), but in any case, their study ''did'' show O'Reilly's statement to be incorrect. Moreover, I fail to see how the average time spent watching television for public schooled teenagers is relevant, since 1) you have not shown that the statement "it is known for catering to an audience of public school teenagers" is true because there was no source for this claim and 2) the 60% who watch more than three hours a day were from Memphis schools, whereas the national average is 35%. From the existing source:

::''"On an average school day, more than 60 percent of the [Memphis] public school teens reported watching TV three or more hours a day compared with the U.S. average of 35 percent."''

::For the time being, I'm willing to compromise and include both the original language and citation and my new material. Sound fair? --[[User:SStaples|SStaples]] 08:12, 17 March 2009 (EDT)

SStaples, read my blocking policy on my user page, and the Commandments and CP [[Guidelines]]. This is a conservative encyclopedia, a Christian friendly one. It isn't your right to come here and insert liberal bias, backed by sources that are universally recognized as liberal or leftist. We don't compromise on our conservative and Christian principles. Period. If someone told you we did, or you think we should, that would be wrong. --[[User:TK|'''₮K''']]/Admin[[User_Talk:TK|/Talk]] 08:38, 17 March 2009 (EDT)

@ Aschlafly, re: reverting my edits. i simply removed a provacative, silly, and completely uncited statement ('Liberals have recognized the leftist slant of the show by giving it a Peabody Award and nine Emmys') per the Conservapedia Commandments. --[[User:DavidKeyes|DavidKeyes]] 15:28, 13 December 2009 (EST)

== "Liberal love" ==

I was sorry to find out that facts are now liberal. Please tell me what was wrong with my edits? The original content of that section made reference to factually incorrect or irrelevant material. The main audience of the show is not public school students, and hence any information on this group of people isn't relevant. Not liking the facts is not a reason to remove them. [[User:Brit1909|Brit1909]] 15:39, 19 March 2011 (EDT)

Restoring Honor Rally

2011-03-19T18:13:29Z

Brit1909:

[[File:Restoring Honor Logo2.jpg|right|200px]]
[[Glenn Beck|Glenn Beck's]] '''Restoring Honor Rally''', also known as the '''Restoring Honor Rally 8-28''', was a non-political rally held at the steps of the [[Lincoln Memorial]] on the anniversary of [[Martin Luther King Jr.|Martin Luther King Jr.'s]] 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech. According to Glenn Beck's website, Restoring Honor was a "non-political event" conceived to pay tribute to the [[United States]] "heroes, our heritage and our future," and to "pledge to restore honor" in America at the steps of the memorial.<ref>http://www.glennbeck.com/828/</ref> The Restoring Honor Rally was also a fundraiser for the [[Special Operations Warrior Foundation]], a charity that provides funds for the surviving children of Special Ops personnel killed in battle.<ref>[[Glenn Beck]]. [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/35494/ Glenn Beck: Restoring Honor], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', January 25, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.specialops.org/news/35610/Glenn-Becks-Restoring-Honor-Rally-Supports-Special-Ops-Troops-and-Families.htm Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" Rally Supports SOWF], specialops.org, January 25, 2010.</ref> The event prepared for up to 300,000 people,<ref>Lisa Lerer, John McCormick. [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-27/beck-palin-rally-in-washington-drawing-supporters-of-babies-guns-jesus-.html Beck-Palin Rally in Washington Drawing Supporters of `Babies, Guns, Jesus'], ''Bloomberg'', August 27, 2010.</ref>, though estimates suggest the actual attendance was around 87,000 <ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20015214-503544.html</ref>, and with the help of supporters was able to raise more than five million dollars for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44821/ Restoring Honor 8/28], August 28, 2010.</ref>

==Keynote Speakers==
[[Sarah Palin]] was a keynote speaker, as was [[Alveda King]], Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s [[niece]], who has said that her [[uncle]] would have attended the rally if he were alive today.<ref>Adam Cassandra. [http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/71648 Dr. Alveda King: ‘Coretta Scott King Knew That Her Husband Was Pro-Life'], ''CNSNews.com, August 27, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/44839/ Glenn talks with Dr. Alveda King], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', August 27, 2010.</ref> Other attendees include [[Glenn Beck]] himself and executives from the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

==100 Year Plan for America==
As part of the Restoring Honor Rally, Glenn Beck previewed a portion of what he described as the "100 Year Plan for America," to restore honor.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33466/ Glenn Beck: The Plan], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', November 23, 2009.</ref> He said:
{{Cquote|<big>Today, I have stopped looking for a leader to show us the way out because I have come to realize that the only one who can truly save our country...is us. To change America's course we need to change ourselves, our expectations and our willingness to accept the unacceptable. When we refuse to allow our children to receive a trophy for participation, we are on the road to restoring the meaning of merit in our Republic. When we insist that no one is too big to fail, we will be able to learn from our mistakes, and when we demand that we are self-reliant, we will ensure that others can rely on us, not the government.</big><ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33398/ Glenn Beck reveals the Plan], ''The Glenn Beck Program'', November 26, 2009.</ref>}}

Glenn Beck has stated that [[education]] is key to restoring honor, and not just for our children, but for all America as a whole. He further detailed what it means to "restore honor," and said that despite America's great diversity, "nothing unifies Americans more than their support for public acknowledgments of God." Beck said to consider the following aspects of American heritage that he honors and respects:<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44685/ David Barton: One Nation, Under God], August 25, 2010.</ref>

* 93% want “In God we Trust” to remain on coins and currency
* 90% support keeping “under God” in the [[Pledge of Allegiance|Pledge]]
* 84% support references to [[God]] in schools, government buildings, and public settings
* 82% support voluntary school prayer
* 76% support [[Ten Commandments]] displays on public property

==Event Description==
[[File:GlennBeckRally.jpg|left|thumb|300px| 8/28 Rally [[D.C.]] ]]
According to Glenn Beck's Web site, the following text is a verbatim description of the Restoring Honor Rally:<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/828/ Restoring Honor Rally 8-28]</ref>

<blockquote>
Throughout history [[America]] has seen many great leaders and noteworthy citizens change her course. It is through their personal virtues and by their example that we are able to live as a free people. On August 28, come celebrate America by honoring our heroes, our heritage and our future.

Join the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and many more for this non-political event that pays tribute to America’s service personnel and other upstanding citizens who embody our nation’s founding principles of integrity, truth and honor.

Our freedom is possible only if we remain virtuous. Help us restore the values that founded this great nation. On August, 28th, come join us in our pledge to restore honor at the steps of the [[Lincoln Memorial]] in [[Washington DC]].
</blockquote>

==Attacks Against Restoring Honor==
Among the individuals upset over Restoring Honor in America, [[Reverend]] [[Al Sharpton]] accused Glenn Beck of trying to "hijack" the [[Civil Rights Movement]] by hosting the "Restoring Honor" rally at the Lincoln Memorial.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20014950-503544.html Al Sharpton: Glenn Beck Trying to "Hijack" Civil Rights Movement], ''[[CBS News]]'', August 27, 2010.</ref> The ''[[Washington Post]]'' reported that Al Sharpton planned to host a rally to commemorate King's speech.<ref>DeNeen Brown. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/16/AR2010081605042.html Glenn Beck's plans for rally on a hallowed date and spot spurs countermarches], [[Washington Post]], August 17, 2010.</ref> Reverend Al Sharpton's planned rally to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech will coincide with the Restoring Honor Rally.<ref>[[Bill O'Reilly]], [[Glenn Beck]]. [http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/transcript/beck-addresses-uproar-over-039restoring-honor039-rally Beck Addresses Uproar Over 'Restoring Honor' Rally], ''The O'Reilly Factor'', FoxNews.com, August 19, 2010.</ref> Sharpton said he began planning his event in April, but that it is "not a countermarch to Beck." However, on the other hand, [[Social Justice]] extremists have expressed outrage against Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally.

[[Good Morning America|Good Morning America's]] Claire Shipman launched a pre-emptive one-sided attack on the event, including selectively editing clips from the [[conservative]] host. The ABC journalist featured a snippet of Beck asserting, "Blacks don't own Martin Luther King."<ref>[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2010/08/27/glenn-beck-slams-abcs-story-something-goebbels-would-do Glenn Beck Slams ABC's Story: 'Something Goebbels Would do'], ''[[NewsBusters]]'', August 27, 2010.
* MP3 audio [http://media.eyeblast.org/newsbusters/static/2010/08/2010-08-27-ABC-GMA-Shipman.mp3 here].</ref> [[ABC|ABC's]] story was out of context so bad that it made Glenn Beck appear like a racist hate monger. Claire Shipman's [[deceit|deceitful]], [[propaganda]]-ish style reporting on ''ABC News'' went so far as to assert that there are angry voices "comparing the [[Tea Party Movement|Tea Party]] to the [[KKK]]," despite the fact that these are two different events in American history, each with completely opposite agendas - both politically and in merit.<ref>The [[Tea Party Movement]] is a grassroots movement for restoring [[Constitutional]] [[Law]] in the [[United States of America]], and to the [[Republic]], for which it stands; moreover, the TEA Party is for justice, equality and individual [[freedom]] for all. Contrarily, the [[KKK]] is a racist, bigoted group of extremists who gained power during an era of [[big government]], when racism was institutionalized by the federal government: see [http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/44465/ How did slavery in America start?].</ref> Glenn Beck exposed ABC News for their deceitful practices.<ref>[http://www.therightscoop.com/glenn-beck-exposes-abcs-propaganda-piece-on-828 Glenn Beck exposes ABC’s propaganda piece on 8/28]</ref>

Other [[liberal]] groups claimed that the date to hold the Restoring Honor Rally on 8/28 was "insulting" to King's legacy, although Glenn Beck stated that it was "divine providence" which led to the date of a Restoring Honor Rally.<ref>[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/42377/ Glenn attacked for 8/28]</ref> In spite of not knowing the true intentions of the rally or what message Restoring Honor is sending to the American people, liberal pundits in the media responded to Beck's "divine providence" by saying, then, that [[God]] has a "very dark sense of humor."<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20100826/cm_theweek/206445 Glenn Beck's 8/28 rally: An instant guide], ''[[Yahoo|Yahoo! News]]'', August 26, 2009.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
* [http://www.therightscoop.com/watch-glenn-becks-restoring-honor Watch Glenn Beck's Restoring Honor Rally (3 Hours)]

===Social Networking===
* [http://www.facebook.com/restoringhonor Restoring Honor] - [[Facebook]]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/RestoringHonorRally Restoring Honor Rally] - [[YouTube]]

===Informational===
* [http://www.glennbeck.com/828/restoringhonorqanda.pdf Restoring Honor FAQ]
* [http://media.glennbeck.com/828/828kit.pdf General Information Packet] for Restoring Honor in America

===Educational===
* [http://www.glennbeck.com/becku/ Beck University] - ''[[Faith]], [[Hope]] and [[Charity]]''

[[Category:Conservatism]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:American History]]
[[Category:Tea Party Movement]]

Labor union

2011-03-19T15:58:30Z

Brit1909: not all

A '''labor union''' or ''trade union'' is an organization formed for the purpose of collectively representing the interests of a group of workers. In particular this can include collectively bargaining with [[employer]]s in order to agree rates of pay and other conditions of employment. Conservatives tolerate the right of workers to form unions but recoil when they become too liberal, too corrupt, or too authoritarian over their members. Liberals aggressively support them, and use their influence with labor leaders to force rank-and-file union members to support liberal causes and candidates financially, despite the fact that those members strongly and unequivocally oppose those causes and candidates.

Most unions are run by [[liberals]], and some union dues provide funding for [[abortion]].

==See also==
* [[American labor unions]]
[[Category:Labor Unions]]

The Daily Show

2011-03-19T15:54:31Z

Brit1909: /* Correspondents */ past tense

'''''The Daily Show''''' since 1996 has been a [[satire|satirical]] program geared towards [[public school]] students which airs on cable network [[Comedy Central]]. The show's news team presents, "news like you've never seen it before -- unburdened by objectivity, journalistic integrity or even accuracy."<ref name=aboutdailyshow>''Comedy Central's The Daily Show''. [http://www.thedailyshow.com/about About the show]</ref> ''The Daily Show'' was created by Lizz Winstead and Madeleine Smithberg in 1996, hosted by Craig Kilborn until 1999 when [[Jon Stewart]] took over the anchor's chair.<ref name=aboutdailyshow/> [[Liberal]]s have recognized the [[leftist]] slant of the show by giving it a [[Peabody Awards|Peabody Award]] and nine [[Emmy]]s.<ref>IMDb - Awards for The Daily Show [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115147/awards]</ref><ref name=aboutdailyshow/>

== Jon Stewart on ''The Daily Show'' ==
Jon Stewart, a [[liberal]], is currently the host of ''The Daily Show''. In the past he often satirized [[George W. Bush]], the war in [[Iraq War|Iraq]], Congress, and American foreign policy.<ref>[http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20060711_jon_stewart_bush_diplomacy/ Jon Stewart Mocks Bush’s Claims on Diplomacy], July 11, 2006.</ref> Stewart will display video clips, sound bites, and news stories in which Republicans and other conservative politicians are made to look silly, using clips which are often edited or taken out of context so that they appear to be contradicting themselves. The sound bites of clips are typically edited to make Senate speeches appear ridiculous. However, due to Stewart's political values, he has typically provided an easy ride to President [[Obama]] and most other liberals.

Jon's interviews have ranged from semi-serious policy discussions, with [[Barack Obama]] and [[John Kerry]], to comedic conversations with comedians like [[Don Rickles]] and [[Steve Martin]], to verbal "smack-downs" of those in the media such as [[Jim Cramer]] and [[Chris Matthews]].<ref>''Comedy Central''. [http://blog.indecisionforever.com/2009/03/10/cnbcs-jim-cramer-responds-to-jon-stewarts-response-to-cnbcs-jim-cramer/ CNBC's Jim Cramer Responds to Jon Stewart's Response to CNBC's Jim Cramer], March 10, 2009.</ref> Stewart occasionally analyzes upcoming or newly released [[books]] with their respective [[author|authors]].<ref name=aboutdailyshow/>

== Audience ==
''The Daily Show'' caters for a relatively young audience, largely between 18 and 34. A study conducted by Nielsen Media Research found that the average Daily Show viewer was better educated than the average 'O'Reilly Factor' viewer; the former being more likely to have completed four years of college. <ref>http://www.entertainmentbeacon.com/news/television/8028-tv-ratings-the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-tops-all-late-night-cable-series-in-february-2011</ref><ref>http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6117542/ns/today-entertainment/</ref>

== Correspondents ==
The comedians can be seen as showing a [[liberal bias]] while performing their "news" stories. The segments are usually aimed at poking fun at and satirizing the political parties in power. Thus, Stewart began by [[mockery|mocking]] [[Republicans]], but now makes fun of [[Democrats]], as well as other topics in the news. Some argue that he demeans [[conservative]] positions, such as the [[Second Amendment|Right to Bear Arms]] and the Pro-Life Movement, or [[Christianity]].<ref> Ada Calhoun. [http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/08/28/daily-show-billboard-mocks-republicans/ 'Daily Show' Billboard Mocks Republicans], August 28, 2008.</ref> One former segment in particular, "This Week In God", satirizes [[religious]] values while mocking [[God]].<ref>http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=72342</ref><ref>http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=72182</ref> During the episode aired June 27, 2007, [[Lewis Black]] compared Conservapedia's "[[Homosexuality]]" article to [[Wikipedia]]'s, sarcastically describing it as "way more interesting," mainly because Conservapedia's article described it far more graphically. In their coverage of the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008|2008 U.S. presidential election]], most of the guests have been liberal, such as former president [[Bill Clinton]], first lady [[Michelle Obama]] and former [[British]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]].

{{Liberalism}}

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
[http://www.thedailyshow.com The official ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' website]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Daily Show, The}}
[[category:Television Shows]]

The Daily Show

2011-03-19T15:52:43Z

Brit1909: /* Audience */ updated with figures directly related to studies of this specific show

'''''The Daily Show''''' since 1996 has been a [[satire|satirical]] program geared towards [[public school]] students which airs on cable network [[Comedy Central]]. The show's news team presents, "news like you've never seen it before -- unburdened by objectivity, journalistic integrity or even accuracy."<ref name=aboutdailyshow>''Comedy Central's The Daily Show''. [http://www.thedailyshow.com/about About the show]</ref> ''The Daily Show'' was created by Lizz Winstead and Madeleine Smithberg in 1996, hosted by Craig Kilborn until 1999 when [[Jon Stewart]] took over the anchor's chair.<ref name=aboutdailyshow/> [[Liberal]]s have recognized the [[leftist]] slant of the show by giving it a [[Peabody Awards|Peabody Award]] and nine [[Emmy]]s.<ref>IMDb - Awards for The Daily Show [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115147/awards]</ref><ref name=aboutdailyshow/>

== Jon Stewart on ''The Daily Show'' ==
Jon Stewart, a [[liberal]], is currently the host of ''The Daily Show''. In the past he often satirized [[George W. Bush]], the war in [[Iraq War|Iraq]], Congress, and American foreign policy.<ref>[http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20060711_jon_stewart_bush_diplomacy/ Jon Stewart Mocks Bush’s Claims on Diplomacy], July 11, 2006.</ref> Stewart will display video clips, sound bites, and news stories in which Republicans and other conservative politicians are made to look silly, using clips which are often edited or taken out of context so that they appear to be contradicting themselves. The sound bites of clips are typically edited to make Senate speeches appear ridiculous. However, due to Stewart's political values, he has typically provided an easy ride to President [[Obama]] and most other liberals.

Jon's interviews have ranged from semi-serious policy discussions, with [[Barack Obama]] and [[John Kerry]], to comedic conversations with comedians like [[Don Rickles]] and [[Steve Martin]], to verbal "smack-downs" of those in the media such as [[Jim Cramer]] and [[Chris Matthews]].<ref>''Comedy Central''. [http://blog.indecisionforever.com/2009/03/10/cnbcs-jim-cramer-responds-to-jon-stewarts-response-to-cnbcs-jim-cramer/ CNBC's Jim Cramer Responds to Jon Stewart's Response to CNBC's Jim Cramer], March 10, 2009.</ref> Stewart occasionally analyzes upcoming or newly released [[books]] with their respective [[author|authors]].<ref name=aboutdailyshow/>

== Audience ==
''The Daily Show'' caters for a relatively young audience, largely between 18 and 34. A study conducted by Nielsen Media Research found that the average Daily Show viewer was better educated than the average 'O'Reilly Factor' viewer; the former being more likely to have completed four years of college. <ref>http://www.entertainmentbeacon.com/news/television/8028-tv-ratings-the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-tops-all-late-night-cable-series-in-february-2011</ref><ref>http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/6117542/ns/today-entertainment/</ref>

== Correspondents ==
The comedians can be seen as showing a [[liberal bias]] while performing their "news" stories. The segments are usually aimed at poking fun at and satirizing the political parties in power. Thus, Stewart began by [[mockery|mocking]] [[Republicans]], but now makes fun of [[Democrats]], as well as other topics in the news. Some argue that he demeans [[conservative]] positions, such as the [[Second Amendment|Right to Bear Arms]] and the Pro-Life Movement, or [[Christianity]].<ref> Ada Calhoun. [http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2008/08/28/daily-show-billboard-mocks-republicans/ 'Daily Show' Billboard Mocks Republicans], August 28, 2008.</ref> One segment in particular, "This Week In God", satirizes [[religious]] values while mocking [[God]].<ref>http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=72342</ref><ref>http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=72182</ref> During the episode aired June 27, 2007, [[Lewis Black]] compared Conservapedia's "[[Homosexuality]]" article to [[Wikipedia]]'s, sarcastically describing it as "way more interesting," mainly because Conservapedia's article described it far more graphically. In their coverage of the [[United States Presidential Election, 2008|2008 U.S. presidential election]], most of the guests have been liberal, such as former president [[Bill Clinton]], first lady [[Michelle Obama]] and former [[British]] [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]].

{{Liberalism}}

== References ==
<references/>

==External Links==
[http://www.thedailyshow.com The official ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' website]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Daily Show, The}}
[[category:Television Shows]]

Bill Maher

2011-03-19T15:33:41Z

Brit1909: /* Box office performance */ past tense

'''Bill Maher''' is a [[left-wing]] talk show host, arguably a [[Socialism|socialist]], certainly an [[atheist]] and [[liberal]] comedian, actor, writer, producer, and [[Democratic Party]] activist. He is most notable as the host of ''[[Real Time|Real Time with Bill Maher]]'', which airs on the HBO television network. Maher formerly hosted [[Politically Incorrect]] on Comedy Central.

== Television shows & Other Media ==

ABC decided not to renew Maher's contract for ''Politically Incorrect'' in 2002 after he agreed with a point posed by conservative commentator and guest [[Dinesh D'Souza]] that the terrorists in the September 11, 2001 attacks should not be called cowards. Maher expanded on his point, saying "We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." <ref>[http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=14941]</ref>

In the aftermath of the attacks, the remark made him too controversial for some of the show's most prominent advertisers. Companies including FedEx and Sears Roebuck pulled their advertisements from the show, causing it to become unprofitable. The show was subsequently canceled on June 16, 2002.

Maher's comment accusing America of cowardice followed another controversial comment he made on ''Politically Incorrect'' where he compared mentally handicapped children to dogs:
{{cquote|But I've often said that if I had — I have two dogs — if I had two retarded children, I'd be a hero. And yet the dogs, which are pretty much the same thing. What? They're sweet. They're loving. They're kind, but they don't mentally advance at all ... Dogs are like retarded children.}}

ABC was still dealing with the fallout from this statement when it decided not to renew Maher's contract.

In 2003, Maher became the host of ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' on the HBO cable television network, a debate show somewhat similar to ''Politically Incorrect'', but with a narrower selection of guests.

== Political claims and statements ==
Despite bizarre claims of being a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]], his views are more line with totalitarian-[[communism]]. In fact, most of his views are in direct opposition to libertarian ideology, such as his support of government regulation of corporations, foreign aid, public schooling, a ban on homeschooling, campaign finance restrictions, restricting carbon emissions and creating other radical "environmental protection" laws, affirmative action, minimum wage laws, absolute gun control, support for the [[United Nations]], income redistribution through higher taxation, and socialized medicine. He supported [[Ralph Nader]] in the 2000 U.S. presidential election, but not in 2004. He has even praised Janet Reno and the ATF for its action in the massacre in Waco, Texas. He supports personal choice on moral issues, including abortion, the use of drugs, gambling, and prostitution.

Maher was formerly involved in a relationship with model Nancy Johnson a.k.a. "Coco Johnsen". However, Ms. Johnson ended it and in November of 2004 sued Maher for palimony amid allegations of verbal and physical abuse.<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/1111041coco1.html]</ref> Maher said that he never promised to marry her and that the claims of abuse were a money making scam.<ref>[http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/12-1-2004-62384.asp]</ref>

Somewhat anachronistically, he voted for [[Bob Dole]] in the 1996 Presidential election, calling him an "old-fashioned" Republican. He is also a personal friend of [[Ann Coulter]], despite (or perhaps because of) their widely divergent views. She was a frequent guest on ''Politically Incorrect.''

==Victory: Begins at Home==
Not surprisingly, the [[New York Times]] raved about his 2003 overtly anti-Catholic, one-man broadway show "Victory: Begins at Home".<ref> [http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/295903/Bill-Maher-Victory-Begins-at-Home/overview NYTIMES review]</ref><ref> http://www.catholicleague.org/annualreport.php?year=2003&id=80</ref>

==Religulous==
In 2008, Maher starred in a spoof [[documentary]] movie called ''[[Religulous]]''. It was directed by [[Larry Charles]] (who also directed ''[[Borat]]''). The film derives its name from a combination of the words "religion" and "ridiculous"<ref>[http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0708/14/lkl.01.html CNN LARRY KING LIVE, Interview With Bill Maher, aired August 14, 2007 - 21:00ET]</ref>. Originally destined for an [[Easter]] 2008 release, the film had a limited theater-release in [[October]] 2008 after being first shown at the [[Toronto]] International Film Festival in early [[September]] 2008<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815241/releaseinfo IMDb: Release dates for ''Religulous'']</ref>.

The film criticizes [[religion]], particularly Christianity and to a lesser extent Judaism and Islam. To Maher, radical Islam and its hate-filled terrorism has no difference from regular religious worship, as he blends pictures of the attack on the World Trade center with a benediction by the Pope and Jews praying at the Wailing Wall at the very end of the movie.

In the film, Maher explains his stance on religion as he interviews the faithful from mainstream religions as well as from many lesser known [[cult]]s.

Some individuals featured in the film<ref>[http://www.tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmdetails.aspx?ID=707111610451386 RELIGULOUS: A Conversation with Bill Maher and Larry Charles]</ref> include:
*[[Judaism|Hasidic]] scholars
*[[Jesus]] impersonators
*[[Messianic_Judaism|Messianic Jews]]
*[[Islam|Muslims]]
*[[Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints#Polygamy|Polygamists]]
*[[Satanism|Satanists]]
*[[Young Earth Creationism|Creationists]]
*Recreational users of [[cannabis]]
*A US senator who believes in the "[[Rapture]]"
*[[Raelism|Rael]]

===Box office performance===
The film made $3.5 million in its opening weekend<ref>http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=religulous.htm</ref> in a limited release, surpassing expectations. In total, it made just over $13 million during its theatrical release, and over $7 million in US DVD sales <ref>http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2008/RELIG.php</ref>

===Controversy===
The already controversial film gained increased notoriety on the morning of 30th September 2008 when Bill Maher made an appearance on the View to promote ''Religulous''. Maher frivolously suggested during the interview that anyone who hears the "voice" of God should check themselves in to a psychiatric hospital.<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/30/sherri-shepherd-bill-mahe_n_130581.html</ref>

== External links ==
* [http://dir.salon.com/ent/tv/feature/2001/08/01/maher/index.html Is Bill Maher a libertarian? by Dann Halem]
*[http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=18224 Bill Maher Owes Another Apology] - A war veteran responds to Maher's anti-military comments
*[http://www.aim.org/aim_column/A3735_0_3_0_C/ Is Bill Maher the Jane Fonda of the Iraq War?] - Another response to Maher's anti-military comments
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/author/bill-maher/ What Liberals Say - Bill Maher], [[Accuracy In Media]]
*[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0815241/ ''Religulous''] at IMDB.com

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maher, Bill}}
[[Category:Liberal Activists]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:Comedians]]
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Agnostics]]

{{Liberalism}}

Oxford

2011-03-18T23:15:57Z

Brit1909: completely and utterly wrong

[[Image:Bridge of Sighs.jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Bridge of Sighs, Oxford ''(Photograph by Tom Murphy VII)'']]
'''Oxford''' is a city and the county town of Oxfordshire in [[England]]. Despite a population of a little over 150,000 it includes two Universities and is renowned in the arts and sciences today and historically.

==Geography==

The city is built where the river Cherwell runs into the [[River Thames]] (known as the Isis in Oxford, short for the original Thamesis). The historical centre of the city is orientated around the University of Oxford and its constituent colleges. The city then spreads eastwards across the River Cherwell where more modern residential buildings dominate.

Suburbs of Oxford include Headington (location of [[Oxford Brookes University]]), Cowley (location of the BMW motor works), Iffley, Kennington, Osney, Hinksey, Jericho.

==University==
The University was organised there soon after 1167, perhaps as a result of a migration of students from [[Paris]]. The first colleges were founded in the thirteenth century (University, 1249; Balliol, 1263 and Merton, 1264) and Oxford rose to equal status with the great medieval universities.

Numbering among its scholars the philosopher and scientist [[Roger Bacon]], and [[Sir Thomas More]]. The esteemed writer [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] was an Oxford professor.

The city became a centre of [[Royalism]] in the seventeenth century, becoming the Royalist capital during the English Civil War when King Charles I set up court there. Oxford declined during the eighteen century but was revived in the 1800's, particularly as a result of a renaissance in scientific thought. The University includes the [[Bodleian Library]], the largest university library in the country and second in size overall nationally to the British Library.

==Sport==
In common with most of the [[United Kingdom]], [[soccer]] is the dominant sport in Oxford, most notably the professional club [[Oxford United]].

Other notable clubs include the [[rugby league]] club, [[Oxford Cavaliers]] and the speedway team.

Perhaps the most famous sporting event associated with Oxford, however, is the University Boat race, which has taken place every year for over 100 years, normally in March, between the [[University of Oxford]] (the "Dark Blues") and the [[University of Cambridge]] (the "Light Blues"). It is a rowing race for "eights" and takes place on the [[River Thames]] in [[London]]. The boat race is an occasion for students and alumni of each of the two famous universities to cheer on their team, and there have been many incidents during the race including several occasions when one of the boats has sunk. Cambridge has won more races than Oxford. Pressure to have a 'womens' Boat Race has been resisted on the grounds of tradition.

==History==
Oxford was a base for Royalist forces ([[Cavaliers]] in the [[English Civil War]]), with King Charles I setting up his court in Christ Church.

[[Category:United Kingdom Cities and Towns]]

IPhone

2011-03-18T22:37:11Z

Brit1909:

{{lowercase}}

The [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] '''iPhone''' is a next-generation [[cell phone]] built with [[internet|web]] capability in "true-web" fashion; rather than viewing "mobile" versions of web-pages, as is common on other mobile devices, it uses a [[touch screen]] panel, enabling the user to navigate a full-size [[web page]]. In the United States, the iPhone has been exclusive to the [[American Telephone and Telegraph|AT&T Mobility]] network, but the latest version was made available on the [[Verizon Communications|Verizon Wireless]] network in February 2011.

== Other Applications ==
Aside from cellular phone capabilities, and web-viewing, the iPhone also offers (through partnership with [[Google|Google Maps]]), a full-featured map application that users can use anywhere in the [[United States]], over AT&T's [[EDGE]] data network. Other standard [[Personal Digital Assistant|PDA]] capabilities were included, too, such as [[Microsoft Outlook]] synchronization capability.

== Release and Price Controversy ==
The iPhone was released in the United States on 29 June 2007 to wide acclaim. Upon release the iPhone was capable only of usage on the [[AT&T]] network, and retailed (depending on memory size) for $500 and $600. The pricing of the device rapidly made it a luxury and status symbol, although it restricted availability to most other users.

Only 69 days after the release, though, on 5 September 2007, Apple slashed the prices of the device to $400 for the model formerly priced at $600, and discontinued selling the lower-capacity $500 model. This quick price cut - aside from being very uncommon in Apple's tradition of delayed price cuts - inflamed some so-called "early adopters," or those who had purchased the iPhone in the preceding two months, and now had no recourse against Apple's seemingly capricious price cut. Apple founder [[Steve Jobs]], conscious of his company's image, quickly offered a $100 credit to the [[iTunes]] Music Store to every early adopter who could not otherwise obtain price relief from a return or exchange.

== Notable Oversights ==
Despite the iPhone's technological breakthroughs, it initially lacked several features that users have come to expect of [[Personal Digital Assistant|PDAs]], such as a copy and paste feature, [[Bluetooth]] synchronization capability, and a customizable ringtone. The latter of these two features, within one week of the iPhone's release, were available to users who were willing to "[[hack]]" their device to add such functionality, a practice known as "jailbreaking". Copy and paste functionality and bluetooth were announced for iPhone OS 3.0, and ringtones are now available via the [[iTunes]] store.

Also, many AT&T customers were befuddled that the iPhone's designers had not taken the chance to use AT&T's [[3G]] mobile data network, a considerably faster and more usable framework than the included EDGE compatibility. Apple stated that the EDGE network was used to prolong battery life, as the battery on the original iPhone would not last long on 3G. The newer version of the iPhone is now capable of utilizing the 3G network.

At release, the iPhone sorely disappointed consumers because it lacked an [[Adobe]] Flash Player. Since November 2010 the Skyfire browser, which is available in iTunes app store for an additional charge, plays Flash. <ref>www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/11/skyfire-iphone-app/</ref>

===Privacy and Spyware Concerns===
The iOS app store offers many free and paid apps, although some have been found to be spyware.<ref>[http://blogs.computerworld.com/14568/iphone_apps_are_spyware_panic iPhone Spyware] [http://blogs.wsj.com/wtk-mobile/ What they know mobile]</ref>
Furthermore, some have expressed concern over Apple's new tracking patent, which describes a system that could:
* Take pictures of the user
* Record user's voice, even when not calling
* Determine user's heartbeat "signature"
* Determine if the device has been hacked
* Monitor internet activity
While this is said to be an innovation on anti-theft software, identifying unauthorized users, some have called this spyware.<ref>[https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking-patent-0 EFF IPhone article]</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Apple Inc.]]
[[category:technology]]

Earthquake

2011-03-14T23:05:59Z

Brit1909:

[[File:Japan quake sendai.jpg|thumb|200px|Japan quake 2011.]]
An '''earthquake''' is when the [[Earth]] shakes, caused by [[plate tectonics|tectonic]] activity in an area after the release of stored [[energy]] from the [[rock]]. Earthquakes most commonly occur on tectonic plate boundaries, and also occur along [[fault|faults]] where previous movement has occurred. There are 500,000 detectable earthquakes in the world each year.

Earthquakes are a significant natural [[hazard]] to populations living in areas prone to them, and emergency responses to the hazard vary with economic development. The most powerful and destructive earthquakes occur at tectonic plate boundaries like the [[San Andreas Fault]].

The severity of earthquakes is measured using the [[Richter scale]] with the largest quake ever recorded being 9.5 which struck Chile in 1960<ref>http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/10_largest_world.php</ref>.

[[File:Japan quake World latest USGS - PD.jpg|550px|left]]
{{Clear}}

==See also==
* [[Seismic]]
* [[Loma Prieta Earthquake]]

==External links==
*[http://www.drgeorgepc.com/EarthquakesChina.html Historical Earthquakes in China]
*[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/ Latest Earthquakes in the World - Past 7 days.]
*[http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Maps/region/N_America.php Latest Earthquakes in the North America Region.]

[[Category:Seismology]]
[[Category:Natural Disasters]]

Japan

2011-03-14T23:04:36Z

Brit1909: /* 2011 Quake - Tsunami */

{{Country
|name =''日本国 Nippon-koku''
|map =Japan rel96.jpg
|map2 =Japan location.png
|flag =Flag of Japan.png
|arms =Imperial Seal of Japan.jpg
|capital =Tokyo
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary democracy; Constitutional Monarchy
|government-raw =
|language =Japanese
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =Emperor [[Akihito]]
|president =
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =
|pm-raw =Naoto Kan
|area =377,832 sq. miles
|pop =127,433,494
|pop-basis =2007
|gdp =$4.2 trillion
|gdp-year =2006
|gdp-pc =$33,100
|currency =Yen
|idd =
|tld =
}}

'''Japan''' (日本国, Nihon-koku in Japanese) is a nation that consists of a group of islands off the eastern coast of [[Asia]]. Its capital, [[Tokyo]], is the largest metropolitan area in the world. Japan is divided into a total of 47 [[prefecture]]s.
<ref>Demographia - 50 Largest World Metropolitan Areas Ranked:
2000 Estimates,[http://www.demographia.com/db-world-metro2000.htm] </ref>

In the the August 2009 national elections, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) suffered a massive defeat as voters blamed it for the poor economy, numerous corruption scandals and Prime Minister [[Taro Aso]]'s uninspiring leadership. The LDP has ruled Japan for nearly all of the last 50 years and is generally conservative, but it lost two-thirds of its seats.

The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept the nation, winning 302 of the 480 seats in the powerful lower house, compared to only 112 seats before.

Prime minister and DPJ leader [[Yukio Hatoyama]] is part of the establishment. The son of a former foreign minister and grandson of a former prime minister, he quit the LDP in 1993. Friends of the U.S. fear that he will try to distance Japan somewhat from its closest ally, the United States.

The DPJ has promised massive spending programs will cost 16.8 trillion yen ($177 billion) annually when they are fully operational in 2013. That is a huge burden for a country that has a large and rapidly growing fiscal deficit caused by stimulus packages and bailouts that never seem to work. Japan's national debt has soared to nearly 190% of its annual GDP (gross domestic product). The nation was ranked #4 in the world in per capita income in 1989, just before its slump began; it is now down to #14. China, with ten times as many people, has almost the same total GDP and will soon surpass Japan.

 
==Geography==
[[Image:Cherry Blossom Japan.jpg|thumb|280px|Cherry Blossoms and Mt. Fuji.]]
The islands of Japan are scattered between 24ºN and 45ºN latitude (roughly 1,800 miles, or [[Florida]] to [[Maine]]). As a result, the climate varies greatly. Japan extends along the eastern or Pacific coast of Asia. The four main islands, running from north to south, are [[Hokkaido]], [[Honshu]] (or the mainland), [[Shikoku]], and [[Kyushu]]. [[Okinawa]] Island is about 380 miles south-west of Kyushu. About 3,000 smaller islands are included in the archipelago. In total land area, Japan is slightly smaller than California. About 73% of the country is mountainous, with a chain running through each of the main islands. Japan's highest mountain is the world famous [[Mount Fuji]] (or ''Fuji-san'') at 12,385 feet. Since so little flat area exists, many hills and mountainsides are cultivated all the way to the summits. As Japan is situated in a volcanic zone along the Pacific depth, frequent low intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive earthquakes occur several times a century. Hot springs are numerous and have been developed as resorts.

Temperature extremes are less pronounced than in the United States, but the climate varies considerably. Sapporo, on the northernmost main island, has warm summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, in central and western parts of the largest island of Honshu, experience relatively mild winters with little or no snowfall and hot, humid summers. Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu, has a climate similar to that of Charleston, South Carolina, with mild winters and wet summers. Okinawa is subtropical.

The cherry blossom (Sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and takes a very prominent position in [[Mono no aware|Japanese culture]]. <ref>[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html Cherry Blossom]</ref>

==People==
===Demography===
Japan's population, currently some 127 million, has experienced a phenomenal growth rate during the past 100 years as a result of scientific, industrial, and sociological changes, but this has ended because of falling birth rates and a lack of immigration. In 2005, Japan's population declined for the first time, two years earlier than predicted. High sanitary and health standards and a diet of fish and rice produce a life expectancy exceeding that of the United States.
===Decline===
[[File:Niños japoneces.jpg|left]]
Japan's population peaked in 2006; the following year saw the second consecutive decline, with an official population of 127,053,471. The [[birth rate]] has now increased from 2006's record low, but this has been offset by an all-time-high in the [[death rate]]. 51% of the population are female, and over-65s now make up 21% of the country.<ref>''[[Japan Times]]'': '[http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20070803a2.html Population shrinks again despite increase in births]'. 3rd August 2007; "Japan's changing demography: Cloud, or silver linings?" ''Economist'' (Jul 26th 2007) at [http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9539825].</ref>

In 1947 the proportion of Japanese over 65 was around 5% of the population, well below that in Britain, France or America. Today the elderly account for one-fifth of the population, and average lifespans have grown remarkably. Life expectancy today is 82, up from a little over 50 in 1947.

The baby boom came in 1947-1949, when 2.7m children a year were born. In 2007 the baby-boom generation began to retire (60 is the mandatory retirement age at most companies). Japan's birth rate fell below the replacement rate of 2.1 in the early 1970s. It slid to a low of 1.26 in 2005. In 2005 the population began to fall in absolute terms, despite increasing life expectancy. It is now shrinking at a pace unprecedented for any nation in peacetime. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates a total population of 95m by 2050, compared to 127m in 2007, with the elderly accounting by then for two-fifths of the total.<ref> "Japan's changing demography: Cloud, or silver linings?" ''Economist'' (Jul 26th 2007) at [http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9539825].</ref>

===Policies===
The DPJ, elected in a landslide in 2009, has promised an ambitious social-spending plan that includes a child allowance of $3,300 a year. It is designed to encourage more births as a solution to Japan's declining population and rising average population age, as well as being a stimulus to spending to get the economy out of its long slump.

===Cities===
[[File:Kobe port.jpg|thumb|Port of Kobe.]]
Japan is an urban society with only about 4% of the labor force engaged in agriculture. Many farmers supplement their income with part-time jobs in nearby towns and cities. About 80 million of the urban population is heavily concentrated on the Pacific shore of Honshu and in northern Kyushu. Major population centers include: Metropolitan Tokyo with approximately 12.5 million; Yokohama with 3.6 million; Osaka with 2.6 million; Nagoya with 2.2 million; Sapporo with 1.9 million; Kyoto and Kobe with 1.5 million each; Kawasaki and Fukuoka with 1.4 million each, and Saitama with 1.2 million. Japan faces the same problems that confront urban industrialized societies throughout the world: overcrowded cities, congested roads, air pollution, and rising juvenile delinquency.
*Population (2007 est.): 127.5 million.
*Population growth rate (2007 est.): -0.088%.
*Ethnic groups: Japanese; Korean (0.5%).
*Religions: Shinto and Buddhist; Christian (about 0.7%).
*Language: Japanese.
*Education: Literacy--99%.
*Health (2007 est.): Infant mortality rate--2.8/1,000. Life expectancy--males 78 yrs., females 85 yrs.
*Work force (67 million, 2003): services--42%; trade, manufacturing, mining, and construction--46%; agriculture, forestry, fisheries--5%; government--3%.

====Religion====
[[Image:Nara.jpg|thumb|Great Buddha at Nara]]
Historically Japanese government has shifted between no official religion, [[Shinto|Shintō]], and [[Buddhism]].<ref name="WebJapanFactSheet">[http://web-japan.org/factsheet/ Web Japan Fact Sheet], sponsored by the [http://www.mofa.go.jp/ Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan]</ref> Modern Japan has no state religion.<ref>Article 20 of the [[Current Constitution of Japan (Full Text)|Japanese Constitution]] erects a legal barrier between political and religious entities.</ref>

Shintoism and Buddhism are Japan's two principal religions. Shintoism is founded on myths and legends emanating from the early animistic worship of natural phenomena. Since it was unconcerned with problems of afterlife which dominate Buddhist thought, and since Buddhism easily accommodated itself to local faiths, the two religions comfortably coexisted, and Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples often became administratively linked. Today many Japanese are adherents of both faiths. From the 16th to the 19th century Shintoism flourished.

Adopted by the leaders of the Meiji restoration, Shintoism received state support and was cultivated as a spur to patriotic and nationalistic feelings. Following World War II, state support was discontinued, and the emperor disavowed divinity. Today Shintoism plays a more peripheral role in the life of the Japanese people. The numerous shrines are visited regularly by a few believers and, if they are historically famous or known for natural beauty, by many sightseers. Many marriages are held in the shrines, and children are brought there after birth and on certain anniversary dates; special shrine days are celebrated for certain occasions, and numerous festivals are held throughout the year. Many homes have "god shelves" where offerings can be made to Shinto deities.
[[File:Daibutsu-den in Todaiji Nara.jpg|thumb|330px|left|Temple Daibutsu-den in Todaiji, [[Nara]].]]
Buddhism first came to Japan in the 6th century and for the next 10 centuries exerted profound influence on its intellectual, artistic, social, and political life. Most funerals are conducted by Buddhist priests, and many Japanese visit family graves and Buddhist temples to pay respects to ancestors.

Confucianism arrived with the first great wave of Chinese influence into Japan between the 6th and 9th centuries. Overshadowed by Buddhism, it survived as an organized philosophy into the late 19th century and remains today as an important influence on Japanese thought and values.

Christianity, first introduced into Japan in 1549, was virtually stamped out by the government a century later; it was reintroduced in the late 1800s and has spread slowly. Today Christianity has an estimated 3 million adherents throughout Japan.

Beyond the three traditional religions, many Japanese today are turning to a great variety of popular religious movements normally lumped together under the name "new religions." These religions draw on the concept of Shinto, Buddhism, and folk superstition and have developed in part to meet the social needs of elements of the population. The officially recognized new religions number in the hundreds, and total membership is reportedly in the tens of millions.

Japan has also spawned its share of [[cults]], including the exceptionally lethal but fortunately short-lived [[Aum Shinrikyo]] movement of the early 1990's, which in 1994 became the first non-state organization to kill people with [[nerve gas]].

====Art====
[[Image:Birds Japanese painting.jpg|right|180px|Birds, Japanese painting]]
[[Image:Hokusai Sea Wave Kanagawa.jpg|right|180px|Behind the Great Wave off Kanagawa]]
Japanese art comes from prehistoric times. It has been influenced by [[Chinese]] art and Zen Buddhism, as well as by Western art. Painting (絵画) is one of the oldest Japanese art, and the most popular one. Main Painting Schools are: Suibokuga, Kanō, Rimpa, Tosa-ha, Nanga and Shijo.

Japanese interpretations and painters may be studied in the following periods:

* Ancient Japan
* [[Nara]] period
* Heian and [[Kamakura]] periods
* Muromachi period
: Josetsu (如拙) (1405 – 1423), the father of Japanese ink painting.
* Azuchi-Momoyama period
: Kanō Eitoku (狩野永徳) (1543 - 1590), prominent patriarch of the Kanō School.
* Edo period
: Tawaraya Sōtatsu (俵屋宗達) (c. 1600s), co-founder of the Rimpa School.
: [[Katsushika Hokusai]] (葛飾北斎) (1760 — 1849), Ukiyo-e (浮世絵) genre painter and printmaker. "Behind the Great Wave at Kanagawa" (c.1829) is one of the most renowned Japanese paintings.
* Meiji period
* Taisho period
* Showa period
: Ogura Yuki (小倉遊亀) (1895 - 2000), traditional female painter.
* Contemporary period
: Shinoda Toko (篠田桃紅) (b. 1913), female painter, sumi (ink) paintings and prints.
{{Clear}}

==Government and Political Conditions==
Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government. There is universal adult suffrage with a secret ballot for all elective offices. Sovereignty, previously embodied in the emperor, is vested in the Japanese people, and the Emperor is defined as the symbol of the state.
[[File:National Diet Tokyo.jpg|thumb|left|300px|The National Diet, Tokyo.]]
Japan's Government is a parliamentary democracy, with a House of Representatives and a House of Councillors. Executive power is vested in a cabinet composed of a prime minister and ministers of state, all of whom must be civilians. The prime minister must be a member of the [[National Diet|Diet]] and is designated by his colleagues. The prime minister has the power to appoint and remove ministers, a majority of whom must be Diet members. The judiciary is independent.

The five major political parties represented in the National Diet are the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), the New Clean Government Party (Komeito), the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Japan's judicial system, drawn from customary law, civil law, and Anglo-American common law, consists of several levels of courts, with the Supreme Court as the final judicial authority. The Japanese constitution includes a bill of rights similar to the U.S. Bill of Rights, and the Supreme Court has the right of judicial review. Japanese courts do not use a jury system, and there are no administrative courts or claims courts. Because of the judicial system's basis, court decisions are made in accordance with legal statutes. Only Supreme Court decisions have any direct effect on later interpretation of the law.

Japan does not have a federal system, and its 47 prefectures are not sovereign entities in the sense that U.S. states are. Most depend on the central government for subsidies. Governors of prefectures, mayors of municipalities, and prefectural and municipal assembly members are popularly elected to 4-year terms.

====Recent Political Developments====
The post-World War II years saw tremendous economic growth in Japan, with the political system dominated by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). That total domination lasted until the Diet lower house elections in July 1993, in which the LDP failed for the first time to win a majority. The LDP returned to power in 1994, with majorities in both houses of the Diet. In elections in July 2007, the LDP lost its majority in the upper house, with the DPJ now holding the largest number of seats but with no party possessing a clear majority. Currently, the LDP maintains a majority in the lower house.

Shinzo Abe was elected Prime Minister in a Diet vote in September 2006. Abe was the first prime minister to be born after World War II and the youngest prime minister since the war. However, Abe resigned abruptly on September 12, 2007, not long after the LDP lost control of the upper house in the July 2007 elections in which the LDP's handing of domestic issues was a leading issue. Yasuo Fukuda of the LDP was elected Prime Minister by the Diet on September 25, 2007 to replace Abe. Fukuda, whose father served as Prime Minister in the late 1970s, is known as a moderate and for his experience building consensus behind the scenes.

===Principal Government Officials===
[[File:Emperor Akihito Japan.jpg|thumb|Emperor Akihito.]]
*Head of State--Emperor Akihito
*Prime Minister (Head of Government)--Naoto Kan
*Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura
*Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa
*Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada,
*Minister of Foreign Affairs Hirofumi Nakasone
*Permanent Representative to the UN Kenzo Oshima
{{Clear}}

===Foreign Relations===
Japan is the world's second-largest economy and a major economic power both in Asia and globally. Japan has diplomatic relations with nearly all independent nations and has been an active member of the United Nations since 1956. Japanese foreign policy has aimed to promote peace and prosperity for the Japanese people by working closely with the West and supporting the United Nations.
[[File:Japanese sailors.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Japanese sailors.]]
In recent years, the Japanese public has shown a substantially greater awareness of security issues and increasing support for the Self Defense Forces. This is in part due to the Self Defense Forces' success in disaster relief efforts at home, and its participation in peacekeeping operations such as in Cambodia in the early 1990s and Iraq in 2005-2006. However, there are still significant political and psychological constraints on strengthening Japan's security profile. Although a military role for Japan in international affairs is highly constrained by its constitution and government policy, Japanese cooperation with the United States through the 1960 U.S.-Japan Security Treaty has been important to the peace and stability of East Asia. Currently, there are domestic discussions about possible reinterpretation or revision of Article 9 of the Japanese constitution. Prime Minister Abe made revising or reinterpreting the Japanese constitution a priority of his administration. All postwar Japanese governments have relied on a close relationship with the United States as the foundation of their foreign policy and have depended on the Mutual Security Treaty for strategic protection.

While maintaining its relationship with the United States, Japan has diversified and expanded its ties with other nations. Good relations with its neighbors continue to be of vital interest. After the signing of a peace and friendship treaty with China in 1978, ties between the two countries developed rapidly. Japan extended significant economic assistance to the Chinese in various modernization projects and supported Chinese membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Japan's economic assistance to China is now declining. In recent years, however, Chinese exploitation of gas fields in the East China Sea has raised Japanese concerns given disagreement over the demarcation of their maritime boundary. Prime Minister Abe's October 2006 visits to Beijing and Seoul helped improve relations with China and South Korea that had been strained following Prime Minister Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine. At the same time, Japan maintains economic and cultural but not diplomatic relations with Taiwan, with which a strong bilateral trade relationship thrives.

Japanese officials believe the February 25, 2008 inauguration of Republic of Korea President Lee Myung-bak marks a "new era" in Japan-South Korea relations, as Tokyo and Seoul look to develop "future-oriented" ties while avoiding contentious historical differences. Those historical differences include territorial disputes involving the Liancourt Rocks, use of Korean females as "Comfort Women" during World War II, and historical and ethnic animosities that continue to complicate Japan's political relations with South Korea despite growing economic and cultural ties.

A surprise visit by Prime Minister Koizumi to Pyongyang, North Korea on September 17, 2002, resulted in renewed discussions on contentious bilateral issues--especially that of abductions to North Korea of Japanese citizens--and Japan's agreement to resume normalization talks in the near future. In October 2002, five abductees returned to Japan, but soon after negotiations reached a stalemate over the fate of abductees' families in North Korea. Japan's economic and commercial ties with North Korea plummeted following Kim Jong-il's 2002 admission that D.P.R.K. agents abducted Japanese citizens. Japan strongly supported the United States in its efforts to encourage Pyongyang to abide by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and its agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In 2006, Japan responded to North Korea's July missile launches and October nuclear test by imposing sanctions and working with the United Nations Security Council. The U.S., Japan, and South Korea closely coordinate and consult trilaterally on policy toward North Korea, and Japan participates in the Six-Party Talks to end North Korea's nuclear arms ambitions. Tokyo, however, refuses to provide assistance called for under the February 13, 2007 Six-Party Talks agreement until North Korea takes satisfactory steps to resolve the abduction issue.

Japan's relations with Russia are hampered by the two sides' inability to resolve their territorial dispute over the islands that make up the Northern Territories (Southern Kuriles) seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. The stalemate over territorial issues has prevented conclusion of a peace treaty formally ending the war between Japan and Russia. The United States supports Japan on the Northern Territories issue and recognizes Japanese sovereignty over the islands. Russian Coast Guard boats sometimes seize Japanese fishing vessels operating in waters surrounding the disputed area. In August 2006, a Russian patrol shot at a Japanese fishing vessel, claiming the vessel was in Russian waters, killing one crewmember and taking three seamen into custody. In October 2007, Russia raised objections to U.S.-Japan cooperation on missile defense, and in February 2008, Tokyo protested the incursion into Japanese airspace of a Russian bomber. Despite the lack of progress in resolving the Northern Territories and other disputes, however, Japan and Russia continue to develop other aspects of the overall relationship, including two large, multi-billion dollar oil-natural gas consortium projects on Sakhalin Island.

Japan has pursued a more active foreign policy in recent years, recognizing the responsibility that accompanies its economic strength. It has expanded ties with the Middle East, which provides most of its oil, and has been the second-largest assistance donor (behind the U.S.) to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2006, Japan's Ground Self Defense Force completed a successful two-year mission in Iraq, and the Diet extended the Anti-Terrorism Special Measures Law which allowed for Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force refueling activities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Indian Ocean. On July 10, 2007 the Japanese Government decided to extend the Air Self-Defense Force's (ASDF) airlift support mission in Iraq to July 31, 2008. Under the Iraq Special Measures Law a wing of the ASDF's C-130 transport planes, based in Kuwait, will continue to carry personnel and supplies for the U.S.-led multinational forces and the United Nations in Iraq. The law has been extended to July 31, 2009 and will be voted on again in 2008.

Japan increasingly is active in Africa and Latin America--recently concluding negotiations with Mexico and Chile on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)--and has extended significant support to development projects in both regions.

[[File:Mexico - Japan Business.jpg|center|thumb|280px|Mexico-Japan Business.]]
<blockquote>
Mexico and Japan implemented an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on April 1st , 2005. The EPA is a comprehensive free trade agreement that has contributed to the expansion of commerce, investment, and tourism between the two countries. Japan represents the most important market for Mexican exports in Asia; and, Mexico is the most important destination for Japanese exports in Latin America. Moreover, cumulative Japanese company investments in Mexico total more than US$ 10 billion for the past decade, in sectors as diverse as automotive, electronics, electric, energy, agribusiness, transportation, real estate, and services. <ref> [http://www.mexicotradeandinvestment.com/] </ref>
</blockquote>

A Japanese-conceived peace plan became the foundation for nationwide elections in [[Cambodia]] in 1998. Japan's economic engagement with its neighbors is increasing, as evidenced by the conclusion of an EPA with Singapore and the Philippines, and its ongoing negotiations for EPAs with Thailand and Malaysia.

In May 2007, just prior to the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Prime Minister Abe announced an initiative to address greenhouse gas emissions and seek to mitigate the impact of energy consumption on climate. At the January 2008 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Prime Minister Fukuda reiterated his commitment to this plan. As host of the G8 Summit in July 2008, Japan will focus on four themes: environment and climate change, development and Africa, the world economy, and political issues including non-proliferation.

===Relations with the United States===
The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia and is fundamental to regional stability and prosperity. Despite the changes in the post-Cold War strategic landscape, the U.S.-Japan alliance continues to be based on shared vital interests and values. These include stability in the Asia-Pacific region, the preservation and promotion of political and economic freedoms, support for human rights and democratic institutions, and securing of prosperity for the people of both countries and the international community as a whole.
[[File:Surrender of Japan - USS Missouri.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Surrender of Japan - USS Missouri.]]
Japan provides bases and financial and material support to U.S. forward-deployed forces, which are essential for maintaining stability in the region. Under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, Japan hosts a carrier battle group, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, the 5th Air Force, and elements of the Army's I Corps. The United States currently maintains approximately 50,000 troops in Japan, about half of whom are stationed in Okinawa.

Over the past decade the alliance has been strengthened through revised Defense Guidelines, which expand Japan's noncombatant role in a regional contingency, the renewal of our agreement on Host Nation Support of U.S. forces stationed in Japan, and an ongoing process called the Defense Policy Review Initiative (DPRI). The DPRI redefines roles, missions, and capabilities of alliance forces and outlines key realignment and transformation initiatives, including reducing the number of troops stationed in Okinawa, enhancing interoperability and communication between our respective commands, and broadening our cooperation in the area of ballistic missile defense.

Implementation of these agreements will strengthen our capabilities and make our alliance more sustainable. After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Japan has participated significantly with the global war on terrorism by providing major logistical support for U.S. and coalition forces in the Indian Ocean.

Because of the two countries' combined economic and technological impact on the world, the U.S.-Japan relationship has become global in scope. The United States and Japan cooperate on a broad range of global issues, including development assistance, combating communicable disease such as the spread of HIV/AIDS and avian influenza, and protecting the environment and natural resources. Both countries also collaborate in science and technology in such areas as mapping the human genome, research on aging, and international space exploration. As one of Asia's most successful democracies and its largest economy, Japan contributes irreplaceable political, financial, and moral support to U.S.-Japan diplomatic efforts. The United States consults closely with Japan and the Republic of Korea on policy regarding North Korea. In Southeast Asia, U.S.-Japan cooperation is vital for stability and for political and economic reform. Outside Asia, Japanese political and financial support has substantially strengthened the U.S. position on a variety of global geopolitical problems, including the Gulf, Middle East peace efforts, and the Balkans. Japan is an indispensable partner on UN reform and the second largest contributor to the UN budget. Japan broadly supports the United States on nonproliferation and nuclear issues. The U.S. supports Japan's aspiration to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

==Economy==
Japan was devastated by [[World War II]].<ref>World War II wiped out many of the gains Japan had made since 1868. About 40 percent of the nation's industrial plants and infrastructure were destroyed, and production reverted to levels of about fifteen years earlier.[http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-7176.html Japan - Patterns of Development]</ref>
Yet Japan's economy recovered over the years 1950-1980 through a partnership between government and industry. The goal in 1950 was to become the world leader in textiles, which was achieved by 1959. The goal in 1960 was to become the world's top producer in steel by 1970, and the goal in 1970 was to become the world's leader in the production of automobiles. Each goal was achieved within one year of the target date.<ref>Source: Zig Ziglar's motivational talk on goal setting [http://www.nightingale.com/Offers/ziglar-goalsvideo.html?promo=intgooga660&org=intgooga660&gclid=CIPP8tG736QCFUpe7AodkGqbKw]</ref>
[[File:Tokyo.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Tokyo.]]
Now Japan's industrialized, free market economy is the second-largest in the world. Its economy is highly efficient and competitive in areas linked to international trade, but productivity is far lower in protected areas such as agriculture, distribution, and services. After achieving one of the highest economic growth rates in the world from the 1960s through the 1980s, the Japanese economy slowed dramatically in the early 1990s, when the "bubble economy" collapsed, marked by plummeting stock and real estate prices. Together with the impact of the worldwide [[recession of 2008]], Japan's status as a global economic power is slipping fast, with China poised to supplant Japan as the world' second-largest economy by 2010 or 2011.

Japan's reservoir of industrial leadership and technicians, well-educated and industrious work force, high savings and investment rates, and intensive promotion of industrial development and foreign trade produced a mature industrial economy. Japan has few natural resources, and trade helps it earn the foreign exchange needed to purchase raw materials for its economy.

Japan's long-term economic prospects are considered good, and it has largely recovered from its worst period of economic stagnation since World War II. Real GDP in Japan grew at an average of roughly 1% yearly in the 1990s, compared to growth in the 1980s of about 4% per year. The Japanese economy is now in its longest postwar expansion after more than a decade of stagnation. Real growth in 2006 was 2.2% and was 1.9% in 2007.
*GDP (2007 est.): $5.103 trillion (official exchange rate); $4.34 trillion (PPP).
*Real growth rate (2007 est.): 1.9%.
*Per capita GDP (2007 est. PPP): $33,800.
*Natural resources: Fish and few mineral resources.
*Agriculture: Products--rice, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat, silk.
*Industry: Types--machinery and equipment, metals and metal products, textiles, autos, chemicals, electrical and electronic equipment.

====Agriculture, Energy, and Minerals====
Only 15% of Japan's land is arable. The agricultural economy is highly subsidized and protected. With per hectare crop yields among the highest in the world, Japan maintains an overall agricultural self-sufficiency rate of about 40% on fewer than 5.6 million cultivated hectares (14 million acres). Japan normally produces a slight surplus of rice but imports large quantities of wheat, corn, sorghum, and soybeans, primarily from the United States. Japan is the largest market for U.S. agricultural exports.

Given its heavy dependence on imported energy, Japan has aimed to diversify its sources and maintain high levels of energy efficiency. Since the oil shocks of the 1970s, Japan has reduced dependence on petroleum as a source of energy from more than 75% in 1973 to about 52% in 2000. Other important energy sources are coal, liquefied natural gas, nuclear power, and hydropower. Today Japan enjoys one of the most energy-efficient developed economies in the world.

Deposits of gold, magnesium, and silver meet current industrial demands, but Japan is dependent on foreign sources for many of the minerals essential to modern industry. Iron ore, coke, copper, and bauxite must be imported, as must many forest products.

====Labor====
Japan's labor force consists of some 66.07 million workers, 40% of whom are women. Labor union membership was estimated to be about 10 million in 2006.

====U.S./Japanese Economic Relations====
U.S. economic policy toward Japan is aimed at increasing access to Japan's markets and two-way investment, stimulating domestic demand-led economic growth, promoting economic restructuring, improving the climate for U.S. investors, and raising the standard of living in both the United States and Japan. The U.S.-Japan bilateral economic relationship--based on enormous flows of trade, investment, and finance--is strong, mature, and increasingly interdependent. Further, it is firmly rooted in the shared interest and responsibility of the United States and Japan to promote global growth, open markets, and a vital world trading system. In addition to bilateral economic ties, the U.S. and Japan cooperate closely in multilateral fora such as the WTO, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, and regionally in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC).
[[File:Japan US relations Obama Naoto.jpg|thumb|left|300px|President Obama and Prime Minister Naoto Kan.]]
Japan is a major market for many U.S. products, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, films and music, commercial aircraft, nonferrous metals, plastics, and medical and scientific supplies. Japan also is the largest foreign market for U.S. agricultural products, with total agricultural exports valued at $10.1 billion in 2007, a 20% increase over the $8.39 billion in agricultural exports recorded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2006. Revenues from Japanese tourism to the United States reached nearly $13 billion in 2005.

Trade between the United States and Japan remained strong in 2006. Total trade grew about 0.2% year-on-year. U.S. exports to Japan reached $62.7 billion in 2007, up from $59.6 billion in 2006. U.S. imports from Japan totaled $145.5 billion in 2007 ($148.1 billion in 2006).

U.S. foreign direct investment in Japan reached $91.8 billion in 2006, up from $79.3 billion in 2005, according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis. New U.S. investment was especially significant in financial services, Internet services, and software, generating new export opportunities for U.S. firms and employment for U.S. workers.

 

==History==
[[File:Samourai photo 1867 PD.jpg|thumb|Samurai, photo 1867.]]
See [[History of Japan]]
====20th century====
The Showa Period (1926-89), under Emperor [[Hirohito]], was an era of incredible change from traditional villages to modern cities, from a great empire and early success in [[World War II|World War II]] to utter ruin and surrender. In 1931 seized Japan [[Manchuria]], and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of [[History of China|China]]. The U.S. vehemently protested and insisted that Japan pull back, but it refused, so the U.S. stopped shipping it oil. Japan responded by attacking the U.S. at [[Pearl Harbor]] in December 1941, and soon conquered much of East and Southeast Asia. In a series of spectacular naval battles, such as the [[Battle of Midway]] (June 1942), Japan lost control of the Pacific and was subject to massive air raids culminating in nuclear attacks on [[Hiroshima]] and Nagasaki.

Japan, in utter ruins, was occupied by the U.S. until 1951, as Emperor Hirohito led a regime that Americanized the nation, modernized and liberalized its economy and polity, and become an economic superpower, staunch American ally, and a democracy that gave up all its empire and its military power. The emperor stepped down from his traditional godly status but remains the powerful symbol of national identity and unity. Political power rests in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth, but Japan still remains a major economic power, both in Asia and globally.

====Current Status====
Japan's modern economy has many world leading industries and companies, being driven by exports and a mastery of high technology. However, in the 1990s, the economy underwent a major slowdown in part because of overinvestment and an asset price bubble during the late 1980s. Japan has a huge government debt, which exceeds the Gross Domestic product (176% of GDP) and also faces the challenge of a low birth rate, low immigration and an aging of the population which will further increase the debts. [[China]] also is becoming a larger economy and a bigger international trading partner than Japan.

====2011 Quake - Tsunami ====
[[File:Japan quake sendai.jpg|left|200px]]
A massive 8.9-magnitude earthquake and several powerful aftershocks struck the eastern coast of Japan on March 11, 2011 (12:46 a.m. in Washington), triggering a [[tsunami]] that devastated the coastline north of [[Tokyo]] with waves up to 10 meters (33 ft.) high. The earthquake epicenter was in the western Pacific Ocean, 130 kilometers east of [[Sendai]], [[Honshu]] island. The earthquake occurred along the subduction zone between two tectonic plates.
[[File:Japan radiation 2011.jpg|right|140px|Japanese radiation, 2011.]]
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake was the strongest in the country's history; <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2011/03/11/ST2011031100651.html?sid=ST2011031100651 Japan Quake - Tsunami] </ref> the death toll is expected to top 10,000 people; Prime Minister Naoto Kan called it the nation's worst crisis since World War II. <ref>http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-13-japan-earthquake_N.htm </ref>.

The [[earthquake]] has caused three nuclear power plant cooling systems to fail and those affected reactors. Thousands of residents were evacuated. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/11/japan-issues-emergency-nuke-plant-leak Radiation Levels Surge Outside Two Nuclear Plants in Japan.]</ref>
{{Clear}}

== See also ==
[[Image:Arbol japon.jpg|right|Japanese landscape]]
*[[Japan and America]]
*[[World War II]]
*[[Oriental art]]
*[[Matthew Perry]]
*[[Nikko]]
*[[Ainu]]
*[[Aomori]]
*[[Geisha]]
*[[Japanese painting]]
*[[Gallery of Japanese Painting]]
*[[Japanese dates]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.japan-guide.com/ Traveling and living.] Japan - Guide.
*[http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl/h207_2002/jecontakeoff.htm Japanese economic takeoff after 1945]

[[File:Tsurugaoka-hachimangu Shrine main shrine.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Tsurugaoka-hachimangu Shrine.]]
{{Clear}}

==Basic further reading==
See also: [[Bibliography of Japan]]

===References===
* Huffman, James L., ed. ''Modern Japan: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism.'' (1998). 316 pp.
* Itasaka, Gen, ed. ''Japan Encyclopedia,'' 9 vols. Tokyo: Kodansha, 1983. with beautiful pictures
* Perkins, Dorothy. ''Encyclopedia of Japan: Japanese History and Culture, from Abacus to Zori.'' (1991). 410 pp.
* Stockwin, J. A. A. ''Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Japan.'' (2003). 291pp [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=107546295# online edition]

===Guides===
* DK, '' Japan'' (Eyewitness Travel Guides) (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Japan-Eyewitness-Travel-Guides-Publishing/dp/0756628768/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190467544&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Reiber, Beth, and Janie Spencer. ''Frommer's Japan'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/Frommers-Japan-Complete-Beth-Reiber/dp/0471763918/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190467544&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Rowthorn, Chris et al. ''Lonely Planet Japan'' (2005) [http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Japan-Chris-Rowthorn/dp/1740599241/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190467544&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search]
===History===
* Allinson, Gary D. ''The Columbia Guide to Modern Japanese History.'' (1999). 259 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Guide-Modern-Japanese-History/dp/0231111444/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190394878&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Allinson, Gary D. ''Japan's Postwar History.'' (2nd ed 2004). 208 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/Japans-Postwar-History-Second-Allinson/dp/0801489121/ref=sr_1_3/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190394878&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search]
* Gordon, Andrew. ''A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present'' (2003) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=103548936 online edition]; also [http://www.amazon.com/Modern-History-Japan-Tokugawa-Present/dp/0195110617/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190394957&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Hane, Mikiso. ''Modern Japan: A Historical Survey'' (2nd ed 1992), 474pp [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=57239340 online edition]
* Perez, Louis G. ''The History of Japan'' (1998) 244pp [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=93932879 online edition]

==References==
<references/>

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!colspan=2 style="width: 100%; text-align: center; background-color: #000088; color: white; "|'''Copyright Details'''
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[[Category:Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese History]]
[[Category:Asian Countries]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Nelson Mandela

2011-03-03T23:47:11Z

Brit1909: /* Mandela is Released */

[[Image:Mandela2.jpg|right|thumb]]

'''Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela''' (b. July 18, 1918 in the Transkei) is a [[South Africa]]n leader, who fought hard against [[apartheid]] until he was imprisoned in 1964. He was released in 1990 and went on to become South Africa's first president to be elected by a multi-racial electorate in 1994.

== Early Life and Political Socialization ==

Almost immediately, we see Mandela plunged into political life, as his father was the ‘right hand man’ to the Acting Paramount Chief of Thembuland (ANC archive). Although the reasons for his political socialization are evident and obvious, one ought to consider the ramifications of his environment; for instance, it can be argued that the class system in South Africa was in conflict with his ideals: “Ideologies and ideologists arise in class-divided societies…” (Ball and Dagger) If this is true, then it is vital to speak of Mandela and apartheid as two sides of the same coin.

Mandela’s primary education began in a local mission school, and his secondary education was completed in a Wesleyan institute in Healdtown. Around this time, he began to see cases in the Chief’s courts, many involving apartheid issues, and this primed him to want to become a lawyer instead of taking his father’s place in Thembuland politics (ANC archive).

Mandela’s earliest political experience came while enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare, where he was working to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While at the college, he was elected to a student political organization known as the Student’s Representative Council. Soon after, Mandela was expelled for participating in a protest on campus (ANC archive). Because of this, Mandela attended Johannesburg where he finally obtained his BA. Soon after, he joined the [[African National Congress]] in 1942, during the height of [[World War II]].
Nelson Mandela’s personal fixation with freedom brought him to work with many other members of the African National Congress to form a group under the leadership of a colleague, Anton Lembede (ANC archive). The group’s main focus was to change the African National Congress into a mass movement, including all people from urban communities to those in the countryside.

Mandela was instrumental in many political endeavors, many of which were anti-apartheid movements such as the Programme of Action, a policy-based initiative which was founded on the principle of using the non-violent weapons of “boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation” (ANC archive). This eventually became the modus operandi of the African National Congress.

And yet, some of our greatest leaders and role models have to resort to evil in order to do good. Mandela, being no exception to this, was the leader of an armed resistance group known as Umkhonto we Sizwe, formed in 1962. Mandela explains his reasoning:

:“At the beginning of June 1961, after long and anxious assessment of the South African situation, I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as long violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force.” –Nelson Mandela (ANC archive)

It was this notion, along with strong governmental apartheid sentiment that would eventually land Nelson R. Mandela in prison.

== Mandela in Prison ==

Nelson Mandela, like many political activists, eventually found himself imprisoned. He was sent to the notorious Robben Island Prison where he would eventually serve twenty seven years (Battersby). He was one of the many victims of the Treason Trial. After the trial, the African National Congress was banned, and the already convicted Mandela was sentenced to prison.

Mandela was in prison for twenty seven years, during which he endured a radical transformation. Mandela, by self-admittance, had a temper problem prior to being incarcerated. During prison, however, he had to learn to control his anger. “One was angry,” says Mandela, “at what was happening [in apartheid South Africa]- the humiliation, the loss of our human dignity. We tended to react in accordance with anger and our emotion rather than sitting down and thinking about things properly” (Battersby).

Mandela claimed it was the solitude in the prison cell that allowed one to think to oneself, allowing the nerves to become calm. In addition, many of Mandela’s prison mates were well-educated, well-travelled individuals. “When they told you of their experiences,” Mandela says, “you felt humbled” (Battersby). Mandela, while in prison, was also instrumental in the transformation of Robben Island from a ‘criminal’ prison to a ‘student’ prison.
Mandela had chances to prove his political worth while in prison, as well. During the seventies, Mandela was offered remission of his sentence if he recognized the apartheid racially segregated region of Transkei. He refused. Later, during the eighties, Mandela was given a second opportunity at remission, only this time he was asked to renounce the violence that some of his groups partook in. He, again, refused (ANC archive).

Indeed, during his prison time, Mandela proved to be a prime example of a strong believer in principle, while at the same time erupting as a shining light to others suffering alongside him.

==Mandela is Released==

Mandela, stepping out of his prison cell, faced a newly changed South Africa through the eyes of a newly changed man. Shortly after being released, Mandela and his colleagues agreed on the suspension of the armed struggle (Umkhonto we Sizwe). He was officially released from prison in 1990, and was eventually elected President of the African National Congress in 1991 (ANC archive). Later, in 1994, he was elected President of the State of [[South Africa]] in the first truly democratic elections in the nation's history.

Before retiring from public life in June of 1999, he had received over fifty honorary degrees at prestigious universities all over the world, and was chancellor of the University of the North (ANC archive).

Elsewhere in the world, Mandela has made several attempts to make peace, even with nations outside his personal safety realm. For instance, in October of 1999, Mandela met with leaders from Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, and the United States. Although Mandela found these numerous meetings to be pleasant, he did mention that the [[Israeli]] prime minister, [[Ehud Barak]], rejected Mandela’s intervention into the conflict (Battersby).

Mandela went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in a respect, as a representative of those who stand for peace and combat racism. Mandela, in the wake of this, regards his winning of the Peace Prize as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid for so many years while so many more remained silent (ANC archive).

Certainly, Nelson Mandela’s political career after prison is one which many could be both envious of, while at the same time stand in awe at such greatness.

==Mandela and President Bush==

In a September, 2007 speech defending the Iraq war, [[George W. Bush]] blamed Mandela's death on [[Saddam Hussein]]. Mandela was, in fact, still alive.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/wl_nm/safrica_mandela_bush_dc Mandela still alive after embarrassing Bush remark ]</ref>
The [[United States]] took Mandela off the [[terrorist]] watch-list in 2008, days before his 90th birthday.

==Closing Thoughts==

Nelson R. Mandela, in the wake of political turmoil, was one man who was both willing and able to stand up and fight back. Indeed, we can see how the man developed his legacy through his activist years, his years in prison, and his much more elaborate life afterwards.

Despite Mandela's history of supporting terrorism (was on the offical US Terrorist Watch List), the South African Broadcasting Corporation poll for the Greatest South Africans, had Mandela ranked number one greatest South African of all time.<ref>[http://www.biz-community.com/Article.aspx?ai=4673&c=11]</ref>

== Notes ==

Ball, Terence, and Richard Dagger. Ideals and Ideologies. Fifth ed. Pearson Education,
2004.

Battersby, John. "Mandela." Christian Science Monitor (2000)
"Birth of Freedom." Ed. Jon E. Lewis. New York: Gramercy Books.

Denenberg, Barry. No Easy Walk to Freedom. Ca-Print Harcourt Heinamann.

"Profile of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela." African National Congress Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mandela, Nelson}}

[[Category:Heads of State]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Peace]]

==References==

*Apartheid:A History by Brian Lapping (detailed Mandela's conviction for terrorism at the Rivonia trial)
*[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDB1631F932A1575BC0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all] Mandela's 1985 refusal to renounce public violence

<references/>

Nelson Mandela

2011-03-03T23:43:24Z

Brit1909: /* Mandela in Prison */ deleted repetition

[[Image:Mandela2.jpg|right|thumb]]

'''Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela''' (b. July 18, 1918 in the Transkei) is a [[South Africa]]n leader, who fought hard against [[apartheid]] until he was imprisoned in 1964. He was released in 1990 and went on to become South Africa's first president to be elected by a multi-racial electorate in 1994.

== Early Life and Political Socialization ==

Almost immediately, we see Mandela plunged into political life, as his father was the ‘right hand man’ to the Acting Paramount Chief of Thembuland (ANC archive). Although the reasons for his political socialization are evident and obvious, one ought to consider the ramifications of his environment; for instance, it can be argued that the class system in South Africa was in conflict with his ideals: “Ideologies and ideologists arise in class-divided societies…” (Ball and Dagger) If this is true, then it is vital to speak of Mandela and apartheid as two sides of the same coin.

Mandela’s primary education began in a local mission school, and his secondary education was completed in a Wesleyan institute in Healdtown. Around this time, he began to see cases in the Chief’s courts, many involving apartheid issues, and this primed him to want to become a lawyer instead of taking his father’s place in Thembuland politics (ANC archive).

Mandela’s earliest political experience came while enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare, where he was working to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While at the college, he was elected to a student political organization known as the Student’s Representative Council. Soon after, Mandela was expelled for participating in a protest on campus (ANC archive). Because of this, Mandela attended Johannesburg where he finally obtained his BA. Soon after, he joined the [[African National Congress]] in 1942, during the height of [[World War II]].
Nelson Mandela’s personal fixation with freedom brought him to work with many other members of the African National Congress to form a group under the leadership of a colleague, Anton Lembede (ANC archive). The group’s main focus was to change the African National Congress into a mass movement, including all people from urban communities to those in the countryside.

Mandela was instrumental in many political endeavors, many of which were anti-apartheid movements such as the Programme of Action, a policy-based initiative which was founded on the principle of using the non-violent weapons of “boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation” (ANC archive). This eventually became the modus operandi of the African National Congress.

And yet, some of our greatest leaders and role models have to resort to evil in order to do good. Mandela, being no exception to this, was the leader of an armed resistance group known as Umkhonto we Sizwe, formed in 1962. Mandela explains his reasoning:

:“At the beginning of June 1961, after long and anxious assessment of the South African situation, I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as long violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force.” –Nelson Mandela (ANC archive)

It was this notion, along with strong governmental apartheid sentiment that would eventually land Nelson R. Mandela in prison.

== Mandela in Prison ==

Nelson Mandela, like many political activists, eventually found himself imprisoned. He was sent to the notorious Robben Island Prison where he would eventually serve twenty seven years (Battersby). He was one of the many victims of the Treason Trial. After the trial, the African National Congress was banned, and the already convicted Mandela was sentenced to prison.

Mandela was in prison for twenty seven years, during which he endured a radical transformation. Mandela, by self-admittance, had a temper problem prior to being incarcerated. During prison, however, he had to learn to control his anger. “One was angry,” says Mandela, “at what was happening [in apartheid South Africa]- the humiliation, the loss of our human dignity. We tended to react in accordance with anger and our emotion rather than sitting down and thinking about things properly” (Battersby).

Mandela claimed it was the solitude in the prison cell that allowed one to think to oneself, allowing the nerves to become calm. In addition, many of Mandela’s prison mates were well-educated, well-travelled individuals. “When they told you of their experiences,” Mandela says, “you felt humbled” (Battersby). Mandela, while in prison, was also instrumental in the transformation of Robben Island from a ‘criminal’ prison to a ‘student’ prison.
Mandela had chances to prove his political worth while in prison, as well. During the seventies, Mandela was offered remission of his sentence if he recognized the apartheid racially segregated region of Transkei. He refused. Later, during the eighties, Mandela was given a second opportunity at remission, only this time he was asked to renounce the violence that some of his groups partook in. He, again, refused (ANC archive).

Indeed, during his prison time, Mandela proved to be a prime example of a strong believer in principle, while at the same time erupting as a shining light to others suffering alongside him.

==Mandela is Released==

Mandela, stepping out of his prison cell, faced a newly changed South Africa through the eyes of a newly changed man. Shortly after being released, Mandela and his colleagues agreed on the suspension of the armed struggle (Umkhonto we Sizwe). He was officially released from prison in 1990, and was eventually elected President of the African National Congress in 1991 (ANC archive). Later, in 1994, he was democratically elected President of the State of [[South Africa]].

Before retiring from public life in June of 1999, he had received over fifty honorary degrees at prestigious universities all over the world, and was chancellor of the University of the North (ANC archive).
Elsewhere in the world, Mandela has made several attempts to make peace, even with nations outside his personal safety realm. For instance, in October of 1999, Mandela met with leaders from Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, and the United States. Although Mandela found these numerous meetings to be pleasant, he did mention that the [[Israeli]] prime minister, [[Ehud Barak]], rejected Mandela’s intervention into the conflict (Battersby).
Mandela went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in a respect, as a representative of those who stand for peace and combat racism. Mandela, in the wake of this, regards his winning of the Peace Prize as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid for so many years while so many more remained silent (ANC archive).
Certainly, Nelson Mandela’s political career after prison is one which many could be both envious of, while at the same time stand in awe at such greatness.

==Mandela and President Bush==

In a September, 2007 speech defending the Iraq war, [[George W. Bush]] blamed Mandela's death on [[Saddam Hussein]]. Mandela was, in fact, still alive.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/wl_nm/safrica_mandela_bush_dc Mandela still alive after embarrassing Bush remark ]</ref>
The [[United States]] took Mandela off the [[terrorist]] watch-list in 2008, days before his 90th birthday.

==Closing Thoughts==

Nelson R. Mandela, in the wake of political turmoil, was one man who was both willing and able to stand up and fight back. Indeed, we can see how the man developed his legacy through his activist years, his years in prison, and his much more elaborate life afterwards.

Despite Mandela's history of supporting terrorism (was on the offical US Terrorist Watch List), the South African Broadcasting Corporation poll for the Greatest South Africans, had Mandela ranked number one greatest South African of all time.<ref>[http://www.biz-community.com/Article.aspx?ai=4673&c=11]</ref>

== Notes ==

Ball, Terence, and Richard Dagger. Ideals and Ideologies. Fifth ed. Pearson Education,
2004.

Battersby, John. "Mandela." Christian Science Monitor (2000)
"Birth of Freedom." Ed. Jon E. Lewis. New York: Gramercy Books.

Denenberg, Barry. No Easy Walk to Freedom. Ca-Print Harcourt Heinamann.

"Profile of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela." African National Congress Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mandela, Nelson}}

[[Category:Heads of State]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Peace]]

==References==

*Apartheid:A History by Brian Lapping (detailed Mandela's conviction for terrorism at the Rivonia trial)
*[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDB1631F932A1575BC0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all] Mandela's 1985 refusal to renounce public violence

<references/>

Nelson Mandela

2011-03-03T23:40:51Z

Brit1909: /* Early Life and Political Socialization */

[[Image:Mandela2.jpg|right|thumb]]

'''Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela''' (b. July 18, 1918 in the Transkei) is a [[South Africa]]n leader, who fought hard against [[apartheid]] until he was imprisoned in 1964. He was released in 1990 and went on to become South Africa's first president to be elected by a multi-racial electorate in 1994.

== Early Life and Political Socialization ==

Almost immediately, we see Mandela plunged into political life, as his father was the ‘right hand man’ to the Acting Paramount Chief of Thembuland (ANC archive). Although the reasons for his political socialization are evident and obvious, one ought to consider the ramifications of his environment; for instance, it can be argued that the class system in South Africa was in conflict with his ideals: “Ideologies and ideologists arise in class-divided societies…” (Ball and Dagger) If this is true, then it is vital to speak of Mandela and apartheid as two sides of the same coin.

Mandela’s primary education began in a local mission school, and his secondary education was completed in a Wesleyan institute in Healdtown. Around this time, he began to see cases in the Chief’s courts, many involving apartheid issues, and this primed him to want to become a lawyer instead of taking his father’s place in Thembuland politics (ANC archive).

Mandela’s earliest political experience came while enrolled at the University College of Fort Hare, where he was working to obtain a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While at the college, he was elected to a student political organization known as the Student’s Representative Council. Soon after, Mandela was expelled for participating in a protest on campus (ANC archive). Because of this, Mandela attended Johannesburg where he finally obtained his BA. Soon after, he joined the [[African National Congress]] in 1942, during the height of [[World War II]].
Nelson Mandela’s personal fixation with freedom brought him to work with many other members of the African National Congress to form a group under the leadership of a colleague, Anton Lembede (ANC archive). The group’s main focus was to change the African National Congress into a mass movement, including all people from urban communities to those in the countryside.

Mandela was instrumental in many political endeavors, many of which were anti-apartheid movements such as the Programme of Action, a policy-based initiative which was founded on the principle of using the non-violent weapons of “boycott, strike, civil disobedience and non-co-operation” (ANC archive). This eventually became the modus operandi of the African National Congress.

And yet, some of our greatest leaders and role models have to resort to evil in order to do good. Mandela, being no exception to this, was the leader of an armed resistance group known as Umkhonto we Sizwe, formed in 1962. Mandela explains his reasoning:

:“At the beginning of June 1961, after long and anxious assessment of the South African situation, I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as long violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force.” –Nelson Mandela (ANC archive)

It was this notion, along with strong governmental apartheid sentiment that would eventually land Nelson R. Mandela in prison.

== Mandela in Prison ==

Nelson Mandela, like many political activists, eventually found himself imprisoned. He was sent to the notorious Robben Island Prison where he would eventually serve twenty seven years (Battersby). He was one of the many victims of the Treason Trial. After the trial, the African National Congress was banned, and the already convicted Mandela was sentenced to prison.

Mandela was in prison for twenty seven years, during which he endured a radical transformation. Mandela, by self-admittance, had a temper problem prior to being incarcerated. During prison, however, he had to learn to control his anger. “One was angry,” says Mandela, “at what was happening [in apartheid in South Africa]- the humiliation, the loss of our human dignity. We tended to react in accordance with anger and our emotion rather than sitting down and thinking about things properly” (Battersby).

Nelson Mandela claimed it was the solitude in the prison cell that allowed one to think to oneself, allowing the nerves to become calm. In addition, many of Mandela’s prison mates were well-educated, well-traveled individuals. “When they told you of their experiences,” Mandela says, “you felt humbled” (Battersby). Mandela, while in prison, was also instrumental in the transformation of Robben Island from a ‘criminal’ prison to a ‘student’ prison.
Mandela had chances to prove his political worth while in prison, as well. During the seventies, Mandela was offered remission of his sentence if he recognized the apartheid racially segregated region of Transkei. He refused. Later, during the eighties, Mandela was given a second opportunity at remission, only this time he was asked to renounce the violence that some of his groups partook in. He, again, refused (ANC archive).

Indeed, during his prison time, Mandela proved to be a prime example of a strong believer in principle, while at the same time erupting as a shining light to others suffering alongside him.

Mandela could have been released in 1985, PW Botha offered him the chance to be released if he renounced public violence. Mandela refused to stop condoning violence. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDB1631F932A1575BC0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all]

==Mandela is Released==

Mandela, stepping out of his prison cell, faced a newly changed South Africa through the eyes of a newly changed man. Shortly after being released, Mandela and his colleagues agreed on the suspension of the armed struggle (Umkhonto we Sizwe). He was officially released from prison in 1990, and was eventually elected President of the African National Congress in 1991 (ANC archive). Later, in 1994, he was democratically elected President of the State of [[South Africa]].

Before retiring from public life in June of 1999, he had received over fifty honorary degrees at prestigious universities all over the world, and was chancellor of the University of the North (ANC archive).
Elsewhere in the world, Mandela has made several attempts to make peace, even with nations outside his personal safety realm. For instance, in October of 1999, Mandela met with leaders from Iran, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Gaza, and the United States. Although Mandela found these numerous meetings to be pleasant, he did mention that the [[Israeli]] prime minister, [[Ehud Barak]], rejected Mandela’s intervention into the conflict (Battersby).
Mandela went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize, in a respect, as a representative of those who stand for peace and combat racism. Mandela, in the wake of this, regards his winning of the Peace Prize as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid for so many years while so many more remained silent (ANC archive).
Certainly, Nelson Mandela’s political career after prison is one which many could be both envious of, while at the same time stand in awe at such greatness.

==Mandela and President Bush==

In a September, 2007 speech defending the Iraq war, [[George W. Bush]] blamed Mandela's death on [[Saddam Hussein]]. Mandela was, in fact, still alive.<ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070921/wl_nm/safrica_mandela_bush_dc Mandela still alive after embarrassing Bush remark ]</ref>
The [[United States]] took Mandela off the [[terrorist]] watch-list in 2008, days before his 90th birthday.

==Closing Thoughts==

Nelson R. Mandela, in the wake of political turmoil, was one man who was both willing and able to stand up and fight back. Indeed, we can see how the man developed his legacy through his activist years, his years in prison, and his much more elaborate life afterwards.

Despite Mandela's history of supporting terrorism (was on the offical US Terrorist Watch List), the South African Broadcasting Corporation poll for the Greatest South Africans, had Mandela ranked number one greatest South African of all time.<ref>[http://www.biz-community.com/Article.aspx?ai=4673&c=11]</ref>

== Notes ==

Ball, Terence, and Richard Dagger. Ideals and Ideologies. Fifth ed. Pearson Education,
2004.

Battersby, John. "Mandela." Christian Science Monitor (2000)
"Birth of Freedom." Ed. Jon E. Lewis. New York: Gramercy Books.

Denenberg, Barry. No Easy Walk to Freedom. Ca-Print Harcourt Heinamann.

"Profile of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela." African National Congress Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mandela, Nelson}}

[[Category:Heads of State]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Peace]]

==References==

*Apartheid:A History by Brian Lapping (detailed Mandela's conviction for terrorism at the Rivonia trial)
*[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEFDB1631F932A1575BC0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all] Mandela's 1985 refusal to renounce public violence

<references/>

Talk:Deliberate ignorance

2011-03-03T23:33:47Z

Brit1909: /* Evolution of whales */

I just wanted to say how happy I am that it is OK to post insults about active, helpful editors. It's the reason I edit here; they don't allow that kind of thing at Wikipedia. [[User:HelpJazz|Help]][[User talk:HelpJazz|Jazz]] 18:12, 19 March 2008 (EDT)

: HelpJazz, feigning "insult" is an example of [[liberal style]]. Relax. Also, there is no evidence that you are a "libertarian" and we've rejected self-labels here long ago.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 18:14, 19 March 2008 (EDT)

(unacceptable language deleted)

I've noticed that there are no citations for these examples of deliberate ignorance, also would it be possible for a sysop to create a category for cryptology realted articles [[User:MCollins|MCollins]] 12:33, 20 March 2008 (EDT)

The "I've never heard that in the New York Times" is extremely biased, as the NYT is only read by 20 percent of the population (according to conservapedia). Why not change it to, "the news?"

==Censorship Complaint==

Not that I expect anything to change, but I have to protest ASchlafly's removal of my edit regarding Dick Cheney as "liberal claptrap". The topic is "Deliberate Ignorance", not "Liberal Deliberate Ignorance", and in the interest of balance it's appropriate to have cited examples that show the characteristic to be universal, and not just a liberal one. Cheney's insistence in 2005 that the Iraq insurgency was in its last throes was deliberately ignorant of the situation on the ground and the opinions of the military leaders whose observations are supposed to be given the most weight. Cheney had daily access to public and classified intelligence that warned of the trend towards destabilization (which eventually required the surge policy to reverse), so his statement was clearly a case of cognitive dissonance with regard the the facts at his disposal, or in this case, Deliberate Ignorance. I'm requesting an academic refutation of this view, and if non is received I'll restore the Cheney example. I cannot speak on behalf of the other deletions. --[[User:DinsdaleP|DinsdaleP]] 20:33, 26 June 2008 (EDT)

== Evolution of whales ==

It just isn't true to say that "evolutionists refuse to address the lack of a plausible evolutionary path for the whale...". See [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/4/l_034_05.html here], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_cetaceans here], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx079oEgKKs here] and [http://darwiniana.org/landtosea.htm here] for example. And there are many more where they came from. Evolutionists say that they already have a plausible evolutionary path for the whale so why would they be addressing the lack of such a path? Is there some self-evident reason that the suggested path is implausible in evolutionary terms? --[[User:CecilQ|CecilQ]] 16:47, 3 March 2011 (EST)
:You hit the nail on the head: ''"Evolutionists say..."'' Yes, they "say." They "say" fish evolved into frogs, dinosaurs evolved into birds, apes evolved into scientists. They can "say" all they want, but ''saying'' it happened is far different from ''proving'' it happened. I can use that same argument - and with just as much authority - by saying a housefly evolved into a house, a horsefly evolved into a horse, or a stinkbug evolved into a Volkswagen Beetle. And just like the evolutionists, I'd have as my "proof" the flies, the house, the horse, and the bugs; I'd have that brilliant scenario to fit what's in between, and I'd have those papers published that compel the public to "accept" what was just explained here.
:No, we're not going to accept the so-called "proofs" of whale origins, nor anything else related to evolution; it's just a tale, as per the first sentence of the first link you provided. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 17:48, 3 March 2011 (EST)

::Very well put, Karajou. The "theory of evolution" is a claim about a '''''process''''', and like any other claim it should only be accepted if there is proof for it. Proof of a process requires evidence of a process. Relying on the beginning and end says little about what happened in between. In fact, physics teaches that viewing the beginning and end of work says almost nothing about the nature of the work that occurred in between.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 18:23, 3 March 2011 (EST)

:::I'm afraid Karajou's analogies are somewhat inadequate. The theory of evolution is a lot more specific than posing an argument that one thing transformed into another. In fact, the theory is less about the 'states' and more about the 'process'. The theory, whatever one may think of it, does put forward a biological mechanism which is plausible insofar as it is at least theoretically possible based upon our knowledge of DNA, reproduction etc. But the argument about 'proof' is also lacking. The aim is not and never has been to amass tonnes of evidence until we can reach some mythical point and declare 'evolution is fact'. Science is not built upon that notion; it is built upon the hypothetico-deductive method, as outlined by Karl Popper. The aim is to try and ''dis''prove the theory. My aim is simply to clear up the philosophical issues, not to come down on either side of the evolutionist -vs- intelligent design debate. [[User:Brit1909|Brit1909]] 18:32, 3 March 2011 (EST)