Tuition for bloggers in oppressive states to communicate freely...

Hillary Rodham Clinton (Wellesley College) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Tuition to teach bloggers in oppressive states how to communicate freely...

AP – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers a speech at the Conference on Internet Freedom, …
THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The European Unionshould help teach bloggers living under oppressive regimes how to communicate freely and avoid detection, and develop technology to help them, the bloc's digital affairscommissioner said Friday.
Speaking at an online free speech conference, Neelie Kroes said digital dissidents needtools that are "simple and ready-made."
"I want theEU to help develop and distribute thesetools," she said.
Governments, companies and civil liberties groups are meeting at the Freedom Online conference at the DutchForeign Ministry in hopes of creating a coalition of like-minded groups to promote Internet freedoms.
Bloggers and users of social networks played a key role in fomenting the revolutions of the "Arab Spring" — and took great risks.
In an emotional speech, Syrian blogger Amjad Baiazy said his country's surveillance system was built by Western companies. He said he was arrested and tortured in Mayfor expressing his opinion online, and a friend was arrested as recently as this weekfor a Facebook posting. He called on governments to fightfor "security of citizens, not corporations or governments."
On Thursday U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened the conference with a callfor companies not to sell surveillancetools to authoritarian regimes.
Dutch member of parliament Marietje Schaake echoed Clinton's call, saying that companies "with a reputation to lose" — such as Google, one of the conference's sponsors — are more likely to heed it.
However, she said less well-known companies may need incentives or laws to restrain them.
She said it was ironic there is also conference being held this week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aimed at disseminating advanced surveillance techniques.
"We need to get ahead of the curve," she said. "Some governments curb freedom before the Internet fully arrives there."
Schaake also slammed the U.S.for its proposed "Stop Online Piracy Act," which would require U.S. telecommunications companiesto block access toforeign-based websites that infringe U.S. copyrights.
This will "give great incentives to governments like China to do the same," she said, blocking political speech they don't approve and arguing that their censorship practices are no different than those in the West.
Karen Reilly of the TOR project, which helps Internet users browse the web anonymously, said governments should listen less to the copyright lobby. She said her organization could use assistance in answering technical questions in local languages, noting that addition of a Persian service had opened up a flood of communication from Iran.
Among concrete actions taken Friday, the Dutch governmentpledgedeuro1 million ($1.3 million) to develop "mesh" networks — networks that use mobile phones to create a backup system to disseminate information when a government tries to block the Internet or social networks. He named Syria, Iran and Zimbabwe as target countries.
Acknowledgements: Associated Press
The Riverman Reports

http://blogevolve.com/huttriver12

The story of secret "Occult" economy Coming out of the Shadows

 

Acknowledgements:

Dees Illustration

Brandon Turbeville
Activist Post

During December 2011 and January 2012, I wrote two articles dealing with the announcement of two different lawsuits being filed in U.S. District Courts regarding astronomical amounts of money in the forms of U.S. Bonds, Federal Reserve Notes, foreign government-issued bonds, and other financial instruments.

The first article, entitled, “Unprecedented Lawsuit Reveals Bizarre Worldwide Banking Connections,” deals with a lawsuit filed by Neil Keenan, an acting representative of the Dragon Family of Asia, that contains a list of plaintiffs including individuals, governments, private institutions, and secret societies that spans the entire globe. Keenan is alleging that a trillion dollars worth of Federal Reserve Notes, Kennedy Bonds, and Japanese Government Bonds were stolen from himself and the Dragon Family by a worldwide cartel network.

The second article, entitled, “Massive New Lawsuit Filed Against U.S. Federal Government in Bond Theft Scheme,” deals with a similar situation. In this lawsuit, plaintiff Joseph Riad alleges that $15 billion worth of Federal Reserve bonds were stolen from him by similar criminal cartel network involving many agencies of the U.S. Federal Government such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Public Debt.

In the latter incident, the bonds are supposedly dated back to 1934. However, the facts surrounding both of these lawsuits are quite difficult to decipher. With such an interconnected web of players including very secretive persons and institutions, as well as historical questions and connotations, it will likely be some time before the convoluted inter-workings of these incidents are unraveled -- if indeed they ever are.

Add to this the seizure of $6 trillion worth of U.S. Treasury bonds by Italian prosecutors and one might begin to see a trend developing. In this instance, according to the Italian prosecutors, the bonds had been hidden in makeshift compartments in three different safety deposit boxes in Zurich. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Vulcanica,” resulted in the arrest of eight individuals who were allegedly planning to buy plutonium from Nigerian sources. Interestingly enough, the bonds were sealed in crates labeled as property of the Chicago Federal Reserve System – Treaty of Versailles Mother Boxes to be exact. In this case, as in the case of the Joseph Riad lawsuit, the bonds were dated back to 1934.

Although the bonds are alleged to have been fake, at this time we cannot confirm that this is really the case.

The claim that these bonds are fake, of course, might very well be true. However, there is also a great deal of evidence to the contrary.

As I have mentioned in a previous article, the sheer number of U.S. bonds involved is so large that it presents one argument against the theory of a rogue counterfeiter. U.S. bonds are intentionally made incredibly difficult to forge and, considering the technology required to do so, the odds of such technology residing in the possession of a rogue network of underground counterfeiters is highly unlikely. If the bonds had indeed been faked, then it would be much more reasonable to assume that the counterfeiting operation was undertaken by a State – the only type of institution that would have had the infrastructure to oversee such a massive operation.

That being the case, the question would then become “Who?” and, necessarily, “Why?”

Yet, if the bonds were indeed counterfeited, it also seems that the counterfeiters took the long way around as they were produced inside sealed boxes thus indicating that the boxes themselves had been counterfeited. As Madison Ruppert of End The Lie points out:

If these bonds were indeed forgeries, it implies that the box itself might be fake as well, which raises the question: why would counterfeiters go through the effort of not only faking $6 trillion in $1 billion bonds but also go through the effort of creating a fake Treaty of Versailles Mother Box?

When I try to imagine the mindset of a thief, I cannot bring myself to understand why I would counterfeit two things instead of just one, thus doubling my chances of forgeries being detected.

Furthermore, why hide the bonds in makeshift compartments within the Mother Box? It all just makes so little sense I’m not sure what to think at this point.

Of course, this argument is not concrete enough to prove whether or not these bonds are real. Indeed, it is important to point out that this writer is not declaring judgment one way or the other. Clearly, the situation continues to develop and more information will hopefully come to light. Whatever one may suspect regarding this issue, it would be wise not to rush to judgment until a significantly larger amount of facts emerge.

Regardless, a suggestion made by many in the “fake bond” camp is that the amount of money is too great to be real. The argument here is that this much money simply does not exist within the Federal Reserve/U.S. Treasury bond system. Furthermore, there are questions as to how so many of these bonds found their way into Asian hands, particularly those bonds dated around the 1930s.

It is true that interest has accrued on the initial value of many of these bonds and financial instruments over time, particularly those instruments which have been held for a long period of time. However, many might point that the number of bonds/instruments that would have been required to be issued in the first place would have been enormous. Not only that, but there is no popular record of such massive financial exchanges having taken place involving the issuing of such instruments as Federal Reserve/U.S. Treasury bonds. That is, at least transactions that number in the “many thousands of trillions” of dollars that the Neil Keenan lawsuit alludes to.

However, one must remember that the world of banking, particularly privately administered, international, government-based financial instruments of which the Federal Reserve specializes in, is not an industry in which transparency is the order of the day.

After all, it was only recently revealed that the Federal Reserve had loaned a whopping $16 trillion dollars to major banks as a result of the current American bailout culture. There was no public announcement of these transactions, and acknowledgement only came after a watered-down and quite narrow audit provision was passed by Congress. If massive transactions made by the Federal Reserve such as the one mentioned above have only recently been uncovered, one is clearly justified in wondering how many other enormous financial transactions have taken place in the past between similar institutions?

Indeed, such transactions cannot be considered abnormal in the upper reaches of the international banking cartel.

Nevertheless, some clues have appeared that might explain the nature of some of the bonds at issue (if they are real) as well as the reason why the 1930s keep popping up as the birth year of so many of them.

At this point, I would like to encourage the reader to take a look at David Wilcock’s series FINANCIAL TYRANNY: The Final Sections. Wilcock has been sounding the alarm on many of these banking issues such as the stolen bonds and lawsuits for some time and, should his information pan out, deserves much credit for his work on this issue. There is a great deal of information collected in Wilcock’s series so make of it what you will.

One of the questions central to this entire issue is whether or not these types of bonds have ever been issued in this first place and, if they have been issued, whether or not they have been issued in such large quantities. In searching for an answer to this question, we find ourselves as far away as China and as far back as the early 1930s.

During the 1930s Chiang Kai-Shek was facing war on two fronts – from Mao Tse-Tung’s Communist insurgency and from the Imperial Japanese. As a result, China was incredibly unstable and, likewise, Chinese gold held by Kai-Shek’s China was in danger of being seized by one or both of its enemies. In an effort to protect this gold in the event of a successful push from either of the usurpers, an arrangement was made for the gold’s safekeeping inside the United States under the care of the U.S. Federal Government in the form of the Federal Reserve as well as the BIS (Bank of International Settlements). This was a plan that was apparently deemed acceptable by both Kai-Shek and the United States government, although the public was not notified of its existence.

The CIA, around 1948, played a major role in the physical removal of much of this gold as Tse-tung marched successfully through China. As Professor Richard Aldrich of Nottingham University and co-editor of the Journal Intelligence and National Security reveals, the CIA used their cover operation known as the Civilian Air Transport (CAT) to fly large shipments of Chinese gold to the United States.

But that was in 1948. “What about the 1930s?” you might ask. “Is the 1948 shipment all of the gold brought to the U.S.?”

Read more: http://www.activistpost.com/2012/03/secret-occult-economy-coming-out-of.html

It always comes back to bite you on the bum...

donkey (Photo credit: bagsgroove)

• 
  

  

  Morals

  by paulinemom

  
  Guest post:
• One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried
  piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
  Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered
  up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and
  help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the
  well.
  At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then,
  to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the
  farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
  With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something
  amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal,
  he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over
  the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
  Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to
  getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone.
  We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!
  Shake it off and take a step up.
  Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
  1. Free your heart from hatred - Forgive.
  2. Free your mind from worries - Most never happen.
  3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
  4. Give more.
  5. Expect less
  NOW --------
  Enough of that cr*p . .
  The donkey later came back and bit the sh*t out of
  the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the
  bite got infected, and the farmer eventually died in
  agony from septic shock.
  MORAL FROM TODAY'S LESSON:
  When you do something wrong and try to cover your
  ass, it always comes back to bite you.
• http://paulinemom.blog.co.uk

Some interesting facts about hemp...

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Here is an interesting and enlightening assortment of hemp facts: 1) Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC. 2) Presidents Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic. The federal government subsidized hemp during the Second World War and U.S. farmers grew about a million acres of hemp as part of that program. 3) Hemp seed is nutritious and contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is a good source of dietary fiber. Hemp seed is not psychoactive and cannot be used as a drug (learn more at TestPledge.com). 4) The bark of the hemp stalk contains bast fibers, which are among the Earth's longest natural soft fibers and are also rich in cellulose. The cellulose and hemi-cellulose in its inner woody core are called hurds. Hemp stalk is not psychoactive. Hemp fiber is longer, stronger, more absorbent and more insulative than cotton fiber. 5) According to the Department of Energy, hemp as a biomass fuel producer requires the least specialized growing and processing procedures of all hemp products. The hydrocarbons in hemp can be processed into a wide range of biomass energy sources, from fuel pellets to liquid fuels and gas. Development of bio-fuels could significantly reduce our consumption of fossil fuels and nuclear power. 6) Hemp can be grown organically. Only eight, out of about one hundred known pests, cause problems, and hemp is most often grown without herbicides, fungicides or pesticides. Hemp is also a natural weed suppressor due to fast growth of the canopy. 7) Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and its creamy color lends itself to environmentally-friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical by-products. 8) Hemp fiber paper resists decomposition, and does not yellow with age when an acid-free process is used. Hemp paper more than 1,500 years old has been found. Hemp paper can also be recycled more times than wood-based paper. 9) Hemp fiberboard produced by Washington State University was found to be twice as strong as wood-based fiberboard. No additional resins are required due to naturally-occurring lignins. 10) Eco-friendly hemp can replace most toxic petrochemical products. Research is being done to use hemp in manufacturing biodegradable plastic products: plant-based cellophane, recycled plastic mixed with hemp for injection-molded products, and resins made from the oil, to name a very few examples. Over two million cars on the road today have hemp composite parts for door panels, dashboards, luggage racks, etc.

Countries Growing Industrial Hemp Today

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not recognize the value of industrial hemp and permit its production. Below is a list of other countries that are more rational when it comes to hemp policy.

AUSTRALIA began research trials in Tasmania in 1995. Victoria commercial production since1998. New South Wales has research. In 2002, Queensland began production. Western Australia licensed crops in 2004. AUSTRIA has a hemp industry including production of hemp seed oil, medicinals and Hanf magazine. CANADA started to license research crops in 1994. In addition to crops for fiber, one seed crop was licensed in 1995. Many acres were planted in 1997. Licenses for commercial agriculture saw thousands of acres planted in 1998. 30,000 acres were planted in 1999. In 2000, due to speculative investing, 12,250 acres were sown. In 2001, 92 farmers grew 3,250 acres. A number of Canadian farmers are now growing organically-certified hemp crops (6,000 acres in 2003 and 8,500 acres in 2004, yielding almost four million pounds of seed). CHILE has grown hemp in the recent past for seed oil production. CHINA is the largest exporter of hemp textiles. The fabrics are of excellent quality. Medium density fiber board is also now available. The Chinese word for hemp is "ma." DENMARK planted its first modern hemp trial crops in 1997. The country is committed to utilizing organic methods. FINLAND had a resurgence of hemp in 1995 with several small test plots. A seed variety for northern climates was developed called Finola, previously know by the breeder code "FIN-314." In 2003, Finola was accepted to the EU list of subsidized hemp cultivars. Hemp has never been prohibited in Finland. The Finnish word for hemp is "hamppu." FRANCE has never prohibited hemp and harvested 10,000 tons of fiber in 1994. France is a source of low-THC-producing hemp seed for other countries. France exports high quality hemp oil to the U.S. The French word for hemp is "chanvre." GERMANY banned hemp in 1982, but research began again in 1992, and many technologies and products are now being developed, as the ban was lifted on growing hemp in November, 1995. Food, clothes and paper are also being made from imported raw materials. Mercedes and BMW use hemp fiber for composites in door panels, dashboards, etc. The German word for hemp is "hanf." GREAT BRITAIN lifted hemp prohibition in 1993. Animal bedding, paper and textiles markets have been developed. A government grant was given to develop new markets for natural fibers. 4,000 acres were grown in 1994. Subsidies of 230 British pounds per acre are given by the government to farmers for growing hemp. HUNGARY is rebuilding their hemp industry, and is one of the biggest exporters of hemp cordage, rugs and fabric to the U.S. They also export hemp seed, paper and fiberboard. The Hungarian word for hemp is "kender." INDIA has stands of naturalized Cannabis and uses it for cordage, textiles and seed. ITALY has invested in the resurgence of hemp, especially for textile production. 1,000 acres were planted for fiber in 2002. Giorgio Armani grows its own hemp for specialized textiles. JAPAN has a rich religious tradition involving hemp, and custom requires that the Emperor and Shinto priests wear hemp garments in certain ceremonies, so there are small plots maintained for these purposes. Traditional spice mixes also include hemp seed. Japan supports a thriving retail market for a variety of hemp products. The Japanese word for hemp is "asa." NETHERLANDS is conducting a four-year study to evaluate and test hemp for paper, and is developing specialized processing equipment. Seed breeders are developing new strains of low-THC varieties. The Dutch word for hemp is "hennep." NEW ZEALAND started hemp trials in 2001. Various cultivars are being planted in the north and south islands. POLAND currently grows hemp for fabric and cordage and manufactures hemp particle board. They have demonstrated the benefits of using hemp to cleanse soils contaminated by heavy metals. The Polish word for hemp is "konopij." ROMANIA is the largest commercial producer of hemp in Europe. 1993 acreage was 40,000 acres. Some of it is exported to Hungary for processing. They also export hemp to Western Europe and the U.S. The Romanian word for hemp is "cinepa." RUSSIA maintains the largest hemp germplasm collection in the world at the N.I. Vavilov Scientific Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR) in St. Petersburg. They are in need of funding to maintain and support the collection. The Russian word for hemp is "konoplya." SLOVENIA grows hemp and manufactures currency paper. SPAIN has never prohibited hemp, produces rope and textiles, and exports hemp pulp for paper. The Spanish word for hemp is "cañamo." SWITZERLAND is a producer of hemp and hosts one of the largest hemp trade events, Cannatrade. TURKEY has grown hemp for 2,800 years for rope, caulking, birdseed, paper and fuel. The Turkish word for hemp is "kendir." UKRAINE, EGYPT, KOREA, PORTUGAL and THAILAND also produce hemp. UNITED STATES granted the first hemp permit in over 40 years to Hawaii for an experimental quarter-acre plot in 1999. The license was renewed, but the project has since been closed due to DEA stalling tactics and related funding problems. Importers and manufacturers have thrived using imported raw materials. 22 states have introduced legislation, including VT, HI, ND, MT, MN, IL, VA, NM, CA, AR, KY, MD, WV and ME, addressing support, research or cultivation with bills or resolutions. The National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) has endorsed industrial hemp for years.

Bibliography

Chris Conrad, "Hemp: Lifeline to the Future" Jack Frazier, "The Great American Hemp Industry" Hemptech, "Industrial Hemp" and "Hemp Horizons" Acknowledgements: Hemp Industries Association

Related articles

• Pending industrial hemp legislation could go to pot (kentuckyweed.wordpress.com)
• Pending industrial hemp legislation could go to pot (whengovernmentfailsinkentucky.wordpress.com)
• Pending industrial hemp legislation could go to pot (usindustrialhemp.wordpress.com)
• What Are the Health Benefits of Hemp Seed? Chronic Ice Hemp Iced Tea Makers Share Latest Findings (prweb.com)
• New Hampshire House OKs hemp farming (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• New Hampshire Hemp Farming: State House Passes Bill Protecting Industrial Hemp (huffingtonpost.com)
• Public Education Campaign Aims to Allow Industrial Hemp Farming Again in the U.S. (usindustrialhemp.wordpress.com)
• Public Education Campaign Aims to Allow Industrial Hemp Farming Again in the U.S. (kentuckyweed.wordpress.com)
• Public Education Campaign Aims to Allow Industrial Hemp Farming Again in the U.S. (whengovernmentfailsinkentucky.wordpress.com)

Massive solar storm heads for earth...

•  

  
  Massive solar storm heads for earth...
  http://huttriver.blog.co.uk/2012/03/08/massive-solar-storm-headed-for-earth-13104946/
  http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57392927-76/massive-solar-storm-headed-toward-earth/#ixzz1oVKJwXNK
• http://communitybloggersevolve.blog.co.uk

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The disputed sexual orientation of T.E. Lawrence - aka as Lawrence of Arabia...

Lawrence of Arabia (Image via RottenTomatoes.com)

In recent years the life and achievements of Thomas Edward Lawrence have been somewhat overshadowed by controversial claims published in posthumous biographies concerning his sexual orientation, accusations that he had been a closet or self repressed homosexual.
The claim was first made by author Richard Aldington 20 years after his death, controversial at the time because none of Lawrence's friends or family supported it. In the wake of his being immortalized in the 1962 David Lean classic Lawrence of Arabia a host of other biographers rode Aldington's coat tails, making the titillating claim that he had been both homosexual and sadomasochistic.
Claims seemingly given credence by newspaper interviews with privates of the Tank Corps who confessed to having had flogged Lawrence at his solicitation between 1925 to 1934, combined they set the seal on the alleged secret life of Lawrence of Arabia.
However those making these claims only told half the story, deliberately neglecting or downplaying the effect his having been raped had on his thoughts and actions. The base details of Lawrence's life are already well covered on this site so I won't go into superfluous detail, suffice to recap he was captured by Ottoman Turk's in Deraa in 1916 and subjected to humiliating beatings and sexual assault at the instigation of Governor, or Bey.
Rape in time of war is age old, most people are aware of the suffering of woman and girls during hostilities; however since ancient times it has been a weapon of war used against men. The word itself is derived from the Latin rapere meaning to steal, seize or carry away. In the military context it was a means of stealing a man's honour, a victorious soldier emasculating a vanquished foe in the belief that by forcibly penetrating him he lost his manhood.
This indignity was more often inflicted on members of the officer class in the belief it robbed them of their authority as a leader of men, sometimes resulting in the victims suicide. Gang rape was also considered a means of punishment in some cultures, the Romans, Persians, Ottomans and other societies practiced it.
The Ottoman Turks were infamous for inflicting it throughout the Great War on captured enemy troops, beating and gang raping enemy officers often as a matter of due course. Prisons and garrisons often had personnel who specialized in this abuse, although there was nothing homosexual about it.
The Turkish soldiers perpetrating this war crime certainly never considered themselves gay, like male rapists in prison the act has nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the attacker or victim. "It's not about sexual gratification, rather a sexual aggressor using somebody else as a means of expressing their own power and control". [1]
It was a remarkable manifestation of courage, perhaps cathartic release, that Lawrence detailed what happened to him in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom in 1926. Then as now the fear of being labelled homosexual as a result of such disclosure was a legitimate fear, society having the tendency of blaming the victim of sexual assault rather than the perpetrator.
Homosexuality was a taboo subject at that time, same sex rape was even more taboo. The suspicion Lawrence was homosexual is likely to have been a natural by-product of his shocking disclosure, some readers finding a homo-erotic undertone to his retelling of events.
Then as now few understood the incident in its historic context, the consensus being only homosexuals are victims of same sex rape, that a man can protect himself and if he's raped it's because he wanted to be.
If the 28 year old Lawrence was a virgin at the time of his assault, as many biographers believe, the experience would have had a profoundly negative affect on his concept of self and sexuality. Alas in his lifetime there were no counselling services available to men who had suffered sexual assault, they were expected to get on with their lives with a stiff upper lip.
The post traumatic effects of same sex rape often last a lifetime, T.E. Lawrence manifested all the classic symptoms: workaholism, "depression, anger, increased sense of vulnerability, destructive self image, emotional distancing" [2]
In the wake of the Great War he had difficulties with intimacy, withdrew from relationships or carried them out via mail, had problems trusting people and a defunct sex drive. Not that he ever had much interest in sex at earlier stages of his life, there is no concrete evidence of him having had an intimate relationship with anyone male or female, and he seems to have willingly chosen celibacy as many academics of his class and generation did. His family and friends attested to his sense of horror with regards to sexual subject matter in the years following the war.
Many heterosexual rape survivors question their sexual orientation, "it's not uncommon for a victim to blame himself for the rape, believing that he in some way gave permission to the rapist [3].
Recollection of involuntary physiological responses, erections or ejaculations, etc, during the event often make them question whether they deserved or wanted to be assaulted. There are certainly aspects of this post traumatic introspection in Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which many readers have mistaken as homo-erotic influences.
Contrary to popular belief Lawrence's notorious floggings aren't indicators of homosexuality, the fetish is more common with heterosexuals than homosexuals. According to noted psychologist and rape trauma therapist Dr. Michael Hunter Lawrence's "behaviour was a recreation of the experience which marred his life, a repetition compulsion, an attempt to take control of an event which had previously been out of his control".
His victimology isn't unique, "people often repeat their prior traumas, literally or symbolically, both conscious and unconscious". [4] Psychologist's also believe Lawrence changed his name twice because he felt emasculated by his experience and wanted to escape the macho, action man image being forced upon him by popular culture increasingly obsessed with "Lawrence of Arabia". By changing his name he took on another persona, left the wounded rape victim behind and became someone else for a period of time.
Over the past few decades pop biographers, historians and gay activists have made an art form of deliberately misinterpreting biographical information on notable people to sell their otherwise repetitious tomes or push an agenda.
Any figure who remained unmarried, had close same sex friendships or acted in a way perceived flamboyant by modern standards is automatically presumed homosexual.
Evidence is not required, only innuendo, few figures escape sensational revisionism: Alexander the Great (356BC-323BC), Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), General Kitchener (1850-1916), Howard Carter (1837-1939) who discovered Tutankhamen's tomb, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) and even the fictional Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson have been reclassified as homosexuals; whilst General Gordon (1833-1885) of Khartoum fame is recast a suspected paedophile for having helped homeless boys get off the streets of London; Prime Minister William Gladstone (1809-1898) recast a sexual deviant and Jack the Ripper suspect for having helped save woman from prostitution in 1888.
Few historic figures escape contemporary insinuation, T.E. Lawrence was one of the first casualties of it, the psychological after effects of having been brutally raped portrayed as sexual deviancy to sell books or justify someone else's modern lifestyle.
In the final analysis his sexual orientation shouldn't be an issue, if he was homosexual it wouldn't add or subtract from his legacy, but in the interests of historical scholarship it's important to view facts in their proper context.
References:
1. Men Who Rape: The Psychology of the Offender, Dr. A. Nicholas Groth
2. Silent Victims: Bringing Male Rape Out of the Closet, by Sue Brochman (1991)
3. Adult Male Sexual Assault in the Community: A Literature Review and Group Treatment Model, Paul Isley. (1991)
4. Dr. Jim Hopper Ph.D. Research Associate, Boston University School of Medicine Trauma Center, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA.
Sources:
University of Texas Counseling & Mental Health Center
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. USA
Dr. Micael Hunter, Ph.D.
Contributed by John Godl

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