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When will atrocious Laojiao( GULAG labor camps system) is going to be abolished in "new, improved China"???
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When will atrocious Laojiao( GULAG labor camps system) is going to be abolished in "new, improved China"???
If Lobsang Sangay thinks that the 3 points he raised would help the Tibetan cause, he can carry on dreaming. Even in the depth of the Ching dynasty, it never had a chance, what makes him think a fast modernising china would grant him the chance. I am surprised a Harvard graduate can be so deluded. But then it all depends on what you read, isn't it? If the PM of the exiled Tibetan administration had any sense, he would know that the only way to resist chinese domination, is to throw out the Dalai Lama theocracy and modernise as fast as possible, preferrably faster than the chinese and wait for your moment. After all today, who would think that the Ukraine could break free from Russia. A backward Ukraine like some of the autonomous republics of Russia would forever remains Russian. So Lobsang Sangay, you have a Hobson choice. Cast out Dalai Theocracy and embrace the Modernism Devil or forever be cast in irons. Better start today and forget about your daily chanting of the sutras. Sell your soul to the Modernism Devil so that Tibet maybe free!
All the sweet talks about freedom & democracy is so much nonsense and western propaganda; think of Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Palestine & Gaza etc a never ending list of western double speak & spin. To the west Tibet is all about provoking Tibetan revolt against a rising China. What democracy has Tibet ever known from way back when ? Under Dalai Lama, Tibet was an inhuman medieval serfdom and ordinary Tibetans were deemed by law to be chattels or animals; serfs lived as animals sharing shelter and same space with cattle & yarks. Go read books published by your western anthropologist & historians; learn to be humble and don't think that we asians are stupid and you can fool us all the time.
Ukraine (Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc.) have not become free becaues theyceased to be "backward".
They have become free because backward Communist Soviet Union (pushed by Ronald Reagan) finally collapsed.
Something supporters of PRC regime should think about long and hard.
Btw. What does the 60-yer old occupation of Turkic, Muslim E. Turkestan (Uighuria) have to do with Dalai-Lama?
The author is lier and schemer,absolutely!
Unlike PLA's plants here.
"HIGH TIME FOR CHANGE", the sign that the protesting monk was holding, is more applicable to the U.S. than to China.
Most Americans understand that their country is on slippery slope to a vertical cliff. But most of them don't have faith in Washington oligarchy to reform and repent for americans to avoid the free fall.
Mao's assertion to the Dalai Lama that religion is rubbish is correct: Religion is a form of dogma and dogma leads to rubbish behavior. The self immolations illustrate this
funny article. I bet the author must have never been to Tibet. If he does, this crap article will never come out.
As to the series of self-immolations in Aba Tibetan, some confused people think it is the fight for the "independence". However, there is few local people who will agree with it. The one who did not value disciples' lives would not be a good leader by all means. He just wants to please those who have strong prejudice towards China and Chinese government.
A court in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Jan. 31, 2013 convicted two ethnic Tibetans of intentional homicide for inciting eight people to self-immolate, three of whom died.
Court convictions to punish the people who incited others to self-immolate manifested the dignity and authority of the law.
You must understand that a people so steep in the sutras that it envelops the whole being giving them an aura of tranquility and peace. Such people cannot be thinking like Al Capone. Subsequently they can be easily manipulated by Devils cloak in the guise of theocracy to immolate themselves in the interest of altruism for their religion. Such child like behaviour is common among lesser developed people, eg the muslims. The evil lies in the people who incites self immolation. Who do you think is the black hand behind this strategy? The ex Tibetan elites of course. Most of these people lost their priviliges when they fled with the Dalai Lama to India in 1959. Their lust for power is what cause them to abuse a unique Buddhist practise of self immolation in the face of adversity for their cause.
China has been painted by the Free Tibet crowds to have caused genocide, and
when that does not hold water anymore, "cultural genocide", and you will hear about "identity genocide" in coming.
But, even the staunchest defenders of the Chines government will argue for
the preservation of the Tibetan culture.
When was the last time you hear "A good Tibetan is a dead Tibetan", the
equivalent of "A good Indian is a dead Indian"?
This is the strangest thing.
Where is the disconnect?
My god! Don't I find you everywhere i see a Tibet and China's post?
Nothing strange about this. The phrase originates in the US where it was said, "a good indian is a dead one". Later it becomes "a good commie is a dead one". You are just applying it in the wrong place.
50 cents per post PLA's recruits in action.
Crossing Great Firewall of China with an utmost of ease, unlike others.
Truth behind blaze: how self-immolations affect Tibetans
As his black cat leans to him, Chirarab sits on a bed with his legs crossed, wondering why his son chose to end his life in a pre-meditated self-immolation.
"He is so foolish. I did not educate my son well," says the 63-year-old Tibetan veterinarian.
His son, 31-year-old Tsekho, did not get along well with his wife prior to his death. He wanted to do business and make money and asked his father for start-up money. However, Chirarab refused and scolded him, as the father worried his alcoholic son would squander the money in excessive gambling and drinking.
After hearing that self-immolating could make him a "hero," Tsekho told his friends, "I rather burn myself than live like this."
He lit himself on fire beside a bridge in his village on Nov. 29, 2012. Two of his fiends fed the fire by pouring gasoline onto a woolen blanket and throwing the blanket to Tsekho. Another two villagers sent photos of his self-immolation overseas, along with his detailed personal information.
Some foreign media later branded Tsekho a "Tibetan martyr" protesting the growing influence of Han Chinese in the Tibetan plateau. They also used his story as an excuse to attract international attention to the so-called "Tibet issue" and the ultimate pursuit of "Tibet independence," a campaign spearheaded by the Tibetan government-in-exile, with the Dalai Lama as its spiritual leader.
Villagers carried Tsekho's corpse to his parents' home and gave Chirarab the grievous news of the death of his only son.
more story>>> https://www.facebook.com/notes/chou-gin/truth-behind-blaze-how-self-immo...
@ bismarck888 and Indica
(1) All the countries of the world recognises that China have the sovereignty over Tibet
The Dalai Lama himself had announced many times that "Tibet is a part of China". He proclaimed this statement in his official speech to the European Parliament and at his official press conference in Washington DC
(2) To bismarck , -- the KMT from 1949-2013 had brought democracy to Taiwan. The KMT had successfully built Taiwan's economy from nothing in 1949 to one with GDP per capita of more than USD 20,000
So dont talk crap and rubbish about the KMT
(3) to Indica=== Western Historians confirm that Tibet became part of China since the YUAN Dynasty. They have proof of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet throughout the Ming, Qing and Republican period
The current Dalai Lama was installed by the KMT -- especially selected by Chiang Kai-Shek because he was born of a Han family
(4) To Indica --- oh please--- there was no country known as India before the British East India Company came to colonize India in the 17th Century----- there was just a collection of 100s of tiny princeling states -- this in response to your "there was no Tibet before 1950"
Indians lecturing China on Tibet must be the joke of the year
hypocrisy --- more likely
India---who is fighting 3 bloody wars of independences in Kashmir, Assam, (Nagaland), Naxalitess with the ;
(a)slaughtering 100,000s of freedom fighters, Kashmiris, Nagas, Naxalites
(b)Raping the Kashmiri , Nagas and Naxalites women
(c)commiting atrocities like tortures
India which still practises HINDUISM "Hindu Caste System" which oppress and suppress 700 million lower Caste Sudhras and Dalits
The UNHRC receives 10000s of daily complaints of institutionalized discriminations, abuses, assaults, rapes and murders committed by Brahmins against the helpless Dalits. With no arrests or court indictments
Will the Indian posters --kindly Please spare us the crap
Are the 700 million lower castes Indians more oppressed than Tibetans ?
Under the Hindu Caste System---the 700 million Lower Caste Hindus are condemned forever to their inferior Caste Status
They are banned from inter-marrying other castes or socializing with other caste members
They can only do jobs like cleaning the toilets, cremating the dead or carrying the garbage --- all others professions are closed /forbidden to them
They are systematically bullied by the Brahmin caste
CNN TV News reported a Dalit girl burnt to death by Brahmin mobs for daring to drink at a Brahmin village well
(1) The AVERAGE income of the Tibetan is better than 700 million poorest Indians
)2) UNDP; = Half of all Indians go to bed hungry every night
(3) UNICEF = 50 % of all Indian children suffer from severe mal-nutrition
Thank you for defending the KMT, and your fairy tales.
Just because the whole world recognizes it does not mean its not an occupation. Papua being a part of Indonesia is recognized by the whole world, but Papuans feel they are being colonized. In my opinion they are. You say what Western Historians say, if they told you that Mongolia was never a part of China, you would accept it.
What is the difference between Mongolia and Tibet. The only difference is the Soviets intervened in Chinese affairs and helped the Mongolia become independent. The CPC accepted the referendum.
As for the Indian part. yes Indians are miserable, smelly people that should be eradicated from this earth, They bow before you. Are you happy nowÉ
As for conflicts in India. The Naxalities is not a separatist movement. As for Kashmir and Nagaland, well if you only list two, it must be a slow day. India is far more diverse than China, and its surprising there aren`t any more separatist movements.
--He (Mr Sangay) estimates that there are 300m to 500m Chinese Buddhists (more than there are members of the Communist Party), many of whom yearn for greater cultural freedom in their country --
If this estimate of Chinese Buddhists is based upon facts then they should struggle for cultural freedom while living in China instead of creating problems for the neighboring countries. China's economic growth is now unparalleled and the Buddhists should avail this prosperity of their country.
The only area in China the CPC uses their old class struggle propaganda is in Tibet, almost everywhere else in China it has long been discarded. The CPC came to power because of their appeal to the peasants vs the landlords (largely in Northern China), not because of their achievements against the Japanese. What is the difference between DL and the rightist KMT in Taiwan? According to Mao not much. The landlords that fled with the KMT in 1949 enslaved/exploited far more people than the Dalai Lama's did in Tibet, Yet now the CPC invite the same people and descendants to come in to China exploit the working class with open arms. Mao would be turning in their graves.
Yes, I am amazed that even intelligent Chinese scholars from the mainland cannot see this and other contradictions and lies they are living through.
They would dismiss the deeper points of Chinese history, such as the one you make here so well, by saying, "Ideology does not matter any more."!!
No wonder Chinese history is peppered with socio-economic upheavals, revolutions followed by new regimes.
Imo, Tibet was not part of that history..... until 1950.
More crap from you
Oh please--- the Taiwanese business people who invest in China follows China's labor laws and may not be from the KMT --- some of them are from the DPP and even some are non-political
After 1989 -- it was Taiwanese, Hong Kong and overseas Chinese investments that fueled China's economic growth
Your comments show that you Indians know NOTHING about China --- better for you to stick to commenting on your own India affairs
Yes, China's successes have made many Indians jealous and hateful towards the Chinese "Why must you Chinese be successful--- you make us look inferior --- also , your success must be something that are done with something bad or something evil"
Again the bigot and racism. You can't get away from it. I am just exposing you hypocrisy of CPC posters like you. You bash the DL, for wanting something less than Ma Ying Jeou already has. Your head is so filled with propaganda you can't think straight.
You are so quick to drop all propaganda when they come with investment and gifts, its typical. All stuff you say about the DL is actually just hollow words. They don`t mean anything. You people are two faced.
Will the DL exploit his people if he goes back to China. You allowed those Taiwanese businessmen to come in and invest. Many factories don`t obey Chinese labor laws.
Yet here you are saying they follow China`s labor laws, yet Taiwan`s biggest investor in the PRC does not. This is not the first time Foxconn has not obeyed Chinese labor laws. Every week there are stories of Taiwanese factories not obeying Chinese labor laws, in fact the evil Japanese are more likely to obey Chinese labor laws ironically.
[Bismarck8881 hour 18 mins ago
The only area in China the CPC uses their old class struggle propaganda is in Tibet, almost everywhere else in China it has long been discarded. The CPC came to power because of their appeal to the peasants vs the landlords (largely in Northern China), not because of their achievements against the Japanese. What is the difference between DL and the rightist KMT in Taiwan? According to Mao not much. The landlords that fled with the KMT in 1949 enslaved/exploited far more people than the Dalai Lama's did in Tibet, Yet now the CPC invite the same people and descendants to come in to China exploit the working class with open arms. ]
Bis, can you prove that these are "the same people"? Mao is long dead. Can you show me that "the same people" are still alive? Can you even prove that those in power in Taiwan are the descendants of "the same people"?
[Mao would be turning in their graves.]
Mao has been doing THAT ever since Deng Xiaoping started China's reforms. BTY, many of these "working class" have become entrepreneurs and industrialists.
Ma Ying Jeou, his father Ma_Ho-ling was a high ranking KMT official. His pedigree is not exactly peasant background. Morris Chang (TSMC), his father was an official in the KMT. Then there is Terry Guo Current Mayor of Taipei, father was born to a well to do family in Jiangsu, father was a general in ROC military. Then there is Chiang Chingguo's bastard John Chiang. All of the Science Noble Prizes won by ethnic Chinese have been won by these people / descendants (except for one). The list goes on and on and.
Actually Ma Ying Jeou's family was not that high up in the pecking order, because he was born in the Hong Kong. If his family had more pull, they would have went straight to Taiwan. Any person who ended up in Hong Kong instead of Taiwan in 1949, was not that well connected.
I was in Indonesia in the 1970s, and the only Chinese from China (ROC/PRC) that I meet were waishengren from Taiwan working in ROC Engineering companies. They outnumbered the native Taiwanese by 20 to 1 among the Taiwanese expat communities as far I could tell.
Does it matter if those working class become entrepreneurs, and precede to exploit and mistreat their workers? I thought Communism, was not supposed to have "capitalist". There is a double standard in the propaganda. You can't keep on bashing the Dalai Lama as a feudal overlord, while allowing "capitalist" in the Party.
[Bismarck888in reply to Devils 5th, 07:02
Does it matter if those working class become entrepreneurs, and precede to exploit and mistreat their workers? I thought Communism, was not supposed to have "capitalist". There is a double standard in the propaganda. You can't keep on bashing the Dalai Lama as a feudal overlord, while allowing "capitalist" in the Party.]
Why not??? Mao did allow the "feudal overlord" Dalie a seat in his government while bashing the entrepreneurs as "capitalists" And, Can you really say Uncle Sam's actions, policies and propaganda are not "double standard" most of the time?
Life is not as simple as you think. It is only simple because you chose to simplify a complex issue. It is not necessary the truth.
Tibet is already lost to Han monoculture.
Stop spreading mis-information
The Chinese govt preserve Tibetan culture by ;
(1) paying for all the upkeep of the Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries
(2) paying for the total upkeep of all the Tibetan Buddhist monks
(3) Making the study of the Tibetan language a compulsary subject for all Tibetan school-children
China will make sure to preserve the Tibetan Buddhism religion because Tibetan Buddhism preaches that Tibet is a part of China
Tibetan Buddhists all pray to the Chinese emperor as the re-incarnation of the Manjusri Boddhavatta in his earthly throne
Sure. And the pigs can fly.
The situation is that other countries want Tibet to be independent,it won't be good for both Tibet and China. If Western world stop doing that, it will be much better.
This TE essay makes the point that other countries and the Western world are preoccupied with China's military posture in Southchina sea and other areas in Asia, that they are not thinking of TIBET.
There are no obvious benefits to the Western world, if Tibet is independent of China - now that China is the leading CAPITALIST ROADER in the entire world.
india should not harbour dalai lama separatist (and now terrorist) and allowing them to carry out sedition against china, since india is on record to recognise tibet being an integral part of china.
to fee the hurt, it's like china was to harbour so many independence movements in india and to be for decades. that's how indians should feel in hurt and betray as experienced by chinese over xizang.don't take that lightly.
If Tibet is independent of China ,the regime in China will be queried,that'what Western world want to see. China is rising,Wset world,espescially US afriad that China become aother SU,After all, the communist party lesds China
Are there any obvious benefits to the Western World when they sent their armnies to "liberate" Iraq and to kill and torture more than a million Iraqis?
Are there any obvious benefits to the Western Worlds when thry dropped thousands of bombs on Libya and killed more than 40,000 Libyan civilians?
Are there any onvious benefits for the Western World to support and finance the terrorists who are rebelling against the Syrian government?
Are there any obvious benefits to the Western Worlds when they send their armies to kill the Malians?
The situation is that other countries want Tibet to be independent,it won't be good for both Tibet and China. If Western world stop doing that, it will be much better.
it's not surprising that the west wants china to fall apart, to be the old china 100 years ago.
what's surprising is that india, still smarting from its own colonial days of being plundered and mastered, still falls victim of being semi-controlled in its foreign policy by the west and acted willingly to harbour dalai lama separtists and terrorists against china--- an offensive and unfriendly act even the us would not do it openly. so they let a foolhardy india to proxy for it.
instead of being still in the poor house of the world today, india's economy and people's per capita GDP could be tremendously improved if india had allied itself with china in economic and trade development only a few years ago.
@ Jean Michelin reply to Morani ya Simba
'Indeed, the Indians never wash their hands.'
speaking as a parable on indian dirty hand on dalai lama matters, yes. but it ought not be understood literally as 'indians don't wash hands' or to defame a whole people as the nation. (that's what many anti-chinese bashers do here including old timers like 'indica', 'basmarck'), even though india has done great harm and affront to china and chinese people.
india has officially recognised tibet (xizang) as part of china, yet india openly harboured dalai lama separists who conducted their seditious crimes against china, right inside india and for decades.
ladies and gentlemen, that's like if china was to openly support many present independence movements in india. china of course did not and does not do that against india, yet india is keep at it on china.
I think china is kind of stupid in its foreign policy. it should harbour and support independence movements in india, not for any cause or any interest per se, but to be reciprocal in foreign policy with india.
the moment india withdraws its overt and covert support of any seditious element against china in india, china would immediately do like wise, just to be oin the par.
as for them remnant dalai lama separists, chinese tibetans have no use of them. so they should instead be offered indian citizenship, to live and practice their religion whatever all they want happily thereafter in india. india is a free country too, right?
I think china is spinning the wheels AND not being smart enough, and too kind to do to india what india has been doing against china for years.
"I think china is kind of stupid in its foreign policy. it should harbour and support independence movements in india, not for any cause or any interest per se, but to be reciprocal in foreign policy with india."
Yes Einstein, that's a great idea. Two nuclear-armed up-and-coming superpowers, each with about 300 million men of weapon-bearing age right next to each other, should become more mutually hostile. One, ONE, miscalculation and you could have a go at each other that would make the Second World War look like a rainy picnic. Perhaps rethink your idea??
using nuke extortion ah? when you talk nuke, china did not even blink in front of the us or russia (and vice versa).
india is just such as small bit player in the club. please talk nuke no more.
"using nuke extortion ah? when you talk nuke, china did not even blink in front of the us or russia (and vice versa).
india is just such as small bit player in the club. please talk nuke no more."
Okay, now you sound like a rapid nationalist. Grant god that you never have any political influence, especially in a country that has nuclear weapons.
Now china is concentrating on its economy, china's foreign policy works for its economy development, so attacking a neighbor is not wise.
Reverend Dalai Lama and the Tibetans have said they can be part of China if their culture, language and religion are NOT controlled by Beijing.
The ordinary people of the world support the Tibetans, as one can see from the newspapers in almost every country that matters.
Beijing is arrogant and short-sighted. For reasons of trade, governments of Western countries are 'playing along' with China's pressure tactics.
Like all rising empires, China is commanding a conciliatory stance from other countries. But history tells us, when empires mature and tire, the waves close in, ALL AROUND them.
History is a very, very long march.... things change unrecognisably.
In 1950, India made a commitment to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans. Despite paying a heavy price for it, in terms of China's hostility, China, deliberately, making a nuclear and missile power out of India's nemesis, Pakistan, India should continue to stay with her commitment ... as blogger 'Morani y Simba' says below.
India is stronger than what her own media and international media makes her out to be. She can go it alone.
India may not be as successful as China in many respects, but she is no 'push over' for China to cajole or threaten as some smaller countries may be.
The lamas hates Beijing, the minds of Tibetan people are controlled by Lama.
Hence there is no way to tell what Tibetan people really want, just like you can't tell what Chinese people really wanted in 1950s and 1960s.
As the opinions of the newspaper on this issue doesn't matter , because they overwhelmingly dislike the system in China.
and anyone with a brain knows that China is the only hope that Tibetan people may enjoy a decent life in future.
Your image of Tibetans is, in my view, outdated. The relationship they have with the Lamas is not like in early twentieth century.
Tibetan Buddhism is deep and ancient. You should not judge it by some odd practices that were prevalent in the past.
We, you and I, must make sure our minds are not 'controlled' by the new 'lamas' in Beijing!!
One, state run media doesn't enjoy enough credibility to brainwash people, so you don't have to worry the minds of Chinese people being controlled by CPC.
Two, I had direct contact with Tibetan people, so don't tell me their minds are not controlled by Lama. In their society in India, is there different opinions other than what Lamas want?
Three, you should worry if your mind is controlled by the media in India. For example, did you ever say anything your media doesn't like? I visited the blog time of India, it is a joke, I couldn't find even one blogger that talks about the misery of lower 90% of India people. Why do you trust them without grain of salt? WHAT HAVE THESE BIG MOUTHS DONE FOR YOU THAT DESERVE YOUR TRUST?
Four, a message from lot of Chinese people to India, Thank you, democracy or whatever it is!!!(7-8% of NASA engineers are Indians.)
It still seems like Beijing is just very forcibly telling the Tibetan what they should want, giving some candy in between shouting at them. It doesn't win people's hearts, only enforces social complacency at a superficial level.
Your ordinary people of the World whom you claim support the Tibetans would do well to BBQ themselves to show their support. Otherwise, they are not supporting anyone or anything.
I don't hate China, Sir.
A Tibetan, a devotee of His Holiness and a refugee born in India.
Name those outside of China who like corrupted pseudo-Communist system of PRC. Please, try and be specific.
Tibet as a topic to move the naive western people is now stale. There is no chance that the Tibetans in exile will ever have the same privilege they enjoyed when they were oppressing their fellow countrymen. The Tibetans are no longer slaves of the priviledged few. Now, the Tibetans are more educated and have a broader vision of the world and of life. The Tibetans in exile, on the other hand, are living in the past and want the other Tibetans to live in the past too. But the Tibetans in China do not want to live in the past. The Tibetans in exile are completely alienated from the Tibet region and the Tibetans who live in China. They must now forget Tibet and think of their adopted countries instead, whether their country of adoption is India or some other country. They must fully participate in the life, the politics and the dreams of their adopted country instead of dreaming of their past privilege.
"Yet India is beginning to look like an exception. Tibet's exiled political leaders talk of the massive influx of Han Chinese to the towns and cities of the Tibetan Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China.."
Hang in there India. It will fall to India to determine if democracy will have a chance in South Asia and eventually in China itself. If India joins ranks with the West (and Japan and South Korea) to hold high the flag of democracy and human freedom we cannot fail. But if India washes its hands of its responsibility as an emerging power of immense measure, we may fail indeed. I have full confidence that the people of India will proudly take on this role.
Your advice is vey good and I applaud it. The Tibetans who live in India should remain in India. The latter will use its democratic institutions to make the Tibetans do what the Indians do. India will not wash its hands. Indeed, the Indians never wash their hands. They just use their hand for everything.
Hullo frenchman incognito,
".. the Indians never wash their hands. They use their hands for everything."
You know this, do you? Tell me, oh, wise person, what is the source of SARS, most of the new strains of flu viruses that has killed many people throughout the world?.....
I did not mean it literally. I meant that the Indians never drop something they hold. At present, they hold the Tibetans in exile in the hollow of their hands and they will not wash their hands by dropping them. The Tibetans in exile will be granted full Indian citizenship and the Dalai Lama or Lobsang Sangay will because the next Indian Prime Minister.
Thanks, Jean Michel,
"the Dalai Lama or Lobsang Sangay will because the next Indian Prime Minister."
Statiscally, probably not. But it did remind me of another thing I like about Hindustan: unlike the USA no "natural born clause", simply "citizen" or "non-citizen", period. So if the Great Lama can get about 400 million votes, the premiership would be his, regardless of who issued his birth certificate. India is a very beautiful country. I like it very much (which is why I criticize it so bluntly on occasion. Those one takes seriously, one meets filled with expectations...)
Last month I was visiting a Tibetan area in Yunnan. I was told by a young Tibetan tour guide that her late grandfather was a serf prior to 1959. Young Tibetans now have the choice of attending Tibetan schools or schools teaching Putonghua as well. Most of them chose the latter as the opportunities knowing Putonghuna are much greater. We also note that Tibetan houses have flags on the roofs: A white flag signifies an ordinary Tibetan family; three flags indicate that the family has a monk and a red Communist Party flag shows that the family has a Party member in its midst. I have never seen so many red flags in my life as we drove along the road. By the way, I have not seen a single red Communist Party flag when I was in Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Chengdu,Guangzhou, Zhuhai etc.
I believe that Tibetans are no different to others in that Peoples' livelihood is paramount. Many Tibetans are now exposed to TV, cellphones etc and they know what the outside world looks like. If India does not improve the infrastructure in occupied South Tibet, these Tibetans would agitate to reunite with their brothers on the other side of the Himalayas.
You want to believe what you want to believe. If it was so great, withdraw all Han Chinese soldiers/police from Tibet, and allow 'loyal' Tibetan forces to take over all security. I want to see how long Tibetan will remain a part of China.
The Flag thing. What do you expect them to do? Being a member of the CPC does not mean loyalty to China/CPC. How many CPC members attended underground Churches? How many are Falun Gong members. How many are businessmen? The antithesis of what it means to be a CPC member.
You call yourself critical, but in fact you are just critical of something don't like. You don't ask hard questions.
There are no Han soldiers and Tibetan soldiers. There are Chinese soldiers.
From your voluminous comments on all topics pertaining to China, you seem to be unable to find a single good word to say about the country. If it is indeed,that bad, how did it manage to rise to become second largest economy in the world in a short space of sixty years ? Please explain. (Please note that I am a 'criticalobserver'.
You are no a critical observer, but an hack. I am a China basher? No. Go read my previous post, I am not going list the post I have said good things about China. Go read it yourself.
If you think for one minute that if Tibet was not source of many of the major rivers, did not have an abundance in natural resources, would China be there? No. Come on. If Tibet was poor and hopeless like the Gaza Strip, they would have been out of there along time ago.
You are not a China basher and I have tremendous respect for your knowledge and wisdom even though I disagree with you sometimes.
If you think for one minute that if Tibet was not source of many of the major rivers, did not have an abundance in natural resources, would China be there?
Tibet is southwest barrier of China. Without Tibet, China won't be able to protest herself.
I believe you are smart enough to know, why didn't you mention it? therefore you are bashing China.
If you don't know that, you are not smart enough to talk politics.
When was the last time anyone attacked Beijing from Tibet? Never. Tibet is strategic for China, not because it acts as a buffer (that job belongs to Korea). The same with Xinjinag. Its resources and land.
It appears most of the readers of the Economist don't have the faintist idea what modern Tibet looks like. Therefore, I invite you to click on the following link:
"you think for one minute that if Tibet was not source of many of the major rivers, did not have an abundance in natural resources, would China be there? No."
Tibet has an abundance of higly rich uranium ore.
So much that PRC regime has opened one of its nuclear weapons centers there years ago. Am I right, or am I right?
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IMPORTANT: As the transition to the new shirts continues, you should always check the size charts prior to ordering your shirts. In addition, be sure to recheck the chart if you order again at a later date (i.e. from the Reckoning). Thank you! ************************* DISCUSSION THREADS ************************* Inflational Material: Daily Shirt.Woot Prices Go Up By $2 Main Anvil Thread Lady Sizes American Apparel and Anvil: A comparison New shirt blanks - active testing from community folks
♫ Yo ho, yo ho! A pirate shirt for me! ♫
I just sharted a black pearl!
Oh my god. This is...this is amazing.
Woot! Think About the Children! (In all seriousness the new shirts are amazing quality I've worn one of the new blanks 3 times in the last week and they feel just as good as the old shirts) This design is awesome! I'd gladly pay 20 dollars for it, lucky me I only need to pay 12
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The effect of the sun, the waves, and the sky against the ship ... WOW!
Looks like the pirate version of a wolf shirt. Good/bad? Your call.
Something about this shirt brings 3 wolf moon to mind for some reason. It makes me want to write and awesome funny pirate review. However I suck at comedy. Very awesome shirt.
This came out so well, Patrick. The halftones look amazing.
At 10:02
nmpls wrote:Looks like the pirate version of a wolf shirt. Good/bad? Your call.
gideonfrost wrote:Something about this shirt brings 3 wolf moon to mind for some reason. It makes me want to write and awesome funny pirate review. However I suck at comedy. Very awesome shirt.
Its beautiful and all... But will it help ward off scurvy?
ashliz8806 wrote:Going to a Wizards game and being disappointed is like going swimming and getting wet...If you didn't expect it, I'm not sure I trust your judgment.
PLEASE poster this!!!!
Just as the new issue of Black Freighter rolls in...
Love it!
I had this pegged as the odds on favorite. Excellent coloring of the clouds and background sky, really adds depth -- and with the sun so low, a rising surge.
Patrickspens paints picture perfect prow perched plundering pirate.
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That is one big pirate.
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Patrickspens, I like your beard. And by beard I mean your style. This shirt's being added to my wardrobe as we speak!
All those buttons... How long would that coat take to put on?
A poster of "All Sails Ahead!" would be amazing indeed. One might even say it'd be... bootylicious (ohgosh what have I wrought)
Wicked... got to have one!
It's a nice drawing but I don't know about wearing it. It seems like a lot of people would think you worked at an ironic pirate-themed bar or something.
I can't believe that's only six colors. Patrick you are amazing!
This is how I have always imagined the Captain sailing in. The sun is just coming up, the waves are calm, the foghorn is prepped and ready to bellow.
leahfrogs wrote:a lot of people would think you worked at an ironic pirate-themed bar or something.
I...I think that job would be awesome. =*_V=
This will go great with my wooden leg.
I love looking at a design before enlarging it and already knowing it's made by patrickspens. So incredibly characteristic.
I'm not much of a pirate person, but that's a beautiful design.
This entry should have been rejected from the derby. The rules clearly stated that entries cannot have ninjas in them, and yet there are at least two ninjas in this design! You just can't see them because they have disappeared into the shadows. But trust me, they are there. Watching.
There's a Goonies comment in here somewhere...
CowboyDann wrote:Woot! (In all seriousness the new shirts are amazing quality I've worn one of the new blanks 3 times in the last week and they feel just as good as the old shirts)
If that is the case, then let's switch to Anvil, and return the price to $10! I wasn't overly impressed with AA's quality though. I have had to return several shirts over the years, and probably should have returned several more that have bad stitching, holes, etc.
SIgn me up for a LARRRRRRRRge.
This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow Pirate so brave on the seven seas A mystical quest to the isle of Tortuga Raven locks sway on the ocean breeze
I'm pleasantly surprised to see this get first, especially given the late entry. Awesome. Even though it's not something I'd personally wear, as an artist I really love the illustration.
This one is going directly on stretcher bars and becoming the newest piece of art hanging on my office wall.
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We Marched for the 6 Million
Posted on 04/16/2015 @ 12:08 PM
Hello Everyone!
We are all on an incredible high after the actual "March" today. It was truly a sight to see everyone draped in Israeli flags, meeting teens from all over the world and reconnecting with friends from other delegations that they knew before. The Jewish pride that we all felt today will surely be a lasting memory for many years to come.
Starting in the confines of Auschwitz, the shofar sounded, and the thousands from over 40 countries began to walk the same path that victims once walked to Birkenau and their death soon after. The processional was a profound protest conveying the message that Hitler did not succeed. The teens were given wooden placards to write special messages on for placing in the train tracks. The messages were heartfelt and ranged from poetry to names of victims, drawings and words of hope and Jewish pride.
"We will be holding flags of the Jewish State in front of a place where 1,000,000 Jews died. If that is not resilience, I don't know what is. We are strong, and we never forget. We are also the final generation who will hear the words of survivors face-to-face. There is no burden more important and incredible than the fact that we must share their words. Am Yisrael Chai!" - Ben Schulman, Eastern Region BBYO
"In the crumbling remains of the bombed gas chambers, flowers grow from death. There is life. In a place where millions suffered, the Jewish people live." - Melissa Morgan, South Jersey Region BBYO
"I have never felt more proud to be Jewish. Marching alongside my best friends and thousands of others was truly something I'll never forget. Since we are the last generation to hear these stories from survivors, passing on their messages is vital. I now feel prepared to educate others who may have not been as fortunate to experience this incredible trip." - Annie Jacobsen, Boca Raton, Florida
"I love being Jewish and I am proud to be a Jew. Today, I saw a single sign in the train tracks that said a single word - WHY. We will never know why, but, we can ensure that the six million are never forgotten." - Jessica Sklar. South Jersey Region BBYO
Tomorrow, we are touring the extermination camp in Lublin, called Majdanek, and then celebrating Shabbat together. I look forward to sharing everything with you tomorrow!
Our First Day in Poland
Posted on 04/15/2015 @ 05:38 PM
The teens are adapting wonderfully to our first day in Poland. Due to our three separate flights, the itinerary for today was a bit of a departure from the planned schedule, but, everyone did great and by the time we leave Krakow, everyone will have been exposed to the history and culture of the city.
"It has been a long day of traveling, but, getting to Krakow was very rewarding. I'm excited to start this journey," - Allie Fox, Liberty Region
Today, three of our buses toured the Jewish Quarter of Kazimierz (pictured), the symbol of the wealthy and prominent Jews who had lived in Krakow for hundreds of years. In the area, there are numerous synagogues and old and renovated Jewish institutions.
BACKGROUND: Krakow was the historic capital of Poland from the 10th to the 16th century, and there were Jews in Krakow from the beginning until World War II. During the Nazi occupation in 1939, Krakow became the capital of the Nazi Government. After the Nazis expelled 40, 000 Jews, a ghetto was established (1941) in Podgorze. There were up to 18,000 Jews living in 300 houses, as well as storage spaces, attics, rooms under staircases, and in basements. It was a time of intense cruelty by the Germans and random killings. Fit Jews were sent to a nearby camp, called Plaszow, built on the land of Jewish cemeteries. Our survivor, Trudy, worked in the Plaszow camp. Nothing exists of the camp today, except a massive monument in memorial of the people who died there.
Krakow was liberated on January 19, 1945 and an organization was formed to bring groups of Jewish survivors back to the city. The first group that arrived was a group of seventeen children from Auschwitz who were housed in an orphanage. Today, approximately 1,000 Jews live in Krakow, but only about 200 identify themselves as members of the Jewish community. Despite the small population, interest in preserving Jewish history has been rekindled. A new Jewish research institute was established in the University there and a Jewish Cultural Center was set up in Kazimierz. Every two years, Kazimierz hosts a Jewish cultural festival that has music, dance, film and theater.
"I found it fascinating to start the trip by learning about the Jewish culture in Poland, pre-Holocaust. It was something that I was previously unfamiliar with and it was interesting to see what Pieces of history remain today." - Lauren Keats, Westchester Region
"I decided to go on the March of the Living because my grandparents were Holocaust survivors. I feel that it is important for me to witness first hand, the atrocities the Jewish people went through during the Holocaust. We must remember to never forget." - Rachel Morof, West Bloomfield, Michigan
Tomorrow, we are touring Auschwitz and Birkenau. I know that I will have a lot more to share with you about our experience there.
Touring Auschwitz & Birkenau
Posted on 04/15/2015 @ 11:10 AM
We are all doing great and we (staff) were very impressed by the respect that the teens showed today and how engaged they were in learning and expressing their thoughts throughout the day.
Beginning our day very early, we toured the Auschwitz and Birkenau camps, located in the town area of Osweicem, 37 miles west of Krakow. Oswieem was 80% Jewish when Auschwitz became a concentration camp in 1940.
BACKGROUND: The Auschwitz concentration camp complex was the largest of its kind established by the Nazi regime. It included three main camps and 44 sub camps, all of which incarcerated prisoners for forced labor, but, Birkenau (Auschwitz II) was the killing center. Auschwitz is the only camp that administered tattoos to its inmates and the famous Dr. Mengele selected and performed medical experiments on the people there. Of the people brought to Auschwitz, only 10% of each transport was not killed immediately, and of all those sent to Auschwitz, only 1% survived. By the end of 1944, two and a half million people had died of disease, starvation, were worked to death or tortured by medical experiment.
Today, the main camp of Auschwitz is a museum with artifacts in each of the barracks - personal items, such as eyeglasses, prosthetics, tallit, brushes, shoes and suitcases. Along with barracks describing living conditions, there is a model of a crematorium and a full display of Zyklon gas cans. Most chilling is the room display of shorn hair spanning across the entire room behind a glass wall.
"Today was incredibly eye-opening and made so many stories from the Holocaust seem real. After seeing Auschwitz, we looked through books of names of victims there. I was able to find Adolph and Zdenka Klein, my great grandparents whose daughter survived on a kindertransport. It was so meaningful to know that they were counted and remembered. They were not lost in the masses. I'm taken aback by the effort put in to remember these people." - Jordan Kotler, Northern Region East BBYO
"You read about all these stories of the concentration camps, but, being here is something else." - Brent Fischbein, Columbia, Maryland
The massive area of Birkenau is a grim reminder, with burnt remains of the crematoriums and barracks in full view. Walking under the famous arch (pictured) was surreal for most and made the reality of the Holocaust real for everyone. Our time at Auschwitz was highlighted by our survivor, Trudy, telling her story to all of us in a barrack similar to the one she was in 70 years ago. We are so fortunate to have her with us on our journey. The teens are already so enthralled with her and to see them helping her and walking with her, holding her hands, it is a testament to their character and compassion. I know you are as proud of them as I am.
"We must share these stories so the next generation will know, too, what happened." - Sarah Sheinkopf, New York
"We are their revenge! This quote that Ronen (Israeli Guide) said to us made a real impact on my experience today. I am proud to have been able to walk out of all the places our ancestors were not able to walk out of. I'm proud to be able to live my life freely and I'm proud that Hitler didn't win. We did, and the next generation of teens like us, walking in and out of the camps, prove that we as a Jewish people are stronger than they gave us credit for." - Sarah Weprin, North Texas-Oklahoma Region BBYO
Tomorrow, we will visit the area that was once the Krakow Ghetto and then return to Auschwitz for the actual March of the Living walk to Birkenau, joining thousands in a silent protest march to prove that Hitler did not succeed.
I look forward to sharing more with you tomorrow.
March of the Living 2015 - JFK Airport Departure Day
Posted on 04/13/2015 @ 04:58 PM
Our Journey in Israel - from Solemn Remembrance to Joyful Celebration
Posted on 05/05/2014 @ 08:13 PM
During the past two days, the BBYO National Teen Delegation has gained a real understanding of Israel's culture, history and challenges.
Yesterday our day began with a tour of the Atlit Detainee and Detention Camp, established by the British Mandate for Palestine in the 1930s. The Atlit "Illegal" Immigrant Detention Camp tells the story of the struggle of Jews fleeing Europe (Ma'apilim) from Nazi persecution and death, trying to reach British-controlled Palestine, only to be incarcerated in camps similar in appearance to the Nazi camps of Europe. In October 1945, a daring military operation freed the 208 detainees. On the site, the teens toured a recently purchased ship, similar in size and appearance to those used to transport immigrants to Israel, the notorious disinfection facility, a model of the original camp, restored barracks, a computerized information database and more.
Later in the day, we visited the Beit Ambusa Ethiopian House in Ramleh where we learned about the Ethiopians and their lives here in Israel. They also taught the teens a dance and fed us a traditional snack consisting of red beans and fava beans.
Last night we joined Israelis in observing Yom Hazikaron, Israel's National Day of Remembrance for those who have fallen in battle or to terrorism. We attended a solemn program at the Latrun army base and heard about the lives of five young adults who had died. The teens were visibly moved by the program, which also included musical interludes, and what Israelis have endured. Everyone stood in total silence as the two minute memorial siren rang throughout the country.
"Seeing the ceremony at Latrun was very moving and made me realize the reality of what people our age are doing right here in Israel," Lydia Safir said.
"The Yom Hazikaron ceremony at Latrun was an amazing experience to see how Israel honors the fallen soldiers and their lives and their commitment to serving our homeland," Tracey Katz added.
Today, we began our tour of the Old City and the Jewish Quarter in Jerusalem, as well as a cave experience. At 11:00AM, we stood when the two-minute memorial siren rang, again, watching traffic come to a standstill and drivers get out of their cars to standing in respect along with pedestrians. The highlight of the day was visiting the Western Wall, conducting a joint service and then proceeding to the separated men/women praying areas.
The teens found this experience extremely moving.
"As I touched the Western Wall, I felt such a powerful connection to Judaism that I have been looking for throughout the time," Melissa Mahon said.
Rachel Denenberg added, "It was powerful to stand and pray for all fallen soldiers with hundreds of other people in front of the Western Wall."
"Going to the Western Wall gave me an unexpected and overwhelming feeling of freedom, power and faith," Olivia Reznik reflected.
As the day turned into night, we celebrated Israel's Independence Day, Yom Ha'atzmaut. housands were in the street cheering and dancing in a mardi-gras like atmosphere.
"I have never seen such pride in a country before," Sydney Gass said. "Israel's birthday made me realize how home I truly am."
"Yom Ha'atzmaut on Ben Yehudah Street was like nothing I have seen before," Alyssa Katz said. "It was a celebration of Jewish and Israeli pride."
Jamie Newman added, "Dancing and celebrating Yom Ha'atzmaut in Jerusalem made me so proud to call Israel my home."
"The past two days served as a microcosm for the entire trip," Josh Freeman said. "Yesterday at the Yom Hazikaron ceremony, we experienced a sadness like no other, as the day serves as Israel's most somber day; and then today, we celebrated Israel's freedom in the most amazing way possible on Ben Yehudah Street. The past two days have shown me how important it is to have Israel as my homeland."
"These past 24 hours in Jerusalem have been a roller coaster of emotions," Jeff Kahn said. "From experiencing an incredibly moving ceremony for fallen IDF soldiers to moving into celebrating the beginning of Yom Ha'atzmaut on Ben Yehudah Street. It shows the power of the Jewish and Israeli people and how we can move from a time of deep sadness into finding a way to celebrate our peoplehood."
The teens are experiencing so much and repeatedly share their feelings and utter joy at being here in Israel.
"This has been the best experience of my life and the friends I have made are some of the greatest people I have ever met," Hannah Dalsheim said. "I've never felt so grateful for being somewhere in my life."
"I found my faith in God today," Josh Zack added.
Andrea Sklar and Ariana Rothman commented, "The Kehillah created on the March of the Living is one that cannot be replicated anywhere else."
"Nothing in the world beats Israel," Michael Vivier stated. "From walking in the streets of the Old City, to attending a memorial service on Yom Hazikaron, to dancing the night away on Ben Yehudah Street, the sheer pride that each Jew and Israeli feels in the homeland is incredible."
Tomorrow, we visit Mount Herzel to learn about the special people in our history who are buried there, along with all the other fallen soldiers and dignitaries. And then, we join all the March of the Living delegations from around the world in celebration and another march from the center square of Jerusalem to the Western Wall. There will be music and dancing and guest speakers. The day will culminate with a mega event at Latrun celebrating everyone who participated in the March of the Living - songs, dancing, presentations and unbelievable fireworks!!!
Beginning our Israel Journey: Masada, Dead Sea, and Tsfat
Posted on 05/04/2014 @ 08:26 PM
We have been through a lot the last few days and coming out of the darkness of the Holocaust in Poland to the Hope and Pride of Israel has been a real journey for all of us. It has been amazing how much we were able to accomplish in such a short time!
Our arrival in Israel was met with cheers and excitement, particularly from those who were in Israel for the first time. Heading straight for Masada, the first-timers were anxious, but were supported and applauded for making it up and down the mountain. Learning the history and participating in a morning service made it even more inspiring for us and we were so proud of everyone, many who faced the challenge and succeeded in such a great way.
Masada is a rugged, natural fortress of majestic beauty in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent destruction and the last stand of the Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman army (73 A.D.). It was built as a palace complex by King Herod the Great, King of Judaea. The camps, fortifications and attack ramp that encircle the monument constitute the most complete Roman siege works, surviving to the present day.
"On top of Masada is where I felt my connection between myself and Israel grow," Eve Sorkin said. "We did a morning service and I have never felt more pride as a Jewish teen."
Only moments after the Masada climb, we drove to the Dead Sea for relaxation, fun and sun! The teens enjoyed rubbing the mud on their bodies and floating in the water. Masada and the Dead Sea was a great introduction to the beauty of Israel.
"The Dead Sea was a totally unique experience, covering yourself in the mud and floating effortlessly in the water," Bruce Dennis reflected. "It will be something I will make sure that my kids do. Hopefully, they won't get water in their eyes."
Our second day, we toured the religious city of Tsfat with its curving roads intertwined with synagogues, artisans and wonderful food kiosks. Visiting the synagogues and hearing the stories about each inspired us. How lucky we were to visit Avram, a local artist and philosopher. We were mesmerized by him and his art and how it connects to Kabbalah.
Tsfat (Safed) is a city in the northern district of Israel, located at an elevation of 900 meters. It is the highest city on the Galilee and in Israel. Since the 16th century, Tsfat is considered one of Judaism's four holy cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias. Since that time, the city has remained a center of Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism).
"I was waiting for my connection with Israel, and I found it in Tsfat," Cassie Koplow said.
There is nothing like Shabbat in Israel. We walked to the beach for a sunset service on Friday night, led by Michael Vivier, Ryan Dishell and Sam Perlen, and later everyone joined in singing to celebrate being in Israel. Our morning service was on the lawn of our guest house and we had two interactive sessions to discuss various topics on Israel and on Identity. The afternoon was spent with sunbathing, sports, more time at the beach and enjoying time relaxing. Our Havdallah service concluded with more singing and then we drove to the town of Akko for a disco boat ride with music and dance.
"I felt at home, as I sang my favorite prayers sitting on the beach in Israel, celebrating Shabbat with my new best friends," Jillian Lindenberg said.
Bonding in Israel
Posted on 05/02/2014 @ 03:57 PM
The BBYO National Teen Delegation continues to bond over shared experiences from Poland. In Israel, they are enjoying a celebration of vibrant Jewish life. Check out these photos of the teens hiking up Masada, floating in the Dead Sea and exploring the Tzfat artist colony!
Celebrating Israel at the top of Masada
Enjoying the view from the top of Masada
Group bonding on Masada
Floating in the Dead Sea
Exploring the Tzfat artist colony
From Poland to Israel
Posted on 04/30/2014 @ 07:00 PM
After nearly a week in Poland, the BBYO National Teen Delegation is on its way to Israel!
Before leaving for Israel, the teens spent the day in Warsaw. A highlight was helping to clean up the Jewish Cemetery of Warsaw - one of the very few to have survived World War II. The Okopowa Street Jewish Cemetery is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe.
Founded in 1806, the cemetery consists of 83 acres and contains more than 200,000 marked graves as well as mass graves of victims of the Warsaw Ghetto. Many of these graves and crypts are overgrown, having been abandoned after the German invasion of Poland and subsequent Holocaust. Although the cemetery was closed down during World War II, after the war it was reopened and a small portion of it remains active, serving Warsaw's small remaining Jewish population.
Upon their arrival in Israel, the teens will enjoy an early morning hike up Masada via the Roman Ramp and tour the desert mountaintop fortress. They'll also enjoy swimming under the desert waterfalls at Ein Gedi Nature Reserve and floating in the Dead Sea.
Our Day at Majdanek
Posted on 04/29/2014 @ 09:12 PM
After an emotional two days visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau and then participating in the March of the Living, BBYO's National Teen Delegation spent a meaningful day in Majdanek. For Michael Hirsh, "this experience has allowed me to feel feelings that I have never felt before."
Today, Majdanek is a chilling reminder of what transpired in the Holocaust. The teens walked through the gas chambers and crematorium and seeing the blue residue from the gas and scratch marks on the walls was when reality really set in for many of them.
"As my fingertips brushed against the walls of the gas chamber, I could feel the energy of my ancestors seeping through my veins," Sophie Levy said.
Majdanek is one of the six death camps built by the German/Nazi occupation forces and the SS in occupied Poland, located in the city limits of Lublin, Poland. The camp's official purpose was to destroy enemies of the Third Reich, help carry out the extermination of the Jews and to take part in the deportations and "resettlement" of Poles. Originally a POW camp for Soviet prisoners, camp authorities started using Zyklon B gas to murder prisoners there, and the camp continued to serve that purpose until it was liberated by the Soviet army in July 1944.
Among all the death camps, Majdanek is the best preserved and could be in full operation within 48 hours. The number of victims is estimated to be 78,000, including 61,000 Jews, 12,000 Poles and 5,000 Soviet prisoners of war. Majdanek covered 667 acres of land and housed 45,000 prisoners at one time, with the plan to expand to house 250,000 prisoners (which never happened). More than 500,000 people of 54 different nationalities and 28 countries were sent through Majdanek, including U.S. soldiers.
The experience has been meaningful and emotional for all involved. "From the first step into Auschwitz to the last step in Majdanek, the whole experience has been very humbling, and lots of other emotions that could fill up multiple pages if I wrote them down," Ben Sass reflected.
Seventeen tons of ashes are openly displayed in a Mausoleum at Majdanek. The seventeen tons of ashes is the equivalent of 68,000 bodies. The ashes were found in barrels during the camp's liberation and were to be sent to Germany to be used as fertilizer. Instead, the ashes are permanently memorialized and honored in a spectacular way.
A bathtub in the crematorium remains in its exact place, for the commandant of the camp who bathed there among the ovens because it was the warmest place in camp. Another terrible sight was the rolling hills containing the remains of 48,000 bodies, the result of a killing massacre by the SS as a retaliation for the uprising that occurred in the Sobibor camp.
At the end of a long day, the teens reflected upon their experience. Jamie Newman said, "It's impossible to wrap my head around the six million and all of the terrible things that happened at these camps."
Olivia Resnik added, "Never have I been so devastated by what's around me and what happened, yet, proud of my people."
"Hearing stories from my peers and true survivors is inspiring, but, physically being in the camps is a life changing experience that will remain in my heart forever, as I spread what I learned about the Holocaust to generations to come," Jillian Lindenburg said.
"Today at Majdanek I saw family photos of the victims at that death camp," Laney Sheffel said. "Seeing those photos that greatly resembled my own family photos truly humanized and solidified my perspective of the Shoah."
While it has been difficult for some of the teens, it is inspiring to see the teens supporting each other. In addition, Trudy Album, a Holocaust survivor who has been accompanying the group during this difficult week, has served as a source of inspiration. "The survivors gave me the strength to continue today when I couldn't do it on my own," Hailey Wilson said.
Rachel Rickman sums up what many teens are feeling: "To experience what I have so far has changed me for the better."
Yom HaShoah - The Day We March
Posted on 04/28/2014 @ 07:00 PM
Today we observed Yom HaShoah, established in 1951 by the Knesset (Parliament) in the state of Israel to be world Jewry's annual remembrance day for the victims of the Holocaust. The day coincides with the date of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. This is one of only a few official days that was added to the Jewish calendar in more than 2000 years.
It is so fitting that the March of the Living is held at this time each year. With 10,000 people representing 40 countries, the impact and visual was incredible - Jewish people gathering from different countries, cultures and languages, secular and religious, and every level of religious observance, uniting to share in this memorable and impactful Jewish experience. Teens draped in Israeli flags and others waving theirs, we knew that they were doing something very profound.
It was a great moment of pride for our group to walk together representing America and Canada with our BBYO banner held high - the same walk that so many Jewish victims walked unknowingly to their deaths. The "march" began in Auschwitz with the sounding of the shofar and walking under the infamous gate, "Arbeit Mach Frei" (Work will set you free). During the two kilometer walk, there is a point where everyone crosses over a bridge and the view is a breathtaking sight - in front and behind us, we could see the multitude of delegations wearing their blue "March of the Living" jackets and walking in solidarity.
As we approached the famous entrance into Birkenau, teens began lighting candles and placing messages written on wooden placards along the railroad tracks: "In memory of the six million" and "Never Forget," to name a few. Inside the camp and past all the barracks, amidst the ruins, a ceremony was held in honor and memory of the Hungarian Jews who lost their lives. The program included solemn music and stirring speeches from survivors and dignitaries, plus an array of videos playing on huge screens, recognizing Hannah Szenes and Raoul Wallenberg for their heroic efforts to help save Jews. There was the beautiful lighting of six massive torches to represent the six million of our people who perished, and the most inspiring moment was when the thousands of us stood and sang Hatikvah (the Israel National Anthem) together as one strong, loud voice.
Reflections from the March of the Living
Posted on 04/28/2014 @ 06:00 PM
"Nothing has empowered me more than walking out of Auschwitz. Thank you BBYO." - Etelka Ziegler Hazen, Toronto
"I think it's absolutely absurd to think that 10,000 of us marched into Auschwitz II today and were able to leave. We were standing in a place that, when it was fully functional, could exterminate twice as many people IN ONE DAY! It's absolutely flooring." - Alex Schwartz, New York
"Today I walked with thousands out of Auschwitz and into Birkenau, proudly waving an Israeli flag, epitomizing hope in a place where people used to doubt the existence of hope at all."- Marlee Hirsch, New Jersey
"I refuse to sit, but, not just for my beliefs. I refuse to relax in a place where no one got to rest, and so I stand." - Kyle Glassman
"I don't think I've ever experienced so many unexplainable things over such a short period of time. We all know what we're seeing and understand what it means, but it has so much more significance than what I think any of us can fathom. But, I know that once we all grasp that, we'll really realize what an incredible trip this is."- Alyse Weinstein, Ohio
"Today, the Hungarian president called Auschwitz-Birkenau the largest cemetery of Hungarian Jews. Looking back at the plaques that 10,000 people wrote in honor of the six million people who perished at the hands of the Nazis looked like little gravestones in honor of all those who perished in the camps. It gave me chills." - Hannah Sprung, Wisconsin
Reflections from Auschwitz
Posted on 04/27/2014 @ 09:00 PM
"I'm not sure what to expect for the next week and a half, but, these first few days have shown me that regardless of what I go through and see, everyone will be there for each other. We are together as one." - Zach Goland, New Jersey
"I still can't process the fact that I'm in Poland, a place where part of the genocide of Jews took place. However, being a Jew visiting Poland today makes a bold statement. U.S. Jews are still alive and thrive." - Eric Zeiri
"Being able to see it makes learning it have more meaning." - Danny Trompeter, Pittsburgh
"There are no words to describe my experience in Auschwitz today. In any given instant, I mourned for the tragedy, gave thanks for the blessing that is the State of Israel, and simply gave in to an overflowing emotion I cannot name. I cried. I cried a lot." - Itai Almor, South Carolina
A Solemn Experience in Auschwitz
Posted on 04/27/2014 @ 08:00 PM
Our day began with first driving by a remnant of the Cracow Ghetto wall, then traveling nearby to view the entrance to Shindler's Factory. We also drove to the site of the Plaszow concentration labor camp and Trudy Album, a Holocaust survivor, told of the time she spent in that camp. The camp was plowed under when liberated and all that remains is an architectural monument memorializing the people who worked and died there.
Our morning continued with an hour and a half drive to the Auschwitz complex.
Auschwitz was the largest Nazi extermination and concentration camp, about 37 miles from Cracow. One-sixth of all the Jews murdered by the Nazis were gassed at Auschwitz. The camp was established in April 1940 from existing army barracks. There were three main camps and 45 smaller sub camps. Auschwitz I held mostly political prisoners and criminals. An experimental gas chamber and crematorium were there, but most of the killing was done at Auschwitz II (Birkenau) from 1941-44. This was where the infamous Dr. Mengele would make his selections - a wave to the right meant death and a wave to the left meant slave labor. Only 10 percent of each transport was not killed immediately. Auschwitz III and the area sub camps were used primarily for slave labor. There was an uprising in October 1944, with the victims killing several SS men and setting fire to one of the crematoriums; 600 fled, but most did not survive. Gassing ceased in the camp and by the end of 1944, two and a half million had died there from disease, starvation, overwork, torture, gas, or were shot, hanged or injected with lethal drugs to the heart. Of all those sent to Auschwitz, only one percent survived. When the Soviets entered the camp in January 1945, they discovered more than 800,000 dresses, 348,000 men's suits, 38,000 pairs of men's shoes, more than 5,000 women's pairs of shoes and 7,000 kilograms of human hair. 7650 sick and exhausted victims were saved.
Today Auschwitz is very museum-like with numerous exhibits in the original buildings. On display are actual belongings from the victims who were transported there - suitcases bearing their Jewish names, Talits, glasses, a room of their shoes and another full of hair. Standing in the gas chamber and the crematorium was when reality set in for everyone and the importance of this trip.
Continuing on to Birkenau, we gathered in a barrack to hear Trudy's story of her youth, her family and her Holocaust experiences. She is truly an amazing woman and an inspiration to all who meet her. The teens are so kind and protective of her, all wanting to hold her hand when we walk great distances. Those special moments with Trudy are highlights of the trip each year.
To conclude our time there, the teens from Bus 1 led a ceremony of special poems, readings and song, as well as the Mourner's Kaddish and Hatikvah.
Shabbat in Cracow
Posted on 04/26/2014 @ 10:00 PM
On Friday evening we walked to Kaszimierz, the old Jewish Quarter of Cracow, where we joined other delegations in prayer and song at the Tempel, the only reform synagogue in Cracow, built in 1860 and completed in 1862. It was a wondrous sight to see the packed sanctuary with boys and men singing and dancing downstairs and the girls doing the same in the balcony. To know that we were able to walk freely through the streets of Cracow and pray in a once vibrant community was a memory that we will all remember. Returning to the hotel for our Shabbat dinner and Oneg Shabbat ended our first evening in Poland on a strong feeling of community.
On Saturday afternoon, we toured Kaszimierz and discussed the vibrant Jewish community that existed there for hundreds of years. It was the center of strong Jewish learning and culture, Zionism, and the first Jewish publishing house. When Germany invaded Poland, there were 60,000 Jews living in Cracow, almost one-fourth of the total population of the city. Because the Nazis set their headquarters in Cracow, the city was not destroyed and many of the original Jewish sites remain today.
From Kaszimierz, we walked the same route by foot that the Jews were taken and confined to a Ghetto in the Podgorze district in 1941. We saw the exact site of where Jews lived and the place they gathered for transport to various camps, Belzec, Auschwitz and Plaszow.
We heard the story of the pharmacy at the border of the ghetto that was run by a non-Jewish man (Tadeusz Pankiewicz) and his two assistants. The Germans wanted to close the pharmacy when the ghetto was formed, but, Tadeusz was forced to bribe them continuously to keep it open. The back door of the pharmacy became a secret passage and hideaway for Ghetto Jews. Tadeusz and his assistants helped smuggle food, medicines and necessary items to the people in the ghetto and he was ultimately responsible for saving hundreds of Jews with forged documents. In recognition of his actions, he was recognized in 1983 as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
Saturday evening, a wonderful Havdallah service was led by some of our teens that also included our survivor, Trudy Album, who told some of her story of life in Cracow before she lit and held the Havdallah candle. It was especially poignant for Trudy, as her granddaughter Zoe was in attendance, having travelled from school in Spain. When the service was over, the teens broke into song and the hotel was filled with Ruach.
At the conclusion of Shabbat, we welcomed several Jewish teens from Poland to share their experiences and talk about life in Poland today as a Jewish teen. Our teens had great questions for our guests and the rapport was a pleasure to see.
Reflections from Cracow
Posted on 04/26/2014 @ 10:00 PM
"I was walking through the streets of Krakow and helping BBYO's survivor, Trudy, walk with our group. She thanked me for helping her and said 'I'm grateful to have you all here as my guardian angels.' It was so sweet and so amazing but I told her that she is our guardian angel. We are so lucky to have her here; Trudy is honestly an incredible person! I love her so much already and can't wait to continue this journey with her." - Molly Kazan, Wisconsin
"As I sit in the Krakow deportation site, the feeling is unreal, complete numbness." - Carley Fritsch, Pittsburgh
"Bearing witness is an understatement to what we're doing here." - Brandon Cotter, Dallas
"Before leaving for the March, I thought I knew everything I needed to about the Holocaust, but now that I'm here, I'm starting to realize that there's so much left to learn and I can't wait to do just that on this trip." - Eliana Dubosar, Boca Raton
"During Friday night services, people were singing and dancing. Watching hundreds of Jews celebrating our faith made me feel proud to be Jewish and finally free." - Daniella Eglash, Pittsburgh
"I am looking forward to being able to understand life in the eyes of those who came before me." - Natalie Engel, Houston
"It is our goal to live to learn to teach." - Brandon Bell, Philadelphia
"I hope to open my eyes to the world and have a voice." - Sarah Goodman, Cleveland
"We've only been together for three days, but I feel so connected to everyone else on this trip already." - Carly Taub, Michigan
BBYO Delegates Have Arrived in Poland
Posted on 04/25/2014 @ 11:00 AM
We are happy to announce that all of our delegations have arrived safely in Poland.
Throughout the trip we will be providing you with insights from our participants. In addition, we want to remind you to keep checking for new pictures. The highlights are shared on Facebook and you also can view more photos on our SmugMug account. Albums on SmugMug are organized by bus. Please be patient as our staff is doing their best to upload pictures as internet permits.
Shabbat Shalom!
BBYO Teens Heading to March of the Living
Posted on 04/24/2014 @ 04:54 PM
More than 130 teens making up BBYO's National Teen Delegation to the March of the Living are on their way to Poland this evening. The teens have high expectations for their upcoming journey.
"I've known people who have gone on March of the Living in the past, and have heard it is really a life-changing experience," Danny Rosenberg, a senior from Kansas City, Missouri, said. "I can't wait to share my own experience with my friends and family once I get back!"
The teens will spend their first week in Poland learning about Jewish communities of the past and visiting concentration camps. To mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, teens from more than sixty countries will take part in a moving two-mile "March of the Living" from Auschwitz to Birkenau, concluding with the singing of Hatikvah, which reaffirms "Am Yisrael Chai - The Jewish People Live."
"I've been to a lot of different Holocaust memorials in the past, and each one has impacted me differently," Josh Zack, a senior from Kansas City, Missouri, said. "I'm really looking forward to seeing how going to Poland on March of the Living will be a unique experience. I hope this will give me a better understanding what us, as Jewish people, have been through, and I will gain more appreciation and not take for granted our freedom."
After this emotional week, the teens will fly from Poland to Israel and will join millions of Israelis in celebrating Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel's 66th Independence Day festivities. During their week in Israel, the teens will enjoy the major highlights of the country including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea.
Tori Hoffman, a senior from Dallas, Texas is looking to gain a lot out of this trip. "I heard from a lot of people that March of the Living was a life-changing experience, and I wanted to see for myself how this could transform me," Tori said in anticipation. "I'm mostly looking forward to going to Israel to connect deeper to my Jewish roots and experience Israeli culture."
Check this blog regularly throughout the next two weeks for updates from the teens and their staff during this amazing journey.


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Posted on 3/5/2013 by Diane Julian
On February 19, 2013 property owners received a Notice of Reappraisal for their real estate. The Forsyth County Tax Assessor/Collector has held several public forums around the county and spoken on Channel 13 to inform property owners of the purpose and frequency of a countywide Reappraisal and to explain how the assessment is determined based on the market sales. Our office is accepting informal appeals through March 12, 2013. These informal appeals allow us to correct any erroneous data and adjust the value if needed. Any appeal that is not resolved prior to the convening of the Board of Equalization and Review will be scheduled to be heard by this board.
To learn more view our 2013 Reappraisal Presentation
201 North Chestnut Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Assessor P.O. Box 757 Winston-Salem, NC 27102 (336) 703-2300 (336) 727-2369 FAX Collector P.O. Box 82 Winston-Salem, NC 27102 (336) 703-2300 (336) 748-3000 FAX


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Course Materials for: 'Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological/Phenomenological Model'Werner ErhardIndependent Michael C. JensenSocial Science Electronic Publishing (SSEP), Inc.; Harvard Business School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) Steve ZaffronLandmark Worldwide LLC; Vanto Group Kari L. GrangerCenter For Character and Leadership Development January 28, 2015 Harvard Business School NOM Working Paper No. 09-038 Simon School Working Paper No. 08-03 Barbados Group Working Paper No. 08-02 Abstract: Slide-Deck Textbook and course materials (1000 pages) for the Leadership Course taught at the Zayed University Convention Center, Dubai, UAE, 6 - 9 January and 11 - 13 January, 2015. This leadership course is designed to leave students being leaders and exercising leadership effectively as their natural self-expression – rather than attempting to learn the characteristics, styles, and skills of noteworthy leaders, and then trying to remember and apply them where appropriate. The course is not designed to merely leave the students with knowledge (that is not designed to leave students "knowing" about leaders and leadership and able to cogently discuss the issues surrounding leader and leadership). Rather, the course is designed to give students actual access to being a leader and the effective exercise of leadership. Our promise to the students is that if they honor their word to fulfill the requests we make of them they will leave the course being leaders and exercising leadership effectively. History and More on the Course The course material is based on our (and our co-instructors') work over the last eleven years in developing a course of the same title at the University of Rochester Simon School of Business, USA from 2004-2008, (which course was taught in the curriculum at the US Air Force Academy from 2008-2011 and a version of which continues to be taught in the curriculum), Erasmus Academie Rotterdam, NL in June 2009 (a version of which was taught at the Erasmus University Law School from 2009-2010), Texas A&M University Mays School of Business, USA in June 2010, in India under the auspices of the IC Centre for Governance and MW Corp in November 2010, at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, USA in June 2012, in Whistler B.C. Canada for the benefit of the Erhard-Jensen Ontological / Phenomenological Initiative in October 2012, at entrepreneurship@UBC, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada in June 2013, in Cancun, Mexico for the benefit of the Erhard-Jensen Ontological / Phenomenological Initiative in October 2013, in Singapore, hosted by Nanyang Technological University in July 2014, in Bermuda for the benefit of the Erhard-Jensen Ontological / Phenomenological Initiative in October 2014 and in Dubai, UAE held at the Zayed University Convention Center in January 2015. The course is still under development and will be for several more years. The research project that led to the creation of this course (and the papers and slides on leadership that are the Textbook for the course in the attached pdf file) originated from our interest in laying the foundations for a science of leadership. We agree with Warren Bennis (2002, p. 2) and Joseph Rost (1993, p. 8) who conclude respectively: "It is almost a cliche of the leadership literature that a single definition of leadership is lacking." and "The scholars do not know what it is they are studying, and the practitioners do not know what it is they are practicing." Taking on the question of "what leadership is" required us to get into what it is to be a leader and what it is to exercise leadership effectively as a lived experience, rather than as a description, explanation or a theory. Getting to the core of being a leader and the actions of effective leadership led naturally to tackling the task of actually creating leaders, and the natural laboratory for exploring that question was the classroom. Mark Zupan, Dean of the U. of Rochester Simon School of Business and his colleagues provided us the five-year laboratory to do this and the course was created. We resolve the puzzle over what leadership is by uniquely distinguishing leader and leadership as the intersection of four precise aspects which are respectively: Leader and Leadership as 1. Linguistic Abstractions (leader and leadership as "realms of possibility"), 2. Phenomena (leader and leadership as experienced, that is, as exercised, or what one observes or is impacted by), 3. Concepts (the temporal domains in which leader and leadership function), 4. Terms (leader and leadership as definitions). The access provided to (and therefore what is revealed about) leader and leadership when dealt with as a realm of possibility is different than the access provided to (and therefore what is revealed about) leader or leadership when they are dealt with as a phenomenon, or as a concept, or as a term. We argue that when the four perspectives are taken together, as a whole they provide access to mastering what leader and leadership actually are. This enables us to get our arms around the being of a leader and the effective exercise of leadership. Having mastered this overall context, we can then get our hands on the levers and dials of being a leader, and the effective exercise of leadership. What follows – in a single pdf document of 994 pages of PowerPoint slides, Word documents, and exhibits – is a collection of virtually all the materials used in the course, including the student course evaluations for this course and previous courses. Our desire is to make the course available to any faculty in higher education to teach it, to communicate it and to extend it. This fourth pass release of the material is not fully complete nor is it polished to our standards. We will continue to update and extend the material and will revise these files. We are releasing the material so that we can benefit from the comments, criticisms and suggestions of others in higher education who share our desire to accelerate the development of a true science of leadership. We want to see this material (or material derived from it) taught in every major business school and university. While the course is still a work in progress, we, the authors and instructors, are making all the materials available through SSRN (Social Science Research Network) to those faculty members who wish to teach versions of the course in any university or college setting. For a Directory of the 5 Pre-Course Readings for the Course 'Being a Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological/Phenomenological Model' see: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2247492. For the full introductory paper to the course (the 5th of five pre-course readings): "Introductory Reading for Being A Leader and the Effective Exercise of Leadership: An Ontological/Phenomenological Model" see: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1585976. For the introductory seminar to the course see: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1392406. For the introductory chapter to the course published in: Scott Snook, Nitin Nohria, Rakesh Khurana, Editors "The Handbook For Teaching Leadership" Sage Publications, 2011 see: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1681682. Number of Pages in PDF File: 1000 Keywords: Leadership, Ontology, Ontological Model of Human Nature, Ontological Constraints, Perceptual Constraints, Functional Constraints JEL Classification: M1 Date posted: September 4, 2008 ; Last revised: March 3, 2015Suggested CitationContact Information
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