44 definitions by Primus Intra Pares
(VIETNAMESE HISTORY) complex network of mountain roads and trails leading from the mountain highlands west of Hanoi to the Mekong river delta. This was used by the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) between 1959 and 1975 to infiltrate the putative "Republic of Vietnam" (South Vietnam). The network had some 16,000 Km (10,000 miles) of roads.
The road was named for Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh and Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV); construction began on his birthday (9 May 1959).
The road was built at enormous sacrifice by the Vietnamese and their allies in the Lao & Khmer peasantry. During most of the Second Indochina War, it was a primary target of US bombing raids. After creating a puppet state in Saigon, the US military sealed off the 17th parallel between the two sectors of Vietnam; so PAVN forces bypassed the DMZ and cut through Laos and Cambodia. The US military thus intervened militarily in Laos (against the pro-Communist Pathet Lao) and in Cambodia (against the Khmer Communist Party, or Khmer Rouge).
The road was named for Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, leader of the Viet Minh and Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV); construction began on his birthday (9 May 1959).
The road was built at enormous sacrifice by the Vietnamese and their allies in the Lao & Khmer peasantry. During most of the Second Indochina War, it was a primary target of US bombing raids. After creating a puppet state in Saigon, the US military sealed off the 17th parallel between the two sectors of Vietnam; so PAVN forces bypassed the DMZ and cut through Laos and Cambodia. The US military thus intervened militarily in Laos (against the pro-Communist Pathet Lao) and in Cambodia (against the Khmer Communist Party, or Khmer Rouge).
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a constant target for B-52 bombers, but bombing failed to stop traffic on it. As a consequence, the US organized the ouster of the Cambodian monarchy in 1970, so it could use the puppet junta to get permission for invading Cambodia.
The USA dropped an astonishing volume of high explosives on Cambodia in the hopes of shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
The National Liberation Front (NLF, or "Viet Cong") was supported by supplies from the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
The USA dropped an astonishing volume of high explosives on Cambodia in the hopes of shutting down the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
The National Liberation Front (NLF, or "Viet Cong") was supported by supplies from the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
by Primus Intra Pares July 24, 2010
Action taken for public relations (PR); usually contrived to create a false impression of good will or concern.
Most people in positions of great power are basically sociopaths who don't care about the suffering their greed- and ego-driven rampages cause. But if it were generally known that they think general suffering is hilarious, they'd be less effective at causing more.
For this reason, the truly powerful have frontmen, like political functionaries, who pretend to have power, and pretend to care about doing good stuff. They can do stuff like fly to the Gulf of Mexico and make speeches about how they're going to help people affected by the Deepwater Horizon blowout, and while it fools very few people, it's at least moderately inoffensive.
PR moves are used by the powerful to make themselves look benign, indispensable, hardworking, smart, badass, serious, compassionate, respectful of the law, concerned about the rise of evil shit, blue-collar, in touch with the people, talented, far-sighted, thoughtful, devout, patriotic, global, or cool.
Most people in positions of great power are basically sociopaths who don't care about the suffering their greed- and ego-driven rampages cause. But if it were generally known that they think general suffering is hilarious, they'd be less effective at causing more.
For this reason, the truly powerful have frontmen, like political functionaries, who pretend to have power, and pretend to care about doing good stuff. They can do stuff like fly to the Gulf of Mexico and make speeches about how they're going to help people affected by the Deepwater Horizon blowout, and while it fools very few people, it's at least moderately inoffensive.
PR moves are used by the powerful to make themselves look benign, indispensable, hardworking, smart, badass, serious, compassionate, respectful of the law, concerned about the rise of evil shit, blue-collar, in touch with the people, talented, far-sighted, thoughtful, devout, patriotic, global, or cool.
One of the more successful PR moves of the oil industry was Chevron's "People Do" campaign. In this campaign, a series of television commercials and magazine ads showed a beautiful landscape with sea otters or giant turtles, and voice over talking about some thing Chevron did to help them out. Except the things Chevron said it was doing to help the environment, were (a) cheap, relative to the cost of blabbing about it, (b) usually mandated by law or consent decree, and (c) required to mitigate some larger environmental catastrophe caused by Chevron.
by Primus Intra Pares July 15, 2010
(US GOVERNMENT) Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement; agency formerly known as the Minerals Management Service (MMS). Some minor reorganization supposed to reduce incentives for corruption.
The original MMS was created in 1982 to manage offshore drilling and other forms of mineral exploitation of the ocean coastal shelf (OCS). It had every incentive to take the money of corporations and give them license to do what they wanted. In 2010, due to scandals from gross corruption and lax oversight, the White House reacted by...changing the agency's name.
The original MMS was created in 1982 to manage offshore drilling and other forms of mineral exploitation of the ocean coastal shelf (OCS). It had every incentive to take the money of corporations and give them license to do what they wanted. In 2010, due to scandals from gross corruption and lax oversight, the White House reacted by...changing the agency's name.
The BOEMRE had to change its name from the "Minerals Management Service" because its reputation was utterly ruined by constant corruption scandals.
by Primus Intra Pares July 25, 2010
(METAPHOR) relatively transparent ruse to hide something embarrassing behind something good, or something neutral. For example, a man may attempt to hit on a woman by attempting to get her involved in bible study. The woman would ordinarily find being hit on disagreeable or even offensive, so the man conceals his intentions as something considered good.
Comes from the tradition of Renaissance artists using figleaves to conceal the genitalia of nude subjects.
Comes from the tradition of Renaissance artists using figleaves to conceal the genitalia of nude subjects.
During the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, neoconservatives used concern for the the welfare of Iraqis under Saddam's oppressive rule as a figleaf for their bloodlust.
by Primus Intra Pares July 21, 2010
(ECONOMICS) an alternative metric of poverty; used instead of the poverty level by some researchers.
Developed as a superior alternative to the federal poverty level to estimate the income required for families to pay for their basic needs. Computed at the county level, the SSS takes into account the costs of food, housing, health insurance, childcare, transportation, taxes, and other basic expenses, with component values varying across more than 70 different family types. SSS wages have been calculated to date for all counties in 35 states and the District of Columbia.
Developed as a superior alternative to the federal poverty level to estimate the income required for families to pay for their basic needs. Computed at the county level, the SSS takes into account the costs of food, housing, health insurance, childcare, transportation, taxes, and other basic expenses, with component values varying across more than 70 different family types. SSS wages have been calculated to date for all counties in 35 states and the District of Columbia.
Usually people are not concerned by reports of the large numbers of people living below the poverty level, because they assume it just means poor people have to tighten their belts.
The self-sufficiency standard (SSS), if explained, should change this. If a person's wages are below the SSS, then she is not only not making enough to meet her current needs, she's not making enough to preserve her ability to earn what little she has.
The self-sufficiency standard (SSS), if explained, should change this. If a person's wages are below the SSS, then she is not only not making enough to meet her current needs, she's not making enough to preserve her ability to earn what little she has.
by Primus Intra Pares July 16, 2010
(OIL INDUSTRY) a disaster consisting of a rupture of the pipe carrying oil away from a wellhead. Basically, when oil coming out of the ground through an oil well is released into the open air, or pours into the ocean.
In 1991, after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait was repulsed by the US-led coalition, the retreating Iraqi forces used incendiary explosives to blast open and ignite the streams of crude oil coming from Kuwaiti wells. This was the largest mass blowout in industry history.
In 1991, after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait was repulsed by the US-led coalition, the retreating Iraqi forces used incendiary explosives to blast open and ignite the streams of crude oil coming from Kuwaiti wells. This was the largest mass blowout in industry history.
The Deepwater Horizon blowout is incorrectly called a "spill" by many news outlets. It is not a spill, it is a blowout.
Oil wells, particularly those drilled underwater, are required to have a functioning blowout preventer. The one of the Deepwater Horizon was made by Halliburton and was defective.
Oil wells, particularly those drilled underwater, are required to have a functioning blowout preventer. The one of the Deepwater Horizon was made by Halliburton and was defective.
by Primus Intra Pares July 15, 2010
(ECONOMICS) Bank for central banks. It takes deposits from central banks and provides financial services, including underwriting bills of exchange. It is based in Basle, Switzerland and was founded in May 1930, for the purpose of facilitating reparations payments by Germany to the Allies.
The BIS also provides a forum for international coordination of monetary policy, conducts financial research, and acts as an agent or trustee for international financial settlements. About 140 central banks and international financial institutions have deposits with the BIS. As of June 2010, currency deposits totaled approximately $303 billion dollars, or about four percent of world foreign exchange reserves.
The BIS also provides a forum for international coordination of monetary policy, conducts financial research, and acts as an agent or trustee for international financial settlements. About 140 central banks and international financial institutions have deposits with the BIS. As of June 2010, currency deposits totaled approximately $303 billion dollars, or about four percent of world foreign exchange reserves.
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) was created by the Dawes/Young Plan for coordinating the transfer of billions of Reichsmarks in reparations from Germany to the Allied powers after WW1. Almost at one, the BIS switched to managing international transactions of gold or hard currency. It also facilitated financial transactions between the Nazi regime and neutral countries during the War.
The BIS provides a very wide variety of specialized services, including underwriting and arbitration in fiduciary disputes.
The BIS provides a very wide variety of specialized services, including underwriting and arbitration in fiduciary disputes.
by Primus Intra Pares July 19, 2010