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Schwarzenegger’s message after attack on US Capitol

As an immigrant to this country, I would like to say a few words to my fellow Americans, and to our friends around the world, about the events of recent days. I grew up in Austria. I’m very aware of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass. It was a night of rampage against the Jews carried out in 1938 by the Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys. Wednesday was the Day of Broken Glass right here in the United States. The broken glass was in the windows of the United States Capitol. But the mob did not just shatter the windows of the Capitol. They shattered the ideals we took for granted. They did not just break down the doors of the building that housed American democracy. They trampled the very principles on which our country was founded. I grew up in the ruins of a country that suffered the loss of its democracy. I was born in 1947, two years after the Second World War. Growing up, I was surrounded by broken men drinking away their guilt over their participation in the most evil regime in history. Not all of them were rabid anti-Semites or Nazis. Many just went along step-by-step down the road. They were the people next door. Now, I’ve never shared this so publicly because it is a painful memory. But my father would come home drunk once or twice a week, and he wound scream and hit us and scare my mother. I did not hold him totally responsible because our neighbor was doing the same thing to his family and so was the next neighbor over. I heard it with my own ears and saw it with my own eyes. They were in physical pain from the shrapnel in their bodies, and in emotional pain from what they saw or did. It all started with lies, and lies, and lies, and intolerance. So being from Europe, I’ve seen firsthand how things can spin out of control. I know there is a fear in this country and all over the world that something like this could happen right here. Now, I do not believe it is, but I do believe that we must be aware of the dire consequences of selfishness and cynicism. President Trump sought to overturn the results of an election, and of a fair election. He sought a coup by misleading people with lies. My father and our neighbors were misled also with lies, and I know where such lies lead. President Trump is a failed leader. He will go down in history as the worst president ever. The good thing is that he soon will be as irrelevant as an old tweet. But what are we to make of those elected officials who have enabled his lies and his treachery? I will remind them of what Teddy Roosevelt said: “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president.” John F. Kennedy wrote a book called “Profiles in Courage.” A number of members of my own party, because of their own spinelessness, would never see their names in such a book, I guarantee you. They’re complicit with those who carried the flag of self-righteous insurrection into the Capitol. But it did not work. Our democracy held firm. Within hours, the Senate and the House of Representatives were doing the people’s business and certifying the election of President-elect Biden. What a great display of democracy. I grew up Catholic, I went to church, to Catholic school, I learned the Bible, and my catechisms, and all of this. And from those days I remember a phrase that is relevant today: “a servant’s heart.” It means serving something larger than yourself. See what we need right now from our elected representatives is a public servant’s heart. We need public servants that serve something larger than their own power, or their own party. We need public servants who will serve higher ideals, the ideals in which this country was founded, the ideals that other countries look up to. Now, with the past few days, friends from all over the world have been calling, and calling, and calling me. Calling me distraught and worried about us as a nation. One woman was in tears about America, wonderful tears of idealism, about what America should be. Those tears should remind us of what America means to the world. Now I’ve told everyone who has called that, as heartbreaking as all this is, America will come back from these dark days and shine our light once again. Now, you see this sword? This is the Conan sword. Now here’s the thing about swords, the more you temper a sword, the stronger it becomes. The more you pound it with a hammer and then heat it in the fire, and then thrust it into the cold water, and then pound it again, and plunge it into the fire and into the water — the more often you do that, the stronger it becomes. I’m not telling you all this because I want you to become an expert sword maker, but our democracy is like the steel of this sword. The more it is tempered, the stronger it becomes. Our democracy has been tempered by wars, injustices, and insurrections. I believe, as shaken as we are about the events in recent days, we will come out stronger because we now understand what can be lost. We need reforms, of course, so that this never, ever happens again. We need to hold accountable the people that brought us to this unforgivable point. And we need to look past ourselves, our parties, and disagreements, and put our democracy first. And we need to heal, together, from the drama of what has just happened. We need to heal, not as Republicans or as Democrats, but as Americans. Now to begin this process, no matter what your political affiliation is, I ask you to join me in saying to President-elect Biden: “President-elect Biden, we wish you great success as our President. If you succeed, our nation succeeds. We support you with all our hearts as you seek to bring us together.” And to those who think they can overturn the United States Constitution, know this: You will never win. President-elect Biden, we stand with you today, tomorrow, and forever, in defense of our democracy from those who would threaten it. May God bless all of you and may God bless America.

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Spain and the Spanish

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the remains of murdered journalist Khashoggi found

Hurricane Michael

Manuel Valls: Spanish Constitution must be respected

“Good evening, We find ourselves at a critical juncture for our existence as a democracy. In these circumstances, I wish to address all Spaniards. We have all witnessed the events that have taken place in Catalonia, with the illegal declaration of independence as the final goal of the Catalan executive [Generalitat]. For a long time, certain Catalan authorities have repeatedly, consciously and deliberately flouted the Constitution and their own Statute of Autonomy, which is the law that acknowledges, protects and safeguards their historic institutions and their self-government. With their decisions, they have systematically infringed legally and rightfully approved rules and have shown an unacceptable disloyalty towards the institutions of the State – a State of which, by the way, those authorities are the highest representatives in Catalonia. They have violated the democratic principles of the rule of law and they have undermined Catalan society’s harmony and coexistence, unfortunately even to the point of driving a wedge within it. Today, Catalan society is fractured and at loggerheads. The Catalan authorities have underestimated the affections and feelings of solidarity that have united and will long unite the Spaniards, and with their reckless behavior, they may be even endangering the economic and social stability of Catalonia and of Spain as a whole. In short, this has been the completion of an unacceptable attempt to take over the historic institutions of Catalonia. Those authorities have unequivocally and categorically placed themselves outside the law and outside democracy. They have tried to break Spain’s unity and national sovereignty, which is the right of all Spanish people to democratically decide on their life together. Therefore, and in light of this extremely serious situation, that requires everyone’s commitment to pursue common interests, the legitimate powers of the state have the responsibility to guarantee constitutional order and the normal functioning of the institutions, the validity of the rule of law and Catalonia’s self-government, based on the Constitution and their own Statute of Autonomy. Today I wish to send several messages to all Spaniards and in particular to Catalans. To the citizens of Catalonia – to all of them – I wish to reiterate that we have been already been living for several decades in a democratic State, which provides constitutional means for anyone to defend their ideas within the law. Because, as we all know, without respect for the law, there is no possible democratic coexistence in peace and freedom, neither in Catalonia, nor in the rest of Spain, nor anywhere in the world. In a democratic and constitutional Spain, they know that they have space to coexist and get along with all their fellow citizens. I am well aware that in Catalonia there is also great concern and anxiety about the Catalan authorities’ behavior. To those who feel that way, I assure that they are not, nor will they be, alone; they have all the support and the solidarity of the rest of the Spanish people, as well as the absolute guarantee given by the rule of law in the defense of their freedom and their rights. To all Spaniards, who are living through these events full of sadness and distress, I send a message of calm, confidence and hope. These are troubled times, but we will overcome them. These are very complicated times, but we will get through them. Because we believe in our country and we are proud of what we are. Because our democratic principles are solid and strong. And they are like this because they are based on the wishes of millions and millions of Spaniards who want a peaceful and free coexistence. That is how we have gradually built Spain in these last decades. And that is how we must go forward, with serenity and determination. On this road, in that improved Spain that we all desire, Catalonia will be there too. Let me end these words, addressed to all Spaniards, by emphasizing once again the Crown’s firm commitment to the Constitution and to democracy, my own dedication to a climate of understanding and harmony among Spaniards, and my commitment, as king, to the unity and continuity of Spain.”

Letter by the Avaaz community: Jo Cox

Dear Avaaz community,
I've just been told that Jo Cox has been killed. She was a mother, a campaigner, an MP, an advocate for the voiceless and those in poverty, and a passionate fighter for people and principles. She was close to many on the Avaaz team, and my friend. I can't imagine, in these tears, how to honour her, but then yes I can. It's through love. Jo was passionately campaigning for Britain to stay in Europe. Not just because it is smart, or advantageous. But because she spent her life caring for Syrians, and Africans. She was a beautiful light of love for all people, for humanity. The man who took her life, stabbing her and shooting her over and over, screamed "Britain First". Somehow it's not surprising, in an awful way, that her life would be taken by that kind of hate, that kind of selfishness. Because it was to fighting that darkness that she devoted her time on this earth. Our instinct is to come together at times like this, share our love for each other. I think Jo would want that. But she would also want us to fight, to pick up the banner that the brutal murderer made fall from her hands, and carry it forward. In a Britain that risks growing nastier, smaller, less honest, and more selfish, to pick up the banner for love, for Great Britain, for the country that is great enough to love immigrants, and love all people. This is what Jo would have wanted, and why I say we fight, with love, for the world Jo fought for -- the world we all want. Let's share our love with each other, and pledge, for Jo and all of us, to carry her banner of love forward:

Jo´s husband´s tribute

With love,

Ricken, with Jo's friends Alice, Emma, Luis, Fadi, and Alex, and the whole Avaaz team 

P.S. For those in and around London, we're meeting at Parliament Square with candles, flowers or just ourselves to honour Jo, and fight the hate and violence with our love. Messages from here will be shared at the vigil.

The Queen is 90

Je suis Charlie

Jan 11, 2015 France's Anti-Terror Rally Carries Message Of Unity (Image source: Getty Images / Christopher Furlong) BY SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ Hundreds of thousands of people poured into the streets of Paris Sunday, as France rallied to commemorate those killed in the past week's terrorist attacks. The crowds sang the French national anthem and chanted that they were not afraid, while world leaders convened at the Elysee Palace to meet with French President Francois Hollande. Before the gathering, multiple media outlets reported more than one million people were expected to attend. (Video via RT) There have been frequent rallies like the one on Sunday since the attacks took place, including marches of more than 700,000 people across France the day before, but Sunday's was expected to be the biggest. (Video via BBC) Some in France have compared the impact of the attacks on the country to the September 11th attacks on the U.S., and some of the demonstrators say the aim of the rallies is to show the French people aren't afraid. Michael Kay told MSNBC, "The way that tens of thousands of people came out on the streets of France afterwards is an act of defiance. It's a message to say, 'we're not going to be affected by this, and we're all rallying together,' I think that's important." But the rallies also bring a logistical challenge for French authorities. With security already tightened after the attack, thousands of police officers were on the streets Sunday as well, which French officials said was an effort to protect demonstrators. (Video via BFMTV) Security personnel were also deployed to Jewish institutions in the country, as the attack on Friday targeted a Jewish grocery store. A writer for Haaretz argues the attacks this past week have only served to increase fear among the Jewish community in France, many members of which had already started to leave the country for Israel. She cites, "The 7,000 French Jews who uprooted their lives and moved to Israel in 2014 — more than double the number who came the previous year." Still, the rally Sunday had a message of unity in the face of sectarian attacks as French Prime Minister Manuel Valls explained. (Video via Arirang) "Each citizen must come with only one idea in their head: unity with the values of the republic, of tolerance, to fight against racism and anti-semitism," Valls said. The world leaders who met in Paris on Sunday included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron. This video includes an image from Getty Images.

Charlie Hebdo Suspects Surrounded

Jan 9, 2015 Surrounded, Charlie Hebdo Suspects 'Want To Die As Martyrs' (Image source: Getty Images / Pascal Le Segretain) BY CLIFF JUDY French police believe they have two men considered the main suspects in the Charlie Hebdo terror attack cornered, but it appeared as of Friday morning that Cherif and Said Kouachi don't plan on negotiating a surrender and may have taken a hostage. Police now have a building widely reported as a printing company surrounded in Dammartin-en-Goele, a city about 20 miles outside Paris. Officials told reporters the suspects stole a car and exchanged gunfire with officers before holing up in the building. (Video via Sky News & BFMTV) Investigators believe the Kouachi brothers opened fire inside the satirical magazine's offices on Wednesday killing 12 people before fleeing Paris. (Video via The Telegraph) Police have said they believe another shooting that killed a police officer Thursday is connected to the brothers, though they didn't elaborate how. French president Francois Hollande has called the Charlie Hebdo shootings the worst terror attack in the country in 50 years. Several helicopters could be seen hovering over the industrial area in Dammartin where the printing company is located. A BBC reporter said he counted at least five. While reporters on the ground have presumed police want the manhunt to end without further bloodshed, a member of the French parliament for the area told i>TELE in a phone interview the Kouachi brothers told police, "Vouloir mourir en martyrs." It means they want to be martyrs. If the Kouachis were, in fact, the people who attacked Charlie Hebdo, it's believed they retaliated against the often irreverent ways the magazine portrays religious figures, especially showing illustrations of Muhammad. France 24 reports 32-year-old Cherif Kouachi aspired to be a rapper as a young man before joining Islamic extremists. The New York Times reported Wednesday a senior American official said older brother Said spent a few months training with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — or AQAP — in Yemen. The leader of AQAP at the time was an American-born extremist who "repeatedly called for the killing of cartoonists who insulted the Prophet Muhammad." Police and French special forces in Dammartin ordered residents to stay in their home during Friday's standoff. This video includes images from Getty Images.

Terror Attack On French Newspaper

Jan 7, 2015 At Least 12 Dead After Terror Attack On French Newspaper (Image source: Getty Images / Antoine Antoniol) BY JAKE GODIN At least 12 people have been killed and 11 are injured after a terror attack at the headquarters of a French satirical newspaper in Paris on Wednesday. According to the French TV channel i>TELE, three men in black hoods entered the building of newspaper Charlie Hebdo, armed with Kalashnikovs. They started firing around the building then fled in a hijacked car. Among the dead are 10 journalists and two police officers, according to a police spokesman briefing media. French President Francois Hollande visited the scene, calling the attack an act of terror and raising the country’s terror threat level. Hollande said officials have interrupted a number of possible attacks in recent weeks. (Video via France 24) The U.S., U.K., Germany and the Arab League have all condemned the shooting, calling it an attack on the freedom of the press and speech. The paper’s editor-in-chief Gérard Biard, who was in London at the time of the attack, told France Inter, “I am shocked that people can attack a newspaper in France, a secular republic. I don’t understand it.” The satirical paper has been attacked in the past. In 2011, the offices were firebombed after it ran a satirical caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. In 2012, against the wishes of the French government, the paper published more cartoons mocking Muhammad, some of which depicted him naked or in a wheelchair. French government buildings in about 20 countries were closed as a precautionary measure. (Video via BFM TV) The paper’s latest tweet was a satirical image of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi wishing him “best wishes, by the way.” There have been contradictory reports on who exactly died in the attack. Stéphane Charbonnier, the paper’s publishing director, was originally said to be in critical condition but is now being reported as having died. (Video via YouTube / Saint Barthélemy) The paper’s latest issue had this illustration by Charb, titled “Still no terrorist attack in France” and having a terrorist say “Wait, we have until the end of January to present our wishes.” Police are still searching for the gunmen in Paris, and French media have been warned to be on alert for any further attacks. This video includes images from Getty Images.

Dec 10, 2014 Nobel Peace Laureates Draw Attention To Children's Rights (Image source: Getty Images / Nigel Waldron) BY SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ Malala Yousafzai received her Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Wednesday, but she wasn't alone. Slightly overlooked, prominent children's rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi also received the prize in recognition of his work to liberate children from slavery in India. Although Yousafzai naturally attracted more attention — she's the youngest laureate ever, and her shooting in 2012 made headlines globally — the two have something in common: They both work on behalf of children. (Video via Nobel Foundation) Satyarthi said, "I refuse to accept that all the temples and mosques and churches and prayer houses have no place for the dreams of our children." For more than 30 years, Satyarthi's work has included leading raids on factories and mines in India that often bind whole families into forced labor, and he has reportedly freed tens of thousands of children. (Video via The Guardian) Yousafzai has focused her efforts on the education of children, girls in particular, and it was because of her vocal support for children's right to be educated that the Taliban tried to kill her. (Video via World Bank) The pair's recognition this year is especially significant considering the United Nations says 2014 has been one of the worst years for children around the world. A report the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, put out this week detailed how the number of international crises, from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to the rise of ISIS, have piled on and interrupted the lives of millions of children. (Video via UNICEF) "As many as 15 million children are caught up in violent conflicts in the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, the State of Palestine, Syria and Ukraine. ... Globally, an estimated 230 million children currently live in countries and areas affected by armed conflicts." UNICEF also pointed out the sad irony that this report comes on the 25th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and said it was beholden on all nations to make 2015 better. This video includes images from Getty Images and music from Chris Zabriskie / CC BY 3.0.

Spain's Princess Cristina facing trial

Dec 22, 2014 Spain’s Princess Cristina To Face Unprecedented Fraud Trial (Image source: Getty Images / David Ramos) BY CLIFF JUDY A long-running investigation that got a Spanish princess banned from royal events and may have even played a part in her father abdicating the throne will go to trial. In unprecedented accusations, prosecutors say Princess Cristina helped her husband embezzle millions of dollars from local governments nearly a decade ago. While her attorneys have repeatedly declared her innocence over the years, prosecutors say a company run by Cristina’s husband vastly overcharged to run sporting events and then transferred some of that money to another company owned by the couple. (Video via Sky News & Euronews) The scandal not only tarnished the princess’ reputation, but that of her father — an impressive feat when you consider how beloved King Juan Carlos was during his four decades on the throne. Instead of keeping control of Spain as a dictator when he was named king in the mid-70’s, King Juan Carlos led the country’s transition into democracy and free elections. Still, when the king abdicated the throne in June, his health, a lavish hunting trip during tough economic times and the lingering investigation into his daughter were among the most cited reasons Juan Carlos stepped down. (Video via BBC) Princess Cristina and her husband are two of more than a dozen defendants who’ll now stand trial in the tax fraud case. She remains sixth in line to the Spanish throne. This video includes images from Getty Images.