mahiwaga

Fascinating how we’re all Brussels now but we were never all Istanbul.

The simplistic answer is that certain religions are inherently violent, but this is not that useful of a response, because in truth, every religion can be fashioned into a weapon which people can wield to justify murder and conquest.

As far as I can tell, religious dogma isn’t really that much different from secular political/ideological dogma. (If you have any doubt about that, just look at the Communist Parties in the USSR, the PRC, and the DPRK.) If anything, demands for adherence to religious dogma is primarily driven by political power plays.¹

I honestly think you can gain more insight into terrorist attacks when you look at them primarily in political terms. Don’t get me wrong, religion can certainly be used as a cattle prod to get people to commit atrocities, but the aims are always political.²

Oh, for sure, some people’s political aim is to create a theocratic utopia. Hell, we have some people in this country running for elected office on that kind of platform. But it doesn’t really matter what religion is used as justification in the quest for power.³

And it’s not just the leaders of ISIS you need to look at. You also need to look at the political aims and goals of the people who fund and arm ISIS and the people who look away while money and guns change hands.⁴

• Who funds the ISIS Islamist militants in Iraq? • 2014 Jun 18 • The Telegraph
• Startling revelations: IS operative confesses to getting funds via US • 2015 Jan 28 • Naveed Miraj • The Express Tribune
• Islamic State: The Economy-Based Terrorist Funding • Jean-Charles Brisard and Damien Martinez • Thomson Reuters Accelus
• Here’s How The World’s Richest Terrorist Group Makes Millions Every Day • Amanda Macias and Jeremy Bender • Business Insider

via How is ISIS funded and how do they operate? • Quora

An anti-Trump protester with the last name of “Gonzalez” gets transferred to ICE custody. You can probably draw your own conclusions.

A Trump Protester Was Transferred to Immigration Authorities and You Need to Know Her Name • 2016 Mar 21 • Natasha Noman • News.Mic

A trial with an experimental vaccine targeting the Dengue fever virus has gone very well.

Dengue vaccine proves 100% effective in human trials • 2016 Mar 17 • K.G. Orphanides • Wired UK

While the reasons for the Fall of the Western Roman Empire are quite complex, a popular theory that has since been disproven suggested that high lead levels in the water supply due to the use of lead pipes was a contributing factor.

What is known is that rain water is slightly acidic due to dissolved carbon dioxide, and carbonate anions can precipitate with calcium cations into a calcium carbonate deposit that decreases how much lead is exposed. While lead levels in the water supply were undoubtedly high, they weren’t necessarily high enough to cause widespread lead toxicity.

The reason why Flint, MI ran into trouble was that their water was too acidic (especially since they forgot to add phosphate buffer for a while) and it dissolved the protective scale and exposed the lead. (Although there are other things wrong with Flint’s water.)

Anyway, the main route of exposure to lead for Roman aristocrats was probably from the lead they sprinkled into their wine to sweeten it.

Lead Poisoning and Rome •