1715 [1600] Hrs GMT London Tuesday 14 April 2009:
KHOODEELAAR! TOLD YOU SO! That the BBC is not running most of the important news stories that affect millions of people.. instead the BBC is getting almost pornographically involved and going over the top on the filth and assorted other concoctions, inventions, fabrications created by the filth-merchants at this moment typified by McBride-Draper who are allied with the same regime that has trampled over democracy and given Big Business Crossrail scam the formal go-ahead... with not a single decible of noise from the Tories of David Cameron.....When Tony Lloyd [‘MP’] made an appearance on the BBC News Channel this afternoon [Tuesday 14 April 2009], he did his reasonable best to list the real issues about which his ‘constituents’ were concerned, as different from the BBC’s obsession, which is to go OTT on the script that they have confected around the McBride-Draper emails.. So clear is [and has been] the BBC’s own political and strategic agenda to ‘disintegrate the Labour Party’ [that is an old name! The ‘Labour [Party’: what that!] that the BBC’s political strategy script-reader on the News Channel, Sophie Long, in fact uttered that phrase as a fake part of her alleged interview of Tony Lloyd... For one thing, there has not been a thing called ‘The Labour Party’ in de facto existence for more than 10 years. The BBC aided and abetted Tory Blair in the actual disintegration of what used to be the Labour Party... For over ten years the BBC has substituted a phantom outfit where the [or at least ‘a’] democratically constituted and active Political Party should have been featured.... The BBC has behaved exactly in the same anti-democratic, untruthful, diversionary way over Big Business Crossrail scam... With the lone exception in March 2006 the BBC has peddled the Big Business scam the BBC has peddled anti-democratic, economically unsustainable, unjustifiable, greed-feeders, City of London agenda...A greedy bankers’ agenda at the expense of the public and of ordinary economy......
[To be continued]
33rd year AADHIKAR
0225 GMT Thursday 06 June 2013
AADHIKAR Media Foundation Editor © Muhammad Haque
Founding News Editor
Shah M Azizul Haque
AADHIKAR Media Foundation established with the publication of AADHIKAR the weekly on Monday 19 December 1980 from London E1 UK.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
KHOODEELAAR! evidential note [3] on the economics of anxiety!
1600 Hrs GMT London Tuesday 14 April 2009:
KHOODEELAAR! TOLD YOU SO! That the BBC is not running most of the important news stories that affect millions of people.. instead the BBC is getting almost pornographically involved and going over the top on the filth and assorted other concoctions, inventions, fabrications created by the filth-merchants at this moment typified by McBride-Draper who are allied with the same regime that has trampled over democracy and given Big Business Crossrail scam the formal go-ahead... with not a single decible of noise from the Tories of David Cameron.....
[To be continued]
KHOODEELAAR! TOLD YOU SO! That the BBC is not running most of the important news stories that affect millions of people.. instead the BBC is getting almost pornographically involved and going over the top on the filth and assorted other concoctions, inventions, fabrications created by the filth-merchants at this moment typified by McBride-Draper who are allied with the same regime that has trampled over democracy and given Big Business Crossrail scam the formal go-ahead... with not a single decible of noise from the Tories of David Cameron.....
[To be continued]
KHOODEELAAR! evidential note on the economics of anxiety!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5149210/Britons-living-in-fear-as-record-numbers-suffer-from-anxiety.html
Britons 'living in fear' as record numbers suffer from anxiety
Britons are increasingly "living in fear" with record numbers suffering from anxiety and Government attempts to address the problem may be making it worse, new research suggests..
By Caroline Gammell and Kate Devlin
Last Updated: 7:26AM BST 14 Apr 2009
In one of the most wide-ranging studies of its kind, three quarters of people said they thought the world had become a more frightening place over the last decade.
Issues such as terrorism, knife-crime, MRSA and bird flu have all made people more anxious, which in turn is having an impact on the economy.
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Government figures show 800,000 more people in the UK now suffer from anxiety disorders than in 1993, taking the total number of sufferers to above seven million.
Such a predominance of fear and anxiety is contributing to the economic crisis because emotion overrides logical thinking, according to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) study.
"Individuals and institutions - keen to protect themselves - are now too afraid to lend, spend and invest, despite the fact that these actions could assist in ending the recession," it said.
Women were twice as likely to feel anxious and frightened than men, while young people were more likely than the older generation to be fearful.
A third of all people said fear had prevented them from doing things they want, but efforts to calm the public's fears over issues such as crime often have the opposite effect, the study found.
"Social policy aimed at controlling risk and quelling fear often seems to increase it," the report said.
"The UK Government has recently focused on tackling 'fear of crime', but measures based on installing visible signs of 'security' such as CCTV cameras appear to be counter-productive - they don't lead to people feeling safer.
"Creating visible signs of security may make some people more fearful, as they sense high security must mean high risk."
The UK has an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras, more than in the rest of Europe put together.
The study said 24-hour news, information about threats and the "catastrophic" language often used by politicians, pressure groups, businesses and public bodies all contributed to anxiety.
High levels of fear and anxiety are linked to depression as well as heart disease, and even conditions such as asthma and allergies.
The MHF report, entitled In the Face of Fear, surveyed 2,246 adults and found that 66 per cent of people were worried about the current financial situation and 49 per cent specifically about money.
Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the MHF, urged the Government and businesses to reduce "institutionally-driven" fear.
"This report shows that fear is having a serious negative impact on the mental and physical health of the nation," he said.
"The more fearful people feel in the general population, the more people will be tipped over into diagnosable anxiety disorders.
"The modern world will test our resilience again and again, and people need to know how to process their emotions better to prevent harm to their mental and physical health.
"Prevention campaigns about physical illnesses like heart disease and cancer are often mounted but we have seen little investment in educating people about how they can look after their mental health."
Jane Harris, from the mental health charity Rethink, said funding was desperately needed.
"During the recession, the Government really needs to think about how fear is impacting on people and how it really needs to spend more on mental health to deal with it.
"If someone suffers from cancer, they will have 10 times more spent on their care than someone with a mental illness.
"At any time, one in six people have a mental health problem. We have a really stretched mental health service and the growing number of people suffering from anxiety could push it to breaking point."
Anxiety UK, the country's largest anxiety disorders charity, said the number of calls it received via its helpline had doubled in the first two months of this year.
Chief executive Nicky Lidbetter said: "We have experienced an unprecedented number of enquiries since the beginning of the year from people seeking help, largely due to the economic crisis and its knock on effects on people's mental health."
Phil Hope, the minister for Care services, conceded that more needed to be done: "This report confirms just how important it is to tackle mental health problems and promote public mental health and wellbeing.
"During the last 10 years, we've seen major improvements in the mental health services available for people, but now we need to develop a dynamic new approach, which actively helps create more mentally healthy and resilient communities.
"We're developing a strategy called New Horizons to be published in summer to do that. This report gives us some valuable ideas on how to get there."
Text Size
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Print this article
Share this article
Health News
News
UK News
Law and order
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Britons 'living in fear' as record numbers suffer from anxiety
Britons are increasingly "living in fear" with record numbers suffering from anxiety and Government attempts to address the problem may be making it worse, new research suggests..
By Caroline Gammell and Kate Devlin
Last Updated: 7:26AM BST 14 Apr 2009
In one of the most wide-ranging studies of its kind, three quarters of people said they thought the world had become a more frightening place over the last decade.
Issues such as terrorism, knife-crime, MRSA and bird flu have all made people more anxious, which in turn is having an impact on the economy.
Related Articles
Agoraphobic mother leaves house after 20 years - because of Google Street View
Veterans' minister Kevan Jones 'furious' at ex-servicemen's treatment
Stop worrying and do something useful
Preston named as Britain's safest place for burglary
Workers losing jobs to be offered counselling for 'recession depression'
US told to exercise during recession
Government figures show 800,000 more people in the UK now suffer from anxiety disorders than in 1993, taking the total number of sufferers to above seven million.
Such a predominance of fear and anxiety is contributing to the economic crisis because emotion overrides logical thinking, according to the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) study.
"Individuals and institutions - keen to protect themselves - are now too afraid to lend, spend and invest, despite the fact that these actions could assist in ending the recession," it said.
Women were twice as likely to feel anxious and frightened than men, while young people were more likely than the older generation to be fearful.
A third of all people said fear had prevented them from doing things they want, but efforts to calm the public's fears over issues such as crime often have the opposite effect, the study found.
"Social policy aimed at controlling risk and quelling fear often seems to increase it," the report said.
"The UK Government has recently focused on tackling 'fear of crime', but measures based on installing visible signs of 'security' such as CCTV cameras appear to be counter-productive - they don't lead to people feeling safer.
"Creating visible signs of security may make some people more fearful, as they sense high security must mean high risk."
The UK has an estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras, more than in the rest of Europe put together.
The study said 24-hour news, information about threats and the "catastrophic" language often used by politicians, pressure groups, businesses and public bodies all contributed to anxiety.
High levels of fear and anxiety are linked to depression as well as heart disease, and even conditions such as asthma and allergies.
The MHF report, entitled In the Face of Fear, surveyed 2,246 adults and found that 66 per cent of people were worried about the current financial situation and 49 per cent specifically about money.
Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the MHF, urged the Government and businesses to reduce "institutionally-driven" fear.
"This report shows that fear is having a serious negative impact on the mental and physical health of the nation," he said.
"The more fearful people feel in the general population, the more people will be tipped over into diagnosable anxiety disorders.
"The modern world will test our resilience again and again, and people need to know how to process their emotions better to prevent harm to their mental and physical health.
"Prevention campaigns about physical illnesses like heart disease and cancer are often mounted but we have seen little investment in educating people about how they can look after their mental health."
Jane Harris, from the mental health charity Rethink, said funding was desperately needed.
"During the recession, the Government really needs to think about how fear is impacting on people and how it really needs to spend more on mental health to deal with it.
"If someone suffers from cancer, they will have 10 times more spent on their care than someone with a mental illness.
"At any time, one in six people have a mental health problem. We have a really stretched mental health service and the growing number of people suffering from anxiety could push it to breaking point."
Anxiety UK, the country's largest anxiety disorders charity, said the number of calls it received via its helpline had doubled in the first two months of this year.
Chief executive Nicky Lidbetter said: "We have experienced an unprecedented number of enquiries since the beginning of the year from people seeking help, largely due to the economic crisis and its knock on effects on people's mental health."
Phil Hope, the minister for Care services, conceded that more needed to be done: "This report confirms just how important it is to tackle mental health problems and promote public mental health and wellbeing.
"During the last 10 years, we've seen major improvements in the mental health services available for people, but now we need to develop a dynamic new approach, which actively helps create more mentally healthy and resilient communities.
"We're developing a strategy called New Horizons to be published in summer to do that. This report gives us some valuable ideas on how to get there."
Text Size
Email this article
Print this article
Share this article
Health News
News
UK News
Law and order
Recession
KHOODEELAAR! evidential item about Crossrail-bagger BECHTEL failing schools construction contracts in Iraq
0200 Hrs GMT
London Tuesday 14 April 2009
KHOODEELAAR! evidential item about Crossrail-bagger BECHTEL failing schools construction contracts in Iraq
[To be continued]
Bechtel Fails Reconstruction of Iraq's Schools
by Karim El-Gawhary, Special to CorpWatch
December 2nd, 2003
Cartoonist: Khalil Bendib
In Iraq, school administrators are struggling to keep their classroom doors open and their students educated, in the face of many obstacles unleashed by the occupation of the country. Looting has become commonplace, while lack of supplies and the decay of basic infrastructure make teaching a challenge.
Into this situation steps Bechtel Corporation, the San Francisco-based engineering and construction giant. In April Bechtel was awarded a contract by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the reconstruction of Iraq's primary and secondary schools, as part of a deal worth up to $1.03 billion to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. But the question remains whether Bechtel, like the US army, is part of the solution or part of the problem.
Bend it Like Bechtel
Headmaster Abdel-Razzaq Ali's school is located in a predominantly Shi'ite quarter in a poor area of Baghdad. More than 1,500 students attend the Anbariyn School in two shifts: boys in the morning, girls in the afternoon. Looting has never been a problem at his school. But Abdel-Razzaq has his share of problems in the new Iraq. "The parents are constantly complaining to me, but who can I complain to?" he wonders. He is particularly skeptical about the refurbishment plans for the school, which are being carried out by Bechtel Corporation.
The Anbariyn School is one of 1,500 schools being refurbished by Bechtel using American funds. Within the framework of its reconstruction program, Bechtel has subcontracted work to 65 Iraqi companies. The project is referred to on its Web site as "a truly humanitarian effort". "Of all the things we're doing here, this one really touches individuals - students, parents, teachers, and entire communities - in a very personal way," Thor Christiansen, manager of the Iraqi School Program, is quoted as saying. Abdel-Razzaq, however, shakes his head in response. "If they had given the money to us directly," he explained, "we would have done a far better job."
At the start of the program Abdel-Razzaq received a visit from a representative of the Iraqi company, Adnan Mussawi, which Bechtel subcontracted to carry out the work. The headmaster was asked to sign a declaration that the work had been completed, which he refused to do until the work had actually been done. Twenty days later, the walls were painted, the rusty doors painted over, new electric cables laid, and some of the sanitary facilities replaced. However, the real problem with the toilets -- namely the sewage pipes -- were left untouched. So Abdel-Razzaq is sure that next winter once more, there will be a lake of sewage in the bathrooms.
Most of the cheap plastic cisterns are already broken. Even a broken banister that resulted in one child falling one floor down - was not considered to be part of Bechtel's renovation plan. So the director ordered to weld it again, paying the work out of his own pocket. The work on the school, according to Abdel-Razzaq, was completed without a single person from the Bechtel corporation appraising the work. "Why do we need Bechtel? They have done absolutely nothing," he said.
Lack of Oversight
Dr Nabil Khudair Abbas, from the planning center at the Ministry for Education which is responsible for a quarter of Baghdad's schools, confirmed Abdel-Razzaq's sentiments. He meets with representatives of the Bechtel Corporation on a weekly basis, and presents his complaints with regard to its school reconstruction program. The program is anything but transparent, he tells them, and none of the work is checked. Nobody in the Ministry of Education knows exactly how much the US has given Bechtel to implement the program, nor the details of the work to be carried out in individual schools.
"The impression we often get at the meetings is that Bechtel is more powerful than the army," he said. Bechtel representatives, however, want no more complaints from Dr Abbas. The program is a gift from the US taxpayers, and has been approved by Congress, they say. "No matter what we do, the Iraqis will never be on the losing end," a Bechtel representative told him. His grievances -- the fact that of the 750 schools which are included in his mandate, 20 were destroyed during the war and 170 were looted because the occupation forces failed to provide adequate security -- do not in the least interest Bechtel.
For Abdel-Razzaq, the old school bell symbolizes all that is wrong with the Bechtel program. The big, old, fully functioning bell was removed and replaced by a small, highly polished silver version. "Do you want to hear it?" asks Abdel-Razzaq, and presses the button. The clapper hits the bell, which croaks in response. This is a new bell for a new Iraq, says the headmaster. "Do you seriously believe I can summon 1,500 students to class with this?" But the clever headmaster came up with a special solution. After the recess, a child from each class walks over the school yard, gathering its classmates - enthusiastically swinging a little bell in its hand.
Teaching Under Occupation
Unlike Abdel-Razzaq, Khadija Ali Medshwal is worried about the security situation at her school. The Naguib Pasha Primary School in Baghdad is adjacent to several foreign embassies as well as the homes of several members of the Interim Governing Council (IGC). All are targets for attacks "against the occupation". She is also concerned about the safety of the children at the school.
Kidnapping the offspring of wealthy parents has been the norm since the end of the war. If this were not enough, she says, US soldiers regularly turn up unannounced at the school -- like today -- and the children can then study a special American military maneuver. Lieutenant Corban Sawyer marches ahead while one of his armed soldiers covers his back. When Lieutenant Corban Sawyer enters the principal's office, his rearguard takes up his post at the door, automatic weapon resting on his knee, eyes suspiciously on the potentially hostile school yard.
Lieutenant Sawyer says he feels good about helping the neighborhood get back on its feet, even though he is actually responsible for military "intelligence gathering". His job for today: inventory. He asks the head if she needs anything for the school. Khadija hands over a list with a smile and asks if perhaps barbed wire can be added to the top of the wall. She also allows the officer to take her photograph; "for our files", explains Lieutenant Sawyer, leaving the school accompanied by his corporals, though not before expressing his astonishment at the friendliness exhibited by the Iraqi people.
This friendliness, however, is short-lived. As soon as the officer leaves the office, Khadija's smile quickly fades. "I hate it when they turn up unannounced," she explains. "The first time they came here, they went from classroom to classroom with guns dangling over their shoulders, asking the terrified children whom they loved more, Saddam Hussein or George Bush." The school principal expects little from the Americans. The list of provisions for the school, she says -- tables, chairs and a television set -- she has given to the Americans at least a dozen times. At first she used to write a new list for each visit, now she simply copies the old one. "There is no point, nothing happens anyway," she explains.
Karim El-Gawhary is an Egyptian journalist who regularly reports from Iraq.
London Tuesday 14 April 2009
KHOODEELAAR! evidential item about Crossrail-bagger BECHTEL failing schools construction contracts in Iraq
[To be continued]
Bechtel Fails Reconstruction of Iraq's Schools
by Karim El-Gawhary, Special to CorpWatch
December 2nd, 2003
Cartoonist: Khalil Bendib
In Iraq, school administrators are struggling to keep their classroom doors open and their students educated, in the face of many obstacles unleashed by the occupation of the country. Looting has become commonplace, while lack of supplies and the decay of basic infrastructure make teaching a challenge.
Into this situation steps Bechtel Corporation, the San Francisco-based engineering and construction giant. In April Bechtel was awarded a contract by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for the reconstruction of Iraq's primary and secondary schools, as part of a deal worth up to $1.03 billion to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. But the question remains whether Bechtel, like the US army, is part of the solution or part of the problem.
Bend it Like Bechtel
Headmaster Abdel-Razzaq Ali's school is located in a predominantly Shi'ite quarter in a poor area of Baghdad. More than 1,500 students attend the Anbariyn School in two shifts: boys in the morning, girls in the afternoon. Looting has never been a problem at his school. But Abdel-Razzaq has his share of problems in the new Iraq. "The parents are constantly complaining to me, but who can I complain to?" he wonders. He is particularly skeptical about the refurbishment plans for the school, which are being carried out by Bechtel Corporation.
The Anbariyn School is one of 1,500 schools being refurbished by Bechtel using American funds. Within the framework of its reconstruction program, Bechtel has subcontracted work to 65 Iraqi companies. The project is referred to on its Web site as "a truly humanitarian effort". "Of all the things we're doing here, this one really touches individuals - students, parents, teachers, and entire communities - in a very personal way," Thor Christiansen, manager of the Iraqi School Program, is quoted as saying. Abdel-Razzaq, however, shakes his head in response. "If they had given the money to us directly," he explained, "we would have done a far better job."
At the start of the program Abdel-Razzaq received a visit from a representative of the Iraqi company, Adnan Mussawi, which Bechtel subcontracted to carry out the work. The headmaster was asked to sign a declaration that the work had been completed, which he refused to do until the work had actually been done. Twenty days later, the walls were painted, the rusty doors painted over, new electric cables laid, and some of the sanitary facilities replaced. However, the real problem with the toilets -- namely the sewage pipes -- were left untouched. So Abdel-Razzaq is sure that next winter once more, there will be a lake of sewage in the bathrooms.
Most of the cheap plastic cisterns are already broken. Even a broken banister that resulted in one child falling one floor down - was not considered to be part of Bechtel's renovation plan. So the director ordered to weld it again, paying the work out of his own pocket. The work on the school, according to Abdel-Razzaq, was completed without a single person from the Bechtel corporation appraising the work. "Why do we need Bechtel? They have done absolutely nothing," he said.
Lack of Oversight
Dr Nabil Khudair Abbas, from the planning center at the Ministry for Education which is responsible for a quarter of Baghdad's schools, confirmed Abdel-Razzaq's sentiments. He meets with representatives of the Bechtel Corporation on a weekly basis, and presents his complaints with regard to its school reconstruction program. The program is anything but transparent, he tells them, and none of the work is checked. Nobody in the Ministry of Education knows exactly how much the US has given Bechtel to implement the program, nor the details of the work to be carried out in individual schools.
"The impression we often get at the meetings is that Bechtel is more powerful than the army," he said. Bechtel representatives, however, want no more complaints from Dr Abbas. The program is a gift from the US taxpayers, and has been approved by Congress, they say. "No matter what we do, the Iraqis will never be on the losing end," a Bechtel representative told him. His grievances -- the fact that of the 750 schools which are included in his mandate, 20 were destroyed during the war and 170 were looted because the occupation forces failed to provide adequate security -- do not in the least interest Bechtel.
For Abdel-Razzaq, the old school bell symbolizes all that is wrong with the Bechtel program. The big, old, fully functioning bell was removed and replaced by a small, highly polished silver version. "Do you want to hear it?" asks Abdel-Razzaq, and presses the button. The clapper hits the bell, which croaks in response. This is a new bell for a new Iraq, says the headmaster. "Do you seriously believe I can summon 1,500 students to class with this?" But the clever headmaster came up with a special solution. After the recess, a child from each class walks over the school yard, gathering its classmates - enthusiastically swinging a little bell in its hand.
Teaching Under Occupation
Unlike Abdel-Razzaq, Khadija Ali Medshwal is worried about the security situation at her school. The Naguib Pasha Primary School in Baghdad is adjacent to several foreign embassies as well as the homes of several members of the Interim Governing Council (IGC). All are targets for attacks "against the occupation". She is also concerned about the safety of the children at the school.
Kidnapping the offspring of wealthy parents has been the norm since the end of the war. If this were not enough, she says, US soldiers regularly turn up unannounced at the school -- like today -- and the children can then study a special American military maneuver. Lieutenant Corban Sawyer marches ahead while one of his armed soldiers covers his back. When Lieutenant Corban Sawyer enters the principal's office, his rearguard takes up his post at the door, automatic weapon resting on his knee, eyes suspiciously on the potentially hostile school yard.
Lieutenant Sawyer says he feels good about helping the neighborhood get back on its feet, even though he is actually responsible for military "intelligence gathering". His job for today: inventory. He asks the head if she needs anything for the school. Khadija hands over a list with a smile and asks if perhaps barbed wire can be added to the top of the wall. She also allows the officer to take her photograph; "for our files", explains Lieutenant Sawyer, leaving the school accompanied by his corporals, though not before expressing his astonishment at the friendliness exhibited by the Iraqi people.
This friendliness, however, is short-lived. As soon as the officer leaves the office, Khadija's smile quickly fades. "I hate it when they turn up unannounced," she explains. "The first time they came here, they went from classroom to classroom with guns dangling over their shoulders, asking the terrified children whom they loved more, Saddam Hussein or George Bush." The school principal expects little from the Americans. The list of provisions for the school, she says -- tables, chairs and a television set -- she has given to the Americans at least a dozen times. At first she used to write a new list for each visit, now she simply copies the old one. "There is no point, nothing happens anyway," she explains.
Karim El-Gawhary is an Egyptian journalist who regularly reports from Iraq.