Philosophical by Doe Zantamata

The Askers and The Offerers

By Doe Zantamata  author of KARMA and other books ,posters, and much more...
edited  artwork and structure by FL/122013

Copyright © 2013 Iko Productions, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Perspective is a funny thing. We’re only ever given one...our own. In order to get another person’s perspective, really get it, you’d have to be born as them and have had every single experience, lesson, heard every word, and had every interaction they ever had from birth until the present moment. So the bad news is, it’s pretty much impossible. The good news is, it doesn’t matter.

This brings us to the Askers and the Offerers. Neither extreme can understand the other extreme. What motivates them, what they’re thinking, how they can live that way. But the other person is never in your control, nor should they be.

You and your actions are the only thing in your control, ever.

So first off, who are you?

1. Extreme offerer:
You are incredibly considerate and selfless. Often you are described as “too nice” but you take it as a compliment and carry on. You put your own needs last...dead last. You’d give your lung to someone who needed it if you could only figure out a way to get it to them. You give and give, not just until it hurts, but well after it hurts. You’ve ended a lot of relationships, work, friends, and romantic, feeling very disillusioned...very used. Some people just took and took without ever even thinking about what you may need or offering anything, any help, time, consideration, or even a “how are you?” Your way. Still you carry on, believing that this is how it should be.

The problem:
People treat you how you tell them to treat you. When someone is late, do you say, “It’s ok?” In trying to be nice, you’ve just told them is was OK to be late. You’ve just told them not to respect your time. Maybe you didn’t want to make a big deal out of something so small or you didn’t want them to feel bad, but if it happens 100 more times, will it still be OK? There’s an old teaching mantra...”What you allow, you encourage.” So even if you don’t make a big deal of it or yell “HOW DARE YOU BE LATE?!” You can still express your honest feelings so that they feel just a little pinch and will make a greater effort next time.

Giving. You looooove to give. But are you a good receiver? When people give you anything, do you tell them “You shouldn’t have” or “It’s too much” or “I feel bad that you got me this.” ? If yes, you are likely intending to be gracious but you’re actually ruining their moment. You know how you love to give? It feels good, right? To make people happy? Well if you reject their gifts, you’re denying them that feeling. Learn to receive and you’ll be giving them the great gift of being appreciated.

Resentment. If you give and give and give, you’re going to be creating selfish little monsters out of all the people in your life. Eventually, they’ll all seem to be totally inconsiderate and you’ll wonder how they could be that way. You may even think they’re narcissistic because they never seem to think of you. But early on...again, did you reject any acts of kindness or consideration?

The Solution:
Learn to ask. Learn to speak up. Be clear. Don’t hold any feelings inside. Every person on this earth needs something sometimes, no matter how independent they are. You know the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you’d have done to you? It works the other way, too....would you want someone to not tell you when they would like or need something from you that you’d actually love to give to them? Be it time, help, a shoulder to cry on...you’d want them to ask. Or if you’d offered, you’d want them to give you that chance to be there for them. So you need to do the same with all the people in your life.

Dont assume that anyone “should know” anything. Not too many people are psychics. It’s best to ask instead of assuming. People may have even said to you, “Why didn’t you just ask??” If you assume they should know and they didn’t, you’ll end up thinking less of them and probably not liking them as much. That’s not good. Communication rocks. It’s appreciated. Even if the words are tough to say.

If you’re decidedly not an Extreme Offerer, but some things sounded familiar, it could be that you are an

2. Over Offerer
Unlike the Extreme Offerer, you do have some boundaries. Boundaries are good! They help to keep you from being depleted.

The problem.
Over offerers don’t just give their all to everyone, but they do have a hard time with relationships that are really important to them. This is because when it’s dealing with someone they really love or someone they’re really interested in off the bat, they tend to overdo it. They aren’t really conscious of it, it happens naturally. A new relationship, a new job, they will do their best and be the most considerate person ever, and never ask for anything in return. This on the reflection end can cause some problems. For relationships, it will actually push away independent folks who feel it’s on the smothering side. So the only folks who will maintain an interest are the ones who naturally take a little (or a lot) more. After awhile, instead of appreciating what’s already been given, they may seek more from the over offerer. The over offerer will then pull back, feeling a bit shocked that after all they’ve done, more is expected. This leads to a roller coaster of relationship failures that all started out so wonderful and promising but ended up with a whole lot of grief. As if the two who entered into the relationship became two entirely different people by the end.

With long term friendships or acquaintances, this isn’t a problem. Things are equal and good. No one is overdone and no one is undone…though the friends may not be able to understand why their nice friend has so many problems in the relationship department.

This can also be a problem with a new job that the over offerer was really really excited to get. In the beginning of a working relationship, a bar is set. The over offerer is appreciative of the job and will always volunteer to do more, help more, and take on extra. Instead of becoming appreciated, this ends up being taken advantage of. Why ask a dozen people if they can stay late when the boss knows the over offerer will always say yes? It’s a time saver…but the over offerer may view it as not being appreciated or that they are being asked too much or not appreciated.

So overall, the over offerer has a lot more stability in life with relationships that do not really inspire their passion or that they’re not really motivated to do their absolute best in. Those other relationships and friendships may then face a whole lot of joy talk in the beginnings and woe is me at the endings of the over offerers life changes. And it really is an emotional roller coaster. But they won’t get off that ride until it’s recognized for what it is: they’re ultimately sabotaging what’s most exciting and important to them with a pattern that doesn’t serve them.

The solution.
Keep in in check. Learn patience. Relax. Deep breaths. Don’t get caught up in the excitement of that ride at the start. It’s good to be happy about something new. In fact it’s GREAT! But keep in mind that what you put out at the beginning is what will be expected throughout. Remember past relationships and how once you depleted yourself there was nothing left to give and yet the other person was tapping their foot expecting more. Set yourself up to succeed instead of to crash and burn. Temperance is a must. Go for the long haul rather than the short term and with your actions, think consciously if this is something you want to repeat for the next decade or not. Volunteer to do extra work, sure, sometimes. But not always. If you always volunteer, then unfortunately your time will become of less value to the boss because you give it up so readily. Same goes with relationships. Keep hold of your whole life and add the relationship to it. Don’t get swept away in a whirlwind no matter how much you like the person ---ESPECIALLY if you really like the person. Slow and steady wins the race.

3. Perfectly Balanced
Ahhh wouldn’t it be nice? To be so perfectly balanced that you could always ask for what you wanted or needed and always offer whenever you felt like it without feeling guilt or regret ever for either one?
Here’s the thing. “Perfectly Balanced” is not a point you’ll ever reach. And if by chance you do reach it for a second, something will then change and it won’t be perfect anymore.

But that’s not a bad thing.
If you play darts or bowl, you know how this works. Just because you know how to do it, no matter how good you are or how long you’ve been playing, you’ll never get to a point where you hit the bull’s eye or strike every single time. What you do is aim for it, and if you get it, great. If not, you compensate your next turn the other way in the opposite direction.

This is the same with asking and offering.
Let’s say you’ve just got an unfair parking ticket and you call a friend for someone to vent with and maybe get a little encouragement. You’re fully prepared to ask. But when that friend answers her phone she’s in tears because one of her relatives has just been diagnosed with cancer. You’ll immediately switch from being an asker to being an offerer. And this is a great thing. It doesn’t mean your needs won’t ever be met and it doesn’t mean she’s selfish for needing someone. It’s just how life works.

Or another example, if a wealthy friend calls you up and invites you to dinner but you just spent your last cent on repairing the furnace, you’re free to say, “Yes, I’d love to go, but I don’t have any money right now. Would you buy my dinner?” (Or could you lend me money, either way). If that friend were wealthy, you’d feel less anxious about asking this. That factor isn’t always going to be the same way. If that wealthy friend then fell upon hard times and called you up and said the same, you’d be less inclined to ask.
A very crucial thing to staying within balance is to never assume anything. Always communicate clearly with people. Otherwise, your offers may cause you resentment.

For example if your brother-in-law is always broke so you always just pay for him but then he says he’s buying a new truck, you may resent him for not paying his own way. But he may (sounds ridiculous but it’s true) have just got in the habit of you paying for him and thought you must be rich and or just love to buy his meals.
Or with time, if you offer your time to help another person or other people, anytime they ask, but then when you need someone’s time to help move or even to spend a day together and everyone’s busy…well you may have been a little too free with your time with them. Instead of getting upset, learn to make time for yourself and prioritize that. If something’s an emergency or a very special occasion, of course cancel on yourself, but don’t just drop everything all the time for anyone who asks. This will prevent resentment down the road, and will keep a sense of worth of your time to other people.

Life isn’t linear, so perfection isn’t possible.

There will be times in everyone’s life where they have more than enough time and or money or are doing very well emotionally and can offer others any excess to help them through. It’s in those times that askers can afford to be more considerate and begin to offer.

There are also going to be many times when illness, divorce, unemployment, or other things out of a person’s control will go on in their lives where they just can’t be there for others. It’s in those times they will have to ask for more. It’s in those times you will have to ask for more even if you’ve so far been an offerer.
Both are difficult because of a thing called habit. If it’s been a certain way for a long time and it changes, becoming more of an asker or more of an offerer will feel very awkward and unfamiliar. But the reward of learning to do these things is immeasurable. If you’re able to help another in your time of plenty, you’ve likely been able to change another person’s life for the better. If you need to ask for support, mental, emotional, or financial from another and they gladly say yes and are there for you, you’ll appreciate them and feel a deeper connection to them. And you’ll be the first person in line to be there for them when the time comes…as it will.
Staying aware of how you feel is the key here. If someone asks you for something or offers you something, you’ll get a ping on your intuition—a feeling inside. The more freely you can do both, the more in tune your intuition will become. It will feel like a relief when someone offers you help and you need it. It will feel good to offer someone else something when they do and you can. It will feel just fine to ask, and it will be a simple yes or no when someone else asks.

Communication and awareness. Keep those alive in every interaction. They will free you from anxiety, guilt, resentment, and all those other awful feelings that can arise when something is or isn’t asked for, offered or not offered.

A sidenote…what about those people who refuse when they can help and you’ve asked, and what about those who refuse help when you’ve offered and they do need it? You can’t control their reactions, you can only control your actions. If they aren’t willing to give or the others aren’t willing to receive, then it will likely divide your relationship. It’s too bad, but not everyone is ready to be that open. Being open requires vulnerability and trust, and for some, they’re still holding onto a lot of pain from when one or both of those things were severely damaged in the past. Likely not even by you at all. It will be up to them to realize that pain makes a lousy shield and prevents them from achieving those wonderful relationships that they would really love to have. If you feel you’re in that type of position with someone, be open about your feelings, but also be accepting if they determine they can’t do it right now. It’s their path. Encouragement is great, but over encouragement will only be perceived as forcing or controlling, and you don’t ever want to do that to a person. Just as you wouldn’t want that done to you.

4. Over Asker
Over asking is subjective. Most often, a person can be pretty well balanced but an Extreme Offerer will view them as being an Over Asker. Why is this? It’s a bit of envy. Extreme Offerers usually have a huge difficulty in asking for anything, so to them, it seems incredibly inconsiderate for someone to actually ask for anything that they were hoping would be offered to them. This can happen in the workplace quite often between employees. If there’s a person who asks for a holiday off, or asks for a raise, or any other perk, they are more likely to get it. To the eyes of their Extreme Offerer coworker, this is a slap in the face by the boss. “How could HE get that when I do so much more?!”

So first, to determine if you’re an Over Asker, you will have to be aware of other people’s views, but always consider the source. There may be a bias at play that has nothing to do with you.

The Problem:
In the daily minutia, the Over Asker is mostly pretty easy going and feels satisfied with him or herself and is unaware of any slight of other people’s feelings. For example at a restaurant…if the waiter asks “Booth or Table?” The Over Asker will answer based on their preference and not think it’s a big deal. And mostly it won’t be. And if there’s a person who is in the group who is severely claustrophobic and can’t stand booths, it will be up to them to speak up or suffer, because otherwise, the Over Asker won’t even notice.

In relationships, the Over Asker will find him or herself usually feeling quite good about relationships and the happiness level, but may be taken for a shock when accused of being inconsiderate or selfish. They may genuinely be totally unaware and need to know examples in order to see where they didn’t consider the other person’s feelings. Because they are used to just asking for things, the only response may be, “Well if you felt that way why didn’t you SAY something?!” Which in one sense is true. But in another sense, it’s placing blame on the other person whose intention was to be considerate of everyone. That’s a good person. So if you ever hear someone accuse you of being selfish or inconsiderate…look first beyond the emotion and the insult and ask and listen to what they’re talking about. If something has happened while you were unaware many times, chances are, their emotions have been bottled up and have grown to a larger proportion than they would have. If they cite tiny, little insignificant things, don’t shun those things as insignificant each on their own, but look at them on the whole and realize that over time, added up, they’ve left that person feeling unsatisfied and unloved.

The Solution:
Don’t change your freedom in asking and being upfront with what you want. That’s a good thing. But do become more aware of the types of people around you, and those who never ask for a thing…ask them. Consider them. Offer them things you think may help make their lives a little easier. Especially those most important to you like your parents or the nicest people you know. It could be that they do have needs, wants, and things they’d appreciate from you, but they care about you and your happiness more than they value “making a big deal” of any one little thing. But they will appreciate and hopefully take you up on your offers. And you will show them that you do value them, you do care about their wellbeing, and you do want them to know that they are loved and appreciated.

5. Extreme Asker
The problem.
These people can’t be happy. Seriously. They may be dubbed by armchair doctors (especially exes) as “Narcissistic” but who knows aside from a qualified doctor if that’s really the case or if they’re just unaware of the drama they cause by their demands.

The root of the Extreme Asker can be a few different things. One, they may have been a very spoiled child, especially if they were an only child. (**This does not apply to all only children…many are wonderful and considerate people**). This is because they grew up learning and believing that all their needs would be met and they didn’t have to consider the person meeting them. That person was fine. All they had to do was ask and it would be given.

Or it may be rooted in a troubled childhood in which the person never healed from feeling insignificant and unimportant.  To compensate for this wound, they have to make sure everyone caters to them extra. That makes them somehow feel validated as being more special than everyone else. To be the same wouldn’t be good enough, and to be treated less than anyone else can send them into a rage.

Regardless of the root, they are demanding. They can find something wrong with just about anything and will not just ask but demand that things be changed to their liking or else not only them, but everyone, will be miserable.

They complain. If something isn’t addressed immediately, they can get very emotional very quickly and leap into a “how dare you?!” Mode of destruction. This pasta’s not cooked right, this dishwasher isn’t loaded right, this place is filthy, I’m not sitting in the Exit Row, I need a better price on this, your hair isn’t right.

They cause a dark cloud over the brightest day, and everyone’s path they cross is a little unhappier because of the interaction.

The solution.
It ultimately lies within them. The worst thing to do is to try to appease this person, as it will only encourage more of the same. They become a moving target. If you change, correct, fix, or create whatever they said they wanted, they’ll just find some more things to want. It’s only when they are not appeased that they may or may not realize what they’re doing and that it’s not making anything better, but instead, creating unnecessary misery.

If this is you, it’s going to be awfully difficult to recognize because a big part of it is believing you know more than anyone. But how happy and satisfied with each day are you? Think of the expressions on the faces of people you encounter during the day…are they distraught after speaking with you? Do you believe that for things to be done right, you have to do them or make sure they’re done right and check up on people who do them? Have you been accused of being controlling or been asked if anything is good enough for you? How often do you consider other people’s feelings or what they may or may not need? When is the last time you’ve asked someone how they are doing?

In the most extreme of the extremes where the root is an unhealed feeling of insignificance, counseling is probably the best route. In dealing with that core issue, the symptoms of Extreme Asking will lessen on their own. The need for the demands will cease to be. The reward will be better relationships, happier interactions with every single person they meet, and within, a peace and satisfaction with life that has never existed before. Wholeness.

So, there they are.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are only and ever responsible for you. If you are truly happy being an Over Offerer and never feel any sort of resentment towards another person for not thinking of you much, then don’t change. Do not change at all. Some people are wired that way and really wouldn’t be happier asking for anything because it would compromise their feeling of self-sufficiency.

The purpose of this outline isn’t to plunk anyone into a category and demand they change in order to be happy. You and only you can decide if you’re happy. If you read these and think in a different way about yourself or someone you know, that’s great, too. If you read about the Extreme Asker and recognize the symptoms in someone in your family, maybe it will help you to see that under that pain in the butt miserable person is just an incredibly insecure child in an unhealed adult’s body. Don’t feel so much compassion that you put up with it, but do understand that the root of it isn’t likely evil or intentionally making others upset even though that’s what it looks like from the outside. Maybe you can even reach that person by asking them about their childhood and suggesting a good counselor because their life is important enough to be whole and well.

When you think about people, remember too that most of us are about the same on the inside. If you’d grown up as them, gone through the same things and seen the same things, you may think the same way as them. And if you think differently now but can recognize how they think, and they can recognize how you think, you can be compatible. Just realize that different isn’t always wrong, it may just be different. If you’re an Over Offerer and your best friend is an Over Asker, think of what you can learn from each other. You can teach that person to be more considerate and they can teach you how to ask. It’s not about them changing to suit you or about you changing to suit them, but rather you both using your mutual respect for each other to help to develop the skills of consideration and asking within the other which will help you both in all of your other relationships, now and in the future.
Live in love,
Doe
Be sure to visit my blogs, with lots of inspirational posters and articles, all free for you to read at:

www.thehiyl.com My main blog. Articles, longer and shorter posters. Organized by category and more added weekly.

www.quotesaboutliving.com  A preview of my “Happiness in Your Life” Book series, with quotes about Forgiveness, Self-Worth, Trust, Karma, Power, and more.

www.doezantamataquotes.com  Short quotes and inspirational posters. Great for a little mood boost any time of day.

Syria

There is no doubt that the infamous attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 constituted the most definitive moment in modern history. On that frenetic day the world stood still; frozen in time as gruesome memories were etched in our collective psyches for eternity. It was on that day that an elusive, shadowy figure named Osama bin Laden, (who hitherto was considered a parenthetical nemesis) was suddenly and unceremoniously plucked from historical obscurity and catapulted head first into the global amphitheater.

In the days and weeks to follow, we learned of such organizations as al-Qaeda and the Taliban; predicated on a doctrine of religious fanaticism and unadulterated hatred for all things Western; namely the United States. The names and motives seemed more enigmatic to us than the countries in which they originated in, but there was one thing we knew: The man at the helm of this agglomeration of barbaric zealots was responsible for the murder of close to 3000 Americans and it was he that represented an existential peril to the freedoms and liberties that we hold so dear.

So now, it is 12years later, and the wretched life of Osama bin Laden has  been snuffed out through the legendary doughtiness of US Navy SEALS in a far away compound in Pakistan. Six days after the 9/11 attacks, a reporter queried then President George W. Bush if he wanted bin Laden dead. “I want him — I want justice,” the president answered. “And there’s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive.’” We can take some comfort in knowing that the last face that bin Laden saw before his long awaited demise was that of an American serviceman. Over the last 10 years, we have witnessed bin Laden displaying an unabashed insouciance towards the righteous indignation of the US and the free world in a series of grotesque videos that he's released. While endlessly taunting his American adversary; he has also launched acrimonious salvos that are replete with clear indications of future attacks of this magnitude.

While President Obama can use this as a feather in his cap , we know that timing is a strange thing and only through a fortuitous confluence of events did US intelligence ultimately pinpoint bin Laden's location and exact long awaited justice. On that note, Pakistan still  has a lot of explaining to do as it has been revealed that they knew of bin Laden's whereabouts for years while remaining criminally mum on the subject and playing a sinister double game with the United States.

Despite the jubilant news that this foreboding paradigm of evil incarnate has been eradicated, it would be foolhardy to believe that bin Laden's brainchild, namely al-Qaeda, was buried along next to him the North Arabian sea. Al-Qaeda is alive and well, as we've so painfully learned during our military involvement in Iraq. We need only turn our heads to the deadly civil strife plaguing Libya to comprehend that al-Qaeda cells have created an unholy partnership with the NATO backed rebel forces. Only the politically myopic would promulgate the erroneous and dangerous notion that the killing of bin Laden is tantamount to the final chapter of al-Qaeda history and those that emulate their pernicious ethos.

We must remain cognizant of the fact that al-Qaeda will maintain its status as a multinational purveyor of terrorism unless the US remains vigilant in their quest to do real battle with this seemingly intractable foe. At this juncture, we're riding a superlative wave of national pride and inspiration. Let's capitalize on this euphoria, lest we backslide into complacency by listening to the inexhaustably loquacious liberal rantings of certain political pundits and other opinionistas with a skewed perspective on justice.

Al-Qaeda, under bin Laden's leadership, has declared the entire world as fair territory in their holy war against those "recalcitrant" infidels. Let us remember the tourist spots that were bombed in Bali and the passenger trains that were likewise bombed in Spain. Let us never forget the 17 sailors murdered on the USS Cole warship in 2000 and the scores of other US military personnel who were murdered in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Let us remember that prior to 9/11, al-Qaeda was implicated in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993, an aborted plot to hijack a dozen jets, the bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia and a plan to crash a plane into the CIA headquarters and murder President Bill Clinton. Let us also take heed of the fact that al-Qaeda operatives have successfully insinuated themselves into the fabric of the very Western culture that they ostensibly abhor, utilizing technological advancements to further their objectives of global domination.

Case in point: Reports reveal that bin Laden issued "fatwas" (religious decrees) by fax as he lived a purportedly Muslim ascetic existence while declaring his war on Americans through an e-mail that he had beamed by satellite around the world. His al-Qaeda members routinely communicate through encrypted messages on their computers and use CDs to store their bomb-making manuals. Let's face the cold, hard facts. We're not exactly dealing with a rag tag cadre of rogues who are running the revolution from an undisclosed boiler room.

And now..........Syria:-

Ottoman Syria

Main article: Ottoman Syria

Syrian women, 1683

In 1516, the Ottoman Empire invaded the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt, conquering Syria, and incorporating it into its empire. The Ottoman system was not burdensome to Syrians because the Turks respected Arabic as the language of the Koran, and accepted the mantle of defenders of the faith. Damascus was made the major entrepot for Mecca, and as such it acquired a holy character to Muslims, because of the beneficial results of the countless pilgrims who passed through on the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.^]
Ottoman administration followed a unique system that lead to a peaceful coexistence for centuries. Each religious minority—Shia Muslim, Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Armenian, and Jewish—constituted a millet. The religious heads of each community administered all personal status law and performed certain civil functions as well.
In the midst of World War I, two Allied diplomats (Frenchman François Georges-Picot and Briton Mark Sykes) secretly agreed on the post-war division of the Ottoman Empire into respective zones of influence in the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. Initially, the two territories were separated by a border that ran in an almost straight line from Jordan to Iran. However, the discovery of oil in the region of Mosul just before the end of the war led to yet another negotiation with France in 1918 to cede this region to 'Zone B', or the British zone of influence. This border was later recognized internationally when Syria became a League of Nations mandate in 1920 and has not changed to date.

French Mandate

Main article: French Mandate for Syria and Lebanon

The inauguration of President Hashim al-Atassi in 1936

In 1920, a short-lived independent Kingdom of Syria was established under Faisal I of the Hashemite family. However, his rule over Syria ended after only a few months, following the Battle of Maysalun. French troops occupied Syria later that year after the San Remo conference proposed that the League of Nations put Syria under a French mandate.
In 1925, Sultan al-Atrash led a revolt that broke out in the Druze Mountain and spread to engulf the whole of Syria and parts of Lebanon. Al-Atrash won several battles against the French, notably the Battle of al-Kafr on 21 July 1925, the Battle of al-Mazraa on 2–3 August 1925, and the battles of Salkhad, al-Musayfirah and Suwayda. France sent thousands of troops from Morocco and Senegal, leading the French to regain many cities, although resistance lasted until the spring of 1927. The French sentenced Sultan al-Atrash to death, but he had escaped with the rebels to Transjordan and was eventually pardoned. He returned to Syria in 1937 after the signing of the Syrian-French Treaty.
Syria and France negotiated a treaty of independence in September 1936, and Hashim al-Atassi was the first president to be elected under the first incarnation of the modern republic of Syria. However, the treaty never came into force because the French Legislature refused to ratify it. With the fall of France in 1940 during World War II, Syria came under the control of Vichy France until the British and Free French occupied the country in the Syria-Lebanon campaign in July 1941. Continuing pressure from Syrian nationalists and the British forced the French to evacuate their troops in April 1946, leaving the country in the hands of a republican government that had been formed during the mandate.

Independence

Main articles: Syrian Republic (1930–1958), United Arab Republic, and 1963 Syrian coup d'état

Aleppo in 1961

Upheaval dominated Syrian politics from independence through the late 1960s. In 1948, Syria was involved in the Arab-Israeli War, aligning with the other local Arab states attempting to prevent the establishment of the State of Israel^..Defeat in this war was one of several trigger factors for the March 1949 Syrian coup d'état by Col. Husni al-Za'im, described as the first military overthrow of the Arab World since the start of the Second World War. This was soon followed by another overthrow, by Col. Sami al-Hinnawi, who was himself quickly deposed by Col. Adib Shishakli, all within the same year.
Shishakli eventually abolished multipartyism altogether, but was himself overthrown in a 1954 coup and the parliamentary system was restored. However, by this time, power was increasingly concentrated in the military and security establishment.The weakness of Parliamentary institutions and the mismanagement of the economy led to unrest and the influence of Nasserism and other ideologies. There was fertile ground for various Arab nationalist, Syrian nationalist, and socialist movements, which represented disaffected elements of society. Notably included were religious minorities, who demanded radical reform.
In November 1956, as a direct result of the Suez Crisis, Syria signed a pact with the Soviet Union. This gave a foothold for Communist influence within the government in exchange for military equipment.Turkey then became worried about this increase in the strength of Syrian military technology, as it seemed feasible that Syria might attempt to retake İskenderun. Only heated debates in the United Nations lessened the threat of war.
On 1 February 1958, Syrian President Shukri al-Quwatli and Egypt's Nasser announced the merging of Egypt and Syria, creating the United Arab Republic, and all Syrian political parties, as well as the communists therein, ceased overt activities.Meanwhile, a group of Syrian Ba'athist officers, alarmed by the party’s poor position and the increasing fragility of the union, decided to form a secret Military Committee; its initial members were Lieutenant-Colonel Muhammad Umran, Major Salah Jadid and Captain Hafez al-Assad. When Syria seceded on 28 September 1961, the ensuing instability culminated in the 8 March 1963 coup. The takeover was engineered by members of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. The new cabinet was dominated by Ba'ath members.

Ba'athist Syria

On 23 February 1966, the Military Committee carried out an intra-party overthrow, imprisoned President Amin Hafiz and designated a regionalist, civilian Ba'ath government on 1 March.^[33] Although Nureddin al-Atassi became the formal head of state, Salah Jadid was Syria's effective ruler from 1966 until 1970.^[36] The coup led to a split within the original pan-Arab Ba'ath Party: one Iraqi-led ba'ath movement (ruled Iraq from 1968 to 2003) and one Syrian-led ba'ath movement was established.
Conflict over the cultivation of disputed lands sparked into 7 April prewar aerial clashes between Israel and Syria.^[37] After Israel launched a preemptive strike on Egypt to begin the June 1967 war, Syria joined the battle against Israel as well. In the final days of the war, Israel turned its attention to Syria, capturing the entire Golan Heights in under 48 hours.^[38] The defeat caused a split between Jadid and Assad over what steps to take next.^[39]

Quneitra village, largely destroyed before the Israeli withdrawal in June 1974.

Disagreement developed between Jadid, who controlled the party apparatus, and Assad, who controlled the military. The 1970 retreat of Syrian forces sent to aid the PLO during the "Black September" hostilities with Jordan reflected this disagreement.The power struggle culminated in the November 1970 Corrective Movement, a bloodless military overthrow that installed Hafez al-Assad as the strongman of the government.
On 6 October 1973, Syria and Egypt initiated the Yom Kippur War against Israel. The Israel Defense Forces reversed the initial Syrian gains and pushed deeper into Syrian territory.^[42]
In early 1976, Syria entered Lebanon, beginning the thirty-year Syrian military occupation. Over the following 15 years of civil war, Syria fought for control over Lebanon, and attempted to stop Israel from taking over in southern Lebanon, through extensive use of proxy militias. Syria then remained in Lebanon until 2005.
In the late 1970s, an Islamic uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood was aimed against the government. Islamists attacked civilians and off-duty military personnel, and civilians were also killed in retaliatory strike by security forces. The uprising had reached its climax in the 1982 Hama massacre when some 10,000 - 40,000 people were killed by regular Syrian Army troops.
In a major shift in relations with both other Arab states and the Western world, Syria participated in the US-led Gulf War against Saddam Hussein. Syria participated in the multilateral Madrid Conference of 1991, and during the 1990s engaged in negotiations with Israel. These negotiations failed, and there have been no further direct Syrian-Israeli talks since President Hafez al-Assad's meeting with then President Bill Clinton in Geneva in March 2000.

Military situation in Syria (as of 28 April 2013).

  Controlled by Syrian government

  Controlled by Kurdish forces

  Controlled by opposition
(For a clickable version of the map without shaded areas, see here)

Hafez al-Assad died on 10 June 2000. His son, Bashar al-Assad, was elected President in an election in which he ran unopposed. His election saw the birth of the Damascus Spring and hopes of reform, but by autumn 2001 the authorities had suppressed the movement, imprisoning some of its leading intellectuals. Instead, reforms have been limited to some market reforms.
On 5 October 2003, Israel bombed a site near Damascus, claiming it was a terrorist training facility for members of Islamic Jihad.In March 2004, Syrian Kurds and Arabs clashed in the northeastern city of al-Qamishli. Signs of rioting were seen in the towns of Qameshli and Hassakeh.^[49] In 2005, Syria ended its occupation of Lebanon. On 6 September 2007, Israeli jet fighters carried out Operation Orchard against a suspected nuclear reactor under construction by North Korean technicians.
The ongoing Syrian civil war was inspired by the Arab Spring Revolutions. It began in 2011 as a chain of peaceful protests, followed by a crackdown by the Syrian Army.^[52] In July 2011, army defectors declared the formation of the Free Syrian Army and began forming fighting units. The opposition is dominated by Sunni Muslims, whereas the leading government figures are Alawites.According to various sources, including the United Nations, up to 100,000 people have been killed. To escape the violence, over 1.7 million Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring countries of Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Turkey. As the civil war has dragged on, there have been worries that the country could become fragmented and cease to function as a state.

In early September 2013, President Obama told U.S. Senators that the CIA had trained the first 50-man insurgent element and that they had been inserted into Syria.  The deployment of this unit and the supplying of weapons may be the first tangible measure of support since the U.S. stated they would begin providing assistance to the opposition.

Above Syria components copied from Wikipedia...

Egypt

There is no  end in sight.....so much for democracy....it failed. The brotherhood's leader screwed up...

Egypt's military had stepped up security around key sites after at least 638 people were killed and nearly 4,000 injured on Wednesday when security forces cleared sit-in protests by supporters of Morsi.....over 40 policemen were included in the number of  casualties reported...

Egyptian leaders gave differing hints at the future of the country’s powerful Muslim Brotherhood political party, one day after security forces cleared supporters of deposed President Mohammed Morsi from a Cairo mosque where demonstrators had barricaded themselves after days of street violence.

The Kurdish Question

Copied:
In the international mass media the escalation of fighting in the Kurdish region in Turkey has been in the shadow of the Syrian crisis. June 2011 parliamentary elections were held in Turkey. People hoped that the elections would contribute to a peaceful solution in the Kurdish conflict. But things turned to opposite direction. The post-election year has been the bloodiest in Turkey since the capture of Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK’s leader Abdullah Öcalan in 1999. According to International Crisis Group, in the fighting in southeastern Turkey has died since the 2011 elections more than 700 people: about 400 PKK guerrillas, more than 200 Turkish soldiers and at least 84 civilians. In recent weeks, the situation has become even worse: on average ten soldiers die in a week. According to PKK sources, the number of deaths during the last two years has been two thousand people. In 2005, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seemed to be ready to seek a political solution to the Kurdish question. He spoke about this during his visit in Kurdish region's largest city Diyarbakir. In the spring 2009 there were rumors that the Turkish government and the PKK representatives have informal contacts with target to start peace negotiations. Bianet news agency (which is considered to be a reliable source) referred to this in May 2009. In spring 2009 journalist Hasan Cemal of Millyet newspaper (big Turkish newspaper) interviewed PKK leader Murat Karayilan. He stated that PKK does not require constitutional amendments before the letting down weapons. Sources near to PKK said last July that Abdullah Ocalan was also involved in the informal contacts with the Turkish authorities until the 2011 elections.  According to International Crisis Group, there is danger that Turkey will move towards a brutal anti-terrorism war. Hardening line in the Turkish side would strengthen hardliners also inside PKK - even though the organization shows in public united opinions, it is clear that behind the scenes there is a range of views, harder and softer ones. In the autonomy of the Syrian Kurds there is not now any big news to report. The Syrian Kurds proclaimed their territory autonomous in July this year. The Iraqi Kurds, the Kurds in the South, have had autonomy since 1991. Autonomy is also the aim of the Kurds in Turkey, as the co-existence with the Turks does not seem to succeed. Now, in eastern Kurdistan, or the Iranian part of Kurdistan, discussion on autonomy has also started.
Kurds in Turkey ,Iraq,  Iran and Syria want their own country, it's that simple.

Back to the issues....

Mark Bradford                           

And the vast majority of the Muslim deaths have been Muslim on Muslim. The only blame the US has is blowing the lid off the pressure cooker that was Iraq. Of course, Al Qaeda woke up the sleeping tiger with their idiocy of 9/11. I do wish the US had never invaded Iraq and left Saddam to his own devices. He was doing a very good job of keeping the pressure cooker lid on.

If I want to write about world concerns and world issues I must learn not to get sidetracked with scams, computer virus and things that have nothing to do with the problems of the world in general and it's 7 billion human inhabitants.
So, back to the subject of concerns about  troubles at hand:-
Iraq, daily horrors
Iran, a new beginning, perhaps
Pakistan, drones, prison escapes and all that
Israel and the Palestinians, never-ending story
Pollution, Brazil and elsewhere, big oil
Afghanistan , more horrors, waste,stupidity
North Korea, taking a rest
Egypt, and the region in general new unrest in Cairo
Europe and it's money woes, Spain, Italy ,Greece,  unemployment etc.
Turkey, a new flashpoint, stubborn elected ruler causing serious trouble
Syria...a horrible mess, no end in sight..

money/ Bahrain...

Early 20th Century reforms

In 1911, a group of Bahraini merchants demanded restrictions on the British influence in the country. The group's leaders were subsequently arrested and exiled to India. In 1923, the British replaced Sheikh Issa bin Ali with his son. Some clerical opponents and families such as al Dossari left or were exiled to Saudi Arabia and Iran.^[51] Three years later the British placed the country under the de facto rule of Charles Belgrave who operated as an adviser to the ruler until 1957.^[52][53] Belgrave brought a number of reforms such as establishment of the country's first modern school in 1919, the Persian Gulf's first girls school in 1928 and the abolition of slavery.^[54] At the same time, the pearl diving industry developed at a rapid pace.
In 1927, Rezā Shāh, then Shah of Iran, demanded the return of Bahrain in a letter to the League of Nations. A move that prompted Belgrave to undertake harsh measures including encouraging conflicts between Shia and Sunni Muslims in order to bring down the uprisings and limit the Iranian influence.^[55] Belgrave even went further by suggesting to rename the Persian Gulf to the "Arabian Gulf"; however, the proposal was refused by the British government.^[52] Britain's interest in Bahrain's development was motivated by concerns over Saudi and Iranian ambitions in the region.

Discovery of petroleum and WWII

The Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), a subsidiary of the Standard Oil Company of California (Socal),^[56] discovered oil in 1931 and production began the following year. This was to bring rapid modernisation to Bahrain. Relations with the United Kingdom became closer, as evidenced by the British Royal Navy moving its entire Middle Eastern command from Bushehr in Iran to Bahrain in 1935.^{[57][self-published source?]}
Bahrain participated in the Second World War on the Allied side, joining on 10 September 1939. On 19 October 1940, four Italian SM.82s bombers bombed Bahrain alongside Dhahran oilfields in Saudi Arabia,^[58] targeting Allied-operated oil refineries.^[59] Although minimal damage was caused in both locations, the attack forced the Allies to upgrade Bahrain's defences, an action which further stretched Allied military resources.^[59]
After World War II, increasing anti-British sentiment spread throughout the Arab World and led to riots in Bahrain. The riots focused on the Jewish community.^[60] In 1948, following rising hostilities and looting,^[61] most members of Bahrain's Jewish community abandoned their properties and evacuated to Bombay, later settling in Israel (Pardes Hanna-Karkur) and the United Kingdom. As of 2008, 37 Jews remained in the country.^[61] In 2008, Bahrain's king appealed to former-Bahraini Jews abroad in the US and UK to return to the country and had also offered compensation and citizenship.^[60]
In the 1950s, the National Union Committee, formed by reformists following sectarian clashes, demanded an elected popular assembly, removal of Belgrave and carried out a number of protests and general strikes. In 1965 a month-long uprising broke out after hundreds of workers at the Bahrain Petroleum Company were laid off.^[62]

Drop of Iranian claim

Iran's parliament passed a bill in November 1957 declaring Bahrain to be the 14th province of Iran,^[63] with two empty seats allocated for its representatives. This action caused numerous problems for Iran in its international relations, especially with some United Nations bodies, Britain, Saudi Arabia, and a number of Arab countries.^[55] At this time, Britain set out to change the demographics of Bahrain. The British policy of "Deiranisation" of the country consisted of importing large numbers of different Arabs as well as other ethnic groups from the British colonies to work as labourers.^[55]
In 1965, Britain began dialogue with Iran to determine their borders in the Persian Gulf. Before long extensive differences over borders and territory came to light, including the dispute over the dominion of Bahrain. The two were not able to determine the maritime borders between the northern and southern countries of the Persian Gulf.^[64] Eventually Iran and Britain agreed to put the matter of Dominion of Bahrain to international judgment and requested the United Nations General Secretary take on this responsibility.^[65][66]
Iran pressed hard for a referendum in Bahrain in the face of strong opposition from both the British and the Bahraini leaders.^[55] Their opposition was based on Al Khalifa's view that such a move would negate 150 years of their clan's rule in the country. In the end, as an alternative to the referendum, Iran and Britain agreed to request the United Nations conduct a survey in Bahrain that would determine the political future of the territory.
Report no. 9772 was submitted to the UN General Secretary and on 11 May 1970, the United Nations Security Council endorsed Winspeare's conclusion that an overwhelming majority of the people wished recognition of Bahrain's identity

Computer Virus- beware/

A virus is a self-replicating piece of software which usually sends itself to other computers via email or the Internet. It does not require human intervention. Its purpose is to either replicate, cause computer damage, or both. It typically comes from infected emails or documents and can either do its damage right away, or be like a ticking time bomb waiting for the special day to activate.

just Nazi stuff...

The Third Reich ;

was Nazi Germany (1933-45).
The Third Reich was the region pieced together by Adolf Hitlers Dictatorship Regime,it also included Austria. The period ended in total destruction of Germany mostly by the Americans through carpet bombardment of the entire country far beyond military targets ( so called Allied Forces, British and their former colonial support, Canada, Australia New Zealand etc.).
 As well,:
Massive financial and material support by the USA rebuilt the Russian forces under dictator Stalin of the communist USSR. The end of the war resulted in mass starvation of the German population from 1945 to 1948, the country was split into American,British,French and Russian Zones which were totally exploited by these so called  4 allies. (Not sure how the French got into this club?).

Boston Mass.

Two brothers, one 26 year old, the other just 19. One dead, the younger one seriously wounded in emergency treatment after being captured alive. Several Bostonians killed at the end of the annual marathon run and the aftermath. A number of spectators had their limbs ripped off. The two culprits originally from Chechnya have lived in the USA as free immigrants for the last 10 years, going to school and University, participating in sports and presumably living a normal American life.

What caused these two individuals to construct a couple of bombs from junk and pressure cooker utensils has yet to be determined and explored. Their father went back to Russia, mother appears to be in total denial, the family scene is a bit of a puzzle, an uncle claims to have had no connection with his brothers family and denies to have any knowledge of this turn of events and how his nephews have turned out.

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev visible through an ambulance after he was captured in Watertown, Mass., Friday, April 19, 2013. A 19-year-old college student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombings was taken into custody Friday evening after a manhunt that left the city virtually paralyzed and his older brother and accomplice dead.


Unless I have anything, new, constructive to contribute, my comments will be totally useless and pointless.

The mood in Boston, a sick scene in my view, almost a celebration for having captured the younger culprit already wounded, found in a backyard boat by a citizen now in serious condition. The street crowd out in public, chanting USA,USA...in my view the whole scene and aftermath serious signs of a sick society.

What puzzles me is a big question. Is it not far easier to get up on a soap box and state your case, your grievances, concerns and plans for a better way if you have one? That should be much simpler than making bombs and blowing up innocent people. Stupid murder of that kind will proof nothing and change nothing, only peaceful constant and honest effort in communication can and will change things, not violence and murder.

So called Black Propaganda...or how to justify mass murder...

Die Revisionisten sind im allgemeinen der Ansicht, daß die alliierten Regierungen, insbesondere die Sowjets, beschlossen, ihre aus der Kriegszeit stammende „Schwarze Propaganda" über deutsche Greuel in der Nachkriegszeit weiterzuführen. Und zwar aus drei Gründen:

1. Die Alliierten sahen sich gezwungen, weiterhin die großen Opfer der Kämpfe von zwei Weltkriegen zu rechtfertigen.
2. Die Alliierten wollten die Aufmerksamkeit von ihren eigenen, überaus brutalen Verbrechen gegen die Menschheit ablenken und sie rechtfertigen. Allein schon die sowjetischen Greuel hatten den Tod von unermeßlich vielen Millionen Zivilisten in der Sowjetunion und in allen Ländern Ost- und Mitteleuropas gefordert.
   Das amerikanische und britische Flächenbombardement deutscher und japanischer Städte hatte den Tod von über einer Million Zivilisten verschuldet, die bei lebendigem Leibe verbrannten oder verschüttet wurden.
3. Die Alliierten brauchten eine Rechtfertigung für ihr Nachkriegsvorgehen, nämlich die völlige Demontage der deutschen Industrie, eine Politik der Aushungerung, die den Tod von vielen Millionen deutscher Zivilisten zur Folge hatte, den Diebstahl deutscher Patente im Wert von Billionen Dollar, und den Raub großer Teile Deutschlands, die von Polen und der UdSSR annektiert wurden. Diese Gebiete waren nicht umstrittenes Grenzland, sondern machten 20 % des gesamten deutschen Territoriums aus. Die zwölf Millionen Deutsche, die in diesen Gebieten lebten, wurden ihres Eigentums beraubt und brutal vertrieben. Das war die grauenvollste ethnische Säuberung der Weltgeschichte. Über zwei Millionen Deutsche kamen dabei ums Leben.

And now ....translation into English....sort of....this is my attempt, I am not a linguist or translator.

 I am not familiar with the expression or term Schwarze Propaganda, it may well be an underground term not commonly used or something more recent rather than a terminology used when Russia was in the form of the then Soviet Union and  part of the allied defence propaganda machine...so be it. The term may be a leftover descriptor a  wartime activity.

This is about  the annual ritual of the  holocaust remembrance and a view of ethnic cleansing by the so called liberators ( a term the German chancellor likes to use to describe the former WWII allies.. when she visits the USA..).There clearly should be a holiday or remembrance day for all those German and ethnic German men, women and children who were needlessly murdered by the allied war machine, consisting of The USA, Soviet Union and Britain along with the UK and their aids..(.Canada , Australia  and others belonging to this colonial club).leftovers of the empire.

The revisionists are of the opinion in general that the allied governments, especially the Soviets, decided to continue their "black propaganda" descendant from the wartime over German horrors in the postwar era. Mostly for three reasons:
 
1:The allied forces found themselves forced to still justify the their victims of the fights of two world wars. It should be remembered here that in the first world war the USA entered almost at the end of the war and their losses were actually smaller than those of Australia.

2:The allied forces wanted to deflect the attention of their own, extremely brutal crimes against mankind and wanted to justify it. The Soviets suffered substantial losses during the second world war and found it appropriate to cause the death of  million civilians in Germany as well as  countries of east and Central Europe. 
The American and British surface bombardment of German and Japanese cities had been to blame for the death of over one million civilians, that burned and or buried alive..Hamburg, Dresden..

3:The  allied forces needed a justification for their after war  politics of the starvation, that led to the death of  millions of  German civilians, the theft of German patents for their postwar action, namely the total dismantling of the German industry, in the value of trillions dollars, and the robbery of large parts of Germany, that were annexed from Poland and the USSR. These areas were not controversial border area but amounted to 20 percent of the entire German territory. The twelve million Germans, who lived in these areas, were robbed of their property and  expelled brutally.What happened between 1945 and 1948 amounts to  the most harrowing ethnic cleaning in the worlds history. Over two million Germans died on that occasion alone. 

State of this world...

A new pope will be elected in Rom...this week...good luck.

The Sultan of Brunei, worth 40 Billion ,arrived in Washington flying his own 747, with 24 wives harem and solid gold toilet seats, if this does not make you sick I have no idea what would.

Cuba scene

We are now 7 Billion humans on this earth, most of us living in misery and poverty.

The insanity in Syria continues.

Vitamins,Minerals,good health....

According to an article by writer James Pontolillo, some of the prominent and busy
Colloidal mineral promoters would like you to believe that mineral deficiency is a widespread cause of disease. To counter this alleged problem, they are marketing products said to be water-leached from shale in the Emery Coal Field of central Utah as well as a few other remote and hard to find places on earth.
The most notorious colloidal mineral promoter is Joel D. Wallach, DVM, ND, who says that Americans desperately need his minerals. He has  hosted an AM radio talk show in San Diego titled "Let's Play Doctor" and briefly plied naturopathy at Kurt Donsbach's Hospital Santa Monica. His widely distributed "Dead Doctors Don't Lie!" audiotape quotes from U.S. Senate Document 264:

[Erosion and unwise farming methods] have led to mineral-depleted soils resulting in mineral-deficient plants, livestock, and people . . . . .the alarming fact is that food now being raised on millions of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain minerals are starving us -- no matter how much of them we eat. No man of today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply his system with the minerals he requires for perfect health because his stomach isn't big enough to hold them. . . . Laboratory tests prove that the fruit, vegetables, grains, eggs, and even the milk and meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago. . . . It is bad news to learn from our leading authorities that 99% of the American people are deficient in these minerals [74th Congress, 2nd Session, 1936].
The cited quotation is genuine, but it did not, as colloidal mineral promoters usually imply, arise from a government research study. In fact, it is a reprint of an opinion piece that originally appeared in the June 1936 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine and was placed into the Congressional record by a Florida senator.Most Americans are not slowly starving to death or dying from mineral deficiency.

Some promoters use fraudulent "symptomatology questionnaires" for assessing purported mineral deficiency-related health problems. The test asks more than 1,000 questions about physical and psychological symptoms. As far as I can tell, everyone who takes it will be advised that supplements are needed. The test costs $125 but is free if colloidal minerals are purchased.

At present, five mines in Emery County, Utah supply three main manufacturers with bulk quantities of shale leachate that are repackaged and sold as distinct products by a burgeoning network of multilevel distributors. T.J. Clark & Co.'s Daddy Dearest 1-9/Blackhawk Mine, which started it all in the late 1920s, is the source of "BHI Lifeminerals," "Toddy," "Golden Minerals," and other product lines. The Clark company controls leases totaling approximately 20 acres and has established major overseas distributorships. In an effort to distinguish itself from a host of recent competitors, it downplays its product's shale origins and has coined the term "PolyfloraminTM" (literally "many plant minerals") to describe it. Its main rival, Rockland Corporation's Body Toddy Mine, opened in 1985 and produces products for American Longevity, Body Systems Technology, Source of Health and LifePlus. Rockland currently owns 1,000 acres of shale leases in Emery County and a new production/bottling facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its reserves are estimated to be 320 million metric tons of shale, enough for 950 billion gallons of product. Rockland has no qualms about the source of its products: several color photos of mining operations are prominently displayed on its home page. New Vision International and Nature's Sunshine, have refused to disclose the source of the leachate used in their products.

In all of the operations, the shale (often referred to as "a special ancient rainforest deposit") is mined, crushed, ground to a powder-like consistency, and placed into large stainless steel vats. The vats are then submerged in "cool, contaminant free water at low temperatures." Many distributors stress these conditions to counter claims that acids, solvents, and high temperatures will ruin the minerals' special properties. Unnamed competitors are routinely accused of using such faster methods in order to force mineral extraction. After 3-4 weeks, during which time water-soluble components of the shale enter into solution, the bitter-tasting leachate is siphoned off, filtered and ready for tonic, capsule, and oral-spray production. Depending upon the filtration process used, a variable amount of insoluble particulate matter suspended in the leachate will pass into the final product. Advertisements state that colloidal supplements contain 75 "minerals." Actually they are elements occurring in various mineral forms: Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Br, C, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Dy, Er, Eu, F, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, H, Hf, Hg, Ho, I, In, Ir, K, La, Li, Lu, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Na, Nb, Nd, Ni, O, Os, P, Pb, Pd, Pr, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, Tm, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn, and Zr. Some distributors modify their tonics with flavorings and/or nutritional additives, but most sell them straight and emphasize their "all-natural" quality.

Wallach claims that (a) we are living in a chemical soup and being bombarded by electronic, magnetic, physical, and mental stress that our forbearers did not have to deal with; (b) "most diseases are symptoms of mineral deficiencies and are virtually 100% preventible; (c) "the majority of people who die of natural causes, actually die of a mineral deficiency; and (d) "In fact, most of us are slowly starving to death." Presumably, only colloidal mineral supplements can rescue us from these dire straits.

Wallach has a down-home manner and is a compelling speaker. During "Dead Doctors Don't Lie!" he asks, "Are these colloidal minerals important? You bet you're life they're important and every time you don't take them in every day, you're chopping off a few hours or a few days of your life."
John H. Renner, M.D., President of the National Council Against Health Fraud, has accurately characterized Wallach's tape as riddled with distortions, bogus science, and outright lies [3]. The many outlandish statements Wallach has made on his tape and in public lectures include:

Since physicians have a life expectancy of only 58 years, how can you trust them with maintaining your health?
Mercury amalgam used in dental fillings causes multiple sclerosis.
Many Americans suffer from "malabsorption disease." Certain diseases exist in which people have difficulty absorbing nutrients. However, Wallach is referring to a nonexistent condition which, like the long discredited idea of autointoxication, is based on concepts that ignore scientific research on gastrointestinal tract functioning.
Cystic fibrosis is preventable and 100% curable in its early stages.
Five cultures around the world have average lifespans of 120-140 years. The key to their longevity is the consumption of colloidal mineral waters ("glacier milk").
Claims to have authored over 70 articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as several medical texts. Searchs of standard indexes have turned up only a handful of publications, nearly all of which are of dubious quality .

Standard vitamins are not digested but pass out in the feces still in tablet form. An unsubstantiated anecdote.

Greying hair and facial wrinkles at any age are due to a copper deficiency.
Cardiomyopathy is solely the result of a selenium deficiency. Cardiomyopathy is a group of heart-muscle disorders with several different causes.
All aneurysms (over 40 different kinds) are due to a copper deficiency. Not supported by clinical research.

Diabetes and hypoglycemia are due to vanadium and chromium deficiencies.
Sodium consumption is unrelated to high blood pressure in humans. As evidence he notes that cows use salt licks, but don't suffer from high blood pressure. Animals use salt licks as needed. Sodium intake affects blood pressure in people who are salt-sensitive.
Periodontal disease is the result of a calcium deficiency and is not influenced by the quality of oral hygiene.
All low back pain is due to osteoporosis. The most common causes are muscle and ligament strains from overexertion.
Metallic minerals (i.e., regular vitamins and minerals) are only 8-12% absorbable while colloidal minerals are 98% absorbable. No data support such a claim.
The human body transports, stores, and uses minerals in colloidal form. This is simply not true; minerals inevitably occur either as mineral salts, compounded with proteins or lipids, or as enzymal and hormonal components.
 

Please take note ; It is my strong view, while believing in the product somewhat in general you should aunderstand that:
A number of companies, manufacturers, distributors are listed below and their names provide a link to their various promotional efforts. Please be advised that these are profitable multinational businesses promoting their products. Some of their claims and statements may be borderline legal  promotional efforts, they are after all in the business of making money. I do not at this time support or promote any of these firms or specific products they may offer.

When the extent of Wallach's misstatements became public knowledge, T.J. Clark & Co. severed its business relationship with him. Up to that time, Wallach had been claiming that only leachate from Clark's mine was effective in treating mineral deficiencies. After this falling out, however, Wallach revised his "scientific" opinion and quickly moved on to find new partners. After additional problems, Soaring Eagle Ventures terminated their ties with Wallach in early 1997 and prohibited any further use of his promotional materials by their distributors. Wallach is currently collaborating with Ma Lan, a Chinese-educated physician whom I suspect is not licensed to practice medicine in the United States . Wallach has also started his own company, American Longevity, whose home page depicts him decked out in a cowboy-hat, American flag shirt and a welcoming smile. Beneath him is the company motto, "If you don't see my face on the bottle you don't know what your getting."

Promotional literature employed by other colloidal mineral distributors is equally erroneous. Many, for example, confuse the terms element and mineral. Elements are the fundamental constituents of which all substances are composed. Minerals are naturally occurring, homogeneous inorganic substances with a specific chemical composition and characteristic crystalline structure, color, and hardness [15]. Minerals are composed of elements. For example, the mineral silica is composed of the elements silicon and oxygen. Colloidal mineral promoters use these terms interchangibly. They also employ the misnomer "metallic minerals" to distinguish (supposedly ineffective) standard supplement products from their "plant-based" colloidal minerals. The distinction is a spurious one, because most colloidal minerals in leachate come from the sedimentary matrix of the shale itself (i.e., the very "metallic minerals" that these promoters condemn). The main point concealed by all of this hype is that there is absolutely nothing special about colloidal minerals. A colloid is simply any substance whose particle size is small enough to keep it suspended in a liquid or gas, yet large enough to prevent or delay its passage through a semi-permeable membrane.

Various promoters disagree about the basic "science" behind their supplements. T.J. Clark & Co. claims that colloidal minerals "produce the correct electrical frequencies that are compatible with the electrical frequencies of the brain and nervous system of the human body . . . and attract toxins and heavy metals from the body and flush them out." Such statements are pseudoscientific gibberish. Ironically, Clark has accused competitors of employing "pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo and marketing hype." Most of Clark's competitors claim that colloidal minerals somehow strengthen and rejuvenate the body, increase longevity, and boost one's energy level. Most manufacturers also hint that only they have the proper minerals and the secret, patented process that results in an effective product, and that everyone else is a fraud. Clark gives its distributors signed "certificates of authorization" as assurance that they've purchased the genuine article. Before splitting from T.J. Clark & Co, Wallach portrayed himself as an "unbiased expert" while exclusively promoting the mine in which he had a financial interest . Today, many independent distributors are circulating copies of Wallach's tape minus the final two minutes in which he had specified that Clark's products were the only effective ones.

Manufacturers also disagree about the nature of the shale used for leaching. T.J. Clark & Co. asserts that its products contain neither humus nor shale, even though it is registered with the State of Utah as a humic shale mining operation.Some promoters claim that the shale deposits were only lightly covered by 20-30 feet of sandstone, "just enough to protect the deposit, but not enough to cause excessive heat and pressure that would have altered this pure form of the minerals." Others state that the ancient forest was covered by thick deposits of sand, mud, and lava that exerted great pressures on the plant matter but did not alter it. All these ideas are either false, inaccurate, or just nonsensical. Despite claims to the contrary, all are deriving their product from a 30-foot thick layer of carbonaceous shale intertwined with bituminous coal that was laid down during the Cretaceous period about 90 million years ago .The bituminous rank of the interlayered coals indicates that these formations were subjected to significant pressures and temperatures of at least 100-150°C for a prolonged period of time .At least one distributor claims that the Cretaceous source material for his company's elixir is a mere 2,000 years old.

Distributors rightly assume that health-conscious consumers will find phrases such as "ancient virgin rainforest," "pristine," and "natural" more appealing than "coal," "shale," and "surface mining." LifePlus, manufacturers of MICRO-MINS powdered leachate capsules and BERRY'D TREASURE flavored leachate drink, boast that their minerals are the same ones that were responsible for the spectacular size of Cretaceous trees and dinosaurs. As advertisements point out, "This was a time when much of the earth may still have been very much in a 'Garden of Eden' or very rich, vibrant, and pristine state." Promoters would like you to believe that if these minerals could produce fabulous prehistoric flora and fauna, then they can provide health benefits for you. Some distributors supply a laboratory analysis of their products .

Many distributors provide testimonials that people taking colloidal minerals have experienced improvement in such conditions as high blood pressure, heartburn, sprained ankles, AIDS, hair loss, perforated ulcers, rheumatism, pimples, leukemia, and impotence. The use of disease-related testimonials to promote supplement products is illegal. The FDA has proposed to ban OTC sale of colloidal silver products .

While it is true that optimal health depends upon an adequate intake of essential nutrients, fewer than 20 mineral-related elements are essential for humans . The exact role of other trace elements, as well as our intake of these micronutrients from prepared meals, remains to be clarified . There is absolutely no evidence, however, that mineral deficiency is a basic cause of disease. In fact, available data refutes the claim that our food supply is "mineral deficient" and demonstrates that a standard diet generally contains trace elemental quantities far in excess of those supplied by colloidal mineral supplements. Finally, my own search of the medical and nutritional literature databases for the last forty years failed to produce a single study showing that colloidal mineral supplements are useful.

Note some possible  risks, do not take colloidal silver unless specifically prescribed by your doctor on a time and quantity based limitation .

Of course, this is not to imply that these supplements are safe for human consumption. The ingestion of unnecessary amounts of all trace elements should be avoided because many are not easily excreted and all can exhibit toxic effects when consumed in large quantity or for an extended period of time . More important, however, colloidal mineral promoters seem oblivious to the fact that their products may contain hazardous organic compounds. For example, a daily dose of Doc's Mineral Rocks contains 7.2 mg of unidentified total organic carbon .It is well established that groundwater can leach toxic organic compounds from sedimentary deposits such as coal, shale, and lignite. In many locations, specific geochemical conditions have led to the leaching of toxic organic compounds into potable water supplies with resulting disease. For example:

• Links between endemic goiter and the contamination of iodine-sufficient drinking waters with sulfurated hydrocarbons leached from coal and shale deposits in Colombia and the United States .
• Studies of elevated radon levels in Texas drinking waters have implicated lignites and other hydrocarbon accumulations as the suspected radionuclide sinks.
• Suspected links between the kerogen-rich White Speckled Shale in Saskatchewan (Canada) and patterns of Multiple Sclerosis distribution .
• Suspected links between weathered low-rank coals and shales and the occurrence of an incurable renal disease known as Balkan Endemic Nephropathy.
• Hypothesized complicity of North/South Dakota lignites and Alaska/Maine/Minnesota peats with those state's high incidences of urothelial cancer .
• Correlations between digestive cancer mortality rates in Missouri and the consumption of drinking water from coal and shale-bearing strata .

Colloidal mineral extracts have a distinctive yellow tint, indicating the presence of dissolved organic matter. At least one manufacturer, the Rockland Corporation, prides itself on its product's dark gold color. Although the concentrations of hazardous organic compounds may be low, long-term exposure and/or accumulation in body tissues might eventually lead to disease. Suspected and proven carcinogens such as PAHs, aromatic amines, and aminophenols result from the partial coalification of aromatic substances in woody plant tissues .Such compounds can trigger gene and/or chromosomal mutations and altered gene expression, both of which are significant factors in the development of cancer. PAHs also exhibit the ability to modulate signal transduction among cells, which can have serious negative health consequences . In addition to carcinogenicity, shale extracts possess low-order estrogenic properties. Many organic compounds can also contribute to the unwanted activation of the immune system. Since diseases can be caused by multiple factors, adverse long-term effects of colloidal mineral products may not be readily identifiable. Ironically, while the tonics themselves are unregulated, surface water runoff from the mining operations is routinely remediated because of its threat to plant and animal life.

Ten of thousands of Americans are currently serving as unwitting subjects in an undocumented test of their safety. Some scientists are especially concerned about the widespread administration of these products to children. Unfortunately, since colloidal minerals are classified as dietary supplements, no safety or efficacy testing was required before they were marketed. Action to prohibit their sale can only be taken if it is demonstrated that the products are adulterated (i.e., toxic), misbranded, or that specific medical treatment claims have been made for them. The first colloidal mineral supplement sold commercially, which Rockland Corporation introduced in 1984, was banned because of its toxicity. Called "Body Toddy," it was reformulated, renamed "Mineral Toddy," and currently is marketed as "Body Booster."

Reliance on dubious supplements and unfounded health-care opinions delay people from seeking timely medical treatment. They are also a waste of money. The average recommended dosage of most colloidal minerals costs approximately $360 per person per year. Finally, the widespread quackery associated with colloidal minerals undoubtedly deters professionals from examining the subject simply because of the stigma attached to it. There is always the potential that such research might have generated useful information.
According to the most recent figures available, mining is Emery County's largest industry, contributing one third of its earnings [48]. Judging from the recent large-scale expansion of mining and processing facilities [16], as well as the statistics of gross sales in the past few years, it appears that colloidal mineral supplements are currently a healthy cash cow. Soaring Eagle Ventures is reportedly grossing $3 million per month; New Vision claims to have monthly sales 2-3 times that amount . The products are advertised as a sure track to financial success on hundreds of Internet sites. The sale pitch is always the same: become an independent distributor, work part-time, and earn lots of extra money. New sites seem to pop up overnight like mushrooms, while new applications (colloidal minerals for your pets and garden!) offer more profits. A 16-ounce bottle of leachate purchased directly at the plant in Emery for $12 can net a $20 return in Salt Lake City and upwards of $30+ on the Internet . All of this despite an unproven product, potential health risks, false advertising claims and a plague of recent scandals (lawsuits, accusations of watered-down tonics, etc.) .