User:Gloryjones958/sandbox

Julian Assange is an award winning journalist being tortured in Belmarsh prison for exposing US war crimes while Commander X, hacktivist and advocate for the homeless is being held in solitary confinement after illegal rendition to the US from Mexico. Mumia and Leonard Peltier are still in prison for their fearless revolutionary work. Free Palestine and Free all political prisoners.

These views come as the Center for American Progress is backed by corporate actors such as Goldman Sachs, Boeing, and Walmart.

Regarding foreign policy, Tanden's positions can be deemed particularly hawkish, sharing sentiments with Donald Trump regarding using oil revenues from other nations to pay for continued military occupation in countries or other interests. In a discussion on whether oil revenues should be stolen from Libya in return for the U.S "liberating" them, Tanden remarked the following in a leaked email:

We have a giant deficit. They have a lot of oil. Most Americans would choose not to engage in the world because of that deficit. If we want to continue to engage in the world, gestures like having oil rich countries partially pay us back doesn't seem crazy to me. Do we prefer cuts to Head Start? Or WIC? Or Medicaid? Because we live in deficit politics, and that's what is happening and will be happening even more.

History

Amazon Warriors

In the West African kingdom of Dahomey (now Benin), women served as elite troops. What began as an elite royal guard in the 18th century developed into a standing force that reached its peak of strength in the middle of the 19th century. The women warriors outnumbered the male army and were housed and trained under women officials separately from them. This legion of women was involved in many Dahomean military campaigns, yet they eventually lost their position and status after Dahomey's defeat by the French in 1892. Although the legion doesn't exist today in full force, the Amazons of Dahomey serve as a glaring example for the fact that with effective training and competition there is no difference in fighting prowess between women and men.

American Revolution

During the American Revolution women served important roles at home and with the army. From home women committed acts of resistance through continued boycotting of British goods. They also proved to be resourceful in relaying secret messages through a system of ways in hanging laundry to dry. While traveling with the British and American armies women served as cooks, nurses, seamstresses, washerwomen, scavengers for supplies, and sometimes as soldiers and spies. A notable example is Deborah Sampson, who was one of the first women to enlist while disguised as a man. Unhappy with her limited role in the war, she served in a light infantry unit, fighting in many battles. Injuries put her in a hospital where her secret was discovered. Her commanding officer, General John Paterson, honorably discharged her and thanked her for her service. It's important to note that many African American and Native American women worked at the British army camps, as their independence often depended on Loyalist victories rather that Patriot ones; the African and Native women that did work at patriot army camps were often subject to a lot of comparison relative to their white counterparts.

French Revolution

In the beginning of the French Revolution women bore arms and used them most notably in the March on Versailles when they marched from Paris to Louis XVI's palace at Versailles with with pitchforks, clubs, knives, swords, muskets, and even cannons demanding bread and that the king sign the Declaration of Rights. This action effectively made the king and queen prisoners of war and held them accountable. Many women were involved in camps as washerwomen and cooks, yet many attempts were made to organize women's battalions. A notable example is Pauline Léon presenting the Legislative Assembly with a petition signed by 300 people calling for a female National Guard in March of 1792. Another example is Manette Dupont's petition proposing to form 20 battalions and 5 legions of 10,000 women warriors in the spring of 1793. However, despite the appeal of Joan of Arc's legacy and the actions of women in the French Revolution, petitions such as these were turned down and no institutional advancements were made for women wanting to serve in the French army.

American Civil War

Several hundred women enlisted and fought in the US Civil War, generally disguised as men. In some cases their identity was discovered, typically on the battlefield or in hospitals after becoming wounded. In the years following the Civil War, Cathay Williams became the first known female Buffalo Soldier. She enlisted in 1866 as William Cathay and was assigned to the 38th U.S. Infantry, an all African American unit. She contracted smallpox during her enlistment, which continued to trouble her after initial recovery. In 1868 while she was hospitalized the post surgeon discovered she was a woman and she was discharged on October 14.

World War I

Main article: Women in World War I

Thousands of women served as nurses, cooks, laundresses and other support roles in the armies involved in World War I.

Russia

The only nation to deploy female combat troops in substantial numbers was Russia. From the onset, female recruits either joined the military in disguise or were tacitly accepted by their units. The most prominent were a contingent of front-line light cavalry in a Cossack regiment commanded by a female colonel, Alexandra Kudasheva. Others included Maria Bochkareva, who was decorated three times and promoted to senior NCO rank, while The New York Times reported that a group of twelve schoolgirls from Moscow had enlisted together disguised as young men. In 1917, the Provisional Government raised a number of "Women's Battalions", with Bochkareva given an officer's commission in command. They fought well, but failed to provide the propaganda value expected of them and were disbanded before the end of the year. In the later Russian Civil War, they fought both for the Bolsheviks (infantry) and the White Guard.

Others

In Serbia, a few individual women played key military roles. Scottish doctor Elsie Ingles coordinated a retreat of approximately 8,000 Serbian troops through Romania and revolutionary Russia, up to Scandinavia and finally onto transport ships back to England . Another woman, Milunka Savic, enlisted in the Serbian army in place of her brother. She fought throughout the war, becoming possibly the most decorated woman in military history.

In 1917 Loretta Walsh became the first woman to enlist as a woman. A 1948 law made women a permanent part of the military services. In 1976, the first group of women were admitted into a U.S. military academy. Approximately 16% of the 2013 West Point class consisted of women.In the 1918 Finnish Civil War, more than 2,000 women fought in the Women's Red Guards.

In the Spanish Civil War, thousands of women fought in mixed-gender combat and rearguard units, or as part of militias.

In 1990 and 1991, some 40,000 American military women were deployed during the Gulf War operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm; however, no women served in combat. A policy enacted in 1994 prohibited women from assignment to ground combat units below the brigade level.