Archive for the ‘View from Abroad’ Category
16
Islam: A “Retarded Culture”
by dizzycypher 
Featured, Islam-a-phobia, News, View from Abroad
Earlier we covered the highly charged story of Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ personal battle with Islam. Not only does he suggest Islam is a “retarded culture” but the Quran is comparable to “Hitler’s Mein Kampf.” Ouch!
Wilders’ faces a possible one year sentence in jail and a fine for his comments but his case, now in trial, is taking a curious turn.
Initially, prosecutors had “declined to take up the case against Wilders, but were compelled to do so by the high court after anti-racism activists protested.”
Now prosecutors argue that his politician status awards him the right to make statements “about perceived problems in society,”( i.e. immigration of Muslims)
Some think Wilders is the problem.
If he is jailed or freed there is bound to be an outcry… stay tuned.
The Daily Dish
Been thinking a lot about Islam and the ground zero mosque? This chart is just some more food for thought.
Fox News would like to make it very clear; they DO NOT support political candidates (if they are Democrats)
November elections will mean DEATH for Democrats... or maybe not.
All images are property of the author, ForeverPlaid.
Ahhh, Switzerland. Home to cheese, alps, and chocolate. Life must be good there, right? USDemocrazy dispatched a foreign correspondent to find out for sure. Read on for part one of two on Swiss life… …read more.
26
From our Foreign Correspondent: Modern Times, Ancient Cultures
by MZ Hammmer View from Abroad
This is one of a series of dispatches from our foreign correspondent:
Ma sa sa’ laa ch’ool?
You hear this often traveling through the highlands of Guatemala. Literally this translates to “is there happiness in your heart?”
What language is this you may ask?
It doesn’t look like Spanish or any other European language.
It is Q’eqchi’ a Mayan language used in the highlands of Guatemala.
The people who speak this language are decedents of the native pre-Columbian (before Columbus) inhabitants of the region. The pre-Columbian Mayans built temples such as the ones at Tikal (shown in the picture above).
In 1523 the Spanish arrived in Guatemala and over a number of years gained control of the region.
The Europeans brought with them Christianity, a faith that was adopted by most of the inhabitants of Central America. However, don’t think for a minute that traditional beliefs completely disappeared. …read more.
The bloggers at US Democrazy´s are used to volcanic heat (primarily from our hot-head editor).
However, his hot air pales in comparison to walking up a real volcano.
This we learned when one of our bloggers recently visited the volcano Pacaya, near Guatemala City (the country’s capital).
Pacaya is an active volcano with a major eruption as recent as 1991. Currently, this volcano is less voilent, calmly releasing a stream of red hot lava.
Remarkably, tourists can get as close as they like to the molten rock (Check out the picture of the guy cooking marshmallows above).
This is not the only volcano in Guatemala… as seen in the map below.
The widespread volcanic activity has caused problems for Guatemala in the past. An earthquake in 1976 killed more than 23,000 people.
Such large quakes are rare. So there is little to fear for the adventuresome tourist.
We highly recommend a visit to Guatemala for an exotic escape… from a fire breathing editor.
Thanks to the Guardian, we see some Silvio Berlusconi statuettes with some blood for flare in light of recent events...
This is one of a series of dispatches from our Foreign correspondent currently based in Scotland:
Ahhh… December 17. Almost time for me to resign my post as USDemocrazy Foreign Correspondent in Scotland and return to the ol’ homestead.
Can’t wait to get back to the place I know well, complete with crazy politics, late nights, and unique smells. And that’s just in the USDemocrazy headquarters.
But before coming home, I decided to pop over to Italy to check on things there.
(Editor’s note: The timing with the Recent attack on Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (Ouch)is purely coincidental)
What was the biggest culture shock going from the UK to Italy? The politics? The people? The food? The language?
Nope — the traffic. …read more.
The world's strongest beer, Tactical Nuclear Penguin
This is one in a series of dispatches from our Foreign Correspondent currently on location in Scotland:
On exchange in Scotland, one of the biggest differences I’ve noticed between the UK and America is the drinking culture. (and we’re not talking about tea here…)
In the United Kingdom, the legal age of drinking alcohol is 18, three whole years before young people in the States.
Surprising to most Yanks, school social outings in the UK (and even academic ones) largely revolve around the local pub. Student societies are likely to organize their own pub crawls and professors are known to take students out for a drink and conversation. Because virtually anyone at the university is of legal drinking age, this is no problem. …read more.
26
From our Foreign Correspondent: No room for turkey in Scotland
by ForeverPlaid View from Abroad
The Scottish flag
This is one in a series of reports from our Foreign Correspondent currently stationed in Scotland:
While you Americans are stuffing yourselves with turkey today, being thankful and what-not, I will be sitting in class. But, not the bitter type, I’ve decided to turn my attention to celebrations of St. Andrew’s day here in Scotland!
St. Andrew’s day falls on the 30th of November each year to honor the patron saint of Scotland (Saint Andrew). …read more.
A seller of "The Big Issue" - a primary participant in ISNP
This is part of our regular series of dispatches from our foreign correspondent currently on location in Scotland:
Walking down the street in Edinburgh, I run into a lot of people (sometimes figuratively, mostly literally) who want my attention.
Actually, they want any body’s attention. They are trying to promote events, sell mobile phone service, ask for money for charity, or sell newspapers. …read more.
- Thanks to the Beltane Fire Society
In the States, Halloween is huge. No one can deny that.
Here in Europe… well, it’s getting more popular. I’ve recently learned that many of the traditions Americans partake in on October 31 may have started over here in Scotland… Who knew? …read more.
22
From our Foreign Correspondent: Where the Movies Aren’t.
by ForeverPlaid View from Abroad
From the USDemocrazy foreign affairs reporter in Scotland:
People always like to talk about the strong influence of American popular culture abroad, and I can see it here in Scotland. (For instance, USDemocrazy is taking the UK by storm! One of those really small, barely noticeable storms…)
Given my unabashed admiration for the wonders of American culture, particularly the awesomeness of Hollywood, I’ve been slightly let down by the irregularity of movie releases in the UK. Let me explain:
It’s bad enough having to hear from my US friends who watch my favorite TV shows just as the universe had intended… live on television! But to wait weeks after a film is released in the US for it to finally show up in UK cinemas is just torture! …read more.
15
From our Foreign Correspondent: What language do they speak in Scotland?
by ForeverPlaid View from Abroad
This is the third in our regular series of dispatches from the USDemocrazy overseas correspondent:
Recently, I’ve been getting really homesick for the good ol’ USDemocrazy staff meetings… Dozing off, not making sense of anything anyone said… Luckily, I get a pretty healthy does of not understanding people right here in Scotland!
Before I left for my overseas adventure, I was asked if Scottish people speak English. I scoffed, “Of course they do!” Little did I know, there’s quite a difference between American English, English English, and Scottish English… …read more.
I'll explain later. (Thanks Wikicommons!)
Back in the U.S., it’s not so hard to keep up with current events. (Just check USDemocrazy every day, right?) But here in Scotland, apparently I have to understand the news back home and in the United Kingdom? Honestly, I thought I was getting a little vacation…
Misunderstandings aside, here’s some stories that are popping up in Scotland and elsewhere: …read more.
The modern and controversial building that houses the Scottish parliament, referred to as "Holyrood."
This week marks the first of our dispatches from our foreign correspondant on assignment in Europe.
Yes…that’s right…we have a foreign correspondent….well, okay… she is a college student on an exchange semester in Scotland.
But she is overseas.
