[CTRL] survey for survivors of extreme abuse
-Caveat Lector- To: Fellow Survivors of Extreme Abuse and Their Advocates From: Carol Rutz An untold number of persons who survived extreme abuse including ritual abuse, cult abuse, sexual abuse, clergy abuse, mind control, torture, etc. and as a result developed posttraumatic conditions such as DID have been ignored too long and further injured by their inability to find quality mental health providers who recognize their symptoms and have the expertise to help them. If you have been unable to find a safe way to find and use your voice, now is your opportunity to do a completely anonymous survey that may affect a change in the way we are perceived by an uniformed public as well as by some skeptical mental health professionals. I am pleased to be part of a research team from the United States and Germany that has developed a survey designed to explore commonalities reported by survivors from around the world regarding: 1. Types of abuse/violence/tortures to which they have been subjected. 2. Aftereffects of extreme abuse which they have experienced. 3. Methods of healing that have been most effective for them. The survey, available in both English and German, is online at _http://extreme-abuse-survey.net/_ (http://extreme-abuse-survey.net/) . If you are a survivor, I invite you to respond to the survey titled, "An International Survey of Adult Survivors of Extreme Abuse" and to make your survivor friends aware of this opportunity. If you are a professional who works with trauma survivors, please tell them about the survey and suggest their participation. The results of the survey will be widely disseminated on the World Wide Web, offered in press releases, and published in an edited academic book. A second survey will be available shortly for completion by therapists/counselors/clergy who work professionally with adult survivors of extreme abuse. www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substanceânot soap-boxingâplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'âwith its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsâis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/ http://www.mail-archive.com/ctrl@listserv.aol.com/";>ctrl To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Survey Shows Skepticism About Iraq
Title: washingtonpost.com: Survey Shows Skepticism About Iraq -Caveat Lector- As Bush faces public skepticism about the importance of the Iraq war to national security, he is also hearing similar doubts from some lawmakers in his own party. Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) yesterday criticized the administration's thinking about Iraq as "one of the most misguided assumptions in the history of United States strategic thinking" and said the occupation could increase the threats to American security. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A857-2003Nov4?language=printer washingtonpost.com Survey Shows Skepticism About Iraq Most Americans Polled Don't Believe Conflict Is Key Fight in War on Terrorism By Dana Milbank and Thomas E. RicksWashington Post Staff WritersWednesday, November 5, 2003; Page A13 Only one in seven Americans agrees with President Bush's assertion that the conflict in Iraq is the most important fight in the war on terrorism, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Since Sept. 7, when Bush addressed the nation to build support for the war in Iraq, he and his aides have described Iraq as "the central front" in the war on terrorism. "We will fight this war against terror until it is won," Bush said recently in one typical speech. "We are fighting on many fronts. Iraq is now the central front." But the poll found that, although 61 percent of the respondents believe Iraq is part of the war on terrorism, just 14 percent think it is the "most important" part. This doubt -- shared by some experts in military strategy -- poses a potential problem for Bush, because it indicates that a large majority of Americans disagrees with his main argument for justifying the continuing occupation of Iraq, which has proven costlier and bloodier than was generally predicted before the war. Experts in public opinion say it may explain why support for Bush's policies on Iraq has sagged. As Bush faces public skepticism about the importance of the Iraq war to national security, he is also hearing similar doubts from some lawmakers in his own party. Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) yesterday criticized the administration's thinking about Iraq as "one of the most misguided assumptions in the history of United States strategic thinking" and said the occupation could increase the threats to American security. Leach, a veteran lawmaker who once worked for Donald H. Rumsfeld, now the defense secretary, said in a conference call with Iowa reporters that the administration expects a presence of six or seven years in Iraq rather than the "decisive" withdrawal he favors. He said the long-term occupation will create "more problems around the world and, potentially, in the United States as well." The public's decoupling of Iraq from the war on terrorism is ominous for Bush, because the high marks he has received for fighting terrorism have helped to hold together support for the actions in Iraq, several polling analysts suggested. In April, 77 percent of Americans believed the war in Iraq was part of the war against terrorism, but this number slipped to 66 percent in September and to 61 percent last week, when the latest poll was conducted. At the same time, Americans' approval of the situation in Iraq has dropped to 47 percent from 50 percent in September and 75 percent in April. Bush's rating in the fight against terrorism remains higher, at 63 percent. But this has slipped from 70 percent in September and 79 percent in April, as fewer Americans believe the war in Iraq has made them safer. "These are very important changing perceptions," said Andrew Kohut, who directs the nonpartisan Pew Research Center polls. "What's going on is potentially threatening to support for the war, because it's no longer being seen as something we did to protect ourselves." Kohut said Americans view the "central front" in the war on terrorism as much closer to home than Iraq. "When you say war on terrorism, they think about the things protecting us, like the Department of Homeland Security and screening at the airports." The administration launched its effort to portray Iraq as the "central front" in Bush's speech to the nation two months ago. That same day, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice called Iraq the "central battle" against terrorism and said victory there would mean al Qaeda "will have been dealt a mortal blow." Administration officials continue to make the argument: Vice President Cheney said on Friday that "Iraq is now the central front in the war on terror, and we are rolling back the terrorist threat at the very heart of its power." An outside expert who supports the invasion of Iraq said Bush is justified in making the link. "Iraq is the central front," said Tom Donnelly, a defense specialist with the American Enterprise Institute. "Withdrawal from Iraq is not an option; defeat there would have global consequences for American credibility." Oth
[CTRL] Survey: Homeschooling knows no color
-Caveat Lector- {PRIVATE}This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29779 Tuesday, November 26, 2002 Survey: Homeschooling knows no color Many black parents educating children, citing same reasons as whites Posted: November 26, 2002 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2002 WorldNetDaily.com Countering a common stereotype of homeschoolers, a survey in Baltimore showed that 500 of the city's 1,200 home-educated children are black. Baltimore City Community College professor Arnita Hicks McArthur found, to her surprise, that black parents are educating their kids at home, and doing it for the same reasons cited by white parents, according to Baltimore Sun columnist Mike Bowler. "The results of the survey were affirming," said McArthur, a teacher of Spanish, English and speech. "They showed that all parents just want the best for their children. And when they're not getting it, they can take education into their own hands. Thank God for that." McArthur, former president of the Baltimore school board, conducted her survey last year with the assistance of Ron Gregory, who keeps track of home education for the city's schools. She found black parents, like whites, deplore poor discipline and violence in the public schools and believe they can do a better job meeting their children's needs. Many believe a spiritual foundation should be central to education. On a questionnaire, which assured anonymity, parents commented: * "There is an increase of student violence which disrupts the classroom environment and prevents teachers from teaching." * "There is turmoil in the school system." * "I know what [my children's] strong and weak points are. I can give them the one-on-one attention they need." Many of the parents, according to McArthur, "felt there were no religious or biblical values included in instruction. They felt that God should be included in the curriculum." McArthur's work was conducted for an education research course at Towson University, near Baltimore. -- Outgoing mail is certified virus free Scanned by Norton AntiVirus A general state education is a mere contrivance for molding people to be exactly like one another: and as the mold in which it casts them is that which pleases the predominant power in the government or the majority of the existing generation; in proportion as it is efficient and successful, it establishes a despotism over the mind, leading by natural tendency to one over the body. ~~John Stuart Mill,_On Liberty_ (1859) http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED] http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Survey: Israel is number 2 threat to world peace
-Caveat Lector- http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=217563 Last update - 16:11 08/10/2002 Survey: Israel is number 2 threat to world peace, just after Iraq By Yair Sheleg, Ha'aretz Correspondent Israel was ranked number two, just after Iraq, on a list of countries that threaten world peace, according to a recent survey conducted by French newspapers. Syria, Iran and Libya also appear on the list, albeit after Israel. The survey was conducted jointly by five local dailies in northwest France, which have a combined readership of about 175,000. The list includes a total of 15 countries. Following Iraq and Israel were Afghanistan, the United States, Palestine, Iran, Pakistan, Algiers and Libya in that order. Syria appears number 12 on the list. A similar survey carried out a year ago ranked Israel "only" number four on the list of countries that threaten world peace. "There is no doubt that distortions in the French media influence the survey," Deputy Foreign Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior said in reponse to the list. "Even if there is a legitimate criticism of Israel, in many cases we see a distortion of reality in the French media, which explains the absurd results of the survey. In any event, we do not apologize for our existence." www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED] http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ctrl To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] SURVEY FINDS NATION'S HAD ITS FILL OF HILL
-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! SURVEY FINDS NATION'S HAD ITS FILL OF HILL Saturday,March 17,2001 By DEBORAH ORIN -- -- LOOKING DOWN: Only 39 percent like Sen. Hillary Clinton in a recent poll - and unlike New Yorkers, most Americans wouldn't want her husband as mayor of their town. - Mary Altaffer WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Clinton's image across the country has hit a new low in the wake of Pardongate - with most Americans now having a negative view of the ex-first lady, a new national poll shows. A total of 51 percent of Americans now have an unfavorable view of Clinton and only 39 percent view her positively, according to the Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll. She had a much better image on Jan. 12, just before the Clintons left the White House amid controversy over pardons and gift-grabbing. Then she had a rating of 52 percent positive and 38 percent negative. The poll also suggests New York City is really out of whack with the rest of the country regarding Bill Clinton. Asked "if Clinton ran for mayor in your city, would you vote for him?" the poll found 65 percent wouldn't and only 30 percent would. Other surveys have found Bill Clinton could win if he ran for Big Apple mayor. President Bush did well in the Fox poll - 56 percent said he's doing a good job while only 23 percent disapprove. The nationwide poll of 904 registered voters was taken Wednesday and Thursday and has an error margin of 3 percentage points either way. The Clintons' increasingly negative national image dims, at least for now, any chance that Sen. Clinton will become a national leader of her party or a 2004 presidential contender against Bush. Asked for comment on the bad-news poll, Clinton spokeswoman Karen Dunn replied: "Senator Clinton is more concerned with numbers that matter to real people, like the number of new teachers in our classrooms." A recent Post poll in New York found Sen. Clinton has a better image in her new home state. It showed 51 percent viewed her positively even though 58 percent believed she lied when she denied knowing about her brother Hugh Rodham's role in Pardongate. Hugh Rodham got $400,000 to lobby Bill Clinton for two convicted felons who got pardons. Despite his pledge to repay the money, The Post yesterday revealed he has yet to repay $100,000 because he spent it. Meanwhile, Sen. Clinton yesterday continued her attack on Bush and criticized his decision to fire three of the four U.S. attorneys in New York. Only Manhattan U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, who's probing Pardongate, will stay on indefinitely. "I think it's more efficient and serves the cause of justice not to disrupt the term of someone who is performing well," said the former first lady, whose husband fired all U.S. attorneys far faster, just two months after taking office. Bush is phasing out Clinton appointees over a longer period of time. Most will be asked to leave by June, but 12 to 15 handling sensitive investigations will be staying on. In White's case, Justice Department officials say the prime reason for keeping her is the terror trial of Osama bin Laden, although it also leaves her time to see if laws were broken by Clinton's controversial pardons of people like fugitive billionaire Marc Rich. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED] http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Cons
Re: [CTRL] Survey
-Caveat Lector- From: "Fred R. Saluga" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I am beginning to start this project once again and hope to have it > completed by early fall, if all goes well. I would like to thank those of you > that participated in the intitial research and answered my survey. I hope > that you will again take the time to complete the below listed survey. Good luck. Methinks you'll find the people here a tad too paranoid to be willing to answer, especially 'Kindred Spirit' who insists that no one ask her/him personal questions... ;-) > 2. Would you list the reasons that you believe that law enforcement officers > do not want to get involved in the investigation of UFOs ? Takes away from their donut time at the local diner... > 3. Should UFO related incidents be investigated by: Poets, musicians, and artists of all genres... > 4. Law Enforcement Officers are the first to receive a call from someone who > has had a sighting or other related UFO incident. Not necessarily. In some locales the local airport may be called first...or the local radio talkshow... > What steps do you believe > law enforcement should take after receiving a call? Leave those donuts dunked in the cuppa and get off their diner stools and go investigate the report... > 5. Do you believe that Law Enforcement would participate in a UFO COverup? Quite frankly, on a local level, no...I believe local LEOs would be as in the dark as regular folk, and be fed the same line of BS from those they themselves sought answers from... Let's face it...it's not your local Barney Fifes who are orchestrating the whole UFO brouhaha... Now, national-level law enforcement agencies are another case altogether... > 6. There have been numerous sightings of UFO's by the Law Enforcement > Community in recent years and the Officers involved have come forward and > reported the incidents to the media. > A. Do you believe that the law enforcement community is starting to look > at the UFO Phenomena more seriously and changing their attitudes? > B. What do you believe is the reason that UFOs are appearing more and > more to the Law Enforcement Community? It's probably more a case of boomer-generation officers being more willing to discuss sightings, where their predecessors decided that discretion was the better part of valor, when it came to reporting seeing something strange in the sky... So what I am saying is that it is not necessarily a case of more instances of LEOs being involved in Close Encounters of the One thru Infinity kind, but rather that a new generation of cops is more willing to go public with their experiences... > 8. Should the Law Enforcement Community should take alien abductions > seriously and if you were a law enforcement officer, how would you proceed > with this type of an investigation? Just the facts, ma'am(and sir)... > 9. There are many psychological, physiological and adverse conditions > associated with UFO incidents. Do you believe that the law enforcement > community can handle these incidents objectively? Can anyone? There are psychological, physiological and adverse conditions associated with all manner of non-UFO incidents that LEOs have to deal with every day; some handle it well, others don't. June http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED] http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Survey
-Caveat Lector- Greetings: For those of you that do not know me, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Fred R. Saluga. I am an ex-Chief of Police and also a State Section Director for MUFON and a State Director for Skywatch International. I also belong to other UFO organizations. I started a research project two years ago, entitled ' UFO'S AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE TO THE PHENOMENA." While I was compiling my research, I move to another part of town and most of my research that I had obtained was accidently destroyed by my daughter in the process of moving. I am beginning to start this project once again and hope to have it completed by early fall, if all goes well. I would like to thank those of you that participated in the intitial research and answered my survey. I hope that you will again take the time to complete the below listed survey. I would also appreciate if you would not use yes and no answers and express your views, be they positive or negative. SURVEY 1. A common complaint among UFO witnesses and others who have had a UFO experience or encounter is that the Law Enforcement Community tends to be unresponsive to their claims and show an unwillingness to get involved in UFO related incidents. 2. Would you list the reasons that you believe that law enforcement officers do not want to get involved in the investigation of UFOs ? 3. Should UFO related incidents be investigated by: A. Law Enforcement B. Civilian Investigators C. Both Please explain you response? 4. Law Enforcement Officers are the first to receive a call from someone who has had a sighting or other related UFO incident. What steps do you believe law enforcement should take after receiving a call? 5. Do you believe that Law Enforcement would participate in a UFO COverup? 6. There have been numerous sightings of UFO's by the Law Enforcement Community in recent years and the Officers involved have come forward and reported the incidents to the media. A. Do you believe that the law enforcement community is starting to look at the UFO Phenomena more seriously and changing their attitudes? B. What do you believe is the reason that UFOs are appearing more and more to the Law Enforcement Community? 7. Are you aware of any Law Enforcement Agency that has investigated a UFO related Incident and make an office report of the incident? Also, if you have had contact with a Law Enforcement Officer about a UFO related incident, could you explain what happened and how you was treated? 8. Should the Law Enforcement Community should take alien abductions seriously and if you were a law enforcement officer, how would you proceed with this type of an investigation? 9. There are many psychological, physiological and adverse conditions associated with UFO incidents. Do you believe that the law enforcement community can handle these incidents objectively? 10. I would appreciate any comments that you may have concerning this survey and also any information that you believe should be researched and is not covered? I would like to thank you in advance for your time and cooperation regarding the above and all information that is forwarded will be deeply appreciated. I would also like to state that I intend to put this information on the web once it is completed, last fall so that those that participated will know the results. If you would like to send the information to me, my address is: Fred R. Saluga, P.O. Box 6181, Tallahassee, Florida 32314 http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substancenot soap-boxingplease! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright fraudsis used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED] http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] SURVEY ONLINE FINANCE
Click Here: http://www.economist.com/editorial/freeforall/2520/index_survey.html ">The Economist - 20th May 2000SURVEY ONLINE FINANCE The virtual threat The Internet has already forced wrenching change on the financial-services industryand the revolution has barely begun, says Simon Long The other sort of channel conflict Banking The Internet Search archive LinksTHE most remarkable thing about the effect of the Internet on the financial-services sector is not how pervasive it has been; it is how limited a transformation it has so far wrought. Financial institutions, after all, deal in a productmoneythat for many of their customers has long been virtual. Bank-account holders are used to the notion that their cash is represented by a series of numbers on a monthly statement generated by a computer, or by the glowing green figures of a cash machine. And they have become accustomed to making payments using pieces of plastic backed with a clever magnetic strip. The Internet might have been designed for the distribution, monitoring and management of this ubiquitous electronic commodity. More worryingly for the firms that make their living out of arranging financial transactions, the Internet might also have been designed to do away with them. Banks and other financial firms are intermediaries, standing between lenders and borrowers, savers and spenders. For decades, banks in rich countries have been fretting about how to cope with disintermediation: lenders dealing direct with borrowers (as many do already in the capital markets), without using a banks balance sheet to add a layer of cost. The Internet is, potentially, the greatest force for disintermediation the banks have ever had to tackle. Other intermediaries, such as retailers, face the same problem. But money, unlike, say, an item of clothing, is a commodity that can actually be used, transferred and delivered electronically. Samuel Theodore, of Moodys, a credit-rating agency, believes the banks are currently undergoing their fourth disintermediation. The first involved savings, and the growth of mutual funds, specialised pension funds and life-insurance policies at the expense of bank deposits; the second saw the capital markets take on some of the banks traditional role as providers of credit; in the third, advances in technology helped to streamline back-office operations. Now, in the fourth stage, the distribution of banking products is being disintermediated. This process has been going on for some years, with the spread of automated teller machines (ATMs) and, over the past decade or so, telephone banking and PC-based proprietary systems; but the Internet hugely enlarges its scope. Spotty youth Yet, except for one activity, share-trading, and one part of the world, Scandinavia, Internet-based financial retailing is, if not in its infancy, then scarcely at puberty. And wholesale banking, although it relies heavily on complex electronic trading systems and information technology, is still conducted mostly on closed proprietary networks. To be sure, there are some signs that the disintermediation the industry fears may be starting. Internet banks, with their low costsand their dot.com habit of paying more attention to the acquisition of customers than the turning of profitshave drawn deposits away from offline banks in some countries. And in the capital markets, bond issues and share offerings have been syndicated and distributed over the Internet. Some highly rated borrowers have for years been borrowing through their own issues of commercial paper. The Internet can only enhance the appeal of do-it-yourself fund-raising. But these are just the early signs of an upheaval that is gathering momentum by the day. There are a number of reasons why many online financial services have been slow to catch on, and why they can now be expected to develop faster. Concerns about the security of Internet transactions, a particularly important issue for financial dealings, are gradually being eased. Internet use, even in the rich world, has been patchy, but is spreading fast. And whereas conducting financial transactions online up to now has often been clunky and annoying, the technology is improving all the time. Those technological advances are also liberating the Internet from the confines of the PC (see article). Most important, financial institutions themselves, which in the past have often resisted change, may now become its most ardent promoters. Having invested heavily in their own systems, banks were understandably reluctant to jettison them for web-based replacements. And adapting their own processes for the Internet has often proved cumbersome and difficult. Moreover, until recently banks faced little pressure from their customers to change what were seen as useful but boring services, much the same as electricity and gas. But soon, in many countries, customers will expect an online service as a m
Re: [CTRL] Survey Links Gulf War Syndrome to Nerve-Gas Antidote
-Caveat Lector- In a message dated 10/19/1999 9:44:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << Dr. Golomb also reported that some studies on animals suggested that the drug might not be very effective against soman at the doses given and may in fact increase susceptibility to other chemical weapons. The drug has not been given to troops since the gulf war, but Dr. Rostker said the findings would not change the Pentagon's policy to use it whenever commanders determine that an enemy might have soman. "Its continued use is warranted given the fact that an exposure to soman would result in almost immediate death," Dr. Rostker said. >> Well, this is the best argument I've ever encountered against entering the American military for any reason. If they reinstitute the draft, go anywhere else. It sounds as if the Pentagon's residents have lost what little sense they had when they started . They don't really keep sloppy records; they just lose them a lot. Prudy DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER == CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
[CTRL] Survey Links Gulf War Syndrome to Nerve-Gas Antidote
-Caveat Lector- October 19, 1999 http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/washpol/gulfwar-syndrome.html Survey Links Gulf War Syndrome to Nerve-Gas Antidote By STEVEN LEE MYERS WASHINGTON -- A scientific survey underwritten by the Pentagon has concluded that an experimental drug given to American troops during the Persian Gulf war to protect against a nerve gas may be responsible for the chronic illnesses afflicting tens of thousands of veterans. The report, to be released at a news conference on Tuesday, is the first commissioned by the Pentagon to identify a possible cause for the illnesses, which have collectively come to be known as gulf war syndrome. It sharply contradicts two earlier Government studies -- by a Presidential commission and by the Institute of Medicine -- that ruled out the drug as a cause. The drug, pyridostigmine bromide, or P.B., was distributed to 250,000 to 300,000 of the nearly 700,000 American troops sent to the Persian Gulf in 1990 and 1991 as a "pretreatment" for potential Iraqi attacks with the nerve agent soman. While the drug has been used since 1955 to treat a rare neurological disorder, its use as an antidote to soman is still regarded as experimental. More than 100,000 veterans have reported experiencing symptoms associated with gulf war syndrome, including chronic fatigue, muscle pain, memory loss and sleep disorders. But because of the Pentagon's acknowledged shoddy record keeping in the war, it may be impossible to know how many of those took the drug and in what quantities. After years in which the Pentagon has systematically discounted possible explanations for the ailments, including stress, exposure to oil-well fires and depleted uranium used in American bombs, the report is something of a breakthrough. Wary of the reaction of veterans' groups and their supporters in Congress, Pentagon officials Monday played down the findings of the survey, which was conducted over two years by the Rand Corporation, a nonprofit research organization financed by the Defense Department. "This is not a Eureka," said Dr. Sue Bailey, a physician who is the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Dr. Bailey and other officials said they accepted the report's findings but added that more studies were needed before a direct scientific link could be established. They also said the Pentagon would continue to keep the drug in its arsenal of vaccinations and antidotes for troops who might face attacks with chemical and biological weapons, even though the survey's conclusions also raise questions about its effectiveness against soman. The report, which runs 385 pages and was written by Dr. Beatrice Alexandra Golomb, is based on the findings of scores of medical studies on pyridostigmine bromide. Dr. Golomb is a professor at the University of California at San Diego and a physician at the Veterans Affairs medical center in San Diego. Her report cites studies that have linked the drug to side effects similar to those experienced by some veterans. One study, by Hebrew University in Israel, linked the drug to neurological disorders in mice. Another, by the University of Texas and Duke University, concluded that when mixed with other chemicals it could cause nerve damage. Dr. Golomb's report goes on to suggest that the drug's short-term effects can become chronic because it causes abnormal levels of the nerve-signaling chemical acetylcholine. The chemical is involved in many important functions, including sleep, muscular activity, memory and pain, which have all been cited as problems for ill veterans. The report said research showed that individual reaction to the drug depended on different factors, including stress, physiology and exposure to other agents, including pesticides and even nicotine and caffeine. That would explain why only some veterans have reported illnesses. "One cannot rule out the possibility that long-term effects of P.B. might occur and might participate in the production of neuropsychological and other deficits reported by some" veterans, Dr. Golomb concludes. Scientists and veterans' advocates have long pointed to pyridostigmine bromide, as well as other experimental drugs given to troops in the gulf, as one of the possible culprits in the still unexplained illnesses attributed to gulf war syndrome. Separate reports by the House and Senate identified it as such and called for further research into the drug's effects. Dr. Bernard D. Rostker, the Under Secretary of the Army who is the Pentagon's senior official overseeing gulf war illnesses, said the Pentagon had strongly supported several studies on pyridostigmine bromide, including Rand's, because of those concerns. He said the Pentagon was already spending $20 million on additional research into the possible links considered in Rand's report. "That does not mean we have made a direct relationship between the two," he said, referring to the drug and the syndrome. "It means we don't have enough inf