Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Ho Chi Minh

2008-08-29T19:24:13Z

Jasra: link and info

'''Ho Chi Minh''' (born on May 19, 1890 as Nguyen Tat Thanh, also known as Nguyen Van Ba, Nguyen Ai Quoc, sometimes used other aliases) was a [[Vietnam]]ese revolutionary
who imposed one-party rule on Vietnam, dashing any hopes of it becoming a democratic country.
He was Prime Minister of the so-called Democratic Republic of Vietnam (actually a totalitarian [[Communist]] state) from 1945 to 1955. He assumed the office of President in 1955 and remained there until his death on September 2, 1969. After the civil war ended in 1975, [[Saigon]] was renamed [[Ho Chi Minh City]]. The name ''Ho Chi Minh'' means "The One Who Brings Light".

==Life and Career ==

Nguyen Tat Thanh left Vietnam at the age of 20. He traveled to London, New York and Paris and took different jobs (among others: worked as a ship stward, gardener, cook in a restaurant). While working on a ship he used name Nguyen Van Ba, then he returned to his original name.

In 1919 he joined the French Socialist Party and in 1920, after the party fell apart, he become a member of the French Communist Party. He became an expert in colonialism issues. In 1922 he was delegated to [[Moscow]], where he studied the doctrine an techniques of communism.
In 1925 he was sent to China, officially as a staff member of the Soviet Consulate in Kanton, in fact as a Comintern agent. Then he became the Director of the Comintern Office in Shanghai. Since then, until the start of the [[Second World War]] he traveled a lot over Asia.

*Ho throughout his life was a dedicated Communist internationalist. If anything, he was drawn even more to the Chinese than to the Soviets. <ref>http://www.oldwardogs.us/2006/12/understanding_r.html</ref>
* Ho Chi Minh was a nationalist in the sense that he had a special affection for Vietnam’s people and favored Vietnamese unification and independence, but, from his reading of Lenin’s Theses onward, he firmly adhered to the [[Leninist]] principle that Communist nations should subordinate their interests to those of the international Communist movement. <ref>http://www.triumphforsaken.com/index.php?pr=Excerpt</ref>

==External link==
*[http://www.triumphforsaken.com/ Triumph Foresaken] - history book by [[Mike Moyar]] which disproves most of the liberal propaganda about Ho.
*[http://www.vietquoc.com]- VietNam Quoc Dan Dang (Vietnamese National Party) website

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:Heads of State]]
[[Category:Communists]]
[[Category:Atheists]]

Ho Chi Minh

2008-08-29T18:51:57Z

Jasra: more information

'''Ho Chi Minh''' (born on May 19, 1890 as Nguyen That Thanh) was a [[Vietnam]]ese revolutionary
who imposed one-party rule on Vietnam, dashing any hopes of it becoming a democratic country.
He was Prime Minister of the so-called Democratic Republic of Vietnam (actually a totalitarian [[Communist]] state) from 1945 to 1955. He assumed the office of President in 1955 and remained there until his death on September 2, 1969. After the civil war ended in 1975, [[Saigon]] was renamed [[Ho Chi Minh City]]. The name ''Ho Chi Minh'' means "The One Who Brings Light".

==Life and Career ==
Nguyen That Thanh left Vietnam at the age of 20. He traveled to London, New York and Paris and took different jobs (among others: worked as a sailor, gardener, cook i a restaurant). In 1919 he joined the French Socialist Party and in 1920, after the party fell apart, he become a member of the French Communist Party. He became an expert in colonialism issues. In 1922 he was delegated to [[Moscow]], where he studied the doctrine an techniques of communism.
In 1925 he was sent to China, officially as a staff member of the Soviet Consulate in Kanton, in fact as a Comintern agent. Then he became the Director of the Comintern Office in Shanghai. Since then, until the start of the [[Second World War]] he traveled a lot over Asia.

*Ho throughout his life was a dedicated Communist internationalist. If anything, he was drawn even more to the Chinese than to the Soviets. <ref>http://www.oldwardogs.us/2006/12/understanding_r.html</ref>
* Ho Chi Minh was a nationalist in the sense that he had a special affection for Vietnam’s people and favored Vietnamese unification and independence, but, from his reading of Lenin’s Theses onward, he firmly adhered to the [[Leninist]] principle that Communist nations should subordinate their interests to those of the international Communist movement. <ref>http://www.triumphforsaken.com/index.php?pr=Excerpt</ref>

==External link==
*[http://www.triumphforsaken.com/ Triumph Foresaken] - history book by [[Mike Moyar]] which disproves most of the liberal propaganda about Ho.

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:Heads of State]]
[[Category:Communists]]
[[Category:Atheists]]

Ho Chi Minh

2008-08-29T18:24:51Z

Jasra: real name

Talk:Mike Moyar

2008-08-29T17:34:56Z

Jasra: comment

==Mike or Mark?==
Is it Mike or Mark, if both are correct, please explain it. [[User:Jasra|Jasra]] 13:34, 29 August 2008 (EDT)

Pope John Paul II

2008-08-29T17:30:46Z

Jasra: typos

[[Image:John_Paul_II.jpg|thumb|300px|John Paul II]]
Pope John Paul II (b. May 18, 1920, died April 2, 2005), born Karol Józef Wojtyła was in Wadowice, [[Poland]]. He held the second longest papacy in modern times. The first non-Italian [[Pope]] in 500 years. Became Vicar of Christ in 1978, the year of three Popes. By using Godly Love, he stood up to the Nazis and the Communists and overcame them both. His pontificate was successful in keeping a vibrant modern Church in strict accordance with Apostolic traditions. He had Canonized more [[Saints]] than any other Pope. It is widely believed that John Paul II will be a Saint with title "John Paul the Great."

==Early Life==
Karol was born the last of three siblings to father Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. At a young age he was a known to be gentle and loving to all. In 1928, his mother died and 4 years later his older brother, who was a doctor, died of a extreme fever. He lived with his father until he entered the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. He was a very good futbol (soccer) player and his nickname was 'Goalie'. Karol loved the arts and was involved in poetry and drama. In 1939, Nazi Germany invaded Poland. At 21 years old, his father died. Occupied Poland was a tough life for Karol but he managed this by hiding within the underground movement. He refused any armed struggle, was intent on keeping his freedoms and the Polish people's dignity alive through arts. He was known to help Jewish Poles from the wrath of Nazi persecution. In 1942, at the age of 24 he entered the undeground seminary to study as a priest.

==Election and Pontificate==

The Conclave of Cardinals elected him [[Pope]] on October 1,1978. As Pope, John Paul II traveled to more places, visited more countries, and traveled more miles than any other previous Pope. He also conducted more public meetings with the faithful, as the total attendance of his Wednesday audiences alone eclipsed 17,600,000 people. Controversially, during his reign, as many new saints were created as had been created in the reigns of all previous popes combined.

On 22nd October 1996 Pope John Paul II made world headlines with his message<sup>1</sup> delivered to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. It was entitled ''Magisterium Is Concerned with Question of Evolution for It Involves Conception of Man'' and resulted in headlines in many of the world's newspapers declaring that evolution and creation could coexist. His holiness stated his opinion on evolution that "In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies—which was neither planned nor sought—constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory."

Another one of his accomplishments is the establishment of [[World Youth Day]]. Also, he wrote 14 [[Encyclicals]], 5 books, and inumerous letters.

On May 9, 2005 John Paul II's successor, [[Pope Benedict XVI]], waived the five year waiting period for beatification.

<sup>1</sup> From the Vatican, 22 October 1996. ''Official translation published in L'Osservatore Romano, "Weekly Edition in English," 30 October 1996.
''

== See also ==
[[Image:JP2OLoG.jpg|thumb|Statue of Pope John-Paul II, at the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe]]
*[[Our Lady of Guadalupe]]
*[[Catholicism]]
*[[Luigi Giussani]]
*[[Virgin Mary]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/index.htm Ioannes Paulus PP II. Karol Wojtyla] Official Vatican site.

[[Category:Popes|John Paul II, Pope]]
[[Category:Polish People|John Paul II, Pope]]

Socialism

2008-06-27T22:31:43Z

Jasra: /* Cuba */ link and capitalization

[[Image:Backrdv12n2.jpg|right|400px|thumb|The caption reads, "Long live the great undefeatable flag of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin!"]]
'''Socialism''' uses government power to redistribute wealth.
In totalitarian countries such as [[USSR]], [[China]], [[Cuba]], [[North Korea]], etc., it has caused widespread shortages of basic goods and services. These Communist countries used an "[[Iron Curtain]]" to keep their citizens from emigrating.
Although this acts as a drag on the economy, in democratic countries of the industrialized west, some socialist ideas have been put into practice with varying degrees of success.

==Controversy==
The ideology of '''Socialism''' is subject to a variety of interpretations. From a conservative perspective, socialism is an economic system whereby the means of production are seized and monopolized by the government without compensation to the builders of the [[capital]], and where investments, production, distribution, income, prices, and economic justice are administered by a government [[nomenklatura]] that regulate the transfer of money, goods (including capital goods), and services primarily through taxation and regularized and institutionalized aggressive coercion. However, the majority of socialists would reject this description. Democratic socialists advocate a system of governance based on the principles of [[solidarity]], [[equality]] and [[liberty]], viewing these principles as interconnected, with increased socio-economic equality associated with increased practical freedom to fulfill human potential. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, socialist movements have been built on Christian and co-operative bases, embracing the notion that individuals should 'treat others as they would wish to be treated', and arguing that all individuals have a moral responsibility for the welfare of other members of their society. Socialism seeks to prioritize human welfare over other goals, such as profit and wealth accumulation by elites; it views increased redistribution of wealth as vital to securing greater freedom and happiness for the bulk of the people, and deplores the devastating effects of gross inequality on society in terms of increased crime, mental illness, unhappiness and lack of life chances.

==Key elements==

As a political ideology based on the expropriation of wealth, socialism stresses the privileges of the nomenklatura over the rights of workers and earners. Many of the most notoriously oppressive dictatorships have been socialist, such as the [[Soviet Union]] and [[National Socialist]] Germany. As an economic theory, socialism calls for redistribution of wealth, through taxation of private wealth coupled with "[[Progressivism|progressive]]" social policy or directly via [[nationalization]] and public ownership of property without compensation to owners. Wage earners suffer under Socialism, as it is hard to get paid in a system that discourages private persons from accumulating income.

Although socialist ideas such as the provision of [[unemployment benefits]], state [[pension]]s, [[universal health care]], and state control of key industries have been common throughout the developed world in the modern era, the [[United States]] has tended to reject socialism as an ideological position. In other parts of the world, such as Europe, Africa, Asia, and South and Central America, there has generally been more explicit support for socialism as a doctrine, and socialist parties have been among the most successful political forces of the last 100 years.

While socialism has often been [[atheistic]] in character, and many leading socialists (most prominently Karl Marx) have been critical of the role of religion - and conservative religion in particular - which they criticize for lending support to an unjust social order, some Socialists have been Christians, and there has been considerable interplay between Christian and Socialist ideas. [[Christian socialists]] have asserted that early Christian communities, in particular, displayed certain traits, such as the holding of possessions in common,<ref>Acts 2:44: "Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."</ref> the rejection of conventional sexual mores and gender roles,{{fact}} the provision for communal education, etc., that could be considered similar to socialism. See, for instance, Arnold Toynbee, the British historian, has responded to this,

:"the Marxian excerpt from a Christian Socialism is an experiment which is doomed to failure because it has denied itself the aid of the spiritual power which alone is capable of making Socialism a success. ….'Christianity', they say, 'is the opiate of the People'; and, in the [[Soviet Union]]… Christianity or of any other theistic religion have been debarred… from admission to membership of the All-Union Communist Party. In fact, Communism has been definitely and militantly anti-Christian.

Thus the campaign against Christianity which is to-day an integral part of the propaganda of [[Marxian Socialism]] is a challenge to the living generation of Christians …we latter-day Christians may still turn a Marxian attack upon Christianity to good account … a re-awakening of the Christian social conscience has been the one great positive practical achievement of Karl Marx" <ref>Arnold Toynbee, ''A Study of History'', Annex II to Vol. V, Part C (i) (c) 2, p. 585-586, Marxism, Socialism, and Christianity.</ref>

[[Marx, Karl|Karl Marx]] considered socialism to be a transitory stage between capitalism and communism. In his view, socialism is summed up by the expression: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." A major criticism of socialism is that it infringes individual rights in favor of the populace. In a very real sense, politics in the western world throughout the 20th century was shaped by the conflict between socialist and capitalist governmental policies.

Although socialist parties are common in Europe, the leading examples all currently embrace some free enterprise, individual property rights and certain other aspects of capitalism although leading European Socialists are very critical of America. In many European countries socialism has been changing to [[Social democracy]].

== Britain, the Labour Party and socialism ==

At its inception, the [[Labour Party]] borrowed socialist ideas by committing itself to a program of nationalization under 'Clause 4' of their Constitution, but was always fundamentally committed to the British State and the [[Westminster model]] of parliamentary government. Clause 4 was formally dropped after the election of [[Tony Blair]] as Party leader, signaling the creation of 'New' Labour.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/21/newsid_2515000/2515825.stm</ref> The British governments of 1945-1950 and 1950-1951 under [[Clement Atlee]] implemented the nationalization of several industries and utilities, including coal, steel, water, railways and electricity. The best known example is the [[nationalization of health care]] to create the [[National Health Service]] (NHS). This made - literally overnight - health care "free" at the point of delivery for everybody in Britain.

Since the election to government of the Labour Party in 1997, many "[[progressive]]" measures have been introduced, such as the Minimum Wage, Child Tax Credits, union recognition legislation, increased maternity and paternity leave, the Child Trust Fund, refurbishment of [[council housing]], free bus travel for the elderly, increased paid leave for all workers, free nursery-school places, and large cuts in unemployment.<ref>[http://www.towerhamlets.labour.co.uk/a1c1ce9b-1488-7bb4-a528-14436f084ba3]</ref> In addition, over a million children and a million pensioners have been [[lifted out of poverty]];{{fact}} however, many in the [[Labour Movement]] are extremely critical of [[New Labour]]'s tentative approach to reducing [[inequality]], and are frustrated that the government has not been more willing to make the case to the public for the [[redistribution of wealth]].

==World socialism==

US liberal politicians often echo the rhetoric of [[world socialism]]: <ref>Before Congress adjourned last week on another of its lengthy holidays, Speaker [[Nancy Pelosi]] repeated a phrase she has previously used about the war in Iraq. She again referred to it as "the Bush policy of unending war in Iraq." [http://www.townhall.com/columnists/CalThomas/2007/05/29/unending_war Cal Thomas] Tuesday, May 29, 2007 </ref>

*"Because George W. Bush [is] among the most menacing and belligerent [presidents] in American history. [He has] outlined a program of limitless and perpetual warfare, on every continent, and against any regime that stands in the way of the rapacious American ruling class.... like Hitler and the Nazis, [[American militarism]] has embarked on a campaign of world conquest and world domination... [President Bush has issued] a declaration of the unbridled appetites of the military and of the most ruthless, corrupt and criminal sections of the American ruling elite ...Like Hitler, Bush presents an upside-down view of the world in which small and weak states are mortal threats to the most powerful and heavily armed..." (World Socialist Web Site, 31 January 2002)

== Criticism of socialism ==
Socialism is often criticized by many people, including [[Bill O'Reilly]]. In his book ''''Culture Warrior'''' O'Reilly starts the book out by painting a bleak picture of what America would look like with a socialistic government. He states problems such as lawlessness, lack of morals and ethics and an overbearing politically correct "feel good" government.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=XPY4AAAACAAJ&dq=Culture+Warrior |title=Google books |accessdate=2008-02-22}}</ref>

Socialism is usually considered by most to be a weaker form of a communistic government, where a small few control and impose their beliefs onto other people. For example, Europe is used as an example of socialism. Most of the region is controlled by the [[European Union]] who impose restricts on religion and freedom of speech while promoting an "equal" and [[Political correctness|politically correct]] society.
==Other Socialist Countries (Current )==
==China==
After the Chinese Socialist Revolution in 1948, China has declared itself a communist country and has been Socialist since then, although they just pretend to be communist nowadays.
==[[Cuba]]==
Communist leader [[Fidel Castro]] violently overthrew the Cuban government in the 1950's and has declared Cuba to be Communist since then. Today, Cuba faces copious economic problems and the people lack their Fundamental Rights.

==North Korea==

==Different strands of socialism==
*[[Communism]]
*[[Social democracy]]
*[[National socialism]] (Nazism)
*[[Fascism]]

==References==
<div class="references-small"><div class="references-2column"><references /></div></div>

==External links==
*[http://www.mises.org/etexts/hayekintellectuals.pdf The Intellectuals and Socialism], By F.A. Hayek, ''The University of Chicago Law Review'', (Spring 1949), pp. 417-420, 421-423, 425-433.
*[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109587/socialism Socialism] Encyclopædia Britannica.
*[http://www.aim.org/wls/category/socialism/ What Liberals Say - Category: Socialism], [[Accuracy In Media]]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_countries]

[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:Socialism]]

Viper

2008-06-24T17:04:27Z

Jasra: technical correction

'''Vipers''' are a family of [[snake]] (the '''''Viperidae''''') found throughout the world except in [[Australia]] and [[Madagascar]]. Their bite is [[venom]]ous, which they use to catch small animals, such as [[lizard]]s, small [[mammals]] and [[bird]]s, that constitute their diet. Viper venom can be fatal to humans if treatment is not sought. Like many snakes, vipers have special organs that allow them to sense [[infrared]].<ref>http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/11d/report11d.html</ref>

The ''Viperidae'' family is divided into four subfamilies:

# ''Azemiopinae'' Liem, Marx & Rabb, 1971 (Fea's vipers) with only one species: ''Azemiops feae'' living in [[Myanmar]], southeastern [[Tibet]] across southern [[China]] (Fujien, [[Guangxi]], [[Jiangxi]], [[Kweichow]], [[Sichuan]], [[Yunnan]], [[Zhejiang]]) to northern [[Vietnam]].
#''Causinae'' Cope, 1859 (night adders) living in Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]
#''Crotalinae'' Oppel, 1811 (pit vipers: rattle snakes, bushmaster, cottonmouth, copperhead, jararacas) - In the [[Old World]] from eastern [[Europe]] eastward through [[Asia]] to [[Japan]], [[Taiwan]], [[Indonesia]], peninsular [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]]. In the [[New World]] from southern [[Canada]] southward through [[Mexico]] and [[Central America]] to southern [[South America]].
#''Viperinae'' Oppel, 1811 (true or pitless vipers) living in [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and [[Africa]].

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Snakes]]

Viper

2008-06-24T17:03:15Z

Jasra:

'''Vipers''' are a family of [[snake]] (the '''''Viperidae''''') found throughout the world except in [[Australia]] and [[Madagascar]]. Their bite is [[venom]]ous, which they use to catch small animals, such as [[lizard]]s, small [[mammals]] and [[bird]]s, that constitute their diet. Viper venom can be fatal to humans if treatment is not sought. Like many snakes, vipers have special organs that allow them to sense [[infrared]].<ref>http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/new_cards/11d/report11d.html</ref>

The ''Viperidae'' family is divided into four subfamilies:

# ''Azemiopinae'' Liem, Marx & Rabb, 1971 (Fea's vipers) with only one species: ''Azemiops feae'' living in [[Myanmar]], southeastern [[Tibet]] across southern [[China]] (Fujien, [[Guangxi]], [[Jiangxi]], [[Kweichow]], [[Sichuan]], [[Yunnan]], [[Zhejiang]]) to northern [[Vietnam]].

#''Causinae'' Cope, 1859 (night adders) living in Sub-Saharan [[Africa]]
#''Crotalinae'' Oppel, 1811 (pit vipers: rattle snakes, bushmaster, cottonmouth, copperhead, jararacas) - In the [[Old World]] from eastern [[Europe]] eastward through [[Asia]] to [[Japan]], [[Taiwan]], [[Indonesia]], peninsular [[India]] and [[Sri Lanka]]. In the [[New World]] from southern [[Canada]] southward through [[Mexico]] and [[Central America]] to southern [[South America]].
#''Viperinae'' Oppel, 1811 (true or pitless vipers) living in [[Europe]], [[Asia]] and [[Africa]].

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Snakes]]

Pope John Paul II

2008-06-09T22:04:18Z

Jasra: /* Early Life, From Child to Priest */ small addition

[[Image:John_Paul_II.jpg|thumb|300px|John Paul II]]
'''Pope John Paul II''' (May 18, 1920, [[Wadowice]], [[Poland]] - April 2, 2005 [[Vatican City]]) was the second longest reigning [[pope]] in modern times.

==Early Life, From Child to Priest==

His given name was '''Karol Józef Wojtyła'''. At a young age he was a known to be gentle and loving to all. He was a very good [[soccer]] player and his nickname was Goalie. In 1928 his mother died and 4 years later his older brother who was a doctor died of a extreme fever. He then lived with his father until he entered the [[Jagiellonian University]] in [[Krakow]] Poland. At 21 his father died leaving him alone in the world that was at war. In 1942, at the age of 24 he entered the seminary, despite Nazi occupation. After the war, in year of 1946, on November 1, All Saints Day, Karol was ordained a priest. John Paul II finished his doctorate in theology in 1948, and later he became a professor on the subject.

==Election and Pontificate==

The Conclave of Cardinals elected him [[Pope]] on October 1,1978. As Pope, John Paul II traveled to more places, visited more countries, and traveled more miles than any other previous Pope. He also conducted more public meetings with the faithful, as the total attendance of his Wednesday audiences alone eclipsed 17,600,000 people. Controversially, during his reign, as many new saints were created, as had been created in the reigns of all previous popes combined.

On 22nd October 1996 Pope John Paul II made world headlines with his message<sup>1</sup> delivered to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. It was entitled ''Magisterium Is Concerned with Question of Evolution for It Involves Conception of Man'' and resulted in headlines in many of the world's newspapers declaring that evolution and creation could coexist. His holiness stated his opinion on evolution that "In fact it is remarkable that this theory has had progressively greater influence on the spirit of researchers, following a series of discoveries in different scholarly disciplines. The convergence in the results of these independent studies—which was neither planned nor sought—constitutes in itself a significant argument in favor of the theory."

Another one of his accomplishments is the establishment of [[World Youth Day]]. Also, he wrote 14 [[Encyclicals]], 5 books, and inumerous letters.

On May 9, 2005 John Paul II's successor, [[Pope Benedict XVI]], waived the five year waiting period for beatification.

<sup>1</sup> From the Vatican, 22 October 1996. ''Official translation published in L'Osservatore Romano, "Weekly Edition in English," 30 October 1996.
''

== See also ==
[[Image:JP2OLoG.jpg|thumb|Statue of Pope John-Paul II, at the basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe]]
*[[Our Lady of Guadalupe]]
*[[Catholicism]]
*[[Luigi Giussani]]
*[[Virgin Mary]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/index.htm Ioannes Paulus PP II. Karol Wojtyla] Official Vatican site.

[[Category:Popes|John Paul II, Pope]]

Vietnam War

2008-06-09T21:53:05Z

Jasra: /* Controversies about the war */ correction of the link

{{rewrite|Doesn't give the origin of the war, what it was fought about, and what the sides were. See [[Talk:Vietnam War/draft]]}}
[[Image:SaigonFall.jpg|thumb|South Vietnamese residents flee [[Saigon]], as North Vietnamese forces enter the city.]]
The '''Vietnam War''' was an [[undeclared war]] fought principally between [[North Vietnamese]] [[Communist]] troops vs. [[South Vietnamese]] forces supported by American soldiers. American troops first intervened in 1965, not counting "military advisers." The war was basically a fight over whether South Vietnam should have a Communist government.

The war was in progress more or less continuously since the surrender of [[Japan]], which occupied Vietnam during [[World War II]], in 1945. [[Ho Chi Minh]], an operative of the [[Comintern]] (the Soviet organization charged with promoting Marxist-Leninist revolution around the world),<ref>[http://www.triumphforsaken.com/index.php?pr=Excerpt Triumph Forsaken], book by [[Mike Moyar]]</ref> led the movement for a unified, [[Communist]] Vietnam from 1945 until his death in 1969.

Ho's declaration of Vietnamese "independence" in 1945 from [[France]], the former colonial power, was famously modeled on that of the [[United States]],{{fact}} but that country correctly interpreted the flattery as subterfuge and backed France and its ally [[Bao Dai]] to the hilt. By 1953, 80% of the money and material used by Bao Dai's troops came from the United States. Nonetheless, in early 1954 French and allied troops were defeated at the [[Battle of Dien Bien Phu]]. The French sued for peace at talks in [[Geneva]], the upshot of which was the creation of four independent countries in their former colony of [[Indochina]]: [[Cambodia]], [[Laos]], [[North Vietnam]] and [[South Vietnam]].

The war was characterized for the ensuing twenty years by the efforts of North Vietnam to take over the South. Rather than play to the strength of the Americans by launching a [[conventional war]] like [[Korean]] leader [[Kim Il-Sung]] had, Ho chose [[subversion (political)|subversion]] of the South as his strategy, using as his tools the [[National Liberation Front]] and its non-uniformed [[guerrilla]] wing, the [[Viet Cong]]. The Comintern resistance movement against the French had previously been known as the [[Viet Minh]]. The South Vietnamese, under various [[military governments]] following the overthrow of their last civilian leader [[Ngo Dinh Diem]] in early November 1963, similarly tried to subvert Ho's government in North Vietnam, but with much less success. U. S. forces supported these operations, leading to the [[ Gulf of Tonkin incident]] on August 2, 1964, when at least one U. S. destroyer was fired on by North Vietnamese forces as it operated close to their waters. The United States responded first with air attacks that became known as [[Operation Rolling Thunder]] and later with ground troops.

==Failure of US campaign to help the South==

Military, political, and social historians have ever after debated why the United States was unable to defeat the North Vietnamese.

[[James Q. Wilson]] wrote: "First, Presidents Kennedy and Johnson both wanted to avoid losing Vietnam without waging a major war in Asia." <ref>When Richard Nixon became president, he wanted to end the war by pulling out American troops, and he did so. None of the three presidents wanted to win, but all wanted to report "progress." All three administrations instructed military commanders always to report gains and rely on suspect body counts as a way of measuring progress. [http://www.opinionjournal.com/federation/feature/?id=110009203] </ref>

Another factor was [[careerism]] of the [[officer corps]]. The number of officers in the US army grew disproportionately from the end of WWII, with a 1-in-15 ratio dropping to 1 in 6. Competition for promotions was handled badly by [[General Westmoreland]], who permitted a six month tour of duty for officers. This was hardly enough time to learn how to engage the enemy successfully, and gave rise to resentment among the largely working-class enlisted men. {{fact}}

America at first operated on the assumption that [[victory by body count]] was possible and would eventually bring the North Vietnamese to the peace table. There were in fact peace negotiations following [[Operation Linebacker II]] in December 1972, but these succeeded mostly in giving the United States its prisoners back and time to withdraw from the fight. It was simply impossible for the North Vietnamese leadership, which had been fighting in some form for 30 years, to imagine the indefinite existence of South Vietnam apart from unification under their rule. Accordingly, after U.S. troops had withdrawn, they renewed their offensive in 1975 and took over the former South Vietnamese capital of [[Saigon]], renaming it "Ho Chi Minh City."

Over the course of the war, the United States suffered 46,226 battle deaths with 153,311 wounded 5,486 missing and 10,326 non-battle deaths. 3.3 million troops fought over the course of the war, with the largest number of 625,866 reached on March 27th, 1969. The North Vietnamese are estimated to have lost 1 million men.<Ref>Encyclopedia of Military History, Dupuy & Dupuy, 1979, Chart Page 1221</Ref>

Today Vietnam has a communist government.

==Controversies about the war==

[[Max Boot]] wrote:
* Numerous bits of conventional wisdom have accreted around the Vietnam War. It is commonly held that [[Ho Chi Minh]] was a Vietnamese nationalist above all, not a true [[communist]], and that his victory was inevitable. That [[Ngo Dinh Diem]] was an unpopular and repressive [[reactionary]]. That the United States had no vital strategic interest in defending South Vietnam. That the ‘[[domino theory]]’ was a myth. That the U.S. was right not to invade North Vietnam or Laos for fear of triggering Chinese intervention. [[Mark Moyar]], a young, bold, and iconoclastic historian, takes a sledge hammer to these hoary beliefs. [His boox] is ‘revisionist’ in the best sense of the word.” [http://www.triumphforsaken.com/]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==

*Larry Berman, [http://hnn.us/articles/37934.html ''Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An''], Time Magazine (Smithsonian Books/HarperCollins, 2007). [http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060888381/Perfect_Spy/index.aspx]
*[http://www.fas.org/irp/nsa/almanac-saigon.pdf SIGINT and the Fall of Saigon, April 1975].
*[http://www.independent.org/events/transcript.asp?eventID=6 "Secrecy, Freedom and Empire: Lessons for Today from Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers"].
*[http://www.onpower.org/foreign_regional_Asia.html#10 Vietnam War].

[[Category:Wars]]
[[Category:United States History]]

User:Jasra

2008-05-26T22:23:47Z

Jasra:

Hello,
I am from Poland.
I must say that I am also a user in Wikipedia and I would rather try to correct it than abandon it completely. Nevertheless I was happy to discover Conservapedia where there are more debates and I have more freedom in expressing my POV.

About myself:

Date of birth: 5th September 1962
Profession: biologist, academic teacher
Political views: moderately conservative
Interests: politics, history, fantasy, cats, snakes
Pet: black and white moggie [[cat]]

{{User ronny}}

{{User Evo}}

{{User Political Compass| 1.38|-2.10}}

{{User Wikipedian}}

User:Jasra

2008-05-26T21:41:21Z

Jasra: comapass

Talk:Flag of Chechen Republic

2008-05-26T21:11:28Z

Jasra: comments

I find it amazing that Conservapedia is so supportive of the anti-Christian Islamic fundamentalists of Chechnya. Remember these people got their funding from Saudi Arabia and were also supported by the Taliban. See also[http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/persec-chechnya1.html] [[User:Breadan43|Breadan43]] 14:40, 1 December 2007 (EST)

The supporters of Chechen independence are more nationalists than islamic fundamentalism. Islam is the form of self-identification for them, but it is directed against atheism and Russian imperialist ideas rather than against Christianity. I personally know many Chechens, they are Muslims, but they are not anti-Christian at all. Islamic fundamentalists financed Chechen fighters, because they would finance any Muslims against any non-Muslims. It is also the fault of Western governments that they did not support Chechens enough. Chechen nationalists, feeling lack of support in the West might turn towards Islamic fundamentalists, but that would be only tactical aliance, without consequences to the West. [[User:Jasra|Jasra]] 17:11, 26 May 2008 (EDT)

== The flag of free Belarus ==
I am not an expert in technical things, but is it possible to make the flag of free Belarus more clear? It is white-red-white and on white background it is not vissible. Maybe it is possible to change the background into gray? Regards, [[User:Jasra|Jasra]] 17:11, 26 May 2008 (EDT)

King snake

2008-04-22T21:24:42Z

Jasra: information added

The '''king snake''' is a common name for [[snake]]s of genus ''Lampropeltis'' (also including [[milk snake]]s) found in [[North America]], specifically the eastern [[United States]]. They subsist on a diet of [[rodents]], [[birds,]] and other snakes. Specifically, king snakes are immune to [[rattlesnake]] and [[copperhead]] [[venom]], which allows them to feed on these species. King snakes are considered beneficial animals due to their pest controlling diet.<ref>http://www.everwonder.com/david/snakes/kingsnake.html</ref>
The coloration of king snakes is usually black, red and white, which imitates the colors of venomous [[coral snake]]s. This makes potential predators avoid king snakes.

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Snakes]]

Fascism

2008-01-06T00:26:46Z

Jasra: It is disputable whether Franco was a fascist, although there were some elements of fascism in his doctrine

'''Fascism''' is an [[totalitarian]] economic and political ideology that arose in early twentieth-century Europe and came to dominate the social and political systems of a number of European and other nations. The last European fascism-related regime, that of [[Francisco Franco]] in Spain, came to an end in 1975.

The name "fascism" derives from an ancient Roman symbol, the ''[[fasces]],'' a group of birch rods bundled together with an axe. It symbolizes strength in unity; the rods are weak by themselves but strong when bundled together.

== Beliefs ==

Characteristics of fascism include a belief that the state is more important than the individual; a leaning towards authoritarian government and centralized [[economic planning]]; an emphasis on [[nationalism]] and national traditions; militarism; information control and censorship; media propagation of the Great Leader which demonizes and trivializes his critics; and a rejection of both free enterprise and [[Social democracy]] in favor of [[corporatism|corporatist]] economic policies.

The fourteen characteristics of fascism also include rampant [[cronyism]] and [[corruption]], as well as rigged elections and a general disdain for human rights.<ref>Dr. Lawrence Britt "Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20</ref>

== Examples ==

The prototypical fascist regime was that of [[Benito Mussolini]], who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943. Other regimes which included corporatist elements are those of [[Francisco Franco]] in Spain (1936-1975) and [[Antonio Salazar]] in Portugal (1932-1968). German [[Nazism]] referred to government mandated corporatist entities as industrial cartels and added an obsession with [[race]]. Austrian economist [[Friedrich Hayek]] observed in the final stages of [[World War II]], "the rise of fascism and [[Marxism]] was not a reaction against the socialist trends of the preceding period but a necessary outcome of those tendencies. Yet it is significant that many of the leaders of these movements, from Mussolini down (and including [[Laval]] and [[Quisling]]) began as socialists and ended as fascists or Nazis. <ref>Friedrich A. Hayek, [http://www.iea.org.uk/files/upld-publication43pdf?.pdf ''Road to Serfdom'',] Reader's Digest Condensed Version, April 1945, pg. 31 - 32.</ref>

== World War II Era ==
Fascism as an ideological theory was comprehensively discredited in the eyes of most Westerners because of the defeat of the [[Axis]] powers in [[World War II]], however fascist economic theories of government mandated combines, wage and price controls, [[economic planning]] boards which set production requirements, and regulated monopolies were characteristic of the [[New Deal]] era and government efforts to spend its way out of the [[Great Depression]]. [[Class warfare]] and a hostile stance toward legitmate business and profit is another characteristic feature fascism retained from it's [[Socialist]] roots.

== Modern Times ==

"Fascist" is today frequently used as a term of abuse both on the left and on the right against one's political opponents. While few people are willing to describe themselves as fascists or endorse the fascist regimes of the past, fascist parties and parties descended from fascist parties (such as the [[Alleanza Nazionale]] in [[Italy]]) continue to be a minor force in European politics. Fascism seems not to flourish in countries with an Anglo-centric heritage: America, Australia and Canada have never had significant fascist movements, and the [[British Union of Fascists]] was never an important force in UK politics.

Of the Fascist movement, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. wrote:
{{Cquote|The Fascists, for example, were not [[conservative]] in any very meaningful sense. They did not wish to preserve the existing order, or even to turn back the clock to some more stable century. They purposefully planned to transform the existing order into a new and all-absorbing authoritarianism, based upon the energies and frustrations of modern industrialism. The Fascists, in a meaningful sense, were revolutionaries. Yet their totalitarian ideal hardly fitted into the pattern of the Left, which had been the traditional home of greater freedoms and more generous aspirations. So, after boggling and uncertainty, they were assigned positions on the far Right. <ref>Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., ''New York Times Magazine'', April 4, 1948. [http://www.writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/schlesinger-notrightleft.html Not Right, Not Left, But a Vital Center]</ref>}}

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Forms of Government]]

Iman

2008-01-06T00:22:07Z

Jasra:

Iman is a commonly used [[Arabic language|Arabic]] first name for girls, and Persians will sometimes use the name for boys also. The name is used among Muslims in different countries.

When used in connection with the religion of Islam, the word is translated into English as "faith".

[[category:islam]]

Poland

2008-01-06T00:08:52Z

Jasra: Some more accurate information and updates from Poland

{{Country
|name =''Rzeczpospolita Polska''
|map =Poland rel00.jpg
|flag =Flag of Poland.png
|arms =Arms of Poland.png
|capital =Warsaw
|capital-raw =
|government =Parliamentary Republic
|government-raw =
|language =Polish
|king =
|queen =
|monarch-raw =
|president =Lech Kaczyński
|president-raw =
|chancellor =
|chancellor-raw =
|pm =Donald Tusk
|pm-raw =
|area =120,728 sq mi
|pop =38,518,241 (2007)
|pop-basis =
|gdp =$413.3 billion
|gdp-year =2007
|gdp-pc =$10,858 (2006)
|currency =Złoty
|idd =
|tld =
}}
'''Poland''' is a large country in central/eastern [[Europe]]. It has suffered many hardships before and after [[World War I]] and [[World War II|II]] appearing and disappearing as a nation at various points in its history. Emerging as a nation again after World War I, Poland was partitioned between [[Nazi Germany]] and the [[Soviet Union]] at the start of World War II. Given nationhood again at the end of the war, it was under the shroud of being a Soviet satellite controlled by a [[communist]] regime. Poland finally became liberated. The exact date of the end of communism in Poland is hard to difine, but it is often accepted as July 4, 1989 (the date of the elections won by the ''Solidarność'' movement. [[Pope John Paul II]] was from Poland and was a major part in bringing down [[communist|communism]] in Poland. Among the nations under Soviet domination, Poland was unique in continuing to keep its strong [[Catholic]] roots even in the face of persecution. The [[capital]] of Poland is [[Warsaw]].

==People==
Poland today is ethnically almost homogeneous (98% Polish), in contrast with the period before and during World War II, when there were significant ethnic minorities--4.5 million Ukrainians, 3 million Jews, 1 million Belorussians, and 800,000 Germans. The majority of the Jews were murdered during the German occupation in World War II, and many others emigrated in the succeeding years.

Most Germans left Poland at the end of the war, while many Ukrainians and Belorussians lived in territories incorporated into the then-U.S.S.R. Small Ukrainian, Belorussian, Slovakian, and Lithuanian minorities reside along the borders, and a German minority is concentrated near the southwest city of Opole.
*Population (July 2006): 38.5 million.
*Annual growth rate: Unchanging.
*Ethnic groups: Polish 98%, German, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Lithuanian.
*Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Eastern Orthodox, Uniate, Protestant, Judaism.
*Language: Polish.
*Education: Literacy--98%.
*Health (2006): Infant mortality rate--7.2/1,000. Life expectancy--males 71 yrs., females 79 yrs.
*Work force: 17.2 million. Industry and construction--29%; agriculture--16%; services--54%.
Currently, there is a movement in Poland to completely ban [[abortion]]<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,262104,00.html</ref>, however there is an opposite movement to allow abortion to greater extent than it is now. Most political forces in the parliament are in favor of keeping abortion law as it is (allowing abortion when the women's life or health is threatened, when pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, when the fetus is irreversibly damaged). The attempts to change constitution so that it would be stated that life would be protected from the moment of conception to natural death failed.

==Government and Political Conditions==
The current government structure consists of a council of ministers led by a Prime Minister, typically chosen from the majority coalition in the bicameral legislature's lower house (Sejm). The president, elected every five years for no more than two terms, is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The judicial branch plays a minor role in decision-making.

The parliament consists of the 460-member Sejm and the 100-member Senat, or upper house. The new constitution and the reformed administrative division (as of 1999) required a revision of the election ordinance (passed in April 2001). The most important changes were liquidation of a national list (all deputies are elected by voters in electoral districts) and introduction of a new method of calculating seats (the modified St. Lague method replaced the d'Hondt method, thus eliminating the premium for the top parties). The law stipulated that with the exception of guaranteed seats for small ethnic parties, only parties receiving at least 5% of the total vote could enter parliament.

Parties represented in the newly elected (October 2007) Sejm are Civic Platform (PO), Law and Justice (PiS), the Left and Democrates (LiD) - the alliance between Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and the Democratic Party (PD), and the Polish Peasant Party (PSL). There is also on representative of the German Minority and some non-allied members of Parliament

===Principal Government Officials===
*President--Lech Kaczynski (PiS)
*Prime Minister--Donald Tusk (PO)
*Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration--Grzegorz Schetyna (PO)
*Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy--Waldemar Pawlak (PSL)

===Foreign Relations===
Poland became an associate member of the EU and its defensive arm, the Western European Union, in 1994. In a June 2003 national referendum, the Polish people approved EU accession by an overwhelming margin, and Poland gained full membership on May 1, 2004.

Changes since 1989 have redrawn the map of central Europe, and Poland has had to forge relationships with seven new neighbors. Poland has actively pursued good relations, signing friendship treaties replacing links severed by the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. The Poles have forged special relationships with Lithuania and particularly Ukraine in an effort to firmly anchor these states to the West.

==Defense==
Poland became a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in March 1999 as part of the first wave of enlargement outlined at the July 1997 NATO Summit in Madrid. Poland's top national security goal is to further integrate with NATO and other west European defense, economic, and political institutions while modernizing and reorganizing its military. Polish military doctrine reflects the same defense posture as its Alliance partners.

Poland maintains a sizable armed force currently numbering about 140,572 troops divided among an army of 87,877, an air and defense force of 31,147, and a navy of 21,548. Poland relies on military conscription for the majority of its personnel strength. All males (with some exceptions) are subject to a 12-month term of military service. The Polish military continues to restructure and to modernize its equipment. The Polish Defense Ministry General Staff and the Land Forces staff have recently reorganized the latter into a NATO-compatible J/G-1 through J/G-6 structure. Although budget constraints remain a drag on modernization, Poland has been able to move forward with U.S. assistance on acquiring 48 F-16 multi-role fighters, C-130 cargo planes, HMMWVs, and other items key to the military’s restructuring.

Poland continues to be a regional leader in support and participation in the NATO Partnership for Peace Program and has actively engaged most of its neighbors and other regional actors to build stable foundations for future European security arrangements. Poland continues its long record of strong support for UN peacekeeping operations by maintaining a unit in Southern Lebanon, a battalion in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR), and by providing and actually deploying the KFOR strategic reserve to Kosovo. Polish military forces have served in both Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Poland assumed command of a multinational division of stabilization forces in Iraq (MDN-CS) on September 3, 2003. Poland and its MND-CS partners have worked effectively since then to stabilize south central Iraq while working to train Iraqi forces to take over MND-CS responsibilities and operate independently. <ref>http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_orbat_coalition.htm</ref>

==Economy==
The Polish economy grew rapidly in the mid-1990s, slowed considerably in 2001 and 2002, and returned again to healthy growth rates in 2003. Poland’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annualized rate of 5.2% in the first quarter of 2006. Faster growth has begun to reduce persistently high unemployment, from nearly 20% in the middle of 2004 to 16.5% in May 2006. Tight monetary policy and dramatic productivity growth have helped to hold down inflation, which was 2.1% in 2005. Likewise, Poland's current account deficit, which grew rapidly in the late 1990s, has since moderated to 1.4% of GDP in 2005. The 2005 budget deficit was 27.5 billion zloty, or 2.8% of GDP in 2005, and the current government pledged to restrain the 2006 and 2007 budgets at 30 billion zloty.

Throughout the 1990s, the United States and other Western countries supported the growth of a free enterprise economy by reducing Poland's foreign debt burden, providing economic aid, and lowering trade barriers. Poland graduated from U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance in 2000 and paid the balance of its U.S.-held Paris Club debt in 2005. Poland officially joined the European Union (EU) on May 1, 2004.
*GDP (2006): $265.4 billion.
*Real GDP growth (2006): 5.3%.
*Per capita GDP (2006): $14,100.
*Rate of inflation (2006): 1.3%.
*Natural resources: Coal, copper, sulfur, natural gas, silver, lead, salt.
*Agriculture: Products--grains, hogs, dairy, potatoes, horticulture, sugarbeets, oilseed.
*Industry: Types--machine building, iron and steel, mining, shipbuilding, automobiles, furniture, textiles and apparel, chemicals, food processing, glass, beverages.
*Trade (2006): Exports--$110.7 billion: furniture, cars, ships, coal, apparel. Imports--$113.2 billion: crude oil, passenger cars, pharmaceuticals, car parts, computers.

===Agriculture===
Agriculture employs 16.1% of the work force but contributes only 5% to the gross domestic product (GDP), reflecting relatively low productivity. Unlike the industrial sector, Poland's agricultural sector remained largely in private hands during the decades of communist rule. Most of the former state farms are now leased to farmer tenants. Lack of credit is hampering efforts to sell former state farmland. Currently, Poland's 2 million private farms occupy 90% of all farmland and account for roughly the same percentage of total agricultural production. These farms are small--8 hectares (ha) on average--and often fragmented. Farms with an area exceeding 15 ha accounted for only 9% of the total number of farms but cover 45% of total agricultural area. Over half of all farming households in Poland produce only for their own needs with little, if any, commercial sales.

Poland is a net exporter of confectionery, processed fruit and vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Processors often rely on imports to supplement domestic supplies of wheat, feed grains, vegetable oil, and protein meals, which are generally insufficient to meet domestic demand. However, Poland is the leading producer in Europe of potatoes and rye and is one of the world's largest producers of sugarbeets. Poland also is a significant producer of rapeseed, grains, hogs, and cattle. Attempts to increase domestic feed grain production are hampered by the short growing season, poor soil, and the small size of farms.

Pressure to restructure the agriculture sector intensified as Poland prepared to accede to the European Union, which is unwilling to subsidize the vast number of subsistence farms that do not produce for the market. The changes in agriculture are likely to strain Poland's social fabric, tearing at the heart of the traditional, family-based small farm as the younger generation drifts toward the cities. Nonetheless, dramatically increasing agricultural exports to the EU-15 (38% growth in 2005) and payments to farmers from Brussels following accession have enriched Polish commercial farmers and dramatically increase support for EU membership in Poland’s rural areas.

===Industry===
Before World War II, Poland's industrial base was concentrated in the coal, textile, chemical, machinery, iron, and steel sectors. Today it extends to fertilizers, petrochemicals, machine tools, electrical machinery, electronics, and shipbuilding.

Poland's industrial base suffered greatly during World War II, and many resources were directed toward reconstruction. The communist economic system imposed in the late 1940s created large and unwieldy economic structures operated under a tight central command. In part because of this systemic rigidity, the economy performed poorly even in comparison with other economies in central Europe.

In 1990, the Mazowiecki government began a comprehensive reform program to replace the centralized command economy with a market-oriented system. While the results overall have been impressive, many large state-owned industrial enterprises, particularly the railroad and the mining, steel, and defense sectors, have remained resistant to the change and downsizing required to survive in an open market economy.

===Economic Reform Program and Direct Foreign Investment===
The economic reforms introduced in 1990 removed price controls, eliminated most subsidies to industry, opened markets to international competition, and imposed strict budgetary and monetary discipline. Poland was the first former centrally planned economy in central Europe to end its recession and return to growth in the early 1990s. The private sector now accounts for over two-thirds of GDP.

In early 2002, the government announced a new set of economic reforms known as the Hausner Plan, designed in many ways to complete the process launched in 1990. The package acknowledged the need to improve Poland's investment climate, particularly the conditions for small and medium-sized enterprises, and better prepare the economy to compete as a European Union (EU) member. The government also aimed to improve Poland's public finances to prepare for eventual adoption of the euro. Though the government was able to enact only portions of the Hausner Plan, those successes coupled with successful monetary efforts to strengthen the zloty, have put Poland within reach of the National Bank’s goal of Euro accession in 2008-2009.

As a result of Poland's growth and investment-friendly climate, the country has received over $85 billion in direct foreign investment (DFI) since 1990, with roughly $7 billion in 2004 alone. According to a recently publish report by Ernst and Young, Poland is tied with Germany as the most attractive destination for foreign investment in Europe. The availability of cheap land and a large, relatively skilled labor force are among Polish strengths. However, the government continues to play a strong role in the economy, as seen in excessive red tape and the high level of politicization in many business decisions. Investors complain that state regulation is not transparent or predictable, and the economy suffers from a lack of competition in many sectors, notably telecommunications.

===Foreign Trade===
With the collapse of the ruble-based COMECON trading bloc in 1990, Poland scrambled to reorient its trade. As early as 1996, 70% of its trade was with EU-15 members, and neighboring Germany today is Poland's dominant trading partner. Most of Poland's imports are capital goods needed for industrial retooling and for manufacturing inputs, rather than imports for consumption. Therefore, a deficit is expected and should even be regarded as positive at this point. Poland, a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and European Union, applies the EU’s common external tariff to goods from other countries--including the U.S.

In the year after it joined the EU, Poland experienced an overall growth in exports of 30%. This growth was not confined to trade among EU partners: while exports to EU countries rose by 27%, exports to developing countries rose by 46%, and exports to Russia rose an unexpected 77%. Poland’s trade balance continued to improve, with export growth significantly outpacing import growth. Opportunities for trade and investment continue to exist across virtually all sectors. The American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, founded in 1991 with seven members, now has more than 300 members. Strong economic growth potential, a large domestic market, EU membership, and political stability are the top reasons U.S. and other foreign companies do business in Poland.

==History==
Poland's written history begins with the reign of Mieszko I, who accepted Christianity for himself and his kingdom in AD 966. The Polish state reached its zenith under the Jagiellonian dynasty in the years following the union with Lithuania in 1386 and the subsequent defeat of the Teutonic Knights at Grunwald in 1410. The monarchy survived many upheavals but eventually went into a decline, which ended with the final partition of Poland by Prussia, Russia, and Austria in 1795.

Independence for Poland was one of the 14 points enunciated by President Woodrow Wilson during World War I. Many Polish Americans enlisted in the military services to further this aim, and the United States worked at the postwar conference to ensure its implementation.

However, the Poles were largely responsible for achieving their own independence in 1918. Authoritarian rule predominated for most of the period before World War II. On August 23, 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed the Ribbentrop-Molotov nonaggression pact, which secretly provided for the dismemberment of Poland into Nazi and Soviet-controlled zones. On September 1, 1939, Hitler ordered his troops into Poland. On September 17, Soviet troops invaded and then occupied eastern Poland under the terms of this agreement. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Poland was completely occupied by German troops.

The Poles formed an underground resistance movement and a government in exile, first in Paris and later in London, which was recognized by the Soviet Union. During World War II, 400,000 Poles fought under Soviet command, and 200,000 went into combat on Western fronts in units loyal to the Polish government in exile.

In April 1943, the Soviet Union broke relations with the Polish government in exile after the German military announced that they had discovered mass graves of murdered Polish army officers at Katyn, in the U.S.S.R. (The Soviets claimed that the Poles had insulted them by requesting that the Red Cross investigate these reports.) In July 1944, the Soviet Red Army entered Poland and established a communist-controlled "Polish Committee of National Liberation" at Lublin.

Resistance against the Nazis in Warsaw, including uprisings by Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and by the Polish underground, was brutally suppressed. As the Germans retreated in January 1945, they leveled the city.

During the war, about 6 million Poles were killed, and 2.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor. More than 3 million Jews (all but about 100,000 of the Jewish population) were killed in death camps like those at Oswiecim (Auschwitz), Treblinka, and Majdanek.

Following the Yalta Conference in February 1945, a Polish Provisional Government of National Unity was formed in June 1945; the U.S. recognized it the next month. Although the Yalta agreement called for free elections, those held in January 1947 were controlled by the Communist Party. The communists then established a regime entirely under their domination.

====Communist Party Domination====
In October 1956, after the 20th ("de-Stalinization") Soviet Party Congress in Moscow and riots by workers in Poznan, there was a shakeup in the communist regime. While retaining most traditional communist economic and social aims, the regime of First Secretary Wladyslaw Gomulka liberalized Polish internal life.

In 1968, the trend reversed when student demonstrations were suppressed and an "anti-Zionist" campaign initially directed against Gomulka supporters within the party eventually led to the emigration of much of Poland's remaining Jewish population. In December 1970, disturbances and strikes in the port cities of Gdansk, Gdynia, and Szczecin, triggered by a price increase for essential consumer goods, reflected deep dissatisfaction with living and working conditions in the country. Edward Gierek replaced Gomulka as First Secretary.

Fueled by large infusions of Western credit, Poland's economic growth rate was one of the world's highest during the first half of the 1970s. But much of the borrowed capital was misspent, and the centrally planned economy was unable to use the new resources effectively. The growing debt burden became insupportable in the late 1970s, and economic growth had become negative by 1979.

In October 1978, the Bishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, became Pope John Paul II, head of the Roman Catholic Church. Polish Catholics rejoiced at the elevation of a Pole to the papacy and greeted his June 1979 visit to Poland with an outpouring of emotion.

In July 1980, with the Polish foreign debt at more than $20 billion, the government made another attempt to increase meat prices. A chain reaction of strikes virtually paralyzed the Baltic coast by the end of August and, for the first time, closed most coalmines in Silesia. Poland was entering into an extended crisis that would change the course of its future development.

====The Solidarity Movement====
On August 31, 1980, workers at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, led by an electrician named Lech Walesa, signed a 21-point agreement with the government that ended their strike. Similar agreements were signed at Szczecin and in Silesia. The key provision of these agreements was the guarantee of the workers' right to form independent trade unions and the right to strike. After the Gdansk agreement was signed, a new national union movement--"Solidarity"--swept Poland.

The discontent underlying the strikes was intensified by revelations of widespread corruption and mismanagement within the Polish state and party leadership. In September 1980, Gierek was replaced by Stanislaw Kania as First Secretary.

Alarmed by the rapid deterioration of the PZPR's authority following the Gdansk agreement, the Soviet Union proceeded with a massive military buildup along Poland's border in December 1980. In February 1981, Defense Minister Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski assumed the position of Prime Minister as well, and in October 1981, he also was named party First Secretary. At the first Solidarity national congress in September-October 1981, Lech Walesa was elected national chairman of the union.

On December 12-13, the regime declared martial law, under which the army and special riot police were used to crush the union. Virtually all Solidarity leaders and many affiliated intellectuals were arrested or detained. The United States and other Western countries responded to martial law by imposing economic sanctions against the Polish regime and against the Soviet Union. Unrest in Poland continued for several years thereafter.

In a series of slow, uneven steps, the Polish regime rescinded martial law. In December 1982, martial law was suspended, and a small number of political prisoners were released. Although martial law formally ended in July 1983 and a general amnesty was enacted, several hundred political prisoners remained in jail.

In July 1984, another general amnesty was declared, and 2 years later, the government had released nearly all political prisoners. The authorities continued, however, to harass dissidents and Solidarity activists. Solidarity remained proscribed and its publications banned. Independent publications were censored.

====Roundtable Talks and Elections====
The government's inability to forestall Poland's economic decline led to waves of strikes across the country in April, May, and August 1988. In an attempt to take control of the situation, the government gave de facto recognition to Solidarity, and Interior Minister Kiszczak began talks with Lech Walesa on August 31. These talks broke off in October, but a new series, the "roundtable" talks, began in February 1989. These talks produced an agreement in April for partly open National Assembly elections. The June election produced a Sejm (lower house), in which one-third of the seats went to communists and one-third went to the two parties which had hitherto been their coalition partners. The remaining one-third of the seats in the Sejm and all those in the Senat were freely contested; virtually all of these were won by candidates supported by Solidarity.

The failure of the communists at the polls produced a political crisis. The roundtable agreement called for a communist president, and on July 19, the National Assembly, with the support of some Solidarity deputies, elected General Jaruzelski to that office. Two attempts by the communists to form governments failed, however.

On August 19, President Jaruzelski asked journalist/Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to form a government; on September 12, the Sejm voted approval of Prime Minister Mazowiecki and his cabinet. For the first time in more than 40 years, Poland had a government led by non-communists.

In December 1989, the Sejm approved the government's reform program to transform the Polish economy rapidly from centrally planned to free-market, amended the constitution to eliminate references to the "leading role" of the Communist Party, and renamed the country the "Republic of Poland." The Polish United Workers' (Communist) Party dissolved itself in January 1990, creating in its place a new party, Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland. Most of the property of the former Communist Party was turned over to the state.

The May 1990 local elections were entirely free. Candidates supported by Solidarity's Citizens' Committees won most of the races they contested, although voter turnout was only a little over 40%. The cabinet was reshuffled in July 1990; the national defense and interior affairs ministers--holdovers from the previous communist government--were among those replaced.

In October 1990, the constitution was amended to curtail the term of President Jaruzelski. In December, Lech Walesa became the first popularly elected President of Poland.

====The Republic of Poland====
The Republic of Poland in the early 1990s made great progress toward achieving a fully democratic government and a market economy. In November 1990, Lech Walesa was elected President for a 5-year term. Jan Krzysztof Bielecki, at Walesa's request, formed a government and served as its Prime Minister until October 1991, introducing world prices and greatly expanding the scope of private enterprise.

Poland's first free parliamentary elections were held in 1991. More than 100 parties participated, representing a full spectrum of political views. No single party received more than 13% of the total vote.

Since 1991, Poland has conducted five general parliamentary elections and four presidential elections--all free and fair. Incumbent governments have transferred power smoothly and constitutionally in every instance to their successors. The post-Solidarity center-right and post-Communist center-left have each controlled the parliament and the presidency since 1991. Most recently, Poles elected Law and Justice (PiS) candidate and Mayor of Warsaw Lech Kaczynski to a 5-year term as President. Kaczynski narrowly defeated Civic Platform (PO) candidate Donald Tusk and was sworn in December 23, 2005.

PiS was also the top vote-getter in September 25, 2005, parliamentary elections. After coalition talks with runner-up PO collapsed, PiS alone formed a minority government under Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz. Frustrated by its inability to achieve its legislative program alone, PiS formed a formal coalition government with Self-Defense (SO) and the League of Polish Families (LPR) in April 2006. In July 2006, Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz resigned and was replaced by PiS party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski as Prime Minister.

==See also==
*[[Lech Kaczyński]] - President
*[[Jarosław Kaczyński]] - PM

==References==
<References/>

{{License|license = This work 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 US Code.| source = [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2875.htm]}}

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:Warsaw Pact members]]
[[Category:Poland]]

User:Jasra

2008-01-05T23:15:57Z

Jasra:

User:Jasra

2008-01-05T23:05:33Z

Jasra:

Debate:Does the Theory of Evolution promote atheism?

2008-01-05T00:01:15Z

Jasra: /* NO */

{{debate}}

==YES==

The theory of "evolution through natural selection" is ''predicated'' upon an atheistic assumption. It is based on so-called [[methodological naturalism]], i.e., a refusal to consider supernatural causes. Right from the start it consciously and deliberately rules out God's creative and guiding power.

Legislation and especially court rulings in the United States enforce this atheistic doctrine. In public schools, during science class, teachers are authorized to ''squelch'' any challenge to this atheistic premise. Note that I do not mean that science classes simply say, let's ignore God. I mean that ''by choosing to ignore God'' they are supporting atheism and attacking religion.

The doctrine of [[unguided evolution]] is essential to atheism. No atheist can survive intellectually, without having a satisfactory answer to the question, "Where did human beings come from? How did life begin? Why is planet Earth so hospitable to life?" --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] 06:48, 28 May 2007 (EDT)

:: I'll have to call you on that, Ed - it's true that unguided evolution would be essential to an atheist worldview, but evolution doesn't necessarily deny the existence of God. It merely explains a world without God's active involvement at a biological level. [[User:Underscoreb|Underscoreb]] 21:22, 11 November 2007 (EST)

:The Bible says that God created life in 6 days and rested on the 7th. Any belief other than this is anti-Christian, and therefore atheistic. [[User:BornAgain|BornAgain]] 17:37, 29 May 2007 (EDT)

::Ed, you are correct in saying that noone can survive intellectually without an answer to those questions. The thing is that us atheists do have satisfactory answers to those questions. And the planet Earth is so hospitable to life because ''life evolved to suit the Earth''. Regardless of what Earth actually turned out to be, life would have evolved to suit it.

::BornAgain, without meaning to be rude that is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard. What about Hindus? They are definately not atheists however they have a different creation story to you. It involves gods, so how is that an atheistic belief? [[User:Bolly Ottihw|Bolly Ottihw]] 9:52, 27 June 2007

*'''Yes'''. Amen to that, bro. Atheism and [[homicide]]. [[User:RobSmith|Rob Smith]] 22:49, 11 November 2007 (EST)

==NO==
Ed Poor's argument is based on the assumption that humans can fathom the manner in which God created life. This is a faulty premise. The majority of scientists support the theory of evolution and the vast majority of scientists believe in God. They are able to have both of these beliefs because they realize that we cannot possibly understand the works of God. On the other hand, we can seek understanding of the world we live in by creating theories based on our observations. The theory of evolution says nothing about the existence of God. It is simply a theory, based on certain observations, that creates certain predictions.

If evolution is undermining religion, it is doing so only because creationists posit that they know how God created life, and evolution is not how He created it. When evolution is supported, creationists feel like their beliefs are being undermined. Belief in evolution is an exercise in humility and perseverance - accepting the fact that we cannot understand God's works combined with an unceasing effort to understand what we can in our world.--[[User:Laches|Laches]] 14:42, 28 May 2007 (EDT)

:I feel I have to disillusion you over religious scientists. Out of the two academically highest fellowships of scientists in the USA and Great Britain only 7% are religious. Unfortunately as well, there is no way to really believe in god and science at the same time. Science proves that the bible is wrong on many counts, and to believe in science you must accept that the bible is wrong on so many things. How then can you accept that god exists considering that the only evidence for his existences is proven to be a mess of falsehoods and folklore? Simply, you cannot. The reason is because religion was created by humans as a way of explaining how they came to be and where they are going. Now science is better at explaining these things yet people insist that religion is true or that religion is more important then science. Until these people are disillusioned of religion then scientific progress will be hindered and humanity will stagnate. [[User:Bolly Ottihw|Bolly Ottihw]] 09:35, 8 June 2007

Bolly, you actually need to crack your Bible open, assuming have ever read it, and read what it says. For example, In Job, God mentions (or I think it was God) streams in the seas. Science did not even know that such things existed until recently. Evolution may be a way of explaining where you are going in this lifetime, but it is not a promising or comforting thought. Most of evolution is based on opinions, ideas, thoughts, etc. Look through any textbook. "We believe...", "perhaps", "scientists assume/think," etc. It is all hype. Watch any serious creation video, and they raise very interesting questions. For example (I am going to have to write something, this is getting exciting!)

1. The Big Bang can not have formed the universe, because mathematically it is impossible. If you add up the estimated masses of all planetary bodies, and compare it with earth's mass and gravity, the speed neccesary for particals to leave that small of a region would approach light-speed. Black holes are a example of this. How often do we see exploding black holes?

2. The chances that information can come from non-information to form life is astronomical. We all know and love the illustration about the airplane being assembled in a junkyard with the components therein. While I forget the exact the exact figure, one major scientist theorized that the chances that one E. Clori bacteria would form from soup was one chance in 10 with many BILLION zeros following it. That means that said bacteria would have to have several succesful mutations per year in order to evolve into a human.

I could keep on going here, but I will let others join in

In Christ
[[User:TheComputerWizard|TheComputerWizard]] 20:09, 7 June 2007 (EDT)

:In reply I have to say ComputerWizard, you need to study the theory of the Big Bang, assuming you have ever read that. The Big Bang theory does not say that the entire mass of the universe started at one point in space and has spread out ever since. It says that ''space itself'' has expanded from that point. The particles in it did not move however they did move away from each other due to the expansion of space. One reasonably good metaphor is a balloon with dots on it. When the balloon is blown up the dots move away from each other, although they do not have any of their own velocity.

:Yes the airplane in the junkyard. That is in fact an argument ''against'' your position, not for it. How do you explain how God came to be? Surely the chance of nothing forming into one obviously complex creature impossible? On the other hand, it is possible for the primordial soup to form into proteins and highly simple forms of proto-life. Of course soup cannot form into E. Clori bacteria, because that bacteria is quite complex in comparison to what it has evolved from.

:Watching a very serious creationist video does raise some very interesting questions. "How much research have these people actually done on this subject?" "Where is their proof?" "Do they honestly believe such absolute garbage?" I feel exaclty this way after any kind of creationist video/book/talk. Yes the words "scientists thinkg/assume..." appear in textbooks. Yet why do they believe it? Because the evidence is strongly in favour of their position. They don't accept the Bible or the Koran as a source of evidence. In fact if someone did quote the Koran as a source of evidence then the christian community would be in uproar! But when it's the Bible, it is all "Yes it is very accurate and believable" when really it is just as bad as the Koran.

:Admittedly the theory of evolution is not as comforting or promising as the religious ideology however that doesn't make it any less true than it is. There are far more unpleasant truths that may be confronted in life and they are no less true just because they are distasteful. Personally I find it quite refreshing and stimulating to think that we are the result of a complex series of reactions, mutations, nuclear collisions and so on, as it means that we are indeed very special and unique and that we are perfect for what we evolved to do, not what a creator designed us to do. Although I highly doubt that I will change your mind, I do hope that you consider these points fairly and maybe I will. [[User:Bolly Ottihw|Bolly Ottihw]] 21:04, 14 June 2007

::I've been watching show after show preaching that the Evolutionary Theory is based on scientific fact without proceeding to show any. I ask myself if anyone honestly believes such absolute garbage? Why? Because their Humanist religion requires it. Judeo-Christians have archaeological, geological, as well as scientific studies and research that back up the historic record of the Christian Old and New Testaments. As well as prophetic events that have come to pass or are happening now. Yet people will still reject facts as they are presented to them and attribute these things in conformance to their own world view. So what? The Neo-Cains will continue to do whatever pleases themselves. It is their place in history to continually repeat it again, and again.--[[User:Roopilots6|Roopilots6]] 12:00, 19 June 2007 (EDT)

Roo, your whole paragraph could be taken as completely for evolution if you switched some words around. Replace evolutionary theory with creationism, humanist with christian, Judeo-Christians with scientists, 'back up' with disprove and then it makes perfect sense and is an accurate reference to todays situation. There is plenty of scientific facts that support evolution. Try reading "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin. It isn't perfect but it is very convincing. Try all the books and scientific papers that have ever been published in support of the theory. How can such a theory be accepted by the vast majority of biologists if it was false or was not supported by evidence?

There are many many problems with the Old and New Testaments historical records. There are events described in there that either did not happen or happened at a different time altogether. The Sumerian civilisation invented the first writing and recording and that started at over 7000 years ago. How do you account for that in your young earth theory? As for the 'prophetic events', where are they? Please give me examples because I am yet to see any. People will reject facts because they don't conform to their world view, it happens all the time in the USA in creationist churches and homes and it saddens those of us who search for truth in these times. Please look at your facts before presenting the same tired old trojan horses. [[User:Bolly Ottihw|Bolly Ottihw]] 10:56, 20 June 2007

::Ditto for you. Thanks for making my point. This is why there is the argument to teach both points of view. Also, your problems understanding the historical records of the Old and New Testament isn't a valid one since it is politically biased along ideological lines. This also saddens those of us that seek the truth through His Word.--[[User:Roopilots6|Roopilots6]] 11:55, 22 October 2007 (EDT)

1Living things vary
2Ofspring resemble their parents
3Not all ofspring survive
4Some variations increase the chance or amount of ofspring

Therefore living things will change in such a way as to have more ofspring.
If noone has explained this to you then you need better teachers. It is also known as evolution. -Sam
P.S. fix my description if it is wrong. I'm doing what I remember from bio class.

My answer is also '''NO'''. The theory of evolution explains the origin of species, but does not answer the question about the meaning of life or answer if God exists (no scientific theory can). God could create living organisms through evolution (natural selection, genetic drift, etc.). It is true that some supporters of evolutionary theory use this as an argument against the existence of God, but from methodological point of view they are wrong. Among the evolutionists there can be both theists, deists and atheists. The official statement of the [[Catholic Church]] and many Protestant Churches allows evolutionary theory. [[User:Jasra|Jasra]] 19:01, 4 January 2008 (EST)

==Neither==
I don't think that the Theory of Evolution cares.[[User:Cthx]]
:Hahaha, good call. :D [[User:Underscoreb|Underscoreb]] 21:27, 11 November 2007 (EST)

The Theory of Evolution may or may not promote atheism.
One thing for Christians to consider though is that God could have started the evolutionary chain and used that to create rather than creating directly.
The important factor is that God put the first "spark", etc.
Look at the Wedding Feast at Cana...
He made 6 large 10 gallon pitchers of wine.
God is extravagant and awe-some in his creation. (Extravagant in the sense that he does things large and big; after all he did create a huge amount of galaxies and we're the only life discovered so far...)
He could easily use evolution, as a grandiose plan, which would be totally in his character.

-reporres

==Backwards==
Since atheism or non-theism existed long before the theory of evolution then it would have to be that atheism promotes the theory of evolution.--[[User:Roopilots6|Roopilots6]] 11:39, 22 October 2007 (EDT)

No, it is scientists (see is gravity liberal or conservative). It leads to atheism because it provides a non-theistic explanation for design.

Snake

2008-01-04T23:34:10Z

Jasra: evolutionary pov also needed

'''Snakes''' are long, [[limb]]less, [[scale|scaly]] [[reptile]]s which [[slither]] upon the ground and sometimes swim in [[water]]. Some snakes (about one third of species) are [[poison]]ous (venomous). Snakes are abundant in warmer climates, and most of them are quite harmless to man.

==The origin of snakes: Evolutionary View==
Snakes are suborder within the order of ''Squamata'', class of reptiles (''Reptilia''), subphylum vertebrats, phylum ''Chordata''. They originate from lizard-like reptiles with legs. Their ancestors probably lived under the ground and lost their legs. The most primitive snakes (''Boidae'' and ''Pythonidae'') still have rudimentary back limbs.

==The origin of snakes: Creationists View==
Snakes are a group of animals that have frustrated evolutionists for many years. They are anatomically unlike any other vertebrate and can hybridize regularly, supporting the notion that they are a [[apobaramin]]. Snakes can be classified into three families based on hydridization data: Boidae (boas and pythons), Colubridae (colubrid snakes), and Viperidae (Vipers). Since hydrids can be formed within each family, but not between any family, each of the three can be classified as a [[holobaramin]], suggesting that an ancestral pair for each family was present on Noah's Ark. Other research suggest multiple [[holobaramin]]s in each family suggesting up to 12 snake pairs on the Ark during the Flood.<ref>1. Hennigan, T. 2005. An initial investigation into the baraminology of snakes: order--Squamata, suborder Serpentes. Creation Reasearch Society Quarterly Vol. 42.</ref>

==Types of Snake==
* [[Garter Snake]]
* [[Boa Constrictor]]
* [[King Snake]]
* [[Rock Snake]]
* [[Viper]]
* [[Cottonmouth Snake]]
* [[Black Mamba]]
* [[Python]]
* [[Garden Snake]]
* [[Asp]]
* [[Rattle Snake]]
* [[Cobra]]

==References==
1. Hennigan, T. 2005. An initial investigation into the baraminology of snakes: order--Squamata, suborder Serpentes. Creation Reasearch Society Quarterly Vol. 42.

[[Category:Snakes]]

Cat

2008-01-04T23:04:09Z

Jasra: originally is important because now you have domestic cats in Australia

{{Taxonomy|image = cat.jpg|kingdom = Animalia|phylum = Chordata|subphylum = Vertebrata|class = Mammalia|order = Carnivora|family = Felidae|genus = Felis|species = F. silvestris|sub = F. s. catus (Domesticated cat)}}

'''Cats''' are a group of [[carnivore|carnivorous]] [[mammals]] with sharp teeth and retractable claws (except in the case of the [[cheetah]]) on their paws, originally distributed worldwide apart from [[Australasia]], [[Madagascar]] and [[Antarctica]]. Several of the larger kinds of cat can be dangerous to man.

The domestic cat, believed to derive from the [[Africa]]n wildcat, has been used to control [[vermin]] or kept as a pet for thousands of years, and worshipped as a god by the ancient [[Egyptian]]s, amongst others.

Species of cat include the [[lion]], [[tiger]], [[leopard]], [[cheetah]], [[jaguar]], [[puma]], [[ocelot]], [[lynx]], [[caracal]], [[serval]] and many smaller types.

==External Links==

*Oscar the Cat Predicts Nursing Home Deaths http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290840,00.html

{{Nb_zl_felines}}
[[Category:Felines]]
[[Category:Domestic animals]]

User:Jasra

2008-01-04T23:01:01Z

Jasra: New page: Hello, I am from Poland. I must say that I am also a user in Wikipedia and I would rather try to correct it than abandon it completely. Nevertheless I was happy to discover Conservapedia ...

Talk:Chechnya

2008-01-04T22:48:40Z

Jasra:

Considering the zero-tolerance approach of U.S. neoconservatives to Islamic terrorists, and their insistence that the U.S. must be free to combat terrrism worldwide, then surely Russia is entitled to deal with terrorism on it's own terrority? Chechnya is recognised as part of Russia by all law-abiding countries. As a matter of fact, only the Taliban recognised the separatist government of Chechnya and provided funds, weapons, and training to the Chechens. Chechens fought on behalf of Bin Laden in Afganistan in 2001. Why is this not commented on.? The Chechens have a vicious record of anti-Christian violence[http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/persec-chechnya1.html] yet this does not seem to worry U.S. neoconservatives. [[User:Breadan43|Breadan43]] 14:55, 1 December 2007 (EST)

It has never been proved that any Chechens fought on behalf of Bin Laden in Afganistan in 2001. There were some people from the former Soviet Union, but it hasn't been proved they were Chechens. Chechen nationalists were usually pro-Western. Late Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov supported American activities in Iraq [http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/878969/posts].
It is true that there are also Islamic fundamentalists in Chechnya, but this is more tactical approach than genuine support to fundamentalism.
I think that in the article it should be mentioned that there are now 3 centers presenting themselves as Chechen government:
1) puppet regime (Khadyrov) - already mentioned.
2) The government and parliament of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (on emigration) with the ChRI Parliamentary Chairman Zh.Saralyapov and the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the ChRI Ahmad Zakayev - they are the successors of legally elected president Maskhadov so they can be regarded as lawful Chechen government
3) Self-proclaimed Emir of the Khalifat - Dokka (Doku) Umarov - former president of the Chechen Republic Ichkeria who abandoned this function.

As for Islamic fundamentalism, one should remember that Russia co-operated with Saddam's Iraq and now is making business with Iran.
[[User:Jasra|Jasra]] 17:48, 4 January 2008 (EST)