(VIETNAMESE HISTORY) Vietnamese word for "liberation"; refers to 31 April 1975, when Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) was captured by the PAVN, ending the Second Indochina War.
The "g" is pronounced like a "y."
The "g" is pronounced like a "y."
For both the Vietnamese and Usonians, Giai Phong was a massive turning point in history. For the Vietnamese, it meant that the huge sacrifices made for independence were crowned with grinding toil, but new dignity as well. For the Usonians, it meant shame and and denial.
The USA entered a long dark night of the soul from which it has yet to emerge.
The USA entered a long dark night of the soul from which it has yet to emerge.
by Primus Intra Pares July 26, 2010
Get the Giai phong mug.(US GOVERNMENT) Agency created in 2003 by merging the enforcement arm of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) with that of the US Customs Service (see Customs and Border Protection {CPB}). It is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The ICE employs 19,000 people worldwide and has a budget of about $5.7 billion (comparable to the military budget of Algeria or Norway). It is responsible for Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) of removable aliens.
The ICE also violates international laws on human rights by deporting immigrants (legal or not) accused of a crime (this is known as exile and violates international norms of criminal justice). This program is called "Secure Communities" and of course only makes communities a lot LESS secure; it has exiled over 14,000 immigrants for petty offices such as traffic violations.
The dog-and-pony show of the ICE is its Office of Investigations (OI). This "investigates, deters and interdicts ...arms and strategic technology exports, ...money laundering, ...media piracy, smuggling (contraband, narcotics and aliens), immigration fraud, transnational gangs, ...child exploitation and pornography..." The OI basically issues press releases for publication as "news" by lazy newsmedia. The fact remains that human trafficking is a tiny affair with few reliably documented cases, and the US is not dependent on imported porn.
The ICE employs 19,000 people worldwide and has a budget of about $5.7 billion (comparable to the military budget of Algeria or Norway). It is responsible for Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) of removable aliens.
The ICE also violates international laws on human rights by deporting immigrants (legal or not) accused of a crime (this is known as exile and violates international norms of criminal justice). This program is called "Secure Communities" and of course only makes communities a lot LESS secure; it has exiled over 14,000 immigrants for petty offices such as traffic violations.
The dog-and-pony show of the ICE is its Office of Investigations (OI). This "investigates, deters and interdicts ...arms and strategic technology exports, ...money laundering, ...media piracy, smuggling (contraband, narcotics and aliens), immigration fraud, transnational gangs, ...child exploitation and pornography..." The OI basically issues press releases for publication as "news" by lazy newsmedia. The fact remains that human trafficking is a tiny affair with few reliably documented cases, and the US is not dependent on imported porn.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a surplus agency of the US government that mostly duplicates the efforts of Customs and Border Protection and Citizenship and Immigration Services. It operates a gigantic, corporate-run incarceration system that surpasses anything Kafka, Orwell, or Solzhenitsyn ever wrote about.
by Primus Intra Pares June 19, 2010
Get the Immigration and Customs Enforcement mug.(TELEVISION JOURNALISM) video segment created by a specialized PR firm under commission from a company or government agency, that is made to look like a regular news segment. It is then submitted to news stations and run without attribution. In this way, the official opinion of (say) British Petroleum, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, or Regence Blue Shield is presented as journalism.
The practice is illegal, but fines are derisory, license suspension for the offender NEVER has happened, and all news networks and affiliates do it. Most do it a lot.
The practice is illegal, but fines are derisory, license suspension for the offender NEVER has happened, and all news networks and affiliates do it. Most do it a lot.
Medialink Worldwide is one of the largest producers of video news releases.
When VNRs are created for the government, they are called "informational news releases" and are typically made to justify policies of the current ruling party.
When VNRs are created for the government, they are called "informational news releases" and are typically made to justify policies of the current ruling party.
by Primus Intra Pares July 15, 2010
Get the video news release mug.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
Get the PR move mug.(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
Get the blowout mug.(VIETNAM HISTORY) term coined by the authorities in South Vietnam to refer to the patriotic insurgency against the Saigon regime. The term has been traced to the head of Ngo Dinh Diem's secret police, although at this time (1960) the insurgents were not always Communist. The correct term is "National Liberation Front" (NLF).
"Cong" is used to mimic the term "Com," for "Communist." The Vietnamese language does not really allow speakers to pronounce "Com."
The National Liberation Front was originally an association of many organizations, including religious organizations. The leader, Hua Tho, was not a Marxist at all. However, the Diem administration organized the physical extermination of all opposition, including peaceful opposition, so the result was that only underground guerrilla movements could actually engage in politics. Naturally, the survival of the NLF depended on its ability to fight the Saigon regime, which meant rural insurgency, which meant gradual integration into the PAVN command structure.
The NLF grew quite strong; by 1968, it was able to carry out crucial operations in the Tet Offensive. Unfortunately, it was almost eradicated by the US military in the offensive, and had to be recreated.
"Cong" is used to mimic the term "Com," for "Communist." The Vietnamese language does not really allow speakers to pronounce "Com."
The National Liberation Front was originally an association of many organizations, including religious organizations. The leader, Hua Tho, was not a Marxist at all. However, the Diem administration organized the physical extermination of all opposition, including peaceful opposition, so the result was that only underground guerrilla movements could actually engage in politics. Naturally, the survival of the NLF depended on its ability to fight the Saigon regime, which meant rural insurgency, which meant gradual integration into the PAVN command structure.
The NLF grew quite strong; by 1968, it was able to carry out crucial operations in the Tet Offensive. Unfortunately, it was almost eradicated by the US military in the offensive, and had to be recreated.
The most popular aspect of the National Liberation Front program was the promise to take the land from the rich and to distribute it to the peasants.
After Diem had gained power in South Vietnam, he reversed Viet Minh land reforms, causing his regime to be bitterly hated by most peasants. So they joined the Viet Cong.
After Diem had gained power in South Vietnam, he reversed Viet Minh land reforms, causing his regime to be bitterly hated by most peasants. So they joined the Viet Cong.
by Primus Intra Pares July 24, 2010
Get the Viet Cong mug.(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 25, 2010
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