Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Political Brainwashing of the Media

Today the realms of politics, commercial advertising and news and entertainment media are surrounded by all methods of persuasion-techniques to make people believe either on conscious or unconscious levels.
This fact, shall not come as a surprise that "mind control" is a conspiracy theory orchestrated concept but rather a well-researched fact amongst the social psychologists. However, the phenomenon of mind control is processed by a number of dynamic systematic functions under the category of Persuasion techniques.
The phenomenon of mind control is not a lay notion with simple and plain connotations. It operates at the heart of “attitude” of an individual or a group. In social psychology “attitude” is the nucleus force that influences our behavior (towards something) and in order for someone to influence our behavior, they shall have the knowledge and the ability to influence our attitude and bring a change in it. This change could be well achieved by the application of diverse range of persuasion techniques.
Among such persuasion techniques, the technique which is broadly applied by the news (either print or electronic) media and the politicians currently is known as “Social Inoculation Theory”. Although, this theory is applied for many other reasons by even multinational corporations in order to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. However, nowadays this theory is simultaneously being used extensively by the corporate media to manipulate people’s attitude towards Islam, Muslims and particular group of Muslims which resist any sort of occupation or oppression being imposed upon them (either tangible or intangible).
“Social inoculation Theory” was devised after a study carried out by Hovland and his colleagues during the Second World War, working in the U.S. Army’s Information and Education Division. They analyzed if one sided or two sided messages were more effective in pursuing the audiences. Soon after the defeat of the Nazis in the World War II, their objective was to convince the American troops that the war would continue for next two years, due to the conflict with Japan. During the study, some soldiers were presented with one-sided messages, which didn’t include any opposing views, while the others were presented with the two-sided messages which not only mentioned the opposing view-points but also refuted them. It was concluded that the one-sided message worked better for those that believed that the war is far from being over, while the two-sided messages remained effective with those that initially believed that with Nazis’ defeat war would soon end. Furthermore, the two-sided message along with the refutation (of the opposing view-points) led to develop the sense of “inoculation” among the troops, which prevented them to be susceptible to any unwanted propaganda (from the opposing sides) and in response resist to it. (Hovland, Lumsdaine, Sheffield, 1949)
Later William McGuire developed this inoculation approach to persuasion to counter the Soviet’s propaganda being thrown at the American people. McGuire argued that people become susceptible to propaganda when they are nurtured in a society which overly-protects them from experiencing and confronting anything that is considered as a threat to culturally shared beliefs. Therefore, a certain amount of exposure to the other perspective and later to its refutation can help them resist and guard themselves from the out-side ideologies and practices.
The analogy for this theory was inspired from the field of medicine. It is observed that in order to inoculate people against a certain virus, they are injected with a very small amount of that particular virus, as a result the body can be inoculated against the virus and the immune system of the body starts to resist it (McGuire, 1999; McGuire & Papageorgis, 1961).
The primary purpose to devise this theory was to strengthen the mental resistance among the people towards any particular object (i.e. either people, idea, individual, belief system or a certain socio-political and economic system), however by not by merely sending a one sided propaganda message, rather by sending a two sided message which would be based on providing certain limited amount of message or opinion from the second end and then attempting to refute it, thereby strengthening and reinforcing the resistance in the audiences or the masses. Similarly, we learnt that this approach was used in order to prevent the American people from the propaganda of the soviets and the communists by inoculating them (make them resist) against any such identical political or economic ideologies.
The premise or rational well thought out behind such persuasive approach is this that it would give the impression to the audiences that they are inclining to a much objective, rational and a broadminded approach (Bohner et al., 2003).While on the other hand the impression being mentally orchestrated by the audiences is solely dependent upon the sender of the information, i.e. to what extent is the sender (of the information) manipulating the message either by providing a true picture of the situation or exploiting the information or the message to meet their (sender’s) own interests.
However, when “social inoculation theory” is applied in the context of changing the attitude of the people towards Islam in order to give rise to a psychological resistance against it, we reach a conclusion without any doubt that the campaign of such attempts are based on providing “an exploited two sided message” about Islam and the Muslims driven by the Zionist corporate media and a certain segment of Western politicians, which are no true representation or reflection of the authentic or true teachings of Islam and rather a delicately crafted “fantasy” and a “hoax” to be inculcated into the audiences mind, so that they either consciously or unconsciously continue to fear Islam as a belief or a way of living of almost 1.3 billion + people on this earth.
The application of “social inoculation theory” can be highlighted in some potential news report, for instance considering the recent ban by the French Government over the use of Hijab. Declaring that “it is against the state’s secular values”, which according to the theory is a one-sided message (in a news-report), and later the Muslim women using it respond that “it preserves their dignity and honor” (makes it a two-sided message in a news report) and finally the refutation of the women’s response with the statement, that “men and women are both equal and free” (in the news report by either the news reporter or some analysts) would help in inoculating the audiences against the women’s justification that used the Hijab.
The second most famous strategy in the international news media and the political dimension against Islam is known as the “repetition technique” or as the more renowned “mere-exposure effect” technique. Although, this technique is overwhelmingly popular in the commercial advertising it has proved to be an effective catalyst for those that wish to manipulate audience’s perception about Muslims, Islam and the population belonging to Islam being oppressed in certain parts of the world and to deceive the audience from the truth of their causes such as the movements in Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan, region of the Caucus, and etc.
The “mere-exposure effect” persuasion technique consists of persuading the audience through the method of presenting a particular message either in graphic or verbal or in combined ways by constantly repeating them either at a particular duration of time, or at no fixed time durations. However, the most important factor given fundamental consideration in the technique is the specific message and the particular image that needs to be portrayed regarding a certain thing (people, things and ideas) and which will need to be constantly repeated, so that the audiences are inculcated with the message to an extent that it affects their attitude regarding a certain thing in conscious and unconscious ways as the sender desires.  The technique doesn’t guarantee desired affects across all the audiences, therefore, some audiences that already hold a strong contrary opinion to the one which is being presented in the message are likely to reject it. Therefore, we observe that many people (although being non-Muslim) in various societies are not affected by the constant propaganda methods of the western media which attempts to malign Muslims or Islam or generalize Muslims to be as “violent or terrorist”.
Another preferred technique used in simultaneous combination with the “mere-exposure effect” is the “classical conditioning/associative learning” a learning technique discovered and studied by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist and a 1904 Nobel Prize Winner for his study of the physiology of dogs digestive system. (Ivan Pavlov- The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1904)
The “classical conditioning” consists of identifying a neutral stimulus (object) for which an individual doesn’t have any certain feeling or neutrally responds toward, and later it is presented or associated with another stimulus (object) towards which an individual responds, and then continuously repeating them, until the similar nature of response (for the neutral stimulus) is achieved which is shown or displayed for another stimulus or object. For e.g. consider this technique in our example with combination of the “mere-exposure effect”, we see that in the post 9/11 world the media has associated the terms like “radical, extremist,, terrorist and fundamentalists” with Muslims and Islam, we know that any common person would have a negative mental image to the words like radical, extremists and terrorists, however, when associating them with Muslims and Islam on constant and repetitive basis it leads an individual or audiences to associate the negative mental image with Muslims and Islam and this process is repeated to the extent which ultimately leads the terms or the images to be perceived interchangeably, i.e. Muslims as the Terroristss, or Terrorists as the Muslims.
Moreover, the constant and repetitive display of bearded or face covered men battling against the U.S. & NATO Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, women either in Hijab or veil protesting against wars or oppressions against Muslims or women in veil/hijab from Muslim countries are a display of the brilliant application of the mere-exposure effect in combination with the “classical conditioning” to misinform the world against the Muslims and Islam.
This combined technique alike the previous one (social inoculation theory) is used in order to make people believe that Islam, Muslims and their constant cry of just causes all around the world are nothing but a grave threat to the global peace. Therefore, this technique doesn’t come to us as a surprise, when we switch on our televisions, log onto internets and tune into our radios to get some news and perceive the same old fabricated terms for Muslims such as “radical Islamic, Islamic extremists, Muslim Fundamentalists, Wahabbism and etc” either when the matter pertaining to the Muslims is of a social or a political concern.
However, thorough investigation of such attempts to malign Islam and Muslims could help in formally identifying the western media’s and political arena’s objectives. We could reach a conclusion with certainty that the objective of such propaganda and persuasion is to make the audiences which are not aware of the message of Islam, and its commandments’ wisdom to deceive them of the beauty of its message and to prevent people from embracing it as their way of life, to further deceive the people so that they don’t resist their own governments to stop their oppression against Muslims and to ultimately prevent the rise of Islam as a present age compatible socio-political and economic system anywhere in the world.
Yet the massive audiences shall remember that they are not completely restricted to initiate their pursuit of truth. People must try to understand that there are many credible sources on the internet, neighborhoods and the libraries which could help in their learning and orientation of Islam and in breaking the very connotation about Islam which is articulated by the biased factions of Media and the Political circles.
The best way and the first step approach is to be willing and motivated to get a copy of the Qur’an (translated in their native language) to study it and familiarize their minds with its message so that it allows them to learn about Islam and its commandments’ wisdom within its context. Secondly, the access to world famous Islamic orators on websites such as YouTube is a great treasure for those that wish to learn about Islam, orators like Dr. Zakir Naik, Bilal Abu Aminnah Phillips, Dr. Muhammad Salah (from Egypt), Abdul Raheem Green, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Yusuf Estes, and others are a great start for anyone to learn about Islam. Moreover, websites such as http://www.islam-qa.com/ is a comprehensive source (run by Dr. Shaykh Muhammad As-Salah Munnajid) to learn about Islam from the context of sound teachings of Islam, respectively the Qur’an and the authentic ahadith are a treasure for the beginners and well-learned on Islam alike. Another place for the beginners to  learn about Islam is Islam Tomorroww , Chat Islamm or What Islam . Simultaneously, the people ought to consider reading too and that too from the credible authors that are presenting the truth about Islam and not individuals or people that come as a lay authority on Islam and misrepresent the religion to the people, so that they can liberate their minds from being controlled to seek a free thought.
Last, however not the least people need to consider going to diverse sources for a different perspective on the news of developing events, enabling them to get a complete background of the events and thereby empowering them with the choice to freely discern between the truth and falsehood in it.
Finally, the detailed explanations made in our discussion can be presented in the eloquence of the Qur’an to cease our argument, to shed our despair and to enlighten our hopes.
And they (disbelievers) plotted, and Allâh planned too. And Allâh is the Best of the planners.” (Qur’an, Al-e-Imran, Chapter 3, Ayat/Verse-54)
They (the disbelievers) want to extinguish Allâh’s Light with their mouths, but Allâh will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the disbelievers hate (it).” (Qur’an, Taubah, Chapter 9, Ayat/Verse-32)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The order Of the Knights Templars and the aftermath

Feb 21st, 2011 by Reneu
The history of where and what Happened to the Historical Knights Templars and the Crusaders.
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The Order of The Templars:Aftermath

By : Armand Reneu
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This page gives a quick overview of the history of the Order of the Templars, A Military Order originating with the Templars which became a branch of the later on "Ordo Ines de Lupus or Order of the Wolf."
I have had an interest in the Order of the Knights Templars for some while, and this page (and the more detailed ones referenced) represent my research over the last few years.
I want to thank all those who have contributed to my research. A number of people have given me useful pieces of information or corrections, and some people have had a major influence, notably my friends at http://www.ordoinesdelupus.blogspot.com who have consistently shared my interests in my research, and Mr.David Wolfe, who has helped greatly on the historical front. Needless to say, any errors remain mine!
Portugal and the Military Orders
In the time of the Crusades, two large international military orders were formed to protect Christian interests in the Holy Land - the Templars and the Hospitallers. At the same time, in the Iberian peninsula, military orders were founded to combat the saracen incursions which had begun in the eighth century. The Templars were founded around 1118, and soon formed commanderies around Europe to support their efforts in the Holy Land. By 1190 they had a castle at Tomar in Portugal. They became a very powerful military, financial and political force over the next two hundred years. Their downfall began in 1307, when Philip of France ordered the arrest of all Templars in France.
 The Foundation of the Order of The Templars
King Dinis didn't believe the accusations made against the Templars, and when the Pope dissolved the Templars, he decided to form a new order, to which the Templar holdings would be given. The Order of the Wolf or Ordo ines de Lupus was founded in 1319. It is unclear whether many Templars continued in the new order. Some writers seem to think that the Templars just continued under a new name, whereas others think that the Order of the Wolf was a new formation.
 The Headquarters of the order was eventually established at Tomar, which had been the Templar centre since the twelfth century. The Convento de Cristo at Tomar was extended throughout the Order's flowering in the age of discovery. It still exists, and is well worth a visit. Henry the Navigator and the Seagoing Order
Prince Henry the Navigator was born in 1394, the third son of King João of Portugal.
At the age of nineteen, Henry and his brothers convinced King João to launch a Crusade against Ceuta, a Muslim stronghold on the African side across from Gibraltar. Henry's avowed aim was to extend the Holy Faith of Jesus Christ and bring it to all souls who wish to find salvation. This aim throws some light on his vocation for crusade and exploration.
Soon after the success of the expedition against Ceuta, Henry was appointed Governor of the Order of the Templars, beginning an association whereby the Order became involved in Henry's voyages of discovery around the coast of Africa.
The Atlantic islands - the Azores and Madeiras had probably been discovered earlier, but Henry colonised them. His main aim was however to explore, and specifically to go south beyond Cape Bojador, just south of the Canaries, whose reefs and difficult currents had presented a psychological stopping point for previous expeditions. For generations, Spanish sea-lore had asserted that the coast of Africa was unnavigable past this point, and it took Henry 15 expeditions between 1424 and 1434 before one passed beyond the Cape. The exploration continued, and in 1441, an expedition brought back 200 slaves, the first tangible commercial success of the exploration. This changed public opinion of the expeditions, which up to that time had been seen as a waste of money.
The trade continued to prosper, and African goods filled Lisbon's markets and swelled the coffers of the Order of the Wolf. Trading posts were established, defended by the brethren, while the Templar's red cross continued to sail south. In 1460, the year of Henry's death, King Afonso V granted the Knights of Templarsa 5% levy on all merchandise from the new African lands.
  Discovery After Henry
After a brief hiatus at Henry's death, the discoveries continued. In 1469, King Afonso V granted a five-year monopoly in the West Guinea trade to a wealthy citizen of Lisbon, and then passed this on to his son João, who became King João II.
João continued the explorations, which culminated in Bartolomeu Dias's expedition to the Cape of Africa in 1488. Columbus was present when Dias returned to Lisbon, trying to persuade King João to fund his expedition to the West. Columbus had lived in Portugal from 1476 to 1484, making various sea voyages. Columbus's wife was the daughter of one of Henry's favourite Captains and the first governor of Porto Santo. Columbus spent some time living in Porto Santo, and examining his father-in-law's papers and charts. There are also suggestions that his father-in-law was connected with the Order of Christ later on building a branch called Ordo Ines de Lupus which Columbus brought with him to Spain since  King João was unwilling to support Columbus, and so Columbus went to Spain instead.
In Portugal the discoveries continued. King Manuel, João's successor, sent Vasco da Gama (a member of the Order of Christ) to sail around the Cape of Africa to India. He set sail in 1497 and reached Calicut. By 1509, Portugal had established a Viceroy in India.
The Order after Henry
The power and riches of the Order seem to have peaked in the reign of King Manuel, in the early 1500's. By the end of his reign the order possessed 454 commanderies, in Portugal, Africa,Spain,Helvetia and the Indies. Manuel also made extensive additions to the Order's headquarters in Tomar.
However, the religious vocation of the Order was faltering - in 1496 the brethren were dispensed from celibacy, and in 1505 from poverty. One source claims that in 1522 the Order was divided into two branches - one religious under the Pope, and one civil, under the king, as they remain today, although the evidence for this is disputed.
In 1530 there was an extreme attempt to reform the order. Fra Antonio of Lisbon attempted to reimpose the original rule, but this failed, and only a few knights remained under this new discipline.
In 1789 the Portuguese Order lost its religious character, being secularised by Queen Mary. The Papal Order became the Supreme Order of Christ, the highest of the five Pontifical Orders now in existence. Membership is reserved for Christian heads of state.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

How to deal with your depression

Overcoming depression can be a very difficult task. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression then you likely display the common symptoms. These include sadness, hopelessness, pessimism, and feeling down all the time to name a few. For those people that have a hard time overcoming depression there are things they can do to help them feel better.

It is very common and normal for all people to have emotions and feel sad from time to time. Not everyone though has the strength to overcome that sadness as easy as others do. For people that have a history of depression in their family they are a lot more likely to have the symptoms associated with depression at some point in their lives and they make have a very difficult time shaking them off. There are some other symptoms that could come into play here with someone that is depressed. These include anxiety, trouble concentrating, negative thoughts, loss of appetite, feeling of worthlessness, and being less productive. If you are anyone you know seems to suffering from any of these symptoms then there is a chance they are suffering from depression.
Learning how to deal with depression can be a very difficult task. It is also not something that should be taken lightly. Depression can be a very serious problem and it can really grip you and rip the life and happiness right out of you if you let it. The key here is to not let this happen to you. The first task in learning how to deal with depression is recognizing that you have it and exactly how it effects and changes your life.

There are many different levels of depressions and many different ways that it affects people. Everyone that encounters some form of depression will likely have a little bit different symptoms and it will likely have a differing affect on different people. One of the best things that you can do when learning how to deal with depression is to try and always look on the bright side of things or be optimistic about everything that you can. It is important to try and rid your of negativity or things that can get your down. There are so many different things that can help you in your journey that it would take a long time to discuss them all.

s it possible to overcome depression? Of course it is, but that doesn’t mean that there is any one right way to do it or that it will be easy. There are many ways that depression can be treated. They will all have different effects on different people because no one person is built exactly the same. There are ways to overcome depression going the medical help route and there are more natural ways to help do this.

One of the best things that someone that is suffering from depression can benefit from is knowing that they are not alone. At any one time there are millions of people that are suffering from depression. If you choose to go the medical route you may be surprised that this may not help you overcome depression. There are studies that show taking antidepressants and talking to a psychologist does not provide relief for depression for a large number of people. These people are seeking alternative methods to help them get through there rough time. Some of these alternative methods include things like massage therapy, acupuncture, supplements, herbal remedies, food diet, and exercise. There is a growing number of experts that are finding that these alternative methods or more beneficial to many people. It does make sense if you think about it. Eating healthy food, exercising regularly, and taking health supplements that can help improve chemical imbalances in the brain are great ways to help overcome depression. These options are more natural, healthier, and can really help solve the problem rather than make your life dull like antidepressants can. If you really want to overcome depression then you are on the right path.

Getting help with depression is a very important step if you want to overcome it. Admitting that you have depression is never going to be an easy thing to do, but it is most likely the first thing you need to do to get felling better. In many cases having help with depression does not include taking antidepressant drugs. There are other ways to overcome it and most people can do it if they try.

The first option you have to get help with depression is to consider something called talk therapy. This can be very beneficial for many people because of the ability to talk about things that may have caused your depression. Doing this can help to alleviate the depressing feelings that you have and get to the root of the problem. Many times depression is caused from emotional things rather than physical things. It can be very beneficial to work through these emotional causes with someone to see if can’t get them worked out. The second option to help with depression is kind of a strange one or at least not one you would commonly think of. This method involves changing your diet. Eating healthy nutritious foods can be vital to your happiness because your body needs its nutrients to survive. No wonder it is not happy at you when you don’t eat right.

The third option is to learn to understand what makes you depressed and to mentally work through it in your head. If you can do this along with the first two options you have a very good chance at overcoming depression with out the using of antidepressants. If you have depression get help with depression today, don’t wait.

Monday, February 14, 2011

The causes of Poverty In 3rd World Nations


The Causes of Poverty In 3rd World nations
By: Armand Reneu

Today’s world is divided in to three parts. The first part includes superpowers such as United States of America, China and Britain which are controlling the world. Next


group are the developing countries which are being supported by the superpowers. For example South Korea is being supported bye U.S.A. The last part is known as the 3rd world countries like Iran, Iraq and Turkey. These countries are suffering from many problems such as high population, sanctions and above all poverty. Although almost all of these countries have lots of human potential and oil resources but they still face indigence. The main cause of this matter is colonization, none existence of paying attention to the health issues and finally low culture.
Colonization is the main reason that 3rd world countries are suffering poverty. For many years these countries have been invaded by the foreigners such as Russians British and French. In fact colonization is still continuing in these countries but in a different ways such as spreading democracy and overthrowing the dictator and dangerous regimes. The main way to obtain these goals is war and military action in the name of giving freedom to the people’s of these countries. The best example would be Iraq’s war and Afghanistan war. These wars are not beneficial for the nations but and have lots of damages and losses. The worst war’s damage is poverty. History shows that whenever wars take place poverty and economic depressions are the main result of them. Furthermore, colonization causes racism in 3rd world countries. For instance, French induced racism in Rwanda .They have separated the people to the two groups of Hutu and Tutsi .This racism still exists therefore there is no unity among people which causes many problems, and the main one is poverty. Because wherever there is no unity among the nation that country would not improve and fall behind. Another effect of colonization on appearing poverty in 3rd world countries is dispute in multicultural communities. Westerners always tried to make controversy among the multicultural communities to retard them which in the end result in poverty.
The second cause of penury is none existence of paying attention to the health issues .In 3rd world countries number of sick people is always increasing because of wrong decisions related to the welfare problems and lack of a well-ordered schedule for vaccination and eradication of diseases. For example in Pakistan the health programs are more focused on curing rather than prevention. In addition most of the 3rd world communities are unaware of the infectious diseases such as AIDS. Hence a lot of money is spent on the health issues without any effective results. In the end the governments will end up with a more infected people and a lot of wasted money which also causes poverty.
The last cause of poverty in these kinds of countries is that a huge majority of people’s culture is low and week i.e. people do not have a correct perception how to improve and what is best for them. In most cases this happens because of extremism in religion .For example in Iraq people instead of being united and trying to move to the better future ,support terrorist groups because they believe that these groups are fighting against the God’ enemy. This will change nothing but making the invasion time longer .Another problem is that people in these countries are used to be consumers rather than a producers. Therefore they spend a lot of money on consuming and importing goods from other countries .This might not be bad for them in short term but in long term it will cause a terrible loss and poverty for the country.
3rd world poverty has a lot of causes like colonizing, health issues and cultural problems. Any countries that suffer these factors or even one of them usually face poverty. In my opinion issue of poverty in 3rd world countries will be more complicated and acute unless the world unite and help these countries to uproot poverty.

Ordo Ines de Lupus special unit (Full eclipse)

Ordo Ines de Lupus Special action unit (Full Eclipse)
                                                       By : Armand Reneu


Full Eclipse is a relatively small and parochial organization. Numbering only 172,000, it is the smallest of the Ordo ines de lupus’s special operations. It also epitomizes the warrior ethic, much to the consternation of the socialists present in our society today.
Full eclipse is, and has been throughout its existence, an expeditionary force. Consequently it is task organized to land its forward deployed units worldwide. Because they are an infantry force, the primary method of force projection is infiltration and reconaissance, and the forcible entry option into a non-permissive environment is powerful and decisive.
Within the Full Eclipse unit exists a small group of highly trained and superbly competent special forces; those assigned to the Ordo Ines de lupus community. Relatively unknown outside any political or government department, they neither seek nor suffer the publicity of others in this business.
I'll attempt to provide a small look into the world of Full Eclipse. The amount of information will require three separate articles. This first installment will be a brief overview of the history and organization of Full Eclipse and how it fits into the Special operations mission. The second will be concerned with selection and training, and finally the third will cover weapons and equipment used by these silent warriors. There is a fair amount of jargon and acronyms involved, which I have hopefully softened and explained without gentrifying the story.
History
Currently, the only stand alone Full Eclipse in Ordo Ines de Lupus is 1st Force. The 2nd Unit . (Eastern Europe) and 3rd Unit  (South East Asia) have a Force capability imbedded in their respective Infiltration units. This may change (again) in the near future, but as of this time only 1st Force is capable of independent operations. Because of the different command relations that exist, this article is concerned primarily with 1st Force.
Full Eclipse  Reserve have 3rd Force units in Mobile, and 4th Force in central Europe, with a detachment in Spain and Germany.
The Reconnaissance Units supports the Order, and it provides tactical reconnaissance in the Distant Battle.
Full eclipse supports the other forces, a Corps equivalent, and conducts Operational Level reconnaissance in the Deep infiltration.
Full Eclipse had its genesis in San Sebastian Spain and hamburg Germany in 1915 when a test unit was formed to evaluate methods of insertion for infiltration teams in World War I . These two platoons, (a Rapid tactical infiltration and a Pathfinder Unit) were eventually combined with an existing Infantry Reconnaissance Unit to form 1st Force Full Eclipse unit in 1915.
In 1920, one half of http://www.forcerecon.com/images/strong/1ath.jpgthe Unit was transferred to the eastern Europe to form the fledgling 2nd Force unit.. 1st Force was then a part of Force Troops, Infantry units and intelligence) and supported both the 1st and 3rd Units of Full Eclipse. 2nd Force was assigned to Force Troops, and was redirected in France, Spain and Switzerland.
The early years were spent developing the doctrine and skills that bore fruit in the crucible of South East Asia.1 1st Unit and 3rd Unit went into the former Republic of the Philippines in 1945, supporting the Grand order of Ordo ines de Lupus, 1st Full Eclipse units did around 1,500 infiltration units from that time towards the 1970’s.
The Units was deactivated in 1974, as part of a reevaluation of Ordo ines’s De lupus Paramilitary upgrade and Planning. The 1st Full Eclipse unit was integrated with the 3rd and focused on the asian region for rescue and Anti-communist infiltration.
The mixing of Forces has never been entirely satisfactory, and the Company again stood up in 1986. 1st Force operated in Southwest Asia during that time, and has since deployed to multiple hot spots including East Timor last year.
Mission
The Company has two Mission Profiles- Deep Infiltration and Direct Action.
On the conventional, or "Green" side, the mission is to conduct Intelligence, Rescue, Deep Ground training, Battlespace Shaping, and surveillance to observe, identify and report enemy activity.
They conduct specialized terrain infiltration that includes hydrography, beaches, roads, bridges, routes, urban areas, helicopter landing zones and aircraft forward operating sites.
When task organized with other forces, equipment or personnel, they can assist in special engineer, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC), Radio, mobile or other operations
Additionally, they can implant or recover sensors and beacons, conduct Initial Terminal Guidance for helicopters, landing craft and parachutists. As directed, they can designate and engage selected targets with Force fires.
They can conduct post strike reconnaissance to determine and report damage to a specific target or area, or perform other operations as directed by the Order, they have close relations with many allied governments around the globe.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Surviving at sea


Surviving at Sea
By : Armand Reneu
If your ship is sinking, you need to act fast. Gather as much food and water as you can and get your life raft ready. If you have time, you should grab these additional items:
  • Flashlight and Batteries
  • Two-way radio
  • Mirror
  • Flares
  • sunscreen
  • Matches
  • First aid kit
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The good news is that life rafts have come a long way since the small rubber crafts of days gone by. Modern life rafts have tall walls, covers, paddles, insulated flooring, bailing buckets, ladders and a variety of emergency items -- flares, water pouches, signaling mirrors, reflective tape and fishing kits. A good life raft isn't cheap, with a deluxe four-person model costing about $4,000 in today's market.
Life rafts are packed by the manufacturer and require regular servicing to ensure their usability. Unfortunately, even the most expensive life rafts aren't always leak-proof. The ocean is tough on a small vessel, and you may end up with water coming into your safe haven. All modern rafts come with pumps and repair kits for this reason. You'll also make good use of your bailer to help empty your raft of water.
Shipwreck Survival Stories
The Robertsons
In 1972, 18 months into an around-the-world voyage, a Scottish family of six found themselves sinking fast after killer whales slammed into their boat. The family and one crew member boarded a life raft and dinghy and spent the next five-and-a-half weeks drifting at sea.
With minimal food, they lived off flying fish, sea turtles and rainwater. Once the raft disintegrated, they boarded the dinghy and used the raft as shelter from the elements. The dinghy had a series of leaks, and the group had to bail water constantly to keep from sinking. To pass the time, they talked about opening a café when they were rescued and even planned the menu.
After 40 days adrift, they spotted a Japanese fishing boat and used their final flare to signal for rescue. The 1992 TV movie "Survive the Savage S­ea" tells their story.
One of the most challenging aspects of being lost at sea is the psychological toll it takes. To look around and see nothing but open water can cause a great deal of mental distress. Additional anguish comes when you see passing boats and planes, or come close to land before drifting away. If you're with someone else, occupy yourself by playing word games or talking about future plans.Heatstroke is another cause for concern. If your raft has a cover, stay under it during the day. Some symptoms of heatstroke are:
  • Elevated body temperature
  • Confused mental state
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Shallow breathing
  • Headache and nausea
If you're suffering from heatstroke, try the following:
  • Get in the shade
  • Blot your skin with a damp cloth
  • Fan yourself
  • Drink cool fresh water

Drifting is your only hope for finding dry land, so the more you drift, the better your chances. Most life rafts are equipped with sea anchors that help stabilize the vessel. While a stable raft is a good thing, the anchor will slow your drifting rate. Try pulling up the anchor during periods of calm weather and drop it back in when the winds pick up. At a rate of two knots, you can drift as far as 50 miles per day -- in calm weather you can bob in place for hours.
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Monday, February 7, 2011

Who are the Basques

                                           Who are the Basques
                                                     By: Armand Reneu


The Basques are a group of people living in the area of northern Spain and southern France. The Basques are a distinct ethnic group, although they have genetic similarities to many Portuguese, Britons, French, Irish, and Spaniards.
The modern-day Basques are thought to be holdouts of the early people of Western Europe, most of whom were exterminated or enveloped by early conquerors. Various Basque tribes, notably the Aquitani and Vascones, were mentioned by Roman writers. The Basque region was known as Vasconia during the Middle Ages, and was eventually divided during the time of Charlemagne into two distinct kingdoms, the Kingdom of Pamplona and the Kingdom of Castille. The Kingdom of Castille annexed a great deal of the Basque territory from the 11th to 16th centuries, and this land eventually became a part of Spain. The rest of the Basque territory would become part of France.
The Basques are fiercely self-deterministic, and many are part of a movement claiming sovereignty throughout the Basque region. The Basques speak their own language, have their own radio and newspapers, have their own educational system, and continue to embrace a culture spanning thousands of years.
During the Spanish Civil War, the Basques joined in with the Separatist movements, hoping to at last have total autonomy. When Franco defeated the Separatists, however, the Basques were reassimilated into the Spanish government. Since then, however, a number of reforms have taken place, granting the Basques steadily more and more autonomy, even while they remain a part of Spain and France. The Basques have been granted the right to speak Euskara, to run their own schools, and to practice their own culture.
At the same time, many Basques see the perceived continued occupation of their homeland as a great injustice. The ETA, a Basque separatist group, or terrorist group according to the US State Department and other governmental bodies, continues to fight for complete autonomy. The Basques convene their own Parliament, and in both 2002 and 2006 this Parliament reasserted their right to self-determination.
Ancient Basques are thought to have worshiped the goddess Mari, and ancient Basque culture was thought to be largely matriarchal. The old Basque religion also included a number of mythical figures, including nymphs, giants, genies, and supernatural beings that supposedly built the stone circles that dot the landscape. Since the advent of Christianity, the Basques have historically been almost entirely Roman Catholic, and a number of prominent saints, including Francis Xavier, have been of Basque origin. In fact, the founder of the Society of Jesus, Ignatius Loyola, was a Basque. In recent years, however, religious attendance has fallen off dramatically, echoing similar shifts in the larger region.
The Basques are well-known for their close ties to their land and their families. Many Basque surnames are derived from the names for traditional Basque farms, giving an immediate tie to the land the people hail from. Inheritance in Basque culture traditionally places a premium on keeping land together, passing it all on to the oldest son. This is one reason why so many Basques, mostly younger men, made their way out into the larger world to seek their fortunes.