Totally agree with “On a salary that is currently three times the average earnings, how can MPs honestly engage with the issues that their constituents – we – are struggling with? Rising fuel prices, rising food prices, social housing shortages, cuts to welfare, not to mention the half a million people reliant on food banks to feed themselves and their children. As families up and down Britain struggle with unemployment, choosing between heating and eating, and cuts to benefits and tax credits, how can someone who earns £66,000 a year, let alone £74,000 or £100,000, begin to comprehend what life is really like for the other 95% of people in Britain?”
The MPs do not live on the same planet as the rest of us.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
“Disparaging, disingenuous, disconnected.” My thoughts on the £10k pay rise for MPs.
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Who we are
Indiability is a registered charity that is working to change attitudes towards people with physical disabilities in India and empowering them to live full, independent lives.
June 23, 2013 · 1:20 PM
NCW #SpeakOut Giving Young Women and Girls a Voice Competition, 2013 — Shachi Shah
June 23, 2013 · 1:14 PM
Why we hated Thatcher!
Why we hate Thatcher
By Don Beavissimo in Make “Ding dong the witch is dead” number 1 the week Thatcher dies. (Facebook)
WHY WE HATE THATCHER….
1. She supported the retention of capital punishment.
2. She destroyed the country’s manufacturing industry.
3. She voted against the relaxation of divorce laws.
4. She abolished free milk for schoolchildren (“Margaret Thatcher, Milk Snatcher”).
5. She supported more freedom for business and banks. (and look how that turned out)
6. She gained support from the National Front in the 1979 election by pandering to the fears of immigration.
7. She gerrymandered local authorities by forcing through council house sales, at the same time preventing councils from spending the money they got for selling houses on building new houses (spending on social housing dropped by 67% in her premiership).
8. She was responsible for 3.6 million unemployed – the highest figure and the highest proportion of the workforce in history and three times the previous government. Massaging of the figures means that the figure was closer to 5 million.
9. She ignored intelligence about Argentinian preparations for the invasion of the Falkland Islands and scrapped the only Royal Navy presence in the islands.
10. The poll tax.
11. She presided over the closure of 150 coal mines; we are now crippled by the cost of energy, having to import expensive coal from abroad.
12. She compared her “fight” against the miners to the Falklands War.
13. She privatised state monopolies and created the corporate greed culture that we’ve been railing against for the last 5 years.
14. She introduced the gradual privatisation of the NHS.
15. She introduced financial deregulation in a way that turned city institutions into avaricious money pits.
16. She pioneered the unfailing adoration and unquestioning support of the USA.
17. She allowed the US to place nuclear missiles on UK soil, under US control.
18. Section 28.
19. She opposed anti-apartheid sanctions against South Africa and described Nelson Mandela as “that grubby little terrorist”.
20. She support the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and sent the SAS to train their soldiers.
21. She allowed the US to bomb Libya in 1986, against the wishes of more than 2/3 of the population.
22. She opposed the reunification of Germany.
23. She invented Quangos.
24. She increased VAT from 8% to 17.5%.
25. She had the lowest approval rating of any post-war Prime Minister.
26. Her post-PM job? Consultant to Philip Morris tobacco at $250,000 a year, plus $50,000 per speech.
27. The Al Yamamah contract.
28. She opposed the indictment of Chile’s General Pinochet.
29. Social unrest under her leadership was higher than at any time since the General Strike.
30. She presided over interest rates increasing to 15%.
31. BSE.
32. She presided over 2 million manufacturing job losses in the 79-81 recession.
33. She opposed the inclusion of Eire in the Northern Ireland peace process.
34. She supported sanctions-busting arms deals with South Africa.
35. Cecil Parkinson, Alan Clark, David Mellor, Jeffrey Archer, Jonathan Aitkin.
36. Crime rates doubled under Thatcher.
37. Black Wednesday – Britain withdraws from the ERM and the pound is devalued. Cost to Britain – £3.5 billion; profit for George Soros – £1 billion.
38. Poverty doubled while she opposed a minimum wage.
39. She privatised public services, claiming at the time it would increase public ownership. Most are now owned either by foreign governments (EDF) or major investment houses. The profits don’t now accrue to the taxpayer, but to foreign or institutional shareholders.
40. She cut 75% of funding to museums, galleries and other sources of education.
41. In the Thatcher years the top 10% of earners received almost 50% of the tax remissions.
42. 21.9% inflation.
Enough?
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Bill Gates: One of the World’s Most Destructive Do-Gooders, turning to the ‘Dark Side’ ?
Conflicts of Interest Abound
Gates’ philanthropic methods came under scrutiny back in August 2010, when it was discovered that The Gates Foundation had purchased 500,000 shares of Monsanto stock; dramatically increasing its previous holdings—and hence its financial conflicts of interest—in the biotech firm. AGRA-Watch commented on the ties stating4:
“The Foundation’s direct investment in Monsanto is problematic on two primary levels,” said Dr. Phil Bereano, University of Washington Professor Emeritus and recognized expert on genetic engineering.
“First, Monsanto has a history of blatant disregard for the interests and well-being of small farmers around the world, as well as an appalling environmental track record. The strong connections to Monsanto cast serious doubt on the Foundation’s heavy funding of agricultural development in Africa and purported goal of alleviating poverty and hunger among small-scale farmers. Second, this investment represents an enormous conflict of interests.”
It would be naive to think that all these philanthropic collaborations are designed to solve any problem besides how to help Monsanto monopolize the world’s food supply with expensive patented GM seeds, and the herbicides to go with them.
Both Genetically Engineered Seeds and Herbicides Pose Risks to Environment and Human Health
According to Monsanto. NO:
“Dr. Andres Carrasco, a lead embryologist at the University of Bueno Aires Medical School and the Argentinean national research council, discovered that glyphosate-based herbicides like Monsanto’s Roundup formula caused deformations in chicken embryos that resembled the kind of birth defects which where reported in areas like La Leonesa, where big agribusinesses depend on glyphosate to treat genetically engineered crops.”
Golden Rice: a “Trojan Horse”
According to Food Freedom:
“Golden rice is a Trojan horse for pushing through GE-friendly biosafety regulations under the guise of humanitarian aid. Once in place, these regulations open the door for the biotech industry to bring in commercial, patented GE crops; USAID and Monsanto accomplished exactly this in Kenya with their sweet potato project.”
Does Monsanto “Own” the U.S. Government?
In the U.S., however, the opposite to consumer protection is taking place, with certain states actually passing legislation that protects the use of GM seeds and allows for unabated expansion! To date, 14 states have passed such legislation and Michigan’s Sen. Bill 777, if passed, would make that 15.
The Michigan bill would prevent anti-GMO laws and would remove “any authority local governments may have to adopt and enforce ordinances that prohibit or regulate the labeling, sale, storage, transportation, distribution, use, or planting of agricultural, vegetable, flower or forest tree seeds.” Bills like these are obviously music to Monsanto’s ears, which spends millions of dollars lobbying the U.S. government at the federal level for favorable legislation that supports the spread of their toxic products. In the first quarter of 2011 alone, Monsanto spent $1.4 million on lobbying the federal government — a drop from the year before, when they spent $2.5 million during the same quarter.
Even as I write this the USA election machine is busy selecting the next dummy/puppet president to be totally controlled by Monsanto & Co.
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Super Spice Secrets:
Can This Miracle Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Arthritis?
By Dr. Mercola
For more than 5,000 years, turmeric has been an important part of Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda..
Valued for its medicinal properties and warm, peppery flavor, this yellow-orange spice has more recently earned a name for itself in Western medicine as well.
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is native to Indonesia and southern India , and is widely used as an ingredient in curry dishes and yellow mustard.
As research into this powerful spice has increased, it has emerged as one of nature’s most powerful potential healers.
Said Dr. David Frawely, founder and director of the American Institute for Vedic Studies in Santa Fe , New Mexico :
“If I had only one single herb to depend upon for all possible health and dietary needs,
I would without much hesitation choose the Indian spice Turmeric.
There is little it cannot do in the realm of healing and much that no other herb is able to accomplish.
Turmeric has a broad spectrum of actions, mild but certain effects,
and is beneficial for long term and daily usage.
Though it is a common spice, few people, including herbalists know of its great value
and are using it to the extent possible.
It is an herb that one should get to know and live with.”
Turmeric’s Beneficial Effects in a Nutshell
Strengthens and improves digestion
Reduces gas and bloating
Assists in the digestion of protein and with rice and bean dishes
Improves your body’s ability to digest fats
Promotes proper metabolism, correcting both excesses and deficiencies
Maintains and improves intestinal flora
Improves elimination of wastes and toxins
Supports healthy liver function and detox
Turmeric helps increase bile flow making it a liver cleanser that
can rejuvenate your liver cells and recharge their capability to break down toxins
Helps to prevent alcohol and other toxins from being converted into compounds that may be harmful to your liver
Supports formation of healthy tissue
Purifies your blood
Stimulates formation of new blood tissue
Anti-inflammatory: Helps to reduce irritation to tissues characterized by pain, redness, swelling and heat
Contains curcuminoids that fight cancer, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s
Curcuminoids are potent phytonutrients (plant-based nutrients) that contain powerful antioxidant properties
Counteract the damaging effects of free radicals in your body
Relieve arthritis pain and stiffness, anti-inflammatory agent
Anti-carcinogenic: “Curcumin has been shown to prevent a
large of number of cancers in animal studies.
Laboratory data indicate that curcumin can inhibit tumor initiation, promotion, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis.”[1]
Supports treatment of Alzheimer’s disease:
“Because Alzheimer’s disease is caused in part by amyloid-induced inflammation,
curcumin has been shown to be effective against Alzheimer’s.
Clinical trials are in progress at UCLA with curcumin for Alzheimer’s.”[2]
Curcumin: Turmeric’s Active Anti-Inflammatory “Ingredient”
Most notably turmeric is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, which come from curcumin
— the pigment that gives turmeric its yellow-orange color, and which is thought to be responsible for many of its medicinal effects.
There are an estimated three to five grams of curcumin in 100 grams of turmeric.
Curcumin has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and
it can inhibit both the activity and
the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX),
as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation.[3]
Turmeric’s Cancer-Fighting Properties
In India where turmeric is widely used, the prevalence of four common U.S. cancers — colon, breast, prostate and lung — is 10 times lower.
In fact, prostate cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in U.S. . men, is rare in India and this is attributed, in part, to turmeric.
Numerous studies have looked into this potential cancer-fighting link, with promising results.
For instance, curcumin has been found to:
Inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells
Inhibit the transformation of cells from normal to tumor
Help your body destroy mutated cancer cells so they cannot spread throughout your body
Decrease inflammation
Enhance liver function
Inhibit the synthesis of a protein thought to be instrumental in tumor formation
Prevent the development of additional blood supply necessary for cancer cell growth
As for the results of research studies, a study in Biochemical Pharmacology
found that curcumin can slow the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs in mice.[4]
“Curcumin acts against transcription factors, which are like a master switch,”
said lead researcher, Bharat Aggarwal.
“Transcription factors regulate all the genes needed for tumors to form.
When we turn them off, we shut down some genes that are involved in the growth and invasion of cancer cells.”
A second study in Biochemical Pharmacology also found that curcumin inhibits the activation of NF-kappaB,
a regulatory molecule that signals genes to produce a slew of inflammatory molecules (including TNF, COX-2 and IL-6) that promote cancer cell growth.[5]
Turmeric’s Essential Role for Your Liver
Your liver’s primary role is to process and remove toxins carried in your bloodstream.
When functioning at its peak, it can filter up to two liters of blood per minute and easily break apart toxic molecules to reduce their toxicity.
Your liver is also a crucial part of vitamin, mineral, protein, fat, carbohydrate and hormonal metabolism.
However, poor diet, allergens, pollution and stress can cause your liver to become sluggish, and this can impair its vital functions.
This is where turmeric can be a very useful part of your liver support system.
Studies have shown that it:
May increase important detoxification enzymes in your liver
Induces the formation of a primary liver detoxification enzyme, glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes
Turmeric is also a natural cholagogue,
a medicinal agent that promotes the discharge of bile from your system.
Increased bile flow is important to help your liver detoxify and to help your body digest fats.
Turmeric for Your Heart, Brain and Overall Health
Turmeric inhibits free radical damage of fats, including cholesterol.
When cholesterol is damaged in this way, or oxidized, it can then damage your blood vessels and lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Therefore, research suggests that turmeric’s ability to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol may be beneficial for your heart.
It’s also rich in vitamin B6, high intakes of which are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
Meanwhile, turmeric appears to be highly protective against neurodegenerative diseases.
In fact, in India levels of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s are very low, and studies have shown that curcumin can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s in mice.
The compound has also proven capable of blocking the progression of multiple sclerosis.
Further, Professor Moolky Nagabhushan from the Loyola University Medical Center , Chicago , IL ,
who has been studying turmeric for the last 20 years, believes that turmeric can protect against harmful environmental chemicals,
and in so doing protect against childhood leukemia.
The research showed that curcumin in turmeric can:[7]
Inhibit the toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
(cancer-causing chemicals in the environment)
Inhibit radiation-induced chromosome damage
Prevent the formation of harmful heterocyclic amines and
nitroso compounds, which may result in the body when
eating certain processed foods, such as processed meat products
Irreversibly inhibit the multiplication of leukemia cells in a cell culture
Turmeric’s volatile oils also have external anti-bacterial action.
As such, they may help prevent bacterial wound infections and accelerate wound healing.
Johnson & Johnson even sells a curcumin-containing Band-Aid in India !
And the therapeutic potential of turmeric and curcumin do not end there.
Evidence suggests the spice may also be beneficial for:
Cystic fibrosis
Type 2 diabetes
Crohn’s disease
Psoriasis
Rheumatoid arthritis
Cataracts
Gallstones
Muscle regeneration
Inflammatory bowel disease
Which Type of Turmeric is Best?
For use in cooking, choose a pure turmeric powder, rather than a curry powder.
At least one study has found that curry powders tend to contain very little curcumin, compared to turmeric powder.
Turmeric is also available in supplement form and for many this is a more convenient method to obtain these health benefits discussed above,
especially if they are from a high-quality organic source and if one doesn’t particularly enjoy the taste of curry.
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Forced Sterilization
Save clicking on:-
http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/forcedsterilization.html
Just read on:-
Women around the world have many issues that they face and need to overcome. One of these issues is forced sterilization. Forced sterilization is the process of permanently ending someone’s ability to reproduce without his or her consent. This has occurred around the world, including here in the United States. The reasons for this atrocity also varies, as does the procedure. Along with the human rights violation that forced sterilization infringes upon comes some health risks.
Forced sterilizations have occurred all over the world and in huge masses. For example, in Nazi Germany four 400,000 men and women were forcibly sterilized. In Sweden 63,000 people, mostly women, were sterilized. Over 800,000 men and women in Japan as well as 11,000 women from Finland were also sterilized without consent. These have all happened in the recent past. However, Australia’s figures are astounding because there have been over one thousand cases since 1992 (Yamaguchi, 1997).
This occurrence is a part of our past. It will always be part of our history. Although in the United States we look at this as something that did not really happen. This is not the type of history that is taught to children in school. We do, however, teach about the inhumanities of the Nazis. The connection is not made though that some of the tactics that the Nazis used were taken from United States practice (Piotrowski, 2000).
In the early 1900’s, the United States had a eugenics program (http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000322_eugenics_feature.html). With that program, the U.S. was attempting to perfect the gene pool. The hopeful outcomes were that of a society without crime, mental illness, and homelessness. The idea was that if the degenerates of society were kept from having children that society’s problems would disappear.
Outside the United States forced sterilization came out of other motives, often population control. Countries are faced with an increase in population without an increase of supplies or goods. Those working for the government has goals that they are supposed to meet each year for the number of sterilizations (http://cwfa.org/library/life/1998-12-29_life-peru.shtml). For example, Peru has had a target for the number of sterilizations to take place each year. In 1996, it was 100,000. It was not met that year, but the target for the next year was increased to 130,000. That year, the quota was met. Also, this mostly falls on the women. The women are the ones who are having the children, so they are the ones who are the victims of the sterilizations.
Although this is what the U.S. was doing, what the Nazis did seemed new. Americans were horrified about what was being done, and yet not realizing at the same time that some of the same things had gone on in their own country. The Nazis did take steps beyond what was done in the U.S. But the fact remains that part of what the Nazis did was taken from what the U.S. had already put into practice.
It was in 1907 that Indiana put the first law on the books broaching the subject of forced sterilization. Indiana was the first state to do so. Overall, thirty-five states had at one point had laws allowing forced sterilizations (http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000322_eugenics_feature.html). The subject even made it to the Supreme Court. In 1927 the Supreme Court upheld the Virginia state’s sterilization laws (Piotrowski, 2000). The case was Buck v. Bell and the decision led to increased sterilizations nationwide. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, in reaction to the outcome of the case in relation to the ongoing eugenics program in the U.S., stated that “three generations of imbeciles are enough.” President Coolidge said that “America must remain American,” which is in relation to the fact that some of those targeted for sterilization were immigrants (Piotrowski, 2000).
Most of the forced sterilizations and laws in the United States occurred in the 1930’s and 1940’s (Piotrowski, 2000). Virginia continued through the 1970’s though. For the most part, this is in the past in the United States. Around the world, the same cannot be said. Throughout the globe, forced sterilizations continue to be a threat to both women and men. For example, Japan’s last sterilization without consent was in 1992, and Peru started a population control program in 1996.
For the most part there is a select crowd that is targeted for forced sterilizations. If the country is working under a eugenics program, the poor, minorities, epileptics, manic-depressives, prostitutes, alcoholics, homeless, and criminals are the targets (Piotrowski, 2000). Often when the country is supporting a population control program, the poor and illiterate are the targets (Sims, 1998).
Often the way that these programs (eugenics and population control) followed through with the forced sterilizations were by indirect means. In the U.S. anyone who was considered feebleminded was a legal target for sterilization in thirty-five states. The country was also open to the eugenics program (http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000322_eugenics_feature.html).
There were magazines published discussing the benefits of such programs, such as Eugenics Quarterly. State fairs also held competitions determining the ‘best baby’ and the ‘fittest family.’ Movies such as “The Black Stork” were also made. This movie even went beyond the benefits of sterilization to include the idea of euthanasia. The country was in a state of mind that was accepting of these kind of actions.
Different tactics were taken in the situations where population control was a determining factors to lead to forced sterilizations (Sims, 1998). Often these countries are struggling with a large number of people in poverty. In some of these cases food and clothing are used as bribes to sterilize women.
Peru’s population control program, although it is not officially recognized by the government, uses some of these tactics (http://mcsnet.ab.ca/cad/FamilyLife/ForcedSteril.htm). Women are promised food and clothing for their children. When they show up to receive the food and clothes, they are told that in order to get the items they must be sterilized. If the refuse, sometimes they will get the items that month but are told that in the future they must be sterilized before getting the food and clothes. In these cases, the women feel as if they are being forced into making this decision in order to help care for the children she already has. In other cases, women are not even notified. Sometimes when women give birth, the doctors sterilize her without her consent and without her even knowing it. Another tactic that was used to trick the people was in Japan. There, some victims were told that they could have the procedure reversed at any time down the road (Yamaguchi, 1997).
Forced sterilizations can have detrimental health consequences. There can be medical complications or even death from this procedure (http://mcsnet.ab.ca/cad/FamilyLife/ForcedSteril.htm). The likelihood is also increased in poorer areas where the procedure was not done in a sterile hospital setting. The cases where the sterilizations take place in poor sanitary conditions leads to more complications for the women. Even when the women are in a hospital to have the sterilization, there can still be complications. When the women are given the sterilization for free in exchange for the food and clothing bribe, it is because they do not have enough money to support themselves. Also, the government only covers the actual procedure. Any treatment or medication after that is up to each woman to get. These women are not covered then when complications arise. They can then die from the complications because they cannot afford the treatment.
The past shows us what we are capable of doing now and in the future. The question is then, can it happen again here and abroad. For other countries throughout the world it is still occurring. A eugenics program just ended in Japan in 1996. Sweden and Finland both had forced sterilization up until the 1970’s, and Peru’s population control program started in 1995 (http://cwfa.org/library/life/1998-12-29_life-peru.shtml). For the United States, the question is not so clear. When this was occurring, the country’s mindset was positive toward this. Right now, the human rights component is such that we are not set to do this again in the near future. However, with the support of the public, anything is a possibility. Some of the state laws–those stated that anyone who was labeled feebleminded could be sterilized without consent–are still on the books. The Supreme Court case from 1927 still stands as well (http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000322_eugenics_feature.html).
In fact, in 1980 there was a class action suit that was rejected because of the precedent that the 1927 Supreme Court case established.
Even with the health risks that are evident for the victims, countries still used forced sterilizations as a means to an end, whether it be a eugenics program or a population control program. Forced sterilizations are then just one more example of something that women must endure throughout the world.
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9901/26/sweden.sterilization/
http://mcsnet.ab.ca/cad/FamilyLife/ForcedSteril.htm
http://cwfa.org/library/life/1998-12-29_life-peru.shtml
Piotrowski, Christa (2000). Neue Suricher Zeitchug. “Dark Chapter of American History:
http://abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/2020_000322_eugenics_feature.html
Yamaguchi, Mari (1997). The News-Times. “Victims begin to talk about Japan’s sterilization program.” http://www.newstimes.com/archive97/dec1997/ind.htm
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Finally… Solo Farmer Fights Monsanto and Wins
“If I would go to St. Louis and contaminate their plots–destroy what they have worked on for 40 years–I think I would be put in jail and the key thrown away.”
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WSJ Non-Climate-Science Propaganda Eviscerated by Climate Science Facts
“After reportedly rejecting a climate change essay by 255 members of the National Academy of Sciences in 2010, the Wall Street Journal has published a flawed op-ed by 16 scientists and engineers instructing public officials not to fight manmade global warming. But most of these individuals do not actually conduct climate research, and their credibility is further undermined by the misleading and unscientific arguments presented in the op-ed,” Media Matterswrites in its intro. The site’s piece is aptly titled, “The Journal Hires Dentists To Do Heart Surgery.”
“In fact, it only includes four scientists who have actually published climate research in peer-reviewed journals, and only two who have published climate research in the past three decades,” Skeptical Science adds.
“If I need heart surgery, I’m not going to allow a dentist to perform it, even if it’s the best dentist in the world. Virtually all of the climate science experts agree that actions to address global warming are needed. Their informed opinions are the ones we should heed when it comes to climate science, not those of astronauts and physicians.”
Economist William Nordhaus said:
“The piece completely misrepresented my work. My work has long taken the view that policies to slow global warming would have net economic benefits, in the trillion of dollars of present value. This is true going back to work in the early 1990s (MIT Press, Yale Press, Science, PNAS, among others). I have advocated a carbon tax for many years as the best way to attack the issue. I can only assume they either completely ignorant of the economics on the issue or are willfully misstating my findings.”
Source: Planetsave (http://s.tt/15vcG)
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SOPA and PIPA are on the ropes, but it’s time to throw a knockout punch.
SOPA & PIPA has nothing to do with software and music piracy. IT IS ABOUT CONTROL AND CENSORSHIP of the internet by the USA. The Internet is now more powerful than governments. The USA, UK and other countries do not like this — NOT HAVING THE INTERNET UNDER THEIR CONTROL.
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narotamlathia 