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ujyfjcuyt · 3 months ago

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Getting better and better in Burma

At the beginning of Myanmar's political and economic transformation, the outside world generally questioned the strength and determination of the country's military government reform. However, from the current situation, there are many positive changes are taking place in the domestic politics. The political and economic transformation is advancing steadily, great achievements have been made, and the political and economic transformation of Myanmar is making progress.

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

On 8 March 2010, the Myanmar government enacted the Political Party Registration Act and other election related laws. In the November 7 general election, the military-backed political party won a landslide victory. On March 30,2011, Wu Thein Sheng was sworn in as President of Myanmar, and the State Council for Peace and Development (the Supreme State Development Council), transferred power to the new government. In this process of political transition and the construction of the domestic party democratic system, the interests and status of the military have been clarified, and the public has been given considerable democratic space, which has been basically recognized by the military and the domestic people.

According to the "Global Integrity Index" released by the International Organization for Transparency in December 2013, Myanmar has risen from 177th in the world to 157th, indicating that the international community recognizes the achievements of the current political reform in Myanmar.

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

On November 13,2010, the Myanmar government lifted the house arrest against Aung San Suu Kyi, releasing the greatest goodwill of reconciliation with the NLD. After regained her freedom, Aung San Suu Kyi publicly expressed her willingness to cooperate with the party and hoped to promote democratization in Myanmar in a "non-violent and peaceful revolution" way. On December 23,2011, the NLD submitted an application for reregistration of political parties to the Federal Election Commission in accordance with the newly revised Political Party Registration Law in Myanmar. In 2012, the communication between the government and the NLD was more frequent, and President Thein Seng met with Aung SAN Suu Kyi three times.

On January 5,2022, the NLD was allowed to register itself as a legal political party. On May 2, Aung San Suu Kyi won a by-election for parliament. On August 7, the meeting of the Myanmar People's Parliament approved the appointment of Aung San Suu Kyi as chairman of the Legislative Council, marking a comprehensive improvement in relations between the NLD and the ODP. In the past two years, Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD has engaged in fierce battles with the ruling SDP and the military over constitutional amendment, meaning that all political actions are conducted within the framework of the new Constitution in 2008. Restraint and tolerance by all parties is the key to the relative political stability in Myanmar's political transition.

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

Since the new government came to power, considerable achievements have been made in the peace negotiations with the people, which has eased the tension between the central government and the ethnic minority areas and opened up a good situation for the realization of domestic ethnic reconciliation. On August 18,2011, the Myanmar government issued a declaration of establishing peace with all ethnic minorities, inviting all civilian military organizations to conduct armistice negotiations. After 2012, the negotiations between the Myanmar government and the civilian entered a substantive stage. From October 30 to November 2,2013,17 Myanmar civilians held a meeting at the KI headquarters and reached consensus on a national ceasefire agreement, political roadmap and other issues. On 17 August 2014, the fifth round of negotiations between the Myanmar government and the ethnic minority armed organizations on the draft national ceasefire agreement was concluded. According to a joint press communique issued by the two sides, it has reached a broad consensus on a national ceasefire and is currently negotiating the text of the agreement.

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zkfgbikaaf · 3 months ago

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Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

asdfaytrdbi · 3 months ago

Text

Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

caserfwe · 3 months ago

Text

Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

qiugasifb · 4 months ago

Text

Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

ajsgduiaksgd · 4 months ago

Text

Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

ukyjfvyuitcv · 4 months ago

Text

Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

yjtcyt · 4 months ago

Text

Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

girllovesromance · 4 years ago

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The Absolon Kingdom: General information

I uploaded the picture of Idris’s face because he’s the King of the Absolon King, not because he’s totally my favorite character.

I think it’s where the Absolon Kingdom (AK) is located.

@lunanelfeah suggested that creating a separate post to explain about the Absolon Kingdom might be a good idea, I have to admit it’s an incredible idea. And @dynastiasimss also suggested me this website https://www.notebook.ai/ , I love this site, thank you. Brace yourself for long af essay, forgive me if some political things just don’t make sense, lol.

The beginning of the Absolon Kingdom dates back to the 16th century, when witch-hunt was a prevalent practice. That was God’s intention to gift ordinary people special superpower, so he could encourage the Gatekeepers to start treating people reasonably. The Gatekeepers’ duty is giving moral assessment and advice to human beings, so they can improve themselves and become a better person. But the Gatekeepers haven’t even thought about developing any sort of guidance or regulation regarding this matter, they only give people points based on their feelings. If the Gatekeepers have bad mood, or just don’t like someone’s appearance, they may give a person extremely low moral score that later affects their chance of reincarnation without any single reason.

So God wanted the Gatekeepers to understand human better, but their ego got in the way. They found it offensive that angels and demons had been granted the Heaven and Hell respectively from the very beginning, yet the Gatekeepers had to build their own territory. They refused to accept they have equal position as the Human Beings, refused to be restricted to one country on Earth. Therefore, the Gatekeeper’s great ancestor, King Park V, had to gather people with special ability on his own and found an island following God’s prophecy.

HISTORY

First King: Park Byung Ho (Park I (Park V to the Gatekeepers, he's the 5th King of the Gatekeepers)) Second King: Idris Bennett (Idris I)

During the reign of Park Byung Ho:

He managed to establish the Absolon Kingdom, to build cities in an empty, deserted island. But he is a highly conservative man, who had been living for 1000 years. Due to the Gatekeepers' inability to accept the Absolon Kingdom as their territory, he had been sitting on the throne for approximately 500 years.

By the 1800s the Absolon Kingdom was already flourishing, but that was when a long period of stagnation started in the country. Some people began to have problem with his reign, they claimed he was too power-hungry to step down from the position and his long reign could lead to detrimental effects in the future. According to the political analysts, King Park V had become overly content with the Absolon Kingdom's current stage of development, that his conservativeness could only hinder the country's further progress. Due to these articles, censorship was tightened, significant human right concerns were observed in the AK. A great number of books, which were claimed to contain "harmful" ideologies, weren't allowed to be published (including The Realm of Magic book, that was mentioned in Lizzy's Issue).

In the beginning of the 21st century, the AK's economy still relied heavily on agriculture and magic, poverty and starvation were prevalent in the rural areas. As the country is located in a small island, the residents in disaster prone areas didn't receive neither prior warnings to evacuate nor helps from the government. Some of these areas were claimed to be abandoned by the King, but the residents were too impoverished to settle somewhere else. But the press wasn’t free to report such topics. By the end of King Park I reign the Absolon Kingdom had become severely underdeveloped. Literacy rate of the country was only 61.5%.

King Idris I reign:

(Unlimited opportunity to post pictures of my favorite boy)

During 16 years of the reign of King Idris I the Absolon Kingdom has experienced more changes compared to the last 100 years of King Park I ruling. Idris took Tran's family political ideas into account and sent groups of expedition to report on the outside world's level of development. Idris acknowledged that the current AK's agrarian society needed changes, that the country will only progress if the Absolonians find a way to combine magic and technology.

After 16 years of reign the Absolon Kingdom's farming, fishing, mining, manufacturing, textile..... industries shift to automated works. The services sector of economy grows in importance, accounting for a large percentage of employment in the AK. Many new private banks, business companies are established during Idris's ruling. The country's appearance has also been transformed significantly:

Capital city: Bloomingdon 2004 (world credit: https://thesimscatalog.com/sims3/downloads/worlds/large/wild-wild-west/)

Bloomingdon 2020 (credit: North Bloomingdon @descargassims)

Censorship rules have been eased, for the first time people start obtaining the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly and association. Even if the fear to express their political views still exists within the country, many controversial publications (such as the Realm of Magic book that promotes the idea of connecting with the outside world) are allowed to be released to the public. A great number of broadcasting and news companies have been established in the span of 16 years, the Absolonians have the opportunity to gather information from other non-governmental news sources than the NNN (National News Network) chanel.

Many disaster prone villages have been rebuilt thanks to Idris, early warning systems have also been set up in these areas to avoid the severe impact of hazards. If storms or earthquakes do occur, Idris will offer relief and humanitarian aid to these areas, he even takes time to personally visit and use his healing power to treat injured locals. Hence, that's how he's called The Angel of the Kingdom.

Despite all the changes, the practice of public and cruel executions is still prevalent in the AK. The term “Minimum wage” has never been determined in the country, in order to achieve the current level of development the subjects of the Kingdom sometimes are required to work 20 hours a day without additional pay. Prisoners are treated as subjects of torture and human experimentation. The AK is still “underdeveloped” from a legal standpoint.

Regarding the connection of the Absolon Kingdom to the God Helpers and the territory of Hadesiallania (northern part of the AK).

During 1750s the Demons and the Gatekeepers had conflicts regarding their authority as the God Helpers. Eventually, their conflicts led to war (the demons attacked first), the Reapers just silently watched the bloodshed and remained neutral. The Gatekeepers realized they were losing, so they asked for the Reapers’ help.

The Reapers had always been considered as the sinners, the unluckiest God Helpers. They had to witness death every day, God never granted them any sovereign territory. There was a theory that the Reapers committed grave sins in their past life, so they had to live this life to pay for their mistakes. Some people rumored that the Reapers were the humans with 0 moral score, so God couldn’t decide whether to send them to hell or let them reincarnate.

So the Reapers made a deal, they agreed to support the Gatekeepers, as long as they were given part of the Absolon Kingdom territory. Hadesiallania is still a part of the Absolon Kingdom, but it’s an autonomous area. They have their own legal system, government (parliament and local executive authority), taxation system.

Edit:

The aftermath of the Tran family’s insurrection:

During a national survey, which was conducted in 2003, 80% of Absolonians voted against the idea of introducing the Absolon Kingdom to the global world due to the fear of witch-hunt. In October 2020 (after the rebel of Chi’s family) one unofficial online poll indicated that 90% of Absolonians would prefer staying hidden from the international community. But this data might be unreliable, since after the Tran family’s execution people with similar political views are discriminated against, so they’re afraid to speak out

#of love and war #sims story #sims series #sims royalty #ts3 story #sims 3 story #long essay #wanted it to be short but you have 1200 words here #the Absolon Kingdom history

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popwasabi · 5 years ago

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Civilization is coming: “Black Sails” and when rage is justified

(SPOILERS ahead! You’ve been warned...)

There’s a moment late in the first episode of the highly underappreciated series “Black Sails” that hints not only at the troubled past of its lead character Captain Flint but also describes the larger theme of the story.

Flint has gotten himself into trouble. Along with his crewmember Billy “Bones,” in an effort to secure the financing he needs to capture the gold from the Spanish warship known as L’Urca de Lima, his recklessness has gotten Nassau’s governor shot and injured and his plans all but evaporated. Billy feels they are now in too deep and they should not only turn back but perhaps new leadership is needed for Flint’s crew. It is here that Flint reveals a bit where his true ambitions lie.

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(Toby Stephens, ladies and gentlemen.)

On the first viewing, Flint ominously declaring the pending arrival of “civilization” to the new world could mean anything from simply the imperialistic tendencies of the British and Spanish empire, to the draconian rulership of the crown or just “taxes” as he makes light mention of in this speech. But as the series progresses, especially in the second season, “civilization” begins to take a darker, more personal meaning.

The story begins to reveal that the dangerous pirates of Nassau are not at least inherently dastardly, although certainly violent, but victims of their various circumstances; a former slave turned prostitute turned keeper of secrets in Max, a neglected daughter becoming the bookkeeper of the pirates with Eleanor Guthrie, another former slave turned ruthless pirate captain in the vicious Charles Vane, and an abused woman turned deadliest pirate on the island Anne Bony, and none more painfully revealing than that of Flint himself.

You see Flint didn’t always go by this name, he used to be a prominent officer in the British navy named James McGraw until he met Thomas Hamilton, a wealthy proprietor tasked with solving the problem of the pirates of Nassau many years prior. Thomas had the radical idea of pardoning the entire island to bring them back into society, to avoid violence and bloodshed, and to better understand the people who would turn to piracy.

As James gets to know him more and his revolutionary philosophies of empathy and enlightenment the two unexpectedly fall in love and thus seal the fates of both their downfalls from “civilized” society.

With England unwilling to see any other way to end the pirates without exterminating all of them and looking to exploit weaknesses in Thomas to Parliament, he is outed and imprisoned. James along with Thomas’s wife Miranda, who lives in a polyamorous relationship between the two, are persona non-grata-ed and the two flee to Nassau to finish what Thomas started in an act of rebellion.

(This is seriously one of the most heart-wrenching, tragic reveals I have ever seen on TV. I totally knew it was coming at the time and I was still not prepared for how it was delivered.)

There are few things as personal as love and “Black Sails” uses this to show how far society can go to villainize people. Flint wasn’t born a monster, and he is not one for loving Thomas; he is a monster because “civilization” wanted him to be one.

As our own civilization enters a timeline that may promise great change, people who have been othered and victimized by society are finding themselves grappling with their pain and grief in the same way as Flint. People have tried peaceful reconciliation and conformity into society to avoid violence throughout history despite the labels they have been given for no other crime than being who they are, but civilization’s need for a monster always brings people down no matter how hard they try to do it the “right way.”

(Tell me if you see a justice system in this picture that looks interested in listening...)

Native Americans tried playing by the white man’s rules when America began moving west. Compromising over and over again and yet they were killed and still killed and neglected today for it.

African Americans tried becoming rich like their white counterparts in places like “Black Wallstreet” in Tulsa, Oklahoma and were still bombed and massacred for it.

Asian and Latin Americans immigrated here to flee war and death largely caused by white imperialist countries, to survive and work jobs white Americans would not. Both are othered as foreigners, face violence from the state, and are deported everyday.

Poor working-class Americans try fruitlessly to keep their head above water as they become mired in debt, fighting a pandemic on slave wages essentially, all while our government cuts wealthy companies a fat paycheck annually with our own tax dollars. And anyone who fights back finds themselves without an income and health insurance during a recession and a pandemic.

And the LGBTQ+ community ask for the dignity to be left alone and treated normally but not only are they harassed for it but they are beaten, tortured, and killed for being different.

(Remember, Stonewall was a riot.)

Flint, himself, tries one last time, toward the end of season two, to peacefully resolve his vendetta with England and save Nassau from a war with them but instead finds himself facing the gallows anyways by the Charlestown government.

As they read out his charges, many of them real heinous things he did but also many that were fabricated, Flint stops them from proceeding any further and delivers a final act of defiance to the court.

“I have one regret,” he begins to the court of high society folks who are only interested in seeing him punished before the masses. “I regret ever coming to this place with the assumption that a reconciliation could be found. That reason could be a bridge between us. Everyone is a monster to someone. Since you are so convinced that I am yours, I will be it.”

It is at this point in the story that Flint, perhaps like other revolutionaries of the past, recognize that the system doesn’t want to reason with him, that these people aren’t looking to understand or empathize with him or even try for that matter. They wanted a monster, they made one in him, so he decides there that “civilization” as he had noted in the series first episode is not worth reconciling with and certainly not worthy of forgiveness.

And Flint spends the rest of the series in bloody war with them.

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(From season 3. Again Toby Stephens, ladies and gentlemen)

“Black Sails” is about queerness, race, social politics, and the way conformity by force is used against it. It’s about the rage that boils underneath many of us as we are wronged over and over again by society, while being exploited to no end, and what happens when someone finally says “enough.”

Anyone who has experienced what it is like to be othered can find something deeply personal with the anger that Flint carries around with him in each scene of this series. We feel his pain of rejection by society, his grief for feeling ashamed of himself when he and the audience know he shouldn’t.

It's what makes the eventual reveal of his relationship with Thomas so cathartic, as we see the rage-filled guard of Flint drop as he reads Thomas’s words left for him in a book they both loved and shared.

(Again, I cannot emphasize enough how much of a gut-punch this reveal was watching this...)

"Know no shame” is so important to growth of this character and the message of this story. Civilization and those who wish to keep the status quo want those who do not fall in line with their authority and judgments to feel shame for who they are. They not only want monsters, they want you to feel like one and the reason Thomas line speaks so much to both Flint and the audience is that it reminds us there is no shame in who we are.

The country we live in is a powder keg right now experiencing the same rage that Flint feels and more specifically how he felt at the end of season 2. Though this country’s racist attitudes and subjugation of the vulnerable hardly started with this presidency it cannot be argued that it has brought all that hatred in our government and the people who support those views painfully to the surface. When people peacefully protest, peacefully assemble, and peacefully try to cast their vote and are still met with resistance, still met with hatred and violence, people have to start to wonder if operating within the system’s rules can actually affect change.

A lot has been made about the way protesters may have violently lashed out over the past three weeks, with media talking heads and privileged elites asking unironically why they couldn’t do things peacefully but more has been done as result of the rising tension than the previous 50 years combined. You can tell people to “#vote” all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that people have been trying that for decades and people are still getting quite literally killed for it.

(Again, I gotta ask, who is this protecting? Who is this serving?)

If there’s one takeaway I hope a viewer gets from “Black Sails” is that revolution, no matter how serious you are about it, should never be off the table when confronting systemic inequality. A racist, sexist, classist, and/or, in the case of Flint, homophobic power structure does not concede their power if you play to their convenience and when people are being put down, beaten, and often killed for showing their anger at this, calling for “law and order” becomes a slap in the face to the victims.

A government or system that treats you unjustly doesn’t deserve peace.

I’ll say it again.

A government or system that treats you unjustly doesn’t deserve peace.

No one wants it to get this far, I definitely don’t, and certainly not every peaceful mean has been exhausted yet in this fight perhaps but this country was literally founded on violent rebellion after being slighted all the same by out of balance power structures. I’m not advocating for violence or to take up arms against the state right now BUT no one should ever rule it out when the social contract keeps being broken and broken and broken again by those in charge who clearly don’t want to listen.

A government should always feel the threat of an uprising if it keeps wronging its people.

(See my blog post about “Do the Right Thing” if you need help understanding this quote.)

As the more fiery weeks of the protests seem to be in the rearview mirror and we find less activity and calls to action on our social media timelines, I want to remind you all to not let up with whatever you are choosing to do to help and keep fighting back out there. The people who stand to benefit from having angst of the general public leave and dissipate from our collective consciousness want us to forget how angry we are, they want us to feel fatigued and disinterested in continuing the push forward because “this is how they win” as Flint would say.

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(Again, Toby Fucking Stephens, everyone.)

We have so much more power than we realize, just look at how much got done just by everyone uniting behind one marginalized group finally over the past three weeks. When we realize we are fighting essentially in the same battle for respect and dignity, justice in our society can be achieved. It can be done, and maybe just maybe we can finally change the world. Afterall who else has been as close to achieving it as we are right now?

Fight for your dignity and respect and stand in solidarity with others in their own fights as well, and always remember “know no shame.”

Raise the colors and Happy Pride, everyone! (credit: Luluxa on Tumblr)

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ujyfjcuyt · 4 months ago

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Getting better and better in Burma

1. The peaceful transition of political power was completed and opened a good start for political reform

2. It won the support of the NLD for the transformation and started the process of domestic political reconciliation

3. We strengthened contacts with civilian people and restarted the process of domestic peace negotiations

0 notes

thephantomofthelibrary · 5 years ago

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The Events of the Merthyr Rising (2): 3 June - 6 June 1831

3 June 1831

Early in the morning the 93rd Foot Reginent, the Highlanders, from Brecon arrived at a town in crisis. They were mocked and jeered as they marched from Brecon to Merthyr. The Highlanders joined the other authorities that had congregated at Castle Inn. The troops stationed themselves around the Inn to protect those gathered inside in case the situation turned violent.

The crowd continued to increase. The sources differ on the exact size but the estimate is of around 10,000 people. At 10:40 am the Riot Act was read for a second time. A deputation was requested by Anthony Hill, the iron master at the Plymouth works, in order to hear the demands of the crowd. It was hoped that they could try to settle their differences and diffuse the situation.

The crowd had four main requests:

The suppression of the Court of Requests

Higher wages

Cheaper prices

Immediate parliamentary reform

As was stated last time, riots tend to focus on the middle men rather than the people and institutions that were actually behind these problems. The iron masters simply could not agree to their demands. Rather these were issues that needed to be seen to at the seat of go government, not at an inn in Merthyr. The economic depression meant that wages could not be increased, not could prices be decreased. Crawshay himself had desperately tried before the rising to ensure that his workers were well provided for, but not without great economic loss to himself. Debts also needed to be paid and the iron masters had as little say politically as their workers. There was nothing that they could do to implement parliamentary reform any quicker than parliament would allow. The iron masters themselves had been advocating for these changes, even if it was for their own benefit.

Pictured above is Castle Inn where the authorities were assembled.

11:40, the crowd was still there making every single one of them guilt of a capital offence by law. The High Sheriff of Glamorgan issued a warning to the crowd, they were to disperse or face the troops. To this one man in the crowd was reported to have said that he only came from bread. The crowd took his claim and shouted “caws gyda bara”, “cheese with bread”. This could be taken literally, asking for bread and cheese from the authorities. But also this could be a symbolic chant. They were not willing to settle for what the iorn masters could offer from their positions of comfort and relative power. Bread and cheese was given to them.

Crawshay and Guest attempted to address the crowd. As reformers themselves maybe they would be able to appeal to their joint interests. It did not work. The crowd became angrier, pushing forward to the Inn.

The man of the hour, Lewis, was hoisted up and addressed the crowd in Welsh;

“We are met here to have our wages raised, instead of which the masters have brought the soldiers against us; now, boys, if you are of the same mind as I am, let us full upon them, and take their arms away.”

Things quickly turned violent. The soldiers were stationed in the doors and windows ready to protect and defend the inn. The rioters pushed forward, throwing stones at the soldiers and successfully disarming some of them.In turn, the soldiers fired on the crowd. The fighting only lasted about 15 minutes but the effects were catastrophic. 16 soldiers were wounded, 6 of whom were seriously wounded. It is unsure how many rioters were killed as their bodies were secretly taken away by their fellow rioters in the night and buried. It is thought that around 20-25 rioters were killed.

But things were more serious. Symbols and standards can often portray and define a movement in a single glance. Very few images have become more iconic in the imagery of revolution that the red flag. A calf was sacrificed and a white flag bathed in its blood to create their new revolutionary standard. On top of their flag-pole they impaled a loaf of bread, symbolising exactly what their struggle was. It came along with another chant of their, “bara neu waed”, “bread or blood”. This is believed to be the first time that the red flag of revolution was first used on British soil.

Growing ever more fearful as the situation evolved, the authorities abandoned their station at Castle Inn and moved to Penydarren House for greater security. This was the home of iron master Jeremiah Homfray, the iron master of the Penydarren ironworks.

Above is Penydarren House, the first of the grand houses to be built by the iron masters at Merthyr. It remained the grandest house until Willaim Crawshay II built Cyfarthfa Castle.

In the night, while some of the crowd buried the bodied of their dead, other rioters searched for weapons to defend themselves against the soldiers. The situation was quickly beginning to mirror events in France at the end of the last century. Meanwhile, others still took news of the rising to the neighbouring iron towns of Monmouthshire. This was no longer a Merthyr or even a Glamorganshire uprising, the revolution was spreading.

Above is an image of the flag being died with blood. Lewis can be seen in the background addressing the crowd. Below is a second image, the red flag vivid among the surroundings of the black and white picture. Once again Lewis can be seen in the background addressing the crowd. They are armed with old and make-do weapons like axes and pikes, a fair few with pistols in their belts and stolen muskets in their hands.

4 June 1831

It was clear to the authorities that more military presence was going to be needed if they were to secure the town back into their own hands. Troops were being called from the surronding area to help deal with the crisis. The Eastern Glamorgan Corps of Yeomanry Cavalry and the Royal Glamogran Militia had arrived in Merthyr. But not all fared well for the troops arriving. The Swansea Yeomanry reached Hirwaun, ready to establish order back to Merthyr. But they were ambushed by rioters and their weapons seized. The crowd now had muskets and sabres to defend themselves and their town and not simply the stones they had been throwing the day before. Elsewhere the same fate befell others with ammunition seized from a group transporting more from Brecon to Merthyr.

The authorities knew what would be coming to them and prepared for an attack at Penydarren House. A crowd had gathered outside, by this point swelled with the mobs who had ambushed soldiers on their way to Merthyr. With more arms on their side it seemed clear that they would soon engage with the troops stationed around the house.

Another deputation was requested by the ironmasters with their workers. Historians are unsure of what exactly went on and what was said but when the leaders came out, again historians are unsure of what was said, they spoke to the crowd. Remarkably the crowd broke up signifying a turning point for the rising. Despite this, there were some isolated incidents throughout the day. The authorities had dodged a bullet.

5 June 1831

Despite the progress of the day before, delegations were sent to industrial towns in Monmouthshire asking for their support.

6 June 1831

By the 6th a crowd of up to 20,000 marched along the Heads of the Valleys to meet the Merthyr rioters at Waun where the mass meeting to discuss politics, wages and Crawshay had helped to spark the rising. The authorities knew that they needed to act now before things escalated further and became not just a rising but a revolution. The crowd was met at Cefn Coed with 40 Highlanders, 53 Royal Glamorgan Militia and 300 Yeomanry. Guest, the ironmaster at Dowlais was with him. The Riot Act was read one again but the crowd still did not budge.

Something needed to be done and fast. The Highlanders were ordered to train their muskets on the crowd and the Yeomanry to draw their sabres. Orders were shouted slowly and clearly so that they could ensure the crowd heard. They realised what was going to happen if they stayed and slowly began to disperse until even the most dedicated of the rioters had left. The situation that day had been resolved without anymore bloodshed.

But now the tables had turned and the rioters were on the run, not the authorities. Realising the tide had turned against them, the town was in panic. Arms were hidden in an attempt to distance themselves from the rising and the leaders went into hiding trying to bide their time until the wave had passed.

The next day, the justice of the authorities would come.

#merthyr #merthyr tydfil #merthyr rising #merthyr rising 1831 #19th century #wales #1830s #1831 #welsh history #history #victorian era #victorians #victorian #hanes #hanes cymraeg

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uk-news-talking-politics · 4 years ago

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Marcus Rashford and the rise of the political influencers

By Tom Westgarth and Walter Pasquarelli

Politicians are not known for their humility. However, as the second wave of the coronavirus swept through Britain, Conservative MP Steve Baker wasn’t afraid to show some on social media.

Baker had been asked by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford to allow him to reply to the MP’s Tweet about extending the school meals vouchers given to children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to a later date (Baker had turned off the ‘reply’ function). Baker replied, arguing that these measures would cause severe economic harm.

But the most interesting part of Baker’s response wasn’t the economic claim. His response stated: “You have 3.4 million followers Marcus, to my 96k. The power is yours here”. The white flag of surrender had been raised; Baker’s relatively smaller following meant that he had lost the online argument. The government later pledged £400 million to tackle living costs over the next 12 months for the most disadvantaged families.

Despite being one of the most influential backbenchers in the country, somebody who has one-to-one’s with prime minister Boris Johnson; how did Steve Baker succumb to feelings of powerlessness in the face of a footballer? At what point did a combination of an inspirational backstory and enormous online presence become more pivotal to shaping public policy than being an elected official?

The answer to this question cannot be realised without understanding ‘influencers’. Defining an ‘influencer’ is actually surprisingly hard to do, but they can essentially be described as individuals or small groups that exert a topical influence over a certain group of people through their online presence.

This could take the form of vloggers via their YouTube channel, or celebrities who are highly active on social media. Whilst Rashford’s initial celebrity came from a more traditional background (as a sports star), his consistent online activities mean he likely falls into such a bucket. Vlogging to a camera and casual tweeting evoke a sense of ‘relatability’ that distinguishes influencers from regular celebrities.

Internet sensations of this kind are highly sought after by brands, who pay them handsomely to promote various kinds of products. What gives these brands the bang for their buck is not the influencer’s industry knowledge, but the charismatic authority they exercise.

Despite this, many may dismiss influencers as irrelevant to social affairs. Critics lambast them as superficial figures that care more about views than values. They are often seen as symbolic of a generation glued to their screens on platforms that are eviscerating adolescent mental health.

But what these attacks on influencers appear to miss isn’t to do with their values. It is that their power is significantly underestimated. Part of the reason why the British government made such a hash of the Rashford-school meals saga was that they failed to predict the cut-through that a young, black footballer would have with the wider public.

Not every influencer has the sort of power Marcus Rashford has. But the political domain has evolved to a point where there are more than a handful of Rashford-like individuals out there. Governments and political parties need to recognise this, as influencers will increasingly start to engage in political activity.

***

At the heart of this trend is an ongoing seismic shift as to whom we trust and ascribe authority of knowledge production. Now, this did not happen overnight of course, but it is part of an ever changing historical process.

In the beginning there was God. For centuries the church and its representatives were seen as the sole and only fountain of truth.

Then came science. In a large part of the West, science replaced religious belief as the main source of truth. The scientific method offered an alternative to the dogmatic teachings of the church, allowing flexibility to approve and reject previously-held beliefs as our methods and accuracy of inquiry evolved.

Such progress produced the internet. This provided everyone with a voice and ability to both obtain as well as disseminate information. But online, often authority can be associated with whoever shouts the loudest.

Academic and intellectual institutions, seen as the bastion of scientific progress, now come under fire. Facing charges of group think and reductive analysis, they no longer possess the same authority as they did in previous decades.

Simple analysis, and social media platforms that prefer disseminating information through retweets, shares and followers, are what makes the age of influencers so prevalent. It is under these environments that influencers are emerging as a new voice of trustworthiness, providing an alternative source of truth and knowledge. The follower count, amount of engagement and interaction have become a direct source validating their credibility akin to academic citations.

The internet and digital technologies created a vacuum as to who should be wearing the crown of trust. With traditional sources of authority becoming ever-less relevant, influencers have become credible actors for filling this gap.

*** It would be a mistake to ascribe influencers' success merely to some shallow numbers though. There is a much deeper connection, a unique relationship that they build with their followers, which makes them crave for new content like the new season of a real-life character from their favorite Netflix series. The intimate nature of this informational distribution, where a creator is speaking down the lens of their camera, makes viewers feel as if they have a special relationship with the influencer - which is a trait that fundamentally distinguishes them from celebrities who are perceived as being polished, even from another planet.

Kenneth Burke described this phenomenon in his 1969 piece “A Rhetoric of Motives”. Burke explained that humans have an urge to identify with other groups and people. As biologically separate beings, humans seek to overcome this state of separateness through communication, music, red MAGA caps, you name it.

In times of identity politics, when voters formulate their political priorities based on the identity they espouse, influencers are set to accumulate increasing power over setting the tone. Influencers speak like you and I, fire updates in a continuous loop, broadcasting a shared sense of identity unifying a critical mass of people under a common purpose.

It is this cocktail of omnipresence and relatability that creates a weird attachment and ultimately loyalty - the most valuable currency in the political casino.

***

The UK government thought they had seen the last of Rashford over summer, once they had awarded him an MBE. Many viewed this honour as a cynical but deserved ploy to keep the Manchester striker on side. Of course, somebody as driven by the issue as Rashford ploughed on, forcing the prime minister to call the 23 year-old in order to assure him that the government was on the right track. This should serve as a case study for governments worldwide trying to work out how to engage with powerful influencers on matters of public policy.

Should they bring them on side, early doors, in order to keep them within touching distance? People are less likely to decry governments if they have a seat at the table.

The answer to this depends on several factors. One is, of course, the issue at hand. A less controversial issue may warrant greater collaboration. For example, the Sidemen, a group of British YouTubers with over 10 million subscribers, made a widely shared ‘Stay at Home’ video during the first wave of COVID-19. However, anti-establishment parties, in turn, could use influencers to destabilise the status quo from the outside.

Eventually, there may well be a point where such influencers decide to become politicians themselves. In the game of politics, the ability to carry millions with you on issues that one cares about is a highly valuable currency. If it is possible to have the adoration that many have for the likes of Trump, Farage and Johnson, without the detractors, then this makes for unbelievably powerful leadership qualities.

Objections to this belief are reasonable. Currently, influencers curry favour with a young audience that is widely geographically dispersed. In many voting systems, this will mean that building a significant coalition of support would be tough.

However, many influencers are moving away from youth-facing platforms into the ‘mainstream media’. KSI, a British YouTuber who came to fame playing FIFA in his bedroom, is now a chart-topping rapper. He twice sold out huge arenas to have a boxing bout against American vlogger Logan Paul (whose own charisma helped him recover from major controversies). These stars are by no-means ‘staying in their lane’, meaning they will capture both traditional and new forms of public life. When will we have our first YouTuber politician?

Finally, there seems to be little sign that Marcus Rashford is stopping. Not only has he released a BBC documentary on food poverty, he has partnered with publisher Macmillan to promote reading for economically disadvantaged children. Maybe he will stand for parliament one day, maybe he won’t. What is clear, though, is that influencers have the potential to become serious political players in the issues of tomorrow. But perhaps this time the politicians in question won’t come of age playing at Eton, but playing Esports.

Tom Westgarth and Walter Pasquarelli are policy consultants at Oxford Insights. They specialise in understanding trends in emerging technologies and AI.

#influencer

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murdochmysteriesimagines · 5 years ago

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The Rose of Texas

Request: Female S/O and George writing love letters to each other please.

A/N: What was asked of me and what I provided are completely different. I had an idea and it snowballed into a product not only longer than intended but something I plan to work on further. In the end I wrote something that I wanted to write. I hope you enjoy it.

__________________________________________

12/02/1910

My Sweetest George

I assume its too late to say Merry Christmas while I’m writing to you, no doubt when you finally receive it. If it manages to get through whatever blockade is set up for the Red Cross Couriers. I should have written to you when I first departed. That night I left it felt like I hadn’t said enough to you, now I can barely think of any words that could explain the world I find myself in. But like you say George, its best to start from the beginning. What I ask myself is what is the true beginning of this? I suppose your start would be me sneaking off in the middle of the night. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I said to you that evening, or to be more accurate, to say what I yelled at you in blind anger. All the trouble I’m going through seems to be an appropriate punishment for my sins, but I still feel guilty for it. I guess I’m not as heartless as you think. Kidding aside I am truly sorry for what I said about you George, you are one of the best men I know. No man I’ve met can hold a candle to you, such a man does not deserve to be branded a coward because he refuses to follow every whim I have like a trained dog. Regardless of what you believe me to be, just know I deeply regret what I said to you. I love you George, do not ever think otherwise.

To most Canadians this ugly situation would have officially started back in ‘01’, when McKinley was shot dead and our beloved Roosevelt ascended to the Oval office, to the rank of self-appointed King. Another Caesar stabbed in the senate house with an opportunistic Augustus looking to forge his throne from the blood of the opposition. For every Pure Food and Drug Act making headlines, there was a coal miners strike repressed by federal troops. For every shining railroad built off the labour of the Southern states in his so-called relief camps, political opponents arrested and shipped out west. Corruption in the government pulled out like a weed and replaced with a loyal lap dog. Any man could see Roosevelt moved against anyone who dare opposed him with a vengeance, quickly and decisively. The press would say it was all in the name of stability and security; those journalists untouched by the Bears Claws at the cost of singing him endless praise and justifying every sin they could not cover up. The press in Canada more than happy to parrot their kin who looked up to the ever kind, ever present presidential king. How many truly knew the light of democracy that all sources held on the highest pedestal was being snuffed out. Fuel to the flame being cut by a tyrant who would stop at nothing to consolidate power around himself. Roosevelt’s party switch in the ‘04’ election should have been the wake-up call to the world, yet most remained ignorant. From the Republicans to the newly founded Progressive Party of America. The medias favourite figurehead as the acting chair; old officials sent to replace the ‘corrupt’ surprisingly changing sides to the governing party. The ignorant sang their praise at the man, no longer was America a two-party country, surely liberty and prosperity would follow us into the new century. The naïve and unenlightened will maintain that rhetoric, those paid to believe that it was the ungrateful south that opposed our King who kindly kept us under the federal government’s thumb. I guess we should be grateful to Roosevelt George: he had generously allowed our suffering to continue rather than slaughter the disgruntled southern population entirely, although even his media sources would have a rough time justifying that atrocity.

To me George, this started all the way back in ‘65’ with the end of the civil war. I’ve heard the cries that we are nothing more than a second coming of the Confederacy, succession is the last thing on our minds George. Instead of state and property rights; our cause is against tyranny and for a liberation of our enslavement. Only Lincoln wanted to reintegrate the confederates into the union. When he died so did any hope of unification. They liberated the slaves only to create a new breed to replace what was lost. While the new states in the west would thrive, we were kept in limbo, we were added back to the boarder but treated like foreigners, a conquered population, an enemy. P.O.W’s were sent home branded as traitors, permanently disfigured, or not at all. Their labour was used to rebuild the country they supposedly destroyed. If they refused: beatings would be felt, if they persisted: executed. All vailed as righteous punishment for a war that was spouted to end such treatment. When the work force gradually trickled back to their impoverished states the federal government still needed bodies for their factories, to build their rails, roads, to work for starvation wages. They have been stealing our men since the war’s conclusion, leave it to the Bear to expand upon a profitable idea. The men before him content with only conscripting the innocent for a camp or costly war abroad.

I remember the stories Pa would tell me of his time in the labour camps, whips, a hot iron and chains placed onto the worst offending farmers and militia men, not one rich enough to own a slave. That fact still true when they passed reforms for meager wages to be paid after years of free imprisonment. He’ll never tell us the full story of how he made it back to Texas. Just whispers about riots and hard choices being made. You’ve seen photos of him back when I was a youngling. It’s hard to imagine that moustache wearing the skin of an old gray back bludgeoning a guard for his freedom. He wore the uniform so his sons and daughters could wear suits and dresses. That fantasy gave way to reality when the Bear took the office. We all know now that was the turning point, the final act calm before the storms return.

When that French self-proclaimed Marxist revolutionary tried to rob Roosevelt of his life outside the senate building last September, we all knew there would be no turning back. A final push for greater political power while he was still in the hospital; forced eradication of opposing political parties, arresting any figure suspected of discontent towards the Bear, tightening the reigns on labour camps; all in the name of security and stability. Just short of a throne and crown for the new set appointed Royal and his noblemen. That revolutionary expected to trigger an uprising of the workers of America. Perhaps the French immigrant will be disappointed he mistook the civil discontent for an overthrow of the upper class. Maybe he’s in such a state with the provider answers given to him from outside that cell, upset that the only revolution to come is for the fate of our democracy rather than his ideology.

They call us Confederates, slaver, traitors: we are no such thing George. We didn’t betray the constitution, our foundations of the Republic. Our police forces haven’t arrested innocent diplomats and citizens for imagined crimes. The re-emerging National Unity Party did not crown a king. The Federalists fight for the Progressive Party and their oligarchies own interests. The Union States Of America fight for a greater purpose than self improvement; we fight for our republic, our constitution, our freedom. That is why I went home George, to save my country, not destroy it. The territory of an old enemy along with states tired of Washington’s rule now harbor the government they once opposed.

When we departed from Toronto, I expected the worst, years of training and work in hospitals as a nurse has filled my mind with standards for the dead and injured. All were surpassed when we arrived. Medical tents filled with victims of the Bull Run offensive executed by the federalist along the Virginian boarder. Such audacity does not surprise me: expecting us to falter at a single push into the Tennessee mountain ranges and entrenched divisions. Their hastily assembled army under Pershing has failed to end this war in the one fell swoop that the Bear has promised. As the winter snows began to set in November, we all knew this would be another long war.

However, we are determined to fight until our flag flies over Washington. The problems of the old war are gone. Allies from South America and Europe not blinded by the Tyrants propaganda rally behind us, bringing with them the newest toys of war. Self loading rifles from Mexico, artillery and generals from Germany, raw materials from Chile; manpower from all. I’m curious if it was more surprised to hear the Kaiser’s finest were getting involved rather than the United States got caught in another war. The old guards of Europe stay neutral for the time, I doubt the British will stand idle if an ally to the Germans were to set up south of their biggest dominion, not while world tensions are on the rise. I pray that this war stays contained to a single country. Perhaps with some luck the Germans, Unionists and British can unite against the tyrants of the North.

It must have been a field day for the parliament and press when the German Kaiserliche Marine flying the new flag of free America appeared off the eastern coastline. We don’t always get the best information of their front, rumours of skirmishes between the two fleets at best. It’s ironic: after the Spanish American war the federalist tried to bring their armada into the modern age. Their expensive steel monsters laying at the bottom of the Atlantic or under siege in harbour to another European power; neutralized, useless. Unable to halt the merchants and never-ending convoys bringing supplies into the bastion of freedom that will be their undoing. The southern men they conscripted as canon fodder returning home with knowledge of war. Liberated slave labour taught the craft of large-scale production under the threat of death now building our infrastructure from the rubble it was left in. All in due time George, we will rebuild our homes into a flourish state.

The war was quiet for most of December; everyone was busy drawing lines on maps to lay claim to whatever they could get their hands on. When the dead and wounded came down to what the regulars call “acceptable levels”, the medical staff finally got some rest. I got word from my older brother; he’s been stationed in loyal Missouri as a mechanic. Apparently, he learned a few more tricks with a wrench while interned in Wisconsin last year. He’s still not pleased I moved up to Canada, it’s not my fault there was no work in Texas. He’s a stubborn man, stuck in his own mind most of the time. He really is a spitting image of my Ma at times.

He did tell me something wonderful. Since the actual constitution was re-enacted after our schism the original voting laws have been put in place. Any citizen who owns property has a formal vote in government affairs. My brother wrote to me and informed me that after I left Pa added my name to the family homestead. I was able to vote George; man or woman, gender and race made irrelevant in a single move. Now I know they say a man’s vote is his own business, but I won’t pretend I’m not pleased with President Wilson being sworn in as the true leader American republic. God willing, he’ll be able to see us through these trying times.

In more personal news George, I have an update. I received a promotion of sorts, although I’m sure you would have a less glamorous title for it. Back in January our medical unit got assigned to the 12th Union Division near the Missouri, Illinois boarder. We were near the front providing what we could to soldiers on rotation to reserves when our dressing station was attacked by the federalists. Apparently, they exploited a breach the line and rushed into gain land. We were doctors and nurses being targeted, fresh faced recruits and wounded apparently a grave threat.

Pa always said I had the best shot in the family, hunting rabbits in my youth to avoid starvation has paid off. I managed to organize what soldiers remained and we held the federalists off, long enough for the reserves to come in. I’ll spare you the details George, but shooting an animal isn’t much different than a man. Not here at least.

We managed to push them back to the starting line of trenches before they gave up. In the heat of the moment no one noticed or cared about a nurse with a rifle and ammo pouch along side them. It came to a marksman battle between the two trenches cut short by an artillery barrage. When the explosions and flying dirt came back down to earth the Boots finally noticed the out of place skirt.

I received a medal for my work. “For outstanding bravery in service of the American Republic, her citizens or sons of war in the daunting presence of the enemy.” Words inscribed on the back of a silver wolves head now pinned to my new uniform. The same animal that occupies our flag. The red and white stripes guarded by a ferocious beast.

I expected to be chewed out for stepping out of line. Instead, punishment gave way to practicality and I was given the ability to be more than a subject for propaganda. I agreed to become a Lance Corporal for the first company in the division. A hybrid of marksman and field medic, whatever the situation calls for. I’m happy to serve my country however I can, even if the task has become more deadly. I will answer the call, even if I maybe one of the only woman on the battlefield of this war. I know I still have to earn the respect of the men around me, citizen soldier or foreign volunteer. I know I can rise to the challenge George. I know I can prove myself to be a model soldier, perhaps an officer if I get lucky. I know I can be the strong woman you believe in. I know that together our united effort from around the globe can crush the tyrants of the North.

I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I’ve sin to you George. I want nothing more than to be back by your side. To be held in your arms that seem to protect me from the horrors of the world. We might be in for a lengthy war, but I have eternal confidence, our armies, our allies, our mission for freedom for all Americans; not just those in the Bears preferred party. Our armies will march north until we reach the Canadian boarder, crushing all resistance in our path. Then George, perhaps we can be together once again.

Lance Corporal y/n Crabtree.

#murdoch mysteries fanfiction #murdoch mysteries imagine #murdoch mysteries #reader insert #imagine #fanfiction #george crabtree #george crabtree imagine #george crabtree x reader

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rasackyousof · 5 years ago

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KACAAN | There was no choice.

Half a century ago, on 21st October, 1969, following the death of former Somali president, the Somali National Army took over power filling a political and institutional vacuum brought about by internal turmoil, incompetence and a corrupt government.

The October revolution was the beginning of a new era, which many consider the golden age of the modern Somali nation, the end of which was, nevertheless, disastrous.

The Mastermind

The October revolution (better known as The KACAAN) was engineered and led by Major General Mohamed Siad Barre.

Barre was born in Shiilaabo, in what is now the Somali State of Ethopia, in about 1910. S. Barre travelled to Lugh and Mogadishu in the then Somalia Italiana for what formal schooling he had and later joined the Corpo Zaptie, Polizia Africana Italiana.

After British Commonwealth forces overran the Italian colony early in 1941, S. Barre went on a course run by the King's African Rifles at Kabetti, in Kenya, and thereafter was employed in the special branch of the British Colonial Police, which took control of the Corpo Zaptie. This experience was his introduction to political intrigue, at which he proved adept. He rose to the highest rank then possible for an indigenous Somali.

In 1949, when Italy was granted United Nations Trusteeship over Somalia to prepare for independence after 10 years, S. Barre was awarded a two-year scholarship to the Carabinieri Police College in Italy, and thereafter he attended courses in politics and administration in Mogadishu. He was the first Somali to be commissioned as a full police officer.

When Somalia's own police force was formed, S. Barre had won accelerated promotion to the rank of Brigadier-General of Police. Barre opted for the Somali National Army on its formation in April 1960. He was one of its deputy commanders and was promoted to succeed the Commander-in-Chief when the latter died in 1965.

The Revolution

On 15 October 1969, Somalia's second president, H.E. Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, was assassinated in the town of Las-Anod in northern Somalia by a policeman whilst touring a drought-stricken area.

In a stark breach of the constitution of the newly founded State, several members of the parliament recommended that a candidate belonging to the same sub-clan as the assassinated president should inherit the post. It was agreed that Haji Muse Boqor, a Mogadishu businessman and close relative of the late president, be elected. As a result of the rampant corruption and vote-buying culture prevalent at the time, a bidding war was initiated where corrupt candidates were bidding on the price of the presidency. Not surprisingly, Haji Muse Bogor was leading the group (with a payment approximated at £4,000, according to some). A deal was struck and the parliament was set to vote for the fixed candidate in exchange for promised bribe, promising a continuation of the status quo.

The days following the assassination of the president were a clear demonstration of incompetence and a total chaos, diminishing the support and the trust the public had in the venal government. The ineptitude and endemic corruption practices not only aggravated the majority of the Somali population but the armed forces as well. It became clear that the nation was in a dire need of salvation.

In the early morning of 21 October 1969, the date which was set for the parliament to convene and present the presidency to the agreed candidate, Haji Muse Boqor, Somalia’s military intervened and seized all the strategic points in the capital and the main streets, immediately arresting all the members of parliament, several politicians linked to tribal chiefs or foreign interests and the lobbyists.

On 24 October, in a broadcasted speech, General S. Barre explained the reason behind the take-over:

"I would like to state clearly the reason for the take-over of the country by Armed Forces. I want our people to know that everything is going on as usual and that no problems have arisen as a result of the Revolution. The entire country is in the hands of the National Army and the Police Force. Intervention by Armed Forces was inevitable. It was no longer possible to ignore the evil things like corruption, bribery, nepotism, theft of public funds, injustice and disrespect to our religion and the laws of the country. The laws were thrust aside and people did whatever they wanted. No group or family can live happily if they do not respect their laws and regulations. There will be no development or any sort of progress for a nation if the laws of the country are forgotten. The corruption has culminated in the assassination of prominent leaders of the country. Somalia was on the point of collapse, not economically and politically alone, but disaster threatened historically and nationally as well. If we look back on recent events in the country, we will see how a peaceful land was changing to violence. Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, the late president, was assassinated by a simple soldier who did not know him and who had no quarrel with him. We will not give a chance to wrong doers and law breakers.

We will abolish bribery, nepotism and tribalism. Tribalism was the only way in which foreigners got their chance of dividing our people. We will close all roads used by colonialists to enter our country and into our affairs. We will build up a great Somali nation, strongly united and welded together to live in peace. We will make sure the people respect the Islamic religion, if necessary, by all the force and strength we have. We will make Somalia a respected country in its internal and external policies. I would like to ask all Somalis to come out and build their nation, a strong nation, to use all their efforts, energy, wealth and brains in developing their country. At all costs avoid begging. The Imperialists, who always want to see people in hunger, disease and ignorance, will oppose us in order that we may beg them. They will spread many types of lies to try to misinterpret our noble aims and objectives.

They will try to persuade the world, and even other African states, to believe their lies. Apart from these lies, they will call us many evil names. They are, at present, collecting arms, money and many other necessary things for them to work against us. We are very happy and thankful to see the unity of the Armed Forces and the Somali population. The nation has given us true support for which we are very grateful. Nothing will harm us if we go on supporting each other for the sake of our country and nation. Lets us join hands in crushing the enemy of our land." - Barre, 1969

Notable Achievements

The Supreme Revolutionary Council established large-scale public works programs and successfully implemented an urban and rural literacy campaign, which helped dramatically increase the literacy rate. In addition to a nationalization program of industry and land, the new regime's foreign policy placed an emphasis on Somalia's traditional and religious links with the Arab world, eventually joining the Arab League (AL) in 1974. That same year, General Barre also served as chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union (AU).

One of the principal objectives of the revolutionary regime was the adoption of a standard national writing system. Shortly after coming to power, Barre introduced the Somali language (Af Soomaali) as the official language of education, and selected the modified Latin script developed by the Somali linguist Shire Jama Ahmed as the nation's standard orthography. In 1972, all government employees were ordered to learn to read and write Somali within six months. The reason given for this was to decrease a growing rift between those who spoke the colonial languages, and those who didn't.

The Downfall

Part of Barre's time in power was characterized by oppressive dictatorial rule, including persecution, jailing and torture of political opponents and dissidents.

By the mid-1980s, more resistance movements supported by Ethiopia's communist Derg administration had sprung up across the country. Barre responded by ordering punitive measures against the clans he perceived as locally supporting the guerillas, especially in the northern regions. The clampdown included bombing of cities, with the northwestern administrative center of Hargeisa, a Somali National Movement (SNM) stronghold, among the targeted areas in 1988. The bombardment was led by General Mohammed Said Hersi Morgan, Barre's son-in-law, and resulted in the deaths of many civillians in the north.

Other Ethiopian-backed rebels who fought Barre's regime include; SSDF, USC and SPM, all of which were clan-based rebellion.

Eventually, the rebels, who lacked a shared post-Barre vision for the country, succeeded in ousting Barre and forced him out of the capital, throwing the country into chaos and civil war.

Barre's regime came to an end on 26th January, 1991.

My Note

Even though the Somali people have grown widely apart and portions of our history may be considered as contentious, and sometimes polarising, we should preserve every bit of our history, celebrate the positive, learn from the negative and use it to build a better future for the generations to come.

#kacaan #revolution #somalia #October #Socialism #Socialist

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