Tag Archives: nation

Lied des Glaubens, Lied der Schlachtfelder

Michael Fischer hat untersucht, wie Martin Luthers berühmtester Choral im Ersten Weltkrieg für Propaganda missbraucht wurde

Ein Lied und seine Facetten: Im frühen 16. Jahrhundert verfasst Martin Luther den Choral „Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott“, der zu den wirkmächtigsten Gesängen der deutschen Geschichte zählt. Schon in der Frühen Neuzeit gilt das Lied als konfessionelles Bekenntnis und entwickelt sich zu einem Identitätssignal des Protestantismus. Doch wie verändert sich die Bedeutung des Gesangs im Laufe der vergangenen Jahrhunderte? Dr. Dr. Michael Fischer, Geschäftsführender Direktor des Zentrums für Populäre Kultur und Musik (ZPKM) der Universität Freiburg, hat die Rezeptionsgeschichte des Kirchenlieds erforscht. Der Choral habe sich vor allem im Ersten Weltkrieg zu einem verbreiteten Propagandainstrument entwickelt: „Aus heutiger Sicht ist es unerträglich, welchen ungestörten Dreiklang Religion, Nation und Krieg gebildet haben“, sagt Fischer. „Martin Luther, der ein Glaubens- und Vertrauenslied dichten wollte, hätte sich wohl geschämt.“ (more…)

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Changing Minds about Climate Policy Can Be Done – Sometimes

Simply communicating the benefits is not enough

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Some open-minded people can be swayed to support government intervention on climate change – but only if they are presented with both the benefits and the costs, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that those who were open-minded didn’t change their view if they heard arguments for only one side of the issue.

People who are relatively more closed-minded did not change their mind regardless of the messages they received, or what their original views were. There was also no evidence of open-minded people becoming less supportive of government intervention, no matter if they heard both sides of the argument or only one. (more…)

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UMD Study: Fiscal Cliff Could Trigger Deep Recession, Fear of Cliff Has Cut GDP Already

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The so-called “fiscal cliff” has already begun dampening the U.S. economy – even before it officially kicks in – and by year’s end will have cut 2012 GDP an estimated six-tenths of one percent, says a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland’s Interindustry Forecasting Project (Inforum).

The study, called Fiscal Shock: America’s Economic Crisis, is one of the first to look beyond the first year effects of the combined federal spending cuts and tax increases. It projects an escalating impact into 2014 and beyond, as “multiplier” effects of fiscal contraction kick in. (more…)

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Belief in God Rises with Age, Even in Atheist Nations

International surveys about the depth of people’s belief in God reveal vast differences among nations, ranging from 94 percent of people in the Philippines who said they always believed in God, compared to only 13 percent of people in the former East Germany. Yet the surveys found one constant—belief in God is higher among older people, regardless of where they live.

A new report on the international surveys, “Belief About God Across Time and Countries,” was issued by the General Social Survey of the social science research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. It is based on a comprehensive, international study of belief in God and includes information from the International Social Survey Program, a consortium of the world’s leading opinion survey organizations. Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey, wrote the report. (more…)

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Guidelines Stress Caution When Combining Anti-Epileptic, HIV Drugs

EAST LANSING, Mich. — New guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology will help physicians better choose seizure drugs for people on HIV/AIDS medication, avoiding deadly drug interactions and preventing critical anti-HIV drugs from becoming less effective, possibly leading to a more virulent strain of the disease.

Michigan State University’s Gretchen Birbeck – who spends several months each year in the sub-Sahara African nation of Zambia researching epilepsy, HIV /AIDS and cerebral malaria – is the lead author of the medical guideline, which was co-developed with the World Health Organization through the International League Against Epilepsy. (more…)

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There Are No Clear Lines When It Comes To Homeland Security, Says Napolitano

Protecting the nation from terrorism, breaches in cyber security and other threats inside its borders is such a massive undertaking it is “not easy to draw red lines” that can chart individual or departmental responsibilities, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said during a campus visit on Oct. 6.

In a talk hosted by the Jackson Institute of Global Affairs, Napolitano used the example of the so-called “Underwear Bomber” — a suspected terrorist who attempted to blow up (using explosives hidden in his underwear) a Northwest Airlines flight between Amsterdam and Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 — to illustrate the partnerships that are required to ensure the nation’s safety. Her talk in the Law School’s Levinson Auditorium highlighted the importance of international partnerships in that mission. (more…)

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