by Eric Zuesse, The Duran: This is a collage extracted from the best critical articles I’ve seen about Kamala Harris. It’s 9,500 words from articles boiled down to 2,400 words. All of these articles concern only domestic affairs — specifically the criminal-justice system, which is the field that Harris has specialized in. On international affairs, […]

  Following the death of President Kennedy, there was a policy change in how the Vietnam War was conducted. Operations were expanded to encompass a more conventional form of war that demanded a larger ground force and an increased zone of operation.   In March 1969, the United States started bombing Cambodia, widening the war to include neighboring countries. In December, the US government introduced the draft. And while American forces fought overseas, a different war was being fought at home.   Protests gripped the nation. The police forces were spread thin, and the National Guard often had to be deployed. It was only a matter of time before a disaster occurred.   At Kent State University, the National Guard opened fire.   Escalation in Vietnam A wounded American soldier in Vietnam, 1967. Source: needpix.com   Between 1963 and 1968, the number of US troops in Vietnam was raised from 16,000 to 500,000. Despite the massive increase in troop numbers, very little progress was made in defeating the Vietcong and the Viet Minh.   Those in America who opposed the war were hopeful when Nixon became president in 1968, as he claimed he would end US involvement in Vietnam. Contrary to his promises, he expanded the war, bombing Cambodia and introducing the draft lottery, forcing American civilians into the ranks of the military fighting in Vietnam.   With incidents like the Mỹ Lai Massacre adding fuel to the fire of dissent, people around America took to the streets in protest. In 130 universities across the country, students marched.   Kent State University in Ohio had long been a hub of anti-war sentiment and was one of those universities.   The Unrest Begins The ROTC building on fire. Source: Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal   After the announcement of the expansion of the war into Cambodia, the protests spiked. The public protests at Kent State started on May 1 when students symbolically buried a copy of the Constitution. At around midnight that evening, unrest gripped the city of Kent. A group of people leaving a bar started throwing bottles at police cars. Several shop windows were smashed as tensions escalated. The entire Kent police force was called to duty and confronted the crowd, which had a large core of students and bikers.   The unrest continued throughout the night, and on Saturday, May 2, the mayor of Kent, Leroy Satrom, asked Ohio Governor James Rhodes to give the green light for the deployment of National Guard troops to the streets of Kent and the university. The crowd was eventually dispersed with the use of tear gas.   Saturday was a day defined by fear and rumor.   Reports told of merchants that had been threatened with violence unless they displayed anti-war slogans, and wild speculation, believed by some, envisioned that the students had hidden caches of weapons and had built tunnels under the city in order to blow up the main store and spike the water supply with LSD.   At 5:00 pm, the decision was made to deploy the National Guard, and by 10:00 pm, their boots were on the ground at Kent State University. When they arrived, a demonstration was in full swing, and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) building on the campus had been set on fire.   Governor James A. Rhodes. Source: Toledo Blade   The following day, Governor Rhodes made a public announcement in which he shared no sympathy for the protestors at all. He regarded the protestors with absolute contempt.   “…They only have one thing in mind and that is to destroy higher education in Ohio. they’re worse than the Brown Shirts and the communist element and also the Night Riders and the Vigilantes, the worst kind of people that we harbor in America.”   By declaring the protestors a “well-trained, militant, revolutionary group,” he showed a deep misunderstanding of the protestors and set the stage for a clash that would result in fatalities. This label was in contrast to the students who arrived in the streets in the morning to help with cleanup efforts after the rioting the night before. Meanwhile, on campus, 1,000 guardsmen had been deployed, and the atmosphere between the students and the soldiers was of a friendly nature.   At 8:00 pm, students held a campus rally, which was dispersed with tear gas. After they were dispersed, another crowd formed in the streets of Kent. This time, the crowd was dispersed with the aid of bayonets. At the same time, an 11:00 pm curfew was put into place.   May 4 A protester throwing a gas canister back at the National Guard. Source: Don Roese/Akron Beacon Journal   Despite efforts by campus authorities to have the event canceled, a scheduled protest on May 4 began to take shape. Roughly 2,000 people gathered on the campus commons. A short speech was made, and the protestors carried signs in what was essentially a peaceful protest.   Under the command of Brigadier General Robert Canterbury, two companies of National Guardsmen assembled to confront the protestors and ordered them to disperse. A bullhorn was used, but was too faint for the chanting crowd to hear. As a jeep drove nearer to the crowd, the protesters threw a few rocks, one of which struck the jeep and another which struck a guardsman, although without causing injury.   Teargas was then used, but the wind made this effort ineffective, and several canisters were lobbed back at the soldiers while the crowd began chanting “pigs off campus!” The National Guard responded by advancing with bayonets fixed and guns loaded. An order was given to fire only into the air, but it is unknown whether this order was received clearly by all the guardsmen present.   Governor James A. Rhodes. Source: Wikimedia Commons   As the soldiers advanced, the protesters threw stones. It has been suggested that several protesters deliberately brought stones with them to the protest in anticipation of a violent confrontation. The crowd moved back over a steep hill known as Blanket Hill and onto a parking lot on the other side. The soldiers followed and found themselves on a football training field surrounded on all sides by a fence. In a difficult location, they huddled together and survived the storm of rocks being thrown at them for about ten minutes as they made their way back to the top of the hill.   When they reached the top of the hill, many of the soldiers, for reasons unknown, turned round, kneeled, raised their rifles, and opened fire. Most of them shot into the air or the ground, but a few shot straight into the crowd, killing and injuring protesters. Some of the protesters ran, while others assumed that they were being shot at with blanks. It was only after they saw their fellow students on the ground that they realized the enormity of the situation.   14-year-old Mary Ann Vecchio kneeling over the body of Jeffrey Miller. Source: Photographs: Kent State University, by Stoklas,” Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives   Four students were killed:   Jeffrey Glenn Miller, Allison B. Krause, William Knox Schroeder, and Sandra Lee Scheuer.   Sandra was not even part of the demonstration and was walking to class when she was shot in the neck.   Nine others were injured.   Sandra Scheuer, Allison B. Krause, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, William Knox Schroeder. Sources: May 4 Collection, Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives   The protesters dispersed, running for cover, while others dragged their wounded comrades to safety. Even after the crowd was dispersing, the guardsmen continued to fire at the backs of their fleeing targets.   After the shooting stopped, the students, now dispersed around the campus, reformed in groups. They were in shock and were trying to speak to each other in an attempt to find out why the guards had opened fire. Several groups of students reported that they were approached by police and told to leave or they would be shot at again.   National Guard troops at Kent State University. Source: Photographs: Kent State University, by Coon,” Kent State University Libraries. Special Collections and Archives.   Some students even planned to attack the guards, but after pleading with them, Professor Glenn Frank managed to get the students to vacate the area. For the next two decades, Glenn Frank devoted his life to researching the incident and wrote a book entitled Anatomy of a Tragedy.   Kent State Shootings: Aftermath President Richard Nixon. Source: Wikimedia Commons   In total, 28 guardsmen had opened fire, and 67 rounds were spent over a period of around 13 seconds, although this latter statistic has been subject to varying reports and could have been as much as half a minute or more.   Testimonies from guardsmen involved were contrary and full of inconsistencies. Some soldiers claimed that they thought they had been given an order to open fire. Some claimed they felt their lives were in danger despite the protesters being over 300 feet away. Eleven soldiers claimed that they were under attack from sniper fire. Still others claimed that the sky was filled with rocks being thrown by students.   Investigations concluded that most of these claims were fabricated. Nevertheless, the cases brought against the National Guard yielded little results. Federal criminal and civil trials turned out in favor of the guardsmen.   Ohio single by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Source: Americana UK   In the legal action that followed, both guardsmen and student protesters were put on trial. One non-student protester was convicted of arson for burning the ROTC building, while another two pleaded guilty. Five guards were indicted on felony charges, but there were no convictions.   A financial settlement provided for a total of $675,000 to be paid out to the victims’ families. It was not paid by the guardsmen of the National Guard but by the State of Ohio.   In the days and months that followed, sentiment against the Vietnam War increased even further. What happened at Kent State added fuel to the fire of this movement, and 450 state campuses had to be shut down because of protests. Kent State was closed for six weeks following the shooting.   Five days after the shootings, 100,000 people marched in Washington DC. Nixon’s response to this and the shootings was perceived as being indifferent.   There was a huge public outcry over the incident, which, in part, took the forms of documentaries, music, building of memorials, books, including graphic novels, and plays, amongst many other forms. Perhaps the most famous song to refer to the incident was “Ohio,” performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.   Kent State University. Source: Bob Christy/Kent State University   From a historical perspective, the Kent State Massacre was not an isolated event. It was a symptom of a deeply divided nation and was born out of a desire to resist what was happening in America and Vietnam, as well as Cambodia. The result of the shooting generated an even bigger backlash against the government, and for many protesters, it vindicated their belief that their endeavor was one of justice.   Today, their beliefs are clearly echoed by a population strongly opposed to violent interventionism and brutal police action.

  An iconic form of visual advertisement popularized in the early 20th century, the yuefenpai bore heavy influences from the West. These were typically printed in glowing color lithography. Best remembered as portraits of fashionable women with a particular product, these posters were an effective way for companies to advertise their offerings as they were often given away as free gifts or loyalty rewards for customers. The posters were hung in homes and shops, functioning both as a calendar and as decorations. Here are 8 things to know about the iconic yuefenpai.   1. Yuefenpai Originate From New Year’s Pictures or Nianhua A woodblock print of a Nianhua featuring the Kitchen God and his wife, 1873. Source: The British Museum, London   The roots of the yuefenpai could be traced to the printed calendars that had been popular since the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.). Instead of scantily dressed ladies, these posters typically featured personalities from Chinese folklore or divine figures such as Kitchen God or Door God. Known as Nianhua or New Year’s pictures, these posters were often plastered on doors or walls as a form of protection for the household. Another form of printed calendar was the Spring Ox Calendar which featured illustrated scenes of the Spring ploughing ceremony, a tradition still upheld in rural parts of China today. The printed calendars in imperial China mostly featured religious or cultural motifs, instead of serving a commercial function.   2. The First Known Yuefenpai Was Created in 1884  The first known true Chinese advertisement calendar poster, created in 1884 by A.S. Watsons for the year 1885. Source: Little Museum of Foreign Brand Advertising in the ROC   While it had existed previously in the form of printed calendars or pictures of divine figures, the yuefenpai that serves a commercial purpose as we know it today was created in 1884 by A.S. Watson & Co. Today, the A.S. Watson Group prides itself on being the largest health and beauty retailer in the world. But some 180 years ago, it was but a humble dispensary in British Hong Kong. As its business expanded, A.S. Watson & Co. would play a leading role in introducing a wide variety of affordable, high-quality cosmetic and pharmaceutical products to the Chinese populace. It would also be pivotal in popularizing the yuefenpai, being the first to create a poster that mixed elements of advertising with Chinese motifs.   Chinese Horlick’s malted milk advertising calendar poster featuring Guan Yu and Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms period, 1917. Source: Little Museum of Foreign Brand Advertising in the ROC   Created for the year 1885, the poster featured calendars in English and Mandarin, with the firm’s logo taking center stage alongside some descriptions of A.S. Watson’s products. The borders which were adorned with floral motifs and animals such as deer, cranes, roosters, and monkeys were the most captivating part. The aesthetically pleasing poster took the advertising world by storm as followers soon emulated this formula, laying the foundations for the endearing legacy of the commercially viable yuefenpai.   3. Yuefenpai of the Early 20th Century Often Featured Chinese Ladies   Advertisement poster of Kwong Sang Hong’s “Two Girls” Brand, 1910s. Source: National Museum of Singapore   The yuefenpai is synonymous with beautiful ladies dressed in the traditional figure-hugging dress known as the Qipao. In these posters, products such as cosmetics and household items were often relegated to the borders, while the ladies took center stage. A far cry from the overt product placement tools of today, the yuefenpai opted for a more subtle advertising strategy where the ladies were the main stars. With their slim silhouettes and fair skin, these ladies reflected what was commonly associated with Chinese beauty. Floral and natural motifs were also popular embellishments in these posters, accentuating the elements of femininity and poise.   Kwong Sang Hong, one of the first local cosmetics brands in British Hong Kong, was best known for employing this advertising strategy. Its iconic Two Girls series was illustrated by Chinese artist Kwan Wai Nung, who had been dubbed Hong Kong’s Calendar King in the 1920s. Kwan’s works featured heavy traditional Chinese cultural motifs intertwined with the popular Art Deco style of the time. So iconic were these posters that they ingrained the Two Girls brand into the popular consciousness of Hong Kong. Rooted in the cultural heritage of Hong Kong, Two Girls still exists to this day and is lauded as an affordable local brand.   4. The Ladies of the Yuefenpai Became Modern Girls A yuefenpai for Pond’s Vanishing Cream featuring a Modern Girl by Zhang Dihan, 1929. Source: Little Museum of Foreign Brand Advertising in the ROC   Although the ladies in the yuefenpai were initially dressed in a modest manner, this traditional style soon gave way to more liberal tastes going into the late 1920s. This was a reflection of the almost universal rise of the Modern Girl or modeng xiaojie (literally Miss Modern), as they were called in China. The Modern Girl represented a generation of free-spirited women with liberal interpretations of gender roles who were eager to shake off the shackles of tradition.   Representing new feminist discourses, they began to emerge in different societies in the early 20th century and championed similar ideals of freedom and individualism. Modeling Western fashion styles, beliefs, and behaviors, these modeng xiaojie adored the latest cosmetics and participated actively in social activities such as dancing and partying. As a result, these attributes unique to the modeng xiaojie found their way onto the yuefenpai of this period. Donning clothing with shorter hemlines and showing more skin soon became the norm both on the streets and in print.   5. The Yuefenpai Sometimes Featured Nudity or Semi-Nudity  A yuefenpai featuring a woman who is depicted showing off her legs and wearing a see-through dress, 1920s. Source: National Museum of Singapore   Beyond shorter hemlines and exposed legs, some yuefenpai artists went as far as to present the ladies in nude or semi-nude manners. Sometimes the artists illustrated the ladies in see-through clothing to tease the audience, even if the product advertised had absolutely nothing to do with nudity or anything sensual for the matter. There were also numerous examples of yuefenpai where women with bare breasts were illustrated. Clearly, the art of using provocative imagery seemed to be an age-old, foolproof formula to capture popular attention. In line with the liberalizing social norms of the 1920s and 1930s, yuefenpai featuring nudity was tolerated. This also coincided with a time when local magazines were publishing other nude imagery, be it Western-style nude paintings or photographs of scantily dressed celebrities.   6. Yuefenpai Invited Criticism From Local Chinese Artists Chinese consumers admiring the calendar posters plastered on the streets, 1920s–1940s. Source: Little Museum of Foreign Brand Advertising in the ROC   While the masses were putting up the yuefenpai as decoration in their homes and shops, members of the cultural sphere expressed vehement dismay and disapproval of these works. Many of these critics belonged to the revolutionary camp with nationalistic sentiments. They believed that the trend of learning about Western art resulted in these advertisements being regarded as works of art created by so-called artists.   These posters were attacked for having subjects with limbs and bodies that were drawn out of proportion and deviated from human anatomy, portraying unrealistic beauty standards. Some criticized the lack of artistic value and lamented the suggestive nature of these posters, going as far as to label them as vulgar. For instance, prolific Chinese writer and literary critic Lu Xun allegedly condemned these posters in a public lecture, lambasting them as examples of decadent art with subjects that were disgusting and depraved.   7. Yuefenpai Was Filled With Art Deco Influences  Two Beauties in the Garden by Xie Zhiguang, which features art-deco fonts and motifs, 1930. Source: South China Morning Post   As Western artistic influences permeated Chinese society in the 1920s and 1930s, the Art Deco style gained widespread popularity, especially in cosmopolitan cities such as Shanghai. Many of the towering infrastructures that lined The Bund in Shanghai were built in this style. Within these buildings, theatres, foyers, and rooms bore heavy geometric patterns and were furnished with chairs and tables of similar styles. The yuefenpai of this period quickly reflected these emerging preferences. The beautiful ladies in the advertisement posters were wearing Qipao with Art Deco prints and were often depicted sitting on lush chairs. Frames and fonts of Art Deco were also heavily employed by yuefenpai artists of the time. These posters enjoyed increasing popularity throughout the 1920s and 1930s, to the extent that scholars have argued that they played a crucial role in helping the everyday Chinese become acclimatized to the abstract nature of modern art.   8. Yuefenpai Went Into Decline After Communist Rule Swept China Warmly Love Chairman Mao by Xie Zhi Guang, 1955. Source: Chinese Posters   As China turned red after 1949, art took on a new form. It no longer imitated life but instead became subservient to the socialist ideology. Under Mao Zedong’s iron-fisted rule, artistic production and activities were subjected to rigid guidelines and only existed to serve the political interests of the Chinese Communist Party. In place of the exploding consumerist culture of the 1920s and 1930s, posters now had to reflect patriotism and socialist ideals.   Instead of beautifully dressed women celebrating the inexhaustible variety of life, yuefenpai artists now illustrated scenes of female peasants in the farmland. Some of the most prolific yuefenpai artists adapted their techniques to illustrate state-sanctioned propaganda posters of the time. Shanghai-based artist, Xie Zhi Guang, was one of them. Although these propaganda posters retained the same vibrant colors as the yuefenpai, they conveyed an entirely different message and served a political rather than a commercial purpose.   Numerous religious scriptures and religious texts are engulfed in flame near Jokhang Temple, Lhasa, as part of the movement to eradicate the Four Olds, 1960s. Source: Tibet Museum   During the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, culture underwent a violent overhaul. Galvanizing the public with heavy-handed propaganda, the Chinese Communist Party encouraged anti-capitalistic sentiments and sought to purge traditional elements. The yuefenpai was declared to be one of the hated Four Olds which referred to Old Ideas, Old Culture, Old Customs, and Old Habits. Subjected to torture and house arrest, numerous talented artists from the Shanghai Chinese Painting Academy were forced to halt production of the yuefenpai. In such a coercive socio-political climate, the yuefenpai would see the end of its day until nostalgia for a bygone time revived it in the 21st century.

The Algerian boxer who won the match against Angela Carini at the Olympics has always lived as a woman with XY chromosomes. The same applies to the other boxer, Lin Yu-ting. “The Algerian boxer was born female, was registered female, lived her life as a female, has a female passport,” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) […] The post The Two Olympic Boxers Reported as Trans, Have DSD appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.