Stories & Essays
- The following abstracts are samples from a portfolio of published essays, editorials, and reporting. In many cases full text versions and supplemental materials are available via K. Lee Lerner's 'Taking Bearings' site at Harvard Blogs (blogs.harvard.edu/kleelerner) and/or via Academia at harvard.academia.edu/KLeeLerner. Draft preprints are also available via ResearchGate at www.researchgate.net/profile/K-Lee-Lerner.
San Antonio, Texas --- Remember the Alamo and the Texas Revolution: Both the Heroic Sacrifice and Historical Uncertainties. (Revised)
Last updated on 03/21/2024Citation:
Lerner KL. San Antonio, Texas --- Remember the Alamo and the Texas Revolution: Both the Heroic Sacrifice and Historical Uncertainties. (Revised). Taking Bearings. Scholars at Harvard (OpenScholar). Originally published online at Harvard Blogs hosted by the Berkman Klein Center For Internet & Society at Harvard University and Harvard Law School, March 6, 2023. Last revised: March 6. 2024.Abstract:
San Antonio, Texas. No matter where I roam in this world, I have dual citizenship, for Texas is my country too.
Accordingly, each year, to commemorate the siege and sacrificial battle of the Alamo, the massacre at Goliad, and the victory at San Jacinto that secured independence for Texas, the American flag that usually flies in front Sibley is replaced by a Texas flag that once flew over the Alamo. If I am traveling, arrangements are made to continue the tradition.
Before dawn, on March 6, 1836, Mexican General and Dictator Antonio López de Santa Anna ordered his forces laying siege to the Alamo to attack without quarter. The brief battle that followed ended 13 days of defiance that brought glory to the Alamo's Texian defenders and gave life to a revolution that would forge the Republic of Texas.
As is not uncommon with dualling depictions of history, the truth of the Alamo lies somewhere between Texas nationalist mythology and distortions crafted to cynically recast and reframe narratives related to the Texas Revolution so that they falsely align with fashionable ideological agenda. Ironically, hypocritically, and gallingly, some of the most progressive reframing of narratives related to the Alamo rely on suppressing or dismissing the accounts of witnesses who were women, enslaved men, Tejanos, or Mexican soldiers.
This is nothing new, of course. History is always contested territory. As with many great battles in history, fact mixes with myth concerning the battle of the Alamo and other events critical to the Texas Revolution. In our contemporary culture wars, how people view the events and motivations of those who fought at the Alamo and in that revolution usually runs close to how they view the founding of America and the intentions of its founders.
An honest effort to understand the Alamo must be careful to stay close to the scant evidence available (read more)
Vaccines chasing variants in a world increasingly blind to their rise and spread
Citation:
Lerner KL. Vaccines chasing variants in a world increasingly blind to their rise and spread. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2023;(August).Abstract:
Most people are trying to put the COVID-19 pandemic, with all it tragedies, disruptions, uncertainties, and inanities in the rear view mirror. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 global health emergency over on May 5th, and the U.S declared the public health emergency over on May 11th. Budget realities mean that governments and public health agencies are scaling down testing, with WHO recently estimating a 90 percent reduction in global COVID-19-related variant testing and reporting compared to levels in November 2021 during the Omicron variant outbreak.
Yet, the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19 keeps evolving. Natural evolutionary mechanisms ensure that genetic mutations and changes keep creating new variants.
Not that every new variant is potentially more transmissible or lethal (in fact, most are not), but the combination of greatly reduced testing and sequencing combined with the evolution of highly mutated variants like the BA.2.86 variant discovered in July 2023 indicates a need to potentially shift vaccine strategies that have been primarily oriented to protecting against specific widely circulating variants. (read more and download pdf copy here)
Last updated on 08/25/2023DOI:: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22632.65280The baton is passed: The shame-stick of anti-science has changed hands.
Last updated on 05/10/2023Citation:
Lerner KL. The baton is passed: The shame-stick of anti-science has changed hands. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2023;(May).Abstract:
Highly recommended and, if you care about science, essential reading: 'A Paper That Says Science Should Be Impartial Was Rejected by Major Journals. You Can’t Make This Up,' by Pamela Paul, published in The New York Times (link below and in comments).
Anti-intellectual, anti-liberal, and anti-science movements shift about over time with regard to who holds the shame-stick. In the U.S., that baton is now firmly in the hands of the progressivista Leftists who have gained an outsize influence in the Democratic party.
Science is inherently able to withstand and eventually overcome the arguments of those who allow partisan or trendy ideology to supersede evidence, but they can do substantial damage that crosses generations. (read more)
Reading Caesar. Through the looking glass of history shine lessons for today.
Citation:
Lerner KL. Reading Caesar. Through the looking glass of history shine lessons for today. Taking Bearings, Harvard Blogs. 2022;(November 17).Abstract:
Reading Julius Caesar is a wonderful exercise in propaganda detection and discussions about such detection in Caesar's commentaries are the quickest way to reveal a person' s depth of scholarly acquittance with the material. (download to read more)
Last updated on 11/18/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18465.89447Honor Due: Queen Elizabeth II
Citation:
Lerner KL. Honor Due: Queen Elizabeth II. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(September 20).Abstract:
For all their flaws and imperfections, especially as judged by contemporary standards, and for whatever failings history may eventually affix to them, the institutions of the British monarchy and the leadership of Churchill saved western civilization during the Second World War. (download to read more)Last updated on 09/22/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15583.33440Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant perils part of novel challenges regarding nuclear safety
Citation:
Lerner KL. Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant perils part of novel challenges regarding nuclear safety. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(August 9).Abstract:
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has posed novel problems related to nuclear safety for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Western intelligence communities, and media outlets because this is the first time a large scale shooting war has threatened multiple nuclear power plants. Early concerns about perils posed by radioactive materials stored at the damaged and decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant have now turned to fears about evident damage to the Zaporizhzhia (also spelled Zaporizhia) nuclear plant located on the Dnipro river-fed Kakhovka reservoir in a southern area of Ukraine now occupied by Russian forces.
The challenges include sifting sources for misinformation and disinformation. (download to read more)
Last updated on 09/22/2022DOI:: 10.13140/RG.2.2.12852.12168US Border Policy -- It's not just about power, it's about lives
Citation:
Lerner KL. US Border Policy -- It's not just about power, it's about lives. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(28 June).Abstract:
The deaths in San Antonio of more than 50 migrants found in trailer-truck abandoned in Texas summer heat... Right now, vulnerable migrants are dehumanized into political footballs as the United States border policies swing between overly permissive and overly restrictive extremes... I would hope that people on both the left and right in American politics would look at this tragedy as a reminder that shaping a cogent and consistent border policy that maintains U.S. integrity, discourages illegal migration, and protects us from the worst in other societies is important. It is equally important to treat genuine asylum seekers with dignity and treat those who simply want to work with the basic protections and security green cards provide. In sum, we should strive for policies that are both humane and emblematic of a great nation substantially built by people from other lands. (download full text)Last updated on 06/29/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.26517.19681Policymakers must now assume that Iran has the enriched uranium it needs to build a nuclear weapon
Citation:
Lerner KL. Policymakers must now assume that Iran has the enriched uranium it needs to build a nuclear weapon. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(June 1).Abstract:
Policymakers must now assume that Iran has the enriched uranium it needs to build a nuclear weapon. Containment is a failure as Iran’s breakout time is now essentially at zero. [Additional background for non-scientists is appended]. According to estimates prepared from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports and Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), Iran now has sufficient stores of highly enriched uranium (e.g., HEU or 60 percent enriched uranium ) to fashion a crude nuclear weapon. [1] As I predicted in March, Iran now has sufficient HEU, the required centrifuges, and the skill to rapidly increase enrichment of weapon-grade uranium (e.g., WGU or 90 percent enriched uranium) within a few weeks. [2] … (download to read more)Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33868.69760Putin's take it or break it strategy in Ukraine and his perilous nuclear options
Citation:
Lerner KL. Putin's take it or break it strategy in Ukraine and his perilous nuclear options. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(March 26).Abstract:
Ten things to know about the war in Ukraine, including Putin's potential use of a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine:
1. Time is now an ally of Ukraine. With Western logistical support, time is now on Ukraine's side. Until recently time was viewed as something that worked against Ukraine. Given Russia's superior numbers, the defeat and occupation of Ukraine was widely viewed (myself included) as just a matter of time. The stout Ukrainian resistance combined with Russian Army and Air Force arrogance and incompetence have now, however, turned time into a Ukrainian asset. Absent substantial help from China, or Putin's use of tactical nuclear weapons (for political purposes his most viable WMD option) the war has devolved into one of attrition that gives a constantly resupplied Ukraine a fighting chance.
2. Putin's WMD reasoning. A war of attrition increases the potential that Putin will resort to the use of a tactical nuclear weapon. How likely is it that Putin might pursue a nuclear option? If Putin is irrational then rational analysis will not yield medium or high confidence assessments of his potential decisions, but one way to approach this problem is to assess negative outcomes a rational Putin might weigh in deciding whether to use a nuclear device.
3. Perilous options. Should Putin attempt the use of a tactical nuclear weapon, he not only faces the prospect that (1) subordinates may not follow orders, but also (2) that a nuclear weapon fizzles. If either of those things happen, it is the end of the Putin regime.
4. A military plundered by corruption. How much confidence does Putin have in his command and control? ….
5. How potent is the Russian nuclear threat? There is also great uncertainty regarding the state of Russian nuclear weapons. Given the state of Russian military infrastructure and performance, it is questionable whether the Russian have adequately maintained and replenished enriched uranium or plutonium stocks. Nuclear weapons also depend on other components that degrade with time… (download to read more)Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.20303.15525North Korean missile test reveals both increased capacity and Pyongyang's smokescreen
Citation:
Lerner KL. North Korean missile test reveals both increased capacity and Pyongyang's smokescreen. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(March 25).Abstract:
Based on reports by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Open Nuclear Network (ONN) and other open source intelligence, here are 10 things you need to know about the North Korea missile program and the latest North Korean missile test:
1. With a flight duration of 71 minutes, the March 24, 2022 test, assumed to be a Hwasong-17 missile test, was the longest duration flight by a North Korean ICBM. The missile reached an estimated altitude of 3730 miles (6,000 km) and 3850 miles (6,200 km) according to respective reports from Japan and South Korea. The launch was nearly vertical, ranging only 730 miles (1,180 km) to fall into the Sea of Japan, but if the missile had been launched on a standard ballistic missile trajectory, the estimated range would reach across the continental United States. (download to read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29635.48162Russian propaganda and western media cheerleading mask causes, perils, and probable outcomes in Ukraine
Citation:
Lerner KL. Russian propaganda and western media cheerleading mask causes, perils, and probable outcomes in Ukraine. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(March 22).Abstract:
March 22, 2022 Russian media is a tightly controlled instrument of state propaganda. Sadly, large segments of our western media are now independently engaged in cheerleading that often crossed into propaganda. The Ten Essential Techniques and Elements of Propaganda. Go ahead... test it against all sides in all wars. Although formulated for war, with some minor modifications the list is also applicable to political and culture war propaganda.
"1. We don’t want war; we are only defending ourselves.
2. Our adversary is solely responsible for this war.
3. Our adversary’s leader is inherently evil and resembles the devil… (download to read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35769.65122Iran's Nuclear Breakout Window Narrows
Citation:
Lerner KL. Iran's Nuclear Breakout Window Narrows. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(March 9).Abstract:
Iran's nuclear window narrows. Ten things you need to know about the nuclear capacity of the Islamic Republic of Iran in order to offer cogent analysis of Iran’s compliance with the existing Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and/or ongoing negotiations by the U.S. to adapt that agreement before joining it once again as a participating party.
Based on a recent International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Iran Verification and Monitoring Report of March 3, 2022 [1], and subsequent Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) analysis [2], Iran is continuing to advance its nuclear capabilities, hide nuclear research facilities, and thwart international inspections. (download to read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.11669.60647/1Reality intrusion on Iran nuclear talks - Iran's nuclear progress renders the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) essentially moot
Citation:
Lerner KL. Reality intrusion on Iran nuclear talks - Iran's nuclear progress renders the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) essentially moot. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2022;(11 January).Abstract:
Reality intrusion on Iran nuclear talks: Iran's nuclear progress renders the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) essentially moot. Even with revisions proposed by the Biden Administration, recommitment to the JCPOA would provide little protection.
The JCPOA is intended to provide a one-year window of safety between Iran's commitment to build a nuclear weapon and the possession of sufficient enriched uranium to construct such a weapon. Iran has already reduced that window of time to weeks. (download to read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18025.77925The discredited Steele dossier, a test of media ethics
Citation:
Lerner KL. The discredited Steele dossier, a test of media ethics. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2021;(November 21).Abstract:
With regard to the Steele Dossier, the question I address is not the ultimate truth or falsity of those assertions. My concern is the subsequent scrutiny laid on the dossier as well the subsequent use of unsubstantial claims to enhance ratings or advance partisan interests. The who, what, when, where, and why regarding the media and political use the now discredited Steele Dossier is an story import for journalistic integrity. It hauntingly smacks of a publish-then-verify attitude that pumps ratings, or worse, a willingness to publish unverified and potentially unverifiable allegations because they support a preconceived partisan narrative. Both practices should be anathematic to the ethical practice of journalism. (download to read more)Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15269.99041Hemingway: Burns and Novick's Portrait of the Artist and the Man
Citation:
Lerner KL. Hemingway: Burns and Novick's Portrait of the Artist and the Man. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2021;(April 12).Abstract:
Part I: Hemingway's enduring intimacy
I am a scientist, an author, occasionally a journalist, and an editor of science and factual media. I'm not a literary scholar, but I have read all of Hemingway's published works and spent many days with his personal writings and photos preserved in the Hemingway archives at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
Spelunking in the collection donated by Mary Welsh Hemingway was always one of my favorite personal diversions when in Boston. After making a reservation with a research librarian, I'd jump on the Red Line from Harvard to the JFK/UMass exit. That being sufficient "T" time, I would take a taxi back to my room at the Harvard Club in Back Bay or to the house I rented in Cambridge, just off campus on Kirkland Place.
It would be hard to mistake the Hemingway room, adorned as it is with a mounted antelope head from his 1933 safari, a lion-skin rug, and his portrait.
My explorations in the Hemingway collection were admittedly cursory. l followed my own interests and requested material related to Hemingway's coverage of the Spanish Civil War and WWII. I confess to an almost promiscuous voyeurism in viewing rarely seen writings and photos of someone whom I felt I already knew intimately. Great writers have the ability to span time, distance, and differences to make their readers intimate companions.
Six decades after his death, Hemingway still has legions of us who think we know him. We think we understand him, and we envy and try to emulate his life, his writing, or both. (download to read more)
Notes:
Dedication: For my grandsons: Owen Cafferty Lerner and Cary Cafferty Lerner.Last updated on 03/21/2024DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15689.42083What Does the End of a Pandemic Look Like?
Citation:
Lerner KL. What Does the End of a Pandemic Look Like?. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2021;(March 03).Abstract:
March 23, 2021
What does the end of a pandemic look like?
Expert opinion varies as to how the current COVID-19 global pandemic will end. Many questions still lack answers.
Most public health experts argue that eradicating or eliminating the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is no longer possible. The probability is that, even with broad vaccination programs, the virus will remain endemic (i.e., persisting at some level in the human population), if not globally, at least regionally.
Previously, only two viruses, the deadly smallpox virus and the rinderpest virus that causes disease in cattle, have been declared eradicated (i.e., removed from any presence in the general population and consigned to laboratories designed to house and study dangerous pathogens).
Sadly, the chances are very slim–virtually nonexistent–that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be eradicated. Even if it were possible to vaccinate everyone, this would not eliminate the virus because of its zoonotic nature. Zoonotic viruses have an undiscovered animal reservoir that harbors the virus and allows it to exist, reproduce, and mutate outside the human body (download to read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.22780.00647Pensacola, Fla — Bravo Zulu Maximus: Chuck Yeager, No Bridge Too Low
Last updated on 03/21/2024Citation:
Lerner. KL. Pensacola, Fla — Bravo Zulu Maximus: Chuck Yeager, No Bridge Too Low. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2020;(Dec 8).Abstract:
Mortal flesh groundedyet his spirit will live onNow, like Sparta's myths,his legend will grow with timeThe voice and creed will live onDecember 8, 2020
Pensacola FL-- Bravo zulu maximus for Chuck Yeager on his service, a life fully and well lived, and for his "no bridge too low" approach to all of it.
Today is a day for solitary reflection on life, and also probably a good bit of bourbon. A legendary icon and true American hero has passed. General Chuck Yeager, always a man among men–and for a time, THE man among men–died last night at age 97.
What the force is to the Jedi, Yeagerisms are to pilots. It is a force that binds us and training must be undertaken to properly use it. Yeager's way was THE way.
Yeager was a WWII hero who once shot down five enemy aircraft in a single day, and a legendary test pilot. As Yeager would dismissively say, he was the first pilot "confirmed to exceed the speed of sound and live to talk about it," but he was also the originator of Yeagerisms, and it was this quality and force of character that Tom Wolfe so aptly later captured and immortalized in The Right Stuff.
Every pilot who has ever kicked a rudder to line up at the top of a loop, landed a crippled plane, ejected from a flaming hunk of falling metal, or walked away from a crash understands Yeagerisms. No matter their personal titer of the right stuff, no matter their accent, they will invariably drawl out the tale in a way that shows they believe doing your duty or your job is the most important thing, but also that coolness while doing it is THE thing. (continued at continued at https://blogs.harvard.edu/kleelerner/chuck-yeager-no-bridge-too-low/ )
Hydroxychloroquine and the allure and perils of abandoning evidence-based science and policy in times of crisis. (SARS-CoV-2, Covid-19 pandemic)
Last updated on 03/21/2024Citation:
Lerner KL. Hydroxychloroquine and the allure and perils of abandoning evidence-based science and policy in times of crisis. (SARS-CoV-2, Covid-19 pandemic). Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2020;(Mar 22).Abstract:
In a disaster, the coronavirus pandemic providing a ready example, cries to abandon caution and gamble on solutions can lead to spectacular success and deadly failures.
President Trump continues to tout an antibiotic and anti-viral drug called hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for Covid-19. More than just promoting the treatment, Trump urges its use, including prophylactic use. With regard to efficacy, Trump said, "It may work, it may not." Moreover, because the drug has proven relatively safe when used under other specific circumstances (e.g., treatment of malaria, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases), Trump asserts, "What is there to lose?" more
Originally published 22 March, 2020, Updated: 10 April, 2020.
The American Elimination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani: Strategic Implications, Asymmetrical Threat Risks, and U.S. Congressional Reporting Requirements
Last updated on 03/21/2024Citation:
Lerner KL. The American Elimination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani: Strategic Implications, Asymmetrical Threat Risks, and U.S. Congressional Reporting Requirements. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs . 2020;(Jan 3).Abstract:
Any assessment of Soleimani's acts, expenditures, and influence in creating satellite militias across the Middle East over the past decade, especially with his expenditures made possible by the economic boost to the Iranian economy after the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (hereafter referred to as the Iran nuclear agreement), will quickly dispel any assertions that recent escalations in tensions with Iran are the result of the U.S. pulling out of that deal. That's Tehran's line, and those who push it become pro-terrorist propagandists. The Iranian nuclear agreement, with the economic boost and cash it brought Iran–along with the Obama administration's weakness toward Iran–fueled the regional instability and terrorism orchestrated by Iran.
Iran will, of course, threaten retaliation, and because they can only fight asymmetrically, Iran will probably mount a violent response, most likely through proxies, against innocent civilians or U.S. diplomatic missions. "Death to America" will once again be the chant du jour. In the end, however, allowing Iran to dictate or constrain our policy and actions by threat of asymmetrical warfare is capitulation to terror.
Courage is required. We must see through those proxy smokescreens and hold Tehran accountable by ensuring that the price for such acts is ultimately too steep a price to pay even for a theocracy exhorting martyrdom... Cost versus benefit calculus must be made to apply to both sides. (more)Around the World, Women and Children Shoulder a Disproportionate Burden of the Pain and Suffering Caused by Disease, Disorder, and Dogma. [Photo Essay]
Last updated on 06/07/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Around the World, Women and Children Shoulder a Disproportionate Burden of the Pain and Suffering Caused by Disease, Disorder, and Dogma. [Photo Essay]. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs . 2018;(August).Abstract:
Around the world, women and children shoulder a disproportionate burden of the pain and suffering caused by disease, disorder, and dogma. The struggle for women's rights is a struggle for human rights… [Photo Essay] (more)
CDC Halts Research at Top U.S. Bioweapons Defense Lab
Last updated on 06/07/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. CDC Halts Research at Top U.S. Bioweapons Defense Lab. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs . 2019;(August 6).Abstract:
Washington -- Officials at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Fort Detrick, Md. have temporarily suspended all biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) and biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) operations. USAMRIID conducts research into defensive countermeasures against biological warfare and is the only Department of Defense laboratory equipped to conduct research with the world's most lethal biological agents.
After conducting on-site inspections in June, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) inspectors determined that USAMRIID labs failed to meet biosafety standards In July, the CDC issued a "cease and desist" order that suspended USAMRIID'S registration with the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP). Without FASP certification, labs are not allowed to possess or handle disease-causing select agents nor conduct toxins research.
(more)Move over, M! America now has its first-ever woman DCI
Last updated on 03/22/2024Citation:
Lerner KL. Move over, M! America now has its first-ever woman DCI. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2018;(May 18).Abstract:
Based on her intelligence, experience, demeanor, and capacity, I think Gina Haspel is the right person to be CIA Director. I was impressed with her testimony during confirmation hearings. I agree with her that "the C.I.A.'s post-Sept. 11 interrogation program " did damage to our officers and our standing in the world. "
I do not equivocate on denouncing torture. Torture is the resort of the unskilled interrogator, the desperate, the sadistic and the cruel. I do not defend the policy of implementing Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EIT) post 9/11, nor rendition (all renditions are, btw, extraordinary) to black sites, but I understand why they were implemented.
Arguments about their effectiveness are to me moot because, as I have written, in the long run torture does far more harm to the torturer. It should never be U.S. policy.
As to the role DCI Haspel in running a black site prison while EITs were in practice. At the time, EITs were the law, and EITS were not considered torture. One can debate how severe or mild the EITs werecompared to other forms of torture routinely practiced in other parts of the world, but that begins to defend EITs in I ways I personally do not wish to defend them. It is straightforward enough to assert that they were the law and sanctioned by the DOJ as part of the post-9/11 reaction of a desperate, hurting, fearful and angry nation.
While EITs were policy it was the CIA and officers within the CIA who led the push-back against use of EITs and lobbied for a reversal of DOJ policy and their eventual discard.
Stand beside those who kneel. First Amendment rights in the U.S. must prevail
Last updated on 08/07/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Stand beside those who kneel. First Amendment rights in the U.S. must prevail. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge), September 25. 2017.Abstract:
Auburn, Alabama — The most recent political football propelled a playful piece I wrote a few years back about about the differences between college and pro ball into the top 1% in terms of Academia readership within the last 30 days.
Yet again, President Trump is able to manipulate media coverage and lead the unwashed about using division and diversion. Normally I'd just be amused, but we have fellow citizens in real peril in Puerto Rico, brave men and women in our Armed Forces poised on the brink of war with North Korea (fault for which spreads across administrations and decades), and there still no bipartisan effort to fix costs and coverage problems with health care.
The Republic cracks under the tectonic tensions created by a right played as puppets by a lout-in-chief and a left devoted to polluting their own well by weakening, defaming, and destroying the best hope to defend and advance progressive enlightenment in a dangerous world.
A feverish madness is now epidemic across the political spectrum.
Instead of tackling important issues we have collectively engaged in reality television-like pedestrian spectacle across a number of issues. We continue to do so at peril to valid concerns (of both Left and Right) and the Republic itself.
For me the solution is clear: Stand (both literally and physically) beside those who kneel.Peaceful protest is a fundamental First Amendment right secured with the American blood and treasure since the founding of the Republic. No matter how distasteful the display (whether kneeling or burning flags), patriots do not fear peaceful protest, and in fact protect the right to protest precisely when it is most uncomfortable or incompatible with their views. Protestors can do no injury to the memory or sacrifice of soldiers, but we can squander their sacrifice by seeking to compel behavior deemed as patriotic. (more)
Cambridge, Mass. — Harvard President Defends and Demands Free Speech
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Cambridge, Mass. — Harvard President Defends and Demands Free Speech. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2017;(May).Abstract:
It was grey, raining, and cool in Cambridge yesterday during Harvard's 366th Commencement, but Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust was on fire. Her Annual Report to the Alumni Association turned into a brave, brilliant, soaring -- and I hope game changing — defense of free speech and the role of the universities in both protecting and nurturing free speech on campus.
Once again, Harvard sets the standard, and those who have shown intellectual cowardice on this issue should feel great shame. (more)Patriots Proved on Inauguration Day
Citation:
Lerner KL. Patriots Proved on Inauguration Day. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2017.Abstract:
Inauguration Day for the next President of the United States is a time when patriots are separated from the merely partisan. Once every four years, patriots set aside their partisan differences to celebrate a peaceful transition of the Presidency in the world's most powerful nation. We are called to show respect for the office, if not for the office holder. In so doing, we show respect for America, we embrace our Constitution, and our best hopes. We show respect for our fellow citizens and ourselves. (more)
The Bear Gets a BOGO: The ICA on Russian Meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.
Citation:
Lerner KL. The Bear Gets a BOGO: The ICA on Russian Meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. . Taking Bearings. LMG (Lodon, Paris, Cambridge). 2017.Abstract:
For those of you wondering why I recently took an impassioned interest in defending the Electoral College, the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Russian meddling in the recent U.S. elections explains my combative stance.
Whether intending to elect or defeat a foreign candidate or cause, influencing elections is an old game played globally by both Russian and U.S. intelligence agencies. Destabilizing institutions and reducing confidence in government are often key components. The ICA acknowledges that "Russia, like its Soviet predecessor, has a history of conducting covert influence campaigns focused on U.S. presidential elections" and that recent efforts, including "press placements to disparage candidates perceived as hostile to the Kremlin" were an escalated use of existing techniques.
For many us familiar with Russian tradecraft, the Bear's paw prints were abundant and easily visible months before the election.
Omitting classified supporting evidence that would reveal methods and sources, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Security Agency (NSA) cooperated to draft the ICA. Their joint conclusion -- based on evidence known by 29 December 2016 and offered with generally high confidence -- was that Russian hacking, along with propaganda and disinformation efforts (including the creation and dissemination of fake news), were undertaken with the direct knowledge and approval of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials. The Russian effort, initially designed to "denigrate Secretary Clinton and harm her electability and potential presidency" and eventually included efforts to "help President-elect Trump’s election chances when possible by discrediting Secretary Clinton and publicly contrasting her unfavorably to him" (about this last assertion, the NSA offered only moderate versus high confidence).
The Russian effort was part of a continuing and "longstanding desire to undermine the U.S.-led liberal democratic order" by undermining "public faith in the U.S. democratic process." (continued... (more)Saint Amant, La. — Louisiana Floods: Bridging stereotype and stigma
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Saint Amant, La. — Louisiana Floods: Bridging stereotype and stigma. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2016;(August).Abstract:
Saint Amant, La. — A slow-moving tropical system dumped record rains across southeast Louisiana, with some places reporting more than two feet of rain over a three-day period in mid-August 2016. Cresting floodwaters from several rivers eclipsed previous records. Federal disaster officials characterized the rainfall as "historic," and President Obama declared a "major disaster."
Water rose so fast in some areas that emergency services and shelters also needed quick evacuation. Rescue helicopters plucked people from rooftops and dropped water during the day to stranded motorists cut off by floodwaters as a ragtag fleet of volunteers with small fishing boats, airboats, and hunting canoes joined state and federal rescue efforts to save neighbors from fast-rising waters. (more)Washington — Is "American exceptionalism" now hubris? [February 2016]
Citation:
Lerner KL. Washington — Is "American exceptionalism" now hubris? [February 2016]. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2016.Abstract:
Washington --- Is "American exceptionalism" now hubris?
With socioeconomic indicators regarding quality-of-life issues portraying America as far from first, with America's civil discourse corrupted by the shameful shouting exhibitions in the Republican primaries, with Americans —both left and right -- increasingly drawn toward polarizing populist movements, and with American exceptionalism increasingly scorned globally --or cast in a negative light as an implicitly interventionist creed--a number of pieces recently published in the BBC and elsewhere have essentially asked, "is 'American exceptionalism' hubris?" [more]Daesh (aka, Islamic State, ISIS, and/or ISIL) Use of Chemical Weapons in Iraq Raises Questions About Source
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Abstract:
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) recently confirmed that laboratory tests of samples taken following Daesh attacks on Kurdish forces southwest of Erbil in August 2015 tested positive for sulphur mustard. (see Reuters dispatch by Anthony Deutsch, "Exclusive: Samples confirm Islamic State used mustard gas in Iraq - diplomat" < http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0VO1IC >)
Reuters reported that a OPCCW representative "speaking on condition of anonymity because the findings have not yet been released, said the result confirmed that chemical weapons had been used by Islamic State fighters."
This is the second documented use by Daesh/ISIS forces following tests that confirmed use of mustard gas by Daesh/ISIS forces in Syria.
As the Reuters dispatch also points out, the precursors and technology to make these weapons are easy enough to find or create in oil producing regions, and so it is possible ISIS is developing them de novo. More ominous would be if new weapons are be created from remnants of Syria’s former stockpile because it would mean faulty accounting for the weapons supposedly dismantled under international supervision back in 2014.
The Syrian stockpile was allegedly dismantled under international supervision as part of a deal to avoid potential US/UN intervention following the use of Sarin nerve gas by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against a rebellious area near Damascus in 2013. Assad denied he authorized use of chemical weapons. (more)Paris — French Police Raid Daesh Cell in Saint Denis Alleged Jihadi and Planner of Terror Attacks in Paris Dead
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Lerner KL. Paris — French Police Raid Daesh Cell in Saint Denis Alleged Jihadi and Planner of Terror Attacks in Paris Dead. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2015.Abstract:
Paris — A few hours before dawn, local French anti-terrorist police barricaded Place Jean Jaurès and streets located near the Basilica Saint Denis. They raided a suspected terrorist hideout located on Rue du Corbillon. Police met armed resistance. Initially there were two waves of gunfire and explosions spaced at about 15 minute intervals, then a long pause. Heavy firing resumed about three hours later. Just before dawn there were large explosions and multiple bursts of gunfire. (more)
Who sees with the eyes of hatred? Hate crimes and the murders in Charleston, June 2015.
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Who sees with the eyes of hatred? Hate crimes and the murders in Charleston, June 2015. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2015;(June).Abstract:
Suffering stunned sorrow and anguish, it is tempting to try to understand the unspeakably vile murder of innocent worshipers in a Charleston church in terms of ready-made labels. Most of America, and the world at large, will be tempted to see this as white-on-black hate crime, and in terms of lingering racial hatreds in the South. If so, the analysis is already scripted.
Regardless the deranged murder's motives, close examination of his muddy justifications will be -- as hate often is -- ultimately unfathomable. The only suspect is Dylan Roof, a 21-year-old white male, his Facebook page has a photo of him sporting the flags of Rhodesia and apartheid-era South Africa, a period in history that ended just as the alleged killer was born. His young eyes seem filled with old hatreds. With a shooter so young, we are forced to collectively ask, "Who creates these monsters?" <more>Cambridge, Mass -- Harvard's Texas Ranger
Last updated on 02/02/2023Citation:
Lerner KL. Cambridge, Mass -- Harvard's Texas Ranger. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2014;((June).Abstract:
Cambridge, Mass. — The earliest Texas Rangers were hard men in a hard land. They saw the world in black and white, the word "alleged" having little meaning with regard to dispensing frontier justice -- which often consisted of a mere formality of trial before hanging. Among these rugged men rode one Ranger, Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry (1825-1903, with a more scholarly disposition and ties to Harvard. <more>
Content ©LMG™ Photo Credit: Harper’s Weekly, February 9, 1861, Collection of U.S. House of RepresentativesFort Davis, Texas — Dark skies help bind us to the cosmos
Last updated on 02/02/2023Citation:
Lerner KL. Fort Davis, Texas — Dark skies help bind us to the cosmos. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2015;((Aoril).Abstract:
The Cosmos reveals
a canvas of past starlight
under dark night skies,
Prometheus stole fire
now we obscure divine light
Fort Davis, Texas -- More than 80 percent of Americans and 60 percent of Europeans are no longer able to see the Milky Way at night. According to the recently published World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, about one third of all people in the world cannot see the diffuse light of the Milky Way in the night sky due to obscuring atmospheric pollution -- including light pollution -- that creates sky glow. (download to read more)
Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine — Revolution And Rebellion In Ukraine
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine — Revolution And Rebellion In Ukraine. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2014;(May).Abstract:
Kyiv (Kiev), Ukraine — In civil conflicts, even the terminology over who is rebel, traitor, or terrorist becomes contentious. Ultimately history, shaped by the victorious, will decide.
The West assumes the parties in this crisis are sharply polarized. Akin to the Spanish Civil War, while neighbors may differ with intense and lethal passions, the factions, fidelity, and goals are, at least at the outset, deeply nuanced.
Several clocks count down toward renewed unrest. As in other revolutions or rebellions, the patience of the people who deposed the prior Ukrainian government is not endless. They seek tangible improvements in their daily lives from the interim government (and any subsequently elected government).
History has shown us that once rebellion is in the blood, it becomes easier to take a second drink. (more)Pripyat, Ukraine --Pripyat and the Legacy of Chernobyl: Inside the Nuclear Exclusion Zone (Photo Essay)
Citation:
Lerner KL. Pripyat, Ukraine --Pripyat and the Legacy of Chernobyl: Inside the Nuclear Exclusion Zone (Photo Essay). Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2014.Abstract:
Pripyat, Ukraine — The now iconic Ferris wheel and rides at the never-used carnival built for 1986 Soviet May Day celebrations rest in the radioactively-poisoned town of Pripyat, the closest city to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant destroyed in the cataclysmic explosion in 1986. Now a ghost town located just 3 km from the plant, the city was evacuated and subsequently abandoned Soviet clean up crews or "liquidators" — many who died or suffered deleterious health effects — briefly lived in Pripyat during early emergency containment operations at Chernobyl. (more)
Chernobyl: The unknown war
Citation:
Lerner KL. Chernobyl: The unknown war. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2014.Abstract:
Chernobyl Nuclear Exclusion Zone, Ukraine -- On the Ukrainian holiday commemorating victory over the Nazis in WWII, a return to the entombed, but still smoldering, reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant makes vivid another great war waged following the nuclear accident in 1986. The fight to contain the shattering explosion that exposed the nuclear core had all the hallmarks of war. It was brutal and costly, governments lied and blundered, and lives were devalued and sacrificed in a grisly calculus.
Heroes fought bravely, but heroes were also thus anointed as poor compensation for unnecessary, and often unknowing, sacrifice. After the war was won--or more aptly a temporary truce with nature secured--those called to duty were cast adrift to lead uncertain lives. (more)Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine -- Construction continues on New Safe Confinement (NSC) Dome
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine -- Construction continues on New Safe Confinement (NSC) Dome. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2014;(May).Abstract:
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine -- Construction continues on the New Safe Confinement (NSC) dome intended to cover the sarcophagus entombing the remains of the No. 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant destroyed by explosion in 1986.
Following the April 1986 accident, then Soviet Union threw "liquidators" (soldiers, miners, and impressed workers) into hastily construction of the original sarcophagus. Built with great loss of life due to radiation exposure and subsequent illness, Soviet engineers soon calculated the original containment building would last only about 30 years and would require constant maintenance to mitigate leaks. (more)Cambridge, Mass — Harvard Kennedy School: Snowden's Snow Job.
Last updated on 03/22/2024Citation:
Lerner KL. Cambridge, Mass — Harvard Kennedy School: Snowden's Snow Job. taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2014;(April).Abstract:
Cambridge, MA -- From the outset, Edward Snowden has deviated substantially from typical "whistleblower" behavior.
At a Harvard Kennedy School of Government forum on NSA Secrecy and National Security held in April 2014, a select panel of national security experts, including John Deutch, Director of Central Intelligence from1995 to 96, discussed Snowden's revelations of NSA domestic spying using technology. Deutch characterized the NSA program cast into the public eye by Snowden as "very much in the interests of the United States and counter-terrorism."
Other panel participants included moderator Graham Allison (Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs), Jane Harman (Director, President and CEO, Woodrow Wilson Center), J, Dina Temple-Raston (NPR Counterterrorism Correspondent and Harvard Neiman Fellow), David Sanger (Chief Washington Correspondent of the New York Times), and Joseph Nye (Dean, Harvard Kennedy School (1995-2004).
The panel strongly agreed that Snowden's disclosures of U.S. technology and intelligence gathering capacity and protocols were extremely damaging to defense and the security of the United States, including security against both terrorism and criminal activity.
<more>
Ten Reasons Why College Football is Superior to the Pro Game
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Ten Reasons Why College Football is Superior to the Pro Game. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2014;(January).Abstract:
Cambridge, Mass.-Every autumn a madness for football in America manifests in fans of both the pro and college game. In both cases, the fever does not subside until a new champion is crowned. Although the level of football played in the pros is substantially higher-and played by the bigger, faster, and most skilled of the post-college crop-college football holds distinct advantages over the professional game. Many football fans have both pro and college favorites but college football has an authenticity the pro game lacks, and its combination of intimate connection and passionate play is why college football is superior to the pro game. Here are 10 reasons why the collage game is superior to the pro game: (more)
Washington — Syria's Use of Chemical Weapons: We Must Act
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Washington — Syria's Use of Chemical Weapons: We Must Act. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
AUGUST 28, 2013
Washington — An attack on Syria may indeed spread the war -- and risks escalation and backlash -- but larger interests are at stake. Like it or not, the US is the world's sheriff in these matters.
A deeply flawed analysis recently published in the Guardian exposes the weakest of all arguments against the West taking action, that being because, "chemical weapons are far from being the greatest threat to Syria's people."
The point is that WMD use is a threat to ALL humanity. (more)
Photo Credits: Save the Children of Syria. TAHIR SQUARE, Egypt — While Egypt's Revolution has, at least for now, moved into a battle for ballots, the legacy of Arab Spring remains bloodied by bullets and bombs in Syria. The destruction, danger, and death in Syria is not new but groups in Egypt tried to raise awareness during the 2012 Egyptian Presidential campaign, both as a direct call to action and as warning of what might happen should civil war break out in Egypt. 25 May, 2012. ©LMG. Photo by K. Lee Lerner. All rights reserved.Cambridge, Mass -- A Union of Higher Ideals (July 3, 2013)
Citation:
Lerner KL. Cambridge, Mass -- A Union of Higher Ideals (July 3, 2013). Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
Cambridge, Mass. July 3, 2013 -- It's the sesquicentennial of Pickett's charge at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863.
Given the significant advantages enjoyed by the industrialized North, without a loss of resolve by the Union or significant foreign intervention on behalf of the South, the American Civil War was a "lost cause" for the Confederates from the outset. That the outnumbered and outgunned rebel soldiers earned early victories and thrust into Pennsylvania in 1863 owed significantly to superior military leadership.
Both Union and Confederate soldiers fought and sacrificed, but during the war's early years, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, Lt. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart, and others simply outmaneuvered vastly stronger Federal forces.
Following failed attempts to break the Union army flanks at Gettysburg, it was, however, Lee's insistence on a charge designed to break the center of the Yankee lines that marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. <more>
Photo: Memorial Hall, Harvard University.©LMG Photo by K. Lee Lerner. All Rights Reserved.Pétionville Internal Displacement Camp, Haiti — A Lesson in Dignity
Citation:
Lerner KL. Pétionville Internal Displacement Camp, Haiti — A Lesson in Dignity. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
Pétionville Internal Displacement Camp, Haiti -- Unaccustomed to comfort, the young woman roused herself from the shade and shelter provided by her tent. She shifted her nursing baby to her left hip, and swept back the remaining bit of flap serving as her front door to step into the heat, dust, and din of Haiti. Displaced Haitian mothers still struggle to ensure their children have food and access to medical care, often spending a considerable amount of time each day traveling between aid distribution sites and clinics. Life in the displacement camps places an extra hardship on women, who are still expected to assume responsibility for domestic chores, cooking, and child care…" (more)
Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Santiago, Chile — Spanish Lessons
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Santiago, Chile — Spanish Lessons. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
SANTIAGO, Chile — Writing finished, a late night walkabout for a cerveza while working in Santiago, Chile, a few weeks ago ended with me sitting with a woman at a bar hosting a lusty karaoke night. That's karaoke with verses sung in Spanish, of course.
My drinking companion, wearing a dress considerably too short for her age and the cool fall Chilean weather, first approached me outside the bar and offered me a successive series of services. There were no strings attached, just fees. (more)Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Fukushima --Inside the Nuclear Disaster Exclusion Zone
Citation:
Lerner KL. Fukushima --Inside the Nuclear Disaster Exclusion Zone. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
[Author's note: In April 2013, along with a half-dozen other journalists and writers from around the world, I was allowed access to photograph inside the media-restricted Fukushima exclusion zone. As a form of protest, a local official (identified and described below) unlocked gates to the contaminated zone then off limits. Accompanied by a translator, I was then allowed to take photos of the instrumentation used to monitor radiation levels, contaminated soil removal facilities, and other sites. I was in the zone for two hours, — a time calculated to offer a reasonably safe level of radiation exposure. — K. Lee Lerner]
NAGADORO, Japan — Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) initially reported the safe scram — execution of a nuclear plant’s emergency reactor shutdown plan — of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi plant located about 150 miles north of Tokyo. (more)Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Iwate Prefecture, Japan — Tsunami Impact Zone (Photo essay)
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Iwate Prefecture, Japan — Tsunami Impact Zone (Photo essay). Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
Iwate Prefecture, Japan — A deadly wall of water sweeping inland submerged the bridge in the background and scrubbed tracks from the high-speed concrete railroad bed in Rikuzentakata, Japan. (more)
Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Rikuzentakata, Japan — 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan: Recovery, Reconstruction, and Radiation
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Rikuzentakata, Japan — 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan: Recovery, Reconstruction, and Radiation. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
Rikuzentakata, Japan — A memorial Senbazuru (1000 origami cranes) hangs from a piling at the heavily damaged dock in Rikuzentakata, Japan. In the distance are remnants of a flood gate through which a deadly wall of water swept inland to claim the largest loss of life of any city lying in the broad band of destruction along the northwest coast of Japan. following the 2011 earthquake-triggered tsunami. (read)
Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Jakarta, Indonesia —Jakarta's Docks Serve as a Hub for Human Trafficking
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Jakarta, Indonesia —Jakarta's Docks Serve as a Hub for Human Trafficking. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2013;(April).Abstract:
Jakarta, Indonesia — UNHCR and other agencies, including the International Organization of Migration (IOM), argue that displaced people are highly vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. Advocacy groups contend that maritime ports across Asia, including the docks of Jakarta, Indonesia, are ports to prostitution and work slavery for displaced people lured or taken from disaster zones and economically distressed areas of South Asia. At an international meeting to discuss security issues related to human trafficking and displaced populations. Both relief and law enforcement personnel agreed that displaced populations are at special risk for exploitation. UNHCR officials, granted anonymity due to the fact they were not authorized to speak to the press, said that Jakarta's dusty and dangerous docks serve as one of the main hubs for human trafficking in Asia. (more)
Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Madhapur, India --Desertification creates Displacement Perils: Life around a dying lake
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Madhapur, India --Desertification creates Displacement Perils: Life around a dying lake. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
Madhapur, India — The remains of statues thrown into a lake in Madhapur, India, during Hindu festivals from years past lay scattered on the exposed lake bed. Local annual precipitation is now sufficient only to form temporary pools in the lowest parts of the lakebed. A decade ago, the lake supported local fishermen. (more)
Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Hyderabad, India --Indian Mujahideen Bomb Makers Linked to Recent Bombing
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Hyderabad, India --Indian Mujahideen Bomb Makers Linked to Recent Bombing. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. (April 2013). Originally published as part of the project: Displaced by Disaster. Harvard University. . 2013;(April).Abstract:
HYDERABAD, INDIA-Now home to more than eight million people in the metropolitan area, Hyderabad, the capital city of the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh, and nearby Secunderabad, have long experience with the plight of displaced people and the civic tensions displacements create. An area shared by Muslims and Hindus, deadly terrorist bombings in February 2013 again stirred religious and cultural tensions in an area where land disputes concerning displaced people continue over grants dating to the 1947 Indian partition with Pakistan (which eventually evolved into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People's Republic of Bangladesh). (more)
Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Geneva, Switzerland — Displaced by Disaster
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Geneva, Switzerland — Displaced by Disaster. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2013.Abstract:
Geneva, Switzerland — With major disasters on the rise, media’s short attention span leaves millions alone on the road to recovery
Driven from their homes and communities, displaced people are vulnerable to violence, exploitation, poverty, and disease. In a chorus of languages that crosses continents, displaced people also lament that the media’s short attention span to their plight leaves them voiceless and alone on the road to recovery.
In contrast to the flow of media-enticing bloodshed provided by conflicts, the hardships and perils facing those displaced by natural disasters usually slip quickly from news headlines. Media attention inevitably shifts international attention from one natural disaster to another. (more)Note: Originally published as an academic paper submitted as part of the 'Displaced by Disaster' project for Harvard (See https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/displacedbydisaster).
Maasai Mara, Kenya —Crossing the Sand River into Bush Country
Last updated on 02/07/2023Citation:
Lerner KL. Maasai Mara, Kenya —Crossing the Sand River into Bush Country. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2012;(June).Abstract:
Maasai Mara, Kenya — I have crossed the Sand River into bush country.
Among the great natural wonders of the world, the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya (also spelled Masai Mara) and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania form a contiguous savanna of open range grasses with clumps of umbrella-like acacia trees and scrub.
Two flights by small prop planes from Nairobi were required to reach a short dirt airstrip located deep in the Mara. (more)Nairobi, Kenya — The Economics of Poverty in Nairobi Slums
Citation:
Lerner KL. Nairobi, Kenya — The Economics of Poverty in Nairobi Slums. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2012.Abstract:
Nairobi, Kenya — Both the Kiberia and Mathare slums of Nairobi, exist in the shadows of areas of relative affluence. An upward move from the shantytowns in both slums is procurement of a state built and subsidized apartment at the edge of the slum.
Inside the slums, in some cases literally in the shadow of those tall apartment buildings a shadow economy exits. Based on both currency and barter, the economy helps residents to survive, but on thin margins and without hope to participate in the larger economy or contribute to sustained economic development. (more)Nairobi, Kenya — Education costs contribute to generational poverty in Kibera and Mathare slums of Nairobi
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Lerner KL. Nairobi, Kenya — Education costs contribute to generational poverty in Kibera and Mathare slums of Nairobi. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2012.Abstract:
Nairobi, Kenya — In both the Kibera and Mathare slums of Nairobi, Kenya, life is hard and perilous. The slums are among Africa's largest. Depending on the number people displaced from rural areas by civil strife, disease, and grinding poverty, Kibera can rank among the world’s largest slums. Up to two million people live in challenging conditions.
Mothers walk children to school through streets littered with garbage and filled with violence. Regardless, children are also expected to venture out on their own to help gather the water and fuel needed for daily existence. (more)Nairobi, Kenya — Lack of clean water and sanitation plague Nairobi slums
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Lerner KL. Nairobi, Kenya — Lack of clean water and sanitation plague Nairobi slums. Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2012.Abstract:
Nairobi, Kenya — In both the Kiberia and Mathare slums of Nairobi, life is hard and perilous. The procurement and storage of clean water are consuming facets of daily life; and the sanitation infrastructure inadequate to prevent disease. Containers for storing clean water are coveted. (more)
Nairobi, Kenya — Al-Shabaab Terrorist Bombing in Kenya (June 2012)
Citation:
Lerner KL. Nairobi, Kenya — Al-Shabaab Terrorist Bombing in Kenya (June 2012) . Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2012.Abstract:
Nairobi, Kenya— Based on forensics analysis provided by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), police officials in Kenya now say that a recent explosion in downtown Nairobi shopping mall, Sunday, was an act of terrorism. Originally thought to be an electrical explosion, officials now say a fertilizer-based bomb killed one person and injured 37 others. (more)Cairo, Egypt — The Plight of the Zabbaleen
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Cairo, Egypt — The Plight of the Zabbaleen. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2012;(May).Abstract:
CAIRO -- Living on the outskirts of Cairo, near scenes of sporadic fighting with Muslim factions since the 2011 Revolution, residents of the Zabballen Coptic Christian Community express fear that repression and clashes will increase if the Muslim Brotherhood and the more ultraconservative Salafis continue to gain political strength.
The Zabbaleen, who characterize themselves as the "people of the trash," are a minority community of approximately 60,000 Coptic Christians who gather, process, and attempt to recycle waste generated in Cairo. (more)Tahrir Square, Cairo — Save the Children of Syria (Phot)
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Tahrir Square, Cairo — Save the Children of Syria (Phot). Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). 2012.Abstract:
TAHRIR SQUARE, Cairo — While Egypt's Revolution has, at least for now, moved into a battle for ballots, the legacy of Arab Spring remains bloodied by bullets and bombs in Syria.
The destruction, danger, and death in Syria is not new. groups in Egypt tried to raise awareness during the 2012 Egyptian Presidential campaign, both as a direct call to action and as warning of what might happen should civil war break out in Egypt. (more)
Cairo — Egyptian Military Guards Ballot Counting; Calculates Long-Term Strategy
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Cairo — Egyptian Military Guards Ballot Counting; Calculates Long-Term Strategy. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2012;(May).Abstract:
Cairo -- Tight security protected a continuing presidential election ballot counting process in Cairo. While failing to secure the votes needed to avoid a runoff, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi's apparent first place finish in Egypt's first ever truly contested presidential election assured him a spot in the June runoff. Behind tight security, vote counting continued in Cairo on Friday to determine whether Pan-Arab Karama (dignity) Party's Hamdeen Sabbahi (also spelled Sabahi) or former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq will face Mursi.
Sabbahi , described as a Nasserite for his support of Gamal Nasser's mix of pan-Arab nationalism and socialism, remains popular across a spectrum of religious interests. Shafiq, a former air force officer, Minister of Aviation, and stop-gap Prime Minister in the final days before Hosni Mubarak's ouster is more polarizing. A Mursi-Shafiq showdown will put many of Egypt's Tahir Square revolutionaries "in the teeth of a tiger," i.e., faced with voting for an Islamist candidate anathematic to the liberalized democratic ideals of the revolution or an openly pro-Mubarack "feloul" (remnant) of the old regime.
Notably absent is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (simply known as Sisi), without question as Chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces, the most powerful man in Egypt. Sisi holds the real power. He has operated a quiet campaign, primarily defending the interests of the Egyptian military, especially their perceived relationship as friend to the people and guardians of the revolution. (more)Cairo — Egyptian Instability Imperils Antiquities and Infrastructure
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Cairo — Egyptian Instability Imperils Antiquities and Infrastructure. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2012;(May).Abstract:
CAIRO — As the 2011 revolt spread from nearby Tahrir Square, revolutionary flames from a government building set ablaze licked perilously close to the Cairo (Egyptian) Museum that houses many of humanity's most cherished archaeological treasures and antiquities.
As the 2011 revolt spread from nearby Tahir Square, revolutionary flames from a government building set ablaze licked perilously close to the Cairo (Egyptian) Museum that houses many of humanity's most cherished archaeological treasures and antiquities.— K. Lee Lerner Egyptian Instability Imperils Antiquities and Infrastructure Egyptian Museum, Cairo. ©LMG. Photo by K. Lee Lerner. All rights reserved.
With its tourist industry subsequently decimated -- vividly evidenced by empty museum courtyards and cafes normally teaming with tourists -- a major challenge to whatever political faction ultimately controls still undefined presidential powers will be to restore stability to an increasingly troubled Egyptian economy.
Regardless the political countenance that will gaze upon Egypt, protection of antiquities is vital. (more)Cairo, Egypt — Absentee Vote in Egyptian Presidential Race Boosts Islamists (May 2012)
Last updated on 08/30/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Cairo, Egypt — Absentee Vote in Egyptian Presidential Race Boosts Islamists (May 2012). Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge) May. 2012.Abstract:
CAIRO — On the eve of a historic presidential election set to shape the future of Egypt's ongoing revolution, results from absentia ballots cast by Egyptians living abroad gave Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi, an early lead. During the 48 hour pre-voting "silent period" in which official campaigning is forbidden, pro-Islamist supporters received a boost when the Egyptian Foreign Ministries released absentia counts from 33 countries. (more)
Cairo — Egypt's Presidential Election (May 2012)
Last updated on 08/07/2019Citation:
Lerner KL. Cairo — Egypt's Presidential Election (May 2012). Taking Bearings. LMG (London, Paris, Cambridge). May 20. 2012.Abstract:
CAIRO, EGYPT--With voting set to start Wednesday, supporters of candidates and a spectrum of advocacy groups converge on Tahrir Square, the cradle of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, for last-minute campaigning and debates. Polls point to uncertainty over the outcome of Egypt's upcoming presidential election. Security forces stationed near the site are cautious and on alert as crowds grow nearing the first round of balloting.
Although differing in aspirations for the revolution, Egyptians interviewed argued that the revolution's future was equally uncertain, hinging in part on which parties and leaders will first exercise post-military control of the country. (more)Cambridge, Mass — Neglected Tropical Diseases Meeting Attracts Global Experts
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Cambridge, Mass — Neglected Tropical Diseases Meeting Attracts Global Experts. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2011;(July).Abstract:
Cambridge, Mass--The International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) – Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Meeting, held July 2011 in Cambridge, was the first global gathering of experts focusing on a group of diseases that globally afflict more than one billion people, yet receive only a fraction of the money and media attention directed towards AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis programs.
Scott Halstead lectured on vaccine development and the global spread of Dengue at the conference.
Discussions concerning the best use of funding and ways to spur awareness of NTD impacts, found passionate supporters who differed about whether basic science research, vaccine development, NGO treatment programs, or community- based public health programs should receive priority. (more)Paris -- Hemingway’s Paris Shortcut. A Movable Feast’s Elusive Backdoor
Last updated on 06/08/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Paris -- Hemingway’s Paris Shortcut. A Movable Feast’s Elusive Backdoor. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2011;(Feb).Abstract:
Paris -- Our apartment on Rue Vavin is right in heart of Hemingway’s Paris described in the middle portions of A Movable Feast (which covered the time Hemingway lived at 113 Rue Notre Dame des Champs). Gertrude Stein’s 27 Rue de Fleurus studio is one block over, and I walk by it almost daily to buy mandarins. The Jardin du Luxembourg and my pétanque courts are a mere 40 meters away.
Hemingway’s lean prose is offset by his expansion of time and distance.
In that expansion lies literary detail and significance, but in purely physical terms Hemingway’s walks are far shorter and the hills slighter in grade than they read in A Movable Feast and The Sun Also Rises.
I often take morning coffee at Le Select, and frequent the other “principal cafés,” le Dome, Le Rotund, and Le Coupole. All are still operating near the tortuous intersections of the Boulevard Montparnasse, with the Boulevard Raspail and Rue Vavin. All are an easy two minute walk.
For all the cafés and the tourists they attract, this side of the 6th is far quieter and more livable than the Senate/St. Germain side. Le Select can be crowded at times, but a bit father up Rue Delambre lies a favorite of Henry Miller, the Café de la Liberté. It’s almost always quiet, and thus a good place have a conversation.
The walk to la Liberté on the Rue Delambre takes me past the spot where Hemingway first met Fitzgerald. The Dingo Bar is gone, and but the old wooden bar remains inside a trendy café.
(more)
Angkor Wat, Cambodia -- Archaeological restorations and aerial surveys
Last updated on 06/06/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Angkor Wat, Cambodia -- Archaeological restorations and aerial surveys. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2008;(June).Abstract:
Angkor Wat, Cambodia -- Archaeological restorations and aerial surveys. A photo essay.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia -- Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Epidemic
Last updated on 06/06/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Siem Reap, Cambodia -- Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Epidemic. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2008;(June).Abstract:
Siem Reap, Cambodia — If all of the infectious diseases of mankind were listed in order of incidence, Dengue fever (also known as Breakbone Fever) would rank among the top ten. Yet, it’s officially a neglected disease, receiving less than one half of one percent of the funding spent on AIDs, malaria, and tuberculosis.
Although standing water provides a ready breeding ground for many disease vectors, including the mosquitoes that transmit Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, agricultural rice paddies are also needed to sustain the population and provide for economic exports. In Siem Reap the paddies are in close proximity to the town.
Workers also labor -- some clearing landmines -- in areas with high mosquito concentrations, increasing their risk of contracting Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever
Dengue is endemic in at least 115 countries and spreading globally. There is no cure. Of the 30,000 to 50,000 people who die each year, children under five are especially vulnerable. Dengue perpetuates poverty, robbing millions of their economic health. In the poorest and most vulnerable regions, Dengue steals already slim chances to live a long, productive, and healthy life. (download to read more)Moscow — Deadly Spy Games: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko
Last updated on 06/06/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. Moscow — Deadly Spy Games: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2006;(Dec).Abstract:
Moscow -- In November 2006, former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, an ex-KGB and FSB officer living in London who defected to British Intelligence in 2001, was killed after ingesting radioactive poison laced with polonium-210.
Only advanced state-level agencies have the resources to manufacture polonium-210. More specifically, analysis of trace elements and decay rates have allowed British Atomic Weapons Establishment investigators to trace the specific polonium-210 used to kill Litvinenko to a reactor in Russia.
Polonium-210 emits alpha particles at 803 kilo-electron volts (keV). Unlike gamma rays, alpha particles don't penetrate clothing or skin. In some ways, polonium is a perfect poison. It can be carried through airports and even skip past sophisticated radiation detectors.
Dangerous when breathed, injected or ingested, polonium-210 poisons victims from the inside to produce a slow and tortured death, the exact kind of death one might intend for a defector deemed a traitor to his country by his former colleagues because it serves as punishment and warning. Those in the know, suspect, but unless one is looking for it, polonium-210 poisoning may slip past detection, with the victim's death attributed to industrial-strength rat poison. Investigative agencies are left in a murky fog of conflicting facts and enigmatic radioactive trails.
While Russian intelligence services certainly had the motive and means, tracing polonium-210 to a reactor in Russia does not create and open and shut case.
Polonium-210 is specifically manufactured inside nuclear reactors to reduce static electric buildup in components of nuclear reactors, but It also has commercial uses and is a component of products openly available. Static electrical charges allow dust to cling to objects. Polonium ionizes air passing over it, the charged air then binds with and electrically neutralizes dust, allowing it to be easily blown away. (more)U.S. Gulf Coast — Hurricane Katrina Brings Waves of Destruction to U.S. Gulf Coast
Last updated on 06/06/2022Citation:
Lerner KL. U.S. Gulf Coast — Hurricane Katrina Brings Waves of Destruction to U.S. Gulf Coast. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2005;(Aug 29).Abstract:
Under mandatory evacuations, I sent Brenda and Ellie (the last child left at home) to Texas for both Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005).
Ivan scored a direct hit, the eye passed right over Sibley. Katrina devastated the Mississippi coast and caused the levee breach that flooded New Orleans, but located in the northeast quadrant of Katrina, Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast to Pensacola also suffered severe damage.
I weathered both storms at Sibley with an array of pets that could not be evacuated. Most boats not anchored out were lost. Power was out for weeks with Ivan and about a week with Katrina. Until the National Guard found its footing -- resources after Katrina were justifiably concentrated on Mississippi and New Orleans -- it was time to fire up the motorcycle, strap a pistol to my hip, and help out wherever needed. (more)Firenze: A Fusion of Art and Science
Citation:
Lerner KL. Firenze: A Fusion of Art and Science. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. 2003;(June 4).Abstract:
Firenze, Italia -- I regard spirituality as an intensely private matter . While I often have great personal respect for people of faith as well as the wisdom to be derived from religious thought, there is no place for the supernatural in science. What I define as spirituality, beyond the superficial observance of calendars and rituals, that comes closest to traditional conceptions of a soul is that part of you that can't helped but be moved by the dedication of people to life, work, and art undertaken as part of their faith. My personal list of spiritual places in this world would include the humanistic Pantheon in Paris, and the chairs in front of Newton's tomb at Westminster Abby where, for a good part of my life, I made an annual December pilgrimage to reflect on the year past over the "quod mortale fuit Isaaci Newtoni" and the achievements of others honored in scientist's corner.
…
If I had to pick one place that to me is incredibly moving to me, however, it would be Firenze. Although better known for its treasures of art and architecture, Florence portrays passion for the fusion of art and science like no other city in the world. (read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17327.41128Tumult frees Russian soul from long Soviet nightmare (Editorial)
Citation:
Lerner KL. Tumult frees Russian soul from long Soviet nightmare (Editorial). Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs . 1991;(December 28).Abstract:
Devoid of an industrial base, the Russian peoples labored through political purges and unworkable five-year plans in a desperate game of catch-up with the western world.
Suffering everything that befell them, the Russian devotion to their motherland remained strong.
The heroism and self-sacrifice of the Soviet peoples helped stop Hitler in his tracks. Yet for many soldiers returning from the West, reward for faithful service was a train ride to the gulag.
Twenty million people died. Stalingrad, Smolensk, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, and a hundred other cities lay pummeled. Galleries, libraries, and cathedrals were plundered or destroyed
The Russian soul endured. (download to read more)
Last updated on 06/06/2022DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.15794.27849