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"Brief history of U.S. imperialism…". US governments: Trust me, these are inaccuracies…
Posted by: adonis49 on: November 15, 2012
"Brief history of U.S. imperialism…": Still believe the government is telling the truth…
imperialism: the policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a nation, especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas; broadly: the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence.
Sydney Schanberg wrote: "We Americans are the ultimate innocents. We are forever desperate to believe that, this time around, the government is telling us the truth."
Jonathan Reynolds posted on Oct.11, 2012:
"For some, the Iraq invasion in 2003 seems unprecedented, as if nothing of the sort had ever happened before.
Nearly a decade later, it happened again with Libya in 2011. In both cases, Americans were told there was an imminent threat, and military action must be taken to stop it. In both cases, the 'threat' was nothing more than fabrication (Iraq) and exaggeration (Libya).
These events are often analyzed separately, associated with the individual administrations in charge at the time. One might see the Iraq War as belonging to the "Bush Administration", and the Libya War as belonging to the "Obama Administration".
If you examines all of the U.S. interventions, it becomes clear that the problem is not one of certain administrations or individuals, but a manipulative system, which has dominated American foreign policy for decades.
4,000 U.S. troops occupy Corpus Christi, Texas; 1846 1846, Mexico: U.S. President Polk leads a national sentiment of "manifest destiny", designed to expand federal rule from the east to west coast, including territory already occupied by natives. Polk offers to buy land from Mexico, but Mexico refuses.
Texas, owned by Mexico, seeks U.S. residents to "settle" there and "help grow the population". However, these "settlers" eventually grow dissatisfied with Mexican rule and form a rebellion, thus beginning the Mexican-American War.
As a result, the U.S. gains control of Colorado, Arizona, California, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and New Mexico.
1853, Japan: Commodore Matthew Perry of the U.S. Navy sails into Tokyo Harbor aboard the frigate "Susquehanna", forcing Japan to sign a treaty permitting trade, and the opening of Japanese ports to U.S. merchant ships.
1893, Hawaii: Hawaii has a large population of American sugar cane planters, whalers, and missionaries. In 1887, a U.S. base at Pearl Harbor is constructed. When King David Kalakaua dies in 1891, his sister Lydia Paki Kamekeha Liliuokalani takes the throne and tries to restore Hawaii's monarchy to absolute power.
However, Hawaii Supreme Court justice Sanford Dole stages a bloodless coup backed by the U.S. military on January 19, 1893 and dethrones the Queen, forcing her to plead with U.S. President Grover Cleveland for reinstatement.
By 1895, the Queen abdicates the throne. President William McKinley's administration annexed Hawaii, giving the U.S. control over coaling stations in the Pacific.
1898, Cuba: The U.S. blames Spain for destroying the USS Maine, despite evidence that the explosion which caused the sinking came from an internal – not external – source. As a result of the war, Cuba assumes independence, Puerto Rico becomes an American possession. The U.S. acquires from Spain, Guam and the Philippines.
Known in U.S. history books as the "Philippine Insurrection", it was America's first true overseas war, lasting from 1898 to 1902.
In those 3 years, as many as 70,000 Americans die, along with close to 2 million Filipinos.
(The US wanted to plant rubber trees in order to circumvent the monopoly of the British Empire that was hiking prices of rubber in order to repay its loans…)
Stockholders of the New Panama Canal Company arrange a "revolution" in Panama and fund the rebels, assisted by the U.S. Navy. Shortly after, Panama declares its independence from Colombia.
1906, Cuba: The United States assumes temporary military control of Cuba under the Platt Amendment, following the reelection of an American puppet government which caused a nationalist uprising.
Two years later, the U.S. builds a naval base at Guantanamo Bay and claims rights to it in perpetuity.
1910, Nicaragua: The U.S. seeks to establish a canal through Nicaragua, but instead chooses Panama. When Nicaraguan President José Santos Zelaya solicits funds to build a second inter-oceanic canal for Germany and Japan, Washington turns against him.
After Zelaya's government executes two Americans for aiding anti-government rebels, Washington breaks diplomatic relations, threatens naval intervention, and forces Zelaya into exile.
1914, Mexico: Mexican officials detain several drunken U.S. Marines from the U.S.S. Dolphin, which is docked in the port of Tampico, Mexico, after they accidentally enter a restricted area. The Mexican government quickly releases them, and issues an apology.
Regardless of the regret expressed by Mexican President Victor Huerta, U.S. Admiral Henry T. Mayo demands that Mexican troops salute an American flag as a sign of contrition. President Huerta refuses the salute; three days later, President Wilson orders American warships to Tampico Bay.
Wilson insists that his anger is not directed at the Mexican people, but at Huerta, "and those who adhere to him" because he refused to salute the American flag as an official apology.
By the end of 1914, U.S. Marines had seized Tampico, forced an apology from Huerta, and demanded his resignation from power.
Tampico, Mexico was considered the world's largest oil port in 1901. Some of the richest oil fields were discovered within a 100-mile radius of the port between 1914-1918.
1914, Europe: United States claims to be neutral as Germany, France, and Britain engage in conflict. U.S. banks and weapons manufacturers continue selling to France and Britain, leading to the German sinking of the ship, Lusitania, and eventual U.S. entry to World War 1.
1917, Russia: Woodrow Wilson funds the "White" side of the Russian civil war. In the summer of 1918, he authorizes a naval blockade of the Soviet Union to help stop the Russian Revolution. American forces penetrate westward from Vladivostok to Lake Baikal, supporting Czech and White Russian forces.
The White Russian forces disintegrate by 1920, and this intervention helps fuel anti-western sentiments throughout Russia during the Cold War years.
1924, Honduras: Civil war breaks out after liberal president Rafael Lopez Gutierrez establishes a dictatorship. The U.S. lands Marines in the country to "protect its interests". Gutierrez is killed in March, and the revolution ends in May.
1925, Mexico: The U.S. and Mexico narrowly avoid war after Mexico threatens U.S. oil contracts.
1945, Japan: The United States becomes the first country to use atomic weapons in warfare, killing thousands of Japanese civilians in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
United States Strategic Bombing Survey of 1946 had concluded:
"air supremacy over Japan could have exerted sufficient pressure to bring about unconditional surrender and obviate the need for invasion. Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts, and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Survey's opinion that … Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated."
1950, Korea: Without the approval of Congress, President Harry Truman sends troops to fight in Korea, asserting an inherent right to do so as Commander-in-Chief.
The Korean War ends three years later, leaving behind 33,600 American casualties, 16,000 UN-allied, 415,000 South Korean, 520,000 North Korean, and an estimated 900,000 Chinese.
1961, Cuba: US mercenaries depart Nicaragua and invade Playa Girón, Cuba. They suffer a historical defeat known as the "Bay of Pigs."
1961, Iraq: Abdel Karim Kassem, leader of Iraq, threatens western oil interests, causing the U.S. and Britain to begin arming Kurdish rebels in the country.
In 1963, Kassem is forced out of power, put on trial, and eventually shot to death. By 1968, Saddam Hussein takes power in the country, backed by the C.I.A.
1964, Vietnam: The USS Maddox is gathering intelligence off the coast of North Vietnam when a group of North Vietnamese torpedo boats approach the ship. The Maddox opens fire, the North Vietnamese respond with torpedoes, but they are eventually driven away. The exchange prompts the US government and news media to report that North Vietnamese torpedo boats launched an "unprovoked attack" against the Maddox while it was on a "routine patrol".
Two days later, Captain John J. Herrick of the USS Maddox sees two "mysterious dots" on his radar screen, determines they are torpedo boats, and sends an emergency cable to headquarters in Honolulu reporting that the ship is under attack.
Shortly after, Herrick sends another cable: "Freak weather effects on radar and over eager sonar men … No actual visual sightings by Maddox. Suggest complete evaluation before any further action taken."
Less than an hour later, Herrick sends a third cable, saying he is now uncertain of what had happened; however, by this time, President Johnson is already announcing a major military escalation in Vietnam.
By the end of the Vietnam War, millions of Vietnamese civilians have perished, along with more than 50,000 U.S. soldiers.
1970, Cambodia: President Richard Nixon announces that U.S. troops are invading Cambodia, the country west of Vietnam through which the North Vietnamese are allegedly supplying their troops. For more than a year prior to the announcement, the U.S. had been conducting bombing raids in the country.
1982, Iraq: U.S. backs Iraq against Iran, supplying Saddam Hussein with intelligence, diplomatic aid, and chemical weapons (which would later be used to massacre innocent people).
1985, Nicaragua: . Congress authorizes $38 million over two years in "non-military" aid to Nicaragua's Contras.
1986, Libya: Islamic militants bomb a Berlin discotheque, killing two American soldiers. The White House uses this opportunity to retaliate, and President Reagan authorizes the bombing of Libya without the authorization of Congress. At least 100 civilians are killed.
One year prior, the National Security Council had discussed a plan to overthrow Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi using exiles in a coup, although the idea was eventually abandoned.
1990, Iraq: In August, U.S. fighter jets, aircraft carriers, battleships, and half a million American troops are deployed to Saudi Arabia to defend against a possible attack from Iraq. Between its own oil fields, and those of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, western governments allegedly fear Iraq could gain control over the majority of the world's oil reserves.
Dick Cheney secures the U.S.-Saudi occupation agreement, ensuring there will be no set withdrawal date from Saudi Arabia, thereby allowing U.S. forces to remain.
1999, Yugoslavia: U.S.-NATO bombs drop over the country allegedly to prevent a "massacre", though this claim is challenged. More than 2,000 civilians are killed.
|A street in Belgrade destroyed by NATO bombs
There are indications that basic infrastructure is deliberately targeted during this campaign. For example, a statement by Lt. Gen. Michael Short, US Air Force, quoted in the Washington Post, May 1999, reads:
"If you wake up in the morning and you have no power to your house and no gas to your stove and the bridge you take to work is down and will be lying in the Danube for the next 20 years, I think you begin to ask, 'Hey, Slobo, what's this all about? How much more of this do we have to withstand?' And at some point, you make the transition from applauding Serb machismo against the world to thinking what your country is going to look like if this continues."
2001, Afghanistan: Over the summer, negotiations between western oil companies and the Afghan Taliban to build a pipeline across the country fall through. Niaz Naikm (former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan) reveals that senior American officials told him during this time that military action to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan is planned to occur "before the snows [starts] falling in Afghanistan, by the middle of October at the latest". After 9/11, this objective is realized.
2003, Iraq: Following western propaganda about Iraq's alleged "weapons of mass destruction" program, President George W. Bush launches an invasion of the country. This comes after 10 years of western-backed "no-fly zones", and crippling economic sanctions.
By 2011, most US forces leave the country; however, a noteworthy presence remains, including a $700 million dollar embassy in Baghdad, Iraq — the largest U.S. embassy in the world, and a 46-aircraft air service for over 15,000 diplomats working for the State Department.
2009, Yemen: U.S. aid, missiles — and eventually, aerial Predator drones — are deployed to the country to fight "al-Qaeda" affiliates. From a strategic perspective, Yemen is important because it allows access to a vital world-wide oil shipping chokepoint.
2010, Pakistan: U.S. Predator drones begin attacking targets along the Afghan-Pakistan border, killing dozens of civilians in the process.
2010, South Korea: On the evening of March 26, 2010, the Cheonan, a South Korean ship, is conducting a routine naval patrol when an explosion unexpectedly tears into it, splitting the vessel in half and killing 46 sailors. Shortly after, western powers blame North Korea for the attack, though North Korea denies responsibility.
The attack gives the United States an opportunity to prolong its control over South Korean forces until 2015, and also extend its stay at nearby Japanese military bases.
2011, Libya: The U.S. claims Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is 'massacring' demonstrators protesting his regime; however, these accusations are drastically overblown. Regardless, a US-backed, NATO-imposed "no-fly zone" is enabled, responsible for murdering hundreds of Libyan civilians.
Many of the NATO attacks target Gaddafi, with one such strike taking the lives of his three grandchildren — two toddlers, one infant. Gaddafi himself is eventually captured and killed.
Two years prior, Gaddafi planned to nationalize Libya's oil reserves, the largest in Africa.
It is perhaps too easy to look at U.S. foreign policy by the standards of the post-9/11 world, forgetting all that happened before.
Without an accurate understanding of the past, we'll always be doomed to repeat it
The aforementioned information is deliberately presented in a relatively simple context for brevity. I encourage you to explore the sources referenced, and continue learning through your own research.
Why We Fight – documentary about 9/11, U.S. foreign policy, and defense companies


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Hi Friends!
Today, I am doing a GIVEAWAY! I wanted to do a giveaway during this holiday season because sometimes we forget to treat ourselves. We are all so focused on buying things for others in our life that we forget about ourselves. I hope this gift serves as a small gift to someone who really enjoys makeup!
Items included:
Cargo Cosmetics Powder Blush in The Big Easy
This is one of my favorite blushes! I included it in my 18 in 2018 Project Pan and it was such an easy shade to wear every single day! I thought it would be fun to give away to one of you so you could see why I love it so much!
Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Bohemian
I have to admit I haven't tried this particular shade but I really do like Anastasia liquid lipsticks and this one is such a beautiful fall color! It looks like a plum-berry color!
Too Faced Natural Eyes Eyeshadow Palette
This is probably the most exciting giveaway in this giveaway! I LOVE this palette, it is such an easy go-to palette for an everyday look! Plus I just love Too Faced eyeshadows.
This giveaway will be open for 2 weeks (October 17th – October 31st).
How to Enter:
- You must be subscribed to my blog.
- Comment on this post that you wish to be entered in the giveaway.
Bonus Entries:
- Re-blog this giveaway post.
- Comment on 1 other post of mine (doesn't matter which)
- Follow me on Instagram @Taylersedit
Disclaimer and Other Notes:
- The Winner will be notified on November 1st. That person has 48 hrs. to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
- This giveaway is only open to US residents.
- I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items while in transit.
- Please allow 5 days for me to ship out your items (tracking will be provided).
I have TWO other giveaways planned for this year so stay tuned! If you don't win this one, don't worry – you will have two more chances (one in November and one in December).
Good luck everyone!

subset: commoncrawl


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Make it your own
Every piece of jewellery we offer is fully customisable. Switch platinum for rose or yellow gold - and 18ct for 9ct. Alternative diamonds and gemstones are available. We can tailor the design to your requirements and budget.
Mens 6mm wedding ring, medium weight and court shape with a double diamond cut line. Finished in matt satin with mirror polish lines.
Bespoke made in 4-6 weeks. Please contact us if you require your order sooner, it may be possible to work to your timescale.
Please ensure you read all the information below regarding pricing & returns before placing an order.
If you plan to purchase and check out through our website, the following stages are outlined below:
Please get in touch prior to ordering if you have any questions.
Please don't hesitate to call us on 0121 236 1119 or
email us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
How long does it take to make a bespoke piece?
We usually require 4-6 weeks to make a bespoke piece for you, however we will always try to fit to your schedule so please do get in contact if you need an item sooner – it really does depend on how complex the piece is and how busy we are!
How can I pay?
We accept cash or card payments, we usually ask for a deposit when you confirm your order and the balance is due on collection of your item.
Do I need an appointment?
We don't have an appointment system, however if you are looking for anything in particular it's a good idea to call ahead so that we can source any diamonds or gemstones for you.
Do you offer finance options?
We don't currently offer finance on our items, but this is something we are looking into for the future.
Can my item be posted?
Yes we can post your item using Royal Mail Special Delivery for a charge of £10.
Can I get my jewellery cleaned/repolished?
Yes! We recommend bringing your items (especially rings) back once a year to have a jewellery "M.O.T." – we will check the settings, give the ring a polish and deep clean – free of charge.
I'm buying an engagement ring but I don't know the finger size, does this matter?
It's helpful if you know the finger size, but we understand that when an engagement ring is a surprise this isn't always the case! After you've proposed, if the size isn't quite right just contact us to come in and have it re-sized, free of charge.
Can I supply my own gemstone/diamond or do you remodel jewellery?
Yes! Bring your items in for some advice and a quote, or contact us via email or telephone.
Can I wear my jewellery all the time?
We recommend taking a common sense approach to your jewellery – take items off for sports/the gym, gardening, rock climbing (etc) or doing very manual activities/work and while you sleep.
What metals do you use?
We make jewellery in 9ct and 18ct gold, palladium and platinum.
What gemstones do you use?
We us a variety of gemstones including the traditional diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, as well as others – if you have a favourite colour please do ask us for suggestions.
How can I find out more about buying a Diamond?
If you have any questions about diamonds and what to look for do contact us for advice to suit your budget, or you can find out more about diamonds on the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) website here:
Do you hallmark your jewellery?
Usually yes, it is a legal requirement to hallmark precious metals over a certain weight. You can read more about hallmarking here:
Every piece of jewellery we offer is fully customisable. Switch platinum for rose or yellow gold - and 18ct for 9ct. Alternative diamonds and gemstones are available. We can tailor the design to your requirements and budget.
To keep your jewellery looking it's best we offer a complimentary aftercare service for two years. We will fully renew your jewellery - removing any scratches and polish it to restore it's former pristine glory. After the two years our restoration service is £25.


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We've been on a six-week path to eat more whole foods, guided by one simple rule: Buy foods with six ingredients or fewer. And we're blogging about our journey on the way.
This week we're answering the question: What are you learning about your body through this challenge? Your family's rhythms and routines? Your feelings about food?
You can see all the responses to this question today at this link-up post at Hobo Mama and Anktangle.
If you're a blogger who's published a response, please post the URL in the linky below so we can visit to read. If you don't have a blog or haven't published a response, feel free to provide your answer in the comments on this post on either Hobo Mama or Anktangle.
Next week's FINAL writing prompt is at the end of this post along with posting instructions. There will be one more regular post about the Six Ingredient Challenge, and then next week's wrap-up will allow our participants to express any further thoughts they have on the struggles and joys of switching to more whole foods.
To read all the posts and recipes in the Six Ingredient Challenge, visit the main page for a list of reading resources!
My answer:
|Daniel tasting his first food: avocado!
For instance, every once in a while, I (gasp!) indulge a craving and eat a bunch of sugar. Afterward, I always end up feeling awful. Sometimes I get headaches, and other times I experience a "crash" from the sugar leaving my bloodstream. Early on in this challenge, I went out to dinner with some friends, and we decided to treat ourselves to ice cream for dessert afterward. Since we were at my (possibly most) favorite ice cream place, I ordered the thing I love there the most: an ice cream sandwich on gluten-free chocolate chip cookies with caramel and salted dark chocolate ice cream. Yum! It was really good.
However, I found myself not wanting to eat any more (feeling full, even) after about a third of the sandwich, so I simply stopped eating and brought it home for Jaymz and Daniel to share. It turned out great! I got to have a little bit of a treat without making myself feel crappy, and bonus: Jaymz and Daniel were able to share in the joy of having an ice cream treat that night, too (without any one of us totally overloading on sugar). I'm definitely going to remember this the next time I'm splurging on sugar: a little bit can be enough!
Another lesson I
Along the same lines, I'm noticing more and more how much (not) eating affects Daniel's mood and coping skills. He's not a particularly picky eater, but he doesn't have much patience for sitting at the table long enough to eat as much as he really needs to keep him going. (Hi, Mom! Sound familiar?) To help that, I've been being more intentional about a few things:
- I sit down with him at the table for the duration of my meal (and sometimes much longer if he's at all interested in being at the table). Sometimes I get caught up in a task in the kitchen after I've set Daniel up with his food and I end up eating standing up while I unload the dishwasher. It's not the kind of intention around meals I want to model for Daniel, so I'm doing my best to show up at the table and enjoy eating together.
- I keep protein-rich snacks (for both of us) in my purse. Stuff happens and I can't always get home at the usual time for a snack or meal, and it's important for us both to have something available to help bridge that gap. I usually carry around a KIND Bar, homemade granola bar, or some homemade trail mix, and a string cheese or crackers with peanut butter for Daniel. (He often eats my snacks, of course.)
- I trust that Daniel knows his body best. This can be difficult sometimes, I'm not going to lie. I do put limits on the quantities of snacks and sweets available to Daniel when I know it's mealtime and he's hungry. But I'm trying my best not to ever force Daniel to eat anything he doesn't want to eat, and we don't do the happy plate club thing: he's supported to stop eating when he's full. We talk a lot around here about what our bodies need, and Daniel is encouraged to assess his body's needs in the moment when we're having a meal. He lets us know when his body is hungry/thirsty/full, and we do our best to respect and respond to those needs.
Those are just a few things I've been learning (again) about my body and how I can best support Daniel to honor his body's needs. I'm excited to read today about what the rest of the Challenge participants have learned about themselves and their families so far!
We hope you'll join us by blogging or journaling about the final writing prompt.
Start formulating your answers to Writing Prompt #7
Writing prompt #7 guidelines:
- You have till next week to think of a response to the prompt. Post your response on your blog anytime by next Thursday.
- Next week's post (3/21) will have a writing prompt linky where you can link up your response.
- If you don't have a blog, you can leave your response in the comments on next week's post (3/21).
- Copy and paste the header below into your post to tag it as part of the challenge.
- Responding to the writing prompts is optional and just a fun extra way to play along! We encourage you to at least think out a response.
Header code for your writing prompt #7:Simply copy the code in the box and paste it into the html box of your blogging software to appear at the top of your response post.
Link up your answers to prompt #6!
What are you learning about your body through this challenge? Your family's rhythms and routines? Your feelings about food?


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The Tomb Raider film franchise is on the cusp of a reboot, putting a younger-than-Angelina-Jolie Lara Croft onscreen and spinning a new origin story-type yarn. Could that younger Lara Croft be somehow famous person Kim Kardashian?
The next Tomb Raider flick is reportedly going to shoot in 3D and feature "a far more comic-strip version of Lara," according to a report from Showbiz Spy, who says that Kim Kardashian—who's not really an actress so much as she is a person who gets photographed—is in "negotiations" to take on the role. The rumored potential candidate for a future younger Lara—Kardashian's about 6 years younger than Jolie—is at least taking acting classes.
I've seen at least one movie starring Kim, but it certainly wasn't shown in any theaters, and that one was alright. Maybe it's not such a bad thing...
Kim Kardashian - The Next Angelina Jolie? [Showbiz Spy]


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Home » Posts tagged 'women's health'
Tag Archives: women's health
Deconstruction and Data: The Numbers Behind the Texas Abortion Debate
In my previous post, I introduced the current climate of women's health in Texas, and began to explain some of the consequences that will eventually be realized. HB 2/SB 5 is extremely detrimental to women's autonomy, and is an affront to healthcare ethical principles. While I am aware that there are always at least two sides to every debate, I feel it prudent to explain the process that, ideally, should occur before the passing of any new legislation. Therefore, today's post will discuss the fundamentals of policy debate and rhetoric. This is a vast topic, so I will attempt to hit the high points and correlate them to the topic at hand.
Fundamentals of Policy Analysis
Comprehensive understanding of the societal implications of a policy requires a basic knowledge of the intricacies of debate logic. There exists a defined method of determining flaws in the status quo, and for proposing policies to solve them. Much of the reasoning behind this argumentative structure is founded upon a desire to ensure beneficial legislation, and is highly correlated with utilitarian ethics (Harpine 2009). Once this process is completed, or sometimes concurrently, the rhetors present said policy to the masses in an attempt to sway public opinion. This is the art of persuasion. Now, certainly it seems that those who speak truth should be able to speak straightforwardly and not require the use of rhetorical tools. However, the presence of a public audience necessitates structure. Generally, the audience of a public speech consists of ordinary people who may not be able to follow an exact proof based on the principles of a science. Therefore, even those who speak with veracity must utilize the rhetorical process. In a way, this process functions as the informed consent of the public policy world. An audience without a solid understanding of the facts can easily be distracted by factors that do not pertain to the subject at all; sometimes they are receptive to flattery or just try to increase their own advantage (Aristotle 2006). This can be exacerbated in an area if the constitution, the laws, and the rhetorical climate are already lacking. This is a contributing factor to what has happened in Texas, and makes this examination especially important.
The Prima Facie Case – Establishing Grounds for Change
The prima facie case is an affirmative case construction strategy that emphasizes the actual or anticipated existence of an ill or problem. It is five-fold, and contains the following "stock issues": need, inherency, solvency/feasibility, sustainability, and unintended consequences (Rybacki & Rybacki 1991). These issues are progressive and ordered. If at any point along this argumentative continuum a stock issue cannot be logically explained, the policy may be considered flawed or unnecessary. Meaning, if need cannot be proven, the case is flawed. If need and inherency can be proven but solvency cannot, the case is flawed. Sound and ethical policy must address the first four stock issues without demonstrating a potential for overwhelming unintended consequences. There is no valid case for change without this; it is the very backbone of policy proposals (Jasinski 2001). It is prudent to keep in mind that not every needs case presented to the public has a logical, or even factual, basis. It is equally important to note that when fundamentally flawed policy passes, it is likely that the associated rhetoric has focused very heavily on need without much supporting data. People are more likely to support this kind of argument if their thinking is governed by fear, dogmatism, or authoritarian ideals.
Need. In the case of HB 2, proponents and supporters have cited the need as protection of maternal health and fetal life (namely, after 20 weeks gestation). The bill specifies that the provisions contained within are primarily to protect the health and safety of a patient of an abortion facility. Logically, this suggests a clear and present danger exists, and that the current standard of care is suboptimal. Traditionally, efficacy of care is measured partially by patient outcomes, statistics related to sequela/mortality, and reported patient satisfaction (Lloyd, Jenkinson, Hadi, Gibbons, & Fitzpatrick 2014). Given the assertions of this legislation, a high incidence of morbidity and mortality would need to be present to establish a societal need. Yet, data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not corroborate this. 765,651 abortions were performed in the United States in 2010; eight deaths were associated with these procedures. This is an incidence rate of less than 0.01%, and includes any incidence of mortality subsequent to an abortion procedure, regardless of direct causality (Pazol, Creanga, Burley, Hayes, & Jamieson 2010).
On the matter of the protection of fetal life, specifically the prevention of fetal pain past 20 weeks, the statistics of abortions by week must be examined. In 2010, most (65.9%) abortions were performed before eight weeks gestation, and 91.9% were performed before 13 weeks gestation. Few abortions (6.9%) were performed at 14–20 weeks gestation, and even fewer (1.2%) were performed after 21 weeks gestation. From 2001 to 2010, the percentage of all abortions performed before eight weeks gestation increased 10%, whereas the percentage performed after 13 weeks decreased 10%. Moreover, among abortions performed before 13 weeks gestation, the distribution shifted toward earlier gestational ages, with the percentage of abortions performed before 6 weeks gestation increasing 36% (Pazol et. al 2010). In summary, the incidence of mortality associated with abortion procedures is less than 0.01%, while abortions past 20 weeks occurred at a rate of 1.2%. Strictly mathematically speaking, this is statistically insignificant. Additionally, distributions show that positive trends were already occurring on their own. These facts directly contraindicate a need for intervention. The two premises of HB 2 are not supported by data, and render this policy argumentatively unsound.
Inherency. Generally, once need has been established, supporting testimony for the inherency of the problem must follow. This means that the ill is a fundamental part of the status quo, and is not a fleeting consequence of something else or a coincidence that may resolve over time. The problem must be proven to be a direct result of the human condition or current social structure (Jasinski 2001). Once this foundation is in place, the stock issues of solvency, feasibility, and sustainability can be examined. However, in the case of HB 2, inherency is irrelevant because the stated need cannot be substantiated. You cannot propose to solve a problem that simply does not exist, nor can you analyze how feasible its solution is. The rest of the rhetorical process is hereby truncated; the assertions of this argument end here. With the proposal portion of this policy invalidated, it is apparent that this legislation is unsound. Unsound legislation easily begets unethical legislation, but the unintended consequences of this particular instance must be considered to fully understand why.
Unintended Consequences. The repercussions of HB 2 on the state of reproductive health are unarguably harmful. While the full provisions of the bill do not go into effect until September of this year, there has already been a profound effect on women's access to care. Heretofore, there were 44 family planning clinics in the state of Texas. At the time of this writing, there are 24. In September, only six are expected to remain open (Fernandez & Holt 2014). The requirements imposed upon them require extensive and expensive renovations, and the majority of clinics simply do not have the funds to undertake such a task. Moreover, the majority of the clinics shutting down coincide with lower-income portions of the state. If abortions were the primary services offered by these clinics, this issue might not be so clear-cut.
However, that is far from being the case. Verified by annual reporting data, abortion services account for approximately 3% of Planned Parenthood's activities. To put that in perspective, cancer screening and prevention are reported at 16%, while STD testing and contraception account for 70%, the overwhelming majority. The remaining services vary, but are largely related to education and pregnancy prevention programs (Klein 2012). Additionally, an estimated 75 percent of clinic clientele have incomes below 150 percent of the poverty line, while the clinics that escape the financial culling are in relatively wealthier metropolitan areas. The remaining majority of the state, where the per-capita income is lower, will be left without viable reproductive care options (Hall & Diehm, 2013).
Public Health Implications. The irony of this precarious situation is that patient education and access to contraception are the two factors most strongly correlated with a decrease in the incidence of abortion. Studies have found that abortion incidence is inversely associated with the level of contraceptive use, specifically, especially where fertility rates are holding steady. (Sedgh, Singh, Shah, Ahman, Henshaw, & Bankole 2012). This transcends the boundaries of the United States, and is a part of a global trend (Deschner & Cohen 2003). The conundrum here is that the same method of thought that seeks to criminalize abortion is often averse to the idea of widespread coverage for contraception. It is hardly a coincidence that some of the lowest abortion rates in the world are in socially liberal countries, where abortion is not only legal, but provided as a standard service by national health care systems (Deschner & Cohen 2003). Further studies have shown that the proportion of women living under liberal abortion laws is inversely associated with the abortion rate in the correlating sub-regions of the world (Sedgh, et. al 2012).
Unsurprisingly, there is also a positive correlation between an unmet need for contraception and abortion levels. This unmet need for modern contraception is lower in sub-regions dominated by liberal abortion laws than in those dominated by restrictive laws (Sedgh, et. al 2012), and this might help explain the observed inverse association between liberal laws and abortion incidence. Essentially, the state of Texas has passed a policy that is destined to set up a self-perpetuating cycle of defeat. Decreased access to services will increase the need for abortions. Since these will be sparsely legally available, women will seek them illegally. When this public health concern once again becomes too harrowing to ignore, another Roe vs. Wade will come about, albeit by a different name. This cycle will repeat indefinitely until something changes. Advancing the public health and progressing toward the common good should be on the forefront of policymakers' minds as well as ethicists'. Mindless and futile repetition is the antithesis of progress. In the words of Albert Einstein, "no problem can be solved with the same level of consciousness that created it."
Aristotle, Trans. Kennedy, G. (2006). On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Reprint.
Deschner, A., & Cohen, S. (2003). Contraception Use is Key to Reducing Abortion Worldwide. The Guttmacher Report on Public Policy, 6(4), 7-10.
Fernandez, M., & Holt, L. (2014). Abortion Law Pushes Clinics To Close Doors. (Cover story). New York Times, A1-A13.
Hall, K., & Diehm, J. (2013). Texas Abortion Bill Targets Low Income, Rural Women. Huffington Post. Web. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Harpine, W. (2009). Universalism in Policy Debate: Utilitarianism, Stock Issues, and the Rhetorical Audience. Speaker and Gavel, 46, 15-24.
Jasinski, J. (2001). Sourcebook on Rhetoric: Key Concepts in Contemporary Rhetorical Studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Klein, E. (2012). About the Planned Parenthood Chart. The Washington Post. Web. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs
Klein, E. (2012). What Planned Parenthood Actually Does, in One Chart. The Washington Post. Web. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs
Lloyd, H., Jenkinson, C., Hadi, M., Gibbons, E., & Fitzpatrick, R. (2014). Patient reports of the outcomes of treatment: a structured review of approaches. Health & Quality Of Life Outcomes, 12(1), 1-18.
Pazol, K., Creanga, A. A., Burley, K. D., Hayes, B., & Jamieson, D. J. (2013). Abortion Surveillance – United States, 2010. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 62(8), 1-44.
Rybacki, K., & Rybacki, D. (1991). Advocacy and Opposition: An Introduction to Argumentation (2nd ed). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Publishing.
Sedgh, G., Singh, S., Shah, I., Ahman, E., Henshaw, S., & Bankole, A. (2012). Induced Abortion: Incidence and Trends Worldwide from 1995 to 2008. The Lancet, 379(11), 625-632.
Establishing the Problem: Texas Abortion Laws Marginalize Low-Income Women
It's Sunday afternoon in a sleepy town in the Rio Grande Valley. By all accounts, it is a day like any other day. Quiet and somewhat removed from today's advancing world, this place is the essence of anachronistic. Humid memories linger in the air and hopes of a better life line the weed-cracked sidewalks and narrow unpaved roads. Unused train tracks sit forgotten, overtaken by grass and brush. Dented signs, rusted by harsh years, stand on the corners forever offering direction. A dilapidated and empty corridor of houses tilts to stare at the ground as a teenage-painted water tower bows before the sky in the distance. Fresh yet dusty-faced children, invigorated by the freedom of the weekend, play a game of tag next to a field. Only a solitary fly appreciates their presence. A single engine plane flies over this nearly invisible spot of the world. As its relaxing buzz floats away, the machinery passes over a small house at the end of the street. Outwardly, there are no signs that anything is amiss here. If only reality were as simple as a game of tag.
Inside the house, a petite Hispanic woman lies supine and blood-soaked on the floor of her living room. As she glances around, perception skewed by position, she is filled with regret. A sudden realization that she might die flashes into her brain like a searing lightning strike. The sound of a clock echoes in her skull, an audible reminder that our time on earth is perilously finite. She has called an ambulance, but cannot shake the feeling of impending doom. Her heart pounds with the ritual, rhythmic dance of the second hand. As she listens to her time tick away, she recounts the events of the past 36 hours. It's Saturday morning. The woman, driven by fear and desperation, has found herself at a flea market with a very specific goal in mind. She is not there for home furnishings, produce, or crafts. She watches families bustle about in slow motion around her. A child's laughter in the distance becomes a mocking song. As she turns her intended purchase over and over in her trembling hands, she wonders if she can really go through with this. It has to be dangerous. What if it doesn't work? Surely there must be an easier way. Then she remembers her fiancé, his mercurial anger, and his escalating threats. A bolt of fear shoots through her, and she knows in that moment that she has no choice. She pays the elderly vendor. Her money is heavy in her hands, and she does not know if she can lift them. A knowing look of sadness passes between the two women alongside this seemingly innocuous exchange of goods.
She has just purchased twenty-four tablets of Mifepristone. When she arrives home, she will take all of them. Mifepristone, also known as RU-486 and a component of the "abortion pill", is an anti-progesterone agent that also possesses anti-glucocorticoid properties (Vallerand, Sanoski, & Deglin 2013). Physiologically, this drug induces endometrial bleeding and, if taken in excess, has the potential to alter levels of hormones essential for regulation of metabolism. This unfortunate woman is now suffering excessive bleeding and vital dysregulation. What will happen to her? In this situation, it is difficult to know. Perhaps she will be transported to a medical facility in a timely manner and receive necessary blood transfusions. Then, if she is lucky, she will only have the emotional scars from this traumatic event to contend with. Perhaps a more sinister possibility: that her time runs faster than the paramedics. This will be her last memory.
As morbid as this conceptualization might seem, it is nowhere close to far-fetched. It is, however distressing, one of the less horrifying accounts of what women will resort to in the absence of sufficient access to reproductive services. These kinds of desperate acts were fairly commonplace at one point in America's history, and were a driving force behind the monumental Roe vs. Wade decision. The court's opinion, authored by Justice Harry Blackmun, invalidated a Texas statute that made administering an abortion a felony in most cases. In his statement, Blackmun asserted that the detriment the State would impose upon the pregnant woman by denying this choice was altogether apparent (Roe, 1973). In the years prior to Roe vs. Wade, illegal and potentially unsafe abortions were a dire public health problem (Calderone 1958). Research compiled by the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization concerned with advancing reproductive and public health, supports this. In 1930, abortion was listed as the cause of death in nearly 2,700 cases. This accounted for a staggering 17% of all maternal deaths that year. This mortality rate declined slowly over time, likely as a result of advancement in antibiotic therapy, but the percentage of deaths remained largely unchanged. In 1965, 18% of maternal deaths were attributed to consequences resulting from illegal abortions (Valenti 2013). These are only reported numbers; it is likely that the actual number is much higher.
While this is a part of America's past, recent legislation passed in Texas threatens to again make this flawed and dangerous status quo a frightening reality. The culmination of a progressive assault on reproductive health, HB 2 bans all abortions after 20 weeks, even in the case of rape or incest. Abortion clinics must now meet the same standards as ambulatory surgery centers. The physicians performing these procedures must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic (Sweany 2014). All over the state, clinics unable to meet these stringent and arguably punitive requirements have begun to close. Despite vehement protest, the status quo in Texas closely resembles the sociopolitical culture before Roe. This will only intensify as time passes (Feldt 2013). Women in this state, particularly the young and the poor, are now faced with the very real consequences of society's failure to learn from its mistakes.
The woman's story referenced herein may have been fictionalized in the name of anonymity, but its roots lie in poignant truth. The fact that a box of flea-market abortifacients has been someone's reality is altogether unacceptable. If the past is any indication, this is only one example of the horrific consequences that will come to pass as a result of this legislation. It is debatable whether this is a result of malignant ignorance or willful marginalization, but that question deserves its own thesis and will not be examined here. For the sake of succinct and fair argumentation, a candid dissection of the rhetorical and ethical implications of the status quo will focus solely on the legislation as it is presented. At this time, such an examination is of critical importance, and will expose this bill for what it is: a poorly constructed policy that infringes on women's autonomy, causes undue harm, and sets the stage for far-reaching societal stagnation.
Stay tuned. My next post will dissect the rhetoric of the bill, and why it is flawed. You cannot argue with academics and data.
Calderone, M. (1958). Abortion in the United States. New York, NY: P. B. Hoeber.
Feldt, G. (2013). Crow after Roe: How Separate but Equal has Become the New Standard in Women's Health and how we Can Change That. Brooklyn, NY: IG Publishing, Inc.
Roe v. Wade 410 U.S. 959. (1973). Retrieved from LexisNexis Academic. Web.
Sweany, B. D. (2014). A Long and Bitter Fight. Texas Monthly, 42(3), 24-28.
Vallerand, A., Sanoski, C., & Deglin, J. (2013). Davis's Drug Guide for Nurses. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company.
Valenti, J. (2013). Abortion and Magical Thinking. Nation, 296(26/27), 10.
Abuse of Autonomy: Paternalism in Politics
We all begin our journey on this earth as a blank canvas: a clean slate void of corruption, fear, or opinion. With a palette comprised of circumstance and choice, our lives and thoughts are painted as we age. Vibrant colors and crisp lines replace white space and blurred edges. Ideally, knowledge supersedes uncertainty; with the passage of time, the genre of our worldview is revealed to us. The term worldview will be used herein to refer to a system of beliefs that are interconnected, much like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle (DeWitt 2010). When something in our external environment happens that does not coalesce with our value system—especially if the specific belief in question is central to our worldview—we have a few options, namely: remain in a state of uncomfortable cognitive dissonance, or take action to change the offending external event. In the United States, and certainly in the socially conservative state of Texas, it is unlikely that few issues cause as much dissonance or call to action as the matter of abortion.
For over thirty years, catalyzed by the controversial Roe v. Wade decision, the abortion debate has grown exponentially (Annas 2010). Pro-life collaborations rise up against clinics, physicians, and organizations that support abortion. These groups, empowered by their worldviews, act with certainty of residing on the absolute moral high ground. And yet, even in the historically conservative south, there remains a strong vein of support for the pro-choice movement. One of the core beliefs of these groups may be summarized in this way: "the right to an abortion may be a matter of standing law, but its legal underpinnings are being hacked away at an alarming rate, so that many women in this country, particularly the young and the poor, are having to resort to desperate measures we never thought we would see again… In many ways, we are back to where we were then, with a two-tiered system: women who have the means to travel to get a safe abortion could do so, and the others suffered illegal, unsafe abortions or unplanned pregnancies (Feldt 2013)." The recent passage of controversial abortion legislation in the state of Texas has made this speculation on unintended consequences a tangible possibility. Texas HB 2 (previously SB 5) stipulates, among other things, that abortion should be banned after twenty weeks gestation and that centers performing them meet the same requirements as ambulatory surgical centers. Proponents of this legislation have cited protection of fetal life and protection of maternal health as the motivation for the change that will inevitably result from this law. On the surface, these seem to be respectable claims. However, a thorough deconstruction of the stock issues and rhetoric here will expose this bill for what it is: infeasible, ripe with a plethora of negative consequences, and a very thinly veiled endorsement of paternalism.
The literature is very clear on the bioethical connotations of paternalism. This insidious concept can best be described as the limitation of the autonomy of another exclusively on the grounds of benefit to the person in question (Tong 2007). Respect for patient autonomy is broadly understood as recognition that patients have the authority to make decisions about their own health care, and is pervasive in bioethics literature (Sherwin 1998). On a more intimate level, it can even be said to underlie the basis of human dignity (Gaylin 1994). While a pragmatic approach to bioethics suggests removing autonomy from the forefront of the gold standard of care (Childress & Fletcher 1994), abortion is one arena where the implications of overriding autonomy are far-reaching and dangerous. The reasoning was succinctly explained by beloved Justice Harry A. Blackmun regarding his stance on Roe v. Wade: "Few decisions are more personal and intimate, more properly private, or more basic to individual dignity and autonomy, than a woman's decision… whether to end her pregnancy (Flavin 2009)." Legislative interjection in this arena not only carries negative connotations for the state of women's health; it carries negative connotations for the state of women's rights (Orentlicher 2011). In a dynamic and ever-evolving society, we must be aware of the dangers of enlightened paternalism: dogmatic habits that do not adequately account for the changing environment and culture and misunderstand the place of intelligence and community in medical encounters (McGee 1999). To this end, even the most pragmatic interpretation of bioethical literature does not excuse the actions of the Texas legislature. Whatever the justification, talk of protecting women from harm caused by their own decisions is a marked recapitulation of paternalistic stereotypes, and in direct conflict with modern egalitarian ideals (Suk 2010).
Rally at the Texas Capital, July 2013
A thorough investigation of case construction, stock issues, and bioethical principles is likely to support this unpleasant truth: the actions of the Texas Legislature are wholly unethical. To some degree, politics has no place in the exam room. The doctor-patient relationship is a sacred one, and lawmakers affecting the inner workings of clinics makes about as much sense as doctors sitting on the bench to issue judgments and penalties. All educated individuals have a scope of practice: a skeleton system of acquired knowledge and vales. This is fleshed out over the years with experience and blossoms into expertise, much as a canvas transforms into a painting. The sprawling masterpieces that adorn the Sistine Chapel were certainly not painted in a day, or even a week. How can it possibly make sense that merely days of debate and a limited understanding of fundamental principles of bioethics are deemed sufficient to make such important decisions regarding women's rights? Passionate ideology and moral empowerment do not a good decision make. The same principle that governs distributive justice can be slightly altered and employed here: from each according to expertise, to each according to need. In such a strange and volatile time in our world, it seems prudent that lawmakers stay within their jurisdiction: they belong in our courtrooms, not our clinics.
Annas, G. (2010). Worst Case Bioethics: Death, Disaster, and Public Health. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Childress, J. & Fletcher, J. Respect for Autonomy. The Hastings Center Report, 55-56.
Dewitt, R. (2010). Worldviews: an Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Science. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, LTD.
Feldt, G. (2013). Crow after Roe: How Separate but Equal has Become the New Standard in Women's Health and how We Can Change That. Brooklyn, NY: IG Publishing, Inc.
Flavin, J. (2009). Our Bodies, Our Crimes: The Policing of Women's Reproduction in America. New York, NY: New York University Press.
Gaylin, W. (1994). Knowing Good and Doing Good. The Hastings Center Report, 193-198.
McGee, G. (1999). Pragmatic Bioethics. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University Press.
Orentlicher, D. (2011). Policy and Politics: The Legislative Process is Not Fit for the Abortion Debate. The Hastings Center Report, 41(4), 13-14.
Sherwin, S. (1998), The Politics of Women's Health: Exploring Agency and Autonomy. Philidelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Suk, J. (2010). The Trajectory of Trauma: Bodies and Minds of Abortion Discourse. Colombia Law Review, Vol. 110, No. 5, 1193-1252.
Tong, R. (2007). New Perspectives in Healthcare Ethics: An Interdisciplinary and Crosscultural Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.


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A vacationer from southern Minnesota has died after falling out of a boat into a western Ontario lake over the weekend.
The accident happened Saturday afternoon on Manion Lake, which is about 70 miles northeast of International Falls, Minn., by road.
Ontario Provincial Police say three fishermen from Minnesota were ejected from a boat for an unknown reason.
Another group of fishermen noticed the empty boat, discovered the three men in the water and brought them to shore.
Sixty-four-year-old Douglas Davis of North Mankato died. The names of the other two men were not released.
WDIO-TV in Duluth reported that Ontario Provincial Police continue investigating.


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2012 Regional Preview: Mid Atlantic
2011 Regional Standings
1. Ben Smith
1. BeckyConzelman
2. NateSchrader
2. GretchenKittelberger
3. SpencerHendel
3. Christy Phillips
2011 Games Standings
3. Ben Smith
12. Gretchen Kittelberger
9. Spencer Hendel
21. Christy Phillips
14. Nate Schrader
24. Becky Conzelman
2011 Wrap-Up: Experience Pays
In 2011, experience paid off in the Mid Atlantic. Though many newcomers came on strong in the Open competition, it was the seasoned athletes that pushed through the Regional competition for their shot in Los Angeles.
Todd Edmunds and Christy Phillips were 1st place in the Mid Atlantic Open competition. Todd was a strong competitor in 2010 with an 8th place finish in the Central East Regional qualifier. Phillips placed 6th in both the 2009 and 2010 CrossFit Games. Many newcomers made the top five in the Open for the Mid Atlantic on both the women's and men's sides, including Lindsey Wehseler, Jenny Butler, Michelle Crawford, and Jon Bostic.
The Mid Atlantic Regional showed some of these newcomers still had some work to do as the big names came through. The only big surprises were where the favorites stacked up. Becky Conzelman just missed a spot to the Games in 2010, getting edged out by one point. She showed she worked hard in the offseason by coming out of the gate with four 1st place finishes to start the Regional competition and ending in first overall.
The men's competition was fierce, with A.J. Moore dominating the early events. A.J. had a tough time with Event 4, however, and slipped to a tie for 3rd place with Spencer Hendel heading into the final event. Spencer seized the opportunity to pull ahead and won his third trip to the Games.
The men of the Mid Atlantic represented extremely well at the Home Depot Center, with Ben Smith on the podium for a 3rd place finish. Spencer and Nate, at 9th and 14th, respectively. After a middle of the pack first event, Gretchen Kittelberger was steady throughout and showed she belonged at the Games after missing 2010 by four points at the Central East Regional.
Christy and Becky didn't perform as well at the Games as their Open and Regional performances had indicated. Both athletes had always seemed to step up their game in previous competitions, consistently outpacing the field in local competitions and making it count in past CrossFit events. Nonetheless, after finishing in 21st and 24th respectively at the Games, both returned home with a strong desire to perform better in 2012.
2012 in the Mid Atlantic
The big news for 2012 is that Spencer Hendel, A.J. Moore, and Becky Conzelman will not be competing in the Mid Atlantic. Spencer has moved to Massachusetts, A.J. to Florida, and Becky to Colorado.
Christy Phillips and Gretchen Kittelberger remain the favorites in the Mid Atlantic for the women. Christy has earned 1st place finishes in the CrossFit Diesel 5ton5k, Beast of the East (tying Teresa Luz) and the Mid Atlantic Hopper Challenge. She says she was disappointed with her finish last year at the Games and so in the off-season has increased her exposure to movements and programming she's uncomfortable with.
Ben Smith's 1st place finish at the 2011 Mid Atlantic Regional, and 3rd place finish at the 2011 Games shows that the three-time CrossFit Games competitor continues to improve each year. His video WOD site is a continual series of elite performances.
Nate Schrader is looking even stronger this year as well. His workout (http://vimeo.com/user3000374) videos are filled with feats of strength that will be hard to beat at the CrossFit Games.
There are many other competitive athletes out there who continue to get better and better each year. For example, Michelle Crawford is dominating local competitions in North Carolina. Other favorites include Steve Pinkerton and Jenn Jones. Steve took 9th at the 2011 Regional due to a 25th place showing on Event 1. Jenn, a former college gymnast who trains with Christy Phillips, took 5th at last year's Regional.


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Nothing better shows corporate control over the government than Washington's basic response to the current economic crisis. First we had "the rescue" and then "the recovery." Trillions in public money flowed to the biggest US banks, insurance companies, etc. That "bailed" them out (suggestion of criminality?) while we waited for benefits to "trickle down" to the rest of us. As usual, the "trickle down" part has not happened. Large corporations and their investors kept the government's money for themselves; their profits and stock market "recovered" nicely. We get unemployment, home-foreclosures, job benefit cuts and growing job insecurity. As the crisis hits states and cities, politicians avoid raising corporate taxes in favor of cutting government services and jobs.
Might government bias favoring corporations be deserved, a reward for taxes they pay? No: corporations – especially the larger ones – have avoided taxes as effectively as they have controlled government expenditures to benefit them.
Compare income taxes received by the federal government from individuals and from corporations (their profits are treated as their income). The table below (in millions of dollars) is based on statistics from the Office of Management and the Budget in the White House:
The overall picture is unmistakable. The trend is clear. During the Great Depression federal income tax receipts from individuals and corporations were roughly equal. During World War Two, income tax receipts from corporations were 50 % greater than from individuals. The national crises of depression and war produced successful popular demands for corporations to contribute significant portions of federal tax revenues.
US corporations resented that arrangement, and after the war, they changed it. Corporate profits financed politicians' campaigns and lobbies to make sure that income tax receipts from individuals rose faster than those from corporations and that tax cuts were larger for corporations than for individuals. By the 1980s, individual income taxes regularly yielded four times more than taxes on corporations' profits.
Also See:
Richard D. Wolff | "The Tax Cut Bill" (Video)
Since World War 2, corporations shifted much of the federal tax burden from themselves to the public and especially onto the middle income members of the public.ii No wonder a tax "revolt" developed, yet it did not push to stop or reverse that shift. Corporations had focused public anger elsewhere, against government expenditures as "wasteful" and against public employees as inefficient. Organizations such as Chambers of Commerce and corporations' academic and political "allies" together shaped the public debate. They did not want it to be about who does and does not pay the taxes. Instead, they steered the "tax revolt" against taxes in general (on businesses and all individuals alike). The corporations' efforts saved them far more in reduced taxes than the costs of their political contributions, lobbyists, and public relations campaigns.
At the same time, corporations also lobbied successfully for many loopholes in the tax laws. The official federal tax rate on profits is now around 35 % for large corporations who theoretically have to pay additional state taxes on their profits and local taxes on their property (land, buildings, business inventories, etc.). Those official and theoretical tax obligations have been used to support conservatives' claims that corporations pay half or more of their profits to federal, state, and local levels of government combined. However, because of loopholes, the truth is very different. Corporations' – and especially large corporations' – actual tax payments are far lower than their official, theoretical obligations
The most comprehensive recent study of what larger corporations actually pay by three academic accountants – professors at Duke, MIT and the University of North Carolina – gets at that truth. It examined a large sample of corporations. Their average turned out to be a rate of total taxation (federal, state and local combined) below 30 %.iii The study concluded: "We find a significant fraction of firms that appear to be able to successfully avoid large portions of the corporate income tax over sustained periods of time. Using a ten-year measure of tax avoidance, 546 firms, comprising 26.3 percent of our sample, are able to maintain a cash effective tax rate of 20 percent or less. The mean firm has a ten-year cash effective tax rate of approximately 29.6 percent."
General Electric (GE) deserves special mention. The New York Times reported that its total tax payment amounted to 14.3 % over the last five years.iv Citizens for Tax Justice corrected that down to 3.4 % as the profits tax it paid in the US.v Thus, GE paid a far lower tax rate on its income than most Americans paid on theirs. In 2009, GE received a huge $140 billion bailout guarantee of its debt from Washington.vi By choosing GE's chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, to head his Economic Advisory Panel, President Obama effectively rewarded the corporate program: give us more and tax us less.
The Brookings Institute pie chart below summarizes the dramatic success achieved by corporations' tax avoidance strategies.vii
Corporations repeated at the state and local levels what they accomplished federally. According to the US Census Bureau, corporations paid taxes on their profits to states and localities totaling $ 24.7 billion in 1988 while individuals then paid income taxes of $ 90.0 billion.viii However, by 2009, while corporate tax payments had roughly doubled (to $ 49.1 billion), individual income taxes had more than tripled (to $290.0 billion).
If corporations paid taxes proportionate to the benefits they get from government and/or to what individuals pay, most US citizens would finally get the tax relief they so desperately seek.
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text: Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear. There has been a royal castle here since at least the reign of David I in the 12th century, and the site continued to be a royal residence until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. From the 15th century the castle's residential role declined, and by the 17th century its principal role was as a military base with a large garrison. Its importance as a historic monument was recognised from the 19th century, and various restoration programmes have been carried out since. As one of the most important fortresses in the Kingdom of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle was involved in many historical conflicts, from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century, up to the Jacobite Rising of 1745, and has been besieged, both successfully and unsuccessfully, on several occasions.


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Clients. You have to love the little dears. Without them it would be much harder for photographers to actually make money. But since most clients aren't deeply immersed in the art and science of image making we sometimes find that clients have unreal expectations of: what can be done in a day, how optics work, how quickly and easily things can be fixed in PhotoShop, how much your time and expertise costs, what kinds of rights they'll end up with and how quickly everything can be turned around. Side issues include the general blank stare you'll get when you mention things like location permits, lunch breaks, mileage charges, and the fact that you actually OWN the images and you are ONLY licensing a package of usage licenses to them.
Now, you can wait to the very end to grapple with lots of these issues and I can pretty much guarantee you that your procrastination in tackling the understanding curve will come back and bite you on the ass. Hard. There is a better way and that is to include as much detail as possible in your initial conversations and then follow up those conversations with a concise listing of the discussed points in the body of your estimate or bid (two different animals...).
The first and biggest points are nearly always about money and what the client gets for their money. I think this one is tough for a lot of photographers because artists don't like to talk about money and they don't like to talk about who owns the rights. Can you blame photographers who live in a culture where most transactions look like a slalom race to the bargain basement? You can always find a crappier product cheaper at Walmart but would you really want to own a product that's not fun to use and needs to be replaced over and over again when you could buy a better product elsewhere that may last a lifetime and be a pleasure to use? If quality doesn't matter and price is the only consideration then why aren't we using plastic cameras with single element, plastic lenses? Or Kiev cameras for that matter. I think the answer is that we want to buy things that are well made. Clients might have the same mindset but sometimes it's up to us to explain the features AND the benefits of buying the better solution.
When we tackle price we have two line items that are really important. One is our creation fee = what it costs us to produce the image(s) our clients need. Most people base this number on a day rate. It basically covers part of our overhead but not our profits. And it doesn't cover the benefit the client derives from using the final product; photographs.
For the sake of this blog let's say you work in a second tier market and you work pretty consistently. Your basic rate to show up with your gear and do the work (exclusive of travel costs, assistants, props, etc.) might be $2,000 for each day that you are engaged. But the finished work has its own intrinsic value to the client. We bill separately for that. Let's say that your client wants to use a set of images on their website for two years and in their capabilities brochure. They'll print 20,000 brochures. Depending on the size of the company's market and the overall size of the company we might charge a fixed price of $1200 to use six images on the website and another $800 to use the images in the brochure for one print run. The basic fees for doing the work AND licensing the usage of the work = $4,000. All hard costs are added on top of those fees and, depending on your business model, you might add a markup of anywhere from 10-25% of the costs to cover the time and liability it requires for you to arrange and supervise these line items.
Most clients who don't do this on a daily or weekly basis think that they should pay one fee and own all the work ad infinitum so that's the first hurdle of expectation management you'll grapple with. We carefully explain that this is the way our business works. We try to get them to understand that the time and expertise are both expensive things to accrue and are different from the actual value of the images. Usually they get it but it requires talking through the process and the rationale. Artists own the work they create. It's up to them to decide how they want to monetize it. Not every client will get it or want to work with you this way but it's better to have that discussion before you drive to Terlingua and talk about it the morning of your scheduled shoot... right?
When I bid a job I cover as much as I can. I talk about how we're going to shoot, where we're going to shoot, who will get the models, who will handle to location fees, how many shots we need to get and how we'll schedule that. I talk about how the work will be delivered.
For a recent annual report bid I wrote: "....globally post process all edited (selected) images for color, tonality and perspective corrections and then send, via FTP, large Tiff images." To make sure they understood that we would NOT be extensively retouching each images I also added: "(more extensive post processing (or retouching) of images for things like the removal of labels, product defects etc. is $45 per image and is additional to the budget above. We will only initiate advanced retouching with your additional approval). I added this language to manage the expectation that every one of the hundreds of files we'd make (bracketing, expressions, variations) would NOT be individually manipulated and/or retouched. Not making that clear up front means you'll have a conflict somewhere down the line... But if you are going to retouch and post process each image individually from something like an annual report project you'd better be well paid for it or the time sink hole with kill your business.
Clients may also have a way that they like to pay suppliers. Mostly they like to pay them whenever it's convenient or whenever they feel so disposed. We, on the other hand, usually want to be paid on some sort of logical schedule with NOW being the most logical option I can think of....
Here's what we write when we talk about payment: All payment is due on completion and delivery of the images. No license of use is considered valid until balance is paid in full. We rarely get too much push back and we really do expect to get paid for our work on a reasonable schedule. When I sent a variation of the above to a prospective client who was very interested in working with my company he wrote back to say that his parent company in XXXXX, U.S.A had a policy of tendering payment in 45-60 days but that they "were good for it." My response was to see if he could pay for the service and licenses with a credit card but that option wasn't open either. My response? "I appreciate being asked to prepare a bid for your advertising project but our CFO requires payment on completion (which usually means within 10 working days) and would not allow me to accept a contract with such long payment terms." I added, "please let me know if your company's policy on payment changes in the future as I would enjoy working with you very much."
I am happy to decline work if it doesn't pay well or in a timely fashion. It's too easy for the time of payment to keep slipping and slipping. You've heard the adage, "Life is uncertain, eat dessert first!" It doesn't take long for even big companies to get into trouble and stop paying their bills altogether. Happens more often than you might expect.
But let's move on from the boring accounting expectations and get right down to the stuff that happens when we shoot....
I like to have a conversation with clients about how we operate on the shoot. If the client has hired me on the strength of highly stylized portraits they've seen on my website I want to make sure they know making these portraits can't be done by just leaning in someone's office door and snapping a "quick one." We talk about how long it takes to set up the lights and how long it takes to build an effective rapport with each sitter. You won't get what you want from a "cattle call" shoot but clients don't always know what it takes and it's your job to paint the picture. You also need to let them know that you need breaks and lunch and a good, quiet environment in which to work. How much time will you need to drag in your gear and get it set up and tested? That needs to be part of the conversation. Don't assume they've ever done anything like this before.
Portrait clients love to point to highly produced magazine cover shots and express that this kind of work is their "target." At that point it's time to talk about make-up people and clothing stylists and why they are so important for a style like the one the client has become attached to. You will either change their budget or their expectations. But it's better than delivering a product they'll never be happy with...
On a recent shoot I came to understand how the total market capitulation to cellphone photography has, in a half a generation, eviscerated the general public's knowledge about photo techniques. I worked with a very young marketing director who wanted stuff that the laws of physics disallow. The first was a request that we shoot "wide" shots but at the same time she would like the background to be "totally out of focus." We were in a fairly small room. I had to explain to the client that the effect she was looking for (and showing examples of) is always best done with longer lenses and a lot of distance between the thing you would like in focus and the thing you would like to have out of focus.
She modified her next request. She would like Bob, in the foreground, to be in "very sharp focus" and she would like Raymond who was standing six feet behind Bob to also be in "very sharp focus" but we would like Rachel who was standing two feet behind Raymond and eight feet from Bob to be "totally out of focus." We had to have a discussion about how focus falls off over distance but I'm still not sure she really got it.
The next issue that always throws me for a loop is the idea that the camera can do discriminatory cropping. "You know, I want the picture to have the same top and bottom but I want the stuff on the left side to be zoomed out." Do you mean "cropped out"? Clients want things to be cropped in the camera but they want to see everything else exactly the way it is composed in the initial image. Hmmmm. I generally use live view and show them how zooming changes everything. Once they get that we move on to the laptop where I show them how different cropping is... Of course, the next discussion is about how they don't want the aspect ratio to change....
Many times clients won't understand that some things need to be lit. "Do we have to take time to set up lights? Can't we just shoot with the available (fluorescent ceiling fixtures) lights?" That's an interesting discussion and also one that should be handled in the preliminary negotiations. If your client has been working under the presumption that nothing need be lit they'll expect the shoot to go like rocket and will likely have over promised their bosses about the number of shots they'll get... wildly. Guess who gets the blame?
You might also want to manage your client's expectations when it comes to making promises they can't (or perhaps shouldn't) fulfill. My favorite two are, "We'll get the photographer to send you a print. You can share it with your mother----or use it on LinkedIn." And, "I promised our sister company that they could use the images too. They're splitting your invoice with us. Just a warning, they're really slow pay...."
The client expects that it would be no big deal for you to make a batch of prints and send them over for distribution but that's not reflected in your bid, job description, etc. and is something you would never agree to. Rather than stay mute and take up the discussion after the job is done you need to speak up at the very first moment the "free prints for everyone" speech starts. Unless you bid a fortune and the client agreed to it you don't have time to fulfill requests like this and you sure don't want the files you've worked hard to create in the hands of everyone in the client's company, trying their hands at image manipulation and plastering the work all over Facebook.
The second issue above generally requires a full stop. "This was not in our agreement. We don't split jobs without additional compensation (remember, the images have intrinsic values to clients) and we don't vary the payment schedules in our agreements." If it's a "make it or break it" issue I am a proponent of turning to my assistant and saying, "Pack it up. We're out of here." It's better not to do the work than to have your value endlessly diluted. Negotiate if you can but if you can't you'll need to do what's right for your business first.
My final two points on managing client expectations have to do with working conditions and then on delivery.
I absolutely hate to have a client stand over my shoulder shouting encouragement to a shy and socially phobic sitter; or anyone else. I can't stand the frat party atmosphere of yelling "funny" stuff to sitters while we are trying to work and I'm not willing to put up with it. When we do portrait shoots on location I talk about MY EXPECTATIONS for a happy working environment. I ask clients not to chime in or co-direct when I am working. If they have a concern or issue I ask that they wait until I get to a stopping point and then we can pull ourselves aside and discuss. Nothing breaks the mood worse for most sitters than having two directors each trying to give directions that may cancel each other out. My expectation is that the client will stand back and let me do my job.
In the same vein we need to shoot in a designated area that ensures the subjects a bit of privacy and keeps out the passersby who seem to truly believe that their tired joke about "Joe being so ugly his face will break your camera!!!" Or, to the 300 pound woman from accounting, "Sheila! Get sexy with the camera!!!" This doesn't help anyone. I think we should position an H.R. person right outside the door of the makeshift studio for the day to deal with this kind of witless humor.
Finally, delivery. I can't tell you how many times I've put a delivery schedule into the agreement only to have the client mention on our way out of their building that, "I just found out that our CEO is doing a big pitch tomorrow morning! Can you get me the best shots from every set up we shot today and deliver them to my mailbox this evening? I know you said a week but YOU KNOW IT IS IN CORPORATE...."
We used to try and figure something out. We don't anymore. We just say "no." Why? Because most times it's unnecessary. The client is just looking for someone to tell them "no" so they can go back to the CEO's admin with some ammunition. And secondly, we just don't want to compromise the integrity of the product. The client will never remember that they asked you to rush they will only remember that the images didn't turn out quite as well as they expected......
To recap: I insist on being paid. I need to let you know how many photographs to expect from our collaboration. I need you to understand that you don't OWN the photographs and don't have the right to distribute them everywhere like popcorn. I need you to understand that there are certain things cameras can't do and we need to work within the constraints of the laws of physics. Good work takes time. Good post production takes more time. I insist on being paid on time. Available light indoors sucks more often than you might think. I don't need a "cheering section" at the portrait shoot. I won't be making prints for everyone's mom. These people are employees, they are getting paid to be here. And by the way, I insist on being paid for the work in a timely fashion.
It's fun to think that all of what we do is somehow just "art" and that the universe takes care of monetizing artists but I'm here to tell you that this is a business and the important part is managing client's expectations.
You want the transaction to work for everyone. That means it has to work for you too.


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