Helios 63 - Less Is More

[Lord Rahl]

Contents

Democracy Humbled - The Great Athenian Siege of Syracuse 415BC to 413BC Part 4 by grouchy13
Why Ducks Matter by Hobbes.
Poland and the Treaty of Versailles Part I by Manuel I Komnenos
Scientific News: Millennium Development Goals by Boustrophedon

From the Editor:

It's starting to get a little warmer out and summer feels right around the corner. That means I'll soon be what my friends and I call it, "getting a good sweat on." I'm sure there are many more of you out there that will be having to deal with the coming and inescapable heat. Today marks the first anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death by the hands of the oh-so-secret but also oh-so-well-known SEAL Team Six, the United States' best-trained and most-revered special forces group. That was an interesting day for most Americans and I'm sure for many others throughout the world. It was probably most interesting for Sohaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) who "liveblogged the raid without knowing it." I remember being on Twitter at the time - I think it was sometime around 10 PM (Central Time) because it was dark. More and more tweets kept popping up mentioning bin Laden's possible death. Then I found @ReallyVirtual and started reading what he was tweeting. First he mentioned the sound of a helicopter being very close but since there's a military base in Abbottabad he shrugged it off. But then he heard loud explosions and gunfire. It didn't take long for the Twitterverse to catch onto his tweets and word quickly spread about what, at that time, might be happening. It's a testament to the times we live in when you can learn the news before the news does. If you're interested in learning more about @ReallyVirtual's tweeting of the raid and reading his actual, and sometimes hilarious, tweets, here is an article to read.

This edition of The Helios will be a bit lacking in the number of articles but rest assured that the quality of the articles is not lacking. We lost a couple of writers lately but fortunately we've also got more writers coming in that will have articles available in the next, the 64th, edition. So, you can consider this publication as being in a sort of transitional phase while new writers come in and the ideas I have for the future come into effect.

As always, enjoy your reading!

_________________________________________________

grouchy13

Get on your thinking cap and your reading goggles for another extensive, detailed, and informative article from one of our prestigious history writers for The Helios, grouchy13. Once again he's written about the Athenians' attempts to take Syracuse and namely the efforts of Gylippus and Nicias. Now, sit back, brew yourself a cup of tea ("Tea, Earl Grey, hot"), and educate yourself.

Democracy Humbled - The Great Athenian Siege of Syracuse 415BC to 413BC Part 4

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Democracy Humbled - The Great Athenian Siege of Syracuse 415BC to 413BC

Part 4 Besiegers Become the Besieged

Gylippus' Renewed Offensive

While the Athenians built a string of forts around Plemmyrium to protect their supplies from risk of Syracusan attack, Gylippus, not wanting to relinquish the initiative was continuing to bring his forces out in strength to challenge the Athenians, he recognised the dangerous situation the Athenians had placed themselves in by dividing their forces between the building duties at Plemmyrium and maintaining a sufficient garrison within the “circle” upon Epipolae. With the Syracusan forces consolidated and fielding a considerable advantage in numbers Gylippus brought his forces out and arrayed their battle lines in a confined space between the opposing siege walls. On one such occasion the Athenians took the bait and a battle raged in the narrow confines of the walls, as at Anapus the Syracusan cavalry and supporting light infantry without sufficient room to manoeuvre were unable to effectively operate offensively with the Syracusan infantry and the Athenians were able to defeat the Syracusans for an unbelievable 8th time in open battle. In the face of yet another defeat Gylippus assembled the Syracusan army and addressed them directly, in his his address he took full responsibility for the latest defeat stating it was not a lack of courage displayed on their part that had allowed the Athenians to defeat them but was solely down to his leadership. He reminded them that the Dorian race were superior in courage and valour to the Ionian rabble who opposed them, he declared that they would be victorious in their next encounter and should not be disheartened by the recent turn of events. Gylippus stirring words roused the morale of the Syracusans and their respect for the Spartan commander grew considerably. Despite their defeat the Syracusans continued their building efforts and their counter wall to the north now approached the Athenians siege wall upon the heights of Epipolae that stretched towards Trogilus on the coast, This development forced Nicias to lead his forces out to contest the sole possession of the heights for if the Syracusans were allowed to complete their counter wall unmolested the siege of Syracuse would effectively be over.

2nd Battle for the Heights of Epipolae

The changing tactical picture following Gylippus' successful series of offensives on the Athenian positions his intervention had prevented the Athenian circumnavigation of Syracuse.

Learning from his previous mistake, Gylippus marched the Syracusan army out towards open countryside, his intention was to give the Syracusan cavalry and light infantry room to manoeuvre something that had been denied to them at Anapus and the previous battle before the Athenian siege walls. In the ensuing battle the Cavalry's ability to move freely proved decisive, outflanking the Athenian left wing the Syracusan cavalry routed all before them seeing the their left flank disintegrate the Athenian army dissolved into a general rout. In headlong retreat the Athenian army only managed to avert a complete disaster by retreating within the confines of the “circle”. In sole possession of the field the Syracusans were able to complete their northern counter wall using the abandoned building materials of the Athenians, Gylippus had won a great victory for the Syracusans, not only was it the first time the Syracusan army had outright defeated the Athenian army but had also ensured there was no hope of now completing their encirclement of Syracuse with the forces the Athenians now possessed in Sicily, the siege was effectively over. To further compound their defeat the Athenians while focused upon Epipolae were powerless to prevent the remainder of the Corinthian naval squadron sailing into the Great Harbour, This fleet reinforced the Syracusans with over 2000 more fighting men, as summer drew to close and the campaigning season ended the Syracusans now bolstered with Peloponnesian reinforcements had a clear numerical advantage, Gylippus immediately put these men to use to construct a further wall that cut the Athenians off from the open plain upon Epipolae while other forces constructed a fort blocking entrance to the Eurylas pass, the very pass both sides had used to take control of Epipolae something Nicias had failed to do when the Athenians had sole possession of Epipolae. To further reinforce their position 3 camps were created upon the Epipolae plateau to house the Syracusans and their allies, believing the position to be adequately secure Gylippus left the Syracusan generals in command during the winter while he cashed in on his recent successes to recruit further allies across the Island and press those cities who had remained on the fence to throw their lot in with the Syracusans now their victory seemed assured.

Nicias' Appeal to Athens

As Gylippus travelled the length and breadth of Sicily securing more allies for the Syracusan side Nicias ordered the Athenian forces to abandon the heights and resolved that the Athenians should remain squarely on the defensive during the winter months. His illness had grown worse and following the recent defeat he had become dejected and despaired at the expedition prospects. Nicias had never been a proponent of the expedition opposing it from it’s initial conception in that mindset he prepared an official report for the Athenian Assembly, fearing the Athenians position was becoming untenable he outlined the series of reverses that had befallen the expedition, the resurgence of Syracuse under the command of Gliyppus had meant that it was now the Athenians on the defensive. While Gylippus recruited fresh reinforcements that would add to the Syracusans already considerable numerical advantage the Athenian forces were suffering from the requirements of maintaining the naval blockade of the city to safeguard their own precarious supply lines to Magna Graecia, The ships need to constantly be sea to defend these lines meant many were in need of repair and refit while the lack of supplies available were beginning to also have an adverse effect on the men. Foraging was impossible as the numerous Syracusan horsemen made easy work of Athenian foraging parties, with supplies running thin mercenaries, slaves and many other camp followers had begun to desert in large numbers. He outlined that the few supplies they received from Magna Graecia were now at risk as he believed that soon with Syracuse’s recent successes through their lot in with them and not the Athenians. Concluding his report he declared that these misfortunes were neither the general's or the army's responsibility. For the Athenians to have any chance of victory they should either recall the force and reinforce it considerably or risk the expedition being destroyed. He asked to be allowed to return to Athens due to his deteriorating health, and whatever the Assembly voted on should be done quickly lest the Syracusans become too powerful. While the situation was becoming serious for the Athenians the picture painted by Nicias wasn’t entirely true to the situation on the ground, but why would Nicias deceive the Assembly? Athens had at points during the Peloponnesian War punished Generals harshly if they had failed to achieve success on operations under their command. These punishments could range from the seizure of property, banishment or even the death penalty, Nicias merely wanted to be excused of command in a manner that would allow him to leave with honour and return to the privileged position he enjoyed in Athenian politics. If he had either ordered a retreat, for which as the sole commander of the expedition left he had authorisation to do or been truthful that many of the reverses the Athenians had suffered in Sicily were actually down to either his own timidity, negligence or apathy as a commander it would have been very likely he would have been treated with most severely on his return. His failure to intercept both Gylippus and Gongylus small fleets on their approach to Sicliy despite the fact that the Athenian fleet was in command of the approaches, his failure to hold the heights and the loss of the stores within the fort at Labdulem while also failing to encircle the city and his decision to move the Athenians to the thoroughly unsuitable Plemmyrium as base meant the Syracusans who had initially considered capitulation had recovered their morale, took the initiative and now seemed poised to defeat the Athenians. Instead then of being truthful, or by simply saying that his illness made him unfit to command the expedition he tried for the second time to deceive the Athenian Assembly as he had in his initial opposition to the campaign unfortunately for both him and the Athenian people the Assembly would again believe Nicias, something that would further add to the impeding disaster about to befall them.

The Athenian Assemblies Response

As he had when attempting to deceive the Assembly in the first debate Nicias had severely underestimated the resolve of the Athenian people. Instead of being put off by his dire assessment the Athenians voted to send a second expedition to reinforce their beleaguered fellow citizens, this second expedition would be made of a further 60 sixty Warships, 1,200 Athenian Hoplites and carry a reimbursement of 120 talents of silver. Nicias wish to be relieved of his command was ignored instead the Athenians promoted two officers from within the expedition namely Menander and Euthydemus as temporary commanders alongside Nicias till Eurymedon a veteran of the Leontine War joined by Athens greatest living General the daring Demosthenes whose Campaigns had won Athens a dominant position prior to the subsequent Peace of Nicias in 421BC. Demosthenes was renowned for his victories over Spartan armies at Ambracia in Western Greece where he ambushed a Spartan led force killing it’s Spartan Commander in the process and more notably the defeat and unbelievable surrender of a Spartan army, something many Hellenes believed impossible on the Island of Pylos off the Peloponnesian coast in 425BC. Eurymedon was to depart with 10 ships immediately while Demosthenes would remain in Athens to complete the preparations of the remainder of the expedition. But why did the Athenians refuse Nicias request to be relieved, The answer is that following the great sacrilege and the subsequent scandal who better to lead the Athenians back into the favour of the Gods than the pious Nicias, renowned throughout all of Greece for his great piety. Elsewhere other powers believing the defeat of the Athenians was inevitable also harnessed their strength to assist the Syracusans in the final push to obliterate the Athenian force, with the peace of Nicias finally abandoned by the Spartans the Peloponnesian War had entered it’s next phase. The Spartans and their allies wished to take full advantage of the misfortune that had befallen the Athenians and renewed their annual invasions of Attica, this time however on the advice of Alcibiades they garrisoned a fort within Attica at place known as Decelea allowing them to ravage the surrounding area all year round and prevent the Athenians living outside Athens returning to their homes once the main Spartan invasion army had withdrawn back to the Peloponnese.

Gylippus Spring Offensive

As spring approached both sides braced themselves for the coming campaign season, the Athenian armada ravaged a number of coastal cities on the route belonging to their Peloponnesian adversaries. The reports of an approaching Athenian fleet filtered back to Syracuse, the Syracusans for their part were now even more determined to defeat the remnants of the original expedition before the arrival of the Athenian reinforcements. The Syracusan need for urgency was underlined by the massive financial pressures the ongoing hostilities had placed on the Syracusan economy, the cost of maintaining so many foreign mercenaries and developing a fleet that could take the fight to the Athenians at sea whilst being under the shadow of a partially effective Naval blockade was begging to bite. Fully aware of these financial pressures Gylippus on his return from his diplomatic tour of Sicily proposed a two pronged assault on the Athenian position at Plemmyrium, he proposed moving the Syracusan army into position outside the Athenian fortifications under cover of darkness while at first light the Syracusan Navy would attack the Athenians. The naval attack however was merely a feint as while the naval battle raged he would lead a ground assault on the Athenian positions around Plemmyrium. Gylippus was convinced this strategy warranted risking the whole Syracusan Navy and a considerable portion of the army, reinforced by Demosthenes the Athenians may defeat the Syracusans simply by being able to sustain hostilities while the Syracusans would be defeated not by the martial prowess of the Athenians but by the approaching bankruptcy of their Polis. The Syracusans were initially unenthusiastic to risk their whole fleet in what amounted to a diversion, especially against the irrepressible Athenian fleet however he found an enthusiastic ally in Hermocrates who while not a general at this time used his considerable political influence to exhort the Syracusans to make what he and Gylippus believed would be the final push against the Athenian invaders. On the eve of the assault Gylippus began the risky night march to the Athenian positions at Plemmyrium, the Syracusans local knowledge of the area allowed for an orderly approach a rare occurrence for such endeavours carried out by an Ancient Army. With his forces coherently mustered in position Gylippus made the pre-arranged signal to the Syracusan fleet to begin their attack, the Syracusans were able to field a total of 80 triremes who would attack the Athenians from two directions. The Athenians completely unaware of Gylippus concealed troops quickly manned 60 warships to meet the Syracusans in battle. Their swift response quickly fought the novice Syracusan sailors to a standstill with many of the inexperienced Syracusan Captains losing control of their vessels in the confines of the Great Harbour and a large number of the Syracusan ships fell foul of each other. As the Athenian fleet were staging a successful counter attack many of the sentries within the string of forts around Plemmyrium abandoned their posts and rushed to beach to cheer on their naval comrades. With the walls being nigh on undefended Gylippus ordered the advance capturing the largest fort first easily overwhelming the depleted defenders, seeing the larger fort in Syracusan hands the Athenian garrisons of the other forts cowardly fled the Syracusans were able to seize the other forts while the Athenians were in headlong flight. The day ended with the Syracusans in possession of all three forts including the large amount of stores within them, this included a large amount of food stuffs, the sails and tackle for the fitting out of forty warships and three beached triremes. Despite sinking 11 Syracusan vessels and carrying the day at sea the Athenians had handed the Syracusans possession of the Great Harbour once more in as much that any supplies bought in by sea by the Athenians now had to run the gauntlet of the large number of Syracusan vessels stationed at Plemmyrium to the south of Syracuse and those housed in proximity to the great harbour itself. There then followed the customary trophies dedicated to victory with Syracuse erecting three, one for each fort taken while the Athenians raised one dedicated to their naval victory on a small Island off Plemmyrium. The Athenians were now isolated in front of the walls of Syracuse but still held the beached area of the Great Harbour while the stunning capture of the forts and the dominance of the Syracusans on land now bought many of the parties who sat on the sidelines squarely into the Syracusan camp and many Sicilian cities now joined the Syracusans hoping to share in the glory of defeating the Athenian expedition, however a force made up of 800 of these troops from Syracuse new allies were ambushed and completely annihilated on their approach to the city by a group of Native Sicels still loyal to Nicias thus preventing yet more reinforcements arriving in Syracuse.

Corinthian Ingenuity

The prow of a trireme was also it's main offensive weapon used to ram opposing ships, The Corinthians successful development of a reinforced prow would see it directly challenge Athenian naval dominance.

The next offensive would see the Syracusans attempt another joint naval/ground assault of the Athenian position that would employ a new strategy developed by the Corinthians to negate the Athenians tremendous seamanship abilities, for Corinth also had a long maritime tradition from which they were able to identify a serious weakness in Athenian Naval doctrine namely the repeated use of a tactic known as “diekplous”. The rear of a trireme was by far the weakest and most fragile area of the ship the tactic of “diekplous” involved the Athenians using their superior seamanship to pass through an enemy line of ships then quickly turn about and attack the weakened rear, the Corinthians adeptly recognised that this had become the preferred tactic being employed by the Athenians in naval engagements. To offset this tactic and give their own vessels the edge the Corinthians reinforced the prows of their Triremes so as to allow them to attack the other sections of a trireme that posed a risk, for an attack upon the bows of a trireme or attempting a head on collision the aggressor risked fracturing their own prow and disabling their own vessel in the process of an assault. With a reinforced prow the Corinthians would be able to attack any area they so wished and this tactic bore fruit in a Naval engagement off Erineus in the Gulf of Corinth, The Athenians approached the Corinthian battle line and as expected attempted “diekplous”, however the Corinthians with their reinforced prows moved to ram the Athenians head on as they attempted to pass through their lines. The tactic was a spectacular success and the Corinthians lost a mere 3 triremes to 7 Athenian vessels, more importantly however for the first time an numerically superior Athenian fleet had been defeated in battle. The ramifications were enormous with word spreading around the Greek world of the Corinthian victory, The Syracusans recognized that by employing this strategy within the confines of the Great Harbour they would give themselves a marked advantage over the Athenians. The Syracusans began refitting their vessels reinforcing the prows while Gylippus formulated the plan for the land assault, the assault would be carried out on a number fronts so as to prevent a cohesive defence of their walled encampment before the Syracusan city walls. The Syracusans hoped to repeat their earlier success in overrunning the Athenian position thus preventing the Athenian fleet being able to escape by sea or being able to retreat on land and thus completely destroying the remnants of the expedition before Demosthenes arrived with considerable reinforcements.

3 Days Battle in the Great Harbour

With their preparations made Gylippus marched out before the walls of the Athenian position in front of Syracuse while the garrison from within the fortified Olympium temple approached from the opposite direction, Gylippus assessed that being availed from two directions the Athenians would be unable to man enough vessels to meet the approaching Syracusan fleet in battle. The Athenians despite being forced to divide their forces to defend the walls of their camp still managed to muster 75 vessels to oppose the Syracusans. Despite the Syracusan fleet being fitted out with reinforced prows the Syracusans were reluctant to meet the Athenians head on and the naval battle degenerated into a series of minor skirmishes in which neither side was able to gain an advantage or score a decisive victory. On land the Athenians were able to catch the Syracusans off guard with an unexpected display of boldness for by forming in front of their own walls they were able to hold their position despite repeated charges by the Syracusan cavalry while the other positions of Athenian wall were able to withstand the Syracusan assaults. After an inconclusive days fighting both forces retired to their original positions, the second day bought no attack from the Syracusans . A palisade of wooden stakes driven beneath the water had been employed to protect the Athenian ships at anchor in the great harbour, Nicias utilised the lull in the fighting to improve the Athenian defences in this area by placing Athenian merchant vessels at anchor two hundred yards apart between the entrances of the palisades. The merchant vessels carried swinging cranes to move cargo from ship to shore or vice versa, the Athenians attached large weights in the shape of dolphins to these cranes with the intention to drop the weights on any Syracusan vessel that pursued a retreating Athenian vessel within the defensive palisade. The third day saw the Syracusans attack from both land and sea once more however the fighting was limited to inconclusive skirmishing and both sides retired to eat and rest. Upon the suggestion of a Corinthian named Ariston the Syracusans had food prepared within the harbour, this allowed the crews to quickly take on food then sail back out to attack the Athenians. The Athenians believing the fighting was done for the day and were caught completely off guard and struggled to man an effective response to meet the renewed Syracusan attack. This time however the Syracusans attempted an all out head on assault on the Athenian line of Warships, they also filled the decks of their ships with light infantry who would rain down a shower of missiles on the exposed Athenian rowers while a collection of smaller craft rowed under the banks of Athenian oarsmen to pepper the rowers from another direction.

The three days of battle in the great harbour would see the Syracusans attempt to deal the death blow to Nicias' fleet, though achieving some success they were unable to score a decisive victory over the Athenians.

The renewed assault that caught the Athenians off guard coupled with the unorthodox tactic of deploying large numbers of missile troops soon turned the tide of the naval battle in the Syracusans favour, Tired, hungry and taking heavy losses the Athenians escaped towards the safety of the palisade. What prevented the naval route becoming a disaster was the novel use of the merchant vessel cranes to drop the dolphin weights on pursuing Syracusan Warships, two vessels were sunk in this manner and the Syracusans called off the assault. The days fighting had been a resounding success for the Syracusans who sunk 7 Athenian Warships, their employment of large numbers of light infantry on their vessels had killed large numbers of Athenian sailors and they now dominated the Great Harbour. After erecting a trophy the Syracusans began to celebrate, now they believed a concerted land attack would shatter the surrounded Athenians. However their celebrations were short lived as out to sea a great blur appeared on the horizon, soon the blur became a series of masts and sails the Syracsusans were completely dumbfounded for this collection of masts belonged to none other than to Demosthenes and the Athenian reinforcements in a fleet equaling the original expedition in men and splendour for the Athenians had decked their ships in a dazzling array of finery so as to have the maximum psychological effect upon the Syracusans. Far from being defeated the Athenians were now equal if not superior in strength to the Syracusans, more incredible as the Athenians were now fully engaged at home with the commencement of hostilities with Sparta. The Syracusans meanwhile on the verge of bankruptcy were dismayed at the Athenians ability to withstand such losses and yet still project such strength abroad, the war far from being over would continue.

Join us next time for the penultimate part of the series as the Athenians under Demosthenes attempt to retake the initiative, a daring night assault leads to disaster for one protagonist while a lunar eclipse casts a long shadow over the fates of those taking part, next time in Democracy Humbled - The Athenian Siege of Syracuse 415BC-413BC.

Hobbes.

Ever wanted to know about ducks? Here's a better question. Ever wanted to know about cartoon ducks? I remember watching Donald Duck as a kid. He's not one of my favorite cartoon characters. I also remember watching Darkwing Duck too. That was better. I can still remember the theme song. There was Duck Tale too! Now that I think of it, I've seen a lot of duck cartoons and I remember drawing them as a child. Well, Hobbes. seems to be very much into cartoon ducks and their history. Now you have the chance to learn about a subject you most likely never would have learned about on your own time.

Why Ducks Matter

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

We all love comics. Or at least there was a moment in everyone's life when they used to love them. Whether someone is a 10 year old kid, asking his parents for some extra money to get the latest issue, describing his favourite hero's adventures, or a collector trying to get that rare issue from an auction to fill a specific place in his basement, everyone can claim that they have had a relation with comic books. Comic books have a long history, starting from the early years of the previous century, in America. From there they spread everywhere, with Europeans and Asians coming up with their own styles and transforming the medium; nowadays there are comic books dealing with every theme imaginable. But comic books are more than most people think they are. They are a form of art. If someone disagrees with this this article won't convince him, simply because this is not what this article is about. I will be presenting my opinion on one of the most well-known comic books in the history of the medium, but I won't be trying to change your mind. But I urge you to consider what art is, and try to figure out how a narrative accompanied by colourful (or black and white) images can be considered art.

Ask anyone from a Scandinavian country and he will confirm that the sales of such publications are insane; Norway's Donald Duck comic book is one of the most popular magazines in the country. Picsou in France is dedicated to the Duck family and is very popular as well. Even my own country, Greece, has one of the most collectible Disney publications in the world (Komix). There are even weekly publications available in many European countries, with new stories every time. Unfortunately the birthplace of these characters does not seem interested in them. Duck comics are almost non existent in the States. The latest attempt at publishing Duck stories was done Gemstone, and Boom studios is currently trying to revive an old tradition. This hasn't always been the case however, your parents and grandparents may be familiar with top quality publications, such as "Uncle Scrooge" and others. But let's get to the point.

The Duck family's main members are: Scrooge McDuck (often stylized as $crooge McDuck) and his nephews, Donald Duck and Huey, Dewey, and Louie Duck (who are Donald's nephews). All the characters except Scrooge made their appearance in animated cartoons. The cartoons have nothing to do with the article; I am concerned about their printed version. So, when did that appear on paper? Donald made his appearance in "The Wise Little Hen" a story by Al Taliafero, in 1934. It was an adaptation of a cartoon of the same name, in a Sunday strip. The nephews appeared three years later, in 1937, in "Donald's Nephews", another adaptation of a cartoon. They were supposedly sent to stay with their short-tempered uncle until their father recovered from an accident, but they have stayed with him ever since. Scrooge, however, was created for comic books. His first appearance was in "Christmas on Bear Mountain" (December 1947), a story by the legendary Carl Barks, after his nephews had established themselves as comic book icons. The Scottish Croesus, was a misanthropic old duck who wanted to test his nephews' bravery by dressing up as a bear while they stayed in a cabin on Bear Mountain. He soon became a recurring character, and even got his own publication! But more importantly he became one of the most complex comic book characters, and can even be compared to some of literature's most famous heroes, especially after his personality was developed further by Unca Carl and Don Rosa.

Ask any comic book enthusiast in the world about the most influential comic book artists, and he will definitely mention Carl Barks. And there's a good reason for that! He was arguably the first to treat Disney characters in more sophisticated, grown-up if you will, way. He never treated them as mere funny animals, as he tried to tie them to the real world and make their personalities more human like; Many classic Barks stories reflect the ethos of his time. But Barks' biggest contribution was, and there is no doubt about that, the expansion of the Duck universe. This was not limited to the introduction of the well known "richest duck in the world": Classic figures such as Gyro Gearloose, Gladstone Gander, the Beagle Boys (possibly the most loveable criminals of fiction), Magica De Spell, John D. Roderduck and Flintheart Glomgold were all created by Barks. These characters are shallower than the Ducks themselves, but I believe that it was on purpose. Their interaction with the main characters makes Donald and Co appear more complex, as they stand besides the minor characters' oddities and fixations. Another important innovation of Barks was that he sent the Ducks everywhere. The snowy tops of the Himalayas, Arizona, Peru and so many other places as he managed to incorporate actual historical information and cultural phenomena into his stories; in one of his many interviews he mentions how influential, publications such as National Geographic were for him. In fact it seems that he really enjoyed doing that, that when he decided to make Scrooge one of his main characters, he decided to transform him into a protagonist like those one can find in works of literature. He made him an adventurer, who had traveled all over the world in search of gold, gave him a money bin full of coins (nickels and pennies mostly) and had him boast about it in every single story he wrote. With that he built a whole mythology for the duck with sideburns.

And this is where Don Rosa comes in. A fanatic admirer of Barks, he attempted to gather everything Barks mentioned about his character, and tried to tell the story of the past Scrooge. And he was successful. "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" as well as "the Companion", is an epic tale, in which a small boy from Scotland travels around the globe, being present in the some of the most exciting moments of history. Trying to find gold in Yukon, during the Klondike Gold Rush, or witnessing the explosion of Krakatoa and surviving the Titanic (!). There's even more, as Scrooge meets with some very important persons in American history, including Theodore Roosevelt and Wyatt Earp. Rose, staying true to tradition, has Scrooge face moral dilemmas and committing shameful acts (including the eradication of an African tribe) which he would later regret. It is very interesting to see how his character develops; from a naive boy who used to clean shoes for a living, to a cold-hearted old man, living in a villa, cut off from the outside world.

If one tries to gather all the little references to various events that Scrooge was a part of, the places he traveled to and the things he saw, he is facing a personality so deep and captivating, that it would not be hubris to compare him to Charles Foster Kane, from "Citizen Kane". Just as he had "Rosebud", McDuck has his first (not lucky) dime, which he gained as a child, the first money he made through his efforts. It's his motivation and the representation of all that he stands for. More importantly it is what he is trying to achieve in his adventures, that feeling he had when he gained it, and the sense of family that he had back then. For Scrooge does not have a family. As Don Rosa describes in "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck", his family abandoned him after he changed. His change was that he took a different path than the one represented by the dime, a path of greed and misanthropy. But Rosa, being the only person capable of continuing Barks' legacy decided to tie this sad event to the stories of Barks. Some days after the incident in "Christmas on Bear Mountain" the four Ducks (Donald and his nephews) pay their recluse uncle a visit. He is old just like in all the classic Barks stories, and when the nephews ask him to visit the money bin, which is an empty old building, his adventurous spirit is reborn and the Barks timeline begins, as everything fits into place like the pieces of a puzzle of extraordinary proportions. And this is what makes Scrooge's nephews important. They are constantly reminding him of his place, and he is trying his best to stay close to their ideals, as his is struggling not to lose a family again. With Donald reminding him of how different he is from everyone, and the three little ones never letting him forget of what makes him so special and how he began. Finally, let me say this: I am not sure what the great heroes of literature are made of, but I know for certain that the Ducks have some of that in them, and that is why Ducks matter.

Manuel I Komnenos

Want to read another article from Manuel I Komnenos about the Byzantines? Well, you're not going to get it! This time he's written us an article about a subject all of us learn about in school...but with a twist. How was Poland involved in the Treaty of Versailles? I'm a history buff but I didn't know. Now it's your turn to learn a bit. Enjoy.

Poland and the Treaty of Versailles Part I

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

By 1919, the parades were now drawing to a close. In Paris, life was now slowly returning back to normal. The Entente had emerged victorious from four years of what had been the costliest war mankind had ever seen until then and the time had come to discuss the peace terms with the defeated and the recently emerged -from the ashes of the old Empires of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia- states and reshape Europe. The leaders of the Entente, Lloyd George, Prime Minister of the British Empire, Georges Clemenceau, the Prime Minister of France and Woodrow Wilson, President of the USA, accompanied by various councilors, advisors and diplomats had gathered in Paris to participate in what would become known as ‘the Paris Conference'.

The Conference had to take care of several important matters, such as the reparations of Germany, the territorial gains of the winners and the redraw of the borders in Central Europe and the Balkans, where the fall of the old Empires of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia had left a big vacuum waiting to be filled. One of the main issues was the future of Poland. The state of Poland had been partitioned between Prussia, Austria and Russia and ceased to exist in 1795. After a brief period of independence during the Napoleonic period, the status quo returned. During World War I, the Poles were caught in the middle, serving in the armies of Germany, Austria and Russia. Now, the fall of the great Empires had given hope to the Poles.

Józef Piłsudski, a Pole patriot had waited for such an opportunity to push his agenda, regarding the independence of Poland. In 1914 Piłsudski pledged his allegiance with Austria and formed a personal Polish legion that grew larger as the war progressed. With his units, he ceased power in Warsaw, in 1918. The Poles were delighted but nothing, not even the survival of their state was guaranteed yet. Józef Piłsudski would have to face enemies in all of Poland's borders. The Bolsheviks were growing stronger and would push sooner or later against the West, the Czechs and the Ukrainians had proclaimed their independence and of course, there was Germany.

The stance of the Entente towards Poland was another issue. Would Poland be recognized and if yes, what areas would it encompass? Would it include areas where the Poles made up the majority of the population or did Poland need to be as large as possible in order to provide a bulwark against Bolshevism? The first question was answered positively by American President Wilson. His agenda regarding the future of Europe after the end of hostilities, synopsized in his fourteen points called for an independent Polish state which would include all the areas where Polish majorities lived, as well as ‘access to the sea’.

The second question, regarding the borders of the new state would be a matter of endless debate in the Paris Conference the following months. The Polish claims were far-stretched. The Polish representative, Dmowski when called by the leaders of the Entente to explain the situation in Poland argued that most of East Germany, Galicia and Lithuania should be given to Poland. Pilsudski, proclaimed Prime Minister and chief in command of the Polish Army had already begun sending units to the claimed areas. Numerous clashes took place between the Polish army and the Czechs and the Germans.

The Entente created the Commission for Polish Affairs which was to draw the borders of the Polish state. That was no easy job. Centuries of population movements and invasions had led to a spread of the Polish population. In the East, the Polish populations were centered on mainly Vilna in the North and Lvov in the South. The Middle was inhabited by Ukrainians and Byelorussians and the Poles were certainly a minority.

In the West, there was no much difference. A Polish majority lay along the Vistula, but East Prussia and especially the coast was largely German. This raised an issue on the Polish Corridor which would lead to the Baltic Sea. If Poland was to get both banks of the Vistula as well as the obvious choice for a port, Danzig, hundreds of thousands of Germans would remain under Polish control. Additionally, a large ethnically Polish but Protestant population (the majority of the Poles were normally Catholic) lived in the province of Allenstein, in Eastern Prussia but it was unknown where its loyalty lied.

The Commission produced its first report regarding the German-Polish border. The Polish Corridor would include Posen, which was largely Polish, and a large area along the banks of Vistula, leaving two million Germans under Polish control. East Prussia with the port of Koenigsberg would remain under German control and only in Allenstein, a referendum would be held. When it was, in 1920, 363,000 voted for Germany and only 8,000 for Poland.

Sources:

Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World - Margaret Macmillan
The Lands of Partitioned Poland - Piotr Wandycz

Boustrophedon

The legitimacy and role of the UN is a pretty regularly discussed subject today. Personally, I find it to be a bloated, overly bureaucratic organization that lacks much will, but I also understand that it's a multinational organization and that makes it seem nearly impossible to get some things done. However, it's obvious that there are people in the UN that genuinely want to help change the world for the better. Boustrophedon will discuss some of the goals of the UN from the last decade in the following article.

Scientific News: Millennium Development Goals

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Scientific News: Millennium Development Goals

I can assume that members of a gaming focused website belong to a distinct group of people in the world. Probably middle class men and women who have a roof over their heads, internet connections, all the food they require and much more. We can consider ourselves lucky to have been born into such a good life and environment and we can thank our parents and our governments for providing this stable environment where we can grow and learn and mature into the adults we are or will become.

However, there are many more in this world who do not enjoy these rights and privileges and it is for these people that the United Nations have launched the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 to eradicate the disadvantages and the injustice many millions have to live with on a daily basis. The envisioned deadline was the year 2015 but I would like to offer the readers an analysis of what a decade has brought us in terms of improving the life of tens of millions of people.

All figures and statistics were taken from the Millennium Development Goals Report 2011 and the Millennium Development Goals Statistics 2011, both available on their website, and I have based my categorization on a Belgian magazine that did an overview of the same material. I hope you will take a look at the wealth of information and comment here to express your concerns and/or hopes for the future.

The first Millennium Goal is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 1A: Halve the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day

• Proportion of population below $1 per day (PPP values)
• Poverty gap ratio [incidence x depth of poverty]
• Share of poorest quintile in national consumption

Target 1B: Achieve Decent Employment for Women, Men, and Young People

• GDP Growth per Employed Person
• Employment Rate
• Proportion of employed population below $1 per day (PPP values)
• Proportion of family-based workers in employed population

Target 1C: Halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger

• Prevalence of underweight children under five years of age
• Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption

Here's some of the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. In the period 2000-2007 the number of people suffering from hunger in developing countries stagnated and remained constant around 16% of the population. We can partly explain this low figure by the dramatic drop in poverty in East Asia. The UN had hoped to reduce the number of people living on less than 1.25 US$ in East Asia from 60% to 30% by the year 2015, but by 2005 the percentage had already dropped to 16%, which means that in fifteen years time the population suffering from poverty dropped a staggering 45% in the East Asian countries. I suspect the rise of the Chinese dominance had something to do with this.
2. The worldwide crisis severely hampered the goal to provide more employment and the UN estimates that had the crisis not happened at all, over 40 million people holding a job would have been able to stay above the poverty limit.
3. Almost 25% of all children in developing countries are still malnourished.
4. Between 1990 and 2005, in China and India combined, 455 million people have emerged out of extreme poverty and by 2015 an additional 320 million are expected to work themselves out of extreme poverty. With some luck that would mean nearly 800 million people will have thrown off the shackles of poverty in a timespan of 25 years.
5. The worldwide crisis has unfortunately caused a total blocking of attempts to increase employment. Only the Caucasus and Central Asia had a significant growth. Between 2000 and 1010 the employment rate rose from 55% to 60%.
6. Eight African countries (all sub-Saharan) have a population where over 35% suffers from undernourishment.
7. South-East Asia and East Asia have had a significant drop in underweight children. Respectively they declined from 30% to 18% of children under 5 and from 15% to 6% of children under 5. Both regions have thus seen the number of hungry children decline with over 50% between 1990 and 2009.
8. Between 2000 and 2010 hostilities and armed conflicts have displaced 43 million people worldwide, either internally or as international refugees. Four our of five refugees are hosted by developing countries.

The second Millennium Goal is universal primary education.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 2A: By 2015, all children can complete a full course of primary schooling, girls and boys

• Enrollment in primary education
• Completion of primary education
• Literacy of 15-24 year olds, female and male

Here's the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a huge increase in children enrolled in primary school. In 1999 sub-Saharan countries had 58% of children enrolled in a school, compared to 76% in 2009, meaning an increase of almost 20% of all children in primary education.
2. South Asia also saw a significant rise from 79% in 1999 to 91% in 2009, meaning a 12% increase in children who are enrolled in primary education.
3. In 2009 the Sub-Saharan countries accounted for 48% of the worldwide number of children not enrolled in primary schools and Southern Asia for 24% of the worldwide total.
4. Total number of children out of school dwindled from 106 million in 1999 to 67 million in 2009, meaning that in a decade's time almost 40 million more children were enrolled in primary schools worldwide.
5. In the African country Mali over 90% of all children are never expected to enter primary education.

The third Millennium Goal is the promotion of gender equality and emancipation of women.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 3A: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005, and at all levels by 2015

• Ratios of girls to boys in primary, secondary and tertiary education
• Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector
• Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament

Here's the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. In 1999 in developing regions there were 91 girls in primary education for every 100 boys. In 2009 this rose to 96 girls for every 100 boys. The biggest climber was South Asia where in 1999 there were 83 girls per 100 boys in primary education and in 2009 this number had risen to 95 girls for every 100 boys.
2. In developing regions, 96 girls were enrolled in primary and in secondary school for every 100 boys in 2009. This is a significant improvement since 1999, when the ratios were 91 and 88, respectively.
3. Worldwide, the share of women in non-agricultural paid employment increased from 35 percent in 1990 to almost 40 percent in 2009. A tiny growth of 5% in almost 20 years.
4. In December 2011 1 in 5 members of parliament worldwide was female. in 25 countries women occupy more than 30% of the seats in government: 56,3% in Rwanda, 45% in Sweden and 44,5% in South Africa. In 48 countries women hold less than 10% of all seats while 9 countries don't have a single women in parliament.
5. Again South Asia is doing very well and the number of women holding a seat in parliament has risen from 7% in 2000 to 18% in 2011. North Africa isn't doing too shabby either and the number of women in parliament there has risen from 3% in 2000 to 12% in 2011.
6. Women in parliament worldwide has risen only slightly from 11.6% in 1995 to 19.3% in January 2011, meaning an increase of only about 8% in a 15 year timespan. Much work is still to be done obviously, but at least progress is being made.
7. In January 2011 only 10 countries had female heads of state and 13 countries had female heads of government.

The fourth Millennium Goal is the reduction of the child mortality rates.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 4A: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate

• Under-five mortality rate
• Infant (under 1) mortality rate
• Proportion of 1-year-old children immunized against measles

Here's the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. Amazing progress again in South Asia where the child mortality rate under 5 years old has dropped from 122 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 69 deaths per 1000 live births in 2009, a decline of almost 50%.
2. All regions, except sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Asia and Oceania, have seen reductions of at least 50%.
3. The worldwide number declined from 12.4 million in 1990 to 8.1 million in 2009, which translates into nearly 12,000 fewer children dying each day, which is pretty damn fantastic.
4. Children from the poorest households are two to three times more likely to die before the age of five than children from the richest households.
5. Between 2000 and 2008 improved immunization and the opportunity for a second dose led to a 78% drop in measles deaths worldwide.

The fifth Millennium Goal is improving the health of young mothers.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 5A: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio

• Maternal mortality ratio
• Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel

Target 5B: Achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health

• Contraceptive prevalence rate
• Adolescent birth rate
• Antenatal care coverage
• Unmet need for family planning

Here's the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. Not a single region has reached the proposed threshold to decrease the mortality rate of young mothers.
2. In the developing regions as a whole, the maternal mortality ratio dropped by 34 percent between 1990 and 2008, from 440 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 290 maternal deaths.
3. South Asia has done very well in this area as well. The region saw its maternal deaths per 100,000 live births decline from 590 in 1990 to 280 in 2008, a decline of more than 50% and thus great progress.
4. Most developing countries have made great progress and every country had a decline of the mortality rate, but the envisioned threshold of the UN is still a long way off.
5. The deliveries attended by trained medical professionals in North African countries rose from 45% in 1990 to 81% in 2009, a significant rise of 36%!
6. Maternal deaths are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, which together accounted for 87% of such deaths globally in 2008.
7. Every single region has seen an increase of at least 10% in pregnant women who visited a trained medical professional during their pregnancy, with North African countries even seeing a rise of 28%. The number worldwide rose from 64% in 1990 to 81% in 2009.
8. Teen pregnancies have stalled worldwide except for South Asia which saw its teenage mothers (aged 15-19) decline from 89 births per 1000 teenage women in 1990 to 53 births per 1000 teenage women in 2008.
9. Despite almost 20 years of contraceptives and international aid, Sub-Saharan countries still have 122 teenage mothers per 1000 teenage women in 2009, compared to 124 in 1990. This means that 12,2% of all teenage girls aged 15-19 are mothers in the Sub-Saharan countries.
10. The number of women aged 15-49 who are married or in a union, using contraceptives in developing regions, has risen slightly in developing regions from 52% in 1990 to 61% in 2008. Compare this to the figures for developed regions which went from 69% in 1990 to 72% in 2008. Keep in mind that these are for couples so single men and women having sexual intercourse are not represented in these percentages.
11. Total healthcare aid for developing countries in 2009 was 19,790,000,000 US$, of which only 6% went to reproductive healthcare and only 2,6% went to family planning. Compare this to the 6,557,000,000 US$ in 2000 when 9,2% went to reproductive healthcare and 8,2% to family planning. We can see a big increase in funding, but a statistical decrease in funding for reproductive healthcare and family planning.

The sixth Millenium Goal is the eradication of HIV/AIDS.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 6A: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS

• HIV prevalence among population aged 15–24 years
• Condom use at last high-risk sex
• Proportion of population aged 15–24 years with comprehensive correct knowledge of HIV/AIDS

Target 6B: Achieve, by 2010, universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all those who need it

• Proportion of population with advanced HIV infection with access to antiretroviral drugs

Target 6C: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases

• Prevalence and death rates associated with malaria
• Proportion of children under 5 sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets
• Proportion of children under 5 with fever who are treated with appropriate anti-malarial drugs
• Incidence, prevalence and death rates associated with tuberculosis
• Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short Course)

Here's the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. Number of new HIV infections per year per 100 people aged 15-49 dropped in Sub-Saharan countries from 0.57 in 2001 to 0.40 in 2009, which we can interpret as 5.7 new infections every year for every 1000 people aged 15-49 in 2001 compared to 4.0 in 2009.
2. AIDS and HIV are still very uncommon in Asian countries and Latin America.
3. The worldwide figures are encouraging, dropping from 0.8 to 0.6 new infections per 1000 people aged 15-49.
4. Knowledge of methods to decrease the risk of HIV/AIDS is steadily rising, but knowledge of the diseases themselves is stagnating.
5. Only 33% of young men and 20% of young women in developing regions have a comprehensive and correct knowledge of HIV.
6. Note that China is absent from all these statistics due to lack of data.
7. Namibia has the highest use of condoms in all of Africa with 81% of the men and 64% of the women stating they use condoms for higher-risk sexual intercourse (not with a husband or steady partner).
8. Democratic Republic of Congo has the lowest use of condoms with only 27% of the men and 17% of the women stating they use condoms for high-risk sexual intercourse.
9. In Ethiopia children orphaned because of AIDS/HIV are getting better access to education and shelter. When comparing to children of the same age but without deceased parents, the numbers have risen from 60 orphaned children per 100 normal children to 90 orphaned children per 100 normal children getting an education and shelter.
10. In Tanzania in 2000 only 2% of children under 5 slept under mosquito nets compared to 64% of children in 2010. Similar massive figures have been recorded in other African countries with an increase of 40% not being uncommon.
11. Deaths from tuberculosis have dropped everywhere except sub-Saharan Africa where the numbers rose from 32 deaths per 100,000 people in 1990 to 53 deaths per 100,000 people in 2009.
12. An estimated 9.4 million people (range, 8.9 million–9.9 million) were newly diagnosed with the disease worldwide in 2009.
13. Worldwide deaths from malaria dropped from 985,000 in 2000 to 781,000 in 2009, a decline of 20% worldwide.
14. Between 2008 and 2010 over 290 million mosquito nets were distributed in sub-Saharan countries, enough to protect 75% of the population.

The seventh Millennium Goal is environmental sustainability.

Here are the details of this goal, taken from Wikipedia:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Target 7A: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs; reverse loss of environmental resources.

Target 7B: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss

• Proportion of land area covered by forest
• CO2 emissions, total, per capita and per $1 GDP (PPP)
• Consumption of ozone-depleting substances
• Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits
• Proportion of total water resources used
• Proportion of terrestrial and marine areas protected
• Proportion of species threatened with extinction

Target 7C: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation (for more information see the entry on water supply)

• Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water source, urban and rural
• Proportion of urban population with access to improved sanitation

Target 7D: By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers

• Proportion of urban population living in slums

Here's the progress made by UN programs and private programs:

1. Between 2000 and 2010 South America lost 4 million hectares of forest while Africa lost 3.4 million hectares.
2. In the past decade (2000-2010) forest area worldwide dwindled by 5.2 million hectares per year compared to the previous decade (1990-2000) when the forests shrunk by 8.3 million hectares per year.
3. Between 2000 and 2010 Europe gained 700,000 hectares per year.
4. Between 1990 and 2000 Asia lost 600,000 hectares per year, but between 2000 and 2010 Asia gained 2.2 million hectares per year.
5. Worldwide between 2000 and 2010 the forests shrunk by 13 million hectares per year
6. Emission of CO₂ in East Asia rose from 3.0 billion metric tonnes in 1990 to 7.7 billion metric tonnes in 2008.
7. Emission of CO₂ worldwide rose from 21.8 billion metric tonnes in 1990 to 30.1 billion metric tonnes in 2008.
8. The decade 2001-2010 was the warmest on record since 1880 in terms of average global temperatures.
9. Consumption of all ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) has dropped to 0-1% in the period 1986-2009.
10. Less than 1.5 percent of the total ocean area are designated as marine protected areas.
11. The global production of marine capture fisheries reached a peak of 86.3 million tonnes in 1996. Since that time, it has declined slightly, to 79.5 million tonnes in 2008, with large fluctuations between years.
12. The use of surface water and ground water has exceeded its capacities dramatically in North Africa and Western Asia. Western Asia uses 166% of its renewable water resources while North Africa uses 92% of its renewable water resources. For reference: when using 60% of renewable water resources there is a risk of dry years and water scarcity. Figures are estimates for 2005.
13. East Asia has seen a rise of almost 30% of people with access to piped water on their premises. The number of people using basic unimproved sources for water has dropped worldwide, except in Oceania.
14. Improved sanitation facilities worldwide has risen only slightly. Over 2.6 billion people still lack flush toilets and other forms of improved sanitation. Only North Africa has achieved its target for the Millennium Development Goals for 2015, though Central Asia and Caucasus are very close to achieving its targets.
15. More than 200 million of the people living in urban slums gained access to either improved water, sanitation or durable and less crowded housing.
16. The number of urban residents living in slum conditions is now estimated at some 828 million, compared to 657 million in 1990 and 767 million in 2000. In other words the urbanization of the world is becoming a dramatic problem as more and more people live together in very cramped quarters and space, increasing the need for resources that are already scarce.

The eighth Millennium Goal is focused on international cooperation rather than humanitarian causes and so I will not discuss it here except offer a few interesting numbers:

1. In 2010, net aid disbursements amounted to $128.7 billion equivalent to 0.32 percent of developed countries’ combined national income. This was the highest level of real aid ever recorded.
2. Aid will grow at 2 percent a year between 2011 and 2013, compared to an average of 8 percent a year over the past three years.

That's all, ladies and gents. I hope you found this overview interesting and I'm keen to hear your remarks on humanity's progress this last decade. Personally I found it immensely interesting to see the great rise in healthcare in developing countries and I was quite surprised as well that an African country had 54% female parliamentarians! This is by no means a definitive list but rather a summary of the figures I found most interesting. I have tried to rewrite several difficult wordings and phrases as well as add information when something wasn't clear from the numbers alone.

Sources:
Millennium Development Goals Report 2011. (last consulted May 2)
Wikipedia page on MDG
MO* magazine. DE WIT, D., De deadline nadert. Issue 87, SEP 2011, p.10

Once again, I thank my excellent team of writers for their continued hard work in making The Helios what it is, and your support as a receptive and interested readership.

After reading this edition, now would be an excellent time to pay a visit to one of the other TWC publications, which can be done by clicking on either of the images below.

[René Artois]

Short but sweet.

A couple of suggestions:
Boustrophedon - proof reading
History articles - perhaps engage historical debate more than relaying commentary?

Other than that well done all writers and editor.

[Inkie Pie]

Excellent stuff, guys. Definitely something nice to wake up to.

[Boustrophedon]

Short but sweet.

A couple of suggestions:
Boustrophedon - proof reading
History articles - perhaps engage historical debate more than relaying commentary?

Other than that well done all writers and editor.

Yeah my proof reading could be better I guess. I had to read 100 pages of raw data and watch too many graphs for any sane man to cope. I tried to pick the most interesting information and relay it to you here so that perhaps we could see some people comment on the UN's latest updates on their goals worldwide. I hope that other readers will be able to forgive my spelling mistakes and if they can't well then I'll have to check better next time I guess.

[grouchy13]

Nice work fella's + rep to the rest of the team really enjoyed this one

[Christonikos]

I love the Ducks.

[Ishan]

Boustrophedon - proof reading

I think you mean the spelling mistake in the small banners? Yeah that's my bad, bous asked me to make them and i provided him those banners at the last moment without realizing my spelling mistake. Sorry if it caused any inconvenience while reading through it, i have fixed it now.

[Mhaedros]

Really good article about the Ducks! Made me want to read some Don Rosa again

[Hobbes.]

Scandinavian, eh?

[Mhaedros]

Finnish

[The Noble Lord]

Great issue guys, nice and very educational, it was some stuff in there that I didn't know until now!

[Lord Rahl]

Thanks for reading!