SRM plays the Trump card

Inauguration Day for the 51st Congress (June 30, 2018) is six months away and there are almost four months to go until #patriavotes2018 Election Day. But the SRM -- Patria's version of the BJP in India, with a good dose of the US Republican Party thrown in -- just can't wait to fire up a slogan borrowed directly from Donald Trump: MAKE PATRIA GREAT AGAIN!

Unfortunately unlike MAGA (pronounced "magga"), "MPGA" does not work very well as an acronym. But that won't stop the SRM. Per Wikipedia, the slogan was actually first used by Ronald Reagan during the 1980 presidential campaign, as "Let's make America great again".

Along with "Patria First" patriotic jingoism, "take back the economy" protectionism and tariff barriers, and the "bring the jobs home" fight against offshoring and de-industrialization, the SRM  also see themselves as the guardians of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma in much the same way as Republicans see themselves on the front lines of evangelical Christianity. Other parties such as Amrita and Chakra make use Hindu symbols and iconography to some extent, but virtually every SRM campaign poster features Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, Devi or a Hindu deity of some kind.

The chief opponents to the upcoming Amrita-Social Democrat coalition (that hasn't happened and likely won't happen until after Election Day, but everyone in Patria knows Amma and Bernie Sanders are about to join forces), SRM actually stands for "Swadeshi Ramrajya Movement". Swadeshi refers to self-sufficiency or the "make it in India" campaign originally conceived by Gandhi, while Ramrajya is of course the Sanskrit name for Patria. Back in the day when the party was first established amid the hippie counterculture of the late 1960s, SRM stood for "Spiritual Regeneration Movement" and borrowed the name from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation organization. Just as in the US, where virtually no one will be able to tell you what the broadcasting monoliths CBS, NBC and ABC actually stand for, in Patria no one ever refers to the SRM by anything other than the initials.

Patria feeling the Bern, grants Sanders honorary citizenship

If you've been following Campaign 2018, the race for Patria's 51st Congress on Twitter @Patriavotes2018 it would seem like the macho law-and-order National Union and the "Make Patria Great Again" SRM are about to swing the Inner Realm hard to the right. The Amrita Party, Social Democrats and their allies such as the Chakra Party and the Greens have barely gotten a tweet in. The election is still four months away, but just a few days before Christmas the Social Democrats received a YUGE gift from the waning 50th Congress. Before adjourning for the Festivus-Christmas-Solstice-Yule-Saptah-Mahasamadhi (and whatever else gets celebrated in Patria at the end of the calendar year) break, Congress has voted to make Bernie Sanders an honorary citizen of Patria.

The resolution passed by Congress, with even some of the SRM and NU caucus voting "yea", praised Senator Sanders' commitment to social democracy and to reversing economic inequality: "For more than half a century, since he was on the front lines of the civil rights movement...as an active protest organizer for the Congress of Racial Equality and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, as well as a participant in Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington in 1963, Senator Sanders has built a reputation as a leading progressive voice on issues such as climate change, corporate welfare, income inequality, LGBT rights and universal single-payer health care...and an outspoken opponent of US imperialist foreign policy, such as the costly, endless and virtually unwinnable wars in the Middle East...although he opposed the wars, Senator Sanders never criticized those who fought and has been a strong supporter of veterans' benefits... Senator Sanders represents all that is right with America or that could have been right with America... Patria still believes he would have been the best choice to succeed Barack Obama as the 45th President".

The 76 year old Independent Senator from Vermont was unavailable for comment, but Patria is about to "Feel the Bern" once again in 2018. Sanders, of course, was hugely popular in Patria and was unofficially endorsed by Patria as a candidate for President of the United States in 2016. Many citizens of Patria still believe he would have been elected President (#Berniewouldhavewon) had the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton not conspired to rig the primaries and derail his nomination. With the granting of honorary citizenship, Sanders is all but ready to assume the role of de facto House Leader of Patria's Social Democrats, after choosing a Precinct to represent in the 51st Congress. He may opt for Centralia in the heart of Patria's Rust Belt, or more likely Fredonia - the gritty, little independent-minded maverick Precinct that would remind him of Vermont.

There had been rumors that the SDs would merge with the Amrita Party prior to the 2018 election, but it would appear now that the two parties are likely to form a post-election coalition if they win a plurality of seats in the 51st Congress. Amma and Bernie together for Patria's bicentennial! How could they not win? At least the Social Democrats will immediately close the gap with the Patria First right wing parties who are currently burning up the @Patriavotes2018 Twitter timeline.

This is a major and unusual honor, as Patria does not grant many macronationals honorary citizenship. In recent years the late Nelson Mandela was proclaimed an honorary citizen of Patria, as was the Canadian singer, songwriter, yoga teacher and environmentalist Parvati Devi, who has devoted her life towards the establishment of Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS). In 2016 Patria ratified the MAPS treaty, becoming the first government (albeit unrecognized) to do so.

Amma and Bernie. Let's get this party started!

Patria's official website relaunched

https://ammasbaby.wixsite.com/patria

As a #Patria200 bicentennial project, Patria's new official website has been relaunched and is going live. Please update your bookmarks  and click on to the link above.

This site replaces the old patria.zxq.net site, which became infested with malware. Do not visit the site as it could be harmful to your phone, tablet or PC. It may be blocked by your antivirus software anyway.

Although the new site will contain some material that has been migrated pretty much verbatim from the old zxq.net domain and even from the late 1990s Geocities site, there will be some new content added in the months to come, particularly as Patria's Fifty-First Congress election day (April 21, 2018) and Inauguration (June 30, 2018) draw near. But for now, the site is under construction and consists only of a single page. Please be patient as Patria's Webmaster has only Geocities-era webpage creation and design skills left over from the Clinton administration.

Patria Post rolls out #Patria200 issues

Although snail-mail and the hobby of stamp collecting are declining as much in the micro-world as in real-life countries, Patria Post is not waiting for the calendar to flip to 2018 in order to get into Patria's bicentennial spirit. Several new stamp issues were released today containing the #Patria200 hashtag.

Note that most Patria Post issues are non-denominated "forever" stamps. The "1" is not a denomination of one Patrienish Rupee but represents the rate for a standard first class letter even as postal rates increase year after year. The current rate in Patria for a first class letter weighing up to 30 grams is RsPat. 27, but Patria Post will likely ask Congress for yet another rate hike in 2018.

Patria Post also re-issued in "forever" format an old definitive (regular issue) depicting Sri Sarada Devi.

#Patriavotes2018 - the race for the 51st Congress

As the Fourth and final Session of the Fiftieth Congress (4·L 2017-18) is well underway, Patria is hitting the Fifty First Congress campaign trail along with the 2018 bicentennial celebration (see above for Patria Post's first bicentennial stamp issue). Here in a nutshell is what you need to know for Patria’s upcoming election:

Election Day: April 21, 2018 (Third Saturday in April). April 14 in Fredonia. Advance polls in other Precincts beginning on or about April 12, 2018.

Inauguration Day: June 30, 2018

What’s at stake: 333 seats in Patria’s 51^st Congress (LI Con. Pat.), elections for Precinct legislatures and local city, county or demi-precinct councils in some of Patria’s 13 Precincts and the Federal District of Castoropolis (FDC). There is also an upper house in Patria, like the US and Canadian Senate or UK House of Lords, but its members are selected by the Precinct legislatures, not by direct popular vote.

How members of Congress are elected: Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP). As in Israel, lists of candidates are prepared by each party and seats are awarded in proportion to the percentage of votes received in each precinct. One-third of the seats (111) are filled by local candidates winning a plurality in their electoral district or riding. MMP, as in Germany, New Zealand and many other countries, is an idea whose time has come in Canada but will likely never happen thanks to Justin Trudeau’s broken 2015 campaign promise of electoral reform.

Congressional apportionment per precinct:

Caesarea – 61 seats

Federal District of Castoropolis – 38

Nova Columbia – 36

Lazuria – 27

Centralia – 25

Aeolia – 24

Arboria – 21

Antioch – 19

Ambrosia – 17

Canardiere – 16

Mauretania – 15

Pottsylvania – 13

Haldimania – 12

Fredonia – 9

Term of office: Four year term ending June 30, 2022.

Vote counting: paper ballots counted by hand. No hanging chads. This ain’t Florida 2000!

Follow on Twitter @Patriavotes2018 – a Twitter account devoted exclusively to the 2018 election campaign. Non-election tweets from Patria will be found @Patria1818, which you should also follow if you’re not already. Hashtags: #PatriaVotes2018 and #51stCongress, along with the #Patria200 hashtag for Patria’s bicentennial in 2018.

Following is some basic background information on Patria’s many and varied political parties. Numbers in [ ]’s indicate the number of seats held in the 50^th Congress.

Amrita Party [68]

“Embracing Patria”, “Love and serve”, established in 2001 as a party for Amma’s devotees with Amma as House leader in Congress, where she represents the Precinct of Arboria. Generally liberal-progressive, reflecting the political views of the vast majority of Amma’s western devotees in the macro-world (notwithstanding that conservatives and even supporters of Donald Trump go for Amma’s darshan too!). Merged briefly with the SRM (see below) in 2006 and is rumored to be merging with the Social Democrats (q.v.) for 2018.

Among the highlights of the Amrita Party's achievements since 2002:

• Inclusion of Amma's teachings and bhajans (devotional songs) in the curriculum of many of Patria's elementary schools.
• Opening of a branch of the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) hospital in Patria.
• Establishment of a campus of the Amrita University in Patria.
• Establishment of a permanent Amma ashram in Patria, in Karunanagar, Caesarea, easily accessible via the Caesarea Coast Line of the Castoropolis and Caesarea Railways (CCR).
• Addition of Amrita Television to all basic cable TV services in Patria.

Standard disclaimer: The Amrita Party of Patria exists only in the unrecognized country ("micronation") known as the Inner Realm of Patria (Antarbhumi Ramrajya) and has no connection whatsoever with the MA Center, Mata Amritanandamayi Math, Amma Canada, or any actual Amma-related organization in any recognized country of the world.

SRM (Swadeshi Ramrajya Movement) [55]

“Bring the jobs home” “Make Patria great again” Small-c conservative Hindu nationalist, economic protectionist, social conservatives (e.g. pushing “modest dress” for women), Patria First. Inspired by and quite similar to Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. Originally known as the Spiritual Regeneration Movement, the SRM has its origins in the 1960s hippie counterculture heyday but didn’t become a mainstream party until Patria’s 1989-90 Dharmic Revolution. After the 2006 election, Amma’s devotees merged the SRM into the Amrita Party. But by 2010 the SRM-Amrita coalition fell apart as economic conservative remnants of the old SRM bolted from Amrita (in large measure as a result of the 2008-09 economic meltdown), took a turn to the right and revived the SRM with the initials standing for something new.

 

Chakra Party [59]

“No gurus, just right”, “transformation not transcendence” yoga/new age liberal. Another party that has its roots in the 1960s hippie era but didn’t become established until Patria’s Dharmic Revolution, led by hippies and new-agers who never really left the 60s. Secular party for the “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR) folks – mostly westerners who grew up with Judaism or Christianity – who do yoga and practice some kind of Eastern-based spirituality but steer clear of the H-word (i.e. Hinduism) or who do not identify as devotees of Amma.

National Union [26]

“Obedience and respect for authority”, “where a man belongs”, “testosterone in your balls, NU on your ballot”, the macho, populist, blue lives matter (“there’s no such thing as a bad cop”), law and order National Union has its roots dating from the mid-19^th century as a small-c conservative party. National Unionists once dominated Patria in the 1950s and 60s as a bland, centrist party like Ontario’s Bill Davis-era Tories. They should have died of irrelevance post-Dharmic Revolution, but since the 1990s the NU recast itself to become the leader in the men’s rights movement, thumbed its nose at soft-on-crime liberals and has pushed every right wing law and order issue, e.g. bringing back public executions, broken windows policing and even racial profiling for public safety. Always seems to punch above its weight, even if violent crime is not a serious issue in Patria.

Jungle Party [28]

“Have a take, don’t suck”, inspired by Jim Rome, a leading US sports talk radio personality who is heard in Patria as well as in the US and Canada on the CBS Sports network. The typical Jungle party voter is an unemployed or minimally employed 30-something male living in his parents’ basement, playing online games and with no girlfriend to speak of. But the party has apparently drawn men who might otherwise vote National Union.

Social Democrats [49]

“Go forward!” “Progress with a purpose”, old-line social democratic party from the macro-world, based on Canada’s NDP and currently inspired by Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn. A well-established workers’ progressive labor party since the 1930s, Social Democrats enjoyed a surge of popularity in 2014 and can likely expect to grow even more in 2018, riding the coat-tails (or Union-made in USA suit) of Bernie Sanders. Despite being an old-left democratic socialist party, the SD has little tolerance for politically correct busybody do-gooders, vegan moral high-grounders, social justice warriors, Israel as an apartheid state, so-called Cultural Marxism, “micro-aggressions”, “safe spaces”, the let’s-hate-Whitey common leftist belief that only White people – particularly White heterosexual males – can be racist, and snuffing out free speech (i.e. discussion of unpopular or conservative views) on college campuses. Closely aligned with the Amrita Party and rumoured to be merging with it as Campaign 2018 begins.

Green Party [13]

“Bikes not cars” Macro-world party that has found a foothold in Patria, particularly following Patria’s unofficial endorsement of the US Green Party’s candidate Jill Stein in the 2016 presidential election. Like the Green Parties of Canada, the U.S. and Europe, the Greens of Patria appear to be leftist, progressive, bike-riding, Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugging environmentalists. But Patria’s Greenies have been outed as economic conservatives and even Ayn Rand-style free-enterprise capitalists disguised as politically correct left-wingers and moral high-grounders.

Libertarian Party [7]

Another party from the macro-world, trotting out the usual “less government, more freedom” mantra. The Libertarian party of Patria, like Libertarian Parties in the United States and Canada, is conservative on economic issues but very liberal on "free choice" issues such as legalization of drugs or abortion. There really is not much need for a Libertarian party in Patria, since Patria has become quite libertarian since the 1990s - decriminalizing drugs for all practical purposes, no restrictions on abortion, and strongly free-speech (in Patria, there are no laws criminalizing the propagation of hate speech such as Holocaust denial).

Fringe groups, one-issue parties, assorted nutbars [28]

A number of micro-parties or fringe parties such as the Chastity Party, Family Values Party, Lilith Party and Freedom Party get in thanks to no votes being wasted under proportional representation. Some of these fringe parties are one-trick ponies focusing on a single penny-ante issue, such as raising the drinking age to 25 or banning public displays of affection, and hold only a single seat in Congress.

It is possible, indeed quite likely, that at least one new party will come into existence during the 2018 campaign in the “fringe/nutbar” category above. The new party could even come out of nowhere to win more than one or two seats.

As Congress returns from recess, Patria's alt-left does not include Antifa

Patria's Congress has returned from northern hemisphere summer recess to begin the Fourth Session of the Fiftieth Congress (4·L 2017-18). This is the session that will take Patria into its bicentennial celebration (#Patria200) and the next election, on April 21, 2018. (#patriavotes2018, #51stCongress). But rather than crank out a new Twitter hashtag, the first item to be discussed on the floor of the House was how the term "Alt-Left" applies to Patria in the wake of last month's "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, VA in which white supremacists, neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates and other members of the far right violently clashed with leftist opponents such as Antifa.

The phrase "Alt-Left" (in contrast to "Alt-Right", i.e. many of the Donald Trump supporters, white supremacists and other far-right nutbars) came into use in the macronational media in the days following the Charlottesville violence to refer in large measure to the far-left counter protesters such as Antifa, who openly advocated violence and actually incited at least some of the rioting. Antifa (short for anti-Fascist) is actually a patchwork of groups or individuals without leaders, not a single organization. It does not shy away from militant protest methods, including the destruction of property and sometimes physical violence. Of course Patria strongly condemns the disgusting sick far-right thugs who marched in Charlottesville. But Patria does not believe that Antifa holds any moral high ground. Anyone with half a brain would oppose racism and Nazism. Because of its tendency to incite violence and because its members often hide their identities behind masks or disguises (at least most of the far-right thugs in Charlottesville marched openly without disguises or KKK hoods) Antifa is not welcome in Patria. Non-violence and peaceful protest are two of the fundamental principles on which Patria was founded 199 years ago - along with freedom of speech, tolerance for unpopular opinions and of course disdain for all forms of political correctness.

In Patria, "Alt-Left" has been in use since at least late 2016, well before Charlottesville. Today Patria re-affirmed that "Alt-Left" in Patria does not include the violent thugs and militant loose ends of Antifa. Patria's version of the Alt-Left is old-school democratic socialism as advocated by Bernie Sanders, Jeremy Corbyn and in Canada in the 1940s by Tommy Douglas, along with freedom of thought, freedom of speech and - last but far from least - freedom from the PC thought police. In Patria, all lives matter. In Patria, skin color is irrelevant as long as your skin is thick. In Patria, there is little tolerance for dour, joyless social justice warriors who can't seem to take a joke. In Patria, there are no safe spaces or refuges from so-called micro-aggressions. In Patria, if you actually believe for example that the white race is superior to all other races or that slavery was not such a bad thing, and you are able to state your thesis coherently, in literate English (or Patrienish), in a moderate tone of voice, without advocating or resorting to violence, and without the costumes and regalia of a failed state that was decisively defeated on the battlefield in 1945 or 1865, there will be a place for your argument in the public square. Of course, you will be condemned and immediately refuted, but go ahead and make your views known in the Inner Realm and see if anyone is stupid enough or sick enough to come on side and join your movement.

Leff in Laguna repeats as Smack-Off champion

Leff in Laguna is the winner of Smack-Off XXIII, the annual competition on the weekday CBS Sports Radio show hosted by Jungle Party House Leader Jim Rome (heard in Patria on PMBC-1152 and locally in the greater Toronto area on CKOC-1150 in Hamilton, ON), in which select listeners are invited to provide their best “Smack Talk”. Back-to-back titles for the Laguna Beach Bully, who won the event last year!

For the win, Leff was awarded the cash prize of US $5000 (about 217,000 Patrienish Rupees). Note that the Smack-Off prize is winner take all; second place receives nothing, not even a set of steak knives. Congratulations, Leff!

Top ten finalists of Smack-Off XXIII

Current and past Smack-Off participants make up the bulk of the Jungle Party caucus in Patria's Congress. With 28 seats in the 50th Congress (two more than the macho, law-and-order National Union), the Jungle Party is seeking to increase its standing in the 51st Congress when the election is held on April 21, 2018. Leff represents the precinct of Nova Columbia in the 50th Congress by virtue of having been a Golden Ticket recipient in the 2014 Smack-Off and is virtually certain to retain that seat in the 51st Congress, as Smack-Off XXIV will likely be held in July 2018, well after Inauguration Day.

Third Session wraps for summer recess, Campaign 2018 is underway!

The Third Session of Patria's 50th Congress (3·L 2016-17) adjourned today for the summer recess. The traditional Annual Message summarizing the activities and achievements of Patria over the course of the academic/congressional year (as well as a de facto launch of the 51st Congress election campaign and Patria's bicentennial celebration in 2018) was delivered by the Speaker Pro Tem. The Fourth Session (4·L 2017-18) will convene on September 18. Transcript of the Annual Message to Congress follows.

Bhagavan Kripalu manelo sharane. Aavi ubho chun huñ to tava charane. Divine Compassionate One, my refuge, I have come to stand forever at your feet. As the Third Session of the Fiftieth Congress began, so it ends: with salutations and prostrations at the Divine Mother’s lotus feet. With Her blessings, the Fiftieth Congressus Patriaë has served three quarters of its term of office.

As per tradition, the final act of Congress prior to the summer recess is the ratification of Patria’s fiscal 2018 budget. Once again to the dismay of Republicans in the US and National Unionists here in Patria, this budget contains appropriate funding for health care, infrastructure improvements such as power grids and sanitation systems, which in some parts of Castoropolis within walking distance of the Capitol still date from the 1890s, public transit as the Castoropolis Metro celebrates its centenary as the capital’s subway system, education from grade school to university and specialized technical training, restoration of temples, shrines and other heritage public buildings, as well as the various social programs that conservatives of all stripes dread, but that nonetheless help make Patria a better place to be than the United States under Donald Trump.

As we know, Patria takes no position on macronational affairs such as Justin Trudeau’s broken promise of electoral reform that would have put an end to first-past-the-post in Canada and the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Nonetheless, let it be stated once again that Patria had never officially endorsed either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton and would not have preferred that Ms. Clinton – an evil, amoral one-percent plutocrat if ever there was one – had been elected to succeed Barack Obama. Mr. Trump’s election and the embarrassment, bluster, lies and deception that have ensued since his inauguration on January 20 are issues for the American people to deal with. Patria is merely a bystander, unrecognized by Rex Tillerson’s US State Department anyway. 

On the first day of this session last September, Patria ratified the Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary or MAPS treaty, intended to designate all ocean waters north of the Arctic Circle as a marine protected area free from natural resource exploitation, commercialization and military activity. MAPS is perhaps the best chance to protect one of the planet's most fragile ecosystems. It is Patria's goal that real-world macro-national governments such as Canada, the United Kingdom and even the United States will ratify MAPS in the near future. 

On February 13, Patria celebrated World Radio Day: a day that not only recognizes the value of radio in our daily life but serves as a call to preserve century-old terrestrial hertzian-wave broadcasting as an indispensible means of communication, particularly in times of war, revolution or natural disaster. In such times, it will be your battery or solar-powered radio – not your smartphone or tablet – that will serve as your essential source of news and information, beyond the reach of censors and impervious to power outages or collapse of the cyber-infrastructure. While lamenting the demise of international shortwave broadcasters, such as Radio Australia, which went dark at the end of January, Patria is committed to keeping AM or medium wave on the air as a vital piece of the broadcasting spectrum, providing full service and relevant made-in-Patria news, sports, entertainment and public affairs programming for all Patria. 

In the one year remaining in the 50^th Congress term of office, nationalism, populism, rejection of the elites and the plutocracy, as well as Patria First economic protectionism are far from taboo topics, particularly when advocated by the dissident left or alt-left. The streets and public squares, the halls of Congress, as well as the print and broadcast media in Patria will continue to serve as forums for non-violent dissident voices and unpopular or politically incorrect opinions. While remaining firmly committed to liberal social democracy, or democratic socialism such as propounded by Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn, Patria will not cave in to the politically correct thought police and cultural Marxists that proliferate among the mainstream or orthodox left. Patria was founded two centuries ago on the principles of constitutionally protected free speech, free thought, open debate, mature inquiry and peaceful protest. Cowardly attacks and assaults against anyone, motivated by a person’s race, religion, sexual orientation, political views or any other factors, will be vigorously prosecuted and dealt with to the full extent of the law. But the fear that anyone can be harmed by thoughts, arguments, historical monuments or even song lyrics is laughable. The Inner Realm is not a safe space to hide from so-called micro-aggressions and it is not a place for overly sensitive, easily-offended, thin-skinned snowflakes, particularly on college campuses. 

On the other side of this summer recess: the campaign for the Fifty-first Congress – election day is April 21, 2018 – and Patria’s bicentennial celebrations. How Patria’s bicentennial – using the hashtag #Patria200 – will be celebrated over the course of 2018 remains to be seen and will likely evolve spontaneously with little or no official government planning or funding of so-called bicentennial projects. There will certainly be no micronational World’s Fair on the scale of Expo 67 and no visits from iconic macronational heads of state such as Haile “Lion of Judah” Selassie and Charles “Vive le Québec libre” de Gaulle, who were eager to be seen with Canada’s then-Prime Minister Lester Pearson half a century ago. No flotillas of tall ships as on the Fourth of July 1976. But know this: Patria will not be rocking a catchy kiddie-focused song to celebrate the bicentennial such as Canada sang for its centennial in 1967. Rather than “Ca-na-da” or “Ontari-ari-ari-o” [Ontario’s centennial song, “A Place to Stand”], Patria will celebrate two hundred years as a united federation by making a joyful noise unto the Lord, coming before His presence – and of course, Her presence – with bhajans, kirtan and the chanting of mantras. From Om Namah Shivaya to Hari Bol and Jai Ambe, and of course Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Patria will sing the praises of the Devis and Devas, as well as the Kripalu lineage, whose blessings have allowed this Inner Realm to grow and thrive since 1818. 

As per unwritten tradition, the closing of the Third Session marks the unofficial start of the election campaign for the new Congress. As the race for the Fifty First Congress gathers steam during the Fourth Session, Twitter will once again be the primary means of campaigning by all of Patria’s parties. In the months leading up to Election Day next April, you can follow the campaign @Patriavotes2018. 

For those souls who have passed out of physical body during this session, such as those murdered by evil Islamic State cowards in London and Manchester, England, let us say lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. Let us make a pledge to meet in September and seal it with Amma’s kisses. Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah. Hari Om.

Under the power vested in me by the Constitution of Patria, I declare closed the Third Session of the Fiftieth Congress, and call this Congress to re-assemble here on Monday, 18 September 2017, to open the Fourth Session of the Fiftieth Congress.

Lest we forget: Patria remembers Vimy Ridge

One hundred years ago, on the morning of April 9, 1917 some 15,000 Canadian troops opened fire on German positions at Vimy Ridge in northern France. Over four days of bloody fighting, the Canadians had overrun Vimy Ridge at the cost of more than 10,600 killed and wounded. The Canadians had succeeded where British and French troops had failed in almost three years of fighting in the so-called Great War. (As for the US, America entered the war only a few days earlier, when Congress ratified Woodrow Wilson's declaration of war against Germany.) The victory at Vimy was a defining event for Canada, considered by many to be a significant event in Canada’s progress to full independence from Britain that began with Confederation in 1867. For the first time, Canadians fought as Canadians and died for their fellow citizens in Canada, not for Britain or the "Empire". Even though the British High Command considered Canadian troops little more than expendable cannon fodder, those who served at Vimy considered themselves something more than colonial detachments from the UK fighting for the glory of the mighty British Empire. Over the past century, Vimy Ridge has become to Canadians what Gallipoli is to Australians and New Zealanders, i.e. an integral part of the national identity.

Patria does not glorify war, particularly a war as fratricidal and pointless as the First World War in which 18th century battlefield tactics met 20th century technology. Nonetheless, to recognize Patria's special relationship with Canada and to commemorate this defining moment in Canadian history as a truly independent country - on a par with Canadian citizenship being recognized as distinct from being a British Subject (1947), the adoption of the new flag (1964-65) and repatriation of the Constitution (1982) - Patria Post has issued a commemorative stamp (pictured above). The stamp depicts a painting of the battle, from a collection of First World War artwork displayed at the Canadian War Museum.

For all those who gave their lives at Vimy Ridge, and those who returned home with missing limbs and/or a lifetime of PTSD, in the muddy trenches from August 1914 to 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918, let us say lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu. Lest we forget. N'oublions jamais. Nijí bhulámi.

Such a stupid, needless war. All over the assassination of a lousy Archduke.

AmritaServe reaches out to villages for economic self-reliance

Amrita SeRVe is a new initiative championed by the Amrita Party's House Leader** that will help make small villages in Bharat Mata (India, birthplace of much of Patria's spiritual heritage) self-reliant and grow the local economy. Amrita SeRVe was launched during Amma’s 60th birthday celebrations in September 2013 and ushered in sustainable development in village clusters across India. Its work is aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It is focused on areas in which to begin a series of changes that starts from basic needs and then leads to a state of true empowerment. Amrita SeRVe’s vision is to teach villagers the skills they need to live in communities that are prosperous and self-reliant. These are places where people are healthy and educated and where they lead lives of dignity in a clean, pollution-free environment. Such self-reliance will lead us to vibrant cultures rooted in India’s age-old traditional wisdom. Because villagers are the providers of most of the nation’s food supply, these steps can lead to a sense of community and gratitude throughout the entire country.

You can like Amrita SeRVe on Facebook, follow on Twitter, or subscribe to Amrita SeRVe's e-mail newsletter.

Amma says "It is our villages that sustain us by providing those who live in cities with the nourishment needed in order to survive. However, today, we are just exploiting villages and casting them aside. It is time to acknowledge that our villages are our very foundation and move forward with one heart and one mind to protect and serve them."

Amrita SeRVe's activities focus on areas such as self-empowerment (e.g. teaching a system of simple yoga asanas for women and children as well as training villagers to become yoga teachers), health (fighting malnutrition by encouraging villagers to start kitchen gardens where they can grow vegetables for their own needs), education (to strengthen village schools, achieve zero drop-out rates, and provide opportunities for higher education), and of course environmental initiatives such as promoting the use of re-usable cloth sanitary napkins rather than environmentally unfriendly disposable tampons for women when it's "that time of the month".

While Patria is known for its bustling cities such as Castoropolis, there are many small towns and villages within the Inner Realm that do not always enjoy the amenities, advanced infrastructure, educational opportunities, standard of living, public transit and even the 50,000-watt blowtorch radio stations of the capital city. Amrita SeRVe is a project that the Amrita Party of Patria fully supports.

** Standard disclaimer for newbies to this site or to Patria: the Amrita Party of Patria has no macro-national (i.e. "real world") connection to Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi) or Amma's charitable, educational and other organizations in India and throughout the macro-world. Nor does Amma endorse any real-world political party or hold any real-world elected office.

World Radio Day 2017: "Radio is you!"

World Radio Day's official logo looks more like a Shivalingam than a mic!

As proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to mark the anniversary of United Nations Radio signing on in 1946, February 13 is celebrated as World Radio Day. The objectives of the Day, according to UNESCO, are to raise greater awareness among the public and the media of the importance of radio; to encourage decision makers to establish and provide access to information through radio; as well as to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters. The slogan for World Radio Day 2017 is "RADIO IS YOU!"

Radio is still the most dynamic, reactive and engaging medium there is, adapting to 21st century changes and offering new ways to interact and participate. Where social media and audience fragmentation can put us in media bubbles of like-minded people, radio is uniquely positioned to bring communities together and foster positive dialogue for change. By listening to its audiences and responding to their needs, radio provides the diversity of views and voices needed to address the challenges we all face.

With the recent demise of Radio Australia, and the numerous other shortwave broadcasters who have gone dark in recent years, World Radio Day is a time to rally around this once-great broadcast medium that is very difficult to censor or jam, can be easily received in the poorest and most remote countries with little or no access to wi-fi, high-speed internet or even reliable sources of electricity, and will always come through in times of war, revolution or natural disaster. As a source of direct uncensored news from around the world, such as the democratic revolutions in Eastern Europe in 1989 that would lead to Patria's Dharmic Revolution, shortwave was "the internet before there was the internet".

Radio in Patria is a model of what radio should be. There are no plans anywhere in Patria to replace terrestrial AM and FM radio stations with digital or so-called "DRM", as is happening in Norway. There are many stations providing relevant local programming, including "all bhajans all the time" Hindu Dharma and Bollywood hits stations similar to Trinidad's Radio Jaagriti-102.7 and Lotus FM in South Africa. For those who like all-news, all-sports and all-talk (even right wing, National Unionist and pro-Trump talk), there are AM stations in Patria that could sound like dead ringers for US AM stations, some of which are affiliates of the Jim Rome and Rush Limbaugh shows. On FM in Patria you will find college and university stations on the traditional left end of the dial (88.1 to 92 MHz), classic rockers, oldies, New Age, classical, and almost any other format you can think of that would be scoffed at as an unprofitable niche in the US or not allowed by Canada's CRTC. In Patria's capital city there is a legendary AM blowtorch with a classic three-letter call (PMC on 846 kHz), whose format is still proudly "full-service": in-depth local and national news, sports coverage (e.g. Castoropolis FC and Caesarea United in the All-Patria Football Federation), talk shows hosted by or featuring as guests politicians from various parties (Amrita, Chakra, SRM, NU, Social Democrat, etc.), Sunday morning Hindu pujas, "trading post" programs (listeners call in offering services or items for sale) and a few music shows on the weekend when there are no live sports events. To virtually no one's surprise, PMC-846 has been the top-rated station in Patria's Capital District market for almost as long as anyone can remember.

Have an O'Keefe on Flag Day!

Today (Jan. 25) is Flag Day in Patria. On this day when citizens of Patria honor the simple tri-color flag of Patria, a co-incidental similarity to the flag is noted on the label of O'Keefe Ale, once the flagship product of Canada's now-defunct Carling-O'Keefe Brewery (merged with Molson's since 1989). Its slogan back in the 1970s Stubby bottle heyday was "the easy drinking ale", or in French "celle qui se prend en douceur".

The shield-toting knight in armor logo was also used on other Carling-O'Keefe products such as Old Vienna Lager back in the last century. Note, however, that the colors are reversed. The red is on the top and bottom quarters on Patria's flag. While O'Keefe Ale is virtually impossible to find in Canada these days, it is brewed under license in Patria and it is still one of the Inner Realm's most popular brands. But the colors of Patria's flag are displayed correctly on the label and the bottle cap of the brewed-in-Patria O'Keefe.

Hey Patria, have an O'Keefe!

Pray for success, hope for failure: Patria's message on Trump's inaugural

President Trump delivers his Inaugural Address

As Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States, repeating the oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States", Patria appreciates the peaceful and orderly transfer of power - a hallmark of American democracy since George Washington's first inauguration in 1789.  It is the tradition in Patria to respect the office of the US presidency (indeed, the office of any macro-national head of state) even if you dislike the person holding it. With that in mind, the Third Session of the 50th Congress issued a brief message on US Inauguration Day: Patria congratulates Donald Trump and Mike Pence on their inauguration as US President and Vice President. The Inner Realm prays for Donald Trump to have the strength to carry out the duties of the macro-world's most powerful elected office. Patria wishes the Trump administration the best of luck and every success over the next four years in his quest to make America great again. At the same time, Patria is hoping that Mr. Trump will fail: FAIL to build the wall on the US-Mexico border, FAIL to mass-deport Muslim Americans, FAIL to overturn Roe v. Wade, and that he will FAIL to divide the nation, whether men from women, Christians from heathen non-believers, native-born from immigrants, or those who didn't vote for him from those who did.

Full text of President Trump's Inaugural Address.